If as appears likely, Oscar Arias becomes the new President of Costa Rica, he is for a difficult time from the country's trade unions.Albino Vargas, head of the Association of Private and Public Employees, and Jorge Arguedas, who leads employees of Costa Rica's state electricity monopoly, have both said they will oppose his presidency.
Vargas claimed, "Arias would be a president synonymous with confrontation 'because he works for the oligarchy that is pro free trade with the United States."
Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic already have approved the pact, leaving Costa Rica as the only eligible country yet to ratify it.
Those in the know say the electric workers union opposes the pact because it would mean selling off the cell-phone and Internet business now owned by the Costa Rican Electric Institute.
