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Jo
Stuart |
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San
José, Costa Rica,
Tuesday, July 2, 2013, Vol. 13, No. 129
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Our reader's opinion
Article on court decisionwas full of factual errors Dear A.M. Costa Rica: A client asked for my opinion on your article “Sala IV ducks chance to clear up key question on property theft” as he wasn’t clear on its meaning regarding his own case. These are my observations: 1. The note is poorly researched and shows little understanding of the legal matters it addresses; 2. The Sala IV has not “ducked” any chances of resolving this issue; it acted on a Recurso de Inconstitucionalidad filed by someone and had no option but to dismiss it ad portas due to the lack of one of the fundamental requisites for this type of actions to be admitted, and that is that it must stem from a legal case or process still open where the objected law is of the essence in its resolution, condition that was not met here, reason for which according to article 75 of Ley 7135 de Jurisdicción Constitucional it must be dismissed without reference to its contents and not as the note says “because it said the case was still open” 3. The published note says that “The memo said that the court left open the possibility of continuing to study this legal question.”. This is not true as the press release, not “memo,” does not even infer such a thing. What it literally says is En la sentencia, #2013-8582 de las 14:30 horas del 26 de junio de 2013, se explicó que no se cumplía un requisito básico propio de este tipo de casos, que es estar relacionado con un proceso judicial o un procedimiento administrativo cuya discusión se encuentre aún abierta, de acuerdo a lo que disponen los artículos 9° y 75 párrafo primero de la Ley de la Jurisdicción Constitucional. In English: “In sentence # 2013-8582 […} it was explained that a basic requisite pertaining to this type of case was not fulfilled, which is for the case (the “acción de inconstitucionalidad” filed) to be related to a legal or administrative procedure still in progress, according to articles 9 and 75 of Ley de Jurisdicción Constitucional” In plain words I can only file an acción de inconstitucionalidad if I have an open case in any court or administrative organism where I believe the specific norm or law applied to my case to be in conflict with the Constitution. The person who filed this was not in that situation, therefore his action was dismissed. The press release does not say anything regarding leaving open the study of any legal questions. It only says what it says, an accion de inconstitucionalidad was filed and dismissed for not conforming to the legal requisites for its admittance. 4. Regarding the expat who won his case but “In most cases the reverse is what happens” I would ask the editor to produce the evidence or statistics he used to make such an unfounded statement. The truth is that when in criminal court the forgery of the escritura pública used to make the illegal transfer is proved, the victim invariably recovers his property. Exceptions occur when the victim is not able to prove legal ownership or when he/she appears to be part of the scheme. 5. Property theft happens everywhere in the world including the U.S. and on quite a larger scale. The writer of the note is right on the fact that all it takes to transfer property in the U.S. is a signature on a deed, and the risk is passed on a insurance title company, like Stewart Title, but is dead wrong when addressing the notary system which he evidently does not know which shows in affirmations such as “What counts is a written statement from a notary that the property has changed hands” In the Latin Notary System applied worldwide but in U.S., England and countries of British tradition, property is transferred through a formal contract rendered before a notary public who authenticates the signatures and legality of the transaction where buyer and seller appear and that is then inscribed in the Public Registry in order for it to have erga omnes effect, that is, to be valid before third parties; it is far from being “a written statement from a notary that the property has changed hands”. 6. It is also said that this “tradition stems from a time when many citizens could not read or write” as if the notary system was an indigenous tradition we invented here. This is but blatant ignorance. The Latin Notary system as we know it was born in Rome 1,700 years before the Carta Magna was sanctioned by John I of England in 1215 CE. Emperor Justinian compiled the most important laws of the empire by 530 CE including those regarding the notary function in what is known as the Corpus Iurus Civilis which stayed in force in most continental Europe up to the time Napoleon put together his civil code from which all modern civil codes of the world except U.S. and Britain stem, including of course Costa Rica. I have to end saying that this type of anonymous, ill-researched, full of factual errors and unfounded personal opinions articles cause a lot of damage to the country by giving unaware readers false information on such important matters as the safe legal ways to transfer assets in Costa Rica, which by the way has one of the more solid and reliable legal systems of the continent. Mario
Valverde Brenes
