President Carlos Alvarado affirmed that he will not change or expand his security escort, despite the events on Tuesday at Casa Presidencial (Government House)and despite the fact that many in his inner circle have asked him to do so.
“It is my responsibility, I assume a security detail that is light, because I am the president of Costa Rica and I want it to remain a country of peace,” the president said Wednesday afternoon.
“I am not going to walk here with a militarized detail, nor with a lot of people escorting me,” Alvarado explained answering questions about the violent actions of protesting fishermen who tried to storm the government house gates, threw rocks and an explosive at the building.
The president made the remarks after attending the event Wednesday at Amazon offices in Calle Blanos, where the company announced the creation of 2,000 new jobs before the end of this year.
The fishermen demand a moratorium on the implementation of the Value Added Tax (VAT), which goes into force on July 1 and which impacts the sale of their products.
Faced with the possibility that repeated acts like the aforementioned that could put his integrity at risk, Alvarado added that he is not going to be the president to change the security of the president, even though there are people who want to change him with attitudes of violence.
“I want to continue going to the supermarket as a Costa Rican, I want to be able to greet people in the street, I want Costa Rica to continue being that and I will defend that,” he said.
