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A.M.
Costa Rica
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Published
Wednesday Edition
July 19, 2017, Vol. 17, No. 142 |
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| A.M. Costa Rica Second News Page |
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Published ||
Wednesday
Edition, July
19, 2017 ||
Vol. 17, No.
142
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By the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
The Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos approved an increase of 42 and nine percent in the electricity generation and distribution prices for customers of the Compañía Nacional de Fuerza y Luz. A customer commonly has be paying both these types of prices--the distribution and generation. The difference is: at what rate? For regular customers, the increase comes at nine percent. For industrial and corporate customers, the increase comes at 42 percent total. Originally, the increases were to be 26.33 percent for power generation and 13.75 percent for distribution, according to a statement by the Autoridad. The Compañía had asked for the first increases to come into effect as of July 1, while the second would come into effect on January 1, 2018. However, the Authority refused to recognize the Compañía more than $200 million in investment made at the hydroelectric projects Balsa Inferior and Eólico Valle Central. Thus, rates for residential customers will increase 9.46 percent beginning Oct. 1, 2017 and for the following five months. The authority refused to include the company's investments in the rate increase because those projects did not comply with some of the analyses required by law. In addition, the authority said that it did not charge the costs of the worker's collective agreement to the Compañía, as such agreement is being challenged before the Constitutional Chamber in the Corte Supreme. The Autoridad said that it may refuse to recognize any excessive or disproportionate spending or investment, in order to protect the interests of users of public services. A case for 0.3 grams of marijuana By the A.M.
Costa Rica staff
This Wednesday a man filed a complaint against the Fuerza Pública for aggravated deprivation of liberty and abuse of authority. The reason for how this all started apparently seem unclear. It is either 0.3 grams of marijuana or obstruction. The events took place in Barrio La California near 8:30 p.m. At that time the man was consuming cannabis on the street. When the man asked why he was being paddled down,, the head of the police group immediately called a patrol for alleged resistance to police work. The man carried only 0.2 grams of cannabis within an apple. In the complaint number 000-17-020046, the man claims that the group of officers threatened him with denouncing him before the university if he resisted arrest. "They took away my cell phone and wallet with the purpose of cutting my means of communication, since I told them I was going to report the incident," the man said. Inside the patrol car, the man apparently suffered psychological and physical aggression during the three hours he was arrested. "At that time I was the only person who was inside the patrol and then the police went started hunting people with criminal records," says the official complaint. According to the man, one of the officers explained that he was being arrested for using drugs on the street but later changed the explanation and said the arrest was due to obstruction of authority. Apparently, the police officers also did not issue any written document to avoid the evidences of the case. "My client was in an altered psychological state and vomiting, because he was locked up with five homeless people," said Monserrat Pérez, the man's lawyer. According to article 79 of Law 8204 there are no penalties for drug consumption on public spaces. Likewise, the prosecutors office cannot file a denunciation for similar reasons since it is not considered a felony. Canadian claims patent is not expired By the A.M.
Costa Rica staff
Darren Hreniuk, the Canadian citizen who has claimed intellectual property over the zip-line trips popularly known as the Canopy Tour at the end of May, continues his legal battle over the patent his lawyers consider to be valid. In a statement sent yesterday, the businessman said it is not true that his invention is already expired, as his detractors within the tourism industry have claimed. According to his lawyer, the Registro Nacional office of Costa Rica had just taken more time than usual to make the patent valid again. “The patent validity shows as expired since 2004 and that's precisely the reason why we are fighting for it and it has taken 12 years for authorities to prove us right,” explained Jorge Marín, one of Hreniuk’s lawyers. The legal dispute over the invention of canopy could imply possible charges local to entrepreneurs. However, the Cámara Nacional de Turismop has urged Canopy tour operators to not pay or negotiate with the Canadian. The chamber filed an appeal last Thursday before the Registro Público against the validity of the patent. The Cámara believes that it has been expired since 2010. Hreniuk's lawyers say that a ruling by the Tribunal de Casación brought back the patent on the "Canopy Tour" and thus, the right to profit from that activity which, he claims, was invented by him in 1990 in the cloud forest of Monteverde. In October 1998, the Industrial Property Registry granted the Canadian businessman the patent for the invention of the canopy for a term of 20 years, according to the Canadian's lawyers. "The inventor makes a call to reason to operators that could be harmed by not respecting a firm judicial decision. It is cheaper and reasonable to sit down and negotiate than to venture into uncertain demands,” they said on a press release.  Ministerio de
Obras Públicas y Transportes photo
Some drivers
had a problem with avoiding the wet paint.
