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I: (en) All of Costa Rica in 5th Day of Strikes Against Privatization of Utilities
-----Messaggio Originale-----
Da: "Kim Alphandary" <shekim@racsa.co.cr>
Newsgroup: misc.activism.progressive
Data invio: venerd́ 24 marzo 2000 6.39
Oggetto: (en) All of Costa Rica in 5th Day of Strikes Against Privatization
of Utilities
________________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
http://www.ainfos.ca/
________________________________________________
Costa Rica. March 23, 2000, 12:30 am.
This report was prepared by Kim Alphandary a =
volunteer reporter for Radio for Peace International. It includes two =
person interviews, and a translation from a various articles appearing =
in the major local news paper la Nacion.
......................................................................
Thousands of demonstrators in Costa Rica have taken to the streets for a =
fourth day of protests against the privatization of the state-run =
telecommunications and electricity company, The Costa Rican Institute of =
Electicity (ICE).=20
The parliament approved a controversial bill late Monday evening, 20 =
March, that will allow private capital to buy the state monopoly late =
Monday evening. Forty-five congressmen voted in favor of the project, =
with only ten voting against the legislation. The congressional debate =
took place in the midst of a volatile atmosphere, as the Legislative =
Assembly Building was roped off and aggressively protected by the =
police, and surrounded by protestors.
Many Costa Ricans were outraged to learn that their congresspersons so =
unanimously made the decision to "modernize" the countries ICE. =20
According to Rodrigo Corrazo, former president of Costa Rica, 80 percent =
of the Costa Ricans are against the privatization of their utility =
company. He went on to state that he believes that the government has =
an obligation to listen to the people, its citizens. =20
A multitude of marches and vigils has been held all over the country. =
The strikers were carrying signs saying "don't sell ICE, defend ICE". =20
The Costa Rican Petroleum Refinery, the National Association of Public =
Employees, the National Institute of Security, the Federation of Workers =
of Limon, FETRAL and the Union of Workers for Costa Rican Social =
Security, all announced today (Wednesday) that they were going to join =
the movement.
The Union of Workers of Costa Rican Education, after the participating =
during the protests in various parts of the country, called upon the =
students and their families for help in maintaining the strike all day =
on Wednesday.=20
Unbelievably, many of the High Schools from all over the country chose =
to help in the struggle to save the nations utilities. Costa Rican =
school children were given information informing them of the governments =
near final decision to privatize their state owned ICE. The students =
were instructed not to bring their books to school, but to wear their =
uniforms, and be prepared to actively participate in democracy by =
joining the peaceful strikes. A lesson that most likely would never be =
taught anywhere else in the world.
Many students became human chains to interrupting traffic and creating =
major blockades in the early hours.
When asked what Corrazo thought about the fact that more than half of =
the country's students was striking today, he stated that he was very =
proud of Costa Rica's students.
Thousands of students and workers struck on Monday and Tuesday. =
Protests were held outside the congress building, streets were blocked =
in the capitol and all around the country, creating chaos of =
transportation. The protests included a hunger strike by four university =
students.
From 07 o'clock am, this Wednesday, again thousands of strikers were in =
the streets making new blockades all over the country, while in the =
capital other groups formed a line outside the ICE building. The main =
objective of the police was to clear the highways. Costa Ricans are =
guaranteed the right to strike, and also guaranteed the right to travel. =
Considered by some a dilemma, and a justification for what many have =
seen as unwarranted use of force.
Anti-riot police dispersed tear gas in the afternoon against a few =
hundred university students blocking a street in the east zone of the =
capitol. Hundreds of people were striking, blocking the highways with =
trash and boxes and anything they could find, and then lighting the =
trash on fire, so that the police couldn't remove it easily. They were =
chanting "selling the country, we sell our country". The police with =
big sticks and guns were still afraid of the people.
The students were hampering vehicles from passing the Fountain of =
Hispanidad, a round about near the university of San Jose. They were =
dispersed by anit-riot police as well. The police advanced onto the =
campus of the University of Costa Rica (UCR), protected by shields and =
other riot gear. Riot police and tear gas were also used in the near by =
city of Puntarenas, 130 miles west of San Jose.
At least 30 students were arrested by the police, including the =
president of the Federation of Students at the University of Costa Rica =
( FEUCR), Eva Carazo, and a daughter of the disputed central left Jose =
Merino.
The law was initiated by the neo-liberal government of President =
Rodriguez along with the help of the Social Democratic Liberation Party =
(PLN). The bill proposes a plan to "modernize" the ICE. According to =
La Nacion, Costa Rica's largest daily newspaper the bill is clearly very =
unpopular with the majority of Costa Ricans.=20
=20
According to procedure a bill passed by congress, must then be approved =
by the Supreme Court, who has 30 days to review the bill before =
returning it to congress for a second and third review, before the bill =
can be put into law.=20
The passing of this Bill created such a fury that congress has been =
paralyzed by what they term, a "technical closing of the congress", =
where the government resigns the session of congress, an extraordinary =
turn of events.=20
Opponents of the ICE privatization Bill state that the privatization =
will lead to much higher rates and job losses. That, private companies =
will be allowed to indiscriminately exploit the Countries National Parks =
and Forest Reserves with hydraulic and geothermal projects, without the =
smallest ecological impact study.=20
Against the monopoly are the businesses, they complain that they have to =
wait for a few months for a telephone line. That the quality of the =
lines, especially cellular lines has reached saturation. With 70 =
percent of the people occasionally losing dial-tone and complaining of =
interruptions. Over 50 percent say that the fares are too high. Most =
believe that the quality is poor.
Rodrigo Corraso also spoke of the importance that Costa Ricans have =
placed on their national institutions, on their historical commitment to =
civic responsibilities, that peace cannot exist without basic rights for =
all of its citizens. Stating that 97 percent of the country has =
electricity and telephone. All cared for very well.
According to the La Nacion, the Unions, Public Workers and Students of =
Costa Rica are planning to continue the nationwide strikes by completely =
paralyzing the country over the next two days, with strikes and =
obstructions in energy and telecommunication services. =20
********
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