May Day

UPDATE. May 2. 3:44 p.m. A total of 47 lawmakers elected Libertarian Movement Party's Natalia Díaz Quintana for the pending Vice President post. Six blank and null votes were added for a total of 53 votes.

May Day in Costa Rica brought together protesters from public workers unions and a wide variety of other groups, including students, sex workers and indigenous people.

Unions, socialists and other left-leaning groups called for an end to status quo economic policies at a May Day march in downtown San José. The annual parade from Central Park to the Legislative Assembly was marked with rhetoric slamming Laura Chinchilla and past administrations for ignoring the working class, while expressing hope that the incoming president, Luis Guillermo Solís, will turn to more progressive policies.

Members of 68 public- and private-sector unions will demonstrate Thursday to mark Labor Day along some San José's main streets, the National Association of Public and Private Employees said.

A small group of demonstrators hurled rocks at the Legislative Assembly building, police officers and members of the national media. At least 20 people were arrested.