This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 001722 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
WHA/CEN 
EB FOR WCRAFT 
E FOR TSMITHAM 
WHA FOR WMIELE 
WHA/EPSC FOR KURS 
H FOR JHAGAN 
STATE PASS TO USTR FOR JYOUNG, CPADILLA, AMALITO 
INR/R/MR 
WHA/PPA 
INR/R/AA 
MEDIA REC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC ETRD ECON PREL SOCI CS
SUBJECT: COSTA RICAN MEDIA POSITIVE ON CAFTA-DR PASSAGE IN 
THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
 
REF: A. SAN JOSE 01720 
 
     ¶B. SAN JOSE 01713 
 
¶1. (U) Summary:  Costa Rican media attention to CAFTA-DR, 
always strong, intensified with the recent passage of the 
agreement in the U.S. House of Representatives (San Jose 
01713, 01720).  General reporting was heavy, with five Costa 
Rican dailies on 7/29 publishing more than 11 pages on 
CAFTA-DR approval in the U.S. and the fact that Costa Rica,s 
ratification is held up by President Pacheco,s conditioning 
of CAFTA-DR on passage of his fiscal reform plan. Almost all 
media interviewed deputies, businessmen, and former CAFTA-DR 
negotiators on their positions and predictions about what 
could happen if Costa Rica did not approve CAFTA-DR and the 
complementary agenda.  Editorials representing the opinion of 
major print outlets are just beginning to appear and are 
strongly positive, continuing past trends.   END SUMMARY 
 
¶2. (U) "La Nacion," Costa Rica,s most influential daily and 
strongly supportive of CAFTA-DR, in a column entitled 
"Neither Fear nor Furtiveness" editorialized:  CAFTA-DR'S 
approval by the House of Representatives, besides being good 
news, in theory clarifies the economic landscape, challenges 
the political class and Costa Rican government, and places 
our country on the path of decisions that we, necessarily, 
have to adopt."  The paper goes on to describe these 
decisions -- CAFTA-DR's approval or rejection and whether 
that decision will be made "via the rule of law or in the 
streets."  After the paper's usual criticism of the President 
and the Government's handling of CAFTA-DR, it states that the 
President "must make a decision and that decision, of course, 
must not be inspired by fear or on delaying tactics."  "La 
Nacion" concludes by explaining that "The rule of law means, 
on this occasion, following democratic constitutional 
procedures -- not holding CAFTA-DR hostage, but sending it to 
the Legislative Assembly for deliberation and a vote -- and 
respecting citizens, constitutional rights:  freedom of 
transit, personal safety and free access to the full range of 
public services.  The current government,s main efforts have 
concentrated on not doing this.  The time for assuming 
responsibility, however, in view of the course of events, has 
arrived.
 
¶3. (U) Financial and economic daily "La Republica" published 
two opinion pieces, one of them written by their 
administrative manager, in which she highlights that CAFTA-DR 
approval "demonstrates that Americans support free trade 
agreements despite heated debates and business interests." 
The column then details the dire predictions made in Mexico 
and the U.S. related to the possible effects of NAFTA, none 
of which were born out by the truth, and concludes by stating 
that "The reality is that CAFTA-DR is not the devil or an 
angel, but simply an instrument for development." 
 
¶4. (U) Broadcast media also aired interviews and news stories 
on CAFTA-DR approval in the House of Representatives.  TV 
station Channel 7, on 7/28 and 7/29, dedicated more than one 
hour of news programming to reports on CAFTA-DR.  While radio 
and TV stations do not generally editorialize, one radio 
station aired a three-minute editorial on CAFTA-DR, which 
stated that "The world has taken a new step forward" and 
described CAFTA-DR as "a fundamental change defining U.S. 
policy towards Latin America."  It concluded that in Costa 
Rica "we are now facing total integration and have to take 
advantage of the opportunity to attract more investments." 
KAPLAN