Last Sunday, exactly seven days before the referendum, the NO campaign held its last big demonstration in downtown San Jose. Filling the Paseo Colon and the Avenida Segunda from the Park La Sabana to the Metropolitan Cathedral. Estimates of the size of the crowd range from over 100.000 people (Reuters, La Nacion) to 150.000 (AFP), to 300.000 (Union of the ICE). With three stages, street theater, patriotic hyms and songs, food stands, porta toilets, thousands of flowers handed out to the protesters, and many children and dogs, the well-organized and absolutely peaceful event had a flair of a street festival. But that is not to underestimate the political caliber of the event.
Perhaps the most impacting speech was given by Monsiňor Ignacio Trejos, one of the three bishops that have decided to come out publicly against the TLC, against the position of their church. Refering to the words of the pope, he argued that this fight is between evil and good, the devil against god, the people of the YES against the NO, the Selfish against Solidarity, and the rich against the poor. He argued that god is always on the side of the poor, and this is why the TLC must be defeated. The three bishops had caused a big stir when they published their letter in response to the letter of the priests last week, and having Trejos, who also played a leading role in the fight against the Combo del ICE, speak at the rally made a huge impact.
The last speaker was Eugenio Trejos, the leader of the NO campaign. The theme of his speech was the execution of Juan Mora, president of the CR in 1856 and 57, who defeated the troops of William Walker the Filibuster, and who was executed after a military-oligarchy coup. The day of the march was the 147th anniversary of the day Juanito Mora, as he is called here, died. The CAFTA proponents have commonly been portrayed as the new filibusters. After a minute of silence to remember Mora, in which the entire city center seemed to stop breathing, Trejos began firing up the crowd, eventually culminating in the singing of the folksong Ha Llegado La Hora de Juanito Mora by thousands surrounding the main stage. Then Trejos began to make a series of demands for the scenario of a victory of the NO, like education and tax reform, agricultural reform, and the creation of a development bank, in reference to a statement made by president Arias the day before. The president had answered a question about a plan B in case the No wins, by saying that he did not have one, that the interviewer should go and ask the NO. Trejos did not seem to want to let that chance pass. I'll post the transcripts as soon as they are available.
Agence France Press article: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gOYugkTdPCViwF4b64e8pFNisoBA
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/01/world/americas/01costarica.htmlInter Press Service: http://www.ipsnoticias.net/nota.asp?idnews=86085
La Nacion: http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2007/octubre/01/pais1259895.html
Diario Extra: http://www.diarioextra.com/2007/octubre/01/nacionales01.php
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