Ruta
2 experiences paint problems
By the A.M.
Costa Rica staff
The general directorate for traffic engineering said that it was not their fault that the lines painted along Ruta 2 got messed up. According to a statement from the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes, officials corroborated spots on certain stretches of the road caused by truck traffic ignoring the total closure that was applied in the area at the time. “The drivers did not respect the closing and they went through the route where the paint on the asphalt was still wet causing damage,” a statement from public works said. “The ministry is working on erasing these spots and correcting the defects caused by these unscrupulous drivers.” Work on Ruta 2 began earlier in the month along a 27.5 kilometer stretch between El Empalme and intersection with with Ruta Nacional 228 in El Tejar. The ministry urged drivers to respect road closures to maintain the safety of workers and drivers alike. It is expected that the line painting will continue through July from Monday thru Friday beginning at 8 in the morning until 2 in the afternoon. The road will be limited to one lane, officials said. Total closures could be possible for an hour as well. Country will need more power plants for diverse electrical grid, study says By the A.M.
Costa Rica staff
A study published by the Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo claimed that if the country seeks to integrate more wind and solar sources into the electrical grid, then it will need to have more plants regulating energy generation in the country. The study was published by the bank last February, however in light of the recent nationwide power outage, the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad highlighted the importance of adding wind and solar power plants to complement its hydroelectric facilities already installed and generating a significant amount of the country’s power. This action could be costly for the institute. The document elaborates that the increasing in the share of varying renewable energy sources above the expectations of the institute’s expansion plans could lead to a doubling in the total investment costs over the next six years. The institute currently operates with seven hydroelectric plants that are supplemented during the dry season with other forms of power sources like wind and solar. The institute insists that the development of the El Diquís hydroelectric project will strengthen the electrical grid’s regulatory capacity and allow for better integration of other energy sources by 2026, when it is expected to enter operation. The project is based in the Zona Sur of Costa Rica. The hope for institute officials is that it can also be used for potable water along with irrigation. It is currently awaiting the necessary approval from the indigenous communities living in the region.
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A.M. Costa Rica Third News Page |
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Published || Wednesday Edition, July 19,
2017 || Vol. 17, No. 142
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| 20-year
water contamination problem apparently solved at Zarcero |
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By the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
After almost 20 years, the contamination problem plaguing the water sources at Palmira and Laguna de Zarcero appear to be finally receiving a solution. Under a joint partnership between the Instituto de Desarrollo Rural and the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados, the land encompassing the water sources will now be deemed for conservation purposes rather than through the use of agriculture. A statement from INDER said that for 23 years, Asociaciones Administradoras de los Acueductos Rurales, or Asadas for short, had been struggling to protect their local water sources and were scared of contamination from agrochemicals being used on the crops. With a new agreement reached, six plots of land will be gifted to the Asadas for Palmira and Laguna de Zarcero for their monitoring and protection. The plots are located within a peasant settlement known as El León de Palmira. The land was acquired by INDER back in 1998 but compensation was apparently needed to compensate the families on the properties. Fo several years, INDER had been looking for a way to solve the problem up until October 2015, when a public bid for the purchase of the property was made to move the parceleros, a Spanish word for someone who works a parcel of land. They later refused because the proposal received did not meet the needs. |
 INDER
photo
Yamileth Astorga,
the head of AyA, signs agreement.
The
only way, it seemed, was for the Asadas to receive
the properties on the basis of conservation, INDER
said.
