As reported in the Scotsman:

The treaty is in [the Costa Rican] Congress, slowed down by a legal battle over whether President Oscar Arias can use a fast-track system to limit debate.

Smaller protests also took place across Costa Rica and several people were arrested when police broke through a protesters roadblock in the town of Siquirres.

Costa Rica is the only country among the DR-CAFTA parties not to have ratified the agreement. For the record, the others are:

  • United States
  • El Salvador
  • Guatemala
  • Honduras
  • Nicaragua

Though there have been protests, the measure is expected to pass. This comment about the affects of the agreement caught my eye:

Some in Costa Rica worry the trade deal will lead to the privatisation of the state-run telephone company and hurt the social security system.

DR-CAFTA contains an entire chapter (13) that addresses telecoms regulation. Not only that, but there is a specific annex to chapter 13 that addresses Costa Rica. It contains section III 2. Gradual and Selective Opening of Certain Telecommunications Services which makes commitments to open up ‘private network services’, internet services, and mobile phone services on a certain schedule. This list specifically excludes public fixed line telephony, but issues concerning these areas are addressed further in the obligations for interconnection and use of physical infrastructure.

So while the state-run telephone company might not disappear, it will certainly have some competition. Will it, like BT here in the UK, lead to greater competition, and hopefully lower prices (and better quality) for consumers? This is what I see as the central issue, rather than simply wanting to preserve the state telephone system solely because they want a state telephone system.