Most Costa Ricans Approve of TLC
Many adults in Costa Rica hold high hopes on the Tratado Libre de Comercio (Central American Free Trade Agreement - CAFTA), according to a poll by Unimer published in La Nación.

51 per cent of respondents think the commerce deal will be positive for the country, while 23 per cent disagree.

In May 2004, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua agreed to the trade agreement with the United States. The Dominican Republic followed suit in August. The agreement  - which would reduce or eliminate taxes and tariffs on imports - must be approved by each country’s legislative branch.

To date, Costa Rica remains the only country that has not ratified CAFTA. Former Costa Rican president Abel Pacheco postponed debate on the trade deal, hoping that the Legislative Assembly would approve a series of bills related to the country’s fiscal system.

Óscar Arias - a member of the National Liberation Party (PLN) - won the February presidential election with 40.92 per cent of all cast ballots. Arias headed the government from 1986 to 1990, and was able to run again after the Costa Rican Legislative Assembly opted to bring back presidential re-election in 2003. Arias was sworn in on May 8.

On Sept. 10, Arias voiced his support for CAFTA’s ratification writing, "In order to allow a country like Costa Rica, with a tiny internal market, to grow rapidly and in a sustainable way, there is no other option than to enact a deeper integration with the world’s economy."

Polling Data
Do you think the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) will be positive or negative for Costa Rica?

Source: Unimer / La Nación
Methodology: Interviews with 1,207 Costa Rican adults, conducted from Aug. 28 to Sept. 11, 2006. Margin of error is 2.8 per cent.