La República

Otto Guevara was concerned about any timidity in private equity

Electrical opening threat pact between government and libertarian

Esteban Arrieta This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Otto Guevara demands the President to put on discussion the text presented by Oscar Arias as agreed in the pact of governance.

The opening of the electricity market has not yet discussed in Congress and it causes high stress. So much so that if the run is taken on this issue could be brought forward that will test the solidity of the pact would be signed between the government and the Libertarian Movement.
The secrecy with which it has handled the issue, responses to medium and the information has leaked about the electricity sector reform, have worried Otto Guevara, former Libertarian presidential candidate, they said that the signs point to Laura Chinchilla, president of the Republic is moving away from what was agreed in the pact signed between the two forces governance.
The fear is that the initialed agreement ensures that the 24 votes of the legislative faction of the National Liberation Party will serve to approve the Electricity Law sent by the previous administration and not to promote a new plan for the sector, as announced Government three weeks ago.
Thus, in the opinion of Guevara, "it would be jettisoning the work of four years," to promote and a concerted effort to respond to the country's energy needs.
Similarly, what has been released so far from the draft to be sent to the legislative process starting next month, does not convince libertarians, who believe that this is a setback.
"For us, this legislation is of vital importance for the competitiveness of the country and at the same time, so that the Costa Ricans and businesses can have a good service with better prices. The governability pact indicates that the PLN is committed to voting for the project that is under discussion in the Legislature and not for a new, "said Guevara.
Even Guevara questioned did not seem true, he is still the opposition, have to defend the project promoted by the government of Oscar Arias and instead Chinchilla, is she the same party, discard it to promote another.
THE REPUBLIC tried to find a reaction of Marco Vargas, Minister of the Presidency, on the position of libertarian leader, but even though he was called for three days and left messages for him to return the call, the closure of issue had not been possible to contact him.
For now what is known of the new text to open the electricity market are a few strokes he unveiled the government on energy plan presented earlier this month.
Among the topics that the new plan included the establishment of a limit on private participation of 100 megawatts for each cogenerator, allowing them only to produce because it maintains the distribution in the hands of the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) and the seven cooperatives and companies that at present.
Also puts a limit production to 35% private capital and providing that only ICE can exploit geothermal energy.
Moreover, the appointment of Eduardo Doryan as chairman of the ICE and Teofilo de la Torre as Minister of Environment, Energy and Telecommunications, generated concern among libertarians, considering that they are opposed to the electronic opening.
"The government is sending a clear signal that the market would not open as required with these appointments, it seems he wants to keep the ICE as the sole or dominant buyer in a mixed market model that does not work anywhere in the world, boosting the Frankenstein could be a power that is not going to help achieve the project objectives, "he said Guevara.