WikiLeaks Reveals US Pressure to FTA with Costa Rica

First reported March 3, 2011 · Updated October 29, 2026

March 3, 2011 | San José, Costa Rica

Diplomatic cables released through WikiLeaks and examined by Costa Rican newspaper La Nación in March 2011 show sustained U.S. diplomatic interest in the approval and implementation of CAFTA-DR, the trade agreement linking Costa Rica with the United States and several Central American and Caribbean countries. The disclosures reopened debate about how far Washington had sought to influence Costa Rica’s internal political process.

The controversy centers on Costa Rica’s October 7, 2007 referendum, in which voters narrowly approved the agreement. That decision followed a contentious campaign in which supporters argued that the treaty would support exports and investment, while opponents raised concerns about public services, labor, farming and national economic sovereignty.

What the leaked documents show

On March 1, 2011, La Nación announced that it had obtained 827 U.S. diplomatic cables related to Costa Rica, spanning reports written between December 2004 and February 2010. The newspaper said 139 cables concerned the discussion and approval of the trade agreement, with other material addressing elections, relations with China and security cooperation.

The cables offer unusually direct insight into how diplomats monitored Costa Rican politics. One December 2007 dispatch from the U.S. Embassy in San José described difficulties in approving legislation needed to implement CAFTA-DR, including resistance from opposition parties and negotiations involving the Ministry of Foreign Trade.

The language of the embassy reports reflects a clear U.S. preference for implementation. That is meaningful evidence of diplomatic advocacy and detailed political engagement. It does not, on its own, prove that the referendum result was controlled or falsified by foreign officials.

A close public vote

Costa Rica’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal, the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE), certified 805,658 votes for the agreement and 756,814 against. That translated to approximately 51.6% in favor and 48.4% opposed among valid votes.

The narrow result made the referendum an enduring reference point for debates about Costa Rica’s economic model. For treaty supporters, it supplied a popular mandate to modernize trade policy and open certain sectors. For opponents, it did not erase concerns over how the agreement would affect institutions and communities.

Political leader Ottón Solís, a prominent critic of the agreement, argued in comments reported at the time that the cables supported accusations of U.S. interference. That is a political interpretation of the records and should be attributed to him, rather than presented as a court finding.

What happened next

Costa Rica proceeded with the legislative and regulatory changes needed for CAFTA-DR. The diplomatic records remained relevant to scholarship and debate because they documented discussions taking place behind the scenes at a pivotal moment in the country’s trade history.

The most defensible conclusion is that U.S. officials actively favored the agreement and closely followed its prospects. Readers can examine the released diplomatic cables and the TSE’s certified results separately to distinguish diplomacy, political allegations and independently verified electoral facts.

Questions and answers

What did WikiLeaks disclose? U.S. diplomatic reports describing political developments and efforts surrounding CAFTA-DR in Costa Rica.

When was the referendum? October 7, 2007.

Did the agreement pass? Yes. The TSE certified a narrow majority in favor.

Do the cables prove the vote was fraudulent? No. They document diplomatic activity and commentary, not proof that the certified ballots were altered.

Sources

Photo: Casa Presidencial, San José. MadriCR, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.