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A.M. Costa Rica's Second news page |
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San
José, Costa Rica, Monday, April 13, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 71
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 University of Central Florida
photo
This is one of the 44 young
sea turtles tagged in the study.Researchers
find that tiny turtles swim well
By the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration news staff
Upon hatching, young sea turtles swim offshore and disperse with the help of ocean currents. The turtles are rarely observed during the next two to 10 years or so, but prior studies suggest that at least some reside among mats of seaweed, such as Sargassum, that provide shelter and habitat in the open sea. Not much is known about these juveniles’ movements during this time. Researchers dub it the lost years, but it has been widely assumed that turtles simply drift with ocean currents. Nathan Putman worked with Kate Mansfield, director of the University of Central Florida’s Marine Turtle Research Group, to challenge this long-existing hypothesis. Putman is a sea turtle biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Miami, Florida. Ms. Mansfield placed specially designed solar-powered tags on 24 green and 20 Kemp’s ridley wild-caught sea turtle toddlers in the Gulf of Mexico. The tags were tracked by satellite for a short period before they shedded cleanly from the turtle shells. The maximum was three months. Next to the turtles, Ms. Mansfield deployed small, carefully-weighted, passively-drifting surface buoys that were also tracked by satellite. When the drifter tracks were compared to the sea turtle movements, the researchers found that the turtles’ paths differed significantly from the passive drifters. Using observed and modeled ocean current conditions, they found a difference of distance between the turtles and drifters to be as much as 125 miles in the first few days. In nearly every instance, the toddlers’ swimming behavior appears to help them reach or remain in favorable ocean habitats. "The results of our study have huge implications for better understanding early sea turtle survival and behavior, which may ultimately lead to new and innovative ways to further protect these imperiled animals,” said Ms. Mansfield. She added, “What is exciting is that this is the first study to release drifters with small, wild-caught yearling or neonate sea turtles in order to directly test the passive drifter hypothesis in these young turtles. Our data show that one hypothesis doesn’t, and shouldn’t, fit all, and that even a small degree of swimming or active orientation can make a huge difference in the dispersal of these young animals.” The study was published in the journal Current Biology. Caribbean letter writer corrects her error By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Carol Meads from the southern Caribbean coast said that she anticipated constitutional court decisions when she wrote a letter to the editor that was published a week ago. She referred to the Gandoca and coastal communities laws and said that she was extremely grateful for the decision by Sala Cuarta to nullify them. In fact, there has been no decision released by the court, although Ms. Meeds said she had been told authoritatively that the laws would be voided. Her letter created a stir in the Caribbean coast communities because the status of the laws is important to residents. Ms. Meeds, in an email Friday, said she offered an apology to readers for her error and the premature but sincere comments. Municipality chastised by Sala IV By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Some officials, both national and local, appear to be ready for a refresher course in human rights. Last Feb. 24, the Municipalidad de San José issued a press release that said certain activities would be prohibited in public spaces. This includes Bible readings, clown shows, music and other activities that the municipality calls spontaneous displays. There are a handful of religiously motivated individuals who harangue the public, mainly in the vicinity of the central post office. Most of those who like to sit there and take the sun have learned to ignore them. At various intersections clowns and jugglers perform for money. As annoying as these activities may be, they are protected actions under the Costa Rican Constitution, the Sala IV noted as it struck down the municipal rule. The court also ordered the municipal officials from enforcing similar measures. Two persons brought appeals and said the regulation violated their religious rights as well as the rights of expression and gathering. Golfer just 21 takes Masters championship By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
"One of the epic performances in the annals of the sport" is how CBS network television broadcaster Jim Nantz described the achievement of American golfer Jordan Spieth after he sank his final putt Sunday to win The Masters tournament in Augusta, Georgia. Only 21 years old, Spieth set a number of records in winning his first major championship, finishing with a record tying 18-under-par 270, four shots ahead of compatriot Phil Mickelson and South African Justin Rose. Spieth became the youngest-ever 18-hole leader after Thursday's first round. On Friday, he broke the 36-hole record with a 14-under-par 130 after two rounds. He set the 54-hole scoring record Saturday, finishing the third round at 16-under-par 200. Sunday, he broke the record for the number of birdies made in the four rounds at The Masters with 27, two more than the previous mark achieved by Mickelson in 2001. After his victory, Spieth said he did not sleep well before the final round and was more nervous than he thought he would be. "It was the most incredible week of my life. This is the greatest it gets in our sport. To make those putts and hear those roars was remarkable." Early during Sunday's broadcast, CBS showed video of Spieth as a little boy saying he wanted one day to win The Masters. At the rewards presentation, he said he will be excited to come back next year to defend his title, and hopes to be ready for it. Spieth, who shot a two-under-par 70 in the final round, now shares the lowest ever Masters total score of 18-under-par with Tiger Woods. Only a bogie on the 18th hole Sunday kept Spieth from breaking the record. Woods was the youngest to win The Masters in 1997 at 21 years 3 months. Spieth is now the second youngest at 21 years 9 months. Last year, in his first appearance at Augusta, he came close to becoming the youngest winner, but had to settle for second.
