The ministro de Cultura, Manuel Obregón and his vice-minister, Iván Rodríguez, can perform publicly at concerts – free or paid – and sell records, according to a decision by the Contraloría General de la República (Comptroller’s Office).

Obregón and Rodríguez are musicians in their own right and the question as to whether they can perform was brought up following their accepting the public posts.”

The Contraloría said that music is not considered a profession and so it is not subject to the prohibition of government employees exercising of their profession.

The Contraloría, in its decision, said that nothing impedes the minister and the vice-minister to perform at concerts and be paid for same, after business hours and can also sell their records and collect copyright fees on their work.

In addition to being the ministro de Cultura, Obregón is a pianist, composer and producer. Last May he accepted the post of minister in presidenta Chinchilla’s cabinet. (He is the one with the long hair in the midst of straight cuts).