US Senator and
Congressman Assure Costa
Rica Will Not Be
Punished If It Votes
"No"
As referendum day
approaches, both the "Si"
and "No" sides of the
vote have intensified
their campaigns, urging
Costa Ricans to vote on
the future of the
Tratado de Libre
Comercio (TLC) - free
trade agreement with the
United States.
Giving the "No" vote a
boost was U.S. senator,
Bernard Sanders, and
U.S. congressman,
Michael Michaud, both of
the Democratic party,
who said that Costa Rica
will not be punished and
will not suffer
reprisals if it votes
no.
The two Americans were
invited guests of
Partido Acción Ciudadana
(PAC) leader, Ottón
Solís, who wants to make
it clear to all Costa
Ricans that the country
will not suffer any
consequences by voting
down the trade deal.
Solís and the PAC are
not against the TLC,
rather that it should be
renegotiated. Solís
based his presidential
campaign on that stand,
losing to Oscar Arias of
the Partido Liberación
Nacional (PLN) last
year.
The two Americans, who
are opposition to U.S.
president George W.
Bush, assured that
commercial relations
between the U.S. and
Costa Rica will not be
harmed.
The two met with
business groups and
university students who
yesterday participated
in public demonstrations
of their "No" stance.
Sanders, a
representative of the
state of Vermont,
assured that his visit
was not to convince
Costa Ricans to vote
"No", but, rather, to
talk about the
consequences that Costa
Rica would suffer if it
ratifies the TLC.
The democrats assured
that if the vote goes
"No", there is a good
possibility that a
bilateral trade
agreement between Costa
Rica and United States
could be negotiated,
adding that the current
model has proven to
promote poverty and
leave wealth in the
hands of a few.
"From my point of view,
if the vote would be
held today, the "No"
would win", said
Sanders.
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