The General Directorate of Armaments in Costa Rica has destroyed 191 firearms this month, firearms which had been used in various crimes including homicide, robbery, drug trafficking, and illegal arms possession and sale. The Guns destroyed included 133 short weapons and 58 long weapons which have been in custody since 2012 and were previously used as evidence in criminal proceedings. They had been confiscated by the OIJ during raids throughout Costa Rica.

How many more are really out there? It is estimated that the number of guns in Costa Rica, in the hands of civilians, is about 400,000. Only about half are registered and in the hands of licensed gun owners. That places Costa Rica as 87th in the world for privately owned guns, according to gunpolicy.org, an international organization that tracks gun ownership worldwide.
The destruction of these weapons should be compared to the year 2017, when authorities seized and destroyed 329 weapons, including pistols, revolvers, shotguns, military automatic weapons, rifles and carbines. In 2015, some 656 guns were destroyed by authorities.
In Costa Rica, the right to private gun ownership is not guaranteed by law, and one must be 18 years of age to legally own a gun, younger if the gun is used for hunting. For foreigners, only those with Permanent Residency status may legally own a firearm.

As in most of the world, it is unfortunate that in Costa Rica, guns tend to fall into the hands of those who use them for illegal activities.
This recent destruction of 191 firearms by the General Directorate of Armament, in conjunction with the international Orca Project, is a step in the right direction for Costa Rican gun control.