(QCOSTARICA) Today, Wednesday, September 30, is a day to stay at home if you can. No, not because of some health measure, rather to the protests that have already begun this morning in different points of the country.
In the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM), targets are major routes such as the Ruta 27 and the Autopista General Cañas. Outside the GAM, reports are coming in of groups gathering to block roads in Caldera, Puntarenas and Liberia, Guanacaste.
Groups have announced protests on these sites:
San Carlos:
- Cruce Monterrey.
- Cruce Santa Rita Florencia
- Cruce Florencia
- Cruce La Tigra Bajo Rodríguez
- Puente Río San Carlos
- Cruce Muelle San Carlos
- Cruce Cerró Cortez , camino a Chilamate.
- Santa Rosa de Pocosol
- Pital
Los Chiles:
- Tablillas Frontera Nicaragua.
Upala
- Cruce Santa Cecilia
Sarapiquí:
- Puente Del centro de Río Frío.
Zona Los Santos:
Tarbaca
Puntarenas:
- Ruta 27
- Caldera
- Esparza
Alajuela:
- Parque Juan Santamaría
- Boca Arenal
Guanacaste:
- Abangares
- Cruce La Irma
- Liberia
- Cañas
- Nicoya
West:
- San Ramón
- Naranjo
- Palmares
- Grecia
- Zarcero
- Atenas
- Sarchí
Limón:
- Guápiles
- Guacimo
- APM-Terminals
- Pococí
- Siquirres
Zona Sur:
- Río Claro, puente Rio Lagarto.
- Dominical
- Quepos
- San Isidro
- Parrita
- Bahía Ballena
- Pérez Zeledón
- Pavón
- Corredores
- Golfito
Downtown San Jose:
- Asamblea Legislativa
- Ministerio de Hacienda
- Casa Presidencial
In addition, large gatherings with blocked roads, are expected in the area of the President’s house in Santa Ana.
What are the protests all about?
The protests are a measure of pressure so that the legislature does not approve more taxes, as part of the Government’s proposal to negotiate a US$1.750 billion dollar loan with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The protest is led by the National Rescue Movement, with former deputies José Miguel Corrales and Célimo Guido as the leaders, and followed by various different groups coming together for one cause.
Through social networks, the organizers reported that they will be grouped from 7:00 am on Second Avenue, in front of the Ministerio de Hacienda and at 9:00 am will march to the Legislative Assembly.
“This does not end with one day. The strength of the movement is going to be in the different regions of the country, where the people are organizing and speaking out,” said Guido in a video posted on Facebook.
This movement has been highly criticized, because in another demonstration, there were acts of violence and people did not respect health protocols, such as social distancing and the wearing of masks.
In addition, network users have criticized the leaders for not contributing proposals to the problem.
