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| A.M. Costa Rica's Second news page | |
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San
José, Costa Rica, Thursday, May 29, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 105
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Cans of pineapple
pulp
involved in smuggling By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Drug control police have discovered another case of narcotics trafficking through pineapple pulp containers. The Policía de Control de Drogas detained three men in Limón after they conducted synchronized raids on three separate homes Wednesday. Authorities accuse one man of being in charge of stuffing the containers with drugs, while another was accused of being in charge of hiring drivers and planning their routes to an organization where the containers where reproduced to look like those used in legal exports. Police linked the men to a drug ring that was broken up last December, when 16 were arrested for transporting cocaine from Colombia to Costa Rica. They had packages that were intended for later shipments to Europe, as well as the supply they had set aside for local markets in Costa Rica. Last month authorities raided the transport business Tejas Transportes Internacionales after finding more than 500 kilograms of cocaine inside pineapple pulp containers aboard one of its trucks at the Peñas Blancas border crossing to Nicaragua. Dancers from Michigan to perform in Cartago By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Ballerinas from the University of Michigan's dance department are traveling more than 2,000 miles to dazzle a Costa Rican crowd this weekend. Tecnológico de Costa Rica's school of culture and sport and the Centro Cultural Costarricense Norteamericano have invited the troupe to perform a free, two-hour show in Cartago. Michigan is known for having one of the best contemporary dance schools in the United States. The performance is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday at the Centro de las Artes del Tecnológico de Costa Rica, located at the central Cartago campus. Culture ministry restates its goal for easy access By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Today has been declared the Día Nacional de la Persona con Discapacidad by the Ministerio de Cultura y Juventud. The ministry has its own Comisión de Accesibilidad that makes sure there is access for persons with disabilities. The ministry itself, the Centro Nacional de la Cultura downtown, the former liquor factory, has plenty of ramps and even signs in braille. However, the ministry also has charge of many other structures, including 56 buildings in the national library system. The recent addition, the museum for the famous stone spheres at Finca 8 in Osa, was constructed with the disabled in mind, noted the ministry. The same is true of the paths associated with the museum, it said. Bridge at crash site due for rapid replacement By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
That temporary bridge that was the scene of a car-truck accident Thursday will remain closed for 10 days while workers replace the structure, according to the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes. The is the Puente Los Negritos in Aguas Zarcas de San Carlos. The accident happened when a passenger vehicle was about to leave the one-lane bridge and a truck entered abruptly, struck the vehicle and the railing in the bridge before bursting into flames. After studying the structure Wednesday engineers decided it was sufficiently damaged to warrant replacement, the ministry said. This is the bridge and the crash that was depicted on Page One Wednesday. Orchestra concert features violinist from United States By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The fifth concert of the season for the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional is this weekend. As is normal, the concert will be Friday at 8 p.m. with a repeat Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Performances are in the Teatro Nacional. The featured performer for this weekend is U.S. violinist Rachel Barton Pin. She will perform the "Concerto in A major for Violin and Orchestra" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The director is John Nelson. The orchestra also will perform the "Overture Benvenuto Cellini" by Hector Berlioz and "Fourth Symphony in D Minor" by Robert Schumman. New sex scam book called mixture of fact and fiction By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
An expat who will not give his name has penned a book about
According to the summary there: "Dave, a self-proclaimed womanizer, leaves his troubled past behind him to start a new life in Costa Rica. Unfortunately, his perceived 'life in paradise' is riddled with trials and tribulations. A reckless and thoughtless lifestyle finds him caught up in an under-aged sex scam, landing him a 20-year prison sentence. Contemplating suicide, he reflects on his distorted past and the events leading up to his arrest." Unlike the book character, the author is described as someone who has lived here 10 years. There also is a Web site for the book. At the very least, the book might serve as a warning for those new arrivals who believe that all laws here are mere suggestions. As some expats can confirm, law enforcement is very aggressive when they believe that a foreigner is involved with an underage woman. They are less aggressive, as a court case showed, when those involved are government ministers, soccer stars and others among the elite.
