Costa Rica ends Covid mandates for public

Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves eliminates mask requirements | Tico Times - Ileana Fernandez:

Costa Rican flag mask. Image: Zazzle.com

May 9, 2022 - "Newly elected President Rodrigo Chaves, eliminated the mandatory use of masks for the population, as well as the obligation to be vaccinated against covid-19. In addition, not being vaccinated will no longer be a cause for dismissal in the public sector. The Decree is yet to be published in La Gaceta, but will become effective as soon as it is. 

"The strict use of masks and vaccination is only enforced for front-line public health care workers. For the rest of the population, the use is voluntary, explained President Chaves. 'To the rest of the people, I recommend that they wear a mask on the bus if they feel like it, especially those who have not been vaccinated three or four times.,,, 

Ticos are intelligent people and Ticas even more so. I respect the population, and if a new covid wave comes, we will reevaluate,' Chaves further elaborated.

"The Association of Physicians and Surgeons of Costa Rica, the Association of Pharmacists of Costa Rica and the National Medical Union of Costa Rica, publicly spoke against lifting the mask mandate.

"''Eliminating the obligatory use of masks in enclosed places, as well as vaccination against covid-19, is inopportune,” read the statement issued. 'Costa Rica is on the verge of a fifth wave, so it would have been ideal to wait for its behavior before taking a decision such as the one that has just been communicated', affirmed the president of the Association of Physicians and Surgeons....

"'We express our concern regarding the non-mandatory vaccination, as it was a reasonable and proportional measure, with a valuable which has represented a very valuable contribution in terms of public health, due to the coverage achieved,' said Lidiette Fonseca, president of the Association of Pharmacists.

"The Association of Physicians and Surgeons of Costa Rica, clarified it is respectful of the decisions made by the authorities; however, it urged citizens to voluntarily maintain the use of masks and asked the population to get vaccinated."

Read more: https://ticotimes.net/2022/05/09/costa-rican-president-rodrigo-chaves-eliminates-mask-requirements

Costa Rican Libertarian praises Trump campaign

Libertarian Otto Guevara praises elements of Trump's campaign - The Tico Times - L. Arias:

November 23, 2016 - "Libertarian lawmaker and former presidential candidate Otto Guevara Guth says ... he thinks his party should learn some things from U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump’s political playbook; Guevara describes Trump’s strategy as 'telling people what they need to hear, regardless of the political cost.' He also praises elements of Trump’s position on immigration, while he criticizes other stances.

"Guevara’s Libertarian Movement Party finished fourth in the 2014 elections with 11.3 percent of votes. He now says that his party’s next presidential campaign should be 'groundbreaking and sincere,' just like Trump’s.

"Guevara, a founder of the party, told The Tico Times that he is not a Trump supporter. '“If I were a U.S. citizen I’d have voted for Gary Johnson,” he said, adding that the U.S. Libertarian’s ideas and proposals are the closest to Guevara’s vision of what Costa Rican society needs....

"If Guevara decides to run again he will have to face a primary election. Guevara’s fellow lawmaker Natalia Díaz Quintana was the first Libertarian to officially announce her interest to launch a bid to win her party’s nomination for the 2018 presidential election....

"He said one of the things he liked about Trump’s campaign strategy was that, in Guevara’s view, Trump understood that voters increasingly support candidates who speak directly and frankly; Guevara says traditional Costa Rican politicians do not do this....

"Guevara also said he agrees with Trump’s idea that the U.S. should stop being the world’s policeman and stop interfering with the internal situations of other countries, invest all those funds in the U.S. instead....

"Guevara said that he believes tightening immigration policies would likely be part of a possible campaign proposal.... 'That is the main problem with our current welfare state,' he said, adding that immigrants are attracted by the country’s social aid programs....

"Among Guevara’s main concerns about Trump are his proposals to lower corporate taxes as well as his plans to exit the North American Free Trade Agreement and other trade deals.

"'If Trump moves forward with his idea of lowering corporate taxes from 35 to 15 percent, that would force us to speed up the approval of all required amendments to make our country more competitive,' he said".

Read more: http://www.ticotimes.net/2016/11/23/otto-guevara-trump-campaign
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Poll shows Libertarian would win Costa Rican runoff, if he's on the ballot

Libertarian candidate Otto Guevara could become Costa Rica’s next president -The Tico Times - Corey Kane:

January 16, 2014 - "A second round of voting in April in Costa Rica’s presidential race could turn the dynamics upside-down, as current third-place candidate Otto Guevara would be favored.

"This is according to the latest poll released by the daily La Nación, the first time a public poll has examined scenarios if no candidate succeeds in getting more than 40 percent of the vote in the first round.

