Bomb Threat, Polarized Glass and International Trade Disputes

Last week, Assembly president Francisco Pacheco ordered that the glass that separates visitors’ gallery (la barras) from the plenary where the deputies are, to be polarized. From now on, visitors can look inside (although with greater difficulty) but the deputies can no longer see the visitors. Pacheco calls this a palliative measure because deputies have been insulted by posters, gestures and writings on the glass, and proceedings have t times been interrupted by protests in the barras. At the some time, supposedly to make it easier for the visitors to see through the glass, the outside windows of the barras have been covered up, not only not letting in anymore light, but also making it impossible for the people inside the barras to communicate to those outside in front of the building. In the past, protestors inside the barras could communicate with the crowd outside and vice versa. Also, the floor of the barras, previously made of wood, has been tiled, apparently to limit the impact of foot-stomping. The climate inside the assembly had grown increasingly hostile over the previous week, mostly around the issue of PLN deputy Fernando Sanchez, co-author of the infamous memorandum. Protestors insist that he step down. While the deputies complained about the aggression and obscenity of posters and gestures in the barras, PLN deputy Jimenez cracked an ill-fated joke about an 85 year old woman, who comes every day to demand that Sanchez step down. Saying that the old woman had better stay home and say rosaries, he played into the hands of he movement, picked up that remark and proceeds to portray it as iconic for the general attitude the Grupo de los 38 (G38, the 38 deputies who support the CAFTA and the Agenda) takes towards the people.

On Thursday, a bomb threat in the afternoon forced the evacuation of the entire Assembly building, spilling deputies and staff directly into a crowd of protestors who were there as part of the nationwide campaign against the Agenda de Implementación, which kicked off that day. No bomb was found and speculation as to whether the anonymous phone call was placed by a member of the opposition to disrupt work on the Agenda, or a member of the pro-Agenda side to strengthen their arguments that the NO-TLC forces are getting increasingly violent and dangerous, abound. The day before, the security services of the Assembly decided to provide personal bodyguards to the deputies.

Meanwhile, the G38, making up the absolute majority in the Assembly, are working hard on the passage of the 13 Agenda Laws before the March 1 deadline. They are holding three daily sessions, a morning, afternoon, and evening session every day. They voted to apply fast-track legislation to several of the bills, and their staffers are meeting daily to reduce the length of proposals so as to limit their discussion time, by erasing less important aspects altogether and synthesizing remaining points into a smaller number. Since they are required by the constitution to discuss the national budget during the month of November, the budget is being passed in absolute record time, with almost no interference by members of the G38. The first law of the Agenda, the Ley de Protección de Representantes de de Casas Extranjeras, which makes it possible for trade disputes between Costa Rican and foreign businesses to be litigated in non-Costa Rican courts, has already passed. Critics of the law, first and foremost the PAC, have argued that it places small and medium sized producers, which make up 90% of Costa Rican businesses, at great disadvantage because the vast majority of them lack the resources to put up a reasonable legal defense in the American court system, especially if they are up against large corporations.

Adding insult to injury, President Arias has announced a CAFTA signing ceremony for next Wednesday, which will take place at the Teatro Melico Salazar, the same place where the Anti-CAFTA movement kicked off its campaign to defeat the CAFTA two years ago. The movement views this a pure provocation. Protests are expected.

Also last week, the six unions that comprise the workers of the state electricity and telecommunications institute, ICE, made public their intention to go on strike, if necessary to stop the opening of that sector. Fabio Chavez, of the union ASDEICE said in an interview that the union recognizes the results of the referendum but does not see them as binding on their actions because of fraud and deceit.