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A.M. Costa Rica third newspage
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San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, March 8, 2007, Vol. 7, No. 48

Costa Rica pauses to consider the daily work of its women

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The women keep Costa Rica working. From sweaty kitchen jobs, to the nation's hospitals, food processing plants, garment shops and the legislative chambers, women keep the country humming.

When politicians wanted to keep free trade protesters calm, they put women police officers in the front ranks. And women are making inroads in previous all-male domains, like taxi drivers.

Today being International Women's Day several events are planed, including a celebration all day at the Centro Nacional de Cultura. President Óscar Arias Sánchez will visit in the afternoon.

Costa Rica is one of the few countries that requires 40 percent women on political party ballots. Consequently women end up with major legislative roles and posts in the municipalities.

But all is not well. Sexual harassment is a workplace fact, perhaps here more than in the United States and Canada because of the aggressive nature of Latin men and weaker enforcement.

Domestic violence, even killings are not unknown.

Sometimes the elderly are cut out of the social system and end up on the street seeking coins like 83-year-old Socorro Serrano Mena, who said Wednesday night that her son has

Socorro Serrano Mena seeks charity

A.M. Costa Rica photos/Saray Ramírez Vindas

Cafe Mundo workers Yessania, Mauren, Xinia, Rocio, Shirley and Sandra

his own family to support. She was working late on the pedestrian boulevard near a local supermarket with a tin soup can in her hand.

And the country has equal opportunity for law breakers. At the Centro Penitenciario El Buen Pastor in San Rafael Arriba de Desamparados some 477 women are serving out prison sentences, about 80 percent as a result of drug crimes. About 85 percent are heads of households. Evita Arguedas Maklouf, leader of the Movimiento Libertario in the Asamblea Legislativa, was there Wedneday to deliver seven computers for the inmates to learn useful skills.

At the popular Cafe Mundo in Barrio Amón the food is served by women, as it is in most of the nation's restaurants. And many workers are on the job late and face the dreaded second shift as housewives and mothers when they get home.

Costa Ricans have a deep respect for their mother. Mother's Day, Aug. 20, this year, is a national holiday. The International Day of the Woman has not yet risen to the level of a holiday, but the status of women was a topic at the president's cabinet meeting Wednesday, and male politicians are anxious to let women voters know the topic is one of their priorities.

Although originally started as a political event, International Women's Day has transcended partisan support to become a U.N. recognized event.

Here in Costa Rica Channel 7 Teletica will be honoring women who have done special things in a show today. Being honored is whale and dolphin expert Sierra Goodman from Drake Bay on the Osa Peninsula.

Pastor detained here to face sex abuse charges in Georgia

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

A pastor of a religious group in Georgia is the latest U.S. citizen to be nabbed here to face charges in the north.
He is David J. Barrett, who faces a litany of allegations involving sexual contact and abuse of minors, according to the Dirección de Inteligencia y Seguridad/INTERPOL here.

Barrett was picked up Wednesday near an Internet cafe in Alajuela and gave no resistance to officers, they said.
He is the subject of a federal arrest warrant that alleges he fled U.S. jurisdiction to avoid prosecution.

Officials said that in Georgia he faces charges that he conducted some sort of religious ceremonies with a 14-year-old girl that resulted in sexual contact.

The bearded Barrett was associated with The House of Living Waters group in central Georgia, officials said.

He is believed to have entered Costa Rica in late 2006

Ministerio de Gobernación, Policía
y Seguridad Pública photo

David J. Barrett on his way to jail

and lived in four Alajuela locations, said officials. The arrest here was ordered by the Tribunal de Juicio de San José.

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San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, March 8, 2007, Vol. 7, No. 48

Are you considering doing business with a burglar alarm company?

If so, you should contact me first
for my opinion

prometheusthegreek@gmail.com

2970-2/8/07

From a hotel owner:

'At this time we have a deposit and all looks good!! Thank you for your help, and I must say your paper is impressive, and I had no idea you had such a circulation around the world. Received many inquiries for our hotel for that reason.'

