Costa Rica investigates medical transfer delays after child's fatal shooting in Limón

A seven-year-old boy, Iker Elián Alvarado Rivera, has died following a shooting in Pueblo Nuevo, Limón. The incident occurred on Children's Day while the child was traveling home from a soccer school in a vehicle that was targeted by gunfire.

Costa Rican President Laura Fernández Delgado has ordered an investigation into alleged delays regarding the child's emergency aerial medical transfer. Following the attack, Iker was taken to Hospital Tony Facio, where efforts were made to fly him to the Hospital Nacional de Niños. The President has requested a detailed report within three days from the Ministries of Public Works and Transport, Public Security, and the executive presidency of the CCSS.

The investigation aims to reconstruct the chronology of actions, determine if protocols were correctly applied, and establish if the child was medically fit for air transport during the coordination period. Local officials, including Limón Mayor Ana Matarrita McCalla, have called for increased protection for children and urged the community to reject the normalization of violence.