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Second news page |
 Click HERE for photo tour of 526 properties for SALE or RENT in Escazú, Ciudad Colón, Santa Ana, Rohrmoser, Curridabat, Heredia and the Pacific Coast. |
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| Costa Rica Expertise Ltd http://crexpertise.com E-mail info@crexpertise.com Tel:506-256-8585 Fax:506-256-7575 |
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free trade effective date By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
and the A.M. Costa Rica staff As expected, the United States says the start of the U.S.-Central American Free Trade Agreement will be delayed. A spokesman for the U.S. Trade Representative said Friday that the target date for implementation has been pushed back to either the beginning of February or March. The pact had been set to go into effect this Sunday. The spokesman said the United States wants to begin the agreement as soon as possible, but needs to make sure it is done correctly. The United States has said all along that the agreement would go into effect on a rolling basis as each country participating sets up the laws and regulations to be in conformity with the treaty. The agreement, known as CAFTA, is meant to cut or get rid of tariffs between the United States and Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Costa Rica is the only country that has yet to ratify the pact. Stephen Norton, the trade rep spokesman, said again Friday that the participating countries can continue to enjoy existing trade preferences until full implementation takes place. "Several countries are close to being ready to implement but none has completed all of their internal procedures," said Norton. "For example, on December 15, El Salvador's Congress passed a legislative package to implement the CAFTA-DR. Once the Congress sends the legislation to President Saca for signature in early January, El Salvador will have the ability to issue further regulations and complete its internal steps and the final CAFTA implementation review process with the United States. In Costa Rica, both the treaty and the group of laws that would put the treaty into effect here are in the Asamblea Legislative. However, lawmakers left before Christmas on a lenthy vacation that will not end until after presidential elections Feb. 5. In addition to these pieces of legislation, the United States agreement with Costa Rica includes a side letter in which Washington agrees to respect Costa Rica's right to maintain the online gambling conducted from here. Our reader's opinion
Another way of business at Quepos gas station Dear A.M. Costa Rica: This is my response on the editorial regarding the ability of Costa Rica to compete. I only wish to tell a little story, will make no further comment regarding the competitiveness of Costa Ricans in general. Recently I was looking for a co-sponsor to help build a roofed bus stop at an intersection that serves many bus routes and has no covered stop. The intersection happens to be in front of the oldest gas station in the Quepos area. It is also about 5 kilometers before one would reach the newest most modern and best equipped gas station in the Quepos area. The second gas station not only offers more services, but the owner also has the concession to sell marine fuel and is likely one of the most successful businessmen in Quepos, a Costa Rican guy. I thought (as a competitive type of thing) that if we built the covered stop we would be able to paint signs advertising our businesses on the stop, and I thought the successful guy would really benefit, basically putting a sign that he was just down the road, in front of his "competition." When approached, this very successful businessman had no interest whatsoever. Turns out that he and the man who owns the other gas station are old friends. Beyond that, the older gas station has had a lot of administrative problems due to the fact that the old man who owns it left it in the hands of his sons who aren't such great administrators. The successful guy didn't want to do anything that would further create problems for his friend, who is a nice old guy, widely liked by people in the community. Given a choice, I would rather live around people who see the bigger picture and who operate as though there were enough business for all of us without cut-throat competition. I like the way small town business works, and I prefer to pay more in a locally owned business than buy from a chain. Call me crazy, but I stop in the local pulpería every day and buy something as I appreciate the convenience of a grocery store near my house and want to see them succeed. If you put a 7-11 on the way to my house, I wouldn't stop there, even if they had real donuts. Well, maybe if they had REAL donuts, every once in awhile! Robbie Felix
Manuel Antonio-Quepos |
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| A saying that encourages moderation in all things |
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| Ni tan cerca que
queme el Santo. Ni tan lejos que no lo alumbre. “Not so close so as to burn the saint, nor so far that it can’t be seen.” Literally, this dicho is talking about holding up a candle in order to view a statue or a painting of a saint. On one level it is yet another example of the strong influence that the Roman Catholic Church has had on Latin American culture. But the real meaning of this little saying is a bit like the ancient Athenian motto, “everything in proportion and nothing in excess.” It cautions us against extremes. We have a young nephew whom we are very fond of, but he always seems to want things at the wrong time. For example, when he is offered dinner, he is not hungry. Of course, he’s always ready for dessert. But the rule at our house is if you don’t eat your dinner, you forfeit the dessert. Over the course of his 12 years he has made great strides with eating, though the underlying concept of balanced nutrition still, I believe, eludes him. On Christmas he wanted a little bit more of the Christmas cake and, seeing as how it was the holidays, I allowed him to have some. But then, clearly taking advantage of this golden opportunity for gluttony, he gleefully sliced himself a huge chunk. This, of course, won him the scornful reproach of all present. So then, going altogether to the other extreme, he tried to cut a piece so thin that it fell apart into crumbs and morsels. This brought him more rebuke, and my sister finally took the knife away and cut him a reasonable slice of cake. Ni tan cerca que queme el santo. Ni tan lejos que no lo alumbre. Sometimes, though, extremes can appear to have their benefits. I heard on the news the other day, for example, about a businessman in Cañas, Guanacaste, who was kidnapped. A large sum of money was demanded from the family for his return. The four kidnappers took the businessman and went tearing off in their car toward Puntarenas. But |
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| Devils
and bull going at it in Boruca today |
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| By the A.M. Costa
Rica staff The bull and the devils will be going at it
again today in Boruca as the traditional Juego de los Diablitos
finishes up its four-day run.