attorney at law EDITOR'S NOTE; Lawyer Valverde is correct in that the news article was not well done and his amplification is appreciated. Many in Germany reported to sympathize with Snowden Dear A.M. Costa Rica: Is Edward Snowden a traitor or a hero? Can it be wrong if somebody opens the eyes of the world to the illegal American espionage in the Internet? This being done on purpose by top government agencies. Obama refused to talk on the matter when in Germany a few days ago. Meantime, top German politicians have openly discussed giving Snowden political asylum in Germany, as did the top social democrat Ralf Stegner. Would the American government react in the same way, as it does towards Ecuador? The leader of our Green Party, Claudia Roth, is starting to demand a law to protect whistleblowers, a wise move to collect votes in the forthcoming general election. This is a theme that will be taken up by many politicians in Germany, because many sympathize with Snowden, not with Big Brother! Klaus
Ebeling
Zeitz, Germany Animal welfare organization seeking volunteers in Jacó By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
McKee Jacó, the animal rescue organization is seeking volunteers and plans a meeting Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Hotel Mar de Luz. The organization, which has the legal name of Asociación Pro Bienestar Animal, also is celebrating its 10th birthday. It said in an announcement that there are only five volunteers with the organization now. McKee also operates a spay and neutering program in conjunction with volunteer veterinarians, including long-time associate Sergio Brenes and dozens of others. The organization engages in outreach to poorer residents of the area. McKee said that it treats more than 1,000 animals a year. New rector is elected at University for Peace By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Francisco Rojas Aravena has been named rector of the University for Peace until 2018, the university said. He has been secretary general of Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales. He is Chilean and by training a political scientist. He has been a professor at the University Nacional in Heredia. Rojas was a Fulbright fellow to Florida International University in Miami. He is the author or editor of some 80 books, has written more than 100 book chapters and 138 academic and popular articles. He holds a doctoral degree from the University of Utrecht in Holland. The university, a United Nations, project, is in Ciudad Colón.
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The contents of this page and this Web site are copyrighted by Consultantes Río Colorado S.A. 2013 and may not be reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details |
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San
José, Costa Rica,
Tuesday, July 2, 2013, Vol. 13, No. 129
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Police kill motorist who ran down their
fellow officer in Limón |
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Fuerza Pública officers gunned down a motorist who tried to escape from a checkpoint in Limón Monday. The motorist ran down a police officer who suffered serious injuries. Dead was a man identified as Kendry Alexander Lewis Hommard. The injured police officer has the last names of Bejarano Herrera. |
He was knocked to the pavement and
suffered at least one compound fracture. Police officials said that the incident began when a vehicle approached the checkpoint. The two occupants appeared to be getting rid of a bag believed to contain marijuana. The driver got out of the vehicle. He was identified by the last names of Arana Fernández. But the passenger took the wheel and tried to flee, said police. Other officers fired on the vehicle, said police. The injured police officer remains hospitalized. |
Trade treaty with European Union given
unanimous approval |
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Lawmakers have approved unanimously a treaty between Central America and the European Union. The treaty basically means products from Central America will be able to enter the European market without custom duties. The Minsiterio de Comercio Exterior estimates that Europe gets about 18 percent of the country's exports. Much of the exports are bananas, coffee, concentrated juice, melons, pineapples and plants. The European Union noted that the agreement was reached in 2011 and signed it in 2012. |
This closer economic integration
between the countries of the Central American region is important for attracting investment to the region and helping local businesses develop the strength in their regional market to compete internationally, the European Union has said. Producers of some products receive an increase in the quota. That includes sugar producers, cattle producers and rice farmers. The European union already has approved the treaty as have most of the Central American states. Also Monday the free trade treaty between Central America and México entered into force, the commerce ministry said. |
Fire fighters are seeking someone to
share their work day |
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Those who nourish the dream of being a fire fighter have a chance to be one for a day through a contest set up by the Cuerpo de Bomberos. The essay contest is in commemoration of the agency's 148th anniversary. Those who seek to enter can respond to the question of why they want to be a fire fighter on the agency's Facebook page. |
Those without Facebook access can
send their response to a Bombero email
address. The winner will be chosen through a raffle, and he or she will be able to bring two friends to participate in trips to various fire stations and engaging in the daily work of a fire fighter. If there is an emergency, the winner and friends will participate, said the agency. Entries will be accepted until July 12, said the Bomberos. |
You need to see Costa Rican tourism information HERE! |
