Costa Rica lawmaker faces manslaughter charges

The family of Víctor Arroyo, who was killed in a car crash last month, pressed charges of manslaughter yesterday against the Costa Rican lawmaker who allegedly drove under the influence when he ran into Arroyo.

The suit calls for a payment of $135,000 for damages and emotional distress caused to the family.

Marlen Arroyo, mother of 25-year-old Victor, told reporters she´s waiting for Libertarian Movement Party legislator Ovidio Agüero to “pay for what he did.”

Agüero on Nov. 11 renounced his congressional immunity, nine days after hitting Arroyo, who was cycling in the Caribbean province of Limón.

Transit authorities said a Breathalyzer test put Agüero over the drinking limit, coming up at 1.39 grams of alcohol per liter of blood, over the legal limit of 0.49.

The incident occurred just as legislators debated stricter reforms to the Costa Rican Transit Law, including a harder clamp-down on drunken driving.