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A.M. Costa Rica third newspage
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San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2007, Vol. 7, No. 32

Sounding of opinion shows no consistent expat point of view

By Noel Dekking
of the A.M. Costa Rica staff

What do expats worry about?

Are they concerned about the free trade treaty with the United States?

Do they applaud the work of President Óscar Arias Sánchez?

Do they just want to gaze at the sunset and not worry at all about Costa Rican politics or problems.

Well, the answer is yes to all of the above if a quick sounding of movers, shakers and newsmakers is to be believed. A.M. Costa Rica routinely sounds out expat opinion.

Some in the expat community are as split over Costa Rican politics as are the locals. That includes North Americans who gave their views about the Central American Free Trade Agreement.

Some were happy with President Arias, others not so pleased. Perhaps the only difference is that Ticos who are disinterested are often jaded by the political past, while the lack of interest among some expats seemed to be that they came here to avoid politics altogether.

Howard Singer of Heredia is a visible figure in U.S. veterans affairs here. “I'm retired here and I don't get involved in politics," said Singer. "I came here for peace and quiet, so quite frankly I don't give a damn. The life is good, cost of living good, most of the people are good, and it's a beautiful country.” Others share his view and opted for being political spectators.

Others were more opinionated about the two-time president. Vicki Skinner, owner of the Casa Sarong Goddess Guesthouse in Escazú, said that Arias has not done enough regarding the roads and the personal security issues. Because of this, she said, tourism is down and less people are coming down on repeat visits.

Ficklin Bryant, also of Escazú and a children’s book writer, said that he thinks Arias is doing okay, but that he knows a lot of expats who are leaving Costa Rica because of the rising crime rate and prices. He said that some of those leaving are going to Panamá because the government makes it a lot easier on foreigners with better visa rules, easier residency, and lots of senior discounts.

Bobbi Johnson, a well-known Nosara resident, said that people at the Pacific beaches are terrified of the robberies and violence, something that doesn't bode well for Arias' plan to increase eco-tourism in the area.

Carol Wunderle, a piano teacher who left Ohio 16 years ago to come here, disagrees and thinks that the country and

current president are all great. She said that she doesn't follow politics too much, but added, “We were all for him the last time he was president. He's for peace and that's great.”

Krysia Peterson, a Toronto, Canada, native now in El Rodeo, said that nothing really drastic has happened since Arias took power. She said that there's been a lot more work on the roads lately, but wasn't sure if Arias was the one to thank for that.

Chuck Jennings, president of the PC Club in Costa Rica, said considering that former president Abel Pacheco did absolutely nothing, Arias is doing a great job. Jennings said that the best thing Arias did was pick a good cabinet, adding, “Arias has people in there who are really concerned about each area of the cabinet. You can see a lot of things that are really improving in the country.”

Jennings also spoke in depth about another hot political topic, the free trade agreement, here known as the Tratado de Libre Comercio. The computer wiz said that he sees nothing wrong with the free trade agreement, but the problem is “the fear factor” on the part of the state-run monopolies.

Jennings said that it may hurt some of the long-time workers for company's like Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad, known as ICE, but that Costa Rica would seriously benefit from the injection of new infrastructure into areas such as the Internet and phone services.

A man who did not want his name used has been doing business here for years. He agreed with Jennings, saying that monopolies like Radiográfica Costarricense S.A., ICE, and the Instituto Nacional de Seguros don't want to give up their power. He said that certain people have been making too much money over there for years and that unions, such as those at the monopolies, are only good for the leaders.
Other expats held the position that while the free trade may be good for infrastructure, for the average worker of Costa Rica it is not a good deal.

David Norman of Heredia who has lived here for 15 years, said he doesn't think that the treaty is a good thing for the workers in the street, adding, “It's going to help the bigger man, not the average Costa Rica.”

Bryant also talked about the treaty. He simply stated that the rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer, at least that's how it seems to go. Ms. Skinner said her biggest fear is that it will harm the average worker financially.

She said her second fear was that there would be an increase in the genetically altered food and harmful pesticide use in Costa Rica.

