I had previously commented that the result of the Costa Rican elections was close. After a recount of the votes, it seems like pro-CAFTA candidate and 1989 Nobel Peace prize winner Oscar Arias has won the election with a 1.1% margin. The final result has not been announced due to legal challenges about irregularities in some precincts, but it is almost a foregone conclusion that Arias has won.
Arias still faces a tremendous challenge to pass CAFTA ratification in congress, as he will not have complete majority in the legislative. Costa Rica is the only country not to have ratified CAFTA.
I am split in this. On the one hand I think that Arias is definitely the best candidate and should be president, and I think that CAFTA could be beneficial to the Costa Rican economy, but I am against the IP provisions in CAFTA, as I think that they will affect the generic market in Costa Rica and affect the public health system.
I'm actually worry about the environmental issues that will arrive due the involvement of international courts in claims.
ReplyDeleteLike Bush's Harken, or Canadian Gold mining companies.