by Rod Hughes

A Uminer poll commissioned by the leading daily newspaper, La Nación, shows the “yes” vote for the Central american Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) with a razor-thin lead in the run-up to the Oct. 7 referendum vote. But, taking into account normal error in the survey, it is a virtual tie.

Last minute maneuvering has trotted out endorsements for and against CAFTA, some of them of dubious value. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton said he backed Costa Rica’s joining the trade pact, although he admitted he had not studied the text “enough to win a dabate” on it. “The U.S. must make it easy” to open up markets for its friends to sell in U.S. markets, he said.

Perhaps the least effective was the visit of Sen. Bernie Sanders and Congressman Michael Michaud at the invitation of CAFTA opponent Ottón Solís. Both U.S. politicians have voted against both CAFTA on Capitol Hill as well as expressing opposition to extending the Caribbean Basin Initiative of which Costa Rica receives trade benefits. Their opposition is based upon their fear that CAFTA will export U.S. jobs, exactly what pro-CAFTA voters want here.

Tomás Dueñas, Costa Rican ambassador to the U.S, commented acidly, “These two gentlemen who came here, by their own record, show they don’t have any interest in developing trade, don’t have any interest in creating jobs, nor in developing the region.” The ambassador also expressed doubts that the U.S. would renegotiate the treaty and even if it happened, experience with renegotiation of Peru, Panama and Colombia indicates that the result would be more of a disadvantage to Costa Rica.

Not only U.S. endorsements are featured. One pro-CAFTA poster contains a photo of Costa Rica’s favorite son, Dr. Franklin Chang and a far-left politician named Merino. Chang, U.S. astronaut and a physicist, notes, the caption under the photo, has come out in support of the treaty. Merino is a communist, notes the other caption, and is a deadly foe of CAFTA. The poster asks whose advice the reader will take.

Not very thoughtly, but an effective piece of propaganda.

Amid all the gloom and doom predictions by both sides of the divisive issue, the leading English-language weekly The Tico Times presented in this week’s issue an editorial with a different take on all the sturm und drang: The referendum is only about a trade pact, for heaven’s sake, and will hardly be the panacea or the disaster depending on a si or no vote, the editorial writer said. Instead of focusing all their attention on the vote, the politicians should get on with such tasks as fixing potholes, cutting red tape and such, the writer added.

Today’s La Nacion notes that some 120 Web sites feature cartoons and humor regarding the issue, so all is not so deadly serious. Only a few of the Web pages feature humor that will offend either side, showing that not only The Tico Times is trying to keep some perspective on the issue.

And President Oscar Arias called for Ticos of both sides to keep calm and be kind to one another during the debate and the voting that culminates it.