"Don Oscar" Against the TLC?
A controversy has risen over the advertising campaign against the Tratado Libre de Comercio (TLC) - free trade agreement with the United States, where the producers of the campaign are using graphics and colours of the Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN) presidential campaign.

The television and print ads are identical to the television and print ads of Oscar Arias. In fact, the producers of the anti TLC campaign contracted another Oscar Arias, not as well known as the former president and Nobel prize winner.

"Don Oscar", the one from Grecia, is a painter and says he was paid ¢80.000 colones (us$165.) to appear in the television and newspaper ads and though he had an idea that the publicity was an anti-TLC, he was not told how his images would used, especially against a presidential candidate.

Mauricio Álvarez Mora, president of the Asociación Ecológica Social, whose signature is responsible on the print ads was not available for comments.

The president of the Asociación Costarricense de Agencias de Publicidad (ASCAP) says the ads are in poor taste.

Asked if he is against the TLC, Don Oscar of Grecia, says he is not sure, as he listens to both sides of the argument and both make sense.