Cosa Rica: Costa Ricans approve CAFTA

A crowd of young people, some from the University of Costa Rica, burn a banner in support of CAFTA outside the Legislative Assembly.

In a bit of a surprise ending, Costa Ricans approved the Central American Free Trade agreement Sunday.

More than 1.5 million Costa Ricans headed to the polls, as almost 60 percent of the eligible voters showed up, according to figures by the Supreme Elections Tribunal.

As of Monday night, with 59.16 percent of all the polls counted, the Si vote had 51.61 percent while the No vote had 48.39 percent.

Polls leading to the referendum had the No vote up by 8 points. Early Sunday, the leader of the No movement even declared that he expected to win by at least 10 percent.

Sunday's vote was the culmination of more than four years of a debate that has consumed this nation of 4 million.

A voting box in Puriscal, a town about an hour away from San Jose. All voting booths were set up in schools around the country.

The mood most of Sunday was almost festive as people from each side took to the streets to show their support for their respective campaigns. People were dressed in Si or No shirts. Some stuck stickers or tied flags around them. Cars were equally decorated, and many drivers honked to show their support. Music played in many of the voting locations, and the Si supporters even held a concert.

By night, though, as the results showed the No vote losing, a small crowd of young people began protesting raucously.

Outside the No headquarters, tension ran high as some angry and frustrated supporters yelled at singers on a stage to call fraud.

A small mob of students, some covering their faces with bandannas, tried to block traffic. One man broke the glass covering an advertisement from the Supreme Elections Tribunal.

A Si booth welcomed voters to the school in the indigenous reserve of Quitirrisi. The vote leaned to the approval of CAFTA in this small village with 679 eligible voters.

A man walks on the road leading to the school in Quitirrisi.

The Ninta Cabezas Gonzalez school. Around one quarter of Quitirrisi's eligible voters were expected to show.

A woman, her child, and an observer of the No campaign walk up to the school where the voting was set up in Quitirrisi. The man said the Si led here because they gave away gifts.

Around 50 students gathered outside the Legislative Assembly building to protest, burning and yelling anti-CAFTA chants.