SAINT JOSEPH.- In a joint statement, eight former presidents of Costa Rica expressed their firm defense of democracy in the country, refuting recent statements by the current President of the Republic Rodrigo Chaves, who will equate Costa Rica with authoritarian regimes.
The former presidents highlighted Costa Rica’s long democratic tradition, which dates back more than 200 years and places it as the oldest and most uninterrupted democracy in Latin America.
In the statement, the former presidents highlighted that prestigious international organizations consider Costa Rica, along with Canada, Chile and Uruguay, as part of the only full democracies in the Americas. In addition, they pointed out that the country is among the select group of 14% of full democracies worldwide.
Ramblings of President Chaves
The former president of Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla, pointed out on her account on the social network a perfect dictatorship, statements he issued on June 14, during an event in La Fortuna de San Carlos, where he equated Costa Rica with repressive regimes such as North Korea, Cuba or Venezuela and criticized the Legislative Assembly, the Constitutional Chamber and the Comptroller General of the Republic.
In addition, the president made reference to a referendum proposal that he is promoting to introduce reforms to the Comptroller General of the Republic and that, according to the comptroller general, Marta Acosta, aims to weaken the institution, “dismantle control over public funds ” and facilitate “handmade” hiring without transparent public competitions.
For Chinchilla, it is necessary to raise his guard against the attacks, since he observes worrying signs in official government narratives that remind him of similar processes experienced in other countries, a situation that causes him concern.
“I am concerned that we will follow the same course that other countries followed, today divided over the interpretation of history, victims of post-truth and misinformation,” said the president in statements to the international press.
Chinchilla expressed that there are people with power who seem to be following the same script as irresponsible and populist rulers in other countries, both on the left and on the right. Mentioning that she currently works closely with States that face risks in their democracies, involved in activities or projects related to the promotion and defense of democracy in contexts where it is threatened or weakened.
Strength of the rule of law
The former leaders highlighted the solidity of the rule of law, respect for civil liberties and human rights in Costa Rica, achievements recognized internationally and of which Costa Ricans have been proud for decades.
The former leaders recognized that, although Costa Rican democracy is not perfect and faces challenges such as citizen insecurity and deficiencies in infrastructure and public education, they also highlighted the significant progress made in areas such as human rights, gender equality, public health and environmental protection.
They emphasized the importance of preserving and strengthening the democratic institutions that have guaranteed an orderly transition of power and peaceful coexistence in Costa Rica. They called to put aside partisan divisions and work together to continue building a prosperous and inclusive country based on democratic values.
The statement was signed by Oscar Arias Sánchez, Abel Pacheco de la Espriella, Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier, Laura Chinchilla Miranda, José María Figueres, Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Echeverría and Carlos Alvarado Quesada. The document was issued on June 19, 2024 from San José.
The document highlights the continued commitment of the former presidents to the defense and promotion of democracy in Costa Rica.
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Source: Statement from 8 former presidents of Costa Rica, social network account X of former president Laura Chinchilla, El Mundo. CR, La Nación, Delfino
