By Katherine Stanley
Tico Times Staff | kstanley@ticotimes.net

Legislators from the Citizen Action Party (PAC) yesterday presented a 530-page document explaining their opposition to the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA).

The bottom line: the party, which, with 17 seats in the legislature, is second only to the National Liberation Party (PLN) in congressional heft, says Costa Rica should scrap the existing agreement and negotiate a new one that better protects the country's identity and public institutions.

Legislator Ronald Solís said CAFTA should be cast aside entirely and negotiation should begin afresh.

The United States is “always going to be interested,” he said at a press conference held at the assembly just before Solís, faction head Elizabeth Fonseca and Francisco Molina, all PAC lawmakers and members of the International Relations Commission, presented the document to the legislature's secretariat across the hall. Its position statement will join the pro-CAFTA arguments of Liberation, the Libertarian Movement and the Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC) as the basis for discussion of the pact on the legislative floor, expected to begin later this month.

The International Relations Commission voted to send CAFTA to the assembly floor in December.

PAC's presentation marks the last step, aside from the publication of the position statements and republication of CAFTA itself in the official government daily La Gaceta, before the full assembly can begin debating the controversial agreement. Its proponents, including President Oscar Arias, say the pact would improve Costa Rica's access to the U.S. market and create new opportunities for the country, while PAC members and other critics say the country ceded too much – namely, the opening of its state-owned telecommunications and insurance monopolies to private competition – in the negotiation process, conducted in 2003-2004.

“This process has been incredible, because it's been a school – we have so much knowledge now that we didn't have when we started (negotiations),” Solís said as he argued that CAFTA should be shelved and new talks begun. “Now we're more prepared… Today we have a culture of treaty negotiation.”

The full text of the document will be released to the press Friday.

See this Friday's print or electronic edition of The Tico Times for more on this story.

By Amanda Roberson
Tico Times Staff | aroberson@ticotimes.net

Famous soccer player and heartthrob Paulo Wanchope yesterday sat down to chat with Japanese Ambassador Yoshihiko Sumi about Japan, where Wanchope is heading today to play for the soccer team FC Tokyo for two years.

Sumi congratulated Wanchope on his soccer accomplishments, marveling that he is “not just a national star, but an international star” and gave him some practical tips such as how to say “thank you” in Japanese.

Additionally, the embassy gave Wanchope, who was accompanied by his wife Brenda Carballo, a copy of a booklet entitled “Introduction to Japanese Culture” published by the embassy.

The soccer star, who chose a sophisticated black suit for yesterday's off-the-field attire, remarked that playing for FC Tokyo isn't the only new challenge he's looking forward to in Japan.

He got to know the country a bit when he played in the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea for the La Selección Costa Rican national team and knows it's a “beautiful country with friendly people.”

His and Carballo's daughter Pamela, 4, will move with them to Tokyo and attend an international school there.

Wanchope said he hopes his two years with Tokyo FC will open doors for other Tico players to play abroad.

“I know that how I represent myself on and off the court could help get other Costa Ricans ahead,” he said.

Wanchope has played on teams in England, Spain and Argentina. He said his stint in Japan will most likely be his last abroad and that he is considering training to be a coach afterward.