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and may
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A.M. Costa Rica Third News Page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Monday, April 13, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 71 | |
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| Bat-born rabies outbreak in Puriscal
restricted so far to farm animals |
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| By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff No one should go batty because bats are
suspected of carrying rabies in Puriscal.
So far the disease is restricted to just one cow, and animal health officials are on the case. The health officials, from the Servicio Nacional de Salud Animal, described the problem Friday and said that there are 65 cows and two horses on the farm where the stricken animal died. They attribute the disease to a rabid vampire bat. The bats are being hunted and captured in the area, the Mercedes Sur district of Puriscal. Humans, of course, can get rabies, too, but the nocturnal bats are more likely to seek a meal from cows or other animals that are in pasture 24 hours a day. The animal health agency has quarantined the farm with the possible infected animals and said adjacent farms are being checked. Many of the animals are protected through vaccination. The animal health agency said it has made provisions with the Ministerio de Salud to provide vaccinations for humans who have been in contact with the exposed animals Rabies, a virus, is fatal without aggressive treatment. The animal health agency said that farmers should avoid contact with any animals that seem to be infected and to bury any that die. |
 Servicio Nacional de Salud Animal photo
Captured
bats displays the sharp cutting teeth.
The appearance of rabies is not unusual in Costa Rica, and the animal health agency and the health ministry have policies in place to handle any outbreak, they said. |
| More denials from Casa Presidencial over supposed deal to
officials |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
One problem leads to another at Casa Presidencial. Once again, an exiting member of the administration says that he has been offered an ambassadorship, presumably to go quietly. The allegation has been denied by Melvin Jiménez, the minister of the Presidencia who supposedly made the offer. The foreign minister, Manuel A. González, chimed in to say that only he and President Luis Guillermo Solís can name an ambassador. This is the second time that an official said Casa Presidencial had made an offer of an ambassadorship. Daniel Soley, the former vice minister of the Presidencia, made a similar offer to the procuradora general, Ana Lorena Brenes, she said several months ago. That claim was denied roundly, too. Solís wanted to get rid of her and find someone who was more attuned to his legal concepts. She is the government's top lawyer. This is another case of allegations building up over an executive branch misstep. |
When the
Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología y
Telecomunicaciones
made public a draft of a radio and television law two weeks ago, the
electronic media was quick to condemn the text. The proposed bill contained penalties to shut down media outlets if the government did not like the reporting. The central government quickly disavowed the text, and Allan Ruiz, the vice minister in that ministry, was fired because of his role in drafting the law. It appears that workers at the ministry just cut and pasted laws from other Latin countries, some of them authoritarian. Solís fired the minister, Gisella Kopper, over the weekend, too. It was Ruiz, who said Friday he had been offered a ministry. Meanwhile, Jiménez at Casa Presidencial said the offending legal draft was the exclusive product of the science and technology ministry. He said no one at Casa Presidencial had anything to do with it. Jiménez is the administration's liaison with the legislature. |
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| A.M. Costa Rica's Fourth News page | |||||
| San José, Costa Rica, Monday, April 13, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 71 | |||||
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 Voice of America photos
Some of the scenes from 'Secret
Ocean 3D' |
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| Jacques Cousteau's son is on a mission of his own with new
3-D movie |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Like his father, world-renowned undersea explorer and filmmaker Jacques Cousteau, Jean-Michel Cousteau has spent a lifetime exploring the oceans. Equipped with an IMAX camera, he and his crew filmed 100 hours of underwater footage to produce a spectacular 40-minute documentary that reveals how the smallest life in the sea is vital to the survival of all life on the planet. Jean-Michel Cousteau said there is still much to discover in the world's oceans. Using new technology that allowed him to record microscopic underwater creatures in slow motion 3-D, he was able to film 30 new species, many of which could not be seen with the naked eye. “When you’re filming it, you bring it back to the boat where we are, and we have a 3-D screen and we can see, with glasses on, something we have never seen before. And sometimes we say, ‘We need to go back!’ " he said. The results are spectacular. His documentary, "Secret Ocean 3D," presents a beautiful but often deadly world where even the tiniest of creatures is part of an elaborate food chain that ultimately sustains humans. In the ocean, natural resources are not wasted. But runoff from human activity such as chemicals, heavy metals and plastic threaten to destroy this life, Cousteau warned. He said this runoff is either decomposing or sinking and is affecting the foundation of life in the ocean, from the plankton all the way up to the fish that are caught and eaten. Cousteau said people are bringing back on land a lot of that pollution. Cousteau is also a fervent proponent of desalination to create clean water for drinking and irrigation. He said fresh water |
