Arias Promises NOT To Sell Off ICE
In an open letter to employees, president-elect, Oscar Arias, promised not to private the state monopoly on telecommunications and electrical power, the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE).

"I make it clear one more that my opposition to the privatization of ICE. During my administration ICE will not be weakened nor will a nut or bolt be sold from the institution", said Arias in letter to employees of the state institution that celebrated it's 57th anniversary last month.

However, the president-elect assured an "gradual and selective" opening of the telecommunications sector, reminding workers that he supports the free trade agreement with the United States (CAFTA) or Tratado Libre de Comercio (TLC) as it is known locally.

Arias has been a supporter of the trade agreement that has been ratified by all Central American countries save Costa Rica, which still has the document stalled in a legislative commission.

Arias said that the opening of the telecommunications sector is not rooted in the TLC but rather "it is important that Costa Rica have the telecommunications services it required for the 21st century".

Arias says that he sees an industry that will be more competitive and under the strict regulation of the government to ensure telecommunications services to all Costa Ricans.

One of the points touched in the letter is the quick approval by the new administration of the Ley de Fortalecimiento y Modernización del ICE and its companies. The law would better the institution's counsel board, give it the strength it will require to compete in a new era. Arias reminded the ICE employees that the institution will continue to be the pillar of telecommunications and electricity in the country.

One person who is not totally convinced by the president-elect's words is Jorge Arguedas Mora, coordinador of the Frente Interno de Trabajadores del ICE (FIT-ICE), the strong workers union that has been the forced behind most of the protests that have seen thousands of ICE workers take to the streets since the announcement of the 2000 ICE-COMBO.

Mora said that, both the Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN) and the Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC) have been talking about strenghtening and modernizing ICE, but in reality they are trying to dismantle the institution.

Mora, in a letter to Oscar Arias, reminded the president-elect the incoming general manager of ICE, eófilo de la Torre y Jorge Gutiérrez, was one of the persons who facilitated the entrance of Millicom to Costa Rica.

In May of 1995, U.S.-based Millicom which pioneered cellular telephone communications in the country, was forced to cease operations by the Costa Rican Supreme Court. The reason was because the 1989 concession was supposedly in conflict with the constitutional monopoly granted to ICE.

"The opening (of services) is a way to cheaply privative the institutions for the multinationals who have their eyes on Costa Rica", said Mora in his letter that was made public yesterday. "As you understand, Dr. Arias, there has not been the political will to really allow Costa Rica to self determine what to do with its natural resources... we defend out natural resources so it doesn't become merchandise to be traded away by the TLC", were the words of the union leader.