Residents of Lepanto, Cóbano and Paquera, three communities along the inner coast of the Nicoya Peninsula, in the northwestern part of the country, have proposed including their towns in a new municipality to be called La Península.

The move would create a new local government for the area, granting the three communities administrative independence from the municipality of Puntarenas. The proposal would also allow them to decide whether they want to be part of the province of Puntarenas or of Guanacaste.

“This issue is very important for the residents of the peninsula, who have been waiting for a response from the legislative assembly for years, and today we are giving them a response,” said Rodolfo Sotomayor, who represents the province of Puntarenas. Legislator Adonay Enríquez added that the legislative assembly was paying a debt to the people of the area by taking up their proposal after a long wait.

The proposal to establish La Península is under consideration by special commission within the Legislative Assembly, and must be ruled on within 120 days. The only controversy is whether to allow the residents to vote on the province to which they wish to belong.

La Península would be Costa Rica's 82nd municipality.