Former President Rodríguez Not Interested in Politics
Following the closing of the political campaign and elections a little over a week ago, former president Rafael Angel Calderón made public statements on the poor showing of the ruling Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC). Calderón blamed president Abel Pacheco for the defeat that saw a party that alternated rule in the country to getting less than 5% of the popular vote.

Pacheco strongly defended the accusations and comments by Calderón.

For his part, however, former president Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Echeverría, also belonging to the PUSC, told during a Diario Extra interview, that he has no interest in returning to politics and not comment on the election results and the PUSC standing.

Asked if he will be helping to rebuild the party, the former president said that he is too busy defending himself against the charges of which he feels he is wrongly accused and restoring his name and reputation.

"I live suffering a great violation of my constitutional rights and process and especially of my innocence", said Rodríguez.

Rodríguez is mainly accused of taking bribes related to the ALCATEL-ICE scandal over the contract for 400.000 cellular telephone lines, along with officials of the French telecommunicaions firm ALCATEL and employees of the state owned monopoly, the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE). Rodríguez' best friend and former minister, Antonio Lobo, ratted him out.

Rodríguez  was arrested in October of 2004 after stepping down as head of the Organization of American States (OAS) only after one month on the job. Rodríguez governed in Costa Rica from 1998 to 2002, preceding Abel Pacheco. Rodríguez is now free on bail, waiting his trial, following a stint in a jail cell and then house arrest.

For his part, former president Rafael Angel Calderón is facing charges of corruption for his involvement in the FISCHEL-CAJA scandal over payment of a commission for the purchase of us$39 million dollars of medical equipment purchased from the government of Finland for the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social, with the intermediary of the Fischel Corporation, the country's largest pharmacy chain of stores.

Calderón governed Costa Rica from 1990 to 1994, following Oscar Arias, and is now free on bail following spending time in jail and house arrest as part of preventative measures against his impeding the investigation against him.