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COSTA RICA FREE TRADE REFERENDUM CHALLENGED; NATION DIVIDED.

Article Excerpt
In a highly contested Oct. 7 referendum, Costa Ricans approved entry of their country into the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). At least that's what the official results showed. According to preliminary totals released by Costa Rica's Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE), 51.6% of the voters, or 797,464 people, voted to join CAFTA, while 48.4%, or 747,826, voted to stay out of the agreement with the US. 49,000-vote margin in favor of joining CAFTA

"The people of Costa Rica have said yes to the free trade agreement and for me this is a sacred will," declared Costa Rican President Oscar Arias.

CAFTA's opponents, including trade unionists, farmers, students, feminists and small business people, denounced the vote as fraudulent. Eugenio Trejos, rector of the Instituto Tecnologico de Costa Rica (ITCR) and leader of the opposition, initially demanded a "vote-by-vote" recount of the ballots. The controversial referendum occurred on the day before Costa Rica won a seat on the United Nations (UN) Security Council for the 2008-09 period.

"It is sad to see these movements continue with their position of not accepting what the majority approved with its votes," said Alfredo Volio, leader of the pro-CAFTA campaign.

While some anti-CAFTA activists filed legal challenges with the TSE, others announced plans to call a general strike by early next year if the government begins implementing CAFTA's provisions. Under Costa Rican law, 13 implementing provisions will have to be approved by the nation's congress before the treaty takes effect. Lawmakers...