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Published on Wednesday, November 11, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Costa
Rica’s main public education unions
are scheduled to march through
downtown San José on Wednesday, Nov.
11, to protest reductions in the
country’s public education budget
under the
administration of
President Laura Fernández-Delgado.
The
unions, including ANDE, APSE, SEC and
FESITRAES, are organizing the
demonstration to oppose recently
approved cuts to public education
funding. At
the center of the dispute is the
national public education budget,
approved by the Legislative Assembly
at approximately 4.9% of the country’s
gross domestic product (GDP). The
figure falls well short of the 8% of
GDP established
as the constitutional target.
The protest also concerns a $17
million reduction in funding for the
country’s public universities. Last year, the combined budget for public universities reached approximately $1.3 billion. Union representatives expect
hundreds of members, including
teachers and administrative staff,
to participate in the march, which is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. The approximately 2.5-mile route
will begin at the Nuestra Señora de la
Merced Church on Second Avenue and continue
about 2 miles to the Congress building (Legislative Assembly), located
at the corner of Avenue 1 and Street
15 in downtown San José.
Protesters will head to the
Congress as lawmakers are scheduled
to review the proposed budget for
public education for next year on
Wednesday. Traffic police have urged
motorists to avoid the areas
affected by the demonstration while
protesters remain on the streets.
The march is expected to last at
least four hours, and officers will
be stationed at key points along the
route to redirect traffic. The march marks the second major
protest President Fernández has
faced this month. On Tuesday, members of
the Association of Special
Transportation Operators
demonstrated in San José over
the annual Marchamo vehicle
circulation fee.
In 2020, Costa Rica enacted Law
No. 9808, known as the "Law to
Regulate Public Strikes and Their
Procedures," which establishes rules
governing the right to strike.
---------- What strategies should Costa Rica pursue to reach a budget agreement with its public education unions? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com
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