It is believed that the Costa Rican government overpaid 28-80% above the cost of the medical equipment from the Finnish consortium. Now many Costa Ricans are asking where is that money?

The blog Periodismo Informativo [es] writes:

El Ministerio Público acusa a los imputados como los supuestos artífices de un plan fraudulento, con el fin de impulsar un crédito del gobierno de Finlandia para la compra de equipo médico para la CCSS. Los acusados supuestamente habrían obtenido la suma total de $9.163.821 en “comisiones ilegales”.

For many, this amount is exorbitant especially for a country like Costa Rica where there are many limitations on the funds available for public investment. Many Costa Ricans like El Burro de Licha [es] are anxiously awaiting the completion of the trial even though they know that the money is long gone:

Esperamos que se demuestre indudablemente su inocencia o culpabilidad, si sale inocente, que no quede la menor duda y no sea porque los ellos lograron desestimar la causa

Calderón is not hiding his interest to become elected president once again and has been making visits throughout the country looking for votes. He is also trying to raise the profile of his political party the Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC for its initials in Spanish). Something that Marco Blanco of ¡Que Clío nos guarde! [es] has also been noticing, although he notes that even Calderón himself may not see his own chances as realistic:

De cara hacia las elecciones 2010, el PUSC intenta reagruparse alrededor de su líder histórico, el expresidente Calderón (…) quien incluso reconoce querer aspirar a una doble postulación (claro signo de debilidad, ¡nadie que esté seguro de tener posibilidad real de ganar la presidencia se postula al mismo tiempo para diputado!)

The trial appears to be moving at a very slow pace, and some speculate that this is the case because of political pressure. If the trial would have been completed, a presidential campaign would be much less likely. However, there still is a chance that Calderón will run, but potential voters like Conejitos Suicidas [es] won't consider Calderón as a viable candidate:

Yo nunca votaría nuevamente por Calderón, es más, me parece algo descarado de su parte afirmar que piensa relanzarse, no pienso en darle mi voto y mucho menos apoyar alguna de sus acciones políticas.

Pero si creo, al igual que muchos, en los juicios justos. En la justicia verdadera y no la justicia a martillazos, como la de las dictaduras. Creo que todos tenemos el derecho a ser juzgado de forma correcta y no pensar que por solo el hecho de ser político lo hace un corrupto despreciable digno de cárcel.

To fully understand why the agreement was complicated, especially since there have been so many opinions that have been expressed, some point to the information campaigns. Citizens often are not 100% sure whether it will be beneficial or not, which is something that Cristian Cambronero of Fusil de Chispas [es] said during the campaign season:


A estas alturas, el texto del TLC es como el de los Salmos, significa una cosa o la otra según el predicador que la anuncie

Possibly that is why it is taking so long to approve the laws. However, for some, that is unacceptable since the people approved the FTA through a vote, and the Assembly should fulfill the will of the people. JP Zuniga thinks that those who do not want to recognize the vote should be punished.

Yo creo que hacer una petición para una renegociación del TLC con Estados Unidos en nombre de Costa Rica es sedición.

The article mentioned by Zuniga involves several syndicate and political organizations, primarily from the left, who are asking for a renegotiation of the Agreement. As mentioned in the petition, they are asking the incoming government of president-elect Barack Obama to renegotiate some of the polemic topics, such as the ones dealing with the environment, labor, intellectual property, and food security.

Cristivilla's blog is critical [es] in his blog:

No seamos ilusos, a la potencia del norte nunca le hemos importado, ni Costa Rica ni Amèrica Latina, a no ser que esto convenga a sus intereses…

En el plano de Costa Rica, el TLC no es ni mas ni menos que una jugada polìtica para abrir las telecomunicaciones y los seguros, o sea, entregar a manos de las multinacionales, el patrimonio de todos los costarricenses.

La Suiza Centroamericana [es] writes:


El TLC SI es una herramienta que, junto con un proyecto más amplio de desarrollo económico impulsará, un crecimiento sostenido que redunde en beneficios para todos.

