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but diesel dips 3.6 cents By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Gasoline is going up, and diesel is going down in the latest price fixings by the national regulatory agency. Super gasoline is going up 52 colons (about 9.3 U.S. cents) from 435 colons (77.5 cents) per liter. Plus goes from 429 colons (76.5 cents) to 474 colons (84.5 cents) for an increase of 45 colons (about 8 cents). Diesel dips 20 colons (3.6 cents) to 415 colons (74 cents) a liter. Other products, such as aviation gasoline and liquid petroleum gas, show similar increases. The Authoridad Reguladora de Servicios Públicos sets the fuel prices every second week of the month based on market costs. The new prices will go into effect March 19 when the resolution is published in the La Gaceta official newspaper. Petroleum in Costa Rica is a government monopoly. Four held in robbery cases involving bank customers By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Investigators have detained four persons they believe are linked to a wave of more than three dozen robberies of bank customers over the last year. Agents moved in after two persons faced robbers this week. Both were on their way from a bank. Monday a messenger left a bank in Moravia only to be held up by two men on a white motorcycle in Barrio Aranjuez in northeast San José. His company, which is located near the scene of the holdup, lost $1,500 in cash. In Desamparados Tuesday a 40-year-old man suffered critical injuries when he was held up by two men on a motorcycle fitting the same description. The man suffered gunshots to the arm and chest. Agents said the robbers were helped by a person who spotted bank customers leaving with large sums of cash. They detained a woman they said filled this role. Some persons are still being sought. Some members of the band have been killed in encounters with armed bank customers or police, officials said. Store robbery suspects led police caravan home By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Two men help up a household appliance store in the center of Tibás Wednesday, but a caravan of policemen on motorcycles and patrol cars, followed them to León XIII where two suspects surrendered. The robbers pistol whipped an employee of the store and opened a gash on his head. They took a .38-caliber pistol from a guard. The store was Gallo. The men are frequent visitors to the police station and courts, officials said. Taken at the store was about 7 million colons in goods, such as cell telephones and a computer. That's about $12,500. The area when the men live is not one where police usually are welcome, so the Fuerza Pública put on a show of force and eventually talked the men into leaving their home and surrendering. U.S. renews import barriers on pre-Columbian artifacts By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The United States has extended import restrictions on archaeological materials from the pre-Columbian cultures of Honduras. This extension is a continuation of cooperation that began in 2004 when the United States implemented import restrictions to stem the problem of pillage of Honduras’ rich pre-Columbian heritage and the illicit trafficking in such material, said the U.S. State Department. The agreement enables the imposition of import restrictions on certain categories of archaeological material ranging in date from approximately 1200 B.C. to approximately 1500 A.D., including objects made of ceramic, metal, stone, shell, and animal bone. The agreement also calls upon both governments to encourage academic institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and other private entities to cooperate in the exchange of knowledge and information about the cultural patrimony of Honduras, and to collaborate in its preservation and protection. The restricted objects may enter the United States if accompanied with an export permit issued by the government of Honduras or documentation verifying its ownership prior to 2004 and if no other applicable U.S. laws are violated, said the State Department.
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| A.M. Costa Rica third newspage |
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Twin quakes cause a lot of
concern but hardly any damage
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Twin earthquakes in the southern zone sent television reporters off to the site of the Jan. 8 fatal earthquake where they interviewed anyone who said they were frightened. The Spanish-language daily La Nación headlined "New quake causes panic in the southern zone" in its daily update. Alas, it was not to be. The Fuerza Pública reported that Golfito school children were sent home after the first quake at 11:24 a.m. The free port depot in Golfito was cleared out after the 3:04 p.m. quake. But there was little damage. The national emergency commission said that some homes had items fall off shelves and that a crack appeared in the Colegio Humberto Meloni in San Vito de Coto Brus. And it said that there was a power outage at the Hospital de Ciudad Neily that caused the suspension of surgeries there. Initial reports had the initial quake at 6.2 magnitude, about the same force as the quake that hit in the vicinity of the Poás volcano Jan. 8. The U.S. Geological Survey said 5.7 for the first quake and 5.9 for the second. The quakes were under the Golfo Dulce that separates Golfito from the Osa Peninsula. Although online maps show the quakes at different points in the gulf, the sites are well within the measurement error range. |
 U.S. Geological Survey map
Purple lines show boundaries between
tectonic plates
The Geological Survey reported 17 quakes, based on Greenwich Mean Time Wednesday, that were more than 3.0 magnitude. There already were seven worldwide today, Thursday, by midnight Costa Rican time. The quakes Wednesday were felt as a gentle rocking motion in the Central Valley and generated a flood of cell phone, land line and Internet messages. |
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U.S. vice president plans
Costa Rican visit at end of month
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Casa Presidencial scheduled a 5:30 p.m. press conference of major importance Wednesday and then canceled it at the last minute. The Presidencia said that the important event involved another country and that Costa Rica was going to make a joint announcement today. But the news leaked out that the big event is the visit of Joseph R. Biden, the 66-year-old vice president of the |
United States at the end of the
