[NYTr] Costa Ricans Lament Foreign Threats

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Prensa Latina, Havana
http://www.plenglish.com

Costa Ricans Lament Foreign Threats

      San Jose, Oct 8 (Prensa Latina) Former presidential candidate
Jose Miguel Corrales denounced on Monday that the open interference of
the US in the domestic affairs of Costa Rica highly influenced the
results of Sunday's referendum on CAFTA.

         With 96.31 percent of the vote centers reported Monday, 51.58
percent favored ratification of the free trade agreement with the US,
with opposed at 48.52.

         Corrales complained that on voting day, those in favor of
CAFTA-DR distributed copies of a White House statement threatening
trade reprisals if it was not approved.

         In addition, the presidency and other high-ranking government
officials violated the ban on propaganda between Friday and Sunday,
with President Oscar Arias and his brother Rodrigo, presidential
minister, constantly summoning people to vote YES.

         Movimiento Patriotico, against implementation of CAFTA,
recalled the huge differences and possibilities of both sides with, for
every dollar spent on the NO campaign, those in favor spent $500,
besides having the support of the major media.

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