The poll ran three scenarios between the top polling candidates – the ruling National Liberation Party (PLN) nominee Johnny Araya, the progressive Broad Front Party candidate José María Villalta, and the Libertarian Movement Party’s Guevara.

"Guevara likely would defeat both Villalta and Araya – if Guevara makes it to the second round – while Araya would lose to Villalta, La Nación’s poll predicted.

"'I am profoundly grateful for this massive and growing support from Costa Ricans,” Guevara said in a statement. “Our message is honest and transparent and the people have understood it.”"

"Guevara has benefited in recent months from receiving support from former and current members of the formerly dominant right-of-center Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC)."

Read more: http://www.ticotimes.net/2014/01/16/libertarian-candidate-otto-guevara-could-become-costa-ricas-next-president
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Social Christian Unity economists endorse Libertarian presidential candidate in Costa Rica

Unity economists break from party and endorse Libertarian presidential candidate / News Briefs / More news / Costa Rica Newspaper, The Tico Times:

"In the latest step in the descent of the Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC), a group of party economists are now voicing their support for Libertarian Movement Party candidate Otto Guevara, saying his embrace of the free market is the only solution to the twin electoral threats of socialism and a continuation of the current ruling party's culture of corruption.

"A former president of Costa Rica’s Central Bank and previous PUSC supporter, Jorge Guardia, attacked one of the rising opposition candidates.

"'The country faces an urgent political dilemma,' Guardia said at a Tuesday press conference. 'There exists the risk that José María Villalta, of the socialist Broad Front Party, could win the February presidential elections.'

"Guardia praised the Libertarian Movement presidential nominee as having the only economic plan to solve Costa Rica’s woes, such as its 8.9 percent unemployment rate. He said he made the switch because polls have shown that current PUSC candidate, Rodolfo Piza, has no chance to even reach the runoff."

"Recent polls have shown ... Villalta and ruling National Liberation Party nominee Johnny Araya, the former mayor of San José, as the front-runners. Most polls have placed Guevara in third place. If no candidate gets more than 40 percent of the vote on Feb. 2, the top two finishers will face a runoff."

Read more: http://www.ticotimes.net/More-news/News-Briefs/Unity-economists-break-from-party-and-endorse-Libertarian-presidential-candidate-_Tuesday-December-17-2013
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Costa Rican Libertarian Movement members charged with election fraud

Costa Rican Prosecutor’s Office charges Libertarian Movement members with fraud / News Briefs / More news / Costa Rica Newspaper, The Tico Times:

August 5, 2013 - "Costa Rica’s Chief Prosecutor Jorge Chavarría on Monday reported that he had filed fraud charges against three members of the Libertarian Movement Party (ML) for alleged fraud committed against the Supreme Elections Tribunal (TSE) during the 2010 presidential elections.

"The charges were issued for reporting false expenses totaling ₡240 million ($480,000), money that was apparently used to pay for 190 'training courses.'

"Charged are Libertarian training manager Carlos Solano, treasurer Ronaldo Alfaro and the party’s accountant, Roger Segura. Presidential candidate Otto Guevara is not on the list of persons under investigation, the chief prosecutor said.

"TSE officials said the accusations surfaced after 'extensive research on three political parties suspected of committing crimes involving ₡698 million (some $1.4 million) provided by the state for financing the electoral process.'"

Read more: http://www.ticotimes.net/More-news/News-Briefs/Costa-Rican-Prosecutor-s-Office-charges-Libertarian-Movement-members-with-fraud_Monday-August-05-2013
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Costa Rican police raid Libertarian Movement office, arrested 2

Police raid Libertarian Movement Party office, two arrested / Top Story / Current Edition / Costa Rica Newspaper, The Tico Times - AFP:

Nov. 4, 2011 - "Agents from the Judicial Investigation Police and the Chief Prosecutor's Office's financial crimes unit Friday arrested two officials from the Libertarian Movement Party, or ML, and charged them with defrauding the government of hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign fund reimbursements after the party allegedly billed the government for dozens of political workshops that never took place....

"Carlos Solano, the party’s secretary of training, told prosecutors last Monday that 194 campaign workshops, for which the ML billed the Supreme Elections Tribunal ₡210 million ($412,000), never happened.... Solano said that in order to fake the workshops’ attendance documents, he and another employee, Luis Chavarría, collected signatures and identification numbers 'at any cost' between June 2009 and January 2010, leading up to the 2010 elections. Chavarría is an adviser to congressman Adonay Enríquez."

Read more: http://www.ticotimes.net/Current-Edition/Top-Story/Police-raid-Libertarian-Movement-Party-office-two-arrested-_Friday-November-04-2011
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