Around 3,000 striking workers from Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) achieved the goal of their protest, to lift the purchasing restrains that Superintendencia de Telecomunicación (Sutel) imposed.

To go ahead with the acquisition of Cable Vision company, Sutel had asked ICE to return several radio-electronic frequencies but today it recanted.

Jorge Arguedes, president of Asociación Nacional de Técnicos de Energía y Telecomunicaciones, said Sutel favors private enterprising over public institutions by rising the tariffs and creating additional difficulties.

Frente Amplio Party Rep. Jose Maria Villalta said that privatising radio and TV transmissions would provoke some 350 million dollar loss (over 176 billion colones) to the ICE.

All morning through, the unions from different offices of the electricity sector along the country have protested at the companies main office to demand invalidation of the decree, reports La Nacion.

Because of the strike, several areas of the capital are without electricity service.