Group Says Referendum
Vote Rigged
The Alianza Social
Continental (ASC) -
Continental Social
Alliance - denounced on
Wednesday the lack of
guarantee and clearness
shown by Costa Rican
authorities during the
referendum vote on the
free trade agreement
with the US (CAFTA-DR).
In a communique titled
"Referendum in Costa
Rica: Chronicle of an
Anticipated Fraud," ASC
says the vote last
Sunday was carried out
in an atmosphere of
polarization and fear.
According to ASC, which
groups Central American
organizations including
the Nicaraguan social
Another World is
Possible movement, the
government of President
Oscar Arias flagrantly
violated the principle
of electoral silence in
the days prior to the
referendum.
The document also
denounced US
interference by a
communique signed by US
President George W. Bush
himself, threatening
with expelling Costa
Rica from the Caribbean
Basin Initiative if the
trade pact were
rejected.
As if this were not
enough, upon arriving
Costa Rica as an
observer, Secretary
General of the
Organization of American
States (OAS) Jose
Miguel Insulza publicly
declared his sympathy
for free trade
agreements with the US.
The ASC thinks, though,
that despite the defeat
of the no votes, the
fact that 48.4 percent
of the people voted
against the free trade
agreement is an
incentive and a call to
all social movements in
the continent which
continue fighting global
neoliberalism.
According to results
released by electoral
authorities, 51.6
percent of electors
voted for the trade
agreement with the US.
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