Annexation (Guanacaste) Holiday To Be
Observed On July 25 Once More
(InfoWebPress) – The Annexation of the
Partido de Nicoya (today Guanacaste) to
Costa Rica will continue to be celebrated on
its original date, July 25, following the
approval in second and final debate of Bill
16.330 by the Legislative Assembly.
The Assembly’s Third Full Commission passed
the bill after introducing some
modifications, since the original proposal
also sought to revert changes made to the
official standing of other Costa Rican
holidays: April 11 (Battle of Rivas) and
Oct. 12 (Day of the Cultures).
The new bill takes precedence over reforms
enacted in 2005, when several holidays
(including July 25) were moved to the Monday
following the original celebration date with
the goal of promoting domestic tourism.
Elizabeth Fonseca, a legislator with the
Citizen Action Party (PAC), said returning
the official celebration of national
holidays to their original dates helps keep
the memory of events that have been
significant to the configuration of Costa
Rican society and history.
“The Annexation of the Partido de Nicoya,
for example, is a historical milestone for
Costa Rica, as it meant the completion of
the current territory of the nation,”
Fonseca pointed out.
The changes can take effect this year as
long as the bill is ratified by President
Oscar Arias and following its publication on
the official government newspaper, La Gaceta.
As a result of this bill, only two holidays
— April 11 and Oct. 12 — will be moved to
Monday, as long as the actual holiday falls
on a weekday. Official ceremonies, however,
will be held on the original dates.
The move, however, was not well received by
everyone. For example, the National Chamber
of Tourism (CANATUR) indicated that moving
holidays to Monday was done to boost rural
and community tourism and to allow Costa
Rican families to dedicate more time to
leisure,
CANATUR said having three-day weekends
helped tourism businesses secure more
revenue, as they guaranteed higher volume of
travel and higher consumption by domestic
tourists.
“Decisions such as this are difficult to
understand, especially during the current
situation, when the tourism industry has
been one of the hardest hit by the economic
crisis,” said Gonzalo Vargas, president of
CANATUR. “The development of the tourism
industry is of great importance, because
both international and domestic travel
generate income, direct and indirect
employment, and economic and social
development in many areas of the country.
That’s why we reject this decision.”
The holiday bill was introduced by Jorge
Eduardo Sanchez, a legislator with the
minority Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC),
arguing that Guanacastecans have the right
to celebrate the Annexation on the date it
actually took place back in 1824 and that
historical celebrations must be respected.
“Moving holidays was a very good option for
fomenting tourism, as it allowed residents
to have more time to vacation and get to
know the country,” Vargas added. “The
decision seems unfair to us, as it limits
the opportunities for growth shown by
tourism businesses, particularly those
locally owned. They tried to make this again
last year and that move failed.” |