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San
José, Costa Rica,
Tuesday, July 2, 2013, Vol. 13, No. 129
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Marijuana dependency seems to alter brain chemistry and
reduce motivation |
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By
the Imperial College London news services
Long-term cannabis users tend to produce less dopamine, a chemical in the brain linked to motivation, a study has found. Researchers found that dopamine levels in a part of the brain called the striatum were lower in people who smoke more cannabis and those who began taking the drug at a younger age. They suggest this finding could explain why some cannabis users appear to lack motivation to work or pursue their normal interests. The study, by scientists at Imperial College London, UCL and King’s College London, was funded by the Medical Research Council and published in the journal Biological Psychiatry. The researchers used PET brain imaging to look at dopamine production in the striatum of 19 regular cannabis users and 19 non-users of matching age and sex. The cannabis users in the study had all experienced psychotic-like symptoms while smoking the drug, such as experiencing strange sensations or having bizarre thoughts like feeling as though they are being threatened by an unknown force. The researchers expected that dopamine production might be higher in this group, since increased dopamine production has been linked with psychosis. Instead, they found the opposite effect. The cannabis users in the study had their first experience with the drug between the ages of 12 and 18. There was a trend for lower dopamine levels in those who started earlier, and also in those who smoke more cannabis. The |
researchers say
these findings suggest that cannabis use may be the cause of the difference in dopamine levels. The lowest dopamine levels were seen in users who met diagnostic criteria for cannabis abuse or dependence, raising the possibility that this measure could provide a marker of addiction severity. Previous research has shown that cannabis users have a higher risk of mental illnesses that involve repeated episodes of psychosis, such as schizophrenia. “It has been assumed that cannabis increases the risk of schizophrenia by inducing the same effects on the dopamine system that we see in schizophrenia, but this hasn’t been studied in active cannabis users until now,” said Michael Bloomfield, from the Institute of Clinical Sciences at Imperial, who led the study. “The results weren’t what we expected, but they tie in with previous research on addiction, which has found that substance abusers, people who are dependent on cocaine or amphetamine, for example, have altered dopamine systems. “Although we only looked at cannabis users who have had psychotic-like experiences while using the drug, we think the findings would apply to cannabis users in general, since we didn’t see a stronger effect in the subjects who have more psychotic-like symptoms. This needs to be tested though. “It could also explain the amotivational syndrome which has been described in cannabis users, but whether such a syndrome exists is controversial.” Other studies have looked at dopamine release in former cannabis users and not seen differences with people who haven’t taken cannabis, suggesting that the effects seen in this study are likely to be reversible. |
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What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
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Costa Rica's Fifth news page |
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San
José, Costa Rica,
Tuesday, July 2, 2013, Vol. 13, No. 129
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European leaders
seeking
answers in U.S. spy claims By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
European politicians have reacted angrily to claims that the U.S. National Security Agency has bugged European Union missions and tapped phone calls and e-mails. The allegations stem from documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who is currently stuck in a Moscow airport awaiting political asylum. The German magazine Der Spiegel and Britain’s Guardian newspaper claim to have evidence showing that the U.S. National Security Agency bugged the European Union mission in New York and its embassy in Washington. The EU summoned the U.S. ambassador and ordered a sweep of its offices to check for devices. Steffen Seibert, a spokesperson for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said Washington needs to explain. "It has to be cleared up. And if it turns out to be true, that it would be unacceptable, as we are no longer in the Cold War," said Seibert. On a trip to Brunei Monday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was questioned about the allegations. "I will say that every country in the world that is engaged in international affairs of national security undertakes lots of activities to protect its national security, and all kinds of information contributes to that. And all I know is that is not unusual for lots of nations," said Kerry. Such revelations should not be surprising, says Kristian Gustafson of the Centre for Intelligence and Security Studies at Brunel University. “On security issues everyone is sufficiently on the same page that they don’t tend to need to spy on each other. But it’s in the economic realm where they are competitors rather than allies where you tend to get these espionage allegations," said Gustafson. Other leaked documents allege that the NSA taps a half-billion phone calls and e-mails in Germany in a typical month. “It might turn into