Ministers of the government met Monday in a strategy session over the free trade treaty with the United States.

They were responding to a comment from an outspoken union leader who said the future of the treaty will be decided on the streets and not in the Asamblea Legislativa, according to a statement from Casa Presidencial.

In addition to the ministers deeply involved in the treaty, at the meeting were Fernando Berrocal Soto, minister of Gobernación, Policía y Seguridad Pública, and Francisco Morales, the minister of Trabajo. Also attending were legislative leaders for Liberación Nacional, the government party.

Marco Vinicio Ruíz, minister of Comercio Exterior, said the works and security ministers were there to safeguard the rights of all citizens.

Rodrigo Arias Sánchez, the minister of the Presidencia, said that the words from union leader Albino Vargas were very grave and that there could be a movement to destabilize the nation.

Vargas is the secretary general of the Asociación Nacional de Empleados Públicos y Privados. He was among those union leaders who led blockades that closed off major roads in August 2004. Some of that protest was over the free trade treaty, but some was over pay raises awarded by the government, the mandatory revisión tecnica and the rising price of fuel.

Former president Abel Pacheco was so concerned with possible social unrest that he delayed sending the treaty to the assembly for more than a year. The assembly must ratify the document for it to take effect.