A surprising, last-minute resolution by the Committee on Traditional Celebrations of the Santa Cruz canton to move the National Folklore Festival is being blamed on politics and the Chikungunya virus. According to Guanacaste news website Primero en Noticias, the hasty resolution consists of moving the fair from Plaza Lopez, also known as Los Mangos, to the fairgrounds, and the reason given by the Committee is that a possible outbreak of Chikungunya was detected close to Plaza Lopez, but Santa Cruz residents suspect an ulterior motive.

 

The annual Santa Cruz cantonal fair is considered by many to be a de facto celebration of national folklore in Costa Rica, although residents of places such as Cartago and the Caribbean region may disagree. Still, this cantonal celebration attracts a fair share of international and domestic tourism dollars. The fair has been held at Plaza Lopez after the end-of-year holidays, a time when schools are still on vacation and tourists flock to Guanacaste from around the world. Should the resolution by the Committee stand, this would be the first time the fair is held in a place other than Plaza Lopez.

 

Days ago, officials from Costa Rica’s Ministry of Public Health ruled out a lone suspected case of Chikungunya in Santa Cruz. Residents of Santa Cruz are now in an uproar against the Committee, and some of them allege that underhanded politics are to blame. The allegations involve claims of an intricate plot by members of the powerful National Liberation Party (Spanish initials: PLN) to undermine the celebrations so that they can funnel tourism dollars elsewhere in Guanacaste. As previously reported  by The Costa Rica Star, the PLN and just about all political parties in Costa Rica are currently in shambles with regard to their organizational and ideological structure, but only the PLN is actively trying to put its house in order.

 

A political leader for Frente Amplio (Broad Front) in Santa Cruz told Primero en Noticias that residents are upset because this celebration, which is both traditional and religious since it honors the Christ of Esquipulas, is being manipulated in the interest of tourism.