Last night (on 9/25/18), a letter and a broadcast by President Carlos Alvarado were disseminated on national television and radio. It referred to the country in the verge of a crisis, but it did not answer the actual question: who are the true responsible?
By: PT Costa Rica
We would like to say to President Alvarado that the workers will not pay for the crisis generated by tax evaders, the corrupt, free zones and speculators of the debt, all for whom he rules. Although “the fiscal situation of the country is delicate”, his fiscal plan does not intend to charge those who do not pay and represent around 6% of the GDP. He does not intend either to end exonerations of the great businesses, like the free zones, and even less to confront the business behind the buying of public debt bonds.
What you say, that the country has lost with the strike is not true. Those affected are the great economic interests behind the fiscal plan, which are the same ones who long for fresh resources to continue profiting with public funds. Those very irritated are those leading the country: the great bankers and entrepreneurs. From their media like La Nacion, they attack workers fighting against the tax combo. A combo you stand for and they applaud.
Costa Ricans are not the most affected ones by blockages either. You send the police to clear the streets so that pineapple exports may pass, which grow at 16% rates at the expense of the misery of entire peoples. For this, we are in strike, but we also call to march and carry out blockages to pressure those actually ruling the country. As well as during the ICE Combo, “the future of the nation and our families” will be defined in the streets.
Not only is time running out, but the patience of a people that has seen parties like the PAC, PUSC, PLN or Restauración steel from us every day, is also running out. This is the true reason you are worried with the strike. This is what makes the communication means of the rich disseminate hatred against our struggle.
As a public school teacher, with labor instability, I must say that you will not stop us with your threats, your lies and your attempts to demobilize MEP (Public Education Ministry) workers with crumbs. Your supposed “bill that solves” the preoccupations of the public ministry is nothing but another gross attempt to demobilize the struggle that continues to grow and to set division among the worker rank and files, which remain united throughout the country.
As an ex presidential candidate, I stated in the first and second round that both your party and other political forces like Restauración Nacional would rule for the rich of the country. There was no possible fiscal outing unless the issue of the public debt was faced and us workers should build our own alternative.
During our campaign, we posed the need of immediate suspension of payment to private creditors, and an audit by social sectors to show that this debt is corrupt, illegal and has been mostly paid. You and your government, with the collaboration of parties like the Frente Amplio, which compose the cabinet, do exactly the opposite. You illegally divert resources from the budget to pay the debt hawks, or run to request borrowed money to continue to pay loans, money that the people did not even see.
More than ever, I feel proud to be in strike, to be on the right side of history, fighting against your administration, which is charging those below to save those above. Today, I also feel proud that my party called to a null vote in the second round. And for the fact that we were in the streets since the first day of your administration, as we did on May 8th.
This September 26, thousands of us will fight your government in the streets of San Jose. Many others will not be able to be present due to the repressive policy that you and your Security Minister, Michael Soto, are applying. Hitting and persecuting students, throwing gas on workers and their families and blaming unscrupulously the RECOPE (Costa Rican Oil Refinery) workers. To all of them we say that the best way to answer his cynicism and shamelessness is to fight in the streets. It is possible to bury the fiscal plan if we take the country from coast to coast. We need to build a workers government to charge the bankers and the great capital, who are actually responsible of the crisis.
Jhon Vega Masís
President
Partido de los Trabajadores (Workers Party)
Costa Rica: an Answer to Carlos Alvarado: workers will not pay to save the rich
