*Costa Rica’s President Rodrigo Chaves has fired his minister of public works and transport (MOPT), Luis Amador, over alleged irregularities in the awarding of a ¢21.8bn (US$43m) contract to Constructora MECO SA, a well-known local construction firm. Awarded in January, the contract was for the renovation of a runway at the Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport, Guanacaste province. Chaves was cited by the media as saying he “had no evidence of corruption” but there were issues with the adjudication of the contract. Amador, who had been in the post since the Chaves government took office in May 2022, has been replaced by Mauricio Batalla, the executive director of the national road council (Conavi), a government agency responsible for extending and maintaining the country’s road network. The director general of the aviation authority, Fernando Naranjo, has also been dismissed over the case, although a replacement has yet to be named.
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LatinNews Daily - 13 March 2024
In brief: Costa Rica’s public works minister dismissed
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