Presidential Candidate in Costa Rica: NO to Signing of FTAs

While the outgoing administration rushes through entry to the Pacific Alliance, one of the two possible next presidents is opposed to new treaties.  

Thursday, February 20, 2014

In a meeting with the Chamber of Exporters, Luis Guillermo Solís, presidential candidate of the Citizen Action Party, said that if he wins the Presidency of the Republic in April, he will slow the signing and negotiation of new FTAs.

"We have to manage well the treaties we have. Neither the Foreign Trade Office nor the Ministry of Foreign Trade have done what they needed to do. The Executive has debts in the use of trade agreements on issues such as health, infrastructure and laboratories," said Solís.

"Costa Rica participates in 14 trade agreements, 12 of them with full force and two in the legislative approval process: one with Colombia and another with the European Free Trade Association," said Monica Segnini, Speaker of the Chamber.

Manuel Gonzalez, vice president of the Chamber, said that the "treaties in force and pending" are mere trophies in a ministry. "He added that the trade initiatives will not have full advantage taken of them because of bureaucracy and institutional problems."

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