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A.M.
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May 31, 2017, Vol. 17, No. 107 |
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107
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Municipality
muted on demolitions
By
Rommel Téllez of the A.M. Costa Rica
staff
After a four week follow up, the Municipalidad de Carrillo in Guanacaste has not yet delivered the information of what developments are at risk of imminent demolition. Despite several calls and emails to the legal director of the entity, A.M. Costa Rica still has no access to verify if there is a list of projects or constructions ready to be taken down by municipal authorities for not having the proper permits. On May 3, the municipality demolished several pools and constructions in the Carrillo canton for allegedly missing the proper paperwork. This led to the complaints by owners and neighbors, who claimed those permits were not required 10 or 15 years ago. The municipal council also tried to halt the demolitions the following week but the mayor vetoed the initiative to continue with the planned demolitions. As of today, responses have stopped and silence and unanswered calls seem to have become the norm. Three new cases of respiratory viruses recorded every minute, Caja says By the
A.M. Costa Rica staff
Three new cases of respiratory viruses are recorded each minute by the small, local clinics of the Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social, according to a statement by the group. Data from the Área de Salud Colectiva said there are an average of 34,000 cases attended each week in the country. The Caja believes that this figure could be reduced with greater prevention methods on the part of individuals. Dr. Antonio García, an epidemiologist with the Caja, emphasized this point particularly with persons already suffering with chronic illnesses or receiving treatment that lowers the immune system. He also opposes the trend of not seeking care when health people obtain an infection and put it off in the hopes that it is only a fleeting annoyance. To prevent this, the recommendations are simple: wash one’s hands and keep places clean. Symptoms usually begin one to four days after the virus enters the body, the Caja said. “Most adults can pass on to others from one day before the symptoms develop and up to seven days after the onset of illness,” the Caja’s announcement said. The epidemiological surveillance unit of the Caja found that 13 percent of all incoming patients in the intensive care unit had acute respiratory infections. Warning signs include: high fever, difficulty breathing, accelerated breathing, bluish color around the mouth and temporary loss of consciousness for seniors. 
Ministerio de Educación Pública photo
One of
the schools promoting Portuguese in the
curriculum.
Portuguese being considered by
schools
By the
A.M. Costa Rica staff
A pilot project from Ministerio de Educación Pública seeks to include the Portuguese language as a new option for students in some high schools. The objective is to evaluate its viability to become part of the foreign language curriculum. The courses will be taught through workshops delivered by volunteers whose native language is Portuguese. The purpose is to encourage students to achieve greater command of their skills without neglecting the other languages they already study in the classroom. In the Costa Rican public secondary school system, students are currently required to take English and French as mandatory foreign languages until the age of 15. Then they choose one of them to focus on for their last two years of study. Named Falemos Portugues, the project seeks the implementation of an inclusive education model, in response to the diversity and multiculturalism, the ministry said in a statement. During this first phase of the process, a total of 204 students will get a 3-hour weekly course. The classes will be delivered outside their regular schedule, including Saturdays. The students were selected following a test and an interview where they explained their interest in the language. They come from six high schools: Colegio Técnico Profesional de Pavas, Colegio Técnico Profesional de Santa Ana, Liceo Experimental Biligue de San Ramón, Liceo Experimental Bilingüe de Grecia, Liceo Experimental Bilingüe de Belén and Colegio Técnico Profesional de Educación Comercial y de Servicios. The initiative also seeks to honor the Brazil-Costa Rica Cultural Exchange Agreement, signed in 1964, said Mauricio Azofeifa, spokesperson of the Ministerio de Educación Pública. At the end of the process, those interested may apply for internships in companies that offer services in Portuguese, most of them call centers. The ministry will also encourage students to seek for scholarships offered by the Brazilian Ministry of Education, once they get their international certification. The high schools were picked up taking into consideration how close they are to business centers able to offer them job opportunities. Ministry officials also took into consideration whether this place had the adequate infrastructure, physical space and dedicating resources. The first wave of graduates from the program are expected to face the International Test of Portuguese Language during the first semester of 2019. Those who pass the exam, will acquire either an A2 or B1 certification in the Common European Framework of Languages. Meeting finalizes ocean commitments By the
