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| A.M. Costa Rica Second newspage |
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proposed in legislature By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The executive branch has proposed to increase the fine for drunk driving from the present 20,000 colons ($38.50) to 300,000 colons ($575), but one legislator said that this increase in not enough. The lawmaker, Mario Quirós Lara of the Movimiento Libertario, has proposed that those caught driving on a license suspended because of alcohol violation face from one to five years in prison. In addition to the fine, a driver now can lose driving privileges for six months. But most continue to drive, even sometimes drunk, because of the lack of enforcement. Anyone who pays attention to traffic reports knows that motorists die every weekend and alcohol usually is involved. Oct. 7 a driver believed drunk slammed his car into one containing three young women. He fled the scene but the three women died. That early morning crash took place on Calle 9 at Avenida 8 in the heart of the downtown. Those involved in traffic death cases usually never serve any time because the possible penalties are light. A man who was at the wheel when a boy, 10, was run over was freed on his own recognizance this week to await further action. Last year 329 persons died on the nation's roads and alcohol was deemed the cause of the second highest number of deaths after excessive speed. Raging river at San Carlos floods out 12 homes By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A raging Río Platanares flooded 12 homes in Barrio San Roque in San Carlos Wednesday night. The river continued to pour out of its banks Thursday, threatening bridges and other homes. Five of the homes were filled completely with the muddy river waters, said the national emergency commission. Engineers, workmen and machinery were on the scene early Thursday attempting to prevent more damage. The flooding was a surprise because in most of the country water was receding, thanks to several days of decent weather. Meanwhile, the head of the emergency commission, Daniel Gallardo, met with Guanacaste mayors Thursday in an effort to develop a priority list on the repair of infrastructure damaged or destroyed there by 15 days or more of heavy, non-stop rain. Today Gallardo will be in Jacó to meet with officials from the central Pacific. Parts of Parrita centro, for example, were under for nearly two weeks and adjacent communities were cut off. That meeting is at 9 a.m. Immigration detains women By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Immigration police raided a home in Jacó early Thursday and took seven women into custody. Police said they were working in the sex trade. Officers of the Policía de Migración also interviewed some 55 other women in the area and gave appointment dates to nine who are believed to be working illegally in the country. Police said that many of the women were married to Costa Ricans in order to be here legally but that there was no sign that the unions were legitimate. The detained women include Dominicans, Colombians and a Nicaraguan. Our reader's opinion
President's place is at sideof people suffering disaster Dear A.M. Costa Rica: In our little country, 25 people have died from mudslides and flooding, thousands of people remain homeless, and thousands more are fighting to save their homes from 15 days of non-stop rain. Forget potholes, entire roads are washed out, bridges have collapsed resulting in community isolation, businesses, especially small businesses, are no more, dengue fever is at epidemic levels and because 97 percent of all sewage water flows to the ocean instead of being treated appropriately, three of the most popular Pacific beaches are "people dangers". Not one senior administration member has visited a single disaster area. Alas, in addition to don Óscar, we have a vice president and chief of staff brother Rodrigo Arias, which are all no shows. Headlines say that $20 million has been promised from the Chinese but we all know that will take years to filter down and these areas will be fortunate if they ever see 10 cents on the dollar. An all to clear example of how the system works is the $36 million appropriated for school repairs in the year 2003. According to a La Nación editorial dated Oct. 23, four years later only 1 percent of those funds have ever been applied. Mr. President, get back here and lead us out of crisis. This country is imploding from just about every conceivable direction, and we very much need domestic leadership, direction as well as sharp and clear decisions. A unique difference between elitist administrations and socialists is that Ortega, Chávez, Morales, Lula know how to be, or at least appear to be, in the trenches with their people whenever tragedy hits. Precisely why they are "populists" and why they are being elected. John Holtz
Santa Ana
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| A.M. Costa Rica third newspage |
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| Lawmaker
