San José recently experienced an atypical day when the asphalt of Avenida Segunda and the surroundings of the Presidential House in Zapote were occupied by agricultural machinery, fishing nets, and thousands of rural producers. The so-called “Great National March of the Agricultural and Fishing Sector” consolidated itself as one of the largest mobilizations of the year, bringing together delegations from Guanacaste, Limón, the Northern Zone, and the South of the country, all of whom left their farms to visualize the crisis facing the Costa Rican productive sector.

The demonstration was characterized by the unusual parade of tractors and semi-trucks that moved slowly through the center of the capital, an image that contrasted with the usual urban traffic and served as a symbol of rural workforce strength. Guilds from various activities participated, including rice, coffee, and banana growers, ornamental plant producers, vegetable farmers, and both artisanal and industrial fishermen. Despite the diversity of their trades, everyone marched under a unified slogan: the defense of food sovereignty and the urgency of economic measures to avoid the massive bankruptcy of local producers.

The route had critical points in front of the Legislative Assembly and the Presidential House, where movement leaders delivered a formal list of petitions. Among the central demands exposed on banners and in speeches, the request for a “Rescue Law” to readjust debts suffocating farmers stood out, as well as a review of the policy known as the “Rice Route” and, very emphatically, the demand for action regarding the dollar exchange rate, whose prolonged fall during 2024 and 2025 has drastically reduced the income of the export sector.

During the day, demonstrators emphasized that their presence in San José was not due to partisan interests, but a need for operational survival. Movement spokespersons explained to the press and the deputies who came out to receive them that the combination of high production costs in colones and sales in a depreciated dollar has made the activity unsustainable for thousands of families. The march concluded peacefully, but with a firm message that the sector will remain vigilant and active while awaiting concrete responses from the Executive and Legislative branches in the coming weeks.