It took a little less than an hour for President Luis Guillermo Solis Rivera to deliver a summary of his first 100 days in office, but the collective time spent by legislators and political analysts commenting on his speech could soon add up to more than 100 hours. As expected by many, President Solis did not have much to say; however, critics pointed out that he could have made a better effort to address more concerns intrinsic to Costa Rica’s future.

 

The political climate inside the historic Melico Salazar Theater in the heart of the lovable capital city of San Jose was clearly in favor of President Solis and his Citizen Action Party (Spanish initials: PAC). As reported by Jimena Soto of online news daily Costa Rica Hoy, President Solis’ staff was very effective insofar as filling the seats with sympathizers. Outside the theater, however, the scene was less than favorable for the President as unhappy protesters gathered and shouted slogans that alluded to a lack of action from the Presidential Office in Zapote.

 

The Reaction from Social Media in Costa Rica

The overall sentiment on Twitter after the report was not positive. Many updates pointed out that President Solis started off on the wrong foot by taking criticizing the administration of former President Laura Chinchilla. Even more updates expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of concrete action items for the rest of President Solis’ days in office. On Facebook, dispassionate comments were made by voters who helped President Solis win the runoff election that ended up as a landslide victory over former candidate Johnny Araya of the powerful National Liberation Party (Spanish initials: PLN). The spirit of many of the comments suggested that many voters feel as if they are owed more tangible results, particularly at a time when consumer sentiment in Costa Rica is very pessimistic.

 

The gist of the report can be summed up as follows: President Solis feels strongly about investigating allegations of corruption during the former administration. He wants the support of legislators and is extremely interested in sitting down to talk with leaders of political factions and community organizations. With regard to a blueprint for the future of Costa Rica, none was mentioned last night.