an EU internal problem," said David Cadier, who is from the IDEAS analyst group at the London School of Economics. "It might be that the problem is less the fact that the U.S. authorities have been spying on some EU delegations officers, some embassies. But I think the key problem will rather be the issue of personal data sharing." The allegations come as Europe and the United States are beginning negotiations on creating the world’s biggest free trade agreement. “Will it be put in jeopardy? In the end, I don’t think so because the level of support among the EU officials, among European governments, for this trade has been quite strong," said Cadier. One document lists 38 other embassies where spying has allegedly taken place, including Mexico, Japan, South Korea, India and Turkey. The documents were leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who is currently at Moscow airport while he seeks asylum. Several European politicians have suggested he should now be offered asylum in Europe. Snowden blaming Obama for blocking asylum bid By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
U.S. fugitive Edward Snowden has accused President Barack Obama of trying to block his efforts to seek asylum. In a statement released by the website WikiLeaks, Snowden said Obama has ordered Vice President Joe Biden to pressure the leaders of countries where he has requested asylum to deny his petitions. The statement marked Snowden's first public announcement since fleeing Hong Kong for Russia eight days ago. Monday, a Russian immigration official said Snowden has applied for political asylum in that country. The official said a WikiLeaks activist who is traveling with Snowden handed his application to a Russian consulate in the transit area at Moscow's airport on Sunday. Snowden has been stuck there since arriving from Hong Kong. Snowden, a former U.S. intelligence contractor, had been thought to be seeking asylum in Ecuador in a bid to escape extradition to the United States, which has annulled his passport. Correa says Ecuador acted in haste to welcome fugitive By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa says his government made a serious error in issuing accused U.S. spy Edward Snowden a letter of safe passage as the fugitive sought asylum in the South American country. Correa, in an interview Sunday, said his country is still awaiting a formal asylum request from Snowden, before deciding on how to proceed with the controversial case. He also said his government will not block Snowden's entry if he reaches Ecuador. Snowden, a 32-year-old former National Security Agency contractor, is reported stuck in Moscow's international airport, and Correa said the fugitive is unable to leave without the consent of Russian authorities. "It depends on the Russian legal system if he can or can not leave the airport, if he can continue his journey." Snowden fled Hong Kong for the Russian capital June 23, just days after U.S. prosecutors unsealed espionage charges against the former National Security Agency contractor for leaking information about secret U.S. surveillance operations. In a separate interview Sunday, anti-secrecy advocate Julian Assange told ABC television that Snowden appears marooned in Russia with his flight to avoid prosecution stalled by the U.S. passport revocation. Ecuador has sheltered WikiLeaks founder Assange at its London embassy for the past year to prevent his possible extradition to the United States, where he faces charges related to the publication of secret U.S. diplomatic cables in 2010. Arizona firemen outflanked by gale force wind and flames By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
An elite squad of 19 Arizona firemen killed in the worst U.S. wildland firefighting tragedy in 80 years apparently was outflanked by wind-whipped flames in seconds, before some could scramble into cocoon-like personal shelters. Details of Sunday's deaths of all but one member of a specially trained, 20-man team remained vague a day after they perished in a blaze that destroyed scores of homes and forced the evacuation of two towns in central Arizona. But fragments of the firefighters' final moments painted some of the picture as investigators launched a probe into exactly how the disaster unfolded. Fire officials said the young men fell victim to a highly volatile mix of erratic winds gusting to gale-force intensity, low humidity, a sweltering heat wave and thick, drought-parched brush that had not burned in some 40 years. The deaths brought an outpouring of tributes from political leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama, who is on an official trip to Africa. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer called the deaths “one of our state's darkest, most devastating days” and ordered state flags flown at half staff from Monday through Wednesday. The blaze was sparked on Friday by lightning near the town of Yarnell, about 80 miles (128 kms.) northwest of Phoenix. It was still raging unchecked Monday after scorching some 8,400 acres (3,400 hectares) of tinder-dry chaparral and grasslands. Still, conditions faced by the team that fights flames at close range with hand tools, were typical for the wildfires they are trained to battle, fire officials said. They were trapped as a windstorm kicked up and the fire suddenly exploded on Sunday, said Peter Andersen, a former Yarnell fire chief who was helping the firefighting effort. “The smoke had turned and was blowing back on us,” Andersen said. “It looked almost like a smoke tornado, and the winds were going every which way.” The powerful gusts abruptly split the fire, driving it in two directions, then pushing flames back