US Ambassador Accused of
Meddling
United States ambassador
to Costa Rica, Mark
Langdale, had been
charged before the
Tribunal Supremo de
Elecciones (TSE) by
three union groups for
meddling with the
referendum process of
the Tratado de Libre
Comercio (TLC).
The Asociación Nacional
de Empleados Públicos y
Privados (ANEP), the
Unión Nacional de
Empleados de la Caja (Undeca)
and the Asociación
Sindical de Empleados
del ICE (Asdeice),
allege that Langdale is
violating article 19 of
the country's
Constitución Política
(political constitution)
where it calls that
"foreigners cannot
intervene in political
affairs of the country."
In addition, article 20,
section b, of the "Ley
de Referéndum" prohibits
any foreign person or
organization from
participating in the
referendum, including
the collection of
signatures, taking part
in publicity campaigns
or propaganda with
respect to the
referendum that is to
take place on October 7.
The unions leaders say
that it is intolerable
that the ambassador
personally meddle in the
"Si" campaign by
personally visiting
private companies and
talking to the workers
and in a way that they
are forced to listen to
his dissertations on the
trade agreement.
No doubt the subject of
will turn to employment
and the benefits of an
alliance with the "Si"
vote, the document
indicates.
The unions say the
actions of the diplomat
are shameless and accuse
him of intimidating
those who are in doubt
over the trade
agreement.
And that is the reason
they have filed a
complaint with the TSE
asking the elections
tribunal to act
immediately against
Langdale, ask him to
stop the shameless
intervention inthe
country's internal
affairs, especially on
the subject of the TLC,
which has generated a
climate of tension not
seen in the country for
decades, say the unions
in their filing. |
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