U.S. Embassy in San José Visit

            Today we went to the U.S. embassy in San Jose. That was really interesting. Today’s topic was U.S. Relations with Latin America from the U.S. perspective. Tuesday we will hear about U.S. Relations with Latin America from the Latin American perspective. I am looking forward to the contrast. At the embassy we received a presentation about an overview of what the embassy does etc.etc.Then  we received an economics presentation basically about CAFTA ( Central American Free Trade Agreement). That was super interesting bc we had heard about CAFTA (or known as TLC in CR) in our past readings and from past speakers. This was a very very different take on it. Like the opposite. Our group kinda grilled the presenter… hahahaha but I mean that’s what he’s there for right? I am still undecided as to what I think about CAFTA… but I’m sure by the time I come home I will have formed an opinion. What the U.S. embassy guy was proposing was that these free trade agreements are extremely beneficial for the U.S. (which I’m sure they are) but he got shaky when we started asking about the other countries. I mean he had his data, but idk I got the impression he wanted us to care about, or expected us to care about, solely the U.S. benefits in CAFTA. Which yah that really helps us but, idk.  We started talking about outsourcing jobs, and he was saying stuff along the lines of we are good at making airplanes and they are good at making t-shirts…. Eek… that one is not going to fly mister. Hahah we make airplanes, that won’t fly, hahahhaah. Anyways, someone asked about like competition in markets and looking for the best profit so companies will just keep going to where labor is cheapest. He defended that saying  a lot more than labor cost goes into choosing where you put a factory or call center. Which is true, but lets be honest companies are  going where they can pay their workers cheap wages. He went on to say that $2 in Bangladesh was a good wage. So I asked what he meant by a good wage- a good wage meaning it was good bc there were no other jobs in Bangladesh so $2 was better than not having any income at all, or  a good wage meaning it provided the workers with food, clean water, electricity, education, etc. He proceeded to say that he didn’t think anyone in Bangladesh had electricity. Umm ok… and that he wasn’t an expert on Bangladesh so he wasn’t sure. Yah.. why don’t we look into that.

                    He talked about another example about how companies figured out that if they treat their workers well they get better products(brilliant concept iknow) and how one company started providing meals for the women or the mothers or whatever, but then found out that they weren’t eating it they were sneaking it home to give to their families, so they appointed someone to make sure these women eat. That was supposed to be a good thing I think, but then I asked so does that mean that with the salary they were being paid they couldn’t feed their families? Going back to my point in the $2 bangladesh thing. He said well you know you can’t feed your extended family off your salary or the whole neighborhood, and alluded to the cultural thing of caring for your very extended family. Idk if I buy that. Not saying it’s not true or possible, just seems to me that if they feel the need to sneak food away from work to home then obvi something isn’t being provided for with their salary.. aka food.

                    I did also ask about minimum wage requirements and labor laws and he said that those were in CAFTA now and that the companies were abiding by the laws of the countries they were in. But, I have read other things about worker treatment and big word wide companies driving the country’s actual businesses out of business.I think I just need to read more and listen more on this topic. Bc this is a huge thing for Costa Ricans. CAFTA or TLC created hugeeee protests here when it was being voted on being passed and it just barely passed. Someone asked why if it was only providing economic growth, as he had suggested in his presentation, then why there were such huge protests and controversy over it in CR (CR passed it like 2 years after the rest of Central America passed it). He said he thought basically bc it was new and different and the people were used to government control so were afraid of change. Yes that is possible, and if he were my only source I might believe it. But he’s not. So I don’t  believe it was simply fear of change. I have asked multiple times why but this issue gets real confusing real fast for me so I have to ask again. But I think(emphasis on the think) the gist is that it doesn’t help the lower class of people but rather helps the  rich upper class of Costa Rica and not the majority in the bottoms. Basically rich get richer and poor get poorer.

      Anyways always having great conversations here, and I mean that, I’m not being sarcastic. Sorry if these types of blogs bore you.  I am doing great here in CR! Every week is faster than the last! The mangoes here are like heaven in your mouth. Omygosh i could eat the entire truckful. Also plantains ommmmm sooo goood!!! I could eat them all day longggg!!! And the coffee. Ah! cafécito at ICADS is my favorite part of the day!! It is like soo rich!! ah! ok that's me and my food. Although i do have to buy some sort of chocolate everyday ahhahahaha Cookies, candy bar, or icecream-- one of those almost everday... eh prob not the best idea, but we don't have dessert at home!!! :)