makes up just
1 percent of the planet's supply, while oceans cover 70 percent of the
Earth. He views desalinization as the only way civilization
can hydrate a growing population worldwide. But that can happen on a large scale only if humans clean the runoff before it flows into the ocean, he said. Desalination is expensive, but Cousteau stresses how such an industry can create millions of jobs the world over. He said water shortages are being felt all over the planet. “If you go to the Gulf in the Middle East,” he said,” the fresh water that these people consume is more expensive than the oil they put in their cars.” He also said 4,000 to 5,000 children on the planet under age 5 are dying every day because they have no access to clean water or enough water. Cousteau reveres his father, Jacques Cousteau, who pioneered modern underwater exploration. Still, he said, a great part of the ocean remains unexplored. He said there are thousands, maybe millions of species yet to be identified, and the effect of pollution on them has not been determined. "My dad used to say, 'People protect what they love,' and I would say, ‘If you don’t understand, how you can protect it?” he said. Jean-Michel Cousteau created the Ocean Futures Society for that purpose. It is a nonprofit organization that aims to educate people about the significance and fragility of ocean life. Cousteau said films like "Secret Ocean 3D" are part of his mission. “We want it to be entertaining, fun, beautiful, spectacular, and the mission is that there is only one water system on the planet and every plant, or animal, including humans depends on the quality of that water for the quality of our lives,” he said. |
Here's reasonable medical care
Costa Rica's world class medical specialists are at your command. Get the top care for much less than U.S. prices. It is really a great way to spend a vacation. See our list of recommended professionals HERE!amcr-prom
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
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contents of
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2015 and may
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A.M. Costa Rica's Fifth
news page
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| San José, Costa Rica, Monday, April 13, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 71 | |||||||
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| Mrs. Clinton announces candidacy via online video By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
After months of speculation, former first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of State Hillary Clinton has officially announced she is running for president in 2016. Mrs. Clinton made her long-awaited announcement Sunday in an online video posted on social media, promising to work for the middle class. "Everyday Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion so you can do more than just get by," she said. "You can get ahead and stay ahead. Americans have fought their way back from tough economic times. But the deck is still stacked in favor of those at the top." Mrs. Clinton is the first Democrat to formally announce her candidacy to succeed President Barack Obama, who defeated her in the 2008 Democratic primaries. Recent polls show Mrs. Clinton beating every other possible Democrat. They also show her winning the 2016 election over all Republican candidates by a landslide. Mrs. Clinton, 67, is considered a huge favorite to win the Democrats' nomination this time. A recent Gallup poll found 48 percent of those surveyed have a favorable impression of Clinton, her lowest rating since 2008. Forty-two percent of those polled had an unfavorable rating of her. But Republican National Committee head Reince Priebus said Sunday he believes voters do not trust her. "Over decades as a Washington insider, Mrs. Clinton has left a trail of secrecy, scandal and failed policies that cannot be erased from voters' minds." They include the deadly terror attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya and using an unofficial email account for official business as secretary of State. Republicans also are likely to bring up scandals involving her husband, former president Bill Clinton. If elected, Hillary Clinton would be the country's first female president. She plans to begin her campaign in the early key voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire, which hold the first caucuses and primaries. Ahead of the announcement, Republicans tried to link Mrs. Clinton to Obama, a regular focus of GOP criticism. "We must do better than the Obama-Clinton foreign policy that has damaged relationships with our allies and emboldened our enemies," said former Florida governor Jeb Bush, a potential Republican candidate, in a video Sunday. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who launched his presidential campaign last week, pointed to the Clinton family's foundation, saying it was hypocritical for the Clintons to accept funds from Saudi Arabia, which places public restrictions on female movement and activity. "I would expect Hillary Clinton if she believes in women's rights, she should be calling for a boycott of Saudi Arabia," Paul said on NBC's Meet the Press. "Instead, she's accepting tens of millions of dollars." The former secretary of State could turn out to be a lot more hawkish on U.S. foreign policy, issues like Iran, Israel, Syria and Libya, than Obama, analysts said. “I think that Secretary Clinton will actually try to convey a sense that she is tougher, stronger, more experienced, more professional,” said political analyst Stuart Rothenberg of the Rothenberg and Gonzales Political Report. But the road to victory for the former first lady could be rocky. Mrs. Clinton is perceived by some as unapproachable. Her decision to launch her campaign on YouTube is not going to help that image, said Lara Brown of the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University. “I don’t know that I would project this image of 'I’m prepackaged behind a video' to start this campaign,” Ms. Brown said. “I would think she would want to have real people there, that she would want to be in a boisterous but enthusiastic environment.” Mrs. Clinton's presidential campaign will center on boosting economic security for the middle class and expanding opportunities for working families, while casting the former senator and secretary of State as a tenacious fighter able to get results, two senior advisers said Saturday. The senior advisers, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss her plans ahead of Sunday's announcement, provided the first preview of the message Mrs. Clinton planned to convey. The strategy described by Clinton's advisers has echoes of Obama's 2012 re-election campaign. He framed the choice for voters as between Democrats focused on the middle class and Republicans wanting to protect the wealthy and return to policies that led to the 2008 economic collapse. The advisers said Mrs. Clinton will argue that voters have a similar choice in 2016. Mrs. Clinton also intends to sell herself as being able to work with Congress, businesses and world leaders. Turkish prime minister upset by genocide comment By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has strongly criticized the pope for describing the 1915 mass killing of Armenians as genocide. Ankara also has recalled its ambassador from the Vatican. Davutoglu condemned Pope Francis for his comments Sunday in which he described the 1915 mass killings of Armenians by Turkey’s then-Ottoman rulers as genocide. Davutoglu called those comments one-sided. He said to read these sorrows in a one-sided way is inappropriate for the pope and the authority that he holds. Ankara argues that the number of Armenians claimed to be killed is exaggerated, and that those who died did so during a civil war. The pope made his comments during a special Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the killings, with Armenian spiritual leaders in attendance. The Turkish prime minister accused the pope of prejudice. He said we would expect the religious leaders to call for peace. The Turkish leader went on to warn that the pontiff’s comments could lead to greater Islamaphobia against Muslims living in Europe. He also accused the pope of contradicting the message he gave during his visit to Turkey in November. Ankara also showed its displeasure by summoning the Vatican representative to the Turkish foreign ministry and then followed this up by withdrawing its ambassador from the Vatican for consultations. Observers say the prime minister’s tough response may be colored by the fact that he is in the midst of a general election and that nationalist voters make up a core constituency of his party’s voting base. With the 100th anniversary of the mass killings, Ankara also is engaged in a diplomatic struggle to thwart attempts by Yerevan and the Armenian Diaspora to gain greater recognition of its genocide claims. Analysts say the pope’s comments are likely to be a boost to those efforts. More than 20 countries recognize the Armenian genocide. Orthodox Christians mark Easter in Julian calendar By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Orthodox Christians around the world celebrated Easter this Sunday. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and his family observed Orthodox Easter services at Volodymyrsky Cathedral in the capital, Kyiv. Ukrainian Patriarch Filaret prayed for peace and said "we are strongly sure that God will send us a win over the aggressor," in a reference to Russia, which has annexed Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula. "This year Ukraine is celebrating Easter in conditions of non-claimed war on Donbass. But we are strongly sure that God will send us a win over the aggressor, because the truce is with us," he said. In Russia, President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev attended services in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Easter marks the day Christians believe Jesus was resurrected after his crucifixion and entombment more than 2,000 years ago. Roman Catholics and Protestants observed Easter a week ago in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Eastern Orthodox churches use the older Julian calendar. Tough Mexican TV figure remains center of controversy By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