INDER said that it will support management with 200 million colones as part of the compensations carried out by AyA. The total investment will be about 248 million colones. “That’s the best news I’ve been able to give in almost 20 years since beginning this fight,” German Blanco, a spokesperson with the Asada in Laguna, said. “We know that it has been tedious, both for us and for the different institutions that have participated in the solution but it has been valid. We are very satisfied because we can now provide quality drinking water.” |
| Police
and Caja officials prep for the annual Romería
pilgrimage |
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By the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
Police and Caja officials are preparing for the upcoming Romería pilgrimage with operations starting this weekend. The pilgrimage is an annual walk toward the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles in Cartago Centro. Many walk from San José ao Cartago in a display of solemn faith toward the Catholic faith in Costa Rica. It usually draws thousands. Over 1,100 officers of the Fuerza Pública will be part of an operation lasting until August 3 that includes the mounted police units, motorcycle units and the air surveillance unit. According to the Ministerio de Seguridad Pública, the operation will be divided into four phases with the first being maintaining patrols and the reinforcement of any police unit in case of a large presence of people on rural roads and the Inter-American highway. This is to provide security for the people beginning the pilgrimage to the basilica in the days leading to August 2, police said. The weekend of July 29 will see an expected increase in the pilgrims, called romeros, so the patrols will expand to include the General Cañas, Bernardo Soto, Ruta 32 and Florencio del Castillo. By Aug. 1 that will expand to a citizen security device on the traditional route of the pilgrimage from Calle 42 in San José to Cartago police said. Aug. 2 and Aug. 3, police officers will be providing security for the pass of the Virgen de los Ángeles. Meanwhile, the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social issued a Tuesday statement urging people over 60, children and those with chronic diseases not to attend the Romería. |
 A.M. Costa Rica
photo/Conor Golden
During the
Romería, this plaza will be packed.
The Caja said it would like to
reduce the transmission of viruses as well as
reducing the number of severe respiratory
infections. María Eugenia Villalta,
the medical manager for the Caja, said that the
institution has a plan ready to attend to any
emergencies but that it requires the support of
the population.
Specialists were blunt in stating that people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertensive and cardiac problems should not attend this pilgrimage. However, if they do, they should take their daily medications, protect themselves from the weather, wear comfortable shoes with rubber soles, use waterproof clothing, and be accompanied by someone. They also advised that the amount of walking should be shorter to avoid health issues. |
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A.M. Costa Rica's Fourth News page |
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Published || Wednesday Edition, July 19,
2017 || Vol. 17, No. 142
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| Costa Rica's democracy does not tolerate
dissent, according to forum |
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By the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
Democracy that does not tolerate dissent was how one professor at the Universidad de Costa Rica described the country’s state of democracy. The university held its first Foro Institucional dedicated to issues of freedom of expression, communication and democracy this past month. Nora Garita Bonilla, a professor of sociology, claimed that the country’s state of democracy is one that does not tolerate dissent except this form of intolerance is not expressed in the form of exclusion nor is deliberative. At the same time, however, there are practices of discrimination, exclusion and omission applied by the media to conceal that the country does live in a society crisscrossed with inequality. “In that context, Costa Rica will give way to digital television,” a statement from the university on the topic said. The forum consisted of eight roundtable discussions that summoned more than 30 expert testimonials and diverse opinions that showed a lackluster media reality and a lack of democratic quality. The university established the forum as an attempt to provoke a necessary reflection and attempt to move in a correct direction. The first thing they discussed was that, by Dec. 15, there would be a blackout of analog television as the switch to digital will occur. While this improves the quality of image and sound, it should also improve the state of cultural diversity as much as ideological pluralism, the forum participants said. “The concentration of media in Costa Rica is a complex subject, politically very delicate, almost untouchable, because the big media companies have their agents and their conditions and their censors too,” Fernando Cruz Castro, a magistrate of the Sala Constitucional, said. The forum discussed how media was exclusive, absolutely commercial and discriminatory. By 2016, the largest concentration of radio and television frequencies available was under the control of the Representaciones Televisivas, or Repretel, that had eight TV channels and 13 radio frequencies in its arsenal. The Catholic Church and other Christian churches as well as Otoche SRL and the Worldwide University Network Radio also having stake augment this. |
 Universidad de Costa Rica photo
Experts
believe that democracy is being compromised by
television and other forms of monopolized media.“The same voice in
many channels poses a risk to democracy, denying
the right to freedom of expression and
information to those who do not have the means
to speak,” the university statement said.