She used our classifieds!

More comments from our readers about life in Costa Rica

Inefficiency goes with territory

Dear A.M. Costa Rica:

Odd, isn't it? People want to live in a little paradise and then decide they should change things to suit their notions of how paradise should be run. It's like marrying someone because he's good looking but then wanting to change everything about him to fit your notion of how he SHOULD be.

Costa Ricans have been getting along just fine for decades, and don't seem bothered by any of it — bottom line, if you don't like the level of inefficiency and other "charming" elements of paradise, looks like you need to reconsider where you'd like to live.

Reminds me of the story of when Malcolm X first went to Mecca on a haj (pilgrimage) — he thought it would really be in improvement if there were one lane going in and another coming out instead of the crowd-crushing mishmash.

Go figure!

Susan Gordon
(resident in CR from 1965 to 1983)
Tel Aviv

Husband just would not listen

Dear A.M. Costa Rica:

I hate to always have to say "I told you so" to my husband, but unfortunately this time, it cost him, well us dearly! I have traveled throughout Costa Rica extensively over the past 17 years, I completely understand the do's and don't list to remain safe while traveling. Unfortunately, my Tico husband and I have never seen eye to eye on theft in Costa Rica.

On Feb. 16th while traveling to Sámara from San José we decided to stop for breakfast. My husband selected a restaurant within a mall. Therefore we could not see the luggage. I told him I was not leaving our bags in the car while we ate. We needed to find another restaurant. There are plenty of open air restaurants that you can just pull your car up and watch it while you dine.

He got an attitude with me, telling me I was paranoid, and that people aren't everywhere looking to steal, we are in a "good part of town." He got my famous "WHATEVER, DUDE" response.

The next day, my husband wanted to head up to Flamingo. I really wasn't in the mood, I was quite happy at my villa on the beach in Sámara. So he took his sister with him up to Flamingo. They parked the car so that they could see it from the beach. However he left his suitcase, video camera, digital camera and, oh yes, my absolute favorite, HIS WALLET in the car. While he could see the front of the car, a clever thief carefully picked the lock on the hatchback and took EVERYTHING out without my husband or his sister noticing. There was a guard there, but he obviously was either part of the theft or turned the other way.

My husband had his permanent residency card in his wallet, so now there is no way for him to get back home. The rest of our trip consisted of visiting the Judicial Investigating Organization to make the police report, canceling credit cards, making two trips to the U.S. Embassy to obtain a special transit letter ($200) for my husband to get back home, and even with that, he missed his flight home. We had to pay an additional $608 for a one-way flight home (Continental would not credit us anything for changing its flight).

Once he was finally able to come home, we find out a replacement Green Card costs $260, and takes 6 to 8 months to receive. So we go through another set of hoops and $$$$ to get a temporary stamp placed in my husbands passport to work and travel.

We have gone through a nightmare, a costly nightmare that is so totally preventable. Costa Rica is such a beautiful country. The last thing that you want to do is waste your time trying to get back home.

While we were in the embassy, there were several people making the same request for a transit letter which really surprised me. Anyway, I just thought I would share my story to remind everyone to be safe while traveling.

Connie Gutierrez
Belmar, New Jersey

Give cops a cut of traffic fines

Dear A.M. Costa Rica:

Your commentator did not suggest raising fines for traffic infractions.

What he suggested was to enforce the laws and fines already on the books; eliminate the police's ability to not issue a ticket that should cost USD $50 for, say, 5,000 colons pocketed by the officer.

In America we have a problem with too many laws being made. The problem is the legislatures forgot they already

have many of these laws, but that the people in charge of enforcement, simply do not.

Taking the license plate is a bit extreme I think. However, allowing a tourist to pay the traffic fine by check, in USD on the spot, made out to the treasury (and not the officer) might help.

I know of several people from the U.S.A. who have had their license revoked, but drive regularly in Costa Rica. They have told me they have driven many times in Costa Rica drunk, and, if pulled over, simply pay the officer an amount equal to about $20 USD to just be let go. In America the average DUI would cost an offender $1,500. USD.