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
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A.M. Costa Rica Third News Page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, May 29, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 105 | |
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| Scammers target those seeking to immigrate to the United
States |
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The diversity lottery scam finally has reached Costa Rica. Some emails that originated in Thailand have shown up in local inboxes. The scam emails purport to be from the U.S. Department of State and announce that the recipient, whoever he or she may be, has won one of 225 diversity visas. The diversity lottery is real, and each year the United States awards 50,000 immigrant visas to those who have applied online. The idea is to generate immigration for under-represented national groups. The scammers, however, are just out for the money. The scam tells the alleged winner that they have to remit $890 for a single visa or $1,420 for a couple via Moneygram or via a bank transfer. The real U.S. government, the one in Washington, D.C. and not in Thailand, says this through its Bureau of Consular Affairs: |
While diversity
visa applicants may receive an email from the U.S. government reminding
them to check their status online . . . they will not receive a
notification letter or email informing them that they are a successful
entrant. Applicants can only find out if they were selected to continue
with processing by checking their status online at
http://www.dvlottery.state.gov. Fees for the application process are paid to the U.S. Embassy or consulate cashier at the time of a scheduled appointment. The U.S. government will never ask you to send payment in advance by check, money order, or wire transfer. The origin in Thailand was made clear because the telephone number that applicants are supposed to call by June 15 is there, according to the listed country code. In addition, the email shows that it came from a zone that is seven hours ahead of Greenwich. Many Costa Ricans apply for a diversity visa each year, and some may be taken in by this scam. |
| Committee seeking narco moles in judiciary has its first
meeting |
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The commission that has been established to investigate the possible penetration of drug traffickers and organized crime into the judiciary had its first meeting Wednesday. The purpose of the meeting was to establish concrete and immediate actions that can confront the danger that penetration poses to the judicial institution, said Zarela Villanueva Monge, the president of the Corte Suprema de Justicia, according to a Poder Judicial summary. The committee includes top law enforcement officers and the heads of the various chambers of the high court. The court president said that officials have to reinforce the way judicial employees are recruited and devise better ways to monitor their work. She also said that mechanisms should be established to encourage the public to file complaints about threats or suspicious situations in the administration of justice. The commission was set up Monday in response to the arrest of a judge last Friday in the criminal courts of Limón to face allegations of influence peddling to benefit drug suspects. The Poder Judicial was quick to point out that the circumstances surrounding the judge were first pointed out by colleagues in the same judicial district. |
 Poder Judicial photo
Zarela Villanueva Monge chairs
the first meeting of the committee. |
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| You need to see Costa Rican tourism information HERE! |
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
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| A.M. Costa Rica's Fourth News page | |||||
| San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, May 29, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 105 | |||||
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| Sala IV
orders changes to protect well being of La Reforma prisoners |
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The constitutional court ordered the justice ministry Wednesday to take steps to protect the human rights and physical well being of maximum security prisoners. The government quickly announced actions that have been taken and will be taken to prevent what some prisoners claim are beatings and mistreatment at the Centro de Atención Institucional La Reforma in Alajuela. The case on which the Sala IV constitutional court acted is just one of a number filed on behalf of prisoners. Some have been rejected by the court, and others still are pending, said the Ministerio de Justicia y Paz, which runs Adaptación Social, the prison agency. Cristina Ramírez Chavarría, the new minister of Justica, announced late in the day that she had replaced the director of Ámbito E with a woman lawyer who already works at the prison. She will be supported by a team of psychologists and a social worker. Ámbito E is a maximum security section of La Reforma, which has a long history of overcrowding and troubles. The court gave the ministry three months to create a remedial plan, but the new minister reported that changes already were under way. A statement noted that Carlos Abarca, a supervisor of security in this wing and one of those accused of aggression against inmates, has been replaced by a man named José Salas Varela. That took place two days before the government of Luis Guillermo Solís took over, the ministry said. |
Some 27 guards
have been named in complaints, and of these, 17 no longer are assigned
to Ámbito E, said the ministry. The remaining 10 are on
