President Carlos Alvarado did not mention the issue of the strike, the fiscal plan, the economic crisis or the unions in his speech on September 15th at the National Park. Instead, he addressed the co-responsibility of all Costa Ricans to seek a better homeland.
Playing with words, the president wanted to say a lot, but in the end he said little and the only thing that is clear is that he calls on the collective will to look for a better future.
Independence implies freedom, it is freedom for self-determination. Freedom is an act of will, of being able to exercise the will in the construction of one’s own future, and both will and freedom entail responsibility for our future. When we talk about a country project, responsibility is not enough, but also co-responsibility, the freedom of the individuals is not enough, but what we do together with that freedom.”
Alvarado highlighted the diversity of the population, but it was clear that although we all had a different world view, the common good is above all.
We are a diverse country, plural, with different ideas, but united by the motherland, we are heirs of a country and a unique history, like the history we have to build together, with this co-responsibility.”
Last week, unions staged several protests across the country against the tax plan, which resulted in blockades, fuel shortages, and riots in several areas.