There was agreement on one point, regardless of political positions: “When you deal with the bureaucracy, that's when the trouble really begins.”

Oswaldo Villalobos trial will be decided on core questions

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The trial was not supposed to be about Luis Enrique Villalobos Camacho but about his brother Oswaldo. After five and a half days of evidence, the fact is clear that Oswaldo Villalobos was a working partner with his brother.

Judicial Investigating Organization reports say this, and the audit reports presented by a prosecution expert witness says this with substantial evidence to support the claim.

Consequently, Oswaldo Villalobos will be judged on the same set of facts that would face the fugitive Enrique Villalobos if he were here.

Before the trial, the expectation was that the Oswaldo Villalobos defense team would argue that even though their client shared a leased office with his brother, Oswaldo Villalobos was not responsible for the activities that have generated fraud and money laundering charges.

The evidence from the Judicial Investigating Organization shows a business with two faces. Oswaldo Villalobos was identified with the Ofinter S.A. money exchange firm while brother Luis Enrique Villalobos was accepting millions from mostly North American creditors through the side door.

Even one of the brothers' own documents links the two operations. The instructions shown to investors say “Our business is money exchange . . . . We have accepted investments to give us working capital since 1980, ” according to lead investigating auditor Elisabeth Flores.

So now the defense team must address the substance of the prosecution's case, the same allegations that Luis Enrique would face if he were here. They probably cannot argue successfully that Oswaldo Villalobos was ignorant of what transpired in the back room of his money exchange firm at Mall San Pedro.

The evidence is clear that vast sums passed through the hands of Oswaldo and that key bank and brokerage accounts were opened and managed by him.

That the two brothers worked together is not a crime. But if illegal banking, money laundering and fraud charges

stick in the Oswaldo Villalobos trial, there is a high probability that the outcome would be the same in a trial of Luis Enrique Villalobos. This is troubling to creditors who hope that the fugitive financier can clear his name, return and pay them back.

There were little substantive developments in the trial Tuesday.

The court went into recess early to the evident displeasure of lead Judge Isabel Porras, after auditor Flores, testifying for the prosecution, asked for time to prepare evidence for the remainder of her presentation.

A good part of the morning’s session was spent waiting while assistants rummaged through boxes of evidence looking for the files Ms. Flores used as examples of how the Villalobos high-interest investment operation was structured. These files were duly entered into the trial record, after a cursory reading by the judges. The many documents in English were ignored. Eventually Ms. Flores was reproved by Judge Porras for using documents already in the record for discussion.

Ms. Flores added detail to Monday’s discussion of financial intermediation or banking with no substantive content other than to show that the investigators found nothing to indicate the investors knew of the high risk they faced.

Several times the blank guarantee check and “certificate of deposit” were used interchangeably in information given the investors. So investors had no way of knowing that any money sent to the local mutual fund, with the potential for losses, was not securely in the hands of a regulated financial institution, she said. In all, there were 11 Villalobos-controlled shell companies, and both Luis Enrique and Oswaldo Villalobos, had accounts at local brokerage firms, she said.

Luis Enrique Villalobos gave creditors blank checks with the amount invested written in rather than traditional promissory notes. The checks were considered simply a notation of deposit.

In testimony Monday Ms. Flores concluded that the Villalobos borrowing operation took in $404 million from 1996 until the offices were raided July 4, 2002.

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San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2007, Vol. 7, No. 32

Referendum to redraw national constitution passed by lawmakers in Ecuador
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff Ecuador's congress has approved a national referendum on whether to call a popular assembly to rewrite the constitution. The 100-member chamber passed the request of President Rafael Correa Tuesday in a vote of 57-1. Hundreds of people, including indigenous supporters of the	president, have rallied in front of Congress to demand approval of the request. Correa, who took office Jan.15, has called for an assembly to limit the power of traditional political parties, which he blames for the country's problems. In addition to rewriting the constitution, Correa wants to renegotiate Ecuador's oil contracts and withhold foreign debt payments he considers illegitimate.

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San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2007, Vol. 7, No. 32

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