Union leaders, truckers and government representatives met briefly during the weekend, but no resolution to the crisis was found.

Truckers are now demanding from the government more that just small changes to the Riteve practices and though most of the trucks confiscated last wednesday morning were released, truckers are now also demanding that all charges be dropped against those detained during the police action.

The unions are staying strong on ther demands that the government increase the public salary wages for this half of the year and the non-approval of the free trade agreement - Tratado Libre de Comercio (TLC).

Albino Vargas, secretary general of ANEP told the press that today the protests and strikes will resume all over the country.

Municipal workers are expected to join the protests as well.

Areas around the airport, Avenida Segunda and San Pedro Mall are the main targets to choke off San José. Demonstrations in the Parque Central and Parque La Merced, the rotunda Fuente de la Hispanidad in front of San Pedro Mall and the intersection east of the airport are all main targets for the protestors.


Arias Joins the Protests
Former president and Nobel Prize winner Óscar Arias Sánchez has finally spoken out. He is against the Riteve monopoly. Arias is expected to take over the presidency in 2006.

Arias is recommending that government re-negotiate the Riteve contract. He told the press over the weekend, that it was a mistake to give Riteve the exclusive concession for the inspection of vehicles. He suggests an amicable way to re-negotiate the deal.

Arias told the Spanish daily La Prensa Libre, that all the protests and manifestations damage the country and that the people are showing an accumulation of frustrations, forcing them to use the right and wrong methods to voice those frustrations.

Arias added that "his" car was rejected by the Riteve inspection. He said he can understand the truckers situation, since his car is pretty new and being rejected, he can understand the dilemma faced by the truckers and farmers who for the most part are operating older vehicles.


A Day to Paralyze the Country
Protests are expected to day in Limón, Pérez Zeledón, Occidente, San Carlos, Quepos and Guanacaste.

Workers of the Municipality of San José, various hospitals of the CCSS, teachers and ICE employees are expected to take part in the work stoppage.

According to union organizers, today is the day to paralyze the entire nation. The government will have to listen to the people.

On hand today will be citizens from all sectors: truckers, taxi drivers, farmers, teachers, all types of social groups, government workers. Their aim to march unto the Legislative Assembly and Casa Presidencial.

Union organizers were quick to stress that all the protestations and manifestations will be "peaceful". Édgar Morales, spokesperson for the Asociación Nacional de Empleados Públicos y Privados (ANEP), said this is "peaceful resistance".