shifts that do not bring them in contact with prisoners, the
announcement said. The ministry also has taken action to plan frequent rotations of personnel who are psychologically and ethically equipped for the job, the ministry said. In addition, all inmates will receive a medical checkup, said the statement. More proposals are expected at a meeting next week, it added. The situation is embarrassing for the Costa Rican government, which prides itself as a protector of human rights. On paper La Reforma is a progressive penal institution with conjugal visits and frequent visits by family members. Some of these policies backfire with visits by prostitutes and the introduction of drugs and weaponry into the facility. Frequent sweeps reveal many types of weapons and other illegal items. The prison also is a place where inmates operate scams with the assistance of associates outside. Mainly they use cell telephones. And prison authorities have been unable to block all the illegal calls. A failed jail break at the prison May 11, 2011, resulted in the death of two inmates and a prison guard. Just days later inmate ringleader Jovel Guillermo Araya Ramírez was found dead in his cell. Medical reports showed he had been beaten multiple times and also immediately before his death. Araya and others had petitioned the Defensoría de los Habitantes before the breakout attempt about conditions in the prison. The cell where he was found dead early one Sunday morning was supposed to be under 24-hour watch. |
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
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| A.M. Costa Rica's Fifth news page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, May 29, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 105 | |||||||
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| Obama rejects isolationism in his West Point speech By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
U.S. President Barack Obama said that American isolationism is not an option, but not every problem has a military solution. He said this Wednesday during a speech in which he defined his foreign policy approach. In a commencement speech to U.S. Military Academy graduates, Obama said that America will always be a world leader, but military action cannot be the only force behind its leadership. "The military that you have joined is, and always will be, the backbone of that leadership. But U.S. military action cannot be the only – or even primary – component of our leadership in every instance," he added. "It will be your generation's task to respond to this new world. The question we face, the question each of you will face, is not whether America will lead, but how we will lead," Obama said. Foreign policy experts have increasingly criticized Obama's handling of issues such as the civil war in Syria, the political crisis in Ukraine and the struggle against terrorism, saying the U.S. no longer holds a leadership position in world affairs. In his speech, though, the president attempted to promote U.S. foreign policy as finding a balance between isolationism and interventionism. Obama said some critics say conflicts, such as those in Syria, Ukraine or the Central African Republic, are not for the U.S. to solve. "Not surprisingly, after costly wars and continuing challenges at home, that view is shared by many Americans," he said. The opposite view says "we ignore these conflicts at our own peril; that America’s . . . failure to act in the face of Syrian brutality or Russian provocations not only violates our conscience, but invites escalating aggression in the future," he said. "I believe neither view fully speaks to the demands of this moment," Obama said. "It is absolutely true that in the 21st century, American isolationism is not an option." But, Obama said, that doesn't mean that every problem has a military solution. While the U.S. will use military force when the threat demands it, he said, global issues that don’t pose a direct threat to the U.S. should have to meet a higher threshold for military action. “In such circumstances, we should not go it alone. Instead, we must mobilize allies and partners to take collective action. We must broaden our tools to include diplomacy and development; sanctions and isolation; appeals to international law and – if just, necessary, and effective – multilateral military action,” the president said. Obama cited international sanctions against Russia for its involvement in Ukraine unrest as an example of the effectiveness of multilateral action. “Our ability to shape world opinion helped isolate Russia right away," he said. "Because of American leadership, the world immediately condemned Russian actions. Europe and the G-7 joined us to impose sanctions. NATO reinforced our commitment to Eastern European allies. The IMF is helping to stabilize Ukraine’s economy ... ," Obama added, citing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the International Monetary Fund.. Rather than launching large-scale military efforts, Obama called for partnering with countries where terrorist networks seek a foothold. That effort includes a new $5 billion fund to help countries fight terrorism and to expand funding for Defense Department intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, special operations and other activities. “Indeed, this should be one of the hard-earned lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan, where our military became the strongest advocate for diplomacy and development,” Obama said. “Foreign assistance isn’t an afterthought – something nice to do apart from our national defense. It’s part of what makes us strong,” he added. The speech in West Point, N.Y., came one day after the president