QCOSTARICA — The former president of Costa Rica, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez (1998-2002), asserted on Tuesday that anyone who believes that the Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC) is a ‘partido taxi’ (disposable party) is wrong “from beginning to end.”
The statement by the former president came hours after it was revealed that former MOPT minister, Luis Amador, submitted his application for membership in the PUSC with the intention of a presidential run in 2026.
The PUSC reported that on Friday, May 17, the former Minister sent a request by email and indicated that he would send the physical form later, through a trusted person.
Meanwhile, the party leadership said that when the membership form is formally received, they will process it as is done with requests from anyone who wants to be part of their political group.
Former president Rodriguez, a member of the PUSC party, was the first to publicly comment on Amador’s intentions.
Through a press release issued this Tuesday, the former president said that the PUSC “is not a taxi party.”
“Anyone who believes that the PUSC is a taxi (disposable) party is totally wrong. No. It is a party that returns to its past virtues and instead of avoiding national problems, it faces them by seeking solutions in accordance with its programmatic postulates of the Social-Christian Letter to Costa Rica. That is why it appoints people with recognized intellectual trajectory and social-Christian values in the Secretariats to work with seriousness and knowledge, with love for others and with a vocation for service, in the analysis of national problems and their solutions,” Rodríguez said.
The former president urged the PUSC that, to select their candidacies for the Presidency for 2026, “popularity” should not be enough among the aspects to be assessed.
Amador says he is looking to PUSC, a party he describes as a “traditional party”, because he does not have the financial resources to finance an eventual presidential candidacy for 2026. It was a difficult decision”, said Amador.
“Although previously I would not give my support to any traditional party, in recent days I have analyzed where I could contribute more to the country and I concluded that the best option is the PUSC. I have to admit that it was a difficult decision, since I was certainly inclined to follow my own path, but when I began to travel I encountered the many setbacks. Furthermore, with humility I tell you that I do not have the financial resources to invest in a high profile political campaign,” Amador said in a YouTube video.
Amador was Minister of Public Works and Transportation (MOPT) for one year and 10 months in the current Government.
On March 12, Amador was dismissed by President of Rodrigo Chaves, who blamed Amador for supposedly being responsible for a “custom contract” in favor of the MECO Construction Company for the repair of the landing strip at the Guancaste Airport (LIR).
Amador went on a voluntary exile, returning to Canada where he resided for many years, holding a position of professor at Concordia University in Montreal, before returning to Costa Rica to take on the role of MOPT minister.
On March 15, on leaving the country, the Prosecutor’s Office confiscated Amador’s electronic devices and documents, as part of a case for the alleged crime of ideological falsehood in relation to the contract awarded to MECO.
