Poor Oscar Arias. What were the odds? Seriously, what were the odds that this gas bag would be exposed in such an obvious manner in his farewell tour in Costa Rica. A sampling of the drivel that poured forth from the mouth of the Latin King of Benefiting from Political Correctness and Western Guilt–another gang of sorts–whose honors include a Nobel prize and a highfalutin UN post a while back:

“I believe that feelings of frustration, of loss of hope are normal. But I also continue to believe that one person can make a difference.”

“It is necessary to have values, to have principle, to have ideals and to want to fight for them.”

“I believe that everyone can do something to better the quality of their brothers and sisters throughout the planet.”

Mr Arias recently dumped a democratic ally and long-time friend, Taiwan, for Chinese yuan’s. Which, it can be argued, makes sense for Costa Rica’s economy. But whenever moral rectometers like Arias, who spent much of his time at the UN criticizing the US, are exposed as hack pols, it deserves attention. This from the article:

Arias, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, said the two leaders had not touched on China’s widely criticized human rights record.

“I used the opportunity to speak of things that are important and urgent for Costa Rica,” Arias said.

Wow. No word if Mr Arias developed vertigo upon rising from his knees.

The article referenced is copied in full at end of post.

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China’s Hu launches free trade talks in Costa Rica

by Sophie Nicholson Sophie Nicholson Mon Nov 17, 5:03 pm ET

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AFP) – Chinese President Hu Jintao began a Latin America tour with the launch of free trade talks with Costa Rica on Monday, just over a year after the country gave up six decades of ties with Taiwan.

Hu’s stopover was the highest-level visit by a Chinese official to Costa Rica and came as China expands its diplomacy and investment on the whole continent, with an eye on natural resources and developing markets for manufactured goods and even weapons.

Hu arrived in San Jose Sunday, from a G20 summit in Washington, and headed Monday for his second visit to communist ally Cuba, before attending an Asia-Pacific summit in Peru on November 22.

“The development of cooperation and friendship between China and Costa Rica meets the fundamental interests of our people and will also support different sectors of our societies,” Hu said after announcing the free trade deal with President Oscar Arias.

Talks were due to start January 19, 2009, in San Jose and end before Arias leaves office in May 2010.

Hu and Arias, who visited China last year, oversaw the signing of 11 cooperation deals, from setting up a Chinese language institute to opening a line of 40 million dollars in credit from China.

They agreed to set up a joint venture including China’s National Petroleum Corporation to help modernize Costa Rica’s state-owned oil refinery, with an investment of up to 1.2 billion dollars.

Hu’s symbolic visit made the point that Central America was no longer a Taiwanese stronghold, after Costa Rica became the first country in the region to establish diplomatic ties with China on June 1, 2007.

Both Taiwan — a democratic self-ruled island that Beijing considers part of its territory awaiting reunification — and China have been accused of using so-called “dollar diplomacy” to get nations to ally with them.

But Taiwan has lost allies in recent years.

Part of China’s incentives for Costa Rica’s recognition came from its enormous foreign exchange reserves with an offer to buy 300 million dollars in bonds. It also donated more than 100 million dollars to build a new national stadium.

Costa Rica is only the third Latin American country to negotiate a free trade deal with China, after Chile and Peru, which may conclude its accord during Hu’s visit later this month.

A major exporter of computer components, Costa Rica has dismissed fears of an invasion of Chinese products into the country as it seeks to diversify ties amid worldwide financial woes.

Its main trade partner is the United States.

Arias, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, said the two leaders had not touched on China’s widely criticized human rights record.

“I used the opportunity to speak of things that are important and urgent for Costa Rica,” Arias said.

Hu headed to Cuba late Monday, less than two weeks before the arrival of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

China offered key support to former Cuban leader Fidel Castro when Cuba fell into dire economic straits after the 1991 breakup of the former Soviet Union, forging a divide with Russia.

China was Cuba’s second business partner, after Venezuela, in 2007.
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