put forward a blueprint for ending U.S. military engagement in Afghanistan by the time he leaves office. Republicans in the Senate, most vocally John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Kelly Ayotte, called Obama's decision on Afghanistan a monumental mistake Tuesday, saying the response was a victory of politics over strategy. Obama cast the bloody civil war in Syria as more of a counterterrorism challenge than a humanitarian crisis. The president defended his decision to keep the U.S. military out of the conflict but said he would seek to increase support for the Syrian opposition, as well as neighboring countries including Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq that have faced an influx of refugees and fear the spread of terrorism. "I will work with Congress to ramp up support for those in the Syrian opposition who offer the best alternative to terrorists and a brutal dictator," he said. Republican critic blasts lack of American resolve By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
One of Barack Obama’s top congressional critics in foreign policy matters has responded forcefully to a speech in which the president mapped out his vision for U.S. engagement around the globe. President Obama’s 2008 campaign opponent, Sen. John McCain, a Republican, has repeatedly blasted what he sees as a lack of American resolve and action from Syria to Ukraine. It was no surprise he criticized the president’s speech at the U.S. Military Academy in which Obama made a case for multilateralism and diplomacy first, with U.S. military force always at the ready. McCain seemed to take personal umbrage at the president’s assertion that his critics are overly eager to see U.S. troops deployed around the world. He spoke from his home state of Arizona, on Phoenix radio station KFYI, the "Barry Young Show." “None of us want to send troops to Syria, and for him to continue to set up this straw man that all interventionists want to send American troops everywhere - that is patently false,” he said. McCain said, while deploying U.S. troops to Syria is not an option, the United States should be arming rebels fighting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. The Republican senator was equally critical of Obama’s timeline for withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan. “We are now seeing a replay of Iraq in Afghanistan, and one can only question whether this whole basis was that he would be able to say at the end of his term that troops are out of both countries. And that is in disregard to, I think, to the future security of this country. It is a very sad time, and now he is going to talk about counter-terrorism and other things that obviously are needed. But the first thing the United States of America needs to regain is its credibility,” he said. McCain said U.S. vacillation on the world stage will exact heavy prices in American blood and treasure. The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Republican Ed Royce, had a similar reaction to the president’s speech. In a statement, Royce said, “Too often, strong words have been followed by weak actions, or no actions. The result has been a general loss of U.S. credibility, making successful foreign policy nearly impossible,” said the congressman. Democrats reacted more favorably to Obama’s address. In a statement, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Eliot Engel, said, “President Obama made a clear and strong case for American leadership in the 21st century and why the United States must remain engaged around the world . . . By working with our partners around the world to promote freedom, prosperity, and opportunity, we also advance our own interests, creating stronger relationships to contribute to the global economy and project stability across regions.” Snowden says he was spy and wants to return home By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Fugitive self-proclaimed spy and NSA secrets leaker Edward Snowden says he wants to return home to the United States. In his first interview on U.S. television, Snowden told NBC-TV newsman Brian Williams Wednesday that he sees himself as a patriot, but until he can return to the U.S. he plans to ask Russia to extend his asylum. He sought to defend himself against charges by the Obama administration that he is a traitor who endangered lives by revealing the extent of an NSA spying program. Asked whether he would make a deal to return, Snowden said he first wants to make sure that these programs are reformed, and that the family and country he left behind can be helped by his actions. The United States charged Snowden with theft and two counts of espionage after he revealed the breadth of National Security Agency surveillance programs, including the bulk collection of telephone and Internet data from Americans. Earlier Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Snowden should man up and return to the United States to face espionage charges. Snowden is living in asylum in Russia a year after leaking a vast cache of NSA documents to journalists that described clandestine U.S. spy operations around the world. In the interview, Snowden claimed he was trained as a spy and worked undercover overseas for the U.S. intelligence community. He rebutted critics who described him as nothing more than a low-level analyst. Snowden passed on the documents to journalists at the British newspaper The Guardian and The Washington Post. In the interview, Snowden described himself as a patriot. He said all three branches of the U.S. government have made reforms as a result of what he did. Death of Maya Angelou, 86, has heavy impact in Harlem By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Poet, author and