seeks to ban war toys and violent video games |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A legislative deputy has proposed to prohibit violent video games and the importation, assembly or sale of any toy that resembled a weapon of war. The measure has been sent to a committee for study. The deputy is Alexander Mora Mora of San José, a member of the Partido Liberación Nacional. The prohibition would extend to any item that represented a weapon or soldier, a military vehicle, a tank, war plane or ship of war. Like with a lot of the measures drafted in the legislature, the proposal is very broad. Taken literally, sculptures of horses or elephants would be prohibited |
because they have been used as
devices of war. And a model of a 17th
century navy vessel also would be covered, as well as model planes if
they resembled a warplane of any vintage. The committee is expected to
alter the wording somewhat if it considers the measure. Mora said in a summary of the measure that violence continues to grow in society and blames the introduction of children to simulated weapons early in life as well as the presence of videogames that require players to destroy objects and persons on screen to be a winner. He equated violent items and games with illegal drugs. Violators of the proposed law would face a fine, according to the draft. |
| Police
officer shot last week may have been revenge victim |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A police officer died Thursday after lingering in a highly critical condition since last Friday when he was shot in the neck and head. The man is Dixon Hernández Valerín, 29 and the father of three children. He died at Hospital Calderón Guardia. At first the shooting appeared to be a random street crime. The officer was approached by a man just two blocks from the police station where he worked in Barrio Cuba Oct. 19 about 6:30 p.m., said officials at the time. He had just gotten off duty. |
Now officials are saying that the
murdered man had received threats
because of an arrest he made days earlier. Officials also said that
three men were involved in the shooting. The officer's girlfriend also is a police officer. It was not clear if they were armed at the time of the attack. She was unhurt. The officer was a member of the Grupo Apoyo Operacional, which is similiar to a tactical squad and takes on difficult police tasks. He began in 2000 as a bicycle policeman. Judicial police are investigating the case, officials said. |
| A mother wories when the son, a tourist, hits the beaches |
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| We have been staying in
the
apartment of a friend in the city since my son Justin arrived. I did
take him out to see the Residence where I normally live, and he was
very impressed with the grounds, the ambiance and my apartment,
especially considering the cost. I can walk for exercise at the
Residence. In the city walking is my transportation. I have lost
two pounds since we have been in Sabana Norte. Those of us who have lived in Costa Rica for some time forget what it is like for those who are just visiting. My son and I have recently gone through this, and it may not be over. Justin decided to visit Puerto Viejo for a couple of days. Because my Spanish is better than his, he asked me to reserve a seat on the bus going there. To make a bus reservation over the phone, you have to give them a credit card number, your phone number and e-mail address, and the name of all parties involved. Although my Spanish proficiency drops considerably when I am on the phone, I managed to do it, and he left the next morning at 7:30. He had asked me whether he should take his passport or a copy. Because we both were worried about his losing it or having it stolen, I told him to take a copy. Some hours after his arrival he called me on the cell phone I had lent him to tell me he was not going to have enough money and so far no one would take credit cards. He couldn’t get money at any bank because they would not accept the copy of his passport. (I am sure the picture on it looked authentically like him, but . . . ) Had I been there, I could have simply gone into a local bank and withdrawn some money, but, naturally, he does not have an account here. Some years ago when I went to Nicaragua for three days, I had carried little money hoping to use my American Express card. No one would take that either. I spent a frugal three days there. He called again later to say his cell phone was running down and would I please call the bus line and make a |
reservation for him to return on Thursday. After doing
this, I
went into the kitchen and started cooking, which is my stress
solution. Sautéing onions and garlic does wonders for my
nerves. (I
cannot do this at the Residencia.) Justin seemed okay. It was me as
mother who had decided to worry. After the onions and garlic were ready for whatever I wanted
to do with
them, I decided to call Bonnie in California to see if the fires were
affecting her and Arnold. They are okay. Bonnie was a
family
counselor before she retired. Although that wasn’t why I called
her,
she soon had me talking about what was happening. Bonnie laughed.
