On Friday morning, Costa Ricans protested against gentrification. A group of demonstrators from all over the country gathered with banners and proposals for legislators outside the Legislative Assembly. This group of Costa Ricans assert that the phenomenon of gentrification is displacing residents due to the influx of foreigners with high purchasing power.
The demonstrators noted that gentrification jeopardizes access to affordable housing for local families and threatens key natural resources such as water. According to residents in Guanacaste, water availability has always been an issue. In recent years, the situation has reportedly worsened for these communities.
“They are transforming our Costa Rica into an exclusive place for those without class consciousness or environmental awareness, who seek to appropriate the national scenic beauty, privatizing beaches, forests, and spaces that should be public,” said the organization No to Gentrification.
According to the participants, inflated land and housing prices, along with the conversion of rural communities into luxury destinations, are leaving many Costa Ricans without viable housing alternatives. “In the last two years, especially along the coastal area of Costa Rica, such as Santa Teresa, an interesting phenomenon has been observed. Today, practically that canton is dominated by foreigners,” they said.
They also highlighted that locals now struggle to find work, as hotels and restaurants are mostly hiring foreigners. In many cases, these workers have entered the country as tourists and remained without regularizing their migratory status. While members of the organization emphasized that they are not against progress or development, they advocate for environmental protection and for socioeconomic policies that benefit all Costa Ricans.
The group urged deputies to approve measures such as regulating and restricting land purchases by foreigners, eliminating the investor visa, prohibiting the practice of “Visa Run,” reaffirming the colón as the main currency in all areas of the country, and implementing policies that guarantee decent housing for Costa Ricans.