A.M. Costa Rica staff
Authorities in Costa Rica convened a national consultation last Thursday discussing a series of over 20 voluntary commitments that the country accepted for the conservation of marine resources. According to a statement by the Ministerio de Planificación, Costa Rica is one of 25 countries in the world who will present its voluntary commitments at the World Oceans Conference to be held beginning June 5 in New York. 40 representatives from government institutions, academia, fishing sector, development agencies and the civil society finalized a list of projects to contribute to reverse deterioration of marine resources. More than three billion people depend on the biologically diverse marine and coastal areas for subsistence, according to data provided by the United Nations. However, today about 30 percent of the world's fish stocks are overexploited, reaching levels below those that can produce sustainable yields. This is also part of the Agenda 2030 plan in the international community, which proposes a series of goals for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. Among the Costa Rican projects contributing toward this global agenda for marine ecosystems is the Plataforma Nacional de Pesquerías Sostenibles de Grandes Pelágicos, the planning ministry said. This platform represents a space for dialogue of marine products that will, in the short term, promote better environmental and social practices in fisheries.
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A.M. Costa Rica Third News Page |
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Vol. 17, No.
107
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| Sustainable
shipping is the goal for new cargo freight company |
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By Conor Golden,
News Editor for A.M. Costa Rica
Just north of Puntarenas in the area around Punta Morales, a group of shipwrights is hoping to build a cargo freighter. The difference with this one, however, is that this vessel will be carbon-negative and run using the wind in its sail and the power of an electric battery. SAILCARGO Inc. is a company headed and founded by Danielle Doggett, who has been sailing tall ships since she was at least 13 years old. The Kingston, Ontario, native has had stints on sailing cargo vessels from Barbados to experience both as chief mate, sailor and captain for launch with ship companies, she said. The company is an associate of the International Windship Association and its Costa Rican branch is called Ceiba S.A. According to design plans given to A.M. Costa Rica by the group, the Ceiba is also the name for the carbon-negative marine freight vessel the group wants to build. The ship will run on the power of the wind using sails like vessels of old before the advent of steam and coal power. It will not be completely reliant on wind and weather as the electric engine will run on solar battery banks onboard that will be charged using the ship’s propeller when sailing, a statement from the group said. Ms. Doggett hopes that the moves her company is making towards building this vessel will inspire change within the cargo freight and shipping industries to use alternative, and environmentally sustainable, means of transporting goods on the oceans. The industry is one of the least regulated yet highly-damaging at the same time, she said. “We are a carbon-neutral and socially responsible for-profit corporation, and we hope to show that if shipping is to continue, there needs to be a huge shift in the way that people do business,” Ms. Doggett said. “Tallships like Ceiba are sustainable now and have always been sustainable. We have not been cutting down trees where there are any other options available.” With the vessel being constructed of wood, the group said that it will start a reforestation project to ensure the replacement of trees for any that were cut for materials. |
 SAILCARGO Inc. photo
Using old techniques with modern
equipment.The group is looking for
investors beginning this Thursday. In addition to the build site in Punta
Morales that has two existing waterfront entrances,
the company also maintains transport equipment,
capital and a group of three project managers
overseeing the employees. These include: Ms. Doggett
as CEO, Lynx Guimond as the master carpenter and
Pepijn van Schaik as naval architect.