Finally, with that chapter behind them the Costa Ricans can think about the future and work together for a common good, in spite of the differences as demonstrated in the long process to approve the FTA, as The News Star [es] writes:

En fin, ahora a los costarricenses independientemente de la postura que tuvimos en el referendo, ya sea a favor del Si o del No, tenemos que mirar hacia una misma dirección, y luchar por una Costa Rica mejor.

Having to choose between two friends and which one to invite to a party is something awkward. This is what the Costa Rican president and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Oscar Arias Sánchez had to do recently. He asked the Dalai Lama to postpone his scheduled visit until next year, even when his visit was private in nature. Coincidentally, a month after the planned visit, the Chinese President Hu Jintao is scheduled to arrive on an official visit. Many were upset at the news, such as Milagro Rodríguez, Vice-President of the Tibetan-CostaRican Cultural Association, who expressed her sadness [es].

Julia Ardón [es] writes in her blog about the possible reasons for the request:

La Asociación Tibetana de Costa Rica por supuesto salta y explica lo que entiende como un desaire de claro cálculo político, ya que por esos días tendrá visita oficial el Presidente de China y se podría molestar o peor aún: decidir no venir. ( Y eso no le conviene al gobierno! No ve que los chinos nos están dando mucha plata?!)

The Dalai Lama's visit was scheduled for September 10, however, based on Arias' formal request the visit was cancelled. President Arias stated that he would not be in the country. Instead it did not appear to be a coincidence, especially with the planned visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao, especially in light of the support given to the country. Costa Rica has drawn closer to the Chinese government in recent years. In June 8, 2007, Costa Rica broke diplomatic relations with Taiwan [es] and started formal relations with China. Later, Arias was received by China with full honors [es] provided to friendly countries.

La Suiza Centroamericana [es] is displeased about Arias lack of outspokeness regarding human rights abuses in China.

Lo que si nos sorprende, y nos causa tremendo disgusto, es que nuestro gobierno de turno, presidido por otro Premio Nobel de la Paz, haya guardado un silencio absoluto y sepulcral ante las atrocidades cometidas por su nuevo amiguito oriental.

Many come to the conclusion that the presidents and developing nations must make risky political calculations and not everyone will look at it in the same way, in terms of what is most convenient for Costa Rica and what is the best for the majority. Being president and making decisions must not be easy, and even when one must say to a friend, for now it is best not to come to my house.

Thumbnail photo by Ferne Miller

The young congresswoman has faced political pressure [es] over the past few days. Pressue that very few has had to deal with, and as one blogger writes, that it appears that she truly wanted to help the country. As Cristian Cambronero of Fusil de Chispas [es], “opportunistic or not, calculating or not, her attitude is civic.”

The Costa Rican blogosphere has been talking about this recent event, with some in favor and with others against. However, each gives their opinion. Cambronero, who once supported the PAC and now regrets his vote says:

La actitud de Morales hoy es titubeante, floja. De asumir posiciones valiosas de divergencia con su propio partido, la diputada ha pasado a ser una feliz veleta a merced de los vientos del oficialismo, refiriéndose a que varios sectores del PAC le recriminan que ella ha tomado una posición de poca oposición contra el gobierno.

The underlying question that this brings up is what happens when a deputy falls out of line with the official party and makes her own personal decisions? Should she be expulsed from her party? One of the decisions that have been criticized has been Morales' decision to not oppose the laws so that the Free Trade Agreement is approved. In her defense, she says that her decisions reflect the will of the people who voted for this agreement.

Dean Córnito en the blog La Suiza Centroamericana [es]:

De todos es conocida la posición de Andrea Morales con respecto al TLC. No lo apoyó, pero desde un principio dijo que habría que respetar la voluntad popular y que, en su visión de mundo, eso significaba no obstaculizar la agenda de implementación en la Asamblea si el TLC era aprobado en el Referéndum.

