David Forester blog

Costa Rica has been called the jewel of Central America, certainly for the rich it is, as they have benefited handsomely over the last 10 years from the increased tourism and technology export sectors. But the average person has tightened his belt in the same period as increased taxations, fuel costs, government red tape and other burdens of corruption and greed have increased the cost of basic food, clothing and transportation for these otherwise gentle people. Violent crime is on a staggering rise, fueld no doubt by the inablitiy of the legal system to dish out justice to violent criminals and the excess wealth so obvious in the rich neighborhoods.

And now CAFTA, the Central American Free Trade Agreement is about to bring a shock of poverty to this nation like never seen before. No longer will medicine be inexpensive, but will increase in cost up to ten fold. Pig and poultry farmers will find themselves out of business and out of work due to the cheap crap the United States is going to import to Costa Rica. Small farmers are going to loose everything after they are forced into debt by buying 'modern' equipment like tractors and sprayers. The cities will be filled with country folk ejected from their lands by multinationals buying all the good farm land up. Jobs will remain slave wages for these people and the rich are going to laugh all the way to the bank.

But can some good come of CAFTA?

Certainly we will have better internet and telephone service. More television channels. More things to buy. More materialsim. More violence.

Is CAFTA inevitable? Absolutely with the current government all for it. It's almost a done deal.