Mónica Nágel Berger, executive director of Alterra Partners, manager of the airport the International Juan Santamaría, denied that its parent company has disappeared, and assured that Alterra has not thought about leaving its operations in Costa Rica. This after Rodolfo Silva, ex-Minister of Transports (1996-1998), affirmed during an interview with Al Día, that Alterra Partners is a “shell”, after the closing of its headquarters in London, England.

“Alterra works in Costa Rica, we continue working in a legally constituted company, that has businesses in Peru and in others places.  Some businesses were sold them, that is part of the culture of transnational companies. I do not see possibilities that corporation disappears, or leaves. There are 140 people working in Alterra and we are thinking about how to solve the problems at the airport”, stated Nágel.

Last Friday, the civil servant announced that Alterra is rushing to comply with the government order to open two new boarding lounges, that will take care of passengers during the high season 2006-2007. Nágel said that the delay in works, is due to the fact that the contract signed by Gobierno and Alterra “was not simplest”. The airport was supposed to be finished by August of the 2004, but a year before the International Financial Corporation (IFC) suspended the payment of $120 million, charging that the project’s revenue did not guarantee the recovery of the money. Alterra decided to suspend works until the Contraloría demanded resumption, in December of the 2005. The government, Alterra and the IFC are still trying to resolve on the financial imbalance.