Poll Shows Majority of Costa Ricans Against CAFTA

[arcos]

Source: TicoTimes

For the first time, a poll is showing a majority of Costa Ricans opposing the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA), according to the daily La Nacion.

The paper yesterday reported that 55% of the 1,202 Costa Ricans polled will say no to CAFTA during Sunday's referendum, while 43% will vote yes and 2% are undecided.

Support for CAFTA has eroded during the past few weeks, hurt by a scandal surrounding former Second Vice-President Kevin Casas and National Liberation Party legislator Fernando Sánchez. Both men sent an e-mail to President Oscar Arias encouraging a campaign of fear to gain support for the trade agreement (TT, Sept. 14).

<snip>

The poll, conducted by the agency Unimer for La Nación, also found that 27% of those interviewed made their decision to vote no this past month. Moreover, 7% said the memorandum directly affected their decision.

<snip>

Read more: http://www.ticotimes.net/dailyarchive/2007_10/1004071.htm

---

A poll published September 3, by the same newspaper and polling company, said the YES had 56%, and the NO 36%. That's a 23% drop for the YES vote, and a 19% increase for the NO. We have all the momentum, and I'm hopeful we'll score a BIG win on Sunday!

[lonestarnot]

1. Woot! Excellent!

K & RRRRR

[groovedaddy]

2. Hey, who can blame them? NAFTA's been a disaster for working people

here too.

[Gato Moteado]

3. i saw this in la nacion this morning!

great work arcos! keep pushing....only a few more days to go and let's bury these guys on sunday!

and, don't forget to email me what you're supposed to email me and let's hook up in about two weeks for a few cervezas!

pura vida!

[arcos]

5. hey!

Thanks!

I sent you the email the other day, I guess you didn't get it. I'll resend it. Thanks :)

[Gato Moteado]

6. i just got it!

thanks bro.

[Gato Moteado]

4. K&R

nt

[Judi Lynn]

7. Stunning news, arcos! My God! Keep those fingers crossed for good luck.

Concerning that photo shot you posted? There HAS to be more than 90,000 people in there! Someone surely underestimated the crowd.

Hope the number swells to even MORE than 56%, so many it will make it hard to cheat!

We're hoping for the win we all want in this. It's about time something started going right for the people involved in these things!

[budibudinski]

8. Here's hoping Costa Rica's Majority has better luck than the

majority in the USA.
"We The People.." no longer exists here.

[Robbien]

9. Yay. What good news!

I see the WSJ was downplaying these poll results and calling them "close". When the YES was ahead by about the same margin, the WSJ was crowing how CAFTA was supported by a wide majority.

Keeping fingers crossed for you Arcos.

[ryanmuegge]

10. Ahh, public opinion means shit. It's the directors that matter.

Public opinion is overwhelmingly against these "trade" agreements everywhere. That doesn't stop more of these agreements from being signed. Public opinion only matters in democracies, which, as far as I know, don't exist anywhere in the world.

[Yavapai]

11. Amazing,

Costa Ricans get to have a vote on this, Americans don't...

[sadiesworld]

12. I'm doing my Happy Dance here!

Great photo, btw.