Columbia International Affairs Online: Working Papers

CIAO DATE: 08/2013

"With or Without CAFTA, We Need a Plan": A Catholic Response to Free Trade in Costa Rica

Amy Ryynolds

June 2013

The Helen Kellogg Institute for International Studies

Abstract

Within Costa Rica, trade policy was a recent topic of public interest. Years of debate began in 2003, and culminated with a majority of citizens voting in a 2007 referendum. Catholic leaders played a prominent role within the public discourse, as evidenced in by the number of official statements they issued over the topic. They officially took a neutral political stance, while raising substantial procedural and ethical concerns. After considering the content of their involvement, I examine how the bishops used religious warrants in support of their critiques. I find that appeals to Catholic Social Thought, as well as references to official Vatican sources, ground most of their economic critiques — in particular, claims of human dignity, solidarity, and peace were central. I also examine the ways that organizational factors shaped their political engagement, finding that bo th their hierarchical structure and political context are critical towards their political strategy.