The undersigned groups and individuals in the United States offer our solidarity with the struggles of the people of Costa Rica and the Patriotic Committees in this moment of decision.

We salute your courage in:

* · Standing firm against the implementation of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) that has already created negative effects in the countries that have ratified it (1)

* · Denouncing the attempts by your government to repress and instill fear in the popular movement against DR-CAFTA through unprovoked acts of violence such as those perpetrated on February 5th.

* · Your courage in rejecting the process of ‘expedited process’ being carried out in the National Assembly for passage of laws and changes to the constitution which will change life forever in Costa Rica. The many changes which are being demanded in these laws, are not well understood by the population, and violate the will of the people in many ways. Each of the proposed changes should be the subject of national debates, so that the citizens of Costa Rica have an opportunity to legitimately decide on their future.

* · Rejecting the certification of the October 2007 Referendum on CAFTA. The multiple violations of electoral law stipulate that the results be rejected.

We reiterate our admiration of the Costa Rican people who have maintained a democracy and an infrastructure which has prevented the kind of poverty which is pervasive in all of your neighboring countries. We denounce these calculated efforts to steal these many achievements from the Costa Rican people. We support your efforts to combat the legal changes that would eliminate the many rights which the people in your country continue to hold as sacred.

Count us as part of your numbers in the struggle against the DR-CAFTA. This effort also continues in all the signing countries.


Signed….


Stop CAFTA Coalition
Arkansas Animal Producer's Association
Bend-Condega Friendship Project
Chicago Trade with Justice Working Group
Chicagoans for a Peaceful Colombia
Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES)
Centro de Información y Servicios de Asesoria en Salud (CISAS) Nicaragua
Comité Regional de Promoción de Salud Comunitaria (Central America)
Community Alliance for Global Justice
DeKalb Interfaith Network for Peace & Justice
Denver Justice & Peace Committee
Ecumenical Committee (Comité Ecumenico de Personal Religioso de Habla Ingles, CEPRHI)
8th Day Center for Justice
Fort Greene Peace
Friends of Animals
Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA (GHRC)
Guatemala Solidarity Committee Boston
Holy Cross International Justice Office
Jubilee House Community, Center for Development in Central America (JHC-CDCA)
Labor Counsel for Latin American Advancement, Massachusetts Chapter
La Otra Olympia (Washington State)
League of Humane Voters, California Chapter
Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns
Mississippi Livestock Markets Association
NETWORK: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA)
New York City People's Referendum's on Free Trade
Nicaragua Solidarity Committee, Chicago
Nicaragua Network
Pax Christi, Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace Catholic Parish
Quixote Center
Rochester Committee on Latin America
Task Force on the Americas
The Share Foundation: Building a New El Salvador Today
US-El Salvador Sister Cities
Voices of Solidarity, Xavier University

Individuals:
Dr. Susanna Bohme, International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health
Carol A. Smith
Frederick Ellis
Jim Holdom
Audrey M. Robert Ramirez
Manuel Pérez Rocha
Britt Willey
Therese Ballet Lynn, Ph.D., Women's International League for Peace and Freedom

(1) DR-CAFTA Year Two: Trends and Impacts” zttp://lasolidarity.org/CAFTA_report/CAFTAYear2_monitoring_eng.pdf