Harken v. Costa Rica

[arcos]

Harken v. Costa Rica

<snip>

Nearly two years ago, Costa Rican nationals and admirers thought they'd been given reason to rest easy. In May 2002, responding to a large-scale mobilization of the country's environmentalists, President Abel Pacheco announced a moratorium on oil exploration and open-pit mining in Costa Rica. Legislators are currently working to give congressional backing to the executive order and repeal laws that expose the country to extractive industries.

<snip>

Harken Energy, a Texas-based oil company with close ties to U.S. President George W. Bush, had previously obtained rights to search for crude in Costa Rica. Before failing an environmental impact review in February 2002, it had planned to drill offshore. Now Harken is demanding that the Costa Rican government pay upwards of $12 million in reparations for its aborted exploits.

<snip>

But that's not the last word on the subject. Even as the company contemplates sending the case back into international courts, the Bush administration is brokering a treaty that threatens to make the Harken suit into something more than an obscure legal grudge match. That treaty is the Central American Free Trade Agreement

<snip>

In January of this year, former U.S. Sen. Robert Torricelli (D-N.J.) traveled to San Jose to negotiate on behalf of Harken. At the time, the Costa Rican government appeared grateful to be eliminating the specter of a costly international lawsuit. Environmental groups, however, greeted Torricelli with protests outside the Environment Ministry. They argued that the negotiations were a form of "oil extortion" – that Harken was punishing the country for enforcing its environmental laws.

<snip>

http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=18258



Probably no one will read this, that's what usually happens with news from outside the US, but in any case someone might be interested.

[Political_Junkie]

1. I for one pay attention

to any news of what's happening south of Texas, thanks for the info.

[DavidFL]

2. No, thank you for posting this...

I read every article posted on here on the Carribean and Central and South America (you could say I have a vested personal interest).

Besides the disturbing information about CAFTA, I think we should all be troubled by the fact that Bob Toricelli's name comes up as a shill for Harken. He's a member of Kerry's election campaign is he not?

[arcos]

3. yes...

I don't think he is in any key position, or even working fulltime. I think he only helped Kerry with fundraising.