Libertarios Control Many of the Country's Provinces
The growing  Movimiento Libertatio (ML) which controls some 10% of the country's Congress, has announced it is the main party in 13 of the country's 81 counties.

The Movimiento Libertatio, headed by Otto Guevara, also is doing well in the presidential polls, with 10% of the prospective vote. While the presidential vote is considered a foregone conclusion with the personally popular former president Oscar Arias, the fact that they are doing this well is a platform for continued influence, say observers.

The ML new website features detailed expositions on Libertarian philosophy, legislative proposals, and promotional items, and features a new motto, "Forward. Don't go backwards even to move forward!"

The ML is emerging from a period of spirited discussion where several members resigned, including it's co-founder, who was originally chair of the Libertarian Party of Florida. Members expressed concern over incautiously accepting government campaign financing - derided by Libertarians in the US but more acceptable culturally in Latin America - and running candidates not in agreement with the entire platform as long as they pledged to implement it.

A Libertarian Institute ( http://www.institutolibertario.org ) is active in Costa Rica brining speakers to schools and colleges, and studying various initiatives.

Another Libertarian think tank, INLAP, has attracted international attention with its policy proposals and analyses of how tax levels and antiquated regulations harm the poor.

Among reasons attributed to the ML's growth there are careful training, and highly active local groups. Libertarios in Costa Rica say they are working to spread the movement across other Central American countries.

The ML has attracted enormous support among the poor, labor, minorities, unhappy government officials, and small businesspeople.

Libertarios offer an array of less- to no- government alternatives as a means of better protecting human rights, they say, and are active in over 100 countries.

The ML is committed to ending inflation, combating poverty, make more job opportunities available, defend the freedom to work, create prosperity and assure public safety. In the Legislative Assembly, names like Federico Malavassi, along with party leader Guevara, have made a name for themselves as champions of these causes.