human rights activist Maya Angelou, who died Wednesday at the age of 86, was considered by many a literary giant. But to residents of Harlem, a largely African American New York neighborhood where she sometimes lived, the author of “Why The Caged Bird Sings” and other works is especially mourned. While Maya Angelou received dozens of awards and honorary degrees, she came from the humblest of beginnings in the racially segregated South, having worked as a streetcar conductor, fry cook and calypso performer among other jobs during her youth. On a city bus riding through Harlem, Rayna Clay-Cuffee remembered Angelou from a half century ago, when they were both nightclub singers. "And then the years went by, and then I was there when she spoke at the inauguration for Clinton," said Ms. Clay-Cuffee. So she’s been around a long time. She’s a wonderful woman, extremely intelligent, and she used her intelligence for the world." Joanathan, who also was riding the bus, admired Angelou for her wisdom and compassion. He said that while her writing often expressed the challenges she and other African Americans faced in their struggle for equality, she felt an underlying bond to all peoples. “And they can coexist in one. People always make the mistake of saying ‘that race did that’ or ‘that one ain’t no good.’ But we are one human race. And that’s what she understood," said Joanathan. On 125th Street, Harlem’s busy main thoroughfare, Lord Harrison, a hip hop artist, sold his CDs to passersby. He credited Maya Angelou’s poetry and public acclaim with helping to pioneer his musical genre. “She paved the way! Without her doing her thing and opening the way and ‘bustin’ with the moves,’ as we like to say, hip hop wouldn’t be invented. It wouldn’t have happened. She did it! She is a true American icon," said Lord Harrison. Nearby, the marquee of the famed Apollo Theater, where the Jackson Five, James Brown, Aretha Franklin and other stars played, noted in big black letters Maya Angelou's passing. In-house historian Billy Mitchell, who has worked there for 49 years, remembers meeting her. “What a regal lady she was! Very graceful. That beautiful smile. ‘How are you, young man?’ I could have melted right there. Because I meet so many people here, and there are just a few that really make me feel a little strange and giddy and groupie-like. And she was one of those people that did that for me, absolutely," said Mitchell. "We all adored Maya. Her words made us feel proud. She understood our struggle. She understood what it was like to be poor and to be hungry and she made something of herself. Young kids are still reciting her poetry." Plans for Maya Angelou’s funeral have not been released. Chinese and Mexicans share same immigrant experience By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
More immigrants live in the western state of California than anywhere else in the United States. Among the largest immigrant groups — either legal or without legal documents — are Mexicans and Chinese. These two ethnic groups may come from different places, but they share many similarities. People often find 21-year-old Jonathan Wong a mystery. “They go are you filipino? Are you Mexican? Are you Pacific Islander? Are you Hawaiian?” he recalled. Wong is actually a fourth-generation Chinese and third-generation Mexican American. He finds there is one thing both cultures deeply value. “The connection you have with your family in general. Both of them are very family oriented,” he noted. Like many immigrants, Wong’s Mexican and Chinese ancestors came to the U.S. for a better life, said Shelley Fisher Fishkin of Stanford University. “The Chinese who came to the U.S. in the middle of the 19th century and then Mexicans who came at the end of the 19th century or early 20th century were lured by the possibility of creating opportunities for their families that were not possible in their home countries,” she said. These new immigrants often faced discrimination and worked as laborers, either as modern-day Mexican migrant workers or as Chinese railroad workers in the 19th century. In an art exhibit that looks at the two immigrant experiences, one piece has railroad tracks buried under a giant mound of fortune cookies. Created by artist Hung Liu, the image depicts the early Chinese immigrants who came to dig for gold or labor on the railroads. “The very reason the Chinese first came here is to escape from the economic despair in China,” Hung said. Steven Wong, the curator of the Chinese American Museum, said immigrants from both countries still come at any cost. “I think not a lot of people realize that there still is a lot of unskilled labor coming in from both communities and not a lot of people know, too, when it comes to immigration and immigration reform usually people associate that with “Oh, that’s a Latino issue.” But that’s also a big Asian issue of undocumented immigrants coming in also — specifically Chinese.” said Wong. Often, both groups also live in ethnic enclaves. Artist Tony de los Reyes experienced this while growing up in Los Angeles. “The border of Mexico now extends in certain small areas within Los Angeles even though the physical border may be 120 miles south,” he explained. Mostly-Mexican East Los Angeles is one such area. Neighboring it is Monterey Park, a predominantly Chinese suburb. While these immigrant groups may live near each other, de los Reyes said the two do not often mix. “You’re going to have this push and pull between not wanting to be in a place because the culture is different and then also being attracted to it,” he said. But Jonathan Wong said the boundaries are blurring. That’s why he’s not surprised his grandparents married. “Look how much blending there is. It’s not even weird at all like how they would have met and how they could have come across each other and hit it off,” he stated. He expects more blending of the two cultures in other parts of the United States, as immigrants and their descendants continue to seek the American dream. Average wait time for vets reported to be 115 days By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