“We have kicked-off a system where more working boats of this kind can be built entirely of lumber planted for this purpose,” Guimond said in a statement. “Ceiba launches in 2020, and we will be aiming to start another build soon after.” With the Costa Rican Pacific coast as their homeport, Ceiba and any future vessels are expected to sail along the Pacific Exchange Line mapped and planned by the group. This includes a radius to include Hawaii, Perú and California. SAILCARGO said that the cargo should account for 84 percent of the revenue and 54 percent of gross income going back to shareholders. “We would love to have our own fleet and bring back traditional knowledge of shipbuilding to Costa Rica,” Ms. Doggett said. |
| Music
institute celebrates its 45th anniversary with
performances |
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By the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
More than 500 musicians of various ages will be performing in celebration of 45 years of existence for the Instituto Nacional de la Música. The anniversary celebrations will be held a Teatro Popular Melico Salazar today and Thursday beginning at 8 p.m., according to the Ministerio de Cultura y Juventud. “To conclude the gala concert on June 1, we will have the 45th Anniversary Orchestra with more than 150 musicians on stage,” said Gabriela Mora Fallas, the director for the institute. “That is made up of 60 members of the current Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil and more than 90 instrumentalists have been students of the Instituto Nacional de la Música throughout its 45 years.” Among the special guests will be Gerald Brown, who was the first conductor of the Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil when it began back in 1972. The institute was created originally as a music school with the main objective being to prepare pupils to join the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional. As time went on, the institute became a more internationally focused school that went beyond training the next generation of national orchestra members, the cultural ministry said. |
 Instituto Nacional
de la Música photo
150 musicians will perform together at
Melico Salazar.The institute will close
the week out with a Saturday event at 8 p.m. in Teatro
Nacional with a presentation of the Banda Sinfónica
Elemental and the Orquesta Sinfónica Infantil.
Tickets are available for 5,000 colons each at the theater’s website, the cultural ministry said. |
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A.M. Costa Rica's Fourth News page |
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Wednesday
Edition, May
31, 2017 ||
Vol. 17, No.
107
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| A digital village to spring up at Museo de Los
Niños this weekend |
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By the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
A trip to a digital village is what the Museo de Los Niños and telecommunication company Claro have arranged this weekend for all the grown-up and soon-to-be geeks in Costa Rica. From Friday to Sunday, Museo de Los Niños will host workshops, conferences and contests related to new technology as well as a free concert with the Cocofunka Band on Sunday at 4 p.m. The main purpose of the initiative is provide a space where visitors can learn about the evolution of technology, the latest generation’s platforms and how to profit from them. This will be achieved with educational workshops, specialized talks, entertainment areas, booths, an augmented reality exhibition and a digital labyrinth. Some of the topics of the workshops are: the Internet of Things, Augmented Reality, programming the Google Maps application and creation of 2D and 3D designs. "This digital village not only wants children and young people to learn about technology, but also wants adults to lose their fear of it and use it for their benefit,” Carolina Sánchez, a spokeswoman for Claro, said in a statement. One of the most awaited exhibits is that of art in augmented reality. It consists of combining physical and virtual environments in real time through digital elements such as audio, video, galleries, etc. |
 Comunciación
Corporatica Ketchum photo
Workshops cross
generational boundaries at the event.
Visitors just have to download the mobile Augmented Reality application, scan the bar codes and access the information of the works and the artists. There will also be a platform and and a giant screen where different activities will be carried out, such as talks with technology professionals, music videos and dance video games. “For us it is very important to support these kind of activities that benefit thousands of families and the education of our country," said Mónica Riveros, executive director of the Museo de Los Niños. |
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U.S. Income Tax
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A.M. Costa Rica's Fifth news page |
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107
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for Venezuela bond deal By the A.M. Costa
Rica wire services
