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San
José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2015, Vol. 16, No. 193
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 'Where Tapirs
and
Jaguars Once Roamed' graphic
Map shows the location of the
biological corridorEver-evolving Costa Rica provides another series of tales By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Jack Ewing, the Costa Rican environmentalist and story teller, has produced a second book that starts at the beginning: That is before North and South America joined 15 million years ago. The highly personal book is "Where Tapirs and Jaguars Once Roamed."
Ewing, the environmentalist, is introducing the reader to the way Costa Rica was and the way it could be. Hacienda Barú was once a cattle ranch, but Ewing converted it into a tropical rainforest reserve that is now a tourist attraction. The location is near Dominical on the Pacific coast. He first described that process in "Monkeys Are Made of Chocolate," his 2005 book. The new book promotes the restoration of the Tapir Biological Corridor. As he says in the preface: "Although tapirs no longer roam in the corridor that bears their name, they may still be found at both ends. The dream of the Path of the Tapir Biological Corridor project is that people will work together to restore natural habitat, especially along rivers and streams, thus connecting larger areas of rainforest. The ultimate sign of success will be the migration of tapirs into the corridor from the Los Santos Reserve to the north and Corcovado Nacional Park to the south." The tapir is an herbivorous mammal about the size of a pig that can be found in many Latin American countries. The ones in Costa Rica are Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii). Costa Ricans call them dantas. A mother and offspring are shown on the book cover. The subtitle of the book is "Ever-Evolving Costa Rica," which pretty well characterizes the many short tales ranging from grave robbers to the local moonshine. Ewing, 72, is currently president of two environmental organizations, the Association of Friends of Nature and the Foundation for the Path of the Tapir Biological Corridor, his publisher, PixyJack Press said. The 288-pages features cover art by Jan Betts, who lives near San Isidro de Pérez Zeledon. It is available at Amazon and other literary outlets. Eduardo Li expected to appeal extradition By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Swiss government has authorized the extradition of Eduardo Li to the United States, but the Costa Rican soccer official is expected to appeal the decision. The Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Culto confirmed the Swiss decision Tuesday and said that it was providing consular support for Li as provided by international agreements. Li is one of 14 international soccer officials and associates who were detained in May in Switzerland at a meeting of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association. The allegations include kickbacks from intermediaries who arranged media coverage of world soccer events. Li founded the Puntarenas soccer team and headed the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Construction chamber pleased by rejection By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Cámara Costarricense de la Construcción has applauded the decision by the Contraloría General de la República to reject a contract for a new, $12 million government building. The building was to be for the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes in Plaza Víquez in San José. The Contraloría, the budget and contract watchdog, said that the management of the bid process damaged the good faith of the other bidders. The contract had gone to EUROBAU S.A. The ministry set a five-day period for submitting bids, and the construction chamber protested at the time. Change in airwaves law advances By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A committee has sent to the full legislature a bill that would eliminate steep fines and cancellation of licenses for media outlets that aired vulgar language or transmissions contrary to what the current law calls good customs. The current law also provides penalties for airing false information or for being alarmist without reason. The proposed changes are to protect the liberty of expression of the press, according to Javier Cambronero Arguedas, one of the lawmakers involved. The decision was by the Comisión Permanente Especial de Ciencia, Tecnología y Educación. The bulk of the current law was passed in 1954. Our reader's opinion
Elderly Gringos called prime targetsDear A.M. Costa Rica: I was disappointed to read the latest story in A.M. Costa Rica today about the latest gun control legislation being proposed and the statement that it is not a right for persons to be able to defend themselves with a firearm, but a concession of the State. As usual, the anti-gun people don't seem to understand that the problem with firearms is not the honest law abiding people, who would respect the laws, but with the criminals who don't respect any laws and are definitely armed, putting the rest of the citizens at their mercy. How many home invasions would be stopped or prevented if the criminals knew that the odds were good that the occupant of the home was armed and would defend themselves, or the street robbers who act with impunity had to fear bystanders or their intended victim could actually defend themselves? Guess the politicians and wealthy with bodyguards don't have to worry as much about this issue, but for an elderly Gringo, and believe me, we know we are prime targets for the young criminals. This does not make Costa Rica an attractive place to come, to invest, retire or vacation. Once again, this government seems set on discouraging Gringos from coming or living here, as they clearly are unable to control the crime or protect us, but they sure want our money. Wonder what will happen when all the Gringos and their money leave having had it with a country that clearly does not want us here. Jim Day