A new U.S. investigation has confirmed allegations of widespread shortcomings in the medical treatment the country provides for its military veterans, with some patients forced to wait an average of 115 days before their first appointment with a health care provider. The White House said Wednesday that President Barack Obama found the new findings extremely troubling. Key lawmakers overseeing U.S. veterans affairs demanded that Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki resign. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs had claimed that patients at its medical facility in the western city of Phoenix, Arizona, waited an average of 24 days for an appointment. But the agency's investigative arm found that the typical wait for an appointment was nearly four months. The investigation also showed that at least 1,700 veterans waiting for health care at the Phoenix facility were not on an official wait list for appointments and were at risk of being forgotten about in the hospital's complicated scheduling system. But the investigators said the scheduling problems extended far beyond Phoenix, calling them a systemic problem nationwide. Obama last week said he would not tolerate poor health care for the nation's military veterans. He defended Shinseki's performance as the agency's chief, but said he would be held accountable for the agency's shortcomings. Tea Party continues to roll to victory in Texas voting By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
While some Tea Party-backed candidates have lost recent primaries in other states, the movement continues to dominate Republican Party politics in Texas. Voters who identify with the movement and its values came out in force during the primary election that ended Tuesday, handing victory to some of their favorites. There was no clearer sign of the enduring strength of the Tea Party movement in Texas than the victory of state Sen. Dan Patrick for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor. Patrick, a conservative radio talk show host and state senator from Houston, beat his rival, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, by 30 points. It is the first time in recent Texas history that an incumbent has been defeated in a primary. Strong Tea Party support for Patrick sealed his victory, while Tea Party-backed candidates in Georgia, North Carolina and Kentucky were defeated. Political analyst Mark Jones, who teaches at Rice University in Houston, says the Texas Tea Party had better candidates. "In those states, the Tea Party candidates in many cases were rather flawed, while here in Texas we had some very credible and very talented Tea Party candidates," said Jones. There have been splits in some Texas Tea Party groups, leading to speculation that the movement's influence might diminish. But Jones says what matters is the resonance of Tea Party themes among voters who may never join a group, but who support the goals of the movement. "The Tea Party movement is best thought of as an approach to politics which varies depending on what part of the state you are in and which Tea Party group you are in in the same county. But it shares a general support for limited government and skepticism for the status quo and business as usual," he said. Jones says the defeated Dewhurst represented the status quo to many Tea Party members. He tried to court them and tout his own conservatism, but conservative voters were sold on Patrick. Mark Jones says Republican voters' rejection of experienced party stalwarts like Dewhurst could hurt the party down the road, especially if newly elected Tea Party favorites take divisive actions that alienate more moderate voters. "I think one hope that Democrats have is that someone like Dan Patrick as lieutenant governor gets to Austin and is a sufficiently polarizing force that he drives a lot of moderates and centrist Republicans as well as independents to the Democratic Party," said Jones. But Jones does not see that happening soon, even as the state's demography shifts in favor of Democrats. Jones says it may take until 2020 or 2022 for Democrats to gain enough strength to overcome the strong voter base of the Tea Party-dominated Republicans and win a statewide office. Americans in Moscow feel the post-Cold War chill By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The American confrontation with Russia over Ukraine has caused relations between Moscow and Washington to plummet to the lowest level in a generation. American school children singing the "Star Spangled Banner" in the ballroom of Spaso House, the neoclassical ambassador's residence in the heart of Moscow, seemed to signal that all is on track in Russian-American relations. But after the closed-door embassy meeting with 300 American residents in Moscow, it was clear that many here feel the Russia-U.S. relationship has gone off the rails. For starters, construction engineer Oskare Karash noted that there is still no American ambassador here, three months into the Crimean crisis. No successor has been nominated to succeed Michael McFaul, who left Moscow Feb. 26, the day before Russia started to annex Ukraine's breakaway territory. "There is a lot of propaganda on Russian TV. And people's opinions changed. People who before felt good about Americans, they started to get bad ideas, wrong ideas. Somebody in the