May 1 was Labor Day in Costa Rica as well as an important day in the Costa Rican government and legislative body. Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly, comprised of 57 lawmakers, form a new leadership and new committees in the Assembly.
Lawmakers from the ruling Citizen Action Party (PAC) secured only one of six seats on the Directorate, giving Opposition parties control of Costa Rica’s legislative Directorate. Social Christian Unity Party lawmaker, Rafael Ortiz Fábrega, was elected president of the Legislative Assembly’s Directorate.
[quote_center]”Public debt is a time bomb”[/quote_center]
President Luis Guillermo Solís, elected a year ago, addressed Costa Rica this May 1st, 2015 in his first State of the Nation address.
In the address Solís said, “Public debt is a time bomb”, and that he plans to reduce spending by ₡700 billion on a ₡8.4 trillion budget.
The president also proposed an additional ₡180 billion ($342 million) would be made available for small businesses loans, and that a new jobs program will create 30,000 jobs.
Labor Day March on the Capital
On May 1st, there is also an annual march on the capital as thousands of Costa Rican workers take to the streets of San Jose.
Marchers included union members (from some organizations), political parties, environmentalists, and protesters, looking for improved policies to bring more opportunity to all classes of workers in Costa Rica. The march was peaceful overall.
Costa Rica’s first Legislative Assembly was elected in January 1825 and later in 1890 was changed to May 1 to match the international importance of May 1st, as Labor Day.
San Jose Costa Rica
