The article analyzes the collective actions that took place between 1998 and 2004 as a part of an interesting transition process of the system of political parties and voter turnout. In this context, the author presents a series of questions for analysis. Among these are the following: Are the political motives the predominant element in the collective protest activities in Costa Rica? What is the meaning of these actions in the political context of present day Costa Rica? What characterizes the Costa Rican social protest repertoire? Who are the main actors in the collective actions? What do they demand and what entities do they target? The answers to these questions lead the author to debate the prevailing perception of politics, when understood as its institutionalization and establishment of norms. On the other hand, the author discovers the centrality of the conflicts originated inside and outside of the so-called formal entities. Hence, the article poses an interesting invitation to discover a variety of forms of political participation within the ample repertoire of collective actions that take place in a country with a great historical tradition as refers to social protest.