"Sí" Victory Viewed As
Defeat For Chávez
The Sí (yes) vote given
last Sunday by Costa
Rica in a referendum on
the Tratado de Libre
Comercio (TLC) - Free
Trade Agreement (FTA)
between Central America,
the Dominican Republic
and the United States -
was a "defeat" for
Venezuelan President
Hugo Chávez, said The
Washington Post on
Tuesday.
"The victory probably
would have been wider if
not for the release,
late in the campaign, of
a regrettable internal
memo showing that the
yes campaign, led by
President Oscar Arias,
was thinking of trying
to expand its margin by
stoking voter fears of
such free-trade
opponents as Fidel
Castro and Hugo Chávez,"
the daily newspaper
wrote in an editorial
quoted by AFP.
"The fact remains,
though, that the
referendum was a defeat
for Mr. Chávez and his
populist 'Bolivarian
Alternative' to trade
with the United States,"
said The Post.
Over the last months,
the daily has backed all
the trade agreements
that are to be ratified
by the US Congress, such
as the agreements with
Peru, Colombia and
Panama. |
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