The head of Venezuela’s opposition-led congress on Monday blasted U.S.-based bank Goldman Sachs for a financial transaction that he said would prop up his country’s unpopular socialist government while exacerbating difficulties for ordinary Venezuelans. National Assembly President Julio Borges denounced the bank for trying to make a quick buck off the suffering of the Venezuelan people, he said in an open letter to the bank’s leader, criticizing last week’s deeply discounted purchase of $2.8 billion in Venezuelan bonds. Borges said in the letter that he would recommend to any future democratic government of Venezuela not to recognize or pay on these bonds. As The Wall Street Journal first reported Sunday, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. last Thursday closed a deal in which it agreed to pay Venezuela’s Central Bank $865 million for the bonds issued by state-owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA in 2014. That’s a rate of 31 cents on the dollar. A London-based intermediary, Dinosaur Group, handled the transaction, The Journal noted in a follow-up story. In seeking money to satisfy creditors such as Russia and China, the Venezuelan government was considering all options, The Journal quoted the country’s oil minister as saying last week. Borges said the assembly would begin a probe into the deal. Venezuela’s opposition leaders repeatedly have asked foreign governments and investors not to do business with the Maduro administration, which it has accused of human rights abuses. Venezuela has been wracked by nearly two months of street demonstrations, sparked by the jailing of Maduro’s political rivals, delayed elections and widespread shortages of food, medicine and other basics. At least 60 people have died in the protests. Goldman Sachs defended its actions in a statement: "We bought these bonds, which were issued in 2014, on the secondary market from a broker and did not interact with the Venezuelan government. … Many investors make similar investments daily through mutual funds, index funds and ETFs which also hold Pdvsa bonds. We recognize that the situation is complex and evolving and that Venezuela is in crisis. We agree that life there has to get better, and we made the investment in part because we believe it will." Borges warned that any future Venezuelan government would not forget where Goldman Sachs stood when it had to choose between supporting the Maduro dictatorship and democracy for our country.  U.S. Navy
photo
1989 photo of
Noriega's capture and arrest.
Former
Panamá dictator
Noriega dies at age 83 By the A.M. Costa
Rica wire services
Former Panamá dictator Manuel Noriega, whose time in power was marked by corruption and violence, has died at the age of 83. Panamá's President Juan Carlos Varela said on twitter that Noriega's death closes a chapter in our history and that his family deserves a burial in peace. Noriega had been in the hospital recovering from several surgeries related to removing a brain tumor earlier this year. Before being released on house arrest to prepare for the procedures, Noriega had been imprisoned for corruption and killing opponents during his 1983-89 regime. Noriega was ousted from power by a U.S. invasion in 1989 and was imprisoned in the United States on drug offenses. He then was jailed in France for money laundering and was returned to Panamá in 2011 for further imprisonment. Despite amassing great wealth, Noriega had worked hard to cultivate an image of a man of the people. He lived in a modest, two-story home in an upper-middle-class neighborhood in Panama City that stood in stark contrast with the opulent mansions customary among Latin American dictators. ”He would only say `hello' very respectfully,” said German Sanchez, who lived next door for 16 years. “You may think what you like of Noriega, but we can't say he was anything but respectful toward his neighbors.” ”The humble, the poor, the blacks, they are the utmost authority,” Noriega said in one speech. While some resentment lingers over the U.S. invasion, Noriega had so few supporters in modern-day Panamá that attempts to auction off his old home attracted no bidders and the government decided to demolish the decaying building. Late in life, the ex-dictator essentially had zero influence over his country from behind bars. ”He is not a figure with political possibilities,” University of Panama sociologist Raul Leis said in 2008. “Even though there's a small sector that yearns for the Noriega era, it is not a representative figure in the country.” Noriega broke a long silence in June 2015 when he made a statement from prison on Panamanian television in which he asked forgiveness of those harmed by his regime. ”I feel like as Christians we all have to forgive,” he said, reading from a handwritten statement. “The Panamanian people have already overcome this period of dictatorship.” But for the most part Noriega stayed mum about elite military and civilian associates who thrived on the corruption that he helped instill, and which still plagues the Central American nation of some 3.9 million people, a favored transshipment point for drugs and a haven for money laundering. Meanwhile, families of more than 100 who were killed or disappeared during his rule are still seeking justice. Flynn to provide documents to Senate on Russia probe By the A.M. Costa
Rica wire services
U.S. President Donald Trump's former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn has agreed to hand over documents to the Senate intelligence committee in connection with its investigation into Russia's efforts to influence last year's U.S. presidential election. Flynn had previously refused a subpoena from the committee, with his lawyers asserting the request was too broad in what it was seeking. The committee filed a more narrow subpoena, and Flynn is now expected to provide some personal documents and those related to two businesses by next week. The House intelligence committee is conducting its own investigation, and on Tuesday Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, turned down a request to provide information, calling it poorly phrased, overly broad and not capable of being answered. The U.S. Justice Department has appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller as a special counsel in another investigation that also includes whether Trump campaign aides colluded with Russia. Trump has rejected those allegations and dismissed the U.S. intelligence community's assessment that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign aimed at the November election with a desire to help Trump's chances of beating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. "Russian officials must be laughing at the U.S. & how a lame excuse for why the Dems lost the election has taken over the Fake News," Trump wrote Tuesday on Twitter. Later, at a White House briefing for reporters, spokesman Sean Spicer said Trump is frustrated to see stories come out that are patently false, to see narratives that are wrong, to see, quote, unquote, fake news, when you see stories get perpetrated that are absolutely false, that are not based in fact. Trump's Russia comment came as news reports continued to focus on Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and a White House adviser, and his reported attempt to establish a back-channel communications link to Russian officials in the weeks before Trump's inauguration in January. Some foreign affairs experts said the move, while former President Barack Obama had weeks left in his term, worried them that it could undermine U.S. security, and some opposition Democrats have suggested Kushner's security clearance should be revoked. Other experts say exploring the creation of backchannels is commonplace, even during presidential transitions. Spicer deflected several questions about Kushner's actions, telling one reporter his inquiry presupposes facts that have not been confirmed. The White House also is bracing for the upcoming congressional testimony of former FBI chief James Comey. Trump fired Comey after allegedly asking him to drop the probe into Flynn and his close ties to the Kremlin. U.S. successfully tests missile defense system By the A.M. Costa
Rica wire services
The Pentagon says its first-ever missile defense test involving an ICBM was a success. "The intercept of a complex threat-representative ICBM target is an incredible accomplishment," Vice Admiral Jim Syring of the Missile Defense Agency said. Tuesday's test involved two separate missile launches. A simulated attack intercontinental ballistic missile was fired from a tiny island in the Pacific. A second missile was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The second missile successfully intercepted the first missile over the ocean, destroying it in mid-flight. Pentagon officials compare it to one bullet shot from a gun striking another bullet. The system is designed to defend the U.S. against a possible missile launch from a rogue state such as North Korea. Earlier Tuesday, North Korea declared its latest ballistic missile test a success. The U.S. Pacific Command said it tracked what appeared to be a short-range ballistic missile for six minutes. It landed in the Sea of Japan in what is known as Japan's exclusive economic zone, angering Tokyo. China is North Korea's closest ally and the United States has relied in China to do its best to deal with the North. China has repeatedly said dialogue is the best way to make headway against North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. At the United Nations Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said the Trump administration believes China is doing what she calls backchannel networking with North Korea on its nuclear program, and that the U.S. will keep up the pressure on China. Ms. Haley also said the U.S. and China are working on the timing of when to come out with another resolution toughening sanctions on the North. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has warned that if a diplomatic solution cannot be found, it would be a catastrophic war if this turns into a combat. Monday's launch was North Korea's third missile test in three weeks, defying the threat of more sanctions. It came just days after world leaders at the G-7 economic summit demanded Pyongyang give up its nuclear ambitions. The United States is working to make its missile defense system fully operational in South Korea. But China opposes it, regarding it as a threat. Stronger tobacco control is extremely vital, WHO warns By the A.M. Costa
Rica wire services
The World Health Organization warns that more than 7 million people die prematurely every year from tobacco-related causes, and it's a costly drain on national economies. In advance of World No Tobacco day, to be observed Wednesday, the global health agency urged governments to implement strong tobacco control measures for the health of their people and their economies. WHO calls tobacco a threat to development. Besides the heavy toll in lives lost, global estimates show that tobacco costs the global economy $1.4 trillion a year, or 1.8 percent of global gross domestic product. The WHO notes this estimate takes into consideration only medical expenses and lost productive capacities. Despite effective tobacco control measures, WHO reports the number of people dying from smoking is increasing because those dying today have mostly been long-term smokers and it takes time for tobacco control policies to make an impact. Vinayak Prasad, program manager of the WHO's Tobacco Free Initiative, said, "What we are seeing is that if the policies were not in place, the number of 7.2 million would have been higher. We are seeing a reduction of tobacco use prevalence in most countries. The only regions now which are seeing higher growth are the African continent and Middle Eastern region. The rest of the world is seeing a decline." Besides leading to premature death, the