The PAC continues to commit errors after errors, and losing support little by little according to Roy Rojas of the News Star [es]. He writes in the post Costa Rica and its Political Games that the PAC is in trouble and due to the arrogance of its leader Ottón Solís, it would never notice it.

qué pasó con el partido político que le decía no al obstruccionismo, aquel partido que se perfilaba como la voz del pueblo?. Ahora el PAC se ha convertido en uno más, incluso por su falta de experiencia cometiendo errores que les puede costar muy caro en un futuro cercano

What happened to the political party that said “no” to obstructionism. The party that represented the voice of the people? Now the PAC ahs become just another party, and for its lack of experience it is committing errors that could prove very costly in the near future.

The blog Manda Güevo [es] also shows support to Morales for standing up to the PAC leader.

However, not all agree with the decision. The blog La Foto Salió Movida [es], the writes is very direct in expressing displeasure at the deputy's behavior and says:

La diputada del PAC Andrea Morales, no sólo debería renunciar al PAC, si no a su curul. Esto como manera de respetar el convenio que firmó con su partido al inicio de la gestión, Con Morales tenía esperanzas, pero ahora ha enviado por un tubo grandes esfuerzos. Le endoso semejante responsabilidad, porque aunque diga todo lo contrario, ha dado de las peores muestras de coherencia que alguien pueda dar, más directos no podrían ser.

So the debate continues whether Andrea Morales did the right thing, and whether she should resign from her seat in the Legislative Assembly. However, most bloggers applaud her decision and believe that she is being unfairly criticizes for her personal decision.

The Congressional deputy Andrea Morales (the “Rebel Girl of the Assembly“) elected with the PAC spoke about the promises made by Otton Solís, founder of PAC and some might say, owner) about what her party would be.  The blog Fusil de Chispas provides the quote:

Como si fuera ayer, recuerdo a Ottón Solís hablando antes de las elecciones de 2002, sobre el filibusterismo legislativo, sobre el obstruccionismo irracional, sobre su convicción en otras formas de hacer oposición; la necesaria, la sensata. Hoy los diputados de su partido, el del modelo alternativo, el de la nueva forma de hacer política, se gastan en una semana el papel de un mes, para inundar el congreso con mociones, para tener más tiempo para hablar más viento.

It was like it was yesterday, I remember Ottón Solís talking before the 2002 elections about legislative filibustering, about irrational obstructionism, about his conviction regarding other ways to be the opposition, only the necessary, the sensible. Today the deputies of this party of the alternative model, of the new way of politics, wastes in one week the paper for the entire month, to inundate Congress with motions, so that they have more time to talk more empty air.

The blog Manda Güevo [es] reminds us las of the words from Elizabeth Fonseca, leader of the PAC fraction group:

“Presentaremos las mociones que consideremos necesarias, así sean miles y no haremos el quorum…”

We will present the motions that we consider necessary, even if they are thousands and we won't make quorum…

The government of Costa Rica led by Oscar Arias, with much more political esxperience, has been able to move its pieces even with the opposition from various social sectors (PAC, Unions, Intellectuals) that are primarily opposed to the laws associated with the Free Trade agreement with the United States (FTA or CAFTA). Many are still wondering if the free-trade agreement will be good for the country. However, the country voted in favor of its passage at the October 7th Referendum, and others are trying to focus on other laws that are currently being discussed such as the new Transit Law, the new Law of Public Works, among others.

The blog Mop [es] says:

“Señores del PAC, por que no buscan vida o se ponen a trabajar?? Respeten nuestra democracia y a nuestro pueblo!!!”

Gentlemen of the PAC, why don't you get a life and get to work?? Respect our democracy and the Costa Rican people!!!