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A.M. Costa Rica Third News Page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2015, Vol. 16, No. 193 | |
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| Costa Rica remains in top half of world competitiveness rankings | |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
and A.M. Costa Rica wire services The country earned 52nd place in the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report, one place lower than last year. Costa Rica was awarded 4.3 points based on 12 so-called pillars, such as infrastructure, macroeconomic environment, health and primary education, business sophistication and innovation, to rate a country’s competitiveness. Some 140 countries were rated. Panamá with 4.4 points placed in 50th position, and Turkey was 51st. Costa Rica found itself grouped with Romania, Bulgaria, India, Vietnam, México, Rwanda, Slovenia, Macedonia and Colombia, all with 4.3 points. Costa Rica ranked highest with a 5.9 score on health and primary education and lowest on innovation with 3.7 The World Economic Forum says that the rankings assess the competitiveness landscape of the 140 economies, providing insight into the drivers of their productivity and prosperity. At the top of the list were Switzerland, Singapore, the United States, Germany, the Netherlands and Japan with scores from 5.5 to 5.8 In Latin America and the Caribbean the forum said that greater resilience against future economic shocks will require further reform and investment in infrastructure, skills and innovation. Chile (35th) continues to lead the regional rankings and is closely followed by Panama and Costa Rica. Two large economies in the region, Colombia and Mexico, improved to 61st and 57th. The report said countries that fail to embrace the structural reforms needed to boost productivity and encourage |
entrepreneurial
talent are
losing out in the global competitiveness
race. It said driving
productivity levels forward is important to achieve growth, bring
unemployment rates down and be competitive. It noted that economic growth has returned in most countries, but not to 2008 pre-crisis levels. The report warned that emerging markets that have failed to improve competitiveness since the recession will have great difficulty absorbing future shocks to the global economy. Margareta Drzeniek-Hanouz, lead economist and head of Global Competitiveness and Risks for the World Economic Forum, noted that the digitalization of machines and manufacturing is becoming more important in the global economy. But she said the human factor is crucial for future competitiveness. “And when we see also how the top economies have fared in comparison to some of the economies that rank well, we see that across the board, the common factor is that the top-ranking economies did actually very well in terms of this human factor," she said. Examples of the human factor, she said, include education, nurturing of talent, the flexibility of the labor market and the ability of the business sector to adapt to changes in the country. Key findings showed the trend in the larger emerging markets is mainly one of decline or stagnation. But the report noted that India and South Africa appear to be bucking this trend, with both countries moving up in the rankings. It said 28th-ranked China is the most competitive in this group of economies, but China's failure to move up in the rankings shows that the country is facing some difficult economic challenges. The report said sub-Saharan Africa continues to grow at close to a 5 percent annual rate, but competitiveness and productivity remain low, largely because of volatile commodity prices. Most African countries are in the bottom half of the competitiveness ranking, with Guinea at number 140. |
| Law enfrocement agencies sweep areas of San Carlos to reduce
crime |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
More than 50 law enforcement officers descended on low-income areas of San Carlos and checked out 240 persons, 35 vehicles and 66 motorcycles. The sweep included the Fuerza Púbica, the Judicial Investigating Organization and the Policia de Migración. Several pineapple operations also received police visits during the Friday sweep. A report said that the officers located 76 Nicaraguans who were in the country illegally and that they were given appointment to change their status to legal. The places that police visited were Barrio Chino, la Puñalada, Puerto Escondido, Nuevo Pital, La Trinchera, San Luis and Veracruz Resident have complained of increased criminal activity in San Carlos for the last year. |
 Ministerio de Seguridad Pública photo
Some of the items turned up by
police. |
| You need to see Costa Rican tourism information HERE! |
