El Salvador President Nayib Bukele stands at the podium before receiving the Costa Rica's highest honor from President Rodrigo Chaves at the Presidential Palace in San Jose, Costa Rica, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Diaz)

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) — Costa Rica on Monday bestowed its highest diplomatic honor on El Salvador President Nayib Bukele for his success in lowering levels of violence during a more than two-year campaign against powerful street gangs.

President Rodrigo Chaves lauded Bukele’s efforts as his own country continues to struggle with historically high homicide numbers. Yet Bukele’s recognition brought controversy in Costa Rica, long known as Central America’s most stable democracy.

Bukele's success in combating violence is due in part to the suspension of a number of constitutional rights that push aside due process and give security forces and prosecutors far greater power to pursue suspects. Despite that, voters rewarded Bukele with an unprecedented second term earlier this year and he maintains stratospheric approval levels.

Unlike Bukele, Chaves does not hold a majority in congress and has not remade Costa Rica’s courts to remove opposition. Chaves has spoken in half jest about leaving the presidency to run for congress and then trying for the presidency again. Costa Rica does not allow consecutive presidential reelection.

The country — long applauded for a robust ecotourism industry, environmental conservation and relative peace — has been wracked by violence in recent years, largely attributed to drug trafficking. Costa Rica has become a key way station for cocaine exports to Europe and the United States.

Last year, Costa Rica hit a homicide record with 906, compared to 654 in 2022. This year is only slightly off last year’s pace, according to the government. On Tuesday, the two leaders were scheduled to visit one of Costa Rica’s largest prisons.

“El Salvador’s rescue from those nefarious claws is also helping the peace in our region,” Chaves said Monday after giving Bukele the National Order of Juan Mora Fernández, named after the country’s first president. “The fight against organized crime in any part of Central America is welcome. The reach and influence and bad example of the gangs must be reduced.”

Chaves, a conservative economist, ran an outsider’s campaign in 2022 despite having briefly served as finance minister in the administration of outgoing President Carlos Alvarado. He has maintained high levels of approval, but covets the legislative majority ushered into office by Bukele’s early popularity.

“President Bukele also understands what I have said a thousand times in this country, that for democracy to be worthwhile, it has to give results to society, to not be replaced by another political system that we Costa Ricans don’t want to see.”

Bukele addressed criticism of his methods as he has before. He said first the right to life must be protected by addressing violence before other rights can be guaranteed.

“All the other rights aren’t worth it if there’s no right to life. They can’t be applied. There’s no right to (free) movement if I’m dead,” Bukele said. “So the government must guarantee citizens’ right to life and to do so has to go after the criminals. There’s no other way.”

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