in on the crew, who were working on one flank of the fire front, he said. The firefighters deployed their personal shelters, capsule-like devices designed to deflect heat and trap breathable air, in a last-ditch effort to survive, officials said. Andersen said some of the men on the ground made it into their shelters and some did not, according to an account relayed by a ranger helicopter crew flying over the area. “There was nothing they could do to get to them,” he said. Prescott Fire Department Chief Dan Fraijo said crews typically establish a secure safety zone to which they can retreat if flames start to close in on them. Authorities ordered the evacuation of Yarnell and the adjoining town of Peeples Valley. The two towns are southwest of Prescott and home to roughly 1,000 people. Officials said on Sunday at least 200 structures, mostly homes, had been destroyed, most of them in Yarnell, a community consisting largely of retirees, but the figure could rise. U.S. will accept visa requests from same-sex couples By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
It’s official. U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents in a same-sex marriage to a foreign national can now sponsor their spouse for a family-based immigrant visa, according to a directive issued by U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano Monday. The move follows last week’s Supreme Court decision ruling that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, defining marriage between a man and a woman, as unconstitutional. U.S. President Barack Obama has directed federal departments to swiftly and smoothly ensure the court decision and its implication for federal benefits. “To that end, I have directed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to review immigration visa petitions filed on behalf of a same-sex spouse in the same manner as those filed on behalf of an opposite-sex spouse,” Ms. Napolitano said in a statement. According to the new procedures, the immigration service will look to the law of the place where the marriage took place in determining its validity for immigration law. That means if a couple was married in a U.S. state that recognizes same-sex marriage, but lives in a state that will not, the couple’s petition for an immigration visa will still be considered. There are nearly 30,000 binational same-sex couples in which one partner is a U.S. citizen and one is not, according to estimates based on U.S. Census Bureau data. Until now, those couples were not eligible for family-based immigrant visas, forcing many to choose between love and country. A landmark immigration reform bill passed by the Senate almost stalled out because of a proposal to allow U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents to sponsor their same-sex spouse for immigration. Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy removed the proposal after opponents threatened to kill the entire bill. The Supreme Court decision accomplished what Leahy was hoping to do. Immigration bill in House faces an uncertain future By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Supporters of immigration reform in the United States gained a victory last week when the Senate approved a bipartisan bill which tightens border security and sets out a lengthy path for citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants. But getting a bill through the Republican-controlled House will be a different story, says House Speaker John Boehner. “We are going to do our own bill through regular order, and it will be legislation that reflects the will of our majority and the will of the American people,” he said. Boehner insists any reform bill in the House must be supported by a majority of Republicans, and many of them have already rejected the Senate version because it offers a path to citizenship. On the other hand, a bill that veers too far to the right would alienate Democrats, says Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. “We know it has to be a compromise. We know who is in the majority. But if you want our votes it has to be something that our members can vote for,” she said. Fourteen Republicans supported the Senate immigration bill, well aware of the party’s dismal showing among Hispanic voters in last year’s election, says analyst Allan Lichtman. “Republicans cannot go forward and expect to win national elections picking up 20 to 25 percent of the rapidly growing vote of Hispanics in the United States,” he said. In the House, many Republicans are reluctant to anger their conservative supporters back in their home states, explains expert Norm Ornstein. “If you are sitting there in the House, you may be mildly fearful that there could be a huge backlash. But the bigger risk for most of those members is the backlash from their own right wing, not from a broader public uneasiness with the direction they are going,” he said. If the reform bill is blocked in the House, immigration will be a key issue in upcoming elections, says Lichtman. “It could be diffused for both parties if something major gets through the Congress. If it does not, then you are going to see the blame game being played,” he said. In the meantime, millions of undocumented immigrants are waiting for Congress to act. Many workers would prefer changing careers, says survey By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
