Arias, re-elected on Thursday to office for the third consecutive time, highlighted what he considered a growing disconnection between economic growth and social well-being, especially harmful to the most vulnerable, the Delfino newspaper reported.

The head of the legislative’s recriminations responded to Chaves’ address this Thursday before Congress for the beginning of his third year in office, contrasting with his recognition of the economic achievements of the Executive, although he also conveyed “concern” about the deterioration of several social indicators.

“Social sphere, without fiscal support, is unsustainable, but the fiscal balance, without social investment, is dangerous,” emphasized Arias, who assured that the situation “goes against everything that is most sacred of the Costa Rican: the social cohesion founded on solidarity”.

The president of the Legislative Assembly recalled statistics from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), according to which Costa Rica is “shamefully” the first country in the OECD with the highest level of its population in poverty and with the worst inequality in its income distribution.

The deputy illustrated his allegations with data on different sectors, which reveal “an absence of social priority in the Government’s economic policies.”

His arguments included the sphere of education, which saw only 5.49 percent of the Gross Domestic Product allocated last year, compared to 2017, when it had an insufficient 7.36 percent, which meant the lowest budget of the last decade.

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