“A cross between Christiane Amanpour and a dog with a bone.” That’s how the Los Angeles Times describes the prominent, hard-hitting journalist Carmen Aristegui, who is famous throughout Mexico for her tough investigations into government corruption. In addition to blogging at Aristegui Noticias, Ms. Aristegui anchors a news program on CNN Spanish and, up until March, hosted a morning talk show on MVS radio in Mexico City, daily fare for many Mexican commuters. Last month, MVS radio fired two of her staff investigators. The network says they had used the MVS logo, without authorization, on a new whistle-blowing Web site, Mexicoleaks. Those same two journalists had, only four months earlier, revealed a questionable real estate deal involving Mexico’s first lady, former soap opera star Angelica Rivera, and a contracting firm that does lucrative business with the Mexican government. Months earlier, the same two journalists implicated a leading Mexico City politician in a prostitution ring. He denied the accusation and was later exonerated by an electoral tribunal. In her March 13 broadcast, Ms. Aristegui called for Daniel Lizárraga and Irving Huerta to be reinstated to their jobs. MVS said it would not give into her ultimatum and fired her for breach of trust three days later. Ms. Aristegui calls her dismissal as an attack on free speech. Her supporters say they believe the government pressured MVS into firing Ms. Aristegui and her team, and have launched a twitter campaign. MVS insists it is committed to freedom of expression, as, it says, is demonstrated by the fact that Ms. Aristegui worked for them in the first place. All this comes as the government struggles for popularity and public trust ahead of mid-term elections in June. Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto’s approval rating has slumped dramatically in the wake of the disappearance of 43 students last September from Iguala, in Guerrero State, reportedly at the hands of police officials linked to drug traffickers. Buchenwald survivors, ex-GIs mark date of the liberation By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Survivors and liberators of Buchenwald, one of Nazi Germany’s notorious concentration camps, gathered Saturday to commemorate their release 70 years earlier. At a memorial at the site near the German city of Weimar, they observed a minute of silence, with some offering flowers and tearful tributes. Buchenwald was a forced-labor camp, initially for political prisoners, though it was equipped with gas chambers and crematoria. Many were forced to work in its armament factories, or were subjected to horrific medical experiments or summarily executed by SS guards. Thousands also succumbed to disease. In all, 56,000 people, including 11,000 Jews, perished there. The Nazis had established death camps as part of the Final Solution, their plan to systematically annihilate European Jews. Buchenwald survivor Henry Oster, 86, recalled the midafternoon of April 15, 1945, when U.S. troops entered the camp through the iron gate that bears the inscription "Jedem das Seine" or "To each his own." "We had no idea that the Allies were in Europe," said Oster, a Jewish German born in Cologne. "And when we heard noises … we looked out of the window, which took great effort, and one of my friends said with a weak voice, 'I think we are getting liberated.’ And we thought he had lost his sense of reality like so many people there." Seattle resident Robert Harmon, 90, was a U.S. Army private serving under Gen. George Patton when he met Buchenwald survivors a few days after the camp’s liberation. "They were tired, they were cold," he recalled. "… April in Weimar can be a little cool. They had these thin pajama clothes. They had terrible food, you can imagine, and of course the men had not shaven forever, and they just looked awful. "And they were stunned psychologically," Harmon continued. "They were so afraid of authority that they were very careful about speaking to us. But they were so hungry that they dared, and that was such an act of courage, I think, for them to speak to us." Patton reportedly was so disgusted by what he found at the camp that he ordered Weimar residents to march the few miles up the hill to see what had happened so close to them. Before the Nazi takeover of power, Weimar was best known as the home of such luminaries as writer and statesman Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and poet, philosopher, historian and playwright Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller. Obama back in Washington after meeting Raúl Castro By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
