Libertarian Movement (Costa Rica)

Libertarian Movement Party
Founded May 1994
Ideology Classical liberalism
Conservatism[1][2]
Political position Centre-right
Regional affiliation None
Colours Red
Legislative Assembly
4 / 57
Website
www.movimientolibertario.com

The Libertarian Movement Party (Spanish: Partido Movimiento Libertario; PML) is a political party based on classical liberalism in Costa Rica. It was founded in May 1994.

History

Founded by partyless liberals from the Academy and liberal defectors of Social Christian Unity Party, contested the 1998 election with Federico Malavassi as candidate receiving only 0.4% of the vote but succeeding in getting attorney Otto Guevara elected as member of the Legislative Assembly.[3] In this time the party was strongly libertarian and was in favor of minimal government (something quite polemic in a Welfare State like Costa Rica when even the right-wing parties as the Social Christians tend to accept social programs and government intervention[3]), legalization of recreational drugs, same-sex marriage, abortion and the like.[3]

In 2002, Guevara ran for president (unsuccessfully, 1.7% of the vote), and the party at the legislative elections won 9.3% of the popular vote and 6 out of 57 seats. A few weeks after taking office, one Congressman left the party and became independent, leaving PML with five seats. In 2006, Guevara again ran for president (unsuccessfully, 8.4% of the vote), and the party at the legislative elections won 9.1% of the popular vote and 6 out of 57 seats.[3] In the 2010 general election Guevara was again the PML's presidential candidate and received 20% of the popular vote, it also increased its number of deputies to nine (even so three of these deputies defects from the party before the end of the legislatie period). At the municipal level the party obtain one mayor in 2006 and two in 2010.[3]

In its 2014 electoral campaign, the party took a more socially conservative position, totally opposing the legalisation of abortion[2] and rejecting homosexual couples' right to a marriage license.[4]

The party suffered a debacle in the 2014 election, as was relegated to fourth place after PAC, PLN and FA parties,[5] and reducing its congressional representation to less than half (four seats),[6] also was unable to elect any mayor in the 2016 mid-term municipal election. This electoral debacle was also costly, as the party was unable to pay some of its campaign debts to both workers, Social Security, loaners and Banks. As previously, in 2015 another deputy defects; Carmen Quesada, who declares herself independent.

Also in 2015 several party members went to trial after been accused of fraud by the State, apparently trying to trick the Electoral Tribunal in paying for trainings that were already cover by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.[7] Judges sentenced party’s vice president, treasurer and accountant to eight years in prison.

Policy positions

References

  1. ↑ Sanchez, María Isabel (2 February 2014), "No clear frontrunner as Costa Ricans vote for new president", Digital Journal
  2. 1 2 "Liberal and conservative ideologies clashed in first official presidential debate", Inside Costa Rica, 6 January 2014
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Costa Rica". San José University. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  4. ↑ "¿Ha sido consistente Guevara frente al matrimonio gay?". El Financiero.
  5. ↑ Buckman, Robert T. Latin America 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  6. ↑ Turner, Blair. Latin America 2015-2016. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  7. ↑ Molina, Tabatha. "Libertarian Party VP in Costa Rica Faces 16 Years for Fraud". Panama Post. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  8. ↑ http://www.tse.go.cr/pdf/normativa/estatutos/movimientolibertario.pdf
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