U.S. trade deal passes Costa Rica congress hurdle
U.S. trade deal passes Costa Rica congress hurdle
San Jose, Costa Rica (Reuters) -
A Costa Rican congressional committee has approved a Central American free trade deal with the United States, months after the rest of the region put the pact into force.
The government, which hopes the Central American Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA, will now pass through Congress in February, complained at the delays.
"In no other country in the world is there so much debate in commission before voting on it," the government's chief of staff, Rodrigo Arias, said on Wednesday.
The pact was passed in the foreign affairs commission by six votes to three on Tuesday night, more than 13 months after it was introduced into Congress.
Costa Rica is the only country among those signing the agreement, including the United States, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, not to ratify the accord.
Costa Rica's government has been struggling against strong opposition to CAFTA in Congress and from labor unions. Protesters demonstrated outside Congress on Tuesday.
They fear the trade deal will lead to the privatization of the state-run telephone company, hurt the social security system and damage farmers.
Even if CAFTA is passed, a series of 13 other laws need to be approved for the treaty to take effect in Costa Rica.
http://www.truthabouttrade.org/article.asp?id=6725
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