Stop CAFTA

In February, tens of thousands of Costa Ricans took to the streets in a demonstration to block ratification of the US-Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and reject approval of implementation legislation demanded by the United States. Costa Rica is the only country included in CAFTA that has not yet ratified the agreement and a broad grassroots movement in the country is trying to make sure it stays that way. They need our support!

In 2004 the governments of Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic signed a free trade agreement with the United States. CAFTA is part of the Bush administration’s strategy to bilaterally impose its free-trade regime, given a failure in multilateral forums such as the World Trade Organization and the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).

The growing debate and pressure from the social and popular movements and the insistence of the Costa Rican president on the need for a fiscal pact to allow for redistribution of the supposed benefits of CAFTA as a prerequisite to its approval all contributed to delays in the process. Finally in October of 2005 the executive branch sent the text on to the congress for ratification.

The final push for CAFTA came from the current administration of President Oscar Arias who took office in the midst of a huge mobilization rejecting the results of an extremely close election. CAFTA is a vital issue for Arias and he is prepared to get it approved in any way possible. A measure to apply a “fast track” legislative procedure to CAFTA is currently up for approval, despite that the mechanism is being challenged in the Constitutional Court for violating legislative rules on how it was introduced and how it is used.

Meanwhile, the full legislature has been meeting twice a day, often until midnight, trying to accelerate the procedure and wear down representatives who bravely continue to oppose the agreement by calling for substantive debate—something that still has not taken place. The Arias administration is pressing for a CAFTA vote sometime between late March and May, when the Congress begins a round of regular hearings and the president’s office will have less influence on the agenda.

Meanwhile, there is a dangerous process of criminalization of social protest underway, including repression and intimidation of those who openly manifest doubts about the agreement. Recently propaganda has appeared that paints those who oppose the trade agreement as disguised terrorists and promises to apply “the full force of the law” against them.

The reality is quite different: opposition to CAFTA expresses a diversity and multiplicity of proposals and actions, which is one of its greatest strengths. This fight has been joined by peasant farmers, teachers, unions, cooperatives, businesses, and politicians, along with indigenous, environmentalist, student, academic, religious and women’s groups. Citizens have organized marches and protests, labor stoppages, highway blockades, educational outreach, picketing at state events, and meetings with legislators.

Meanwhile, blatant U.S. intervention and strong-arming of Costa Rica has continued ever since the country temporarily pulled out of CAFTA negotiations in late 2003. Most recently, U.S. Ambassador in Costa Rica Mark Langdale attempted to belittle anti-CAFTA protesters and insisted that the Costa Rican Assembly approve CAFTA, saying that “the only way [for Costa Rica] to permanently enter into the U.S. market is through a free trade agreement.” Langdale, whose comments came after a highly-publicized meeting with President Arias, also said in relation to CAFTA ratification in Costa Rica that “there is no other possibility for prosperity, in my opinion.”

The interests behind CAFTA are so powerful that the government will not give up on implementing it without enormous popular pressure. But the potential impact of the agreement is tremendous and as sectors realize what it implies they have no option other than to react. Today Costa Rica faces a historic moment—the neoliberal model is at stake, and at a breaking point in Costa Rica. International solidarity is very important for the struggle that the Costa Rican popular social movements are carrying on.

Take action now!

1) Write to Mark Langdale, the U.S. Ambassador in Costa Rica, at elo@usembassy.or.cr * and tell him that the protests in Costa Rica show that the people of Central America are coming to realize that CAFTA will only benefit the elites in their countries and in the United States. Tell him you agree and urge him to stop pressuring the Costa Rica Assembly to ratify CAFTA, and to stop directly intervening in Costa Rica’s internal political process. You can also send a fax to the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica at 001 506 519-2305.*

2) Send messages to Oscar Arias, Costa Rica’s president. In addition to the need to dialogue with Costa Ricans opposed to the agreement, it is important to mention the irony of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate causing a social conflict so traumatic for the country. Write to info@casapres.go.cr.*

3) Organize a protest at the Costa Rican Embassy or Consulate near you, especially on dates when protests occur in Costa Rica. You can find a list of Costa Rica’s consulates in the U.S. at: http://www.costarica-embassy.org/consular/consulates/default.htm

(*PLEASE send any correspondence to redcnlcontratlc@racsa.co.cr and daisy@helpgoingsouth.org)

Information for this alert was taken from “Costa Rica: Why We Reject CAFTA” by Eva Carazo Vargas published by International Relations Center Americas Program: http://americas.irc-online.org/am/4062. Also see www.stopcafta.org and www.helpgoingsouth.org

For more information about groups in the U.S. fighting CAFTA go to www.stopcafta.org