Costa Rica rejects Ortega’s accusations that it “harbors terrorist groups”

At least three Costa Rican deputies —two pro-government and one from the opposition— rejected the accusations by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega that he accused the Central American country of “hosting terrorist groups” in reference to the exiles.

The legislator of the National Liberation Party, Monserrat Ruiz Guevarawho is also president of the Human Rights Commission of the Costa Rican Legislative Assembly, told the voice of america that Ortega’s statements “are painful.”

“For more than five decades we have supported a country that has opened its doors to our neighbors, to our Nicaraguan brothers and that today ends up being a great protector of that migratory element that wants to be executed by this man (Ortega)” Ruiz stressed.

In the same way, he indicated that for this reason he will present a motion next Thursday where a pronouncement can be generated from the commission that he chairs “reproaching Mr. Ortega’s statements in this regard.”

“Costa Rica has been a democratic country, of peace that has demonstrated and has taken the banner of human rights as part of this great participatory democracy that we have. From there we are going to generate that pronouncement”, stressed Monserrat Ruiz Guevara.

On the other hand, Pilar Cisneros, head of a faction of the ruling Social Democratic Progress Party, indicated that if Ortega “makes a speech like that, he should at least provide evidence,” which he says “obviously does not exist.”

He also supported the statements of President Rodrigo Chaves who indicated days ago that Costa Rica has always hosted refugees and people who flee their countries due to political persecution. “Terrorists have never been harbored” in Costa Rica, he replied.

“For accepting migrants, for opening doors, for helping people who have been persecuted, who have to flee their countries. Terrorists haven’t been housed here, ever. Not now, not never”.

Like Cisneros, the official deputy María Marta Padilla also emphasized that “Costa Rica is a respectful, peaceful country that seeks coexistence with all other countries.”

Ortega’s accusations

On November 8, President Ortega accused Costa Rica of keeping “a base of terrorists” in the country sponsored by the United States, which, according to him, “conspired against the municipal elections” held days ago and where all the mayors of the country came under the control of the ruling party in a process lacking in credibility.

Ortega said that despite this, “in a historical event” there were no attacks or violence in the voting. “There are no bullets and there are no injuries, not a drop of blood spilled,” he stressed.

The next day, President Chaves denied Ortega’s accusations and indicated that the Central American country “adheres to international coexistence norms” and stressed that “it is a shining example for the world of how democracy can work and should work.”

Nicaragua has been immersed in a sociopolitical crisis since 2018 when popular unrest was expressed in protests against Ortega that left more than 300 dead and thousands of exiles, a large part of them in Costa Rica, the United States and Spain.

The president, who has been in power for more than 15 consecutive years, accused the protesters of “coup plotters” who tried to overthrow his government with the support of various sectors such as the Catholic Church, the private sector, and the international community.

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