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At least 63 percent of the Costa Rican people opposed the government's decision to join the US-led alliance in the war on Iraq, an opinion poll showed on Saturday.
Most people surveyed did not want the government to support the United States in a war on Iraq, according to the poll, conducted by the daily La Nacion through its web site.
The poll indicated that 63 percent of the 2,136 Costa Ricans surveyed considered as "negative" the decision of President Abel Pacheco's government to include the country in the list of the US allies in the armed action against Iraq.
Another 4 percent considered the decision "very negative" while18 percent of those polled labeled the decision as "excellent." Three percent of the respondents termed the alliance as "good."
Pacheco said in a statement that Costa Rica has been integrated with the US-led alliance in the war against Iraq.
However, Costa Rican Ombudsman Jose Echandi said Pacheco's position is "personal," for he did not consult other government officials and social sectors before taking the decision.
Analysts Jaime Ordonez and Luis Solis warned that Costa Rica could become the target of terrorist attacks "because of this political mistake."
In Latin America, besides Costa Rica, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Colombia also support the US-led war in Iraq.
(Xinhua News Agnecy March 23, 2003)
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