San José mayor will be presidential candidate for the National Liberation Party

The mayor of San José, Johnny Araya, will be the National Liberation Party’s (PLN) presidential candidate in 2014, as former Public Security Minister Fernando Berrocal stepped out of the race.

Berrocal announced his withdrawal from the primary campaign at a press conference Wednesday evening at PLN headquarters – known as Balcón Verde – in western San José.

Araya is now alone in the race for the PLN primaries, which were scheduled for April 21 but will now likely be cancelled.

Araya and Berrocal met this week following the departure from the campaign last Friday of Rodrigo Arias, a former minister and brother of ex-President Oscar Arias.

The mayor said he also spoke with his uncle, ex-President Luis Alberto Monge, about the campaign.

In September, Antonio Álvarez Desanti quit the race and joined Araya’s campaign, and in November, former President José María Figueres announced he would not seek another non-consecutive term.

-This information was updated at 5:46 pm