CAFTA appears to have narrow victory in Costa Rica
Preliminary results from the referendum election in Costa Rica for participation in the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement with the United States indicate the proposal received narrow approval from voters Sunday.
According to an Associated Press report, the CAFTA proposal was winning by 51.7 percent to 48.3 percent with 89 percent of the polling places reporting. The actual vote total had come to 746,503-697,798.
That was enough to mean there is a high likelihood the pro-CAFTA forces were victorious, leading to legislative approval by February.
The five other countries that signed onto the agreement — El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic — have already ratified the pact.