Early in the morning, around 5:00AM, I am in the office to read hundreds of news articles. Some in English, some in Spanish but those that concern me the most are always reflective about Costa Rica. This is more than I can say about the Web-media news outlets which need to fill space in order to sell advertising.
I avoid anything to do with Justin Bieber, the Kardashians and lately Johnny Araya as well as the April 6th election which is a token of democracy, at best. (Do you know that in the event of a tie, the elder or oldest of the candidates automatically wins?)
With all these deletions, this leaves me with hard news and that is unhealthy for my spirit or soul (Alma).
While I look for the “good” it is damn hard to find. And in the “bad” it comes down to those who have limited resources or who are poor. Their plight always makes for front page bad news unless it is something about the tragedy of our national sports which in itself is a bummer.
Saturday, the 22nd of March 236 people have been left homeless after a devastating fire in a local of a barrio in Alajuela. Some 70 homes were burned to the ground for an electrical malfunction, lack of water and lack of fire hydrants.
I bet in Escazu that would not happen!
The much needed hydrants can easily be found in upper class neighborhoods, but not in La Carpio, the Hatillos, parts of Desemperados and a lot of Heredia, most of Guanacaste and for for sure Cinchona. (There is a long list.)
Why, I ask is construction, even health care services and infrastructure so damn awful and tolerated in Centro Puntarenas, for example?
I hazard a guess, an observation, a national “shame.” Being low income of among the 20% of extreme poverty in Costa Rica or any other country is tad amount to not being alive at all.
Despite the wonderful, profound rhetoric and the brief appearance of “politicos”, the bottom line is if you are born poor, immigrated poor, become poor; you just do not count as a national asset!
What makes this absurd as a business thinking is that poor people cannot not purchase for lack of funds, while purchasing creates sales and sales translates to jobs in both manufacturing as well as services each contributing to a vibrant economy that is currently in the doldrums. (Duh!)
That 20% plus extreme poverty from access to goods and services is the same as telling customer/clients, “Do not purchase, do not participate, just scream your demands and yell your wants but you will never, ever rise to the level of quality you need for a reasonably good life style.”
The Nicas (Nicaraguans) and now more so Ticos (Costa Ricans) have limited incomes, their homes are built by a so called “social democracy”, a caring democracy yet time after time those homes which are being paid for by low income wage earners are deficient, earthquake prone, flooded each year, have electrical deficiencies resulting in death and destruction and whose roads are washed away with the first rain making human rescue a myth; another dream.
We do not see or hear of the destitute in Costa Rica marching on the congress or the president. They are too busy (1) believing and (2) surviving.
Between dipping into contaminated rivers for portable water, how much time do these people have to protest their miserable, undeserving living conditions?
A more important question is why the poor should bother to protest. As you have described well, these non-consumers are powerless and voiceless. A public protest by this sector of the population would probably result in mass arrests and/or violence against the protesters.
Another question is why areas such as the one that just burned are not provided the fire hydrants that are required by law. Is it because the homes of the poor were illegally constructed and therefore nonexistent according to official records, as was reported by the media; or is it simply because the poor areas are the last to get services that are supposed to be enjoyed by all, as you suggest? Conventional wisdom has long held that the family and friends of, and ones who bribe, those with political pull who have the best roads and other public services. Perhaps this incident will awaken the public to the need to stop this type of corruption, but I doubt it.
Expatin paradise – the above well written article demonstrates the perils of being poor. However it does not suggest any answers let alone provide them. To be fair, answers are hard to find, and the article does well to bring attention to the poor. Your reply however goes to the illness rather than the symptoms Juan describes. Juan writes that he avoids politics and the Araya’s of the world – but as you mention are they not the illness? So why not drive the point home extra hard that the poster boy for Costa Rican corruption, Johnny Arrogante, should be outed constantly as exactly who he is, and the claim that Ticos are tired of the PLN should be exposed as the lie it is as the PLN gained seats in the legislature – we must constantly remind politicians that we are tired of the Arayas of Costa Rica and their thieving character. It’s a national shame, and one that so far Ticos have done a great job of refusing, that a candidate who is an alleged thief can even gain their parties support. So we must ask, who are those that would back this poor character alleged thief? Logic says it takes one to support one in the PLN. lt’s those surrounding Araya, his inner circle that should be purged from politics. Then the poor have a better chance, as when there are less thieves there is less thievery.