President Pacheco to Meet With Bush This Week
Though he has not as yet decided to send the Tratado Libre Comercio (TLC) - free trade agreement with the United States - President Abel Pacheco will be attending this week a meeting with U.S. President, George W. Bush, along with other the Central American presidents.

The tour will first take Pacheco to Ohio and then off to Washington for a meeting at the White House.

"I accept the invitation of my colleagues in the region who have asked me to accompany them to the White House to talk about the TLC", said Pacheco.

Only Costa Rica and Nicaragua have yet to ratify the agreement and Pacheco was clear to make the point that his trip to the White House does not change his stand, that the Legislative Assembly has to first approve the Plan Fiscal (Tax Reform) before he will send the TLC agreement to Congress.

"The TLC is a tool necessary for the development of the country, however, until I am certain that it will benefit the majority of the people, I don't want to start discussing it", Pacheco added.

For his part, Nicaraguan president, Enrique Bolaños, said it is only a matter of time before his country ratifies the agreement.

Since the government of Costa Rica announced the start of negotiations with the United States over the TLC, unions have threatened to paralyze the country with manifestations and protests, some which have been successfull in getting the attention of Costa Ricans.

Responding to the pressure, president Pacheco has announced that he will form a commission of "Notables", with the objective to define if the TLC benefits or harms the country.

The idea has been heavily criticized by those various sectors, who believe the government is avoiding it's responsibilities. And the appointment of astronaut, Franklin Chang Diaz,  to the commission has met heavy opposition.

The meeting at the White House is scheduled for this Thursday. Leonel Fernández, of the República Dominicana; Ricardo Maduro, of Honduras; Antonio Saca, of El Salvador, and Enrique Bolaños, of Nicaragua, will accompany president Pacheco.

On Tuesday, Pacheco will take the opportunity to meet with business leaders in Cincinnati, who are both in favour and against the free trade agreement. Pacheco said "I was invited and of course, I will be glad to attend."

On Wednesday, the day before the White House meeting, Pacheco will meet U.S. Congressmen Earl Blumenauer, Anna Eshoo, James Walsh, John McHugh and Gene Green.