So much for a dream job. Only 14 percent of U.S. workers believe they have the perfect job and more than half want to change careers, according to a new poll released Monday. A Harris survey for the University of Phoenix in Arizona showed that the most coveted jobs are in the arts and sciences, business management, technology and healthcare, and that younger employees are more eager to find another type of work than older workers. “It is not uncommon for working adults to consider one or multiple career changes,” Bill Pepicello, the president of the University of Phoenix, said in a statement announcing the results. “Choosing one career path after high school or college and sticking with it for the rest of a career is becoming less common as the pace of business and technology quickly change jobs and industries,” he said. Nearly 80 percent of workers in their 20s said they wanted to change careers, followed by 64 percent of 30-somethings and 54 percent in their 40s. Although the majority of workers said they had career plans when they were younger, 73 percent of them had not landed in the job they had expected. Women were more likely than men to be in a different job than they had anticipated, according to the poll, and college graduates tended to follow a planned career path more than non-graduates. Even people running their own businesses were not happy, with only 20 saying they were in their desired careers. Location was also important. Some 60 percent of people living in San Francisco said they did not want to change careers. Some 22 percent were likely to be in a dream job, compared to just 8 percent of employees in Dallas-Fort Worth and Los Angeles. In New York City 62 percent of workers were somewhat interested in changing careers, compared to 67 percent of workers in Atlanta and 60 percent in Los Angeles. Of the 14 percent of workers overall who were in their dream job, nearly 20 percent worked in business management, followed by 16 percent in healthcare. Harris questioned 1,616 U.S. adults for the online poll between April 18 and 26. It gave no margin of error for the survey. Cocoa farmers being evicted as Ivory Coast clears forests By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The Ivory Coast is clearing tens of thousands of cocoa farmers from protected forests, threatening exports from the world's top grower and leading to complaints about human rights abuses. Cocoa represents about 10 percent of the former French colony's economic output but the environmental costs of the industry's growth have been high. The European Union estimates three-quarters of the West African country's forests, have disappeared in the past five decades, mainly due to farming including cocoa plantations. President Alassane Ouattara's government says it is prepared to pay the economic price of phasing agriculture out to save the dwindling tropical forest and the security services have started flattening houses and forcefully removing the farmers. “In America, you couldn't imagine people illegally occupying Central Park just because they say they have nowhere else to live, could you?” said government spokesman Bruno Kone. Ouattara has won praise and promises of billions of dollars in funding from world powers for rebuilding Ivory Coast after a brief war that followed his 2010 election win. The forestry service says around half the 4.2 million hectares of protected forest reserves are illegally occupied and the evictions form part of his efforts to reassert state authority after a decade of stagnation and political turmoil. It also tallies with his plan to diversify the economy away from cocoa, which accounts for 40 percent of exports. There also appears to be pressure on Ivory Coast to clear up its forestry sector as it starts negotiations with the European Union over a new timber trade agreement although illegal logging operates on a much smaller scale than cocoa farming. But moving the farmers from the 231 reserves, some of whom have lived there with their families for decades, could leave them destitute, stirring unrest as well as hurting the economy. “Everyone fed themselves through cocoa. Not everyone can make it in the city,” said Abo Baboue, a cocoa farmer, waiting beside a muddy track for a truck to carry off what belongings he could salvage after soldiers destroyed his home. There are no figures for how many of Ivory Coast's 800,000 cocoa growers live and farm on protected land. In Niegre, the first forest to be cleared last month forestry agents counted 6,000 households, around 25,000 people, before the army moved in, cutting short the head count. Just weeks into the operation, those targeted have accused security forces of abuse, including the looting of homes, stealing money and cocoa and, in some cases, rape, charges rejected by the government. In Baleko-Niegre, the main settlement inside the Niegre forest, journalists saw flattened homes, shops and restaurants after forestry officials, flanked by heavily armed soldiers, bulldozed the area. Amadou Ama, who sold metal sheeting for roofs, said he had provided shelter to homeless neighbors but soldiers broke down his door at night and dragged two women off. “The next morning I found them. They told me the soldiers had raped them,” he said. A day later, his house was leveled too, he said. The illegal plantations in the Niegre forest produce between 60,000 and 70,000 tons of cocoa annually. “A large share of the cocoa produced in this country comes from the forest reserves...The plantations inside the reserves are the youngest and most productive,” said one cocoa exporter based in the country's second-largest port, San Pedro. Development workers familiar with the government's plans say long-term squatters will be allowed to keep to their plantations, as long as they live outside the reserve, until they are taken over by replanted hardwood and softwood trees. Traders say next year's main crop harvest could be the first to take a hit if farmers are not able to