Less than 24 hours before polling stations open for the second round of the 2022 general election, for which just over 3.5 million voters are called to elect the President for the 2022-2026 period, these two issues They are among the challenges ahead, along with economic recovery and educational attrition.
Official figures show that one million 200,000 Costa Ricans live in poverty, out of the nation’s 5 million 161,000 23 inhabitants, while out of the first figure 450,000 live in extreme misery, which many find disgraceful given the country’s wealth.
Many analysts explain the above by saying that Costa Rica is now one of the 10 most unequal countries in the world, i.e. while a few have enormous resources, the majority live in extremely poor conditions, while the so-called middle class is disappearing, a situation that is changing exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Likewise, they point out that the almost 25 months of the Covid-19 pandemic have exacerbated another problem facing this country, the educational deficit.
Nearly 450,000 students lacked the technology and connectivity to be taught virtually, leaving them disadvantaged and exacerbating inequality in this area.
Therefore, among the solutions, which at the same time pose challenges, the experts cite economic recovery that would create new jobs – nearly 20 percent of the unemployed population – and the resources to strengthen programs designed to eradicate poverty, so far ineffective to achieve them.
The fight against corruption is also on the list of solutions and challenges, since in Costa Rica it has been common practice for several decades that every government and every political persuasion has its own scandal due to the partial mismanagement of the treasury responsible for its proper use officials.
Local analysts are also considering the need to abolish taxes that solve nothing and only affect and impoverish the most vulnerable in society, while suggesting that the most powerful must do more to solve these grand challenges, rather than pushing them to be exempt profit or not lose privileges .
They therefore mention the paralysis or non-approval in the Legislative Assembly of bills that would force the wealthiest to pay more or that would close loopholes for possible acts of corruption, such as indefinite re-election of mayors and other officials.
All of this is corroborated by the results of a recent consultation by the University of Costa Rica’s Center for Research and Policy Studies, which found that the top concern among Ticos is corruption at 23.7 percent, followed by unemployment (20.1); Hunger and the socioeconomic situation (17.3).
Whoever wins tomorrow’s election, Rodrigo Chaves of the Social Democratic Progressive Party or former President José María Figueres (1994-1998) of the National Liberation Party, will have to face the difficult challenge of solving all of the problems that are overwhelming Costa Ricans .
Ode/ale