FIAsco continues: Culture Ministry cancels rescheduled international concerts

Costa Rica’s Culture Ministry in a press release confirmed the definitive cancellation of all concerts suspended during the failed edition of this year’s International Arts Festival (FIA 2015).

The cancellations include concerts by Chilean pop band La Ley and Argentine stars Miguel Mateos and León Gieco originally scheduled to take place from April 23 to May 3 and rescheduled for June 20-22 during the Switch Festival, a private event that was to take place at the Antigua Aduana facilities in San José.

The concerts were part of several events that were cancelled or postponed as a result of several planning delays and scandals that ended up costing former Culture Minister Elizabeth Fonseca, vice ministers Alfredo Chavarría and Luis Carlos Amador, and festival director Inti Picado their jobs.

Temporary Culture Ministry Sylvie Durán has now terminated all contracts, which may trigger claims for damages on the part of producers.

Durán said officials did not consider a private festival to be the appropriate solution for the bands in question.

“We made the rescheduling proposal in good faith, but procedures were not conducted properly,” she said.

Moving forward with these concerts would have meant an additional expenditure of up to ₡50 million ($93,000) for taxpayers, Durán said.

The ministry’s statement also said that the government already has paid producer Decent Showtec 50 percent of the ₡49 million ($91,000) contract for La Ley.

Costa Rica also owes ₡36 million ($67,000) to another production company, Alma Productions, which was to bring six international artists: Miguel Mateos, León Gieco, No te va a Gustar, La Zimbabwe, Majareta Campo and Compañía La Tal.