"Yes" Moves TLC One Step Closer to Reality
Last night, in a vote of six in favour and three against, the Comisión de Asuntos Internacionales approved the Tratado Libre de Comercio (TLC) - free trade agreement with the United States.

The approval nows means that the trade agreement can be presented before the Legislative Assembly, who will then have an opportunity for discussion and a final vote, which the Arias government is confident it has sufficient support and the number of legislator votes for passage.

With yesterday's decision, the 57 legislative deputies will now have to decide on the fate of the trade agreement. Although, 29 votes are sufficient for passage, most bills are passed with a vote of 38 and non TLC supporters say that the same count should be applied in this case.

The Comisión de Asuntos Internacionales has been working with the trade document since October 2005 when the text of the agreement was made public and has had to deal with at least 300 motions presented by adversaries of the trade pact.

At 11:30pm, the president of the commission, Janina del Vecchio, closed discussion and asked for a vote.

During the evening last night, a vigil was held outside the Legislative Assembly building as non-supporters of the TLC wanted their voice heard by the commission before voting. The vigil was peaceful, however, the Fuerza Pública (police) had to step up their operations when the situation heated immediately after the vote, as reinforcements had to be called in to hold back protestors.

The vote in favour was given by Mayi Antillón, Fernando Sánchez, José Luis Vásquez and Del Vecchio, for the Liberación Nacional (PLN), and Evita Arguedas, of the Movimiento Libertario (ML), and Lorena Vásquez, of the Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC).

Votes against were by Elizabeth Fonseca, Francisco Molina and Ronald Solís, all of the Partido Acción Ciudadana (PAC).

The PAC, led by Ottón Solís, has been said firmly that it is not against the trade deal, however, it should be renegotiated as the current deal sells out the country. Solís lost the presidential chair to Oscar Arias by the smallest margin of votes in Costa Rican history in last February's presidential elections.

The TLC has taken 13 months and 21 days to make it to last nights vote.

The trade deal still has a ways to go as those against plan to step up their protests in an attempt to move the nation to pressure legislators into voting against the trade deal.