The Tico Times Online Daily Page

Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, June 2, 2003

THE PAINS OF IMMIGRATION: Villagers in Alcapulco, Mexico, march in a funeral procession last January for Guillermos Parades and Hector Alfonso Crisanto, two immigrants who were killed while looking for work in the U.S. The U.S. hopes CAFTA will help curb illegal emigration from Central America and the dangers involved.
AFP/TT

Government to Face Difficult Week of Strikes
The government of President Abel Pacheco could face its most difficult week in office due to a general strike of all public workers beginning today. The striking public sector - some 120,000 employees of the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE), teachers and 30 other public-sector unions - are demanding that the government change its "neoliberal policies."
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U.S. Hopes CAFTA will Quell Exodus of Central American Emigrants
GUATEMALA CITY (AFP) - The U.S. hopes its future free-trade agreement with Central America (CAFTA) will slow the floodtide of thousands of illegal immigrants who trek to the U.S. in search of work each year, according to Curtis Struble, U.S. sub-secretary for the Americas.
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C.R.'s Cell Phone Service the
Cheapest in L.A.
The Costa Rican Electricity and Telecom Institute (ICE) offers the least expensive cellular-phone service in Latin America, according to a report published last Friday in the daily La Republica.
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June 1

II French Film Series
Don’t miss these great productions, opening tomorrow at Outlet Mall, San Pedro, Mon., June 2, "El Ensayo;" Tues., June 3, "Ma Petite Entreprise;" Wed., June 4, "Reinas por un Día;" Thurs., June 5, Le placard. Info: 222-2283.

Jazz Night
Tomorrow to Aya Sofya Restaurant and enjoy some jazz at 8:30 p.m., jazz music. For directions and reservations call 221-7185.

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Government to Face Difficult Week of Strikes

The Government will have its hands full with striking public workers this week.
AFP/TT

The government of President Abel Pacheco could face its most difficult week in office due to a general strike of all public workers beginning today. The striking public sector - some 120,000 employees of the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE), teachers and 30 other public-sector unions - are demanding that the government change its "neoliberal policies."

Despite government concessions last week on nearly every point of contention with ICE workers' unions, the state electricity and telecom monopoly - on strike since May 16 -- swore it would continue its work stoppage this week as an apparent effort to deter any government effort to privatize the institution (TT, May 30).

The 50,000 members of the country's largest teachers' unions, meanwhile, vowed to continue their strike this week in response to ongoing payment problems, despite repeated claims by Education Minister Astrid Fischel that the problems will be 100% resolved by June 15 (TT, May 30, 23, 16).

Joining the two striking sectors "in solidarity", an additional 60,000 public-sector workers are expected to join the work stoppage as of this morning.

On Wednesday, strike organizers are planning a massive march through the capital to the Casa Presidencial in Zapote to protest the government's neoliberal policies.

"The administration's economic policy makers are trying to financially asphyxiate ICE in order to sell it to transnational companies after the free-trade agreement with the United States is ratified," charged Albino Vargas, secretary general of the National Public Workers Union (ANEP), according to AFP reports.

Although the mounting pressure from union leaders forced Finance Minister Walter Bolanos to resign his post last week, the move was not sufficient to deter the impending general strike (TT, May 30).

According to a manifesto released Friday by an association of 30 public-workers unions that will join the strike today: "It is clear that we are facing a new offensive from the most aggressive of capitalist sectors that are putting the interests of the market economy before those of workers. This is generating a crisis that could have irreversible and tragic consequences."

The union leaders, among other demands, are asking for a rejection of the future regional free-trade agreement with the United States (CAFTA), arguing that such a trade pact would benefit only the wealthy.

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U.S. Hopes CAFTA will Quell Exodus
of Central American Emigrants

GUATEMALA CITY (AFP) - The U.S. hopes its future free-trade agreement with Central America (CAFTA) will slow the floodtide of thousands of illegal immigrants who trek to the U.S. in search of work each year, according to Curtis Struble, U.S. sub-secretary for the Americas.

"With CAFTA we hope to include sectors of society that have historically been marginalized," Struble said during a Saturday press conference. "This is in our interest because we would be able to contribute to the reduction of problems caused by illegal immigration to the United States."

The U.S. spokesman argued that CAFTA would create more job opportunities in Central America, thereby reducing the need to immigrate to the U.S.

"We believe that CAFTA is an historic opportunity in bilateral terms between the U.S. and the five Central American countries, and in terms of strengthening relations between the countries (of the isthmus)," Struble said, adding that the U.S. is also considering increasing development aid to Central America.

Struble cited Mexico as an example of the success that free-trade with the U.S. can bring.

"Mexico, in the last 10 years, has tripled its exports to my country, increased manufacturing jobs by 40%, and tripled foreign investment," Struble claimed. "The Mexico of today is a different Mexico from a decade ago."

Critics of NAFTA, however, note that free trade with the U.S. has done nothing to curb Mexico's 70% poverty level, deter immigration to the U.S. and the Mexico City (which has grown to an unmanageable 30 million inhabitants), or distribute wealth generated from increased exports. Most of the jobs that NAFTA has created are menial minimum wage jobs in maquiladoras, and Mexico's middle class is unofficially considered an endangered species.

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C.R.'s Cell Phone Service the Cheapest in L.A.

The Costa Rican Electricity and Telecom Institute (ICE) offers the least expensive cellular-phone service in Latin America, according to a report published last Friday in the daily La Republica.

The basic cell-phone fare in Costa Rica is between 76.8% and 327.7% less expensive than that offered by other telecom companies in Latin America, and the "additional minute" cost is between 21% - 302% less, according to telecom engineer Gerargo Fumero.

In Costa Rica, the basic monthly rate for cell phones (based on 60 minutes per month) is $8.45, compared to Colombia ($14.90), Chile ($26.10) and Panama ($25.99). The additional minute cost in Costa Rica is $.08, compared to Panama ($.40), Venezuela ($.26), Chile ($.30) and Colombia ($.34).

The price difference, according to Fumero, is due to the fact that ICE is state run, and reinvests portions of its profits in modernization and improvement of services.

"ICE's objective is not profit, but to offer service at a lower cost and on conditions that permit all citizens in the country to have (phone) access," Fumero said.

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