No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeNewsCosta RicaVenezuelan lawmaker says in Costa Rica that her people eat from garbage...

Venezuelan lawmaker says in Costa Rica that her people eat from garbage trucks

Venezuelan opposition lawmaker Dinorah Figuera talked about the situation in her country at a press conference at the Legislative Assembly in San José, saying that while Venezuela “has plenty of oil, its people wait for garbage trucks [so they can] eat.”

Legislators from various parties organized the press conference on Monday afternoon so that Figuera could voice her opinions and talk to local media.

Figuera discussed the Venezuelan people’s outcry for their right to free access to health, food and security.

“The government is violating all people’s rights. People don’t have access to purchase medicine or food, either because of the government’s bans or because of high inflation,” she said.

She said Venezuelans don’t have access to drinking water or toilet paper, and that refrigerators in homes are all empty.

Figuera also said that public security is a serious problem, with an average of 28,000 murders each year.

“The number of deaths is higher than those caused by wars in other parts of the world,” she told her audience at the Assembly.

Violent protests both for and against the government of President Nicolás Maduro in the past three weeks raised the death toll to 23. The latest protests were sparked by a Supreme Court decision to take over the powers of the opposition-dominated National Assembly.

The lawmaker said that upon her arrival in Costa Rica on Sunday, she received news that two Venezuelan army vehicles were in front of her house in Venezuela.

She said the Venezuelan people are not demanding a coup, but rather the possibility of national elections. She claimed that “80 percent of the population wants a change in the government.”

She also called for humanitarian aid and said that Venezuelans can not receive help from other countries, because President Maduro refuses to acknowledge that the country is in crisis.

“In Costa Rica too”

Lawmaker Ligia Fallas of Costa Rica’s Broad Front Party dismissed Figuera’s statements following the press conference. She told members of the media that she wanted Figuera to wait at her office until the evening hours so that she could see that many Ticos eat from the garbage, too.

“There are Costa Ricans in that same condition, but that doesn’t give me the right to go to another country and ask for actions against Costa Rica,” Fallas told reporters. She also said that the Costa Rican government’s responsibility is to solve Ticos’ problems, “not interfering with other countries.”

Responding to a question regarding whether she supports the government of Nicolás Maduro, Fallas said that she first supports Bolívar’s dream of a Great Homeland.

Fallas said she is a Chavista and recognizes the “efforts of Commander [Hugo] Chávez to achieve the dream of uniting the ‘Great Homeland’ and eliminate borders.”

“I share his dream and recognize the legitimate, autonomous, sovereign and constitutional government of Nicolás Maduro,” Fallas said.

Trending Now

Route 32 Reopens Following Preventive Closure Over Landslide Risk

Route 32, which connects San José with Limón, was reopened this morning after being closed for nearly 12 hours as a preventive measure due...

Costa Rica Issues Green Weather Alert as Heavy Rains Expected

The National Emergency Commission (CNE) has declared a green weather alert across Costa Rica due to the expected increase in rainfall over the coming...

Costa Rica Anglers Catch Rare Orange and Albino Nurse Shark

Anglers on a fishing trip off Costa Rica's Caribbean coast caught a nurse shark unlike any seen before: bright orange skin and stark white...

Costa Rica President Confronts Calls to Strip Immunity

Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves denounced today an “attempted judicial coup” as he appeared before a congressional committee that must recommend to the full...

President Chaves Downplays Costa Rica’s Security Crisis Amid Record Homicides

President Rodrigo Chaves brushed off concerns about Costa Rica's surging violence during his Wednesday press conference, insisting the security situation "is not as serious"...

Costa Rica National Parks to Measure Tourism Impact

Costa Rica will now be able to measure the impact of tourism in its national parks, thanks to innovative environmental technology from The NeverRest...
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