Chang Says "No Thanks" To Arias
A report in today's edition of the Spanish language newspaper La Nación claims that former president Óscar Arias and candidate in the February election did not offer astronaut Franklin Chang Díaz the vice presidential spot on his election ticket.

However, the sister publication, Al Día, says that Chang has said "no thanks" to Arias' offer. The Al Día says that is what Chang told his mother, María Eugenia Díaz, by telephone from his office in Houston, who assures that Arias visited her some months back.

Arias told the La Nación that it is too early to make a decision on the vice-president spot and the news that he offered Chang the vice-presidential spot came when a reporter asked him if he would be making Chang, the vice-presidency offer and he replied "it would be an honour".

Mrs. Diaz tells another story. "Don Oscar was at Franklin's house and he asked him to accompany him. My son respects him a lot, but told him 'Don Oscar, thank you, but I can help Costa Rica more from the field of science and technology than getting into politics."

Mrs. Diaz added that her son told her that he loves his country very much, but a politician he is not.

Franklin Chang Díaz, a physicist and astronaut, is set to retire from NASA today after 25 years of working there. Chang participated in seven space mission and will now dedicate his time to working on a project to develop a plasma engine that could be used in future space missions.

Chang is also heading the "junta de notables", President Abel Pacheco's group of advisors on the Tratado Libre de Comercio (TLC) - free trade agreement with the Unite States.