U.S. President Barack Obama is back in Washington, following a historic face-to-face meeting with Cuban President Raúl Castro and a first meeting with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The talks with Castro in Panamá were strongly criticized by some Republican presidential hopefuls. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said in a statement, "Keeping up a disturbing trend of this administration, President Obama is in the process of striking another very bad deal, now with the Communist dictatorship of Cuba. "President Obama's approach gives the Castros exactly what they want, economic relief and legitimacy on the international stage. . . The president said today that his unprecedented meeting with Raúl Castro was a step towards the future. Unfortunately, he is leaving the Cuban people imprisoned in the past," he added. Cruz, the son of an American mother and a Cuban father, would be the nation's first Hispanic president, if elected. Former Florida governor Jeb Bush said on Twitter: "Obama meets with Castro but refused to meet w/@netanyahu. Why legitimize a cruel dictator of a repressive regime?" He referred to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The talks in Panamá, on the sidelines of the Summit of the Americas, came after Obama and Castro announced in December that they would move to normalize ties between the United States and Communist Cuba after more than a half-century of animosity. Obama characterized his meeting with Castro, the first between leaders of both nations in 50 years, as candid and fruitful, while the White House said Obama voiced support for a peaceful dialogue between Venezuela's government and the opposition during brief talks with Maduro. The president also said he will review recommendations to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, another step that needs to be taken before embassies can reopen in Washington and Havana. “This is obviously a historic meeting. The history between the United States and Cuba is obviously complicated and over the years, a lot of mistrust has developed," Obama said. But Obama said it is time to turn the page, and Castro agreed, saying, “I think that, fundamentally, what the president has expressed to you reflects the same as what we are thinking." Yet the two acknowledged the differences that exist between the two governments. Obama said the U.S. would speak out for democracy and human rights, and Cuba would raise concerns about U.S. policy as well. "Over time, it is possible for us to turn the page and develop a new relationship between our two countries," the U.S. president said. As for Castro, he told Obama he agreed with all the points he'd made and said he was open to discussion, but "we need to be patient, very patient." "We might disagree on something today on which we could agree tomorrow," he said. The Cuban leader said his government is willing to discuss all issues, including human rights if those discussions are respectful. After Castro spoke, the men stood and shook hands. At a late-afternoon news conference, Obama said that his trip to Panama City for his third Summit of the Americas reflected a new era of U.S. engagement in the region. He said that part of his talks with Castro involved how to promote greater opportunities for the Cuban people, and how access to education could be expanded throughout Latin America. "We are focused on the future and on what we can build and achieve together," he said. In response to a question, Obama said his outreach to Havana had majority support in the United States and overwhelming support in Cuba. And with regard to the U.S. removal of Cuba from Washington's state sponsors of terrorism list, he said he wanted to study recommendations from State Department officials "before we announce publicly what the policy outcome will be." Obama called his talks with Castro, two previous visits by phone and Saturday's personal encounter, candid and fruitful. "We are able to speak honestly about our differences and concerns in ways that offer the possibility" of taking bilateral relations in a different direction, he said. "What has been clear through the summit," he said, "is the unanimity that the leaders of Latin America think this is the right thing to do. They see the possibility of a more constructive dialogue that ultimately benefits the Cuban people. I am cautiously optimistic that, over coming months and years, this will lead to a different future for the Cuban people." Asked whether his outreach ended the policy of regime change in Cuba, Obama said: "We are not in the business of regime change. We are in the business of making sure the Cuban people have freedom and a chance to shape their own lives." But the U.S. leader wants to focus on the future and says he is not caught up in ideology. “The Cold War has been over for a long time, and I’m not interested in having battles that, frankly, started before I was born," Obama said. Obama said he came to the summit to boost his engagement with the hemisphere. The summit is an event usually ignored by the U.S. media. Obama met with leader from Venezuela at summit By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Cuban President Raul Castro was not the only Latin American leader to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama at the Americas Summit in Panamá. Obama met with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro who wants the U.S. to lift sanctions recently slapped on seven senior Venezuelan officials accused of human rights abuses tied to anti-government protests last year in Venezuela. Maduro often criticizes the U.S. for what he says is meddling in his country's affairs and even accuses the U.S. of trying to overthrow his government. The Venezuelan president described his meeting with Obama as frank and serious. He said after meeting with Obama that there was now a possibility of exploring "a path to relations with respect, which is fundamental." Venezuelan presidential aide Teresa Maniglia said on her Twitter account that there was a lot of truth, respect and cordiality at the meeting, which Obama administration officials said lasted only a few minutes. National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said Obama reiterated in the meeting with President Maduro that the U.S. is not interested "in threatening Venezuela, but in supporting democracy, stability and prosperity in Venezuela and the region." Several of Maduro's Latin American counterparts have been critical of the sanctions. