Q COSTARICA — Legislator and former first lady (2018-2022), Claudia Dobles, of the Coalición Agenda Ciudadana (CAC), asserted that President Laura Fernández is facing a security crisis inherited from the administration of Rodrigo Chaves.
The legislator made the statement this Friday prior to the start of a meeting between the Executive Branch, members of the Legislative Assembly, and high-ranking officials of the Judiciary, held in the auditorium of the Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS)—State insurer.
“With these kinds of actions, Laura Fernández acknowledges that the Chaves administration left behind a security crisis, and it is an issue that must be addressed,” Dobles stated.
The legislator indicated that security must become a national priority and defended the need to promote coordinated work among the different branches of government to confront the rise in crime.
She also maintained that the Legislative Assembly must assume an active role in the discussion and approval of bills related to security and the fight against organized crime.
Dobles also questioned whether the Ministerio de Hacienda (Ministry of Finance), currently headed by Rodrigo Chaves, will continue to block the transfer of ¢8.68 billion colones earmarked for the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) and the Ministerio Publico (Attorney General’s Office) to combat crime.
These are resources budgeted and approved by the previous Legislative Assembly for this year, with the aim of financing the creation of 176 positions in the OIJ and 99 in the Ministerio Publico, in addition to covering rental expenses and the acquisition of transport equipment.
Earlier this year, in January, Chaves, then still President, once again denied a transfer of the funds. As revealed by CRHoy.com on January 15, Rudolf Lücke, the then Minister of Finance, prohibited the institution from releasing these funds, even though they were already budgeted.
The meeting on Friday was attended by 50 of the 57 members of the Legislature, as well as the President of the Supreme Court, Patricia Solano; the acting director of the OIJ, Michael Soto; the Attorney General, Carlos Díaz; and high-ranking officials from the Executive Branch.