This is a major festival for the Boruca Indian communities, but for those who can't make it today, organizers report that a similar event will be held the weekend of Jan. 27 in nearby Rey Curré. Both communities are in southwestern Costa Rica. The toro and the diablitos represented a version of |
the battle between good
and evil, which includes resurrection and renewal. The Diablitos, under the leadership of a Diablo Mayor confront the bull over the four days of the festival. All are disguised and wear the distinctive Boruca masks. Eventually the bull kills the devils, but they are reborn in time for the fourth day of the festival, and they go out seeking to kill the bull. The ritual confrontations are dances, and the community also gets involved with dancing and other aspects of a fiesta. On the final day, the remains of the murdered bull is burned up in a big bonfire. |
| Optimistic Pacheco says 2005 was an heroic year for Costa
Rica |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
President Abel Pacheco said that 2005 was an heroic year for the country despite natural disasters, limitations of resources, the crisis in the price of oil and "many other terrible things." Thanks to the work of Costa Ricans, the president said the country reduced poverty, increased employment, increased production and exports, improved the income of homes and reduced the gap between the income of the most fortunate and the most humble. And he called on the country to redouble its efforts for 2006. Pacheco, joined by his wife, Leila Rodríguez, made the comments in his weekly radio and television speech. |
In passing reference to
the free trade treaty with the United States
and his plan to increase taxes, Pacheco said that the "unity of the
Costa Rican family" must be maintained in this year when there are
elections and it is also necessary to take other decisions. Unity is needed so these decisions do not divide the country, he said. "We will not permit the division and conflict to weaken our aspirations of prosperity and well being," he said. Pacheco's optimistic summary is not shared by many Costa Ricans who believe that their quality of life has been eroded. Pacheco said nothing about the condition of the nation's roads. Their state, caused in part by backlash from hurricanes, will be the defining element of his presidency in years to come. |
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Fourth news page |
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| Friday morning was a time of multiple murders in San
José |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Three men died early Friday morning in separate murders in San José. One victim was Gustavo Lascares Víquez, 25, who was confronted by two juveniles near a bus stop about 4 a.m. in Guadalupe. The robbers were after his celluar telephone, and when he did not cooperate, they shot him fatally, took the telephone and fled. In the settlement of Léon XIII, Michael Rojas Salazar, 31, died about 3:35 a.m. in what investigators are calling a crime of vengeance. The victim was shot at least 15 times at short range. Rojas used to live in the La Uruca settlement but moved about three months ago to Alajuelita, investigators said, adding that none of the residents there want to talk about the case. At Plaza González Víquez in central San José the body |
of a man was
found in the public right-of-way. That happened about 6:30 a.m. Investigators Friday said they also had found information that the death of a man Dec. 22 in a fire in Léon XIII was murder. They said he was tied up and tortured with blows and sharp objects for some time before his death. A 23-year-old adult was been arrested and a minor is being sought. Investigators said the dead man was José Mata Zúñiga. He was found in a burning home about 8:30 a.m. Dec. 22. A medical examiniation showed later how he died. Thursday in Home Creek, Limón, a 21-year-old man, Denis Sanabria Astorga, was shot during a dispute over 5,000 colons, some $10. He, too, died Friday morning in Hospital Tony Facio. His brother-in-law was arrested. |
| Bolivian president-elect pays a visit to Cuba and meets with
Fidel Castro |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Bolivian president-elect Evo Morales met with Fidel Castro in Havana, Cuba, Friday The two leaders told a large group of Bolivian students studying in Cuba that among new agreements between the countries is a plan to step up bilateral education efforts. |
Morales — a socialist
who will become Bolivia's first indigenous
president when he is inaugurated Jan. 22 —chose Communist Cuba for his
first trip since winning a victory two weeks ago. After ringing in the new year with his countrymen, Morales was to embark on a trip to Spain, France, Belgium, China and South Africa before taking office Jan. 22. |
| Zapatistas begin a nationwide tour to promote their
poliitcal agenda |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Mexico's Zapatista rebels emerged from their southern jungle hideouts Sunday to begin what they say will be a six-month nationwide tour. The rebels, who are traveling unarmed, hope to build support for indigenous people's rights and the poor ahead of Mexico's presidential election in July. The tour was kicking off in the city of San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas state, where rebel leader |
Subcomandante Marcos
was due to speak. The mysterious ski mask-wearing leader plans to meet with other leftist organizations throughout Mexico in an effort to broaden the Zapatistas' appeal. The rebel leader is asking that he now be called "Delegate Zero." The tour's start coincides with the 12th anniversary of a Zapatista uprising demanding greater rights for Indians and autonomy for the Chiapas region. |
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