Many share the same sentiment in that the PAC would be a new, renewed and important option. Blogs like h3dicho.com [es] had strongly supported this socio-political movement, but are now showing their discontent:

“Tengo que confesar que en el 2002 fui uno de los que voto por el PAC y realmente me desilusionó por completo que Ottón perdiera…Mi apoyo a Ottón tenía varias razones entre las cuales estaba la necesidad que tenía Costa Rica de romper los fraudes provocados por el bipartidismo… Pero poco tiempo despues me di cuenta que realmente fue una salvada que Otón no hubiese llegado a presidente…Me decepcioné del PAC por el curso que estaba llevando en la Asamblea Legistlativa…”

I must confess that in 2002, I voted for the PAC and I was really disappointed that Ottón lost…There were many reasons for my support for Ottón, including the need to see Costa Rica break the frauds caused by bipartisanship…But a short time later, I realized that we were saved that Ottón did not arrive to the presidency…I was disappointed by the PAC for the course that it is taking in the Legislative Assembly.

What will happen from this point forward is anybody's guess, but it is obvious that there needs to be more political will from both the government and the opposition.

What is the significance behind this new political and commercial relationship? Why did Costa Rica leave 60 years of a political relationship with Taiwan behind in order to start a new one with the Asian commercial Giant, China? Blogger Roy Rojas of the News Star [es] talks about some of the benefits in the switch. Some think that the advantages for a country like Costa Rica are many because Taiwan does not compare whatsoever with China in its economic power and international standing. Costa Rica is the only country in the region to have formal political relations with China. [es]

Since the beginning of the relationship, the visits between the two countries have been reciprocated. As Tiquicia reports, a delegation of Chinese legislators headed by Jiang Enzhu visited Costa Rica on an official 4-day visit, where they were met by the president of the Legislative Assembly Francisco Antonio Pacheco and by the foreign minister Bruno Stagno.

International blogs have also made reference to this important visit. The regional blog Nicaragua Hoy [es] wrote about this visit on its main page and transcribed the words of President Arias, who said,

Para las empresas chinas, Costa Rica constituye un mercado sumamente atractivo, no sólo por el nivel de educación de nuestra mano de obra, sino también por el potencial de exportar a los Estados Unidos libre de impuestos.

The words of Arias makes reference to the recent approval of the Free-Trade Agreement with the United States that was passed by a nationwide referendum.

During the first days of the Chinese visits, a contract to export 150 million dollars worth of Costa Rican shrimp to China was announced, which was followed by a multi-million dollar investment by a Chinese company in the Costa Rican refinery. The international blog Actualidad [es], which is an Ibero-American Observatory of Asia-Pacific, also wrote about an investment of cellular technology.

At 6 pm, the polls closed and the tension increased in the campaign centers. The leaders gave statements to the press and predicted their own victory. At 8:30 pm, the results were announced by the Supreme Electoral Court. The “Yes” side was victorious with more than 60% of the tables counted. It was almost a definite victory. The “Yes” side had won. After the announcement, there were festivities on side, and frustration on the other. Between the two sides, there were reports of fights, arguments and attempts and public disorder. However, it did not reach problematic levels.

Many bloggers asked what will happen from here on out, and some say that there is not a clear panaroma because many laws still need to approved in parliament, so that the Free-Trade Agreement becomes active.

Fusil de Chispas [ES], who was against the agreement, writes:

La mayoría de los votantes costarricenses salió a votar. La mayoría votó SI. El TLC avanza. “Costa Rica recibirá lo que merece, lo bueno, y también lo malo”

The majority of Costa Rican voters went out to vote. The majority voted Yes. The Free-Trade Agreement passes. “Costa Rica will get what it deserves, the good, as well as the bad.”

Alejandra of the blog Crisálida de la Mariposa [ES]  writes:

Una nación educada no es únicamente aquella con altos índices de alfabetización, sino la que asume la responsabilidad de pensar críticamente. Si algo reflejan gran cantidad de correos electrónicos, blogs, otros sitios web, videos del TLC. Por eso, en lo personal, el referéndum, más allá de un SI o un NO al TLC, me resulta un momento histórico en el que ponemos a prueba nuestra madurez democrática, nuestro nivel educativo y nuestra salud mental como sociedad.

