No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveDid Karina Bolaños lie about the origins of her erotic video?

Did Karina Bolaños lie about the origins of her erotic video?

From the print edition

Former Culture Vice Minister Karina Bolaños might have lied about the origins of a racy video she made, according to Culture Minister Manuel Obregón. Someone uploaded the video to YouTube last week, and Bolaños was removed from her position in the ministry as a result.

After the video surfaced online, generating millions of views in only a few days, Obregón wrote an op-ed for the daily La Nación justifying the vice minister’s firing. The quick removal of Bolaños from office angered many Costa Ricans, and some criticized President Laura Chinchilla – including The Tico Times in an editorial last week – for dismissing the vice minister over what was believed to be a case of extortion by a third party and an invasion of her privacy. 

According to Obregón, Bolaños’ version of events – stated in her only public interview regarding the incident to CNN en Español – was misleading.

In the interview, Bolaños said the video, where she’s dressed in her underwear and flirting with the camera, was made in 2007, and was stolen from her personal computer. However, Obregón said he believes the video was made in 2009, while Bolaños attended an AIDS prevention conference in Cape Town, South Africa. The minister also suspects Bolaños could have used a government computer to film the video, and that she might have disseminated the video on her own.

In addition, Bolaños faces two criminal complaints filed against her on unrelated charges. On July 30, the daily tabloid La Teja said Bolaños faces a criminal complaint for harassment against a former lover and another for disobeying a restraining order.

Obregón said Bolaños never informed her superiors about the legal troubles. In addition, Bolaños said in her CNN interview that she had been extorted for more than a year regarding the video, but she did not disclose this information to superiors or authorities until the video became public.

These discretions, and the publication of the video, made it impossible for the government to permit Bolaños to continue at her job working with youth programs at the ministry.

Obregón said he “was deeply sorry and condemned the irresponsible invasion of privacy” of Bolaños. But he believes the firing was necessary due to the circumstances.

“It is absolutely false, on the other hand, there is some type of discriminatory action against the concerned,” Obregón wrote. “In previous cases where there have been similar criminal charges against an official of similar rank, the government acted consistently. These are decisions that are not linked to gender, but tied to conditions to adequately perform the responsibilities of public office.”

On Thursday morning, Obregón told Radio Reloj that if Bolaños did break any laws with the recording of the video, the government could choose to file criminal charges against her.

The culture minister said he has not heard any further explanations from Bolaños, but he hopes she will communicate with the ministry.

Tico Times Poll:

Culture viceminister fired

Is it fair to fire the vice minister for the video?



Trending Now

Honduras Seizes $2 Million, Gold-Plated Pistols in Drug Raid

Honduran authorities struck a blow against drug cartels, seizing over $2 million in cash, war rifles, and flashy gold-plated pistols in Copán, a northwest...

Costa Rica Introduces New ₡500 Coin: Old One No Longer Valid

Visitors to Costa Rica this month should be aware of an important change to the country’s currency. As of Tuesday, July 1, the old...

Costa Rica’s Piangua Mollusk Threatened by Pineapple Farm Runoff

Costa Rica’s Térraba-Sierpe National Wetland, a 33,000-hectare haven of mangroves and rivers, is under siege from an unlikely source: pineapple farms. A study by...

Costa Rica Surf Film Festival Honors ‘Pura Vida Bodysurfing’ with Top Audience Award

Pura Vida Bodysurfing is an award-winning short film that strips surfing back to its essence—riding waves without a surfboard. Filmed across Costa Rica’s legendary...

Costa Rica Joins U.S. Global Entry, Easing Travel for Tourists

Costa Rica took a big step forward, by officially joining the U.S. Global Entry program, a move set to make travel smoother for Costa...

Costa Rica’s Eyelash Viper Snake Is One of the Most Beautiful

There are at least 141 different species of snakes in Costa Rica. With that large number of species packed into such a tiny nation,...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica