Event Summary
Between 1 and 4 August 2025, precautionary embargo measures were imposed against two environmental activists and content creators in Costa Rica: Juan Bautista Alfaro and Javier Adelfang. The measures were reportedly requested by a company linked to a tourism project in Playa Panamá (Bahía Papagayo), after both activists used social media to raise concerns about environmental damage and questioned the permits granted for the development.
The embargoes included the blocking of bank accounts, withholding of wages, freezing of credit cards, and restrictions on real estate. Experts and environmentalists have described these measures as disproportionate and warned they may amount to Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) as a tactic to silence people who make complaints about environmental or political abuses.
Both cases triggered strong national reactions. Environmental organizations, such as Asociación Ciudadana ACCEDER, GuanaDefensoras, and Antigentrificación CR released a public letter, signed by 72 organizations and 3,386 individuals including academics and human rights defenders condemning the measures as acts of intimidation. In response, the Frente Amplio Party (Broad Front Party) introduced a legislative proposal to limit the use of preventive embargoes in cases involving matters of public interest.
These developments signal a potential setback for civic freedoms in Costa Rica, highlighting how judicial tools can be misused to restrict freedom of expression and discourage public participation.