An educated country is not only one that has high literacy rates, but those that takes the responsibility to think critically. That may reflect that large numbers of emails, blogs, other websites, and FTA videos. For that reason, the referendum beyond the YES or NO vote, to me the referendum was historic, which demonstrated our democratic maturity, our level of education, and our mental health as a society.

What did Costa Rica gain in recognizing Taiwan? Some say money is the answer. During many years, Taiwan has maintained close ties with Latin American countries and gave gifts, beneficial loans, donations, etc. One cannot say that we or any of the other 24 countries were in that relationship for moral reasons. One can also not say that the country is ungrateful because that it was in the relationship for self-interest and not for conviction.

Some national blogs gave their opinions and the majority were against this decision, such as the blog La Suiza Centroamericana [ES]:

Y nos ha confirmado sin ambages que hemos entrado de manera decidida y definitiva en la era de la prostitución diplomática…Nuestra relación con Taiwán no estaba bien planteada porque se basaba en las dádivas y no en los principios fundamentales compartidos.

And it was confirmed, without talking in circles, that we entered in a decidedly and definitive fashion into the era of diplomatic prostitution…Our relationship with Taiwan was not well established because it was based on favors and not on shared fundamental principles.

One might ask whether Costa Rica's relationship with Taiwan was healthy or whether it was only for self-interest. Even though the countries share principles such as democracy, freedom of speech, whether that really mattered.

Juan Carlos Hidalgo [ES] writes:

Considero totalmente imprudente y bastante perjudicial la decisión del gobierno de cortar relaciones diplomáticas…Costa Rica siempre ha ‘rajado’ de ser un país promotor de los derechos humanos y la libertad. ¿Cómo se justifica romper relaciones con una de las pocas democracias consolidadas del Este Asiático a cambio de un régimen represivo y violador de las libertades civiles más básicas como lo es China?

I consider the government's decision to cut diplomatic ties to be completely imprudent and very harmful…Costa Rica always has ‘gave an effort' to be a country that promotes human rights and freedom. How is it justified to cut ties with one of the few consolidated democracies of East Asia in exchange of a repressive regimen and violator of the basic civil liberties, such as what happens in China?

There are other blogs that entirely support the decision, such as Fusil de Chispas [ES] writes:

El comercio y las puertas que se abren con la voraz economía China, se me hacen mucho más beneficiosas potencialmente, que el costo afectivo que parece tener el a otra cosa mariposa, en este momento específico

Commerce and doors are opened to the economic voracity of China, and I believe that this is potentially much more beneficial than the sentimental cost of the decision, ‘out with the old, and in with the new'

“A decision of this transcendence requires discreet diplomacy. We have been as transparent as the circumstances permits,” explained President Oscar Arias, when asked why the negotiations were secret. Now the country can be open to a market that contains 20% of the world's population (1.3 billion people), which is something immense and that may benefit the country.

In the last two years, in Central America and the Dominican Republic, a lot of political discussion has centered around the good and the bad that would come from the proposed free trade agreement with the United States. Out of all the countries involved, Costa Rica is the only one that has not ratified the Central American Free Trade Agreement. This is because an opposition of minority parties has tried to kidnap the Legislative Assembly and to obstruct all parliamentary progress.

What has in fact happened in the countries that have ratified - Nicaragua and El Salvador for example - is that exports to the US have increased significantly and unemployment has not gone up as opponents had warned. What is the fear keeping labor unions from supporting a deal with a country as consumerist as the United States, where, at the moment, Costa Rica already exports millions of dollars every year?

How is it that so many economists and experts on the subject, like those of the Inter-American Development Bank (I.A.D.B.) and Central American Bank of Economic Integration (BCIE), among others, could be mistaken and allegedly want to drag us into a catastrophe like the unions insist. This is simply inconceivable. We cannot close our doors to a great market like the United States, which, although we are currently insulated from by the “Initiative of the Caribbean Account”, this program could be eliminated at any time. And we would be left unable to export our agricultural products, technologies, and textiles to a market that feeds thousands of Costa Ricans.

