RECOPE President Sara Salazar told reporters that the Chinese-Costa Rican joint-venture cost the Costa Rican government ₡33 billion — more than $61 million — with nothing to show for the effort.
News of the agreement came as Costa Rican and Chinese officials reached consensus Friday on how to move forward with the $1.5 billion project after the Comptroller General’s Office canceled the previous project over a conflict of interest in 2013.
The renegotiations targeted several legacy projects devised by previous National Liberation Party administrations, including former presidents Óscar Arias (1986-1990, 2006-2010) and Laura Chinchilla (2010-2014), including Route 32 and the stalled MoÃn oil refinery.
President Luis Guillermo SolÃs, representing Costa Rica as the president pro tempore of the regional organization, is set to meet with the presidents of China, Brazil and Chile during the week-long event in Brasilia.
Costa Rica's lawmakers agreed to postpone until Oct. 12 discussion of a $395 million loan from the government of China to finance the expansion and renovation of Route 32, the main access highway to the province of Limón.
Public Works and Transport Minister Carlos Segnini on Thursday asked lawmakers to postpone for up to four months a final vote on a $485 million loan package from China to finance expansion of Route 32, the country’s main access to the Caribbean province of Limón.