“Not guaranteeing a pluralistic media pool would weaken democracy, transparency and accountability in a country.” Another forum participant, Carolina Carazo who is a researcher at the university, said that the deep proposals made by each political party are benched in favor of superficial arguments of “he said, she said.” "Very often the most important thing the media say is what they do not say," said Carlos Sandoval García, an academic at the communications department and researcher. Of course this forum was not just a free-for-all bashing of the media. The university’s participants recognized the need for laws and greater protections to actually give permission to journalist’s to do their jobs properly. “It is clear that: there is a need to create public policies that promote critical thinking; that legislation governing the right of expression and information should be strengthened, especially in the context of the move to digital TV and the distribution of frequencies; that it is important for citizens to be vigilant and guarantee their rights against the media agenda, the education system, protest repression and other cases,” the university concludes. |
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A.M. Costa Rica's Fifth news page |
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Published || Wednesday
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No. 142
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of new sanctions from U.S. By the A.M. Costa
Rica wire services
Venezuela's foreign minister said Tuesday the country is moving forward with plans to elect members of a constitutional assembly despite threats of new sanctions by the United States, and plans to review its relations with Washington. "The constitutional assembly is happening," Foreign Minister Samuel Moncada said on state television. He also said Venezuela is "conducting a deep review of relations with the U.S. government because we don't accept humiliation from anyone." White House officials on Tuesday stressed they are ready to follow through on President Donald Trump's threat to take strong and swift economic action if Maduro goes ahead with a vote for the special assembly on July 30. Reuters reported Tuesday the U.S. is preparing sanctions against several senior Venezuelan officials, including the country's defense minister. The U.S. is also considering wider economic steps. It was not clear whether the U.S. administration might act to ban oil imports from Venezuela. The sanctions threat comes after Venezuela's opposition launched what it says is a final offensive on Maduro to call for early presidential elections. In a nonbinding national referendum Sunday organized by opposition groups, more than seven million Venezuelans, nearly one-third of the national electorate, called on Maduro to give up the idea of electing a special assembly to put together a new constitution. The opposition group also called for a daylong general strike Thursday, hoping to pressure Maduro into calling off plans for a new constitution. Maduro called the opposition referendum illegal and is continuing to push ahead with plans for a July 30 vote for the special assembly. Changing the constitution is the only way to pull Venezuela out of its deep economic and social crisis, the president said. The opposition says the assembly will be rigged in Maduro's favor. It says rewriting the constitution is nothing but a Maduro ploy to dissolve state institutions and turn Venezuela into a socialist dictatorship, leaving the opposition-led national assembly irrelevant. Daily street protests against the government frequently blow up into violence. Nearly 100 people have been killed over the last three months. Far-Right group plans patrol to prevent sea migrations By the A.M. Costa
Rica wire services
A pan-European far-right group with a history of violent direct action has charted a 422-ton ship and says it plans to confront people-smugglers and turn back migrants it finds in the waters off Libya. Humanitarian organizations say the planned intervention is a PR provocation by the Defend Europe group, which is part of the continent-wide, anti-Islam identitarian movement. Identitarians advocate the preservation of national identity and a return to traditional Western values. They warn lives could be endangered, if the far-right activists impede refugee-rescue operations in the Mediterranean, something some of the group’s leaders have vowed they will do. Humanitarian groups are highlighting the shadowy background of the owner of the ship the far-right activists have chartered, 49-year-old Swedish businessman Sven Tomas Egerstrom, who has provided private maritime security services in Africa. In 2015, a court in the Seychelles ordered the seizure of a cargo of automatic weapons worth $2 million found on one of Egerstrom’s ships in a case brought by the crew of the vessel, Ocean Bounty, who accused him of abandoning them. Defend Europe leaders have been contradictory about what they intend to do with chartered ship, the C-Star. Lorenzo Fiato, head of Defend Europe’s Italian branch, said the activists will coordinate their actions with Libyan authorities and coast guards in Tripoli. But he admitted Defend Europe has been unable to establish firm contacts in Libya and he appeared unknowledgeable about the militia and trafficker connections of Libya’s coast guards. "I don’t think there are any legal problems as we are going to cooperate with the authorities. We want to make everything legal. We are protecting our countries from illegal immigration," he says. Martin Sellner, co-leader of the Austrian identitarian branch and a key figure in Defend Europe, vowed in an online video the group would block NGO ships from going to the Libyan coast. Europe’s identitarian movement, which is often dubbed "the hipster right," is a network of social media-savvy young activists mainly operating in France, Germany, Austria and Italy. It has a record of mounting provocative direct-action campaigns and then using the publicity generated to win more recruits and attract donations from