No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsBusinessDivorce trial in U.S. causes cooking gas shortage in Costa Rica

Divorce trial in U.S. causes cooking gas shortage in Costa Rica

It hasn’t quite reached telenovela status but the drama between the once-married owners of a Costa Rican propane supply company is causing a serious crisis for customers in the couple’s home country.

The couple, Miguel Zaragoza and Evangelina López, own Gas Zeta, the largest of Costa Rica’s two private companies authorized to sell propane. But a large chunk of the company’s operations has ground to a halt in recent weeks after a Texas court granted the couple a divorce and ordered a division of assets.

The ensuing legal drama for ownership of Gas Zeta has left its propane customers in Costa Rica — nearly 70 percent of the country — scrambling to find cooking fuel for homes, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, schools and even prisons.

In a news release on Wednesday, López said that the Costa Rican people, just like her, “are suffering because of her husband’s love affairs.”

She also said she requested protective measures from a U.S. judge for her family’s home and assets as “they all are under threat of being seized due to her husband’s actions.”

In an effort to make up for the gas shortage, Costa Rican Environment Ministry (MINAE) officials granted another private company a one-year license to sell cooking gas. The new company, owned by local and foreign investors, began selling propane Wednesday evening.

Environment Minister Édgar Gutiérrez Espeleta said the couple’s problems caused a clash of court rulings in both countries. He explained that when the Texas judicial system sent the divorce papers to Costa Rica, a local family court judge issued preventive measures protecting the López family’s assets. Then Zaragoza’s lawyers filed a counter claim in an administrative court over the company’s rights, and that judge ruled in his favor.

“Both rulings are now being challenged,” Gutiérrez said, “raising uncertainty over an issue that (should be) entirely private.”

The Costa Rican police have even had to get involved. Last week officers carried out an eviction order against employees at some of the company’s plants, which sparked the supply problems.

Representatives of Gas Zeta said last week that they were waiting for the Costa Rican Oil Refinery (RECOPE) to authorize entry for the company’s tankers in order to restart gas distribution as soon as possible. But RECOPE said in a news release that it can’t currently sell propane to Gas Zeta because of the legal uncertainty over the company’s ownership.

Meanwhile, business groups, including the Costa Rican Food Industry Chamber, Costa Rican Chamber of Hotels and the Costa Rican Chamber of Restaurants, warned this week that if the problem persists, many businesses will be forced to halt operations as soon as next weekend.

Trending Now

Costa Rica Seeks New Air Routes Amid Decline in European Tourism

Costa Rica is working to increase the number of international flights entering the country, as it faces a concerning drop in tourist arrivals.  The...

Chiquita Executives Convicted in Colombia for Financing Death Squads

Colombian justice on Wednesday sentenced seven former executives of the multinational banana company Chiquita Brands to more than 11 years in prison and a...

Keylor Navas Leads Pumas to Victory in His Liga MX Debut

Keylor Navas kicked off his Mexican league journey with Pumas UNAM in style, leading the team to a 2–0 win over Querétaro at Estadio...

Guatemala’s Gang War Funeral Attack Leaves 7 Dead and 13 Injured

At least seven people were killed and 13 wounded in an armed attack Tuesday night at a funeral in downtown Guatemala City, which authorities...

Honduras Reinstates Mask Mandate Amid Rise in Respiratory Illnesses

Honduran health officials have reinstated a nationwide mask mandate following a spike in respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, flu, and a fast-spreading Omicron subvariant known...

Costa Rica Food Culture: From Bar Bocas to Fast Food Chains

Once upon a time in Costa Rica, you could walk into a bar, order a beer, and receive a free boca – a small...
L. Arias
L. Arias
Reporter | The Tico Times |
spot_img
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