If the police officers were given a percentage of the fines they collected for the treasury, maybe laws would get enforced better. What do you think?

Having driven only twice between San José and Jacó, I will say it is a frightening experience. You do not know if the oncoming traffic will be on the right or the left as you turn each hairpin. I can't imagine driving that route under the influence of alcohol.

Leah Talley
Florida

Traffic is our No. 1 problem

Dear A.M. Costa Rica:

I would like to comment on the articles about the lack of efficiency in Costa Rica and some upcoming problems, which have not been touched on.

I have lived here for over 27 years and have watched the growing traffic problem, grow out of control. As more and more cars have been added to the obsolete roads, traffic has become the No. 1 problem in Costa Rica. Forget the TLC, forget Tourism, and forget the economy. If the road system is not fixed and soon, it won't matter.

This road system is not far from becoming total gridlock. No one goes to work, no one goes to the airport, and no one goes anywhere. The lack of planning and the lack of being able to see forward is the No. 1 problem here. If the government does not do something soon, all those new BMW and Hummers will make nice planters. Real estate prices will tumble, and going to the store for food will be an all-day affair.

I love this country. It's my home, and I never want to leave it. Fifteen or 20 years ago problems like these were just pushed aside and small improvements were made to ease the traffic flow. Well now it is totally different and needs major response. The government has to do something, or we are all going to suffer.

Wake up, President Arias. Stop traveling and stay here and take care of the problems at hand, mainly the roads.

Rick Blum
Santa Ana

The storm is coming

Dear A.M. Costa Rica:

Efficiency is only a piece of the puzzle. When inefficiency is combined with wide-spread crime and corruption through all levels of government, the result is what we witness today in Costa Rica.

As an individual who had planned to move to Costa Rica, and who has invested a considerable amount of time and money in preparation for doing so, I am heartbroken about the current state of affairs in this country. I foresee an extended period of time of tumult in Costa Rica. During this coming period, life here will be almost unlivable for many Ticos and expats alike, who until very recently must have thought they had a place in paradise.

Last week's anti-trade agreement demonstration should send a strong message to people that no matter what the outcome of the agreement, many in this country simply do not like us, and do not want us here. This mentality is particularly distressing because as that sentiment grows, fewer and fewer dollars will be circulated in this country. The impact of which will only exacerbate the present situation, and lead to an ever accelerating spiral of crime and corruption, followed by more and more departing capital.

I wish I didn't have to sound like a purveyor of doom and gloom, but I have to state the facts as I see them. This is a beautiful country, inhabited with many wonderful people, who will suffer greatly as this situation evolves. The people I have come to love and admire will be left with a hollow shell of a country adrift in crime, corruption, and self-loathing.

I would be delighted if my predictions are wrong. The good people of Costa Rica deserve so much more than what is being handed to them. However, the long and the short of it is, a critical mass has already been reached, and there is little anyone can do now to avert the storm as it approaches.

David Jule
Rye, New Hampshire

Bush wants Cuban people to determine post-Castro future

By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services

On the eve of his six-day tour of Latin America, President George Bush says the people of Cuba should decide what form of government to support after the death of their President Fidel Castro.

In interviews published in Latin America Wednesday, Bush said Castro has "imposed" his Communist government on
Cuba. He said he hopes Cubans transition to a new type of government after Castro's death.

Castro transferred power to his brother, Defense Minister

Raúl Castro, after having intestinal surgery in July.

Bush will travel to Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico over the next week. He has said the United States will support initiatives to strengthen government institutions in the region, assist in education and health care, and improve the countries' economies.

Bush also said he welcomes an anti-Bush rally planned in Argentina, because he loves freedom and the right for people to express themselves. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, an outspoken critic of Bush, has said he plans to attend the rally.

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A.M. Costa Rica Second newspage
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San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, March 8, 2007, Vol. 7, No. 48