Don’t forget, Manuel Leon Salazar, the man many people refer to as “Chino” is also half Bri Bri Indian.

I don’t think he’d take terribly kindly to you making such sweeping generalizations about the Bri Bri people.

Manuel, a member of Laura’s party, has captured one of the municipal council seats, along with another member of the same party.

But the old guard still controls 3 seats on that five member council.

Manuel’s campaign literature was quite frank in pointing out just how badly Rugeli had sold out the interests of the Bri Bri.

In fact, one campaign flyer of manuel’s accused Rugeli of actually being ashamed of his Bri Bri heritage.

It’s the majority indigenous voting bloc that’s aligned with people like Manuel and others concerned about the impact of a marina on PV who have stood in opposition to that proposed marina.

Rugeli was all for it, no doubt the kickbacks were being going to be huge if he could help get it thru.

So, again, as someone who’s lived here a while, be careful about questioning the motives of an entire community of people.

Doing so is unlikely to put you in good standing with a WHOLE lot of people.

La Camara esta muy preocupada por los constantes problemas administrativos, financieros y de moral que envuelven a la Municipalidad de Talamanca.

Ya estamos cansados de tantas denuncias, acusaciones, perdida de dineros, o bien malgasgtados, falta de controles financieros, falta de transparencia etc.

Se les acusa de desviacion de fondos pero NO SE VEN LAS OBRAS DE INFRASETRUCTURA EN NUESTROS PUEBLOS !!! SIGUE LA BASURA, LOS CAMINOS PESIMOS, NO SE PROMUEVE LA CULTURA NI SE HACEM MERCADEO DEL CANTON PARA ATRAER MAS TURISTAS ETC.

Por eso CATCCAS le ha solicitado a las Vice Alcaldesas que urgentemente nos den una audiencia publica a fin de podamos asistir a la misma y que se nos den explicaciones de que RUMBO TIENE ESA MUNICIIPALIDAD y como pretenden funcionar sin Presidente Municipal, sin Alcalde, sin Contador etc.

I have heard it spoken many times (including on this board)from these people to remind people that they “control the vote” for this area.

You might want to also keep in mind that it would most likely be expats that are constantly harassed by these crooked officials – so you can imagine the satisfaction they are going to take in their arrest and being sick of the “Let them eat cake” attitude that is dished out from the Muni and it’s supporters.

Do you know any uncorrupted people in political or economic power anywhere? Then you know the exception! I don’t know of any group in this world, from white bankers to tico cabina owners to black municipal workers who will are not tempted into ever-increasing spirals of greed and eventually betray their principles and worse, their own people. Usually though the small crooks get caught, the big ones run the place. Maybe somebody in the PLN wants his slice…

I have a feeling that the comments below about Timoteo Jackson, who I also know personally, are not well founded. I think he is just part of an indigenous politically active minority that would rather pull in their direction than have development go as usual toward the coast where the money is.

While there are a few people (very few) achieve unspeakable wealth, the bulk of the native population sees very little benefit from any of these deals and lives in absolute poverty.

I think it is hightime that people like Timateo Jackson step forward and explain to his community why these people were supported and elected.