TLC Favours Only the Elite, Legislator Says
The stage is being set for next Monday's national strike. One group, the affiliated farmers of the UPA nacional have been warned by the leaders that members who do not take part in the protest will be fined ¢8.000 colones (us$15).

Guidog Vargas, secretary general of the UPA, however, denies the existence of a fine and any such action would be against the union's policies. "There is no directive that allows such a fine", said Vargas.

Other union leaders have said that, although they hope that all their members will participate in the protest, there is no obligation to do so.

The protest next Monday is expected to include all the trade unions and those opposed to the Tratado Libre de Comercio (TLC) - free trade agreement with the United States. The mass protest expects to paralyze the country and though the protest is planned for one day, some union leaders say this is only the beginning and will continue until the Legislative Assembly scraps the trade bill before them.

Legislative deputy José Merino, of the Frente Amplio party, assures that the TLC, following an extensive analysis, only benefits an elite political-business group, some 20% of the population.

The government and in the words of Rodrigo Arias, ministro de la presidencia and brother of president Oscar Arias, is being accused of injecting fear to the public, saying that groups interest in causing social disorder will be among th marchers and the government will take necessary steps to quell any violence, according to Merino.

Merino is one of a number of legislators who have said they will be out on protest on February 26, saying that his participation is of vital importance to the opposition to the TLC.

Another important figure declaring his opposition to the TLC is the president of the executive committee of the Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC), Luis Fishman, who was second vice-president in the Pacheco administation (2002-2006).

Fishman, who was banished into oblivion by Pacheco over personal differences between the two men, says that the PUSC is a mature party and has varied opinions on the TLC, one of which is that of Fishman, who believes the trade agreement has a lot of ambiguity that can be dangerous for the country.

According to a PUSC press statement, Fishman will be marching along with the secretart general of the Asociación Nacional de Empleados Públicos (ANEP), Albino Vargas; former Costa Rican president, Rodrigo Carazo; and the former presidencial candidate in the 2006 elections, Ottón Solís, of the Partido Acción Cuidadana (PAC).