According to data provided by the Ministry of Economy, 13,000 people could be unemployed with the exit of textile manufacturers from the country as it would be impossible to compete with other manufacturing countries that are able to export their products, without tariffs, to the United States. These companies leaving Costa Rica would then install in some other country of the region that has ratified the treaty. At the moment, in some zones of Costa Rica, the textile sector provides almost 78% of employment. In 2007, textile exports from Costa Rica diminished 11% compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, in countries of the region that are part of CAFTA, textile exports have increased 17%, which makes us wonder if the treaty really wouldn't benefit us.

Now, one of the subjects that has been most controversial is the opening of the telecommunications industry to more competition (which does not equate to privatization). Many points of view exist about the topic, such as in Fusil de Chispas [ES], which frequently makes references to data from other countries where there are multiple suppliers of telecom services, such as this post pointing readers [ES] to an article from the online magazine Confidential, which points out the low tariffs that we have in Costa Rica [ES], even though we are third in cell phone use per capita worldwide.

En el año 2000, la tarifa por el servicio celular en Costa Rica era la más baja de Centroamérica, y estaba más de 50% por debajo de la segunda más barata, la salvadoreña. Así consta en un completo informe publicado entonces por la revista online Confidencial, sobre la calidad del servicio ofrecido por BellSouth en Nicaragua.

And so, if we are clear that we will not have privatization, and what we will have is just more competition, then why is there fear of letting other companies offer cellular and internet service? If the current provider, ICE, is the cheapest of the region and practically the world, than what does it matter if others come also? Competition benefits all of the users. ICE would likely improve their service and foreign service providers would have to compete with their low prices. The Association of Young people for the Development [ES], an organization of Costa Rican youths, has a weblog that deals mostly with the free trade agreement (State Universities and CAFTA [ES], State-investor Arbitration [ES], Where is our progress? [ES] , etc), It shows a clear example of the diversity of opinions on the topic of free trade. When the moment arrives for deciding, nobody it can say there was no information.

Supporting the free trade agreement does not mean that we support the North American government. Nor that we agree with its manifold international policies. But we recognize that, as a small country, we need a commercial partner. We need their market and we need a treaty which guarantees the right to their market which are now without control. With a treaty, we have a “contract” that would not allow them from preventing our entrance in the future.

These presidential elections have had a special element as they are the first elections where the internet has played a very important part. Not only for the web pages of the various political parties and candidates (ML, PLN, UPC, PAC, PUSC), but also because these elections have allowed diverse and agreeable discussions of ideas, ideologies, and points of view about one or another candidate. What is most important is that many of these discussions have taken place in the growing community of Costa Rican blogs, in which websites like jdclarke (posts: 1, 2, 3, 4), even include videos of the debates. Or blogs like fusildechispas which commented on the last presidential debate, which lasted more than five hours and did much to lose our interest as the minutes ticked by.

In other blogs like La Suiza Centroamericana (posts: 1, 2, 3, 4), Dean Cornito often puts forth his discomfort with the political class of this country. Bandidocr, one of the courageous few that managed to watch the debate in its entirety gives a small analysis of each one of the candidate's performance. Se salvó el pais speaks about the quality of the public announcements or campaign propaganda just like others of us have commented before on their (lack of) efficacy as much of it has fallen to a ridiculous level and become a waste of time.

To conclude, a good portion of the Costa Rican blogs are playing a very important part in shaping the public's opinion and in stimulating healthy discussion about the presidential elections as they near. Never before have the candidates been so critically analyzed as they are now.

Translation by David Sasaki

Everyone is talking about the same thing. Or, at least it seems. Among the Costa Rican blogs this last week, one theme has predominated: the discontent towards the political class of this country.

Blogs like La Suiza Centroamericana, betobeto, Mirando en Marcelo, Se Salvó el país, and websites like Batichangó.com as well as others, have spoken on one or another occasion about the general discontent with the political class of this country.

