(CONFIDENTIAL) The Deputy Minister of Planning, Francisco Delgado, and Marisa Batalla, adviser to legislator Paola Vega, were suspended from their positions for one month and without pay after they were involved in a scandal for making fun of a photo Laura Chinchilla and Ottón Solís on Twitter.
The photo of the former president and former presidential candidate and founder of the PAC party was taken last Thursday, prior to a conversation organized by El Financiero to talk about tax issues and that was broadcast on Facebook Live.
En breve iniciaremos un conversatorio con #OttonSolís sobre los vericuetos políticos de un reforma tributaria, gracias a invitación de @elfinancierocr
Acompáñenos en el FBLive. pic.twitter.com/kw09ONlZp8— Laura Chinchilla M. (@Laura_Ch) August 16, 2018
Almost immediately Marisa Batalla, the daughter of former Vice President Ana Helena Chacón, shared the image highlighting how close Laura Laura’s right hand was to the leg of Don Ottón and published the phrase: “Es can da li za da” (Scandalized).
The circus was joined by Delgado, who replied: “Es toy en gan cha dí si ma con el Ta fil, oye”, (It’s a good thing if you’re with Tafil, hey) a phrase that became popular for the new Netflix series ‘La Casa de las Flores’. (Tafil is the drug addicted to Paulina de la Mora, a character in the Mexican tv series on Netflix and which produces changes in speech.)
The news (of the firing) made the international press, including CNN en español, that dared not publish the entire photo. In Nicaragua, for example, El Nuevo Diario had a good laugh at it.
In the case of Delgado, president Carlos Alvarado issued the suspension. The suspension was announced publicly by the Prez during a live interview during ‘Hablando Claro’ program on Radio Columbia.
Minutes later, legislator Vega prescribed the same for her assistant.
Cualquier acto de violencia o burla contra las mujeres debe ser condenado. La imagen usada por mi asesora es ofensiva contra doña Laura Chinchilla. Por ello aplicaré el régimen disciplinario de acuerdo al Reglamento. Con ella ya hablé también para que no se repita algo así.
— Paola Vega (@paolavegar) August 17, 2018
He decidido sancionar a mi asesora, Marisa Batalla, con un mes de suspensión sin goce de salario por el desafortunado tuit de ayer. Una vez, me solidarizo con doña Laura Chinchilla que merece todo mi respeto como mujer en política. pic.twitter.com/vJEJlKhnCT
— Paola Vega (@paolavegar) August 17, 2018
Following the censure, Batalla, also by way of Twitter, offered an apology in a chain of messages to former president Chinchilla, affirming that “it was never my intention to offend her or to sexualize her, as they are trying to do. My tweet was wrong and I assume total responsibility. Something is the one who issues the message, and not from the person who decodes it, as a communicator I know it was my mistake “.
Me disculpo con Laura Chinchilla y a todas las personas que se vieron afectadas por un tuit mío, nunca fue mi intención ofenderla ni sexualizarla, como están intentando hacer ver. (1/3)
— #NiUnaMenos marisa (@emebe_) August 17, 2018
Being a classy lady, Doña Laura did not add fuel to the fire, preferring to thank all those ‘demanding respect’ and not referring actions and sanctions.
Gracias a quienes exigen respeto ????????
Aprovecho para recordar una máxima y una obligación: 1.”no hagas a los otros lo que no quieras que te hagan”; 2.elevemonos a la altura de las difíciles circumstancias que vive el país,muy especialmente algunos miembros del partido de gobierno— Laura Chinchilla M. (@Laura_Ch) August 17, 2018
In her Tweet, Doña Laura wrote:
1. “Do not do to others what you do not want to be done to you”;
2. Elevemonos to the height of the difficult circumstances that lives the country, especially some members of the government party.
Lack of Values
For her part, Delgado’s, the Minister of National Planning and Economic Policy, María del Pilar Garrido, said her ‘vice’ was disrespectful and regretted the situation.
“The hierarchs must have a responsible action, both in their institutional performance as public servants, as in their behavior in social networks. His lack of values, in this case, is punishable,” said Garrido.
Ottón Solís explained that the publication is a product of the lack of values that made him believe a person who could make such kind of hint about a lady and added that he was also disrespected.
Article originally appeared at Costa Rica Confidential. View the original.
