Protests, demonstrations expected today over government budget cuts

October 20^th, 2014 (InsideCostaRica.com) Protests and demonstrations against a proposed series of cuts to the 2015 National Budget are expected today, beginning at 9 a.m. in the Central Park of San Jose.

Amongst the groups taking part are the National Association of Public and Private Employees (ANEP); the civil, traffic, immigration, and prison police, the Union of Judiciary Workers and Employees, the RECOPE workers’ union, and the Frente Amplio (FA) Party, amongst others.

The groups are protesting a series of budget cuts to next year’s national budget, as promoted by lawmaker Otton Solis, president of the Legislative Assembly’s Finance Committee.

The FA party said in a statement that the cuts would negatively affect government programs and institutions such as the National Scholarship Fund, the National Emergency Commission, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Justice, amongst others.

The FA statement goes on to say that “neoliberal” lawmakers want to paralyze the government and prevent vital ministries and state bodies from functioning normally.

The FA statement said that the party believes in an austere government, but believes that eliminating wasteful spending and combating bureaucracy and corruption, in addition to comprehensive and progressive tax reform, are the appropriate means to address the country’s fiscal deficit.

The FA Party is now the country’s third largest political party in terms of seats in the Legislative Assembly.

Ratings firm, Moody’s Investors Service, estimated that the country’s fiscal deficit would reach 6% of GDP next year when it downgraded the country’s credit rating to “junk” status in September.