Costa Ricans Fear TLC
Water Costs
Environmentalist groups
in Costa Rica hold that
implementation of the
Tratado de Libre
Comercio (TLC) -
free trade agreement
with Central America,
the Dominican Republic
and the United States -
will bring about
privatization of water
in Costa Rica.
Osvaldo Duran, director
of Mundo Verde magazine,
agreed with these groups
that many communities
will be left without
water if the
"internationals" are
finally authorized to
exploit the supply
sources with business
objectives, each time
more rapidly.
With the agreement,
water will become
merchandise like any
other and will be
subject to free market
rules: any foreigner or
national will be able to
buy the lands containing
springs and exploit them
at will, he said.
The Costa Rican
environmental
legislation on this
issue is not protected
in the agreement, thus a
foreign company will be
able to sue the State in
private arbitration if
denied permits to settle
in the country, the
professor said. |
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