Guevara Offers Financing for Proposed Debate
Otto Guevara has expressed his desire to participate in any debate between front runners and has offered to purchase the television time necessary to broadcast the debate.
“The Costa Ricans have a right to know the ideas and proposals that the 3 leading candidates are offering them. Costa Rica is an established democracy and it would be a crime to deny the citizens this debate. Arias should accept a debate, if not he is disrespecting the citizens.”, said Guevara.
The National Association of Public Employees (ANEP) seconded the idea of a debate. Albino Vargas, secretary, said "Arias should not hide behind a Nobel Prize, or think that it makes him the chosen one. He should show his face to discuss his proposals in depth. He can take on the responsibility of defending ideas that nurture the financial oligarchy that is the enemy of populist organizations of every type."
Arias responded, "I don’t want to be a cock fighting in the ring, I want agreements not blood. I told Otton, who is my friend, let’s have coffee and chat. We don’t have to debate, we have to discuss what help he will need if he wins, or if not what help he can provide. Two can’t fight if one doesn’t want to, so if Otton and Otto want to fight they can go ahead amongst themselves. They have more differences between them anyway. A debate makes sense when there are 2 or 3 points of difference between candidates. But I am not hiding from someone who trails by 30 points, I am doing what I know I should do."
Arias also though that ANEP supports the debate because they support many of the ideas in the PAC platform, and several union members tried to become legislature candidates in the PAC tickets.