Comments on: 95% believe Laura Chinchilla’s administration is “corrupt”

By: crbob1

crbob1 — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 10:38:00 +0000

All politicians are corrupt, there has never been one who is not corrupt, it is just the extent to which some go, good intentions go out the window after the campaign and they all join the mix…..history confirms this…

By: Ken Morris

Ken Morris — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 02:09:00 +0000

I’m inclined to agree with expatin paradise, since in my perhaps naive opinion, I don’t think Chinchilla is personally corrupt and suspect that she even tries to combat corruption. Her failings are more those of ineptitude than corruption.

However, much of this article seems to turn on the definition of corruption. When Roverssi says that no high-level member of the administration has been accused of corruption, I think right away of the tax minister who was forced to resign for what strikes me at least as corruption. Also, if the issue is only being accused, as Roverssi says, the education minister was accused. I also have to wonder how far down the feeding chain those guys were who blew thousands of stolen money in one night at a strip joint cackling about all the money they made off that boondoggle of a Rio San Juan trail. I would consider this high-level corruption.

More than this, my guess is that the corruption is mostly in the party, not the administration. I’m not saying that the other parties aren’t corrupt, or wouldn’t be if they got the chance, only that corruption seems to be institutionalized at the party and therefore the governing level.

Although I don’t particularly like her, I think Chinchilla tries to be an honest and good president, just is in over her head.

By: expatin paradise

expatin paradise — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 20:12:00 +0000

I suspect that this administration is no more or less corrupt than preceding administrations (or the next) or other governments in the region. Corruption is endemic to government and thrives where there are few safeguards to prevent it. Here, there are few safeguards, and those who enforce the laws are as corrupt as those they oversee. The Chinchilla administration, ironically, appears to have done a lot to clamp down and expose corruption. By doing so, the administration has created the appearance of more corruption. Certainly, Sra. Chinchilla has made grave errors in judgment (most notable with the border highway), perhaps principally in trusting advisers and regulators. Certainly, nobody expects the president personally to oversee highway projects or monitoring dredging on the Rio San Juan. Certainly, someone keeps dropping the ball on projects of major interest to the Costa Rican people. Certainly, it is impossible to reverse a culture of corruption in a single term. Certainly, the president has detractors with their own political agendas who have helped create the perception of this as the most corrupt administration. This president has tried to make sweeping reforms only to be thwarted by political opponents. Many of these reforms were unpopular because they imposed taxes and fees, but this country desperately needs money to repair and build infrastructure. I suspect that history will judge this president more kindly than her people now do.

By: roberto

roberto — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 15:29:00 +0000

And who thinks that the next President, Johnny Araya – PLN, will be any better?

By: disgusted

disgusted — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 14:47:00 +0000

“”Chinchilla administration, saying allegations of corruption are simply a perception..”"

Well that is what a survey is how the public perceives the Laura Chinchilla-Is doing. Roadway along the border going down a rat hole into “consultants” pockets. Lady Laura on a jet plane owned by the drug cartel Well the list is long but just these two things tell you something stinks to high heavens above. Oh and the luxury taxes collected for almost 5 years, any slums been taken care of as the money was for that. ICE and our utility bills while executives receive the highest bonus ever.Wonder who are the 5% think she doing a good job her consultants I bet .