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who met with Obama at the summit and is slated to meet with Obama in Washington in June, said Saturday that "unilateral measures and policies of isolation" are "always counterproductive and ineffective." She said the South American regional block UNASUR supports dialogue to ease political tensions in Venezuela. President Obama also met with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos who said the relations between his country and the U.S. "are at the best level ever." Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, like many of his counterparts at the summit, praised the U.S. president for the push to establish ties with Cuba. He said at the summit's plenary session the "openness to dialogue is charged with promise and possibilities." Cuban security ousts TV Marti reporter and crew By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Cuban security forces escorted out an American journalist crew from a news conference with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez in Panamá. Reporter Karen Caballero and cameraman Rudy Hernandez of U.S. government-funded broadcaster TV Martí were credentialed to cover the events at the Summit of the Americas Saturday that would include the historic meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro. Cuban officials insisted they were within their rights to choose who could cover the news conference, and that they wanted unbiased, serious press to question the Cuban delegation. Ms. Caballero is a noted TV Martí host and reporter. "The fact that Karen and Rudy were forced out of the press conference is further indication of the ongoing lack of press freedom in Cuba," said Carlos García Pérez, director of the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, which includes Radio and TV Martí. |
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Monday, April 13, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 71 | |||||||||
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Outdoors is not
the place to go barefoot
There was a time when I went everywhere barefooted. The grass was wonderful in the morning, chilly and wet with dew. Look behind you and see where you stepped. In the afternoon, the grass was a warm and
Then, as I grew up. I was urged to “put on shoes and behave like a lady.” What fun is that? The grass was the same, so were the mud and the dust and puddles still looked as inviting. And shoes? Shoes were a trap. tight confining and hideous on my size 10 feet (shoe models, at a size 4, make anything look beautiful). Sandals were a possible alternative. At least your feet could breathe. But barefoot was still best. (Who really wants to grow up anyway?) And then came Costa Rica. In Costa Rica there are biting things in the grass – fire ants – and not just a mound here or there as we had in Georgia, oh no. Fire ants pop up all over the place. Put a foot down near a mound (or in one) and be swarmed by ants. Flick one away and they all start to bite. They are inside your clothes so fast that all you can do is run for the shower. I have never seen ants move as fast as these little guys. Then there are the spiky weeds and prickly weeds and sharp-edged stones that somehow won’t stay in the driveway. Okay, maybe I could learn to cope with those by avoiding them, but there is one hazard I don’t want to face. Snakes. I like snakes. We kept snakes when I was growing up, and I had no fear of them. Now, in Costa Rica, I do. Why? Because I have a one-eyed dog, that’s why. She was bitten by a terciopelo, and I have seen others around the property. Once, I was a carefree barefoot woman. Now I wear heavy boots and keep my eyes open. My only consolation in all this is that, in boots and shorts and my garden hat, I still don’t have to behave like a lady.  This Week’s Plant
This is the lovely Angelina, often called the summer
snapdragon. The flowers grow in a spire that can be several feet
tall. Colors range from white through yellow, red, and purple and
some varieties are lightly fragrant. This is a great plant for
our current weather. Plant in full sun and watch the birds and
butterflies home in on the flowers. If you would like to suggest a topic for this column, simply send a letter to the editor. And, for more garden tips, visit https://www.facebook.com/pages/Arenal-Gardeners/413220712106845 |
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
| The
contents of
this Web site are copyrighted by Consultantes Río Colorado S.A.
2015 and may
not be reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details |
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| From Page 7: Tax police snag 556 boxes of beauty product By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Fuerza Pública is getting the credit for spotting an irregular shipment of hair cream at a downtown San José location. The Ministerio de Hacienda said that police officers saw a delivery van unloading the cosmetics and contacted the Policía de Control Fiscal. The tax police reported that the shipments had been incorrectly labeled when the boxes passed through customs and that the cosmetics did not have a registration with the Ministerio de Salud. In all there were 556 boxes confiscated, said the tax police |
