March Tecocos February 24, 2014

They immediately threw the tear gas canisters at us, they came to our legs. Then to finish it off they burned the field across the road so there was even more smoke. I came. I had some clients from San Jose here. They had a dog and they asked me for permission to bring the dog in and I told them for me, it was no problem. Then when more and more people started to come, the dog was very frightened, so I was afraid the dog might hurt someone so I asked them to take the dog out.I came and opened the door, because it's not nice to take a client out through a window. I opened the door and I told the police that I´m not a protestor. I´m the owner of this place. I need to get my clients out of here. They need to go to San Jose. He told me, "I´m going to enter.""Please," I said, "I´m going to take this one out and to a doctor because they are suggesting going to the clinic." And he told me "Well, don´t you oppose the authorities because you don't have the authority"... in other words, I couldn´t oppose. The only thing I need is to take this one out. Then he pushed me using the door and came in by force and they grabbed tables. He told me, "I already have the people identified," and he took a young man, who told him, "I don´t know anything about this." They grabbed a young man that was over there and they overturned things, they broke a chair and some other things there, but I sincerely don´t have anything to do with the issue. I didn´t imagine. When I came here, I came to accompany the people of TECOCOS. I didn´t imagine that there was going to be this violence. But Costa Ricans have to know what happened in this restaurant, because they entered private property and they beat men, women and [elderly] adults. Do you consider this a violation of private property? Yes, because sincerely they didn't have to go over us or over me. The only thing I was saying to them was that I want things in peace because I have to repair whatever happens in this place. It chairs, benches, windows or anything else is broken, I am the one responsible for the place. So then I told him peacefully that I didn't want any trouble, but they didn't care. They came in and made a commotion. They didn't say, "You and you, come here." They entered by force and assaulted the man. You guys were here peacefully? We were here when they threw the bombs. Was anyone hurt? No, no. Anything else you want to say. No, no. now. The boss told me that if they started the fire, they'd have to take responsibility for what happened. Who is your boss? Carlos Flores Negril The amount of police, the amount of tear gases they burned the field across from here, but in addition, inside of a restaurant, which is private property, these gorillas— they can be called gorrillas—went in, about 14 of them, to beat them, because it isn't jjust that they detained them but also they beat [people]. One older man must be all broken up because I saw when they were hitting him. I mean, this is not Costa Rica. Please. It's a right of the people of the TECOCOS coastal communities to have their land. I mean, what's happening here in our country today to the Costa Ricans? I am convinced that what the government wants is for us to disappear. What do they want? For us to commit suicide, to throw ourselves into the sea? They want to take away everything. And even so, there was an older man and everything, and they didn't care. We came. Yesterday we were documenting the ASADAs in Playa Potrero and our intention was to come here and support the people of TECOCOs. What was it that happened here? The officers blew up a bomb and it fell in that field and that field there burned. Have you called the firefighters or something? I called but they haven't arrived. I don't know if anyone else called. No, here there is no way to talk with the people. Unfortunately, the presidential house and the ministries and all are closed to us. I mean, it belongs to them. The governments come and think that Costa Rica is theirs, and we are surplus, and I'm telling you sincerely. I'm not just saying it because of what happened here. The cases I've seen, everything I saw in the political campaign, where plain and simple they want to make the Costa Rican disappear. They're killing him slowly. Are you guys going to take any legal measure for the damages to the place? I sincerely don't know anything at all about legal things.What can I do? Well, I believe that if the president doesn't send the TECOCOS law, we'll return. We're not afraid. If they think they're going to scare us with tear gas bombs and with this violence, personally it frightened me. This is the political class that governs us, a murderous class that today broke the ribs of a poor fisherman. This is the reality that we have in this country and we're not going to give out. We're not going to give out. They're not going to take this country away from me. Visit us www.vozdeguanacaste.com