SAN JOSE: Costa Rica's Congress on Wednesday blocked the country's ratification of a UN-backed environmental treaty named after one of the Central American country's municipalities after it lost support from the administration.
The treaty, known as the Escazu Agreement, was signed in the Escazu area west of Costa Rica's capital in 2018, when Carlos Alvarado was president. In May he was replaced by Rodrigo Chaves, who opposed the agreement, arguing that Costa Rica already has enough regulations on environmental matters.
The Escazu Agreement, which came into force in 2021, provides a sweeping framework for countries in the region to strengthen environmental policy, including imposing requirements regarding the rights of environmental defenders.
The ratification period was shut off by the Congress, with 41 of the 57 deputies voting against it, effectively shutting the door on joining the treaty.
This is the way we go from a country at the forefront of environmental matters to a country that can't approve an international agreement on the bare minimum, said Jonathan Acuna, who dissented.
The treaty's mechanism gave too much power to those who accused companies and others of environmental harm, according to the majority of lawmakers.