“Don’t you know?” she said, “People from the United States don’t know
about buses, how to make reservations, or get on a bus. If we
want to
go anywhere, we jump in our cars and turn the key. And we whip
out our
credit cards when we have to pay for something.” Yeah, right. |
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feet www.VistasDeSarchi.com |
| Wife
of Argentine president appears to be election favorite |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Argentines go to the polls Sunday to elect a new president, along with legislators and provincial governors. In a country that produced the iconic figure of Eva Peron, wife of two-time President Juan Peron, more than 50 years ago, all eyes are on another woman: the current first lady. Cristina Fernández de Kirchner is running to succeed her husband, President Nestor Kirchner, and pre-election polls show her with a commanding lead in the race. Argentina could be on the verge of making history. A victory by Cristina Fernandez, who is both first lady and a senator, would give the country its first elected female leader. Polls show her with about a 30-point lead over her nearest rival, fueled by Argentina's strong economic performance during her husband's term — a fact she has stressed during the campaign. "The truth is that with this year's growth, Argentina has seen the best economic growth in the last hundred years," she said. "Argentina has recorded five consecutive years of growth for the first time in a century." The presidential slate features a dozen other candidates, ranging across the political spectrum. Among them is Roberto Lavagna, who gained international prominence as economy minister under President Kirchner and his predecessor. Lavagna, who stepped down in 2005, says he was the architect of Argentina's recovery from an economic meltdown in 2001. He accuses Kirchner of squandering these gains and says Cristina Fernández would do no better. "I believe the president has lost a great opportunity," he says. "The economic recovery the country experienced between 2002 and 2005, which no one thought possible, neither at home nor abroad, is being wasted." On the streets of Buenos Aires, opinions on the presidential race are decidedly mixed. Polls show nearly half the electorate backing the first lady, who hails from Argentina's Peronist Party, but is running as a center-left coalition candidate. |
Buenos Aires lawyer Adriana Gomez
says she will vote for Ms. Fernández. "Cristina seems to be consistent as a politician," she said. "She strikes me as intelligent. I would like for her to become president." Businessman Eduardo Roig agrees. "The fact that she is a woman does not guarantee anything, but is nothing negative, either," he said. "I have hope that she would do a good job." Argentina's opposition is severely fragmented with no candidate polling above 15 percent. Many who plan to vote for the opposition seem to have only one thing in common: a dislike for Cristina Fernández. "The fact that she is a woman does not bother me," said University student Julieta Solis. "But I am not going to vote for her because she seems very arrogant, and I do not like her or the president." Despite billboards and campaign posters, the election campaign has been very low-key. Argentine political consultant Sergio Berensztein notes there have been no public debates among the presidential contenders, and most campaign appearances by the candidates go virtually unnoticed by the broader public. "This campaign and these candidates have not generated any enthusiasm," he said. "Only one in four Argentines is paying attention to the campaign. Important issues are not being debated, in part because the Kirchners have refused to do so." The president and first lady refuse to talk to reporters, to field questions and give answers. To avoid a runoff election, Cristina Fernández would have to win 45 percent of the vote — or receive 40 percent with a 10-point lead over the second-place finisher. Most political analysts believe the first lady can win outright, but note that pre-election polls are often unreliable in Argentina. |
| At
least 18 workers die and oil pollutes Gulf of México after
mishap at rig |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
At least 18 Mexican oil workers are now dead after an accident at an offshore oil drilling facility Tuesday in the Gulf of México. The accident occurred when an oil drilling rig slammed into a platform during a heavy storm that caused 130 kph (about 80 mph) winds and eight-meter (26-foot) waves. |
Mexico's state-owned energy company
Pemex says 86 workers abandoned
their drilling platforms and escaped into emergency life rafts. At
least 61 people were rescued. Seven other people are missing. The accident sent oil and natural gas spilling into the gulf, and forced the closure of Mexico's main oil ports. Pemex officials say it will take at least five days to control the leak and clean up the spill. |
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