Snapshot: Central America's plans for Bukele-style prisons

After violent incidents in prisons in Honduras and Costa Rica, the two Central American countries announced plans to build new penitentiaries in the style of El Salvador President Nayib Bukele’s so-called center for terrorism confinement (Cecot). 

Bukele opened the controversial maximum-security prison, which has come under fire from human rights groups, last January, promoting it with a massive media campaign.

Honduras’ President Xiomara Castro issued an executive order to build a similar prison after clashes between gangs in a female penitentiary close to Tegucigalpa in June last year left 46 inmates dead. In Costa Rica, a riot in the San Sebastián prison in May resulted in the deaths of two inmates. 

BNamericas takes a look at the latest developments in each project.   

Honduras

The Honduran government expects to start construction of the prison complex on the Cisne Islands in February, authorities have announced. 

The project is being overseen by the defense ministry, whose head, José Manuel Zelaya, said bids from interested parties will be received soon. 

“Today I reiterated that the process to build a maximum-security prison on the Cisne Islands is advancing under the guidelines of [military police] PMOP and the national penitentiary authority [INP], and that it could start in February so it would be ready in 2024,” Zelaya said via his X account. 

The minister also said that officials from PMOP, and from the national conservation, forestry development, protected areas and wildlife agency have traveled several times to the islands to determine the type of environmental permits and licenses needed. 

PMOP head Ramiro Fernando Muñoz said construction will take approximately 11 months. 

“What I know is that we’ll start construction in February, I hope we can have it as a Christmas present on December 20, I believe it will be finished by then,” he was quoted as saying by daily Hondudiario. 

The Cisne Islands are 200km off the mainland in the Caribbean Sea, which could mean capex of up to US$800mn would be needed, according to analysts. The project is likely to drain state coffers and destroy unique ecosystems, according to the former head of the country’s civil engineers’ association, Jorge Paz.

“There are species that are unique to the island. They cannot be found anywhere else in the Caribbean, and all of that is in danger should construction move forward. History has shown that prisons in remote places are not manageable, it’s difficult, and their maintenance is expensive,” Paz told BNamericas in November. 

“This project has been taken very lightly and has not been thought through because if the government had done that, it would not have selected that location in the first place,” he added. 

Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s government is considering building a prison complex to house between 1,000 and 1,500 inmates, with no location yet disclosed, justice minister Gerald Campos announced. Capex for the project would be between US$70mn and US$100mn, according to news outlet Teletica.

“The idea of a new prison comes from this government under the leadership of the president [Rodrigo Chaves] … we are in talks with the finance minister to discuss the next steps but the truth is that Costa Rica needs a new prison,” Campos was quoted as saying by news outlet Monumental. 

Campos said last week that the project has the approval of Chaves and that officials have also met with representatives of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (Cabei) to secure funds for the prison, but the lender has not yet announced a decision.

Panama

The Panamanian government, meanwhile, is planning a new prison complex in Colón to replace the Nueva Esperanza facilities.

Minister of government Roger Tejada recently said that construction of the penitentiary will start "soon" – without naming the contractor or stating a date – and with better standards than El Salvador’s Cecot.

“This prison in Colón has better standards than Bukele’s jail in El Salvador. We have taken the time to determine the optimal technical conditions and that is why we took a year to produce the design and studies,” the minister was quoted as saying by daily El Siglo.

The long-planned project, which was put out to tender last January, involves estimated capex of US$85mn and construction is expected to take approximately three years.

Three companies presented proposals to build the new prison, according to daily La Estrella: China Harbour Engineering Company submitted a US$86.3mn bid, Tradeco Infraestructura offered to do it for US$85.7mn Centroequipos offered US$86.5mn. The winner has not been announced.