Lately controversy has surrounded Costa Rica’s presidential candidate Fabricio Alvarado from the National Restoration Party, the statements made by some of this team members regarding the fact that they prefer not to include or hire LGBTI people as part of their government if he is elected president, and the cancellation of his participation in several debates have been just two of the situations that have made headlines, and this time, the use of a specific helicopter to attend his political campaign in some areas of Puntarenas that has put him once again in the spotlight.

First a little background on what transpired:

On February 18, Fabricio Alvarado was visiting the locations of Isla Chira, Lepanto and Costa de Pajaros in Puntarenas as part of his campaign agenda. He traveled in a helicopter, and some citizens captured a photo of the chopper and posted it on Facebook showing the registry of the same TI-AZF. (Although not very clear)

The registry of the helicopter called the attention of journalists because it was the same aircraft that was related to the ¨Cementazo¨ (China Cement Corruption Scandal) case; the chopper linked to Juan Carlos Bolaños (JCB/main character of the Cementazo) was used, according to the investigations that were done then, for trips (of different nature) for political personalities such as congressmen Otto Guevara, Rolando Gonzales and Johnny Leiva, as well as former President of Costa Rica Jose Maria Figueres and the former president of Banco de Costa Rica Paola Mora. Let’s remember that Juan Carlos Bolaños is currently in preventive imprisonment on charges of embezzlement, influence peddling, criminal simulation and false accusation.

When a journalist raised the question to Fabricio Alvarado regarding the financing of the helicopter trip, the candidate stated: “When it comes to what was invested or not I obviously leave that coordination in the hands of other people, because its not something that corresponds to me, but I have to say that we always demand that it is done with all norms of transparency and austerity as we have showed throughout the campaign”.

On Saturday, February 24, it was the daily newspaper Diario Extra that published an article including the statements made through a Press Release by the National Restoration Party (PRN), the title of this article is: PRN denies use of JCB helicopters. The press release states: “The helicopters used during his visits to Costa de Pajaros, Chira and Lepanto, belong to businessmen Francisco Jimenez and Marco Montealegre, who have no relation to Juan Carlos Bolaños”. It also makes emphasis in the fact that the trips were very short, and it goes on to include the information they have on the helicopters used: TI-BES (owned by Heli Servicios Aerobell S.A. that belongs to Marcos Montealegre) and TI-AZF (owned by Sociedad Agrotrade S.A. which owns Viajes Especiales Aeros, company that specializes in commercial flights, both companies owned by Francisco Jimenez); the release finally includes “It seems to us that there is a focus, of some media outlets, to find arguments to discredit a candidate that doesn’t have corruption scandals, or questionable links, or a party that has been in debt with the country”.

The independent news site Delfino.cr, then published an article titled: Then, Who owns the helicopter in which Fabricio traveled? (Entonces ¿de quién es el helicóptero en el que viajó Fabricio?).. in which the author, Diego Delfino, goes on to demonstrate the link of the chopper with Juan Carlos Bolaños.

“Indeed Viajes Especiales Aereos (VEASA) has the permit for the use of the aircraft in commercial flights. How do we know this? It was confirmed by pilot Roberto Arguedas back in September when he appeared in front of the Special Investigative Commission of the Bank Credits”. (Cementazo Case)

“Arguedas was the pilot of the chopper then and stated, under oath, that following instructions from Juan Carlos Bolaños – for who he worked- he had taken in trips in several occasions – during 2017- a list of very distinguished passengers…”

In an extract of the official act of that session, pilot Roberto Arguedas explains that the helicopter is rented by a company named Veasa, that the person giving the orders of who gets on the helicopter is Carlos Sosto, manager of the company, when asked by deputy Otton Solis Fallas (member of the commission) who the owner of the company is, Arguedas answers “besides don Carlos Sosto, I receive orders from Mr. Juan Carlos Bolaños”. He then goes on to affirm that he usually gets his orders from Sosto, but if he gets a call from Bolaños “Bolaños is to say it this way, ‘above’ Sosto”.

In reality the helicopter TI-AZF appears in the National Property Registry as owned by Andarimar en Salitral AES S.A. and not Agrotrade S.A. as the PRN’s press release stated. Andarimar is headed by Lena Monge Yankelewitz niece of Samuel Yankelewitz who is currently in preventive home arrest since he is being investigated on four fraud charges (we will give you this story in a different article).

An article published by CRHOY back in September on the 28th (Expiloto confirma vuelos de 3 diputados en helicóptero de Juan Carlos Bolaños), after Arguedas had given his statement, affirms: “The company Veasa noes not have a commercial license to offer flights with any type of plane and only has a permit of the General Directorate of Civil Aviation to offer services with helicopter TI-AZF, owned by Bolaños”.

Several names have appeared since last year as part of Veasa and Andarimar including the name of Bolaños’ wife and one of his employees. The role of Francisco Jimenez, mentioned by PRN is still unclear.