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Article: Costa Ricans vote on free trade
- Article from:
- Oakland Tribune
- Article date:
- October 8, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2007 Oakland Tribune. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- Costa Ricans were sharply divided over
Sunday's referendum on a free trade pact with the United States, a
measure supporters say is key to national prosperity but critics
fear could hurt farmers and small businesses.
Costa Rica is the only one of the six Latin American signatories
to the trade deal, known as CAFTA, that has yet to ratify it. The
pact is in effect in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras,
Nicaragua and El Salvador.
With polls showing Costa Rica is poised to be the first country
to reject the U.S.-Central American free trade agreement, U.S.
officials and Costa Rica's president appealed for voters to back the
deal.
On Saturday the White House ...