Q COSTARICA — Protecting their own? Once again, the entire Partido Nueva Republica (PNR) caucus, the Chavista legislators from the Partido Progreso Social (PPSO), several legislators from the PUSC coalition, and some independents failed to appear in Congress for Tuesday’s session.
Thus, the 2022-2026 Legislative Assembly adjourned the afternoon without a quorum, adding another disgraceful legislative act to its lackluster performance.
With only 35 legislators present, 3 short of the minimum of 38 required, a quorum was not reached. Therefore, Congress could not discuss or vote on the three legislative reports prepared by a special commission regarding an alleged case of sexual abuse and harassment by presidential candidate, legislator, and leader of the Nueva Republica, Fabricio Alvarado.
The case brought forward by former legislator Marolin Azofeifa (2018-2022), and legislative advisor, is now buried in the Legislative Assembly, and it will be up to the complainant to pursue legal action.
Seven legislators requested leave for Tuesday: Pilar Cisneros and Paola Nájera, from the PPSO, as well as María Marta Carballo, Melina Ajoy, and Carlos Andrés Robles, from the PUSC, and Rosalía Brown, from the PNR.
Even though the 2022-2026 legislators officially end their term on April 30, Congress agreed to wrap up with the last session on Tuesday, April 28.
The case
A legislative report issued by the Special Commission that investigated Alvarado concluded that legislator Fabricio Alvarado engaged in a repeated pattern of non-consensual conduct, including forcing himself on former legislator Marulin Azofeifa to undress.
The document, signed by legislator Johana Obando, maintains that the incidents were not isolated but rather occurred continuously, within a context of close professional relationships and a power imbalance.
The document includes witness statements that point to the existence of this pattern. One of them, former advisor Guido Campos, stated that the incidents occurred at least twice a month. He added that he saw Azofeifa leaving the office visibly distressed. He even recounted an episode in which he saw her with her blouse unbuttoned after a meeting with the legislator.
President-elect Laura Fernández
On Monday, president-elect Laura Fernández distanced herself from the legislative investigation against Fabricio Alvarado for alleged sexual harassment.
Her stance is significant because she herself denounced alleged mistreatment by Alvarado during the last election campaign, while she worked in his office.
“On behalf of the women of Costa Rica, I must raise my voice, because when I was an advisor, like many others, I was harassed by this man—past comments, photographs, and, what is worse, he used the name of God.
“I can never forget when he cornered me in an office with the false promise—how delicate—of giving me a Bible. I will never be afraid to raise my voice for justice, for the thousands of Costa Ricans who have been victims of a bunch of swine,” she said during the Radio Columbia debate earlier this year.
“What I said during the campaign, I said as a personal experience I had with that man. In my case, I never filed a formal complaint because I didn’t think it warranted escalating to that level, and I was able to stop it myself. So, I haven’t been directly involved in this matter. Let the Legislative Assembly, based on its analysis, make the decisions that are legally appropriate,” she stated on Monday.