The suspected leader of a prostitution ring will spend two more months in preventative detention while the investigation continues.

That was the ruling of the Juzgado Penal of San José. The case involves a woman with the last names of Monge Muñoz and a man with the last name of Poltronieri.

The Hatillo-based network included a high percentage of prostitutes between the ages of 14 and 17, according to officials.

The ring was well known in the North American community and also among highly placed Costa Ricans. Agents are investigating allegations that official cars were seen at the home where the ring was headquartered.

The arrests came during a raid Oct. 9 when investigators used two young woman as decoys who contacted the operation with the story that they were underage but sought work as prostitutes.

Hitting your child
would be illegal

A bill has been presented to the Asamblea Nacional that would prohibit corporal punishment of children by their parents.

The measure had been expected. One of the sponsors of the measure is Margarita Penón Góngora, who said that the bill is important because the future success of children depend on the relationship they have with their parents.

The measure, if passed, also would prohibit anyone who happens to be in charge of a child from administering corporal punishment. The Patronato Nacional de la Infancia is supposed to provide leadership in instructing adults in other methods of discipline.

U.S. give $700,000
for inspection setup

President Abel Pacheco had kind words for the United States Friday as he spoke at an inauguration ceremony for the new inspection facilities at the Peñas Blancas border crossing point with Nicaragua.

The president also revealed in a speech that the United States donated $700,000 of the estimated $1 million cost for the inspection station. The inspection station contains facilities for immigration, drug police and the Fuerza Pública K-9 unit.

The facility has been in operation and already has resulted in seizures of substantial quantities of cocaine, as reported here in March. 

The facility includes an inspection station for heavy trucks that seem to be the method of choice lately for smugglers who are trying to carry cocaine into Nicaragua.

The United States has an interest because most of the drugs are headed there eventually.

Peru's largest airline
barred from U.S. routes

U.S. and Peruvian officials say that Peru's largest airline, Aero Continente, has been temporarily banned from entering U.S. airspace.

Peru's Civil Aviation authority suspended the airline's flights to the United States at the request of U.S. Federal Aviation Administration Thursday. The FAA had cited unspecified safety concerns with the airline. 

Officials with Aero Continente deny there are any safety problems. Until the ban is lifted, the airline says it will lease aircraft from other carriers to maintain its four flights a week schedule between Lima and Miami.

New rector is picked

A University of Costa Rica history professor, Yamileth González García, has been elected rector of that institution. She becomes the first woman to hold the top spot at the university.

The professor won a four-year term against three male candidates. More than 2,000 members of the university community voted.

Probably more rain

An unstable atmosphere means more rain for the south Pacific coast and along the Caribbean today, according to the weather bureau.

This is the same low pressure area that has caused rain Saturday and Sunday.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Federal Reserve governor rebutted speculation that the growing U.S. imbalances in trade and investment could lead to a disorderly, damaging correction in which a sharp drop in the foreign exchange value of the dollar would cause sharp drops in stock and bond prices.

"I have seen little evidence to suggest that this scenario is likely, notwithstanding its popularity," said Roger Ferguson, vice chairman of the U.S. central bank.

He made the remarks Friday here to the European Institute Roundtable on Financial Affairs.

Neither the decline in the dollar in the 1980s nor the current decline that started in 2002 has disrupted financial markets or affected inflation much, he said.

Ferguson identified several possible reasons for the continued investment flowing to the United States that allows the U.S. trade deficit to continue expanding: U.S. political stability; sound economic policies; and effective legal, financial and educational systems.

Although the U.S. trade deficit and associated external debt cannot continue to increase indefinitely, he said, any adjustment need not hurt the global economy. For example, other parts of the world could start to attract foreign investment for positive reasons, he said, such as increased productivity in Europe, financial reform in Japan, economic reforms in Latin America, and revived economic demand in Asia.

"Strong domestic demand among our trading partners would likely outweigh any drag resulting from appreciation of their currencies," Ferguson said, "while U.S. exports would benefit from both a change in relative prices and stronger foreign growth."

Also on the positive side, he said, the United States could reduce the savings gap that invites foreign investment either by reducing the federal government budget deficit or by increasing personal savings.

The Pan American Health Organization, PAHO, is launching a vaccine program in the Americas with the goal of inoculating 40 million people in 35 countries against preventable diseases.

The campaign, known as "Vaccination Week in the Americas" begins Saturday and will be launched in Haiti. Canada and the United States are among the countries taking part in the campaign. The project will mainly target children, especially those living in rural border areas.

The Pan American director, Dr. Mirta Roses, said 

Officials also said in a joint statement with the United Nations Children's Fund that millions of children in the hemisphere are not fully protected from deadly childhood diseases. 

In Haiti, where half the youngsters are not routinely vaccinated against preventable diseases, the campaign is an opportunity to promote stability and peace as the nation rebuilds, officials said. The immunizations run through April 30.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Tens of thousands of Argentines have staged a protest rally outside a Buenos Aires courthouse to demand that authorities get tough on violent criminals.

Juan Carlos Blumberg, whose 23-year-old son Axel was slain by kidnappers in mid-March, led a crowd of at least 70,000 marchers who carried candles to the capital's Tribunal building.

A similar demonstration earlier this month drew 

The slaying of Blumberg's son shocked many Argentines and helped stir public anger against violent crime in the country, where murders, rapes, and robberies have been on the rise.

The recent anti-crime campaign has prompted Argentine President Nestor Kirchner to announce a plan to restructure the police forces, and create a federal investigative agency to fight crime.

U.S. and Mexican officials are expected to meet within the next few weeks to discuss how to resolve a dispute that has halted cooperation on financial investigations. 

U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow and Mexican Finance Minister Francisco Gil Diaz met Saturday on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund meetings in Washington to discuss the U.S. decision to stop sharing sensitive intelligence. 

The United States announced Friday it had stopped sharing confidential financial information with México because some of it had been made public in México. 

The move came after Mexico City Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador divulged secret documents 
 

The finance director was shown on Mexican television last month gambling in Las Vegas. He has since disappeared along with large amounts of government money. 

Snow said Saturday the leak was unfortunate but expressed hope the information exchange with Mexico would resume soon. 

Officials in both countries monitor financial transactions for signs of money laundering, drug trafficking and activities related to terrorism. The dispute affects the monitoring of about 30,000 transactions a day.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. government agency charged with regulating the broadcast media has fined a Spanish-language radio station whose announcers made a prank call to Cuban leader Fidel Castro. 

The station in Miami, Florida faces a $4,000 penalty for the June 17, 2003, call in which the 

The Federal Communications Commission imposed the penalty Friday because the station aired the conversation without notification to Castro. The station has 30 days to either pay or appeal.

CARACAS, Venezuela — The government is suspending gun imports in a bid to reduce the nation's soaring crime rate.

Defense Minister Jorge Garcia Carniero made the announcement Friday. He also said the government will freeze firearms licenses until the national registry of legal gun owners can be updated. 
 

Venezuelan government statistics show that more than 9,500 homicides were recorded in 2002, a jump of 30 percent from the year before.

Venezuela has suffered upheavals in the past two years due to a slumping economy and violent pro and anti-government demonstrations.