President Pacheco Says He Supports the TLC
In Cincinnati, Ohio, Costa Rican president Abel Pacheco, reaffirmed his support for the Tratado de Libre Comercio (TLC) - the free trade agreement with the United States - at a breakfast meeting with local business leaders.

The president assured that the TLC will go to the Legislative Assembly, telling the group that he believes that the agreement negotiated between the Central American nations and the Dominican Republic with the United States will offer major benefits.

However, Pacheco added that the TLC has not yet been sent to the Legislature because it still requires more discussion by the various Costa Rican interest groups.

Before the trade agreement can be sent to the Legislature, Pacheco has made it clear that he needs the consensus from Costa Ricans. To achieve this goal, the president has appointed a commission of "notables" made up of business leaders and politicians who will determine if the TLC is good for Costa Rica.

The commission is being headed by Franklin Chang, a Costa Rican who is also a NASA astronaut and Gabriel Macaya, former director of the Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR).

The rest of the commission - another five members - have yet to be appointed by the president, who is expected to make his nomination known  this week.

"I have no problems with listening to the people on what they think of the TLC, we live in a democratic state. Really, I believe that we will soon reach a consensus, the important is to remove all the fears that are spreading over water rights and that we will lose the Isla de Coco", the president told the press.

Pacheco remains firm that the TLC will be discussed during his term of office which ends next May, though he is still emphatic that the Plan Fiscal (Tax Reform) has to first be passed by Congress. Pacheco said he is confident that the TLC will go to Congress during his administration.

A satirical cartoon in one of the leading Spanish language newspapers yesterday had Pacheco ducking in a foxhole with the caption saying "maybe I can hide out here for another year!", making the point that the president has been and continues to duck the issue.

President Pacheco, along with the presidents of Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic will meet with U.S. President George W. Bush tomorrow at the White House.