WHO has found, countless millions of people who smoke suffer from a wide variety of tobacco-related diseases and resultant serious disabilities, including blindness, amputation, impotence and poor oral health. Andrew Black of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Secretariat noted that smoking is an addiction largely taken up in childhood and adolescence, so it is crucial to reduce the number of young people taking up smoking in the first place. We must stop the tobacco industry's powerful advertising and promotion, which can all too often be oriented toward young people. Black said tobacco widens social inequalities and is a driver of poverty around the world. "We know that those living on lower incomes in virtually all countries are likely to smoke, and therefore more likely to suffer the consequences of tobacco use," he said. Black said that by 2030, about 80 percent of the world's tobacco-related mortality will be in low- and middle-income countries. To mark World No-Tobacco Day, the U.N. Development Program and the Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control issued a study that focuses on the harmful effects of tobacco on both health and on efforts aimed at achieving the U.N.'s sustainable development goals. Dudley Tarlton, U.N. program specialist on health and development, said that tobacco undermines the goals because household consumption on tobacco displaces consumption on other goods and services that might lead to a better end. For the first time, the WHO and UNDP released a joint report showing the bad impact tobacco has on the environment. Prasad acknowledged that the data received from the tobacco industry and from governments were relatively weak. Nevertheless, he said, the evidence is really astounding as to how tobacco is extremely dangerous and harming the environment. He said using land to grow tobacco can lead to severe damage because of the widespread use of agrochemicals. Prasad noted that more than 11 million metric tons of wood was required to cure and dry tobacco, which essentially means deforestation is already happening. The report found that tobacco waste contains over 7,000 toxic chemicals that poison the environment, including human carcinogens, and that tobacco smoke contributes thousands of tons of human carcinogens, toxicants and greenhouse gases to the environment. Prasad said that cigarettes are bad news for tree lovers because "for every 300 cigarettes, we need to cut a tree. ... Even conservatively, if we are looking at 6 trillion cigarettes, we are looking at almost 15 to 20 billion trees to cut. "We have 6 trillion trees in the world, so we are almost looking at a big cut, which is going to happen, if we do not hold this," he said. And regarding the sullying of the world's environment, he noted that cigarette butts account for 30 to 40 percent of all items collected in coastal and urban cleanups. Iran is doubling down on proxy forces in region By the A.M. Costa
Rica wire services
An influx of cash that was the byproduct of the deal Iran struck with a group of world powers to curtail its nuclear program may not be changing the way Iran goes about wielding influence across the Middle East and beyond. A top U.S. military official says rather than using any additional monies to invest more heavily in conventional forces, there are indications Tehran continues to focus on cultivating special operators to help lead and direct proxy forces. “If anything, increased defense dollars in Iran are likely to go toward increasing that network, looking for ways to expand it,” U.S. Special Operation Forces Vice Commander Lieutenant General Thomas Trask told an audience in Washington late Tuesday. The 2015 nuclear deal, also known as the JCPOA, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, gave Tehran access to an estimated $50 billion to $150 billion in previously frozen assets. It also cleared the way for Iran to seek new investment to boost its economy. Critics of the deal feared Iran would take a large portion of that money to boost its military and expand its influence across the Middle East. Yet despite Iran’s heavy involvement in Syria to help prop up the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, U.S. military officials see no indications much of that money has been set aside for bolstering Tehran’s conventional forces. Nor do they see that as a likely scenario, even though the latest estimates from the U.S. intelligence community warn Iran is trying to develop a range of new military capabilities, including ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and armed drones. Already, Iran is supplementing its own forces inside Syria by providing arms, financing and training for as many as 10,000 Shia militia fighters, including units from Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to U.S. intelligence officials. Military and intelligence officials further worry about the sway Iran has over tens of thousands of additional fighters who are part of Shia militias fighting in Iraq. And there are concerns Iran is trying to employ the same type of model in Yemen, where U.S. officials say it has been supplying arms and other help to Houthi forces. “Everywhere you look, if there is trouble in the region, you find Iran,” U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said last moth during a visit to Saudi Arabia, when asked about Yemen. “We'll have to overcome Iran's efforts to destabilize yet another country and create another militia in their image of Lebanese Hezbollah.” And some analysts say that Iran will persist, even if the results are not immediate. Still, Tehran has shown no signs of backing down, he said, willing to wait out its adversaries.
