Q COSTA RICA — Costa Rica’s ruling party, Partido Pueblo Soberano (PPSO), refused to issue a public condemnation from the Legislative Assembly of statements made by Justice and Peace Minister Gabriel Aguilar, in which he revealed that he has identified opposition members who criticize the “Zero Idleness” plan of Laura Fernández’s government.
Opposition members of parliament presented the motion for the legislature to condemn Aguilar’s statements, which they claim confirm the persecution of critical sectors. Furthermore, the legislators believe the minister’s statements confirm the use of personal data for intimidation and political persecution.
The opposition legislators’ initiative failed with 28 votes against it, 27 from the PPSO and one from the Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN), while the majority of the PLN supported the motion along with the Frente Amplio, the Coalición Agenda Ciudadana (CAC) and the Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC).
In statements made by Aguilar at Casa Presidencial, the official stated that even the “closeted leftists” had already been identified for criticizing the “Cero Ocio” (Zero Idleness) plan and that they had already realized that they had met “one day.”
“For all these abolitionists who talked so much nonsense that this was just a passing fad. These leftists, some still in the closet, whom we’ve already identified and who met one of these days,” were Aguilar’s words.
Pueblo Soberano defends the statements
In defense of the minister, the legislative leader of the PPSO, Juan Manuel Quesada, said that Aguilar’s statements referred to the “communists” in the opposition who participated in the civic protest, the “plantón” in defense of Costa Rica’s Judiciary, thus discrediting the accusations of persecution.
However, the leader of the Frente Amplio party, José María Villalta, condemned Aguilar’s statements, considering them intimidating and confirming the persecution of political adversaries.