Víctor Hugo Morales Zapata | |
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Deputy Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica | |
In office 2014–2018 | |
Constituency | San José, Costa Rica |
Personal details | |
Political party | Independent (former Citizens' Action Party) |
Profession | Cooperative activist and politician |
Víctor Hugo Morales Zapata is a Costa Rican politician. He was a member of the Citizens' Action Party (PAC for its Spanish initials) and the third deputy for San José for the 2014 to 2018 assembly. He resigned the party in 2017. [1]
Morales was a student activist and member of the now defunct People's Revolutionary Youth Movement (Juventud del Movimiento Revolucionario del Pueblo). [2] Morales did not finish university studies. [3]
Morales was a director of Instituto Nacional de Fomento Cooperativo (The National Institute for Cooperativism) for twelve years and President for eight years. [4] In his roles, he promoted agricultural cooperatives.
Morales was a vocal opponent of the Central American Free Trade Agreement, which he claims created many political enemies for him. [2] Morales was involved in helping Luis Guillermo Solís become PAC's presidential candidate and was originally tapped by Solís as a political advisory. [2]
In 1994, Morales was found guilty of falsification of documents and embezzlement. [5] The issue stemmed around payments for an airplane ticket to Spain. Morales disputes that he should pay interest on the ticket. [2] In addition, Morales owes millions of colónes worth of debt to private and cooperative interests.
When the fact was revealed at a national assembly, several prominent PAC members asked Morales to step down as a deputy candidate, including founding member Ottón Solís and presidential candidate Luis Guillermo Solís. [5] On 12 January 2014, PAC's Ethics Commission opened hearings on Morales. The issue caused a brief stir within the party, with Morales accusing Ottón Solís of having "elastic ethics." [5] Ottón Solís threatened to leave the party should Morales remain; however, he eventually said he was satisfied with the Ethics Commission hearings. [6] Through the matter, Morales claimed that Ottón Solís was persecuting him unjustly. [7]
Because he was administratively and bureaucratically a member of PAC, he was still allowed to run under the party's banner and remain during national and local assemblies. [8]
Morales could not be removed from the party in time for the elections, therefore he was elected as a deputy. [9] There is still a possibility that Morales will not be seated with other PAC candidates in the assembly. [8]
Víctor Hugo Morales Zapata | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Deputy Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica | |
In office 2014–2018 | |
Constituency | San José, Costa Rica |
Personal details | |
Political party | Independent (former Citizens' Action Party) |
Profession | Cooperative activist and politician |
Víctor Hugo Morales Zapata is a Costa Rican politician. He was a member of the Citizens' Action Party (PAC for its Spanish initials) and the third deputy for San José for the 2014 to 2018 assembly. He resigned the party in 2017. [1]
Morales was a student activist and member of the now defunct People's Revolutionary Youth Movement (Juventud del Movimiento Revolucionario del Pueblo). [2] Morales did not finish university studies. [3]
Morales was a director of Instituto Nacional de Fomento Cooperativo (The National Institute for Cooperativism) for twelve years and President for eight years. [4] In his roles, he promoted agricultural cooperatives.
Morales was a vocal opponent of the Central American Free Trade Agreement, which he claims created many political enemies for him. [2] Morales was involved in helping Luis Guillermo Solís become PAC's presidential candidate and was originally tapped by Solís as a political advisory. [2]
In 1994, Morales was found guilty of falsification of documents and embezzlement. [5] The issue stemmed around payments for an airplane ticket to Spain. Morales disputes that he should pay interest on the ticket. [2] In addition, Morales owes millions of colónes worth of debt to private and cooperative interests.
When the fact was revealed at a national assembly, several prominent PAC members asked Morales to step down as a deputy candidate, including founding member Ottón Solís and presidential candidate Luis Guillermo Solís. [5] On 12 January 2014, PAC's Ethics Commission opened hearings on Morales. The issue caused a brief stir within the party, with Morales accusing Ottón Solís of having "elastic ethics." [5] Ottón Solís threatened to leave the party should Morales remain; however, he eventually said he was satisfied with the Ethics Commission hearings. [6] Through the matter, Morales claimed that Ottón Solís was persecuting him unjustly. [7]
Because he was administratively and bureaucratically a member of PAC, he was still allowed to run under the party's banner and remain during national and local assemblies. [8]
Morales could not be removed from the party in time for the elections, therefore he was elected as a deputy. [9] There is still a possibility that Morales will not be seated with other PAC candidates in the assembly. [8]