month. Biden will be visiting one other Latin American country. When he was 29 Biden won election to the U.S. Senate and has tried to win the presidency several times. He served as a senator from Delaware. While in the Senate, Biden voted against the Central American Free Trade Agreement, which did pass. President Óscar Arias Sánchez worked hard to have the measure passed here. Biden complained about the enforceability of environmental and labor standards. |
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Boulder blasting put off for
a day on the Caribbean coastal road Ruta 36
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Highway workers are supposed to be blasting a large boulder near Hone Creek as this edition went to press. The work was supposed to be done Monday, but other work required the same workforce, said the Consejo de Vialidad. The work was supposed to be finished today at 6 a.m. The boulder was part of a slide that effectively blocked the |
highway, said the consejo. The
highway is Ruta 36, which is the coastal
road from Limón to the Panama line. Workers closed the highway
at 6
p.m., they said. Heavy rains over the weekend caused the slide, but the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional said Wednesday that the Caribbean would experience cloudy skies today with isolated showers in the mountains. The weather institute did warn of high winds in the morning gradually tapering off during the day. |
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| A.M. Costa Rica fourth news page |
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Reich denies Bush
administration promoted 2002 coup
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By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
In heated congressional testimony, a former senior official of the Bush administration has denied U.S. involvement in the failed 2002 coup that briefly toppled Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. New light has been shed on an issue that remains a sore point in U.S.-Venezuelan relations to this day. On April 11, 2002, Venezuela's military ousted Chávez, detained him, and installed pro-opposition businessman Pedro Carmona as interim president. But the coup quickly faltered and ultimately crumbled amid massive protests and bloody confrontations between Chávez-backers and security forces. Less than 48 hours after his ouster, a triumphant Hugo Chávez returned to power, and Carmona went into exile. Ever since, Chávez has accused the United States of orchestrating the coup, and argued that Washington has no credibility as a defender of democracy in the Americas. U.S. officials have repeatedly denied the charge. To date, no evidence has emerged that the Bush administration actively aided in the preparation or execution of the coup attempt. What remains an open question to many historians, however, is whether the U.S. government had advance knowledge of the coup and tacitly backed Chavez' ouster, and to what extent the United States embraced the short-lived interim Venezuelan government. The State Department's point man for Latin America at the time was Otto Reich. He was assistant secretary of State for Western Hemisphere affairs. He testified on Capitol Hill Wednesday. Speaking about the future of U.S.-Latin American relations, Reich said President Barack Obama must distinguish between democratic leaders and despots in the hemisphere. Those words prompted a testy response from Rep. Bill Delahunt, a Massachusetts Democrat. "I have full confidence in President Obama," he said. "And I dare say in the case of Venezuela, he would not have made an effort to support tacitly the coup. He would not have attempted to influence ambassadors in other nations in Latin America to confer legitimacy to the Carmona government. When Pedro Carmona swore himself in, his |
first act was to abolish the
National Assembly, to abolish the
judiciary." Reich demanded an opportunity to respond, but Delahunt cut him off. "There are rules here," he said. "I have the floor." Later given a chance to speak, Reich said, far from endorsing the coup at the time, he issued a stern message to the interim Venezuelan government through the U.S. Embassy in Caracas. "I instructed Ambassador Charles Shapiro to find Mr. Carmona and tell him that if he swore himself in, violating Chavez's own constitution, that he could not count on the support of the United States government, and we would have to impose economic sanctions," Reich said. Most Latin American governments quickly condemned the coup, although relatively few demanded Chavez' return to power. The Bush administration initially acknowledged a change of government in Venezuela, and did not condemn the coup until it had collapsed. In the interim, Reich convened a meeting with Latin American ambassadors in Washington. At Wednesday's hearing, Delahunt repeatedly asked Reich if he pressed the ambassadors to lobby their governments to recognize the Carmona regime. Time after time, Reich said no. "I'll accept that," said Delahunt. "Is that your answer?" "My answer is that we told the Latin American ambassadors what we believed was taking place in Venezuela at the time," Reich replied. "But I am telling you we did not tacitly endorse a coup." The U.S. government has acknowledged contact with those opposed to President Chavez before the coup, but says there was no encouragement of illegal actions. An internal probe of U.S. government activities leading up to the coup found no evidence of wrongdoing. |
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Fixing U.S. economy seen as
best way to improve Latin ties
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By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The best way to improve U.S. relations with Latin America is by fixing the U.S. economy, according to analysts who testified before a congressional committee in Washington Wednesday. They told U.S. lawmakers that President Barack Obama should address the issue at next month's Summit of the Americas in Trinidad. Analysts say when Obama introduces himself to Latin American leaders at the Summit of the Americas, the attention will be on his plans to fix the U.S. economy. "It is very, very vital that as we work on our economic problems, we recognize that the way we go about solving them will have an enormous impact on Latin America and the rest of the world," said Peter Hakim. He is president of the Inter-American Dialogue policy group and he was speaking to the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs. He said to help Latin American economies, the United States should avoid protectionist measures, such as restricting imports from Latin America or investment in the region. Hakim also urged the Obama administration to advance two pending, but controversial trade agreements with Colombia and Panama. "We have two trade agreements that we've negotiated in good faith with two close allies of the United States," he said. "I think to show our credibility, our dependability, we really have to find a way to move forward with those agreements." The trade agreements were negotiated under former president George W. Bush, but have not been voted on by Congress. Meanwhile, Otto Reich, who served as Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs during the Bush administration, said the United States should also do what it |
