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            Anti-CAFTA [TLC] Protest in CR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            When I arrived in San Jose, Costa Rica, I saw many "No TLC" slogans on shirts, signs and bumper stickers.  I figured it had some political meaning but "No Tender Loving Care" in a country like CR, who's national slogan is "Pura Vida", made me laugh. 

            The protesters believe that CAFTA, or the "Central American Free Trade Agreement" (locally it's called TLC, or "Tratado de Libre Comercio") would somehow rob Costa Rica of its culture and national treasures and would enable the USA to establish "sweat shops" in CR for cheap labor.  Culture and national treasures?  I've been to CR three times now and have found no real culture beyond that which enables them to take gringo dollars, and their national treasures are in the beautiful landscape, parks and outdoor activities that draw gringo's here [geography, not culture].  Mexico has a significant culture.  Guatemala has a significant culture.  Belize has a crap culture [sorry, I couldn't help it].  But I can't figure out what would be lost in Costa Rica if the USA or anyone else opens up call centers or any other form of employment to enable Costa Rica's lower class to make better wages than are currently available to them.  Actually it would enhance their culture of taking gringo dollars.

            Costa Rica has a significant middle class in comparison with the rest of Central America and it was mainly the middle class contingent that was present at this march, mostly young college students.  They have the luxury of options that their less fortunate compatriots are lacking.  Had I more time to waste in CR I might have searched for the other side of the argument, but I wouldn't have looked very hard because it doesn't really matter to me.  "Pura Vida" is a bullshit gringo dollar call that you'll never hear from the less fortunate Tico's, unless they're begging, in which case it's almost always their opening line.

Click on the image and please inform me if I'm missing something here...

 

 

San Jose town centro.
 

National Theater in the centro, one of the only picturesque buildings in San Jose.
 
 

I actually just stumbled on this march. This was my first glance.
 

Just a general crowd shot with a che-head in the middle.
 
 

Some guys go to protest marches to meet chicks.
 

Some guys go to protest marches to meet dudes.
 
 

These private-school educated girls all spoke english which helped me understand their point of view. But they couldn't really explain the other side.
 

Again, it's just funny to see a NO TLC shirt in a country that calls out "Pura Vida" [Pure Life] at every tourist.
 
 

Uncle Sam cutting off the head of all these Tico's. Pura Vida!
 

Another demonic USA depiction. As negative as the signs were toward the US all the protesters were nice to me.
 
 

Even fat guys with bikes are against TLC.
 

This is the exact motorcycle that I traded for my current one. I really liked it. I talked with this guy about bikes for half an hour.
 
 

Getting a feel for the anti-TLC march folks?
 

Here's uncle sam doin' a dookie on the Pura-Vida Tico land of Costa Rica. Trust me, CR was full of dookie long before uncle sam's tucas arrived.
 
 

Anti-TLC folks need snacks too.
 

My best shot, I'll win an award for this one...
 
 

More eco-stoned-euro-trash. They show up at any anti-whatever march to drop stuff. I'd bet $100 that they don't even know what the protest is about.
 

The eco-stoned-euro-rhythm section.
 
 

The upper middle class che-heads are less of a threat than the actual che-heads, as long as their parents keep buying their designer shades.
 

"Because I love CR I say no to TLC" - I just love the unmistakable display of dedication by this protestor on the right.
 
 

Raised fists, they must really mean it!
 

Chicks with raised fists, this shit's for real!!
 
 

Eco-stoned-ribbon-waving.
 

Again, I'd bet she could never explain the actual implications of TLC or CAFTA.
 
 

More eco-rhythm. Shouldn't there be a vowel in that word? Oh yeah, Y counts (sometimes).
 

This guy was performing for a gringo with a video camera. He was singing "I'm rasta here, I'm rasta there, I'm rasta wherever I go". Belize, I'd bet.
 
 

Clowns suck. Yeah, I said it and I'll say it again; clowns suck.
 

Bad days in San Jose.
 
 

Another great work of architecture in San Jose, Costa Rica [I'm talking about the big brown building that looks like sculptured poo].