QCOSTARICA – For this 15th day of the protests across the country, the unions of the Education sector in alliance with the Movimiento Sindical Social Costarricense (Costa Rican Social Union Movement), which groups together different unions, are calling for a movement for this Wednesday, October 14.
While protests and blockades of the past two weeks continue in various points across the country, mostly in the south and north, the Movimiento Sindical Social Costarricense issued a call for a large concentration in the vicinity of the Juan Santamaría International Airport from 9:00 am.
According to the movement, about 36 union groups are participating in the activity. And at the moment they have not defined whether they will remain in place or move to other sectors.
The group also has a national strike planned in different parts of the country for next Monday, October 19.
They also indicated that their requests are the following:
- No to the IMF.
- That the rich pay like rich and the poor like poor.
- Taxes for big evaders.
- No more taxes for the working class.
- Defense of the homeland.
Blockades for today
After a violent two days, an air of optimism starts this day Wednesday with fewer blockades, but could increase as the day wears on.
According to the latest reports, these are points that could see problems with free transit:
- Bridge over the Cañas river (Cañas, Guanacaste), Route 1.
- El Brujo (Buenos Aires, Puntarenas) Route 246.
- Bridge of the Térraba river (Palmar Norte, Osa) Route 2.
- El Rosario de Pacuar, route 243 in San Isidro de Pérez Zeledón.
- At the Ciudad Neily junction on route 2.
- Longo Mai (Buenos Aires, Puntarenas) Route 2.
- Paso Real (Potrero Grande, Buenos Aires de Puntarenas) Route 237
- Brasilia (Pérez Zeledón) Route 326.
- Los Chorros (Barú in Pérez Zeledón) Route 243.
- Barú Bridge (Pérez Zeledón) Route 243
- In Paso Canoas (border with Panama) stop at the Panamanian customs.
- Borer Worm-El Chorizo Street (Paso Canoas)
Negative balance
In two weeks of demonstrations, the Fuerza Publica (National Police) reports their attention to 795 roadblocks throughout the country, the seizure of 185 explosive devices, mainly Molotov cocktails and dynamite, while registering almost 130 officers injured, more than 10 Tuesday afternoon in the confrontation outside Casa Presidencial, in Zapote.
These actions led to the arrest of 71 people, in addition to the seizure of 110 blunt objects to attack the officers, 46 containers of gasoline, 109 tires and four firearms or bladed weapons.
The numbers are part of the Ministry of Security in the response it sent to Constititurional Court, to defend itself against a writ of habeas corpus presented by the lawyer Wálter Brenes, who argued that the blockades prevented him from leaving his home for more than a week, in Garabito de Puntarenas, and that the President of the Republic, Carlos Alvarado, did not free the roads.
On Tuesday, the Court, also known as Sala IV, condemned the Executive Branch – Presidency and Public Security – for not taking prompt and adequate action to lift the blockades, restore free transit on the roads and restoring calm and tranquility to the population.
The blockades and demonstrations that turned violent are supposedly in opposition to the government’s negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to obtain a loan to address the crisis in public finances.
Landslide in Cerro de la Muerte
Apart from the roadblocks, travelers to the southern area continue unable to travel through the Cerro de la Muerte, on the Rtua 2, due to the huge landslide of Friday at kilometer 105.
The Conavi said on Tuesday that it requires at least two more days to clean the material.