crowd-funding appeals. Identitarians have occupied mosques, and in March 2016 they clashed with French police after burning tires and blocking bridges leading from a makeshift migrant camp known as the jungle in Calais. Human Rights Watch warned Tuesday if Defend Europe activists return migrants to Libya against their will they would be in breach of international humanitarian law and if they impede rescue missions they would be breaking maritime law, which obliges seafarers to save lives at sea. "My personal response to what they want to do is probably unprintable," says Judith Sunderland of Human Rights Watch, who warns Defend Europe could end up handing people over to militias that collude with the smugglers and traffickers. She accused the Identitarian group of aiming to stoke anti-migrant sentiment in Italy, which in recent weeks has mounted and is buffeting the government of Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni. More than 86,000 migrants have reached Italy this year from Libya, a 10 percent increase on the same period last year, according to the International Office for Migration. Italy’s migrant detention centers and temporary shelters have reached their capacity of 200,000 and Italian officials have warned neighboring European countries that they are considering granting migrants European Union visas, which would allow them to travel legally to other EU states. In May, Defend Europe tried unsuccessfully to use a dinghy to block in Italian waters a refugee-rescue vessel chartered by Doctors Without Borders. The action generated international media coverage and nearly $170,000 in donations from two crowd-funding appeals. Fiato says Defend Europe was able to charter the C-Star at a big discount as the owner is an apparent supporter. Originally Defend Europe planned to dock the vessel at the Sicilian port of Catania, but now the activists say they plan to keep it anchored 40 kilometers off the coast, as they fear Italian authorities may decide to impound the ship. More than 500 boys abused at German Catholic school By the A.M. Costa
Rica wire services
More than 500 boys were subjected to physical or sexual abuse at a Catholic choir school in Germany between 1945 and 1992, according to a report released Tuesday. A report by lawyer Ulrich Weber says at least 547 boys at the world famous Domspatzen choir were victims of physical or sexual abuse, or both, at the hands of 49 perpetrators. Weber, who began his study in 2015 and was tasked with investigating in the wake of the 2010 sexual abuse scandal involving members of the Catholic Church, said victims felt dominated by violence, fear and helplessness and likened the school to prison, hell or a concentration camp. “The whole system of education was oriented toward top musical achievements and the choir's success,'' the report said. “Alongside individual motives, institutional motives – namely, breaking the will of the children with the aim of maximum discipline and dedication – formed the basis for violence.” Weber said a culture of silence was partly to blame for the abuse, and pointed at former choir master Georg Ratzinger, who led the choir from 1964 to 1994, whom Weber said could be blamed for looking the other way and failing to intervene. Ratzinger, who is the brother of former pope Benedict, has denied any knowledge of abuse during his tenure with the choir. Weber said he identified all 49 alleged abusers, but noted they are unlikely to face criminal charges since the crimes took place too long ago. The local Catholic diocese has said it plans to offer victims compensation of up to $23,000 by the end of this year. Republican turmoil grows after health care vote fails By the A.M. Costa
Rica wire services
Republicans sought to regroup Tuesday after their quest to scale back the U.S. government's role in health care collapsed, leaving in place former President Barack Obama's health care law, popularly known as Obamacare. "I'm certainly disappointed. For seven years, I've been hearing 'repeal and replace' from Congress," said a visibly angry President Donald Trump. "And then when we finally get a chance to repeal and replace, they don't take advantage of it." Scorned by Republican fiscal hawks for allegedly retaining too much Obamacare spending, and by party moderates who feared the bill went too far in dismantling the status quo, Republicans fell short of the votes needed for passage in the Senate. McConnell floated a new idea: scrap Obamacare with no replacement plan at all. Several Republican senators quickly rejected the idea, as did a unified Democratic caucus. Republicans crafted the bill on their own, behind closed doors. Democrats urged cooperation to address Obamacare's shortcomings, which include rising premiums and a dwindling number of insurers taking part in the program in many states. The president suggested a different course: Do nothing on the assumption that Obamacare's flaws will deepen, giving Republicans leverage. Trump promised Republican wins on other priorities like tax reform. Such victories become harder with Republicans bruised and the president's clout in question after the defeat on health care, according to political analysts. Democrats have divides of their own on health care, between those who want to strengthen the private insurance market Obamacare fosters and those demanding universal coverage in which the government pays all costs. Plane carrying Afghan VP denied landing rights By the A.M. Costa
Rica wire services