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2017 and may not be reproduced anywhere without
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| A.M. Costa Rica sixth news page |
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Published ||
Wednesday
Edition, May
31, 2017 ||
Vol. 17, No.
107
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 Ministerio de Salud
photo
Some of the new toys
to fight against mosquitoes.
Costa Rica gets new tools in Zika fight By the A.M. Costa Rica staff The Costa Rican health
ministry received a welcome donation from the Turkish
government in the country’s fight against the Zika
virus.
20 thermo-fogging machines, laboratory equipment and some recording kits were among the goods obtained, according to a report from the Ministerio de Salud. This act takes place within the wider framework of the government’s plan to implement the Plan de Acción para la Prevención y Control del Zika. Back in November, health representatives from Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panamá met for workshops for the wider regional plan in the prevention of mosquito-borne diseases. With the financial support from the government of Turkey, the region was able to purchase thermo-fog machines to spray and clear spaces of mosquitos. Of the 120 given, Costa Rica acquired 20, the health ministry said. 24 laboratory equipment kits have also been given for diagnosis of mosquito illnesses. These include: freezers, coolers, pipette sets, incubators, microscopes air conditioners and a dry water bath among others. Of those pieces, Costa Rica received two freezers. The total investment was $347,000 for the region’s fight, the health ministry said. 22
trained and certified for canine ops
By the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
The canine unit with the Policía Penitenciaria trained around 22 officers from the different security forces in the country as canine instructors and guides. According to a statement from the Ministerio de Justicia y Paz, the 22 students graduated last Friday. Six of the officers belong to the border police, four are part of the Fuerza Pública, another four are members of the prison police and five are part of the air surveillance unit. The other spots are rounded off by members of San José’s municipal police force and the Judicial Investigating Organization. The justice ministry said that four were certified as instructors while 18 were certified as canine guides. The training course was sponsored by the United States Embassy where students were put through several weeks of practice environments at the Escuela de Capacitación Penitenciaria. |
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| From page 7: Millennials are the majority in tech workforce By the A.M. Costa Rica staff The chamber for information technology came out with a new study displaying that over 66 percent of the workforce for the sector are members of the Millennial generation and it is an industry specializing in certifications and experience. The Cámara de Tecnologías de Información y Comunicación details data gathered from over 120 specialized positions in the sector within 35 Costa Rican companies who answered the survey. The results of the study, which focuses primarily on the salaries and benefits of the professionals, was presented to Cristina Cubero, the director of human capital. “The results of this study show that young people are making changes not only in this sector of technologies but also to the rest of the industries within the country,” she said. The study showed some beneficial results for Costa Rican professionals seeking positions within this sector of the economy. The findings discovered that 89 percent of employees in the information technology departments received a salary increase in the last year. Moreover, the percentage of increase in professional positions was almost 5 percent above the percentage of inflation and the laws mandating an increase automatically to keep up with inflation. Additionally, the group found that there were three areas to note within the workplaces of these professions that, they believe, were influenced by Millennials: integration activities, strong traning and flexible work schemes. At the same time, however, over 27 percent of those surveyed displayed a turnover rate of more than 25 percent. Women in technical positions accounted for barely 22 percent of the positions in comparison to their strong participation in the other subsections of this sector, the Cámara said. |
