by Rod Hughes
President Oscar Arias has declared war on Cuba but, befitting a Costa Rican and a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, his war is one of words, not missiles.
Speaking before 600 businessmen invited by the national Chamber of Industry at the Hotel Mariott in San Jose, Arias responded to Castro’s remarks quoted May 17 in Havana’s government newspaper, Granma, casting aspersions on the honesty of the Costa Rican electoral process in the referendum scheduled for September to approve or reject the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).
The Costa Rican president reminded his audience tartly of “Castro’s proverbial opposition to the popular will” of the people. “We must not find it strange that Fidel Castro…who has subjected Cuba to the cold winter of dictatorship would question our referendum.”
Arias reminded his listeners also of Fidel’s rejection of the Proyecto Varela movement in which thousands of signatures were collected for a “plebecite permitted by the Cuban consititution.”
“What does surprise me, and as a Costa Rican citizen pains me, is that some (of my countrymen) have maintained a complacent silence” (after Fidel’s remarks).
After Arias finished, his audience gave him an enthusiastic standing applause lasting nearly a minute.
Castro’s remarks published May 17 also urged Costa Ricans to reject the free trade pact with the United States. In this country, the opposition to the pact, notably Jorge Arguedas of the Electrical Institute’s (ICE) union, have promised street demonstrations and strikes if the treaty, which has been signed by Costa Rican negotiators but not ratified, wins in the September balloting.
“Let’s be sincere,” said Arias, “What they want is to to keep us from advancing toward free trade at all costs.”
At another point, the President declared, “Contrary to what some preach, CAFTA isn’t for the rich because the rich are already rich and don’t need our help. This treaty is for the working class.” The pact will mean more work and better salaries, predicted Arias.