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization confirmed Tuesday that Afghanistan’s vice president, Abdul Rashid Dostum, tried to return to the country overnight but that his private plane was denied permission to land in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif. Dostum, a 63-year-old ethnic Uzbek warlord, and some of his militia guards, have been under investigation for months over allegations of torturing and sexually assaulting an elderly political rival by the name of Ahmad Ishchi. The first vice president left the country for Turkey about two months ago, saying he needed health care, a move prompting allegations Afghan President Ashraf Ghani allowed Dostum to travel abroad under a secret deal to escape prosecution. “What happened with General Dostum was that he was denied permission to land in Mazar-i-Sharif,” a spokesman for NATO’s Resolute Support mission, Bill Salvin, said. He noted that the international mission’s role is to provide training, advice and assistance to Afghan security forces and it would not have been appropriate to intervene in internal Afghan matters. Local media reported that aviation authorities directed Dostum’s plane to Kabul’s international airport but instead, it turned back and landed in the neighboring central Asian state of Turkmenistan. Dostum’s spokespeople and political allies in Afghanistan have denied that he was on the plane, saying the first vice president is still in Turkey. The Afghan government has not commented. The controversial Uzbek strongman attempted to stage Monday’s dramatic comeback days after he formed a three-party political alliance, which also involved Gov. Mohammad Atta Noor of the northern Afghan province, where the aircraft tried to land on Monday. The formation of the coalition was announced in Turkey and it brings together discontented political groups that are also part of the government. Noor has also rejected reports Dostum was on board the plane. A statement quoted the governor as saying a group of engineers was on the flight and technical problems forced the plane to return to Turkey. Afghan judicial officials announced earlier this month that the probe into allegations against Dostum and his men has been completed and sent to the court for further action. President Ghani has been under pressure at home and from Afghanistan’s international backers led by the United States to ensure extremely serious charges against his vice president are reviewed and follow-up legal action is taken. The acting U.S. ambassador to Kabul last week emphasized that the legal process underscores the Afghan state’s effort to uphold the rule of law and combat impunity, and to send a signal to the world that no one is above the law in Afghanistan. Late last year, Ishchi, a former provincial governor, said in a nationally televised interview that Dostum's militiamen detained, tortured and sexually assaulted him. He alleged that Dostum had ordered the detention and abuse. Observers say that Monday’s incident is likely to fuel tensions between Dostum and Ghani. The warlord, who enjoys a strong following in northern Afghan regions, has rejected charges against him as politically motivated and an attempt to marginalize him. Ghani has defended Dostum's departure from Afghanistan, saying he left with the permission of the attorney general and that the laws do not bar someone suspected of wrongdoing from seeking medical treatment abroad. Hungary hosts Netenyahu as gesture of reconciliation By the A.M. Costa
Rica wire services
During a joint appearance Tuesday in Budapest, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban reassured Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he stands with the Jewish state against anti-Semitism. The meeting took place amid concerns that Orban's right-wing government was stoking anti-Semitism. While standing next to Netanyahu on Tuesday, Orban sought to distance himself from comments he made last month in praise of Miklos Horthy, the Hungarian wartime leader and Hitler ally. Orban previously called Horthy, who oversaw the deportation of more than half a million Hungarian Jews to death camps during World War Two, an exceptional statesman for rebuilding the country after the war. United by a shared disdain for the left-leaning global order and isolated from Western European politicians for their support for U.S. President Donald Trump, the pair of leaders have been called spiritual brothers by Hungarian media. Netanyahu quickly accepted Orban's apology. “There is a new anti-Semitism expressed in anti-Zionism that is delegitimizing the one and only Jewish state,” Netanyahu said. “In many ways, Hungary is at the forefront of the states that are opposed to this anti-Jewish policy, and I welcome it and express the appreciation of my government.” Netanyahu is the first Israeli prime minister to visit Hungary since the end of the Cold War. On Wednesday, leaders from the Visegrad Group will join him: Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland, as well as Hungary. The loose group of Eastern European countries are led by right wing nationalist governments and regularly draw diplomatic fire from the rest of the EU for their refusal to accept refugees. "Hungary does not want a mixed population," Orban said Tuesday, defending his country's refusal to accept the EU's suggested number of refugees from the Syrian crisis. “[Hungary] does not want to change its current ethnic makeup. It will not defer to an external pressure." Beyond tone, the two leaders also are bound by their shared disdain for George Soros, the Jewish-American financier and philanthropist whom they view as a key component of the liberal global order. In April, the Hungarian government passed legislation that threatens to shutter the Soros-backed Central European University in Budapest. Soros founded the university after the Cold War to advance humanism and liberal democracy in the formerly communist state. More recently, Orban's government has mounted posters criticizing the Hungarian-born Jewish émigré for his support for refugee resettlement. Soros funds several organizations that operate in Israel, including Human Rights Watch, which is regularly critical of the Netanyahu government. Orban and Netanyahu drew broad criticism from rights groups. “We urge them to refrain from populist attacks on fundamental rights and return to respecting and protecting these, respect the human rights of all regardless of their political views, including those that voice uncomfortable truth on breaches of law and human rights violations,” said Júlia Iván, the director of Amnesty International Hungary.  Voice of America
photo
Taban speaking to
supporters.