correct role, who could talk at a high level, and stop some of that," said Karash. Some American men asked U.S. diplomats about visas for their Russian girlfriends, but Alex Geller worried about a different kind of Visa. In reprisal for American sanctions, Russia's parliament passed legislation that threatens to drive Visa and MasterCard, which have about 30 million Russian credit-card accounts, out of business in Russia. Here is Geller, managing partner of an Internet company in Moscow: "Can you imagine? You have to go to the doctor, you have to grab the cash. You have to go to any store, you have to grab cash. You want to buy a ticket online, you cannot do that," said Geller. It now looks like Russia will come up with a solution that will allow the American credit companies to stay. Phil, an American lawyer, said he has lived here for a decade. Since the Ukraine crisis, he says, it is difficult to have normal conversations with Russian friends. "I have opted to keep my mouth shut. I am not good that. But I keep more friends that way," said Phil. Americans say they are coping with an abrupt change in mood. Pujan Kasaju has worked in real estate finance here for two years: "There were always questions: 'What's it like to live in America? Why did you come to Russia from America? Why would you leave a great country like America?' Now it's like, 'What the hell are you guys doing?' There is a sense of disenchantment," said Kasaju. No Americans interviewed said they have suffered harassment. But Kasaju saw photos on the Russian Internet showing hand-made signs on food kiosks and ice cream stands. "'Americans are not allowed to buy our products, because we have enacted our own sanctions.' So, it's like a big joke. But maybe there is some half-seriousness to it," he said. Several Americans blamed Washington for misreading Russian psychology. For the last 12 years, Marilyn Murray has shuttled between Arizona and Moscow. Here she teaches trauma therapy to Russian health-care professionals. Because of Russia's flat geography, she says, it has often been invaded. As a result, Russians defend themselves by relying on the fear factor. "They have had to establish a fearsome image to keep their predators away. And so, even if you look at what their symbol is. It is this bear, this huge Russian bear, that says, 'Fear me! If you don't respect and fear me, I am going to eat you!' They have had to do that for centuries for self-protection," said Ms. Murray. Ms. Murray says Washington made a mistake by not, at least, faking fear of Russia. "When U.S. government officials make a comment that Russia is no longer a threat, they act dismissive toward them, as though they are irrelevant, they are immaterial, they are not important - insignificant, inconsequential, just don't matter any more. Number one, it is very scary for a Russian 'Oh, these people no longer fear us.' But the other thing that is really, really important - that many people don't realize - is how much they take that personally," she said. For Americans living in Moscow, Russia can seem suddenly unfriendly and unprofitable. But friendliness was the treatment received by one American visitor tracked down for an interview in the halls of the old Soviet Army Museum. Christopher Arndt was visiting Moscow from Pennsylvania: "I had a gentleman just today, when I was standing looking kind of clueless, with the map in front of my face, offer to drive me over to the museum, because he couldn't quite explain it in English. And I sure could not understand him in Russian," said Arndt. During this tourist season, Arndt's experience may be a rarity. Tourism professionals say the chill in Russia's relations with the West will cut American and European visitors here by at least 30 percent this year. |
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U.S.
house votes to impose sanctions on Venezuelans By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday to impose sanctions on Venezuelan officials guilty of human rights violations in suppressing anti-government protests. The bill would deny them U.S. visas and freeze their U.S. assets. Texas Democrat Joaquin Castro stressed that the sanctions would not touch the average Venezuelan citizen. He said the country's oil industry and economy also be would unaffected. A Senate panel approved a similar bill last week. It will now be sent to the entire Senate. Secretary of State John Kerry said last week that the Venezuela government has been a total failure in keeping its promises to the opposition, including a deal to free jailed protesters. Many poor Venezuelans still support socialist President Nicolas Maduro. But others say they are fed up with crime, inflation and food shortages. |
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| From Page 7: Top U.S. executive salary: $77 million By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The already hefty salaries of U.S. corporate executives are on the rise again, and so is the gap between what they are paid and the paychecks of ordinary workers. New studies this week varied in the details, but showed the top U.S. executives are paid tens of millions of dollars annually. The chief of the Oracle computer technology company, Larry Ellison, was the top-paid executive last year, earning nearly $77 million. One study, by The Associated Press and the Equilar executive pay research company, show the median pay of chief executives at 500 widely recognized companies reached a record $10.5 million in 2013. The Wall Street Journal said its survey of 300 big companies showed the median top pay had reached $11.4 million. During the country's recession in 2008 and 2009, chief executive salaries dropped, but now have risen four straight years. |