It's really worrying that the worst president (ES), or at least one of the worst of Costa Rica's history doesn't have the least idea of how to do his job or at least appear like he does. There have been many mistakes in this government: credits granted by the Central American Bank of Economic Integration since 2003 still haven't been used even though we are already paying interest on them. They couldn't have a complementary agenda to send together with the Central American Free Trade Agreement to congress and so one has to ask what's been done in the past year and a half where only two projects have been sent to the general assembly for revision. The multiple “Juntas de Notables,” a sort of government propaganda, is already tiring the population.

Others are calling for liberty of expression, as not long ago, a few public announcements were censured for openly criticizing one of the candidates and the Central American Free Trade Agreement. Many describe it as “Political Deception” while others' posts like, “Of Paradies, CAFTA, and Freedom of Expression” give their distinct point of view, but arrive at a similar conclusion in which, they request that all the sectors are listened to but without the objective of deceiving the people.

Other websites like Batichangó.com openly put forth their point of view against many of the government's decisions as well as the current presidential candidates. There's plenty to see.

What is most worrisome is that a large part of these discussions have had to take place in blogs, personal web pages, websites, and emails. Really, little is spoken of this in the news and media so the least we can do is make note that we are not in silence. At the end of everything we say, post, and comment, we all want the same, a better Costa Rica in which they tell us the truth, where they don't censure us, with more opportunities, less deception, less corruption. We want a better Costa Rica for everyone.

The Bloggos group has chosen five of the best Costa Rican weblogs and the voting has already begun.

The five finalists are:
Caos entre ángeles y demonios
fusildechispas
betobeto.com
korova-milk-bar
Medea Material

Best of luck to all the finalists. You can vote here.

Translation by David Sasaki

In the last few years, politics in Costa Rica have changed radically compared to what was known 10 years ago. What used to be the race to become President in the past decade is now much different.

The traditional political parties, Liberación Nacional (PLN) and Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC) are damaged and have gone from complete bipartisan control to, today, disputing their power with less traditional parties like Movimiento Libertario (ML) and the Partido Acción Ciudadana (PAC).

Evidence of this dispute can be found in the Legislative Assembly, where out of the 57 deputies, 19 remain in power from the Social Democrats, 17 from the PLN, 14 from the PAC, and 6 from the ML. It seems that in the next government, according to the polls, the division of power will remain much the same, but with an ample majority of the PLN, followed by ML, PAC, and finally the PUSC. One only hopes that the next parliament won't be as ineffective as the one which will soon be leaving.

In the last year, the PUSC has appeared affected by the accusations of corruption pointed at two major leaders, Rafael Angel Calderón and Miguel Angel Rodriguez, which have come to affect the general credibility of Costa Rican politicians as well as helped other parties strengthen

Such acts have provoked ex-president and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Oscar Arias Sanchez, to aspire to reelection. Given his large following he is virtually guaranteed victory in the upcoming 2006 elections. But such facts don't minimize the large support for the two new political parties: ML, headed by Otto Guevara and PAC headed by Otón Solís. Nor will it stop the parties from grabbing a good quantity of the legislative posts.

Various blogs in Costa Rica have come out expressing their opinions, some impartial and others not as much, like in the case of The News Star, where posts like Oscar Arias en la UCR affirm a consistent support for Arias. Others, like betobet.com by Alberto “Beto” González allow one to understand their support of the Libertarian Movement of Otto Guevara and give a point of view in various themes of national interest like the free trade agreement with the United States in posts like “Exodo,” which says in part:

Quickly, Costa Rica is transforming from what was, for many years, an exception to the rules in the most economically unequal region of the world to become “just one more of the mountain.”

It is something worrisome which we as “Ticos,” or Costa Ricans, have to think about seriously. Other blogs like La Suiza Centroamericana show disagreement with the politics of Otón Solis of the PAC in posts like Cada Día Se Hunde Más (Sinking More Every Day).

To conclude, it's still to premature to say if Costa Rican politics are changing for the good or bad. We have to wait a few years to see the results of what we are planting today, but all Costa Ricans hope that the harvest will bring juicy fruits.