- Title: COSTA RICA: Frontrunner Araya rallies supporters before presidential election
- Date: 27th January 2014
- Summary: SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA (JANUARY 26, 2014) (REUTERS) VIEW OF THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS OF RULING PARTY CANDIDATE JOHNNY ARAYA GATHERED FOR RALLY AND WAVING PARTY FLAGS ARAYA WALKING THROUGH CROWD OF SUPPORTERS AND WAVING VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS CHEERING AND WAVING FLAGS ARAYA ON STAGE WAVING AT SUPPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) RULING PARTY CANDIDATE JOHNNY ARAYA, SAYING: "It is a country that has things, and it has marked a big difference from other countries of Latin America. Of course there are deficiencies, there are mistakes to correct, and we will correct them, but in the right way, in the safe way, without experimentation. Costa Rica doesn't want extremism, not from the Left or the Right. Want a path of democracy." ARAYA AT RALLY WITH SUPPORTERS MORE OF SUPPORTERS ARAYA WAKING THROUGH SUPPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) RULING PARTY CANDIDATE JOHNNY ARAYA, SAYING: "I want to tell you that we believe we will win on February 2nd in the first round but we have even more belief in what is yet to come." ARAYA HOLDING UP BOXING GLOVES, KISSING CHILD AND WAVING AT SUPPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ARAYA SUPPORTER MANUEL BARRANTES, SAYING: "He is a person who I have confidence in because he is a person that has credibility in what he says and his words. And also he has done a lot for San Jose, he has brought a lot of development to the capital city." ARAYA SUPPORTERS MARCHING
- Embargoed: 11th February 2014 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Costa Rica
- Country: Costa Rica
- Topics: Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA2A9Y6DQE9YZQB1KHNHS28UNTU
- Story Text: Ruling party candidate Johnny Araya closed out his presidential campaign on Sunday (January 26) with a boisterous rally with one week to go until election day.
Araya leads the polls, with opposition candidate, Jose Maria Villalta of the Broad Front Party, running second.
Araya, of the National Liberation Party, is favoured by 29 percent, according to a recent CID-Gallup poll. Villalta had surged to a high of 23 percent in December but recently cooled to 20 percent.
Speaking late into the afternoon, Araya rallied the crowd.
"It is a country that has things, and it has marked a big difference from other countries of Latin America. Of course there are deficiencies, there are mistakes to correct, and we will correct them, but in the right way, in the safe way, without experimentation. Costa Rica doesn't want extremism, not from the Left or the Right. Want a path of democracy," said Araya as he addressed his supporters.
"I want to tell you that we believe we will win on February 2nd in the first round but we have even more belief in what is yet to come," he added, as he walked through the crowds.
Still, Araya remains short of the 40 percent needed to avoid a run-off election. If he wins, his would be the third consecutive Liberation government to rule Costa Rica since 2006.
Thousands showed up for the rally, pledging their votes to the candidate.
"He is a person who I have confidence in because he is a person that has credibility in what he says and his words. And also he has done a lot for San Jose, he has brought a lot of development to the capital city," said Manuel Barrantes, a San Jose resident and Araya supporter.
Growing dissatisfaction with alleged government corruption under President Laura Chinchilla's administration had helped fuel the rise of the Broad Front Party.
Villalta opposes the country's free trade agreements and calls for more taxes on the wealthy and financial firms. Some analysts think he could win over undecided voters and pick up more steam in a second-round vote once candidates from smaller parties are eliminated. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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