Day 1 Of Protest Against TLC
Around 10,000 Costa Ricans, about one half of the expected,  protested on Monday against the Tratado Libre de Comercio (TLC) - the free trade deal with the United States, calling on the legislature to reject the agreement.

The first day of protest was called by the public sector unions who want to pressure the Legislative Assembly in denying president Oscar Arias the free trade deal that was signed by the former government.

Costa Rica is the only signatory country yet to ratify he agreement known as CAFTA to the rest of the world. Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador have already the trade agreement in place.

The demonstrators, mainly employees of the state telecommunications monopoly, the Instituto Costarricense de Eletricidad (ICE) and university studenets, marched through the streets of San José to show their discort with the agreement.

Similar actions took place in communities around the country, in places like Cañas and Grecia, protestors completely blocked off main bridges and paralyzed the areas.

The protest was peaceful as promised by the union leaders, Albino Vargas and Fabio Chavez.

The police responded to the call by president Arias to not bear firearms and for the most part they stood by watching the protestors without any incidents. Some reports say that in small communities several Fuerza Pública (police) officials were armed and comments by some police officials that they should machine gun down all the protestors were denied by Ministro de Seguridad Pública, Fernando Berocal.

"In the first place the Fuerza Pública does not have machine guns..." said minister Berrocal on a national television interview this morning.

In addition to the ICE workers and university students, teachers, farm workers and indigenous groups also participated in the protest.

President Arias had asked that public hospitals be kept open and attend to medical appointments. No reports of lost appointments or surgeries were reported as Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) - public hospitals - operated at 90% capacity.

The protestors, chanting anti-TLC slogans and carrying signs that said the TLC was unjust, rallied outside the Congress, urging deputies to reject the agreement.

Protest leaders handed in a petition calling on legislators to end privatization of the country's ports and what organizers called the "repression of demonstration."

A number of legislators, mainly from the Partido Acción Cuidadana (PAC) - the party that campaigned against the TLC in the last presidential election - were in the crowd in front of the Legislative building. Epsy Campbell, who would have been vice-president if the PAC had won the election, was one of the most visible in the crowd.

Rodrigo Arias, brother of President Oscar Arias and cabinet spokesman, told the media that the protests are useless.

Minister Arias, brother to president Arias, said that the Costa Rica and his government cannot withdraw from the trade deal and the pressure from the protestors is a demand that cannot be accepted.

"The agreement is needed by the country", said minister Arias, adding in his remarks that passing the trade deal was a campaign promise by his brother, which he fully intents to honour.

The protestors said they would return in greater numbers on Tuesday on Day 2 of the "huelga nacional" - national strike.