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
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| A.M. Costa Rica's Fourth News page | |||||
| San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2015, Vol. 16, No. 193 | |||||
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| Amigos de las Americas is marking 50 years of Latin American
service |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Since it was founded in Houston 50 years ago, Amigos de las Americas has sent 26,000 U.S. high school and college students to work on projects in Latin American communities. “Our approach is not necessarily to help the needy. That is not what we do," said Marta Ascherio, an Amigos de las Americas regional director. "What we do is create programs that invest in the capacity of young people to be leaders for themselves and leaders for their communities.” Sara Nathan, Amigos de las Americas president and CEO, said participants work on projects to improve education, health care or community resources. “They are really also about training and giving young people the experience of learning how to identify something to do in their communities and carry it out themselves,” she said. Former volunteer and current staff member Ryan Kingston was studying computers when he signed on for what turned out to be a transformative experience. “It was really great to get to know kind of what it is like to travel and to live in a different circumstance and to really |
focus on
learning a new language and developing a whole other
part of my brain that I hadn’t really been working on,” Kingston said. Since 1965, Amigos volunteers and staff have developed lasting friendships in Latin America. Ms. Ascherio said she learned that character and virtue have little to do with economic circumstances. “I didn’t see it as poverty. I saw it as my friends and my family," she said. "And so I think it gave me this really unique perspective on: What does poverty mean? What does it mean to be happy? What does it mean to have enough? What does it mean to have a life?” Over the years, Amigos de las Americas has expanded from summer programs to some programs that last up to a year and at least one U.S.-based program. “It is the first program Amigos has run where we bring Latin Americans to the United States to do their training and then they go home to do their service abroad,” Ms. Nathan said. Ms. Nathan said many Amigos participants go on to make careers in the U.S. Foreign Service or other international programs. |
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
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Colorado
S.A. 2015 and may not be reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details |
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A.M. Costa Rica's Fifth news page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2015, Vol. 16, No. 193 | |||||||
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| Flow of recruits continuing for forces of Islamic State By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Slow progress in the U.S.-led effort to ultimately destroy the Islamic State terror group is being mirrored by equally sluggish progress in the attempt to stem the flow of foreign fighters to the combat zones in Syria and Iraq. For months now, U.S. military officials have said the Islamic State has been finding ways to replace fighters lost to the now more than 7,000 coalition air strikes “at the rate we kill them.” And while some of these newcomers are novices to the art of guerrilla warfare and terror, many more are not. “As a general rule, our observation of ISIS is that they tend to be pretty tactically proficient,” one U.S. official said of recruits on the condition of anonymity. “A lot of them have significant combat experience.” The official, who was not permitted to speak about the matter publicly, said that experience has been paying off for the Islamic State in places like Ramadi and Bayji, where fighters have been holding off Iraqi forces with a mix of tactical prowess and a steady stream of reinforcements. U.S. officials say part of the problem is that one of the most popular entry points for foreign fighters, the Turkish-Syrian border, remains porous despite increased efforts by Turkey to clamp down. The result is that, on average, about 1,000 foreign fighters are making their way to Syria each month. A report released by U.S. lawmakers Wednesday put the number of foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria at nearly 30,000, including 4,500 Westerners and 250 U.S. citizens. At a United Nations summit in New York Tuesday to discuss the growing terror threat, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the U.N.’s latest data show a 70 percent increase in the number of foreign fighters from more than 100 countries. U.S. officials worry the recent Russian military build-up in Syria designed to support President Bashar al-Assad, could also expand the pool of would be foreign fighters. “Many modern terrorist groups are rooted in the legacy of battling the former Soviet Union in Afghanistan,” a U.S. counterterrorism official said. “It would not be surprising if ISIL features the Russian build-up as a tie into their apocalyptic narrative, and to help bridge the generational divide among jihadists with Moscow’s actions in Afghanistan and Syria as bookends.” U.S. defense officials admit the challenge, especially