President Laura Chinchilla 100 Days in Office
President Laura Chinchilla at an event for Supreme Court: Photo Casa Presidencial
Costa Rican president Laura Chinchilla celebrated 100 days in office with a video address of affection and gratitude. In a recent video posted to youtube Chinchilla summarizes the priorities of her administration and asks for help in the legislature.
First and foremost security is an issue that resonates with most in Costa Rica, and Chinchilla is quick to call attention to the recent graduation of 700 police officers, large narcotics seizures, and the construction of new prison facilities. She is quick to point out,
In order to win the battle against criminality we need more and better resources.
Chinchilla calls on the legislature to fund a permanent plan for both citizen security and a national support network for the elderly and young.
No figures are mentioned in the video for security, however the annual budget for the national police force is presently $12 million. President Chinchilla has proposed increasing the police force by a factor of three, and indicates that she has recently allocated $27 million for the national support network.
While Chinchilla doesn’t provide any details or statistics she is quick to add that the country is embarking on a campaign for economic growth. She assures the public that more companies will come to in invest in Costa Rica and that public spending on infrastructure such as roads, bridges, hospitals and schools will be ambitious. However, she seems to immediately conflict this with talk of public austerity or belt tightening.
Chinchilla is quick to point out that her government is facing serious budget restrictions brought by the previous administration and an international economic crisis. She finishes by the video address by calling for honor, respect and solidarity.
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Filed Under: Local News
