Minister Arias Says Protests Are A Right in Costa Rica
Rodrigo Arias, ministro de la Presidencia and brother to president, Oscar Arias, is clear about one thing, people can protest as long as there is respect for civil order.

That was the response the minister gave reporters when asked of the government's plans in the face of protests against the Tratado Libre de Comercio (TLC) - free trade agreement with the United States, which are expected next month as union groups gear up their efforts of opposition.

"We hope that the protests will be peaceful. The fact that the Partido Acción Ciudadana (PAC) and their party leader, Ottón Solís, has said he will join the protests, gives me the guarantee that it will be peaceful", said minister Arias.

Asked about the protest organizers who have said that they will give it their all, paralyzing the country until the government backs down, minister Arias said that if the unions mean they are going to block the roads and boycott public works so as to create traffic chaos, of course the government will not allow it and react.

"In this country we have the right to protest, but not the right to break civil order and affect the rights of others, because as protestors have the right to manifest, others have the right to move freely on the roads to work or school", said minister Arias.

Arias added that what Costa Rica needs today is tolerance in the face of the differeces and loyalty to the rules of democracy, which means that in those matters where consensus is not possible, the majority prevails.