Q COSTA RICA — Extremely stubborn, persistent, and unwilling to give up on an argument, Costa Rica President Laura Fernández maintains that there was indeed an “institutional coup d’état” against the Legislative Assembly and continues her criticism of the Judiciary.
A day after the “planton”, a demonstration in support of the Judiciary attended by thousands across the country, Fernández reaffirmed her criticisms of the Judiciary and asserted that she maintains her claim that a “golpe de Estado” had taken place against Costa Rican institutions.
The president made these statements when asked about the repercussions of her remarks and the criticism she received during the protest held on Thursday, August 6.
When asked whether she would retract her statements or continue to criticize the Judiciary, Fernández responded by questioning the availability of concrete data on any potential economic repercussions from her declarations.
“Do you have any data on which companies, investments, or impacts are involved, or is this just an assumption on your part?” the president asked.
The Teletica journalist insisted that international media outlets had reported on the issue and questioned whether, from her perspective, her statements could generate political and economic uncertainty.
Fernández rejected that interpretation and asserted that the economic indicators her government is monitoring show a favorable scenario.
“No, I don’t think so,” the president responded before listing several indicators that she asserted continue to show positive trends.
“The data I have on investment growth, job growth, tourism growth, export growth, and the overall dynamism of our economy, thank God, are on the right track,” she maintained.
The president decided to elaborate on the concept she had used days earlier and asserted that it was not a statement she intended to retract.
“What I said about a coup d’état against Costa Rica’s institutions is absolutely true,” she affirmed.
Fernández explained that, from her perspective as a political scientist, institutional coups can occur when one branch of government uses its powers to undermine the independence or authority of another branch.
“When the branches of government—the Legislative, the Judicial, or the Executive—stage coups using the law, using their own power, against the independence or authority that each of these branches should have, those are called institutional coups,” she argued.
The president then directed her criticism at a decision by four justices of the Constitutional Court, whom she questioned for a ruling that, according to her interpretation, exceeded the powers established by the Constitution and the laws.
“When four justices of the Sala IV issue a vote that openly violates what they can do according to our Constitution and the laws, that is a blow to the institutional integrity of the Legislative Assembly,” she stated.
Fernández also linked her argument to the electoral legitimacy of the current composition of Congress. She noted that 31 legislators belong to the ruling party, the Partido Pueblo Soberano (PPSO), and were elected through elections she described as free and democratic.
The president also highlighted the high voter turnout in the recent elections and asserted that abstention had decreased by more than 10 percentage points.
“There was enormous participation from the people of Costa Rica,” she stated.
She also maintained that, for 44 years, no president of the Republic had had a ruling party of a similar size.
Based on this data, Fernández argued that her government has an electoral mandate that must be respected and questioned how judges who are not directly elected by the citizens can make decisions that, according to her, interfere with the powers of elected representatives.
“When I am elected by more than 1.2 million people with a legislative majority of that size, and then four magistrates, who were not elected by the people, come and issue a ruling that is not permitted by the Constitution or any law of the Republic, of course I, as president and as someone who firmly believes in democracy and the separation of powers, am concerned,” he declared.