QCOSTARICA – Despite the message by President Carlos Alvarado Sunday night on the national television network of the withdrawal of IMF proposal, some 2,200 people continue to demonstrate and block at least 50 roads this Monday.
Since the early hours of this morning, at least 50 points on national roads have had some type of roadblock, some permanent in that they will not let any vehicles (other than emergency vehicles) through, while others intermittent, that is will open passage for a few minutes every so often.
According to a report issued by the Policia de Transito (Traffic Police) and the Casa Presidencial (Government House), just before noon, some 2,200 people participated in the protests throughout the country.
On this sixth day of the demonstrations, the participants set up fences on the access road to the city of Heredia, in front of the National University (UNA).
They also installed awnings at the Panasonic intersection, in Belén, complicating the passage for those who are heading towards San Rafael de Alajuela or Lindora, in Santa Ana.
Another blockade is located in Ochomogo, Cartago. There, in front of the campus of the RECOPE distribution plant, letting vehicles pass from time to time. However, long lines of vehicles are reported on the Florencio del Castillo highway, in the the Cartago-San José direction.
While the protests in the first five days didn’t affect downtown San Jose very much, that wasn’t the case this Monday, specifically on the Avenida Segunda (Second Avenue), and in the surroundings of the Fuente de la Hispanidad, in San Pedro de Montes de Oca.
Among the most affected roads are the rRuta 32 (San José-Limón), Route 27 (San José-Caldera), one of the first blockades taking place just after sunrise was in the area of the Rio Grande brridge, in Atenas.
Other problems on the Ruta 27 are in Caldera, Puntarenas.
The Ruta 1 (San José-San Ramón) and several routes in the northern zone have also been affected by roadblocks, trapping dozens of trucks loaded with pineapple and bananas for export headed to the Caribbean, in their attempt to reach the Moín Container Terminal (TCM), in Limón.
On national television, Sunday night, President Carlos Alvarado, called for the clearing the roads and called for a dialogue table with “democratic” sectors to “balance” the approach to the IMF.
President Alvarado was emphatic that the initial proposal that included new taxes on banking, income and property, among others, was withdrawn after multiple sectors expressed discomfort over the initial proposal for the Government to obtain a loan US$1.75 billion dollars to alleviate public finances.
The leaders of the movement persist in closing the roads.
Following is the official list prepared by Casa Presincial shortly before noon Monday:
- Ruta 1 (North Inter-American Highway): has at least five interruptions at the Marcos Vargas (San Ramón, Alajuela) junction, Aserradero (San Ramón) at the Grecia (Alajuela) junction at the National Liquor Factory, at the junction entrance to San Ramón (Alajuela) with total closure there, in Cañas (Guanacaste) at the height of the bridge over the Cañas river and in Puente Real de Liberia (Guanacaste).
- Ruta 2 (Florencio del Castillo highway): Tortuguismo of a group that advances between Taras towards Ochomogo in Cartago, about 25 people close a road in front of the refinadora Costarricense de Petróleo campus in Ochomogo.
- Tortuguismo in the area of the Juan Santamaría Airport (route 1): group of people and vehicles were after 10:20 am towards the traffic light crossing near the airstrip after toll to try to close the way.
- Circunvalación: Caravan of vehicles that came in tortuguismo on Ruta 27 entered the ring road and advanced towards Zapote.
- Second Avenue (San José): At least 25 people in front of the Ministry of Finance building only a single lawn is open.
- Entrance to Heredia: access road from San Pablo de Heredia in the vicinity of the National University.
- Ruta 122: crossing at the Panasonic factory to Route 147 in San Rafael de Alajuela, near Belén in Heredia.
- Frailes de Desamparados District (San José), Ruta 222.
- Entrance road to Paquera in front of the fairgrounds (Puntarenas).
- Ruta 39: at the height of Fuente de la Hispanidad, protesters below and above the bridge at that point in San Pedro de Montes de Oca.
- Ruta 2 (Florencio del Castillo Highway): in the Loma Verde sector (kilometers 136), cross to Ciudad Nely and in Paso Real (entrance to San Vito) at kilometer 221.
- Ruta 4: presents at least 10 interruptions: in Monterrey in the Arenal river sector; Crossing of San José in Upala; Vuelta Kopper Altamira sector; Chilamete stopper (kilometer 42); Greek Y sector in front of SJM Service Station; Sarapiquí in front of the SJM Service Station, Barrio Lourdes (Ciudad Quesada), San Jorge bridge (Arenal) and at the crossing to Sarapiquí on the Sucio River (kilometer 41).
- Ruta 32 (Braulio Carrillo highway): Closure at the height of Liverpool, in Limón, by about 30 people and bridge over the Pacuare river (Siquirres) about 20 people maintain intermittent closure.
- Ruta 27: at kilometer 31 on the bridge over the Rio Grande and the Concepción sector to enter Atenas.
- Ruta 34 (Costanera Sur): Jacó (Las Nubes sector and Las Monas bridge), on the Parrita bridge, on Puente Barú in Pérez Zeledón and El Estero bridge in Quepos.
- Ruta 35 (highway to San Carlos): in Terrón de Colorado- El Ferry, Colono at the crossing to Muelle de San Carlos, at the Florence roundabout and in Cutris (Boca Arenal) on the bridge over the San Carlos River.
- Ruta36 (Limón-Sixaola): Vizcaya de Limón towards Puerto Viejo and in Sixaola on the Binational bridge between Costa Rica and Panama.
- Ruta 118: Bridge over the Prendas river in Tacares (Greece).
- Ruta 126: at the junction with Route 140 in San Miguel, in Río Cuarto and in Carrizal (Cinco Esquinas sector) on the route to Heredia.
- Ruta 140 (to San Carlos): on the bridge over the Aguas Zarcas river at the entrance to Toro Amarillo.
- Ruta 141: it has five blocks: in Zarcero 200 meters south of the park; in Naranjo at the junction of the sanitary unit; Dulce Nombre (Naranjo), el Muro (Naranjo) at the Cirrí crossroads; and in Cedral (Ciudad Quesada, San Carlos).
- Ruta 247: Tortuguero River Bridge in Guácimo; Mola Perdiz farm sector.
- Ruta 622: In Guanilama in Esparza (Puntarenas).
- Ruta 702: bridge in the Peñas Blancas river and in San Lorenzo in front of the Tierras Enamoradas sector.
- Ruta 708: Colonia del Toro between Sarchí and Río Cuarto (Alajuela).
