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COSTA RICA |
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Arias
Reluctantly Accepts Minister's Resignation
Costa Rican president, Oscar Arias, finally
accepted on Tuesday the resignation tendered
by Karla González, leaving the ministerio de
Obras Público y Transportes (MOPT) portfolio
after the tragic accident last Thursday that
claimed five lives.
The Arias acceptance was contained in a two
page letter, saying that he painfully
regrets the departure of González, who he
praises for many of the advances in decades
of neglect of the country's road
infrastructure.
The prez said that being in public office is
like playing "ruleta rusa" (Russian
roulette), who are disinfranchised and face
a "circo romano" (roman circus) when a
situation like the Turrubares bridge
collapse occurs.
The announcement to accept the resignation
came at the end of the day Tuesday,
following a series of meetings with his
brother Rodrigo, the ministro de la
Presidencia, and other government officials.
A possible candidate to take over the post
for the remaining months of the Arias
administraion is current MOPT vice-minister,
Pedro Castro. However, Castro is currenlty
being investigated following a family
memberd being awarded a concession work.
The González decision to resign was made
public Monday when she handed her
resignation letter to president Arias,
following mounting pressure from opposition
legislators and the public over the collapse
of the bridge in Turruvares that saw a bus
loaded with 38 people plunge into the river
below after the cables snapped.
González said she was taking the "political
responsibility" for the accident and her
resignation was to mitigate the loss and
suffering of the victims and their families.
Castro, following the González, said that
Karla was "a great leader" and that the
Turrubares accident is a great shame for the
MOPT and said the he also considered
resigning.
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