when it comes to the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, is significant. “They have a very effective social media campaign to attract would-be jihadists,” a senior defense official said. “But as we continue our fight against ISIL and they continue to have setbacks that attraction will wane.” Others are not nearly as confident. “We are not only failing, we are losing this war,” retired U.S. Gen. Jack Keane told U.S. lawmakers during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing Wednesday. “We have not impacted the ideology or ISIS recruiting.” Activists working on the ground to prevent the recruitment of foreign fighters say one reason for the struggle to slow extremist recruiting is the global response, itself, often put out in the form of government action plans. “I've been meeting up with Muslim youth from all over Europe and also quite a few from USA,” said Yousef Bartho Assidiq, a former radical from Norway. “They feel that the plan is out of touch with the reality on the ground and it's more like a policy tool for politicians and elected officials.” Keneshbek Sainazarov, based in Kyrgyzstan with the non-governmental organization Search For Common Ground, said evidence indicates the number of recruits from Central Asia is growing, with extremists increasingly targeting women using a combination of social media and in-person outreach. Still, he refused to attribute the growth to any one factor. “Economic difficulties in Russia is contributing to the recruitment significantly,” Sainazarov said. “Punitive measures used by law enforcement and security agencies is another contributor.” House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul warned the U.S. is not immune to the problem. “We are losing in this struggle to keep Americans from the battlefield,” he said. "When you have 200,000 ISIS tweets per day going out to thousands of followers in the United States every day to kill, to kill military, to attack military installations, it's really hard to get around that from a security standpoint." Still, officials argue there has been some progress. INTERPOL, the international police organization, said Wednesday its database of fingerprints and other data needed to help identify foreign fighters has increased to more than 4,000 so-called identifiers. Officials said information sharing among member states has also increased, leading to some apprehensions. Analysts also point to the actions of Sunni Arab countries in the Middle East, some of which had tacitly supported the flow of foreign fighters, seeing it as a chance to take down the Syria’s Shi'ite rulers. “It’s too early to point to success stories, but the fact that this is much higher up on Arab states’ radars is very clear,” said Daveed Gartenstein-Ross with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “There have been measures taken to disallow travel, for example, males of certain age groups, to monitor people who are returnees from the area, and to deal with it from both a criminal justice approach and also from a demobilization slash rehabilitative approach.” Taliban torch radio station that was run by a woman By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Reporters Without Borders Tuesday condemned the Taliban’s torching of a woman-run radio and TV station in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz shortly after overrunning it. Taliban forces seized Kunduz Monday in a surprise move that marked the first time the insurgent group captured a major city since being ousted from power in 2001. In a statement, the French-based media advocacy group said Taliban forces occupied government buildings and the offices of local media organizations in Kunduz, including independent local broadcaster Roshani Radio and TV, torching and destroying much of the equipment. In a brief interview from an undisclosed location on Tuesday, Sediqa Sherzai, the proprietor of the station, confirmed the Taliban attack on her station. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid rejected as government propaganda that Taliban fighters have indulged in looting banks, shops, government and non-government offices. Under the Taliban, Afghanistan had one state-run broadcaster, Radio Voice of Sharia. The media sector has since undergone rapid growth since the fall of the Taliban regime and is regarded as one of the success stories of the past 14 years. About 100 journalists work in Kunduz province, which has a population of about 1 million and at least five radio stations, three TV stations and five newspapers. Many journalists have fled the city, and radio and TV stations have stopped operating since the Taliban’s takeover. Heavy fighting raged near Kunduz City Airport Tuesday as government forces, backed by U.S. airstrikes, engaged in a counteroffensive to wrest control of the city. Rahimullah Samandar, the head of a national journalists' association, said that many journalists had fled to the airport to where government forces have retreated. “All of the media have stopped working,” he said. Zarghonah Hasan, who runs two radio stations in Kunduz, called the torching of Roshani Radio and TV an attack on media and women. She said she had lost contact with her journalist colleagues and was worried about their fate. Reporters Without Borders said it “is very worried about the situation of the media in Kunduz, which continues to be controlled by the Taliban, and about the fate of several journalists of whom there has been no news since yesterday morning.” Georgia executes woman who helped murder husband By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