Veteran journalist becomes new MP in South Sudan By the A.M. Costa
Rica wire services
A veteran South Sudanese journalist says he has joined the SPLM-in Opposition (SPLM-IO) Taban Deng faction to speak out on behalf of the people of Yei River state. Alfred Taban Lo Gune, who was appointed a member of parliament in South Sudan's Translational National Legislative Assembly earlier this week, said he joined politics to bring about much-needed change for the people of Kajokeji. He told South Sudan in Focus the country needed courageous leaders like himself in the national assembly to speak up for the people. Taban, founder and editor in chief of the privately run Juba Monitor, a daily newspaper, and a former BBC correspondent in Khartoum, said that while he was now a member of the SPLM-IO Taban Deng division, he did recognize factions within the SPLM-IO. "I have been a SPLM member for many, many years, and I still remain SPLM," Taban said. Taban contended that the SPLM-IO was, at the moment, a unified body. Various factions of the SPLM and SPLM-IO have had their own spokespersons for the past several months. Taban said that was the problem in South Sudan. Taban vowed to continue fighting for the rights of the people of South Sudan, the rights of journalists and the rights of the oppressed as a member of parliament. On May 29, Taban declined President Salva Kiir's offer to sit on the president's National Dialogue Committee. Taban said he wanted no part in the dialogue steering team unless the president released journalists in prison and ended aggressive acts toward press freedoms in South Sudan.
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San Carlos hit hard by heavy rains By the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
The canton of San Carlos, in Alajuela, was particularly struck by the heavy downpours that took place on Monday. The district of Florencia suffered from floods and the destruction of sewer pipes by the strong current of the Río Peje. The authorities have opened an emergency path along the northern exit of the city. For those traveling from Ciudad Quesada to Santa Clara, the best road at this moment is La Abundancia-Florencia. In the area of Santa Rosa de la Palmera several houses were reported as heavily damaged by the Comisión Nacional de Emergencias.  Ministerio de
Hacienda photo
Some of the latest
victims in anti-contraband operations.
Aduanas destroys 10 million cigarettes By the A.M.
Costa Rica staff
Aduanas destroyed over 10.6 million contraband cigarettes this past Friday valued at around 192.1 million colones. According to a statement by the Ministerio de Hacienda, which oversees customs control in Costa Rica, the items entered the country without the proper sanitary permits. The cigarettes were dumped and run over with a bulldozer at a landfill in Asserrí controlled by the Instituto de Dessarrollo Rural, the finance ministry said. “Smuggling and wanting to circumvent health permits erodes tax collection and endangers the public health so we will continue to strengthen controls in this area,” Wilson Céspedes, the director-general for Aduanas said. “The destruction of cigarettes that we did this weekend is only 24 percent of the total held in customs. Our goal is to complete the destruction over the next few months.” |
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| From page 7: Banco Nacional offers new property info app By the A.M. Costa Rica staff The Banco Nacional is providing a new app for interested property buyers to view those properties being sold by the bank on the Venta de Bienes. According to a statement from the bank, the app and the website allow the client to have on-hand and immediate relevant information on the property, to specify the location of where one wants to buy, know the address and contact the person making the offer. At this point, there are at least 90 properties with discounts of up to 50 percent, the bank said. These properties include: land, houses and other forms of real estate. Visiting the property simply requires one to contact the local executive for the Banco Nacional. “In addition, the Banco Nacional offers very favorable financing conditions: fixed rates in colones of 8 percent and fixed rates in dollars of 5.5 percent. Maximum terms of 20 years (240 months) apply for the purchase of all goods. Maximum periods of 30 years (360 months) apply to the first home greater than 100 million, in colones,” a statement from bank officials said. These fixed rates do not include the policy and credit is exempt from processing fees. The cost of valuing the property along with notary or registration fees are not included. Purchasing can be done through auction or direct sale. To view the website, one can go HERE. |
