TLC Protest Set For Thursday
Union leaders have set this Thursday as the first demonstration and national strike day to manifest their discontent over the Tratado de Libre Comercio (TLC) - the free trade agreement with the United States. The trade unionists say the protest will be peaceful.

José Antonio Barquero, president of the Asociación Nacional de Educadores (Ande) - the largest of the teacher's union - that everything is ready for the protest that will kick off at the Parque Central in downtown San José, at 10am on the 17th, that will then move along Avenida Segunda and onto the Asemblea Legislativa some blocks away.

The march onto the Legislature is to let the lawmakers that vote for the TLC will be seen as "traicioners de la Patria" (traitors of the country).

Similar protests will be held in all provinces and districts to give those who cannot make the trip to San José a chance to voice their opposition to the trade deal.

The call goes out to everyone - teachers, farmers, truckers, students and housewives are being asked to join the movement, the first of many planned for the future until the TLC is cancelled, according to Jesús Vásquez, of the Asociación de Profesores de Segunda Enseñanza (APSE), another strong teachers union.

The Ministerio de Educación Pública (MEP) - Education Ministry - made it clear yesterday that students are expected to attend classes on Thursday and teachers who don't show for work will have their salary docked and make up the day.

Costa Rica is the only country not to ratify the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) that was signed by all the Central American nations and the Dominican Republic with the United States, that is to go into effect January 2006.