can to promote democracy and
cooperation in the region. But he warned
that some of the participants at the summit will not be friendly. "Not all the countries of this hemisphere are good neighbors," he said. "Some undermine democracy at home and abroad. The U.S. should actively help the good neighbors, reject the destructive, and persuade the ambivalent to rejoin the communities of democracies." Reich noted that three leftist leaders, who he called "anti-American," will be at the summit: Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Evo Morales of Boliva and Rafael Correa of Ecuador. Democrats and Republicans on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs agreed on the need for the United States to stay engaged in Latin America - to counter the influence of other powers. "If we remain disengaged and others move in to fill the void, we have no one to blame but ourselves," said Eliot Engel, a New York Democrat. "And by others, I mean the Chavezes of the world, China, Russia and Iran. We need to be engaged." Another item expected to be on the summit's agenda will be the explosion of violence near Mexico's border with the United States. "I want to be clear," said Thomas McLarty. He was chief of staff to former president Bill Clinton and served as special envoy to the Americas. "I do not believe Mexico is a failed or failing state. But the alarming level of violence needs to be gotten under control for the Mexican people, for the stability and safety of the border region, and to preserve the rule of law." But a recent document from the U.S. Defense Department warns that the chaos and drug fueled violence in Mexico is pushing the country to the brink of becoming a failed state. More than 1,000 people have been killed this year in Mexico, despite a government crackdown. |
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topic of round table today By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Cultural and judicial officials will be meeting this morning to discuss gender violence in the communication media, and in the arts and culture. Leading the round table discussion in the Ministerio de Cultura, Juventud y Deportes will be the minister, María Elena Carballo. Organizers said that despite advances in recognizing the rights of women, there is social resistance that can be seen in television and radio programs and in the printed medias. Thais Aguilar, a writer with a special interest in this topic will be one of the participants. Alejandra Mora, of the Defensoría de los Habitantes and Mayra Chavarri, director of the Oficina de Calificación y Control de Espectáculos Públicos, also will participate. Moderator will be Dulce Umanzor from the Dirección General de la Promoción de Paz of the Ministerio de Justicia y Gracia. Brazil's president rejects protectionism in U.S. law By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio da Silva says rising protectionism by rich nations threatens the world's emerging economies. In an interview published Wednesday by The Wall Street Journal, da Silva cited as an example, the "Buy American" clause in the U.S. stimulus package recently approved by Congress. The clause states that only U.S.-made products should be used on stimulus-funded public works projects in cases where they would not violate U.S. trade agreements. Da Silva said that while protectionism may seem beneficial at first, in the long term, it wounds countries, especially poor ones that need to sell their goods to richer nations. He said the issue would be his top priority at a White House meeting Saturday with U.S. President Barack Obama. Reviving stalled world trade talks are also expected to be on the agenda. A recent White House statement describes Brazil as a close friend and partner of the United States. The release says Obama looks forward to discussing ways in which the two countries can strengthen cooperation on global hemispheric challenges. |
| A.M. Costa Rica sixth news page |
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| Latin
American news digest |
U.N.
tourism chief wants industry in recovery plans Special to A.M. Costa Rica
The head of the United Nations agency that promotes responsible tourism said Wednesday that leisure travel should be an important component of programs that aim to reverse the global economic downturn. “Tourism means trade, jobs, development, cultural sustainability, peace and the fulfilment of human aspirations,” said Taleb Rifai. He is acting secretary-general of the UN World Tourism Organization. He spoke as he opened a travel trade show in Berlin, Germany. “If ever there was a time to get this message out loud and clear, it is now, as we meet at a time of overriding global uncertainty, but also of immense possibilities,” Rifai said. While World Tourism Organization figures show international arrivals hit a record 924 million last year and annual growth of 2 per cent, the second half of the year showed a monthly decline in many sectors. Arrivals, for example, showed a negative growth of minus 1 per cent during the second half of the year and international receipts, which also reached record highs in the first half, saw rapidly declining second-half growth. To respond to these challenges, Rifai called on the tourism industry, for its part, to protect its assets, included its skilled workforce, during the downturn, and to think creatively for the changes that will be needed to revitalize the sector as the current crises take unpredictable turns. “It is the time to revisit our existing structures, policies and practices. It is time for innovations and bold action,” he said. In that light, he called for the industry to be at the forefront of the transformation to a green economy, and to help the poorest countries develop in a sustainable manner. He maintained that tourism must be at the heart of stimulus packages because of the jobs and trade generated by the sector as well as the business and consumer confidence that increased travel can build. |
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