A woman convicted for the 1997 murder of her husband has been executed in the southeastern U.S. state of Georgia, despite a flurry of last-minute legal maneuvers and a personal appeal by Pope Francis to spare her life. The woman, Kelly Gissendaner died by lethal injection early this morning at a prison facility outside the capital city, Atlanta. The 47-year-old Ms. Gissendaner was the state's only female on death row, and the first to be executed by the state since 1945. Ms. Gissendaner was initially scheduled to be executed Tuesday night, but it was delayed as her lawyers filed several unsuccessful requests with state and federal courts to postpone the procedure, including three separate requests to the U.S. Supreme Court. Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the pope's diplomatic representative, sent a letter to the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles on Francis's behalf, asking the board to commute Ms. Gissendaner's sentence "to one that would better express both justice and mercy." The board is the only legal entity in Georgia authorized to issue commutations. Ms. Gissendaner was convicted for conspiring in the stabbing death of her husband with her lover, Gregory Owen, who actually carried out the crime. Her lawyers and supporters argued that her sentence was disproportionate to her actual crime, as Owen was sentenced to life in prison and is eligible for parole in 2022. They also noted that Ms. Gissendaner had undergone a profound spiritual transformation during her time in prison, becoming a source of comfort and encouragement for her fellow inmates. Ms. Gissendaner was originally scheduled to be executed in February, but it was delayed because of a winter storm. It was rescheduled for a month later, but corrections officials canceled that date over concerns about the quality of the lethal drugs to be used in the execution. Trump proposes a tax plan to eliminate or cut rates By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The Republican presidential campaign entered a new week with some memorable moments. Frontrunner Donald Trump revealed his tax plan Monday in New York while rival Carly Fiorina barely escaped a falling curtain wall at an event in San Antonio, Texas. Trump promised to cut income taxes for middle-class as well as wealthy Americans, while eliminating them altogether for people making less than $25,000 a year. He also said he would slash corporate taxes by half and reduce taxes for businesses, both to help create new jobs. He said he would eliminate exemptions and close tax loopholes for the rich. "We are lowering taxes very substantially, we are simplifying and we are getting rid of deductions that are actually obsolete," said Trump. Trump's Republican rivals did not have comments. Sen. Marco Rubio was quite emphatic about it during a radio interview. "I am not interested in the back and forth to be a member or part of his freak show," said Rubio. Democratic Party presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton slammed Trump's proposal, saying the rich would benefit most from it. But both she and Trump have criticized the loopholes that help speculators, such as hedge funders, avoid taxes. Trump was well received at a meeting with Christian and Jewish clergy Monday in his Trump Tower offices. "He wasn't trying to pander to us to gain our support. He was speaking to us as one of us," said one pastor who attended. But the polls show the billionaire's Republican rivals catching up to him, with former surgeon Ben Carson only one point behind in opinion surveys. "It kind of reflects what we've been seeing out on the road, just tremendous crowds but enormous enthusiasm,” said Carson. Former business executive Fiorina had a memorable moment during her campaign Monday when she barely escaped a heavy curtain wall crashing onto the stage where she spoke. Ms. Fiorina joked afterward that the fall could have been arranged by Trump or Clinton. Some in Congress seek to block payments to Iran By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Congress is considering a bill that would block President Barack Obama from releasing frozen Iranian assets until Tehran pays compensation to victims of Iranian-sponsored terrorism. Rep. Patrick Meehan of Pennsylvania, a Republican, is sponsor of the Justice for Victims of Iranian Terrorism Act. "Iran shouldn't get one red cent in U.S. sanctions relief until it has paid its victims what they are owed," Meehan said. "I oppose the Iran deal, but surely we can all agree that Iran should not reap any benefits from the U.S. until it has compensated the families of those whose lives were taken by Iranian terrorists." Meehan said U.S. courts have ordered Iran to pay $43.5 billion to the victims of Iranian-backed terrorist attacks and their families. They include the 1983 attack on the U.S. Marine barracks in Lebanon, the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia and various other attacks on buses and shopping centers and hostage taking. Iran has yet to pay any damages. It is unclear whether Meehan's bill has enough support to win House approval. The measure also has to get through the Senate and would need Obama's signature. At least one victim of Iranian brutality, Sarah Shourd, who spent more than a year in solitary confinement in an Iranian prison for alleged spying in 2009, opposes the compensation bill. She wrote in the political journal Roll Call that forcing Iran to pay terror victims out of frozen assets would endanger other Americans still held in Iran. She said it could also derail the nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, including the United States. |
