Movimiento Libertario

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The Partido Movimiento Libertario ("Libertarian Movement Party") is a libertarian political party in Costa Rica. It was founded in May 1994 and, since then, has enjoyed a number of victories. It succeeded in getting attorney Otto Guevara elected to the Legislative Assembly in its first campaign in 1998. In 2002, Guevara ran for president (unsuccessfully, 1.7% of the vote), and the party at the legislative elections won 9.3% of the popular vote and 6 out of 57 seats. A few weeks after taking office, one Congressman left the party and became independent, leaving PML with five seats. In 2006, Guevara again ran for president (unsuccessfully, 8.4% of the vote), and the party at the legislative elections won 9.1% of the popular vote and 6 out of 57 seats. The PML is an observer of the Liberal International, so therefore it is also listed as a liberal party.

2000s developments

After the national assemblies of June 25 and August 13, 2005, there was an internal upheaval at the party. The secretary general, treasurer, and many others of a strong ideological libertarian bent have left the party, to be replaced by what Otto Guevara termed "moderates". It has been argued by the ideological libertarians currently leaving the party—those he classified as radicals in the press—that most of the people entering the party and vying for congressmen posts are not actually libertarians at all, given that they include supporters of items such as employment quotas by sex. On September 10, 2005, the Movimiento Libertario's assembly voted by overwhelming majority to accept government money for political campaign purposes, something that had so far been officially characterized by the party as "immoral". In the 5 February 2006 parliamentary election, the party won 6 out of 57 seats. Its candidate at the presidential election of the same day, again Otto Guevara won 8.5 %. As of 2007, Guevara and the party have stopped referring to themselves as Libertarians and moving towards the term liberal, in both interviews and their party site.

External links

• Movimiento Libertario official site
• Instituto Libertario Libertarian think tank in Costa Rica

•  • e Political parties in Costa Rica
National Liberation Party - Citizens' Action Party - Libertarian Movement Party - Social Christian Unity Party- Costa Rican Renovation Party - National Union Party - Union for Change Party - Homeland First Party - National Rescue Party - Access without Exclusion - Broad Front
- List of political parties - Politics of Costa Rica