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Unions Call For US Ambassador's
Resignation Over Comments On The
TLC
Comments made and opinions given
last week by the United States
Ambassador to Costa Rica, Mark
Langdale, have angered union
leaders such that they are
calling for the American
Ambassador to resing his post.
Langdale, following a meeting
with Costa Rican president,
Oscar Arias, made comments on
the Tratado Libre de Comercio
(TLC) - the free trade agreement
with the United States - saying
that only a minority of Costa
Ricans oppose the trade
agreement and the majority
understand that the treaty is
the best for the future of the
country.
"It is important that Costa Rica
and its democratic institutions
take time to make a definitive
decision on the subject and now
is the time for Costa Rica to
made a decision, if it wants to
participate in the global market
as the other countries in the
region have done. The only waut
to enter the market permanently
with the United States is
through the attainment of a
treaty", said Langdale.
For Albino Vargas, head of the
Asociación Nacional de Empleados
Públicos y Privados (ANEP), the
American ambassador is invading
the private grounds of somebody
else's home and is forgetting to
respect the sovereignty of Costa
Ricans.
The various unions and social
organizations are getting ready
to sign during the coming days a
declaration that would make
Langdale a "persona non grata"
and will be asking the U.S.
government to replace him.
"There are no excuses, he has
offended Costa Rican honour, the
national soul, disqualifying the
opposition to the TLC that is
now a matter of the majority of
Costa Ricans", said Vargas.
Jorge Arguedas, coordinador del
Frente Interno de Trabajadores
del ICE, added that the TLC is
matter to resolved by Costa
Ricans and no room for foreign
meddling.
And it is for that that Arguedas
is demanding that Langdale
"abstain from interfering in
matters of our country and of
our people who are sovereign,
free and lovers of peace".
The press office of the U.S.
embassy in San José has said
Langdale nor any other embassy
official will be commenting on
the situation.
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