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| A.M. Costa Rica's sixth news page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2015, Vol. 16, No. 193 | |||||||||
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New Zealand
unveils giant marine reserve
By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
New Zealand is to create one of the world's largest marine reserves to protect wildlife in the South Pacific. Roughly the size of France, the Kermedec Sanctuary will cover 620,000 square kilometers of largely pristine ocean where all mining and fishing will be forbidden. Beneath its waters, which lie in-between New Zealand and Tonga, is one of the world’s biggest strings of volcanoes. The reserve is home to an array of endangered wildlife, including dolphins, turtles and whales, while new marine species are regularly discovered. It is also an important breeding and feeding ground for seabirds, fish and invertebrates. Covering 15 percent of New Zealand’s exclusive economic zone, the sanctuary is 50 times the size of the South Pacific country’s largest national park. “It is my great pleasure to take this opportunity to announce the creation of what will be one of the world’s largest and most significant fully-protected nature reserves," said New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, who made the announcement during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The move will likely disappoint sections of the deep-sea mining and fishing industries, which will be locked out of the enormous sanctuary. A spokesman for New Zealand’s seafood sector said it would consider the implications of the decision. A Canadian resources firm has applied for a permit to prospect in the area. The New Zealand government has said the oceans had become the new frontier for environmental protection. Conservation groups have welcomed the marine reserve announcement, although they continue to criticize what they describe as Wellington’s poor record on reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. The United Nations has made sustainable development a key focus. Honduras will get corruption assistance Special to A.M. Costa Rica
Luis Almagro, the secretary general of the Organization of American States, has announced the creation of a mission to support the fight against corruption and impunity in Honduras. He did so in the presence of Honduran authorities, including President Juan Orlando Hernández. “We seek to make the justice system an effective tool in the fight against impunity, that manages to earn the respect of the people of Honduras and that becomes an essential part of the democratic system,” said the secretary general. The purpose of the mission is to improve the quality of services provided by the justice system in Honduras. The mission will be led by an internationally recognized jurist with high levels of competence in the investigation of cases of corruption and impunity, who will report directly to the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States. The mission plans to establish a group of recognized international judges and prosecutors whose task is to supervise, advise and provide support to Honduran bodies charged with the investigation and criminal prosecution of crimes involving acts of corruption. The announcement comes in response to a request made by the government of Honduras for the support in the strengthening and reform of the Honduran justice system. The Organization of American States set up a similar mission in Guatemala that was headed for a time by Costa Rican Francisco Dall'Anese, the former fiscal general here. |
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| From Page 7: Lawmaker plans to address UBER situation By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A lawmaker plans to convene meetings with taxi drivers, operators of digital transport services, the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transporte and the Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos. The goal, said Franklin Corella Vargas, is to draft a bill that will modernize the transport system and reflect the realities of digital communication. The lawmaker made the announcement after receiving a letter from the Procuraduría General de la República that described the service now being provided by UBER as illegal. UBER is enlisting local vehicle owners to serve as on-call taxi drivers. Licensed taxi drivers naturally are upset. The Procuraduría, basically the government's top lawyer, said that no one could provide paid transportation services without the authorization of the Consejo de Transporte Público. Government officials have been caught flat-footed because UBER simply began making deals with drivers and offering the service. Traffic police for a time issued tickets to UBER drivers, but the U.S.-based firm is expected to make a strong stand in court, aided in part by the free trade treaty with the United States that is strong on offering services. |