access and tend their plantations during July and August. Colombia and rebels try to advance stalled talks By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The Colombian government and leftist rebels clashed Monday over how to incorporate Latin America's oldest guerrilla movement into the democratic process, as they began the latest round of peace talks in Havana. The rebels, the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, reiterated its demand that Colombia's 2014 general election be postponed a year in favor of a constituent assembly to chart the country's political future. The government has repeatedly rejected the proposal and insisted a peace agreement must be reached by the end of 2013. Former vice president and lead government negotiator, Humberto de la Calle quickly dismissed the rebel proposal before Monday's talks began. “There are clear parameters for talks on this point agreed upon last year by both sides,” he said. “That is what the government is willing to discuss and nothing more.” In May, after six months of negotiations facilitated by Cuba and Norway, the two sides reached an historic agreement on agricultural reform that calls for developing rural areas and providing land to the people living there. But they remain at loggerheads over the second item on their six-point agenda: turning the guerrillas from insurgents into political participants. More than 100,000 people have died and millions have been displaced in fighting since the rebels known as the FARC was founded in 1964 as a Communist agrarian reform movement. The talks recess every few weeks, then resume, even as the conflict rages on. Rebels blew up an oil pipeline and the government sentenced their leader and FARC's chief negotiator to long prison terms on various charges during the most recent break in negotiations. The negotiator remains in Cuba with temporary immunity. Other unresolved issues include the drug trade, compensation for victims and implementation of the final accord. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos initiated the peace talks last year in the belief that the FARC had been so weakened by the government's 10-year, U.S.-backed offensive that its leaders were ready to end the fighting. Three previous peace attempts have failed. The rebels have been pushed into far corners of the country but can still attack oil and mining operations vital to Colombia's economic growth. |
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A.M. Costa
Rica's sixth news page |
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San
José, Costa Rica,
Tuesday, July 2, 2013, Vol. 13, No. 129
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Educación Vial photo
Youngsters can learn to cross
streets correctly at the park without the danger of real traffic.An option for
highway safety
available for vacationing kids By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Traffic safety experts are suggesting that the mid-year school vacation is a good time for partners to take their children to the road safety park in Parque la Sabana. This is the area on the north side of the park where children can learn real life road safety without being on the street. The name in Spanish is the Parque Infantil de Educación Vial, and it features in miniature many of the conditions that children will face on the street. More than 50,000 school children go there each year when classes are in session. But the educational park is open by appointments made on the Educación Vial Web page. San José gets new mayor as political season opens By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Sandra García Pérez took the oath of office Monday to become the mayor of the Muncipalidad de San José. She had been vice mayor. The position became vacant when Johnny Araya Monge, mayor for the last 22 years, resigned to pursue his campaign for president. Ms. García said that education and solid waste disposal would be priorities for her. Meanwhile, the Partido Acción Ciudadana came out with an email attack on Araya saying that the municipality is deeply in debt although that has not been made public. Another email under the name of Epsy Campbell, an Acción Ciudadana leader, was critical of Rodolfo Hernández, the presidential candidate of the Partido Unidad Social Cristiana. The email said that he was a puppet of former president Rafael Caldera. Hernández, a physician, was director of the Hospital Nacional de Niños for 12 years. She is a potential candidate, too. |
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What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
The contents of this page and this Web site are copyrighted by Consultantes Río Colorado S.A. 2013 and may not be reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details |
From page 7
The event Saturday from noon to 9 p,m, will present the foods of 11 participating restaurants, said the organization. The location Sunday is the Citrus Restaurant. Ojochal is on the southern Pacific coast south of Dominical. El Sabor de Ojochal periodically stages such events to showcase the restaurants. It said: "With over 12 incredible restaurants ranging from the exotic Exotica, chic Citrus, legendary views and Mediterranean cuisine of Azul and the warmth of the authentic Indonesian cuisine of Ylang Ylang, you will find your pleasure. Other restaurants include the French fusion of Diquis, casual French cuisine of Le Bistro, the not-so-typical Costa Rica cuisine by Boca Coronado, fresh pasta of Fabrizio, baked foods of Pancito Cafe, Italian excellence of Mamma y Papa and Latin infused Villas Gaia." The event requires an admission. More information is on the organization's Web site. |