Comptroler Building Site of Demonstration

The destinctive glass semi-pyramidal Comptroller General's building across a street from Sabana Park was taken over briefly Tuesday night and Wednesday morning by an estimated 150 small farmers who fear that they may be evicted from their land.

The rural people sent a letter to President Laura chinchilla asking that she "guarantee that the State will put no more pressure on the disputed land." Moreover, they demanded the dismissal of Comptroller Rocio Aguilar and sub-controller Martha Acosta.

The two officials met with representatives of the demonstrators but could not reach an agreement. Comptroller personnel, meanwhile, quietly left the building.

At about 9 p.m., they met with deputy Security Minister Celso Gamboa but finally, the building was closed with the demonstrators still inside. The dispute revolves around the plan to transform the Institute of Agrarian Development into the Institute of Rural Development.

The plan, the protester spokesman Marcos Ramirez told the newspaper La Nacion, would regulate the delivery of land and titles in a new way that is under negotiations with Legislative Assembly deputies since the last Administration.

That bill was approved in first debate Dec. 5 but has been stalled by negotiations since. Moreover, an appeal has been sent to the Constitutional Chamber (Sala IV) of the Supreme Court which has not pronounced an opinion. Deputy Comptroller Acosta met with landowners on Dec. 23 without result.

After spending Tuesday afternoon and night in the building, demonstrators left at midday Wednesday, agreeing to continue negotiations. Wednesday morning, Ramirez told the demonstrators that he had met with Presidency Deputy Minister Francisco Marin.

The demonstrators came from widely scattered areas of the country, from Barra del Colorado in the northeast, to Guapiles and Heredia to Talamanca and Sixaola in the south.