CENTRAL NEWS
Costa Rica has been protesting consecutively for the past 10 days against government negotiations of an almost 2 billion dollar loan. The loan, if approved, is expected to be followed by a tax-raise and cut in jobs.
Leftist National Liberation Movement (MRN) called for maintaining the protests that have been shaking the country for the last ten days against the government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“The protest in Costa Rica does not stop,” MRN activist Celimo Guido said after one of the political movement’s main leader, Jose Corrales, urged an end to the demonstrations.
“We will continue in the streets until the president desists from negotiating the IMF loan,” Guido added, alluding to the $1.75 billion credit that President Carlos Alvarado intends to request.
No to more debt
In mid-September, Alvarado announced that he would ask the IMF for $1.75 billion in credit, which would imply greater indebtedness and impoverishment of the working class.
The announcement was rejected by most of the Costa Rican people, who took to the streets last September 30th to also repudiate the illegal 400 percent increase in the property taxes.
After this massive rejection, Alvarado announced that he will postpone the loan to dialogue with the people about its importance in solving the social and economic crisis the country is going through.
“For the MRN to stop the protest would be a betrayal to the people that still are in the streets receiving pressurized water and tear gases,” Guido assured.
