If you were wondering what all the activity was on Sunday, cars waving flags, people at voting polls and a general air of elections, it was the Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN) party district elections.
Some 250.000 people are said to have participated in electing more than 14.000 people in varying roles within the PLN party politics.
The absence of an election campaign between the candidates was a cooling factor. PLN presidential candidate Johnny Araya, who was acclaimed earlier this year, called the event “luke warm”.
One person visibly absent from the headlines was Rodrigo Arias. You will remember Rodrigo as brother of two time president and Nobel Peace prize winner, Oscar Arias. Rodrigo also served as ministerio de la Presidencia for four years during his brother’s second term (2002-2010).
And since 2010 Rodrigo had been campaigning to be president. Late last year he dropped out of the PLN party nomination race, clearing the way of Johnny Araya.
Yesterday, Rodrigo was clear that he will NOT be joining Araya, saying he’s looking forward to a strong leadership by his former rival.
Arias added that for the moment, he has no intention of meeting with Araya, has not spoken to him, nor plans to anytime soon. Arais said his focus now is to attend to his personal business, is not currently active in national politics, only participating on Sunday to cast his vote, like any other Costa Rican.
