Chinchilla wants Catholic Church to get involved with controversial highway concession

President Laura Chinchilla (archive photo)

April 18^th, 2013 (InsideCostaRica.com) President Laura Chinchilla said yesterday that she wants the Catholic Church to be part of a roundtable with universities to facilitate discussions around the controversial concession of the San Jose – San Ramon highway to Brazilian firm, OAS.

Chinchilla made the announcement yesterday at the Casa Presidencial after presenting an award to Costa Rican athlete, Nery Brenes.

Chinchilla said that the government is open to dialogue, and said that the cost of tolls on the highway could be reduced if the contract is renegotiated.

Church representatives said that if both sides agree, the Church would mediate the conflict.

Asdrubal Morera, a representative of the “Western Forum,” a group that has brought together the top opponents of the highway concession, said that the concession is a “problem for everyone,” so anyone is free to participate in talks.

The highway concession has sparked several protests in the country, including some that turned violent during Juan Santamaria Day on April 11^th.

Through a press release issued yesterday by the Costa Rican subsidiary of OAS in charge of the San Jose – San Ramon highway project, OAS said that it was open to discussions with the community, while calling for legal certainty.

“[OAS] confirms its interest in collaborating with the country to move towards the completion of this important road work, and to take the best path – which is social peace, democracy and legal certainty that characterizes Costa Rica and convinced us to invest in this nation,” the statement said.

Amongst other grievances, those opposed to the concession cite the high cost of proposed tolls, the granting of the concession to a foreign firm, and allegations that the granting of the concession was not done in a transparent manner.