"NO" Still Unwilling To
Accept Defeat
The headquarters of the
Fundación del Instituto
Tecnológico (Fundatec)
was the place of a
meeting yesterday by
promoters of the "No"
movement against the
Tratado de Libre
Comercio (TLC) to
discuss the next step by
leaders of the group as
they continue to reject
Sunday's vote in favour
of the trade deal with
the united States and
Central America.
University students,
union leaders and
politicians, among
others, met yesterday
between 1:00pm and
5:00pm, with the groups
leader and spokesperson,
Eugenio Trejos, however,
no consensus could be
reached over what to do
next following the "Si"
win.
At the end of the
meeting, Trejos
announced that another
meeting is scheduled for
Saturday.
Joining the group
yesterday was Trejos,
Albino Vargas, Fabio
Chaves, Mariano Figueres,
José Miguel Corrales,
Rolando Araya, Rodrigo
Carazo, José Antonio
Barquero, Henry Mora,
Jorge Coronado, Álvaro
Montero, José Merino and
Humberto Vargas.
The press was barred
from attending the
meeting.
An hour following the
beginning of the
meeting, union leader
Albino Vargas stormed
out of the meeting
saying "I will not
negotiate with the
corrupt, we have already
made a decision".
Shouting and heated
arguments could be heard
from behind closed doors
when at 5:00pm Trejos,
looking tired and worn
out, said that the
emotions were hot as the
group is demanding that
the Tribunal Supremo de
Elecciones (TSE) hear
their complaints.
Rolando Araya, former
presidential candidate
and brother to San José
mayor, Johnny Araya,
said "that the public
was defenceless in the
face of a powerful
machine where
politicians, economists
and international powers
fooled the people".
Araya added that, though
he does not have
definite proof in hand,
he has heard of
complaints of where the
powers behind the "Si"
movement went door to
door offering people
¢20.000 colones
(us$19.50) for their
vote.
Meanwhile, the TSE has
begun a manual count of
every vote cast on
Sunday and should have a
concrete result within
the next couple of
weeks.
The difference in the
vote between the "Si"
and "No" was less than
50.000 votes in favour
of the "Si" with an
almost 60% voter
participation, and
despite the claims by
the "No" the historic
referendum vote is valid
and enforceable.
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