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University coed
gunned down
when caught in a crossfire By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A Universidad de Costa Rica student presumed to be on her way home from class became caught in a crossfire on a main street in Los Yoses Thursday evening and died when a bullet struck her in the head. The woman was identified by the last names of Madrigal Muñoz. Sources said she was between the ages of 18 to 20. The woman appears to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time when two groups of men began to shoot it out. The location was in front of the Citibank branch on the service road of the San Pedro Boulevard Los Yoses, usually called Avenida Central, and next to the Restaurant Río. The woman's body lay covered in the parking area in front of the bank. The shootout happened about 5:30 p.m., about a half hour before bank closing hours. Investigators are expecting to see what happened by reviewing the recording tape of the security cameras of the bank. Ms. Madrigal was believed to be the daughter of a Costa Rican diplomat. Two men in a car tried to leave the scene after the shooting but a public bus pulled up and blocked their escape. Both fled the car, and one escaped in a taxi. A suspect was detained in a nearby restaurant when police arrived. He was identified as a Jamacian. The operator of the restaurant said the man was acting suspiciously. Investigators said they found .22-caliber shells and 9-mm shells at the scene, suggesting that at least two weapons were in play. The sidewalk is heavily traveled and many passerby are headed to the nearby Mall San Pedro. There is a bus stop nearby. Woman and three lawyers held on property fraud By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Two more lawyers have been detained as suspects in stealing property from a U.S. citizen by using fake paperwork. The name of the victim was not disclosed but the Judicial Investigating Organization said the property involved was in Guanacaste and worth $1 million. The judicial police said that the two lawyers with the help of a woman convinced the man to take out a mortgage on the property. The lawyers did the paperwork and collected fees for their work, but they actually transferred the property into a corporation that they controlled, said the judicial police. The events are believed to have happened last year. The agency's Sección de Fraudes conducted three searches Thursday. One was in Escazú at the home of the women and two more were in Heredia at the home and office of the lawyers. The three suspects were detained at the time of the searches, the judicial police said. Environmental minster urges downgrading Ostional refuge By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The environment minister went to the legislature Thursday to convince lawmakers to downgrade the Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Ostional. The minister is Jorge Rodríguez, and he was accompanied by Julio Méndez of the Área de Conservación Tempisque and two academics. The minister is in the unusual position of trying to turn the refuge into one of mixed use so that nearly 700 families will not be displaced. The Sala IV constitutional court has ordered the government to evict the residents unless they can show they lived there before 1980 when the refuge was created. The central government does not have the funds or the inclination to relocate so many families. The only way to circumvent the Sala IV decision is to pass a law that will change the use of the refuge. The area is a nesting ground for turtles. The Comisión de Ambiente was considering the measure Thursday. Rodríguez of the Ministerio de Ambiente, Energía y Telecomunicaciones has been the most senior government official to address the proposal in committee. The lawmakers are working on a deadline because the Sala IV ordered that the refuge be cleared by Jan. 1.
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| A.M. Costa Rica third newspage |
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Minimum wages
will be going up 5 percent on Jan. 1
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Costa Ricans who work at the minimum wage will get a 5 percent increase starting Jan. 1 That was the decision of the Consejo Nacional de Salarios that fixes the individual pay in a number of job categories every six months. The 5 percent figure came from negotiators for the private sector who presented a proposal slightly higher than that presented by the Ministerio de Trabajo. The ministry said 4.7 percent. The salary increases are supposed to reflect the rise in the cost of living and the depreciation of the colon currency. Many of the 1.5 million employees in the private sector work at the minimum wage. Union and worker representatives wanted a 7.74 percent increase. The increase actually will be more than that for employers |
because they
will have to pay higher social assessments on the higher wages to the
Caja
Costarricense de Seguro Social. The Unión Costarricense de Cámaras y Asociaciones del Sector Empresarial Privado, which represented its members, said that the increase was a serious effort to keep employees on the job in the face of negative economic pressures. The chamber said that the minimum wage represented a 2.5 percent increase in social assessments. The chamber also asked legislators to increase their efforts to protect the Costa Rican worker. There are several proposed laws in the legislative hopper that would make the work week and working hours more flexible. For example, an employer would be able to set a four-day, 10-hour a day schedule without having to pay surcharges on the hourly rate as is the case now. Some unions strongly oppose this idea. The increase also applies to expats who may employ domestic or garden workers. A garden worker now should make 6,575 colons or about $11.33 a day. The Ministerio de Trabajo will post new salaries on its Web site before Jan. 1. |
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New series of
history books cover oxcarts and liquor
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Oxcarts and the San Jose's cemetery figure in a series of new books that would seem to be treats for history buffs. The books also discuss the history of Parque La Sabana, the Fábrica Nacional de Licores and legends of Santa Ana, Escazú and the Cantón de Mora. The book series will be outlined further today as officials of the Ministerio de Educación Pública and the Centro de Patrimonio discuss the use of an education Web site to promote the books. The titles and brief descriptions are alluring although the books are in Spanish. One gives the history of the Cementerio General, written by Carlos Zamora and Santiago Quesada. This is the cemetery south of Avenida 10 and east of the municipal building that was started in 1845. The cemetery is rich in architecture and art because there are few plain headstones. Instead, families have installed mausoleums. The cemetery holds the remains of many leaders and cultural figures who lived over the last two centuries. The title is "Cementerio General Ciudad de San José." The legends and traditions are contained in the work "Certamen de Tradiciones Costarricenses 2006, cantones de Escazú, Santa Ana y Mora." The text includes the works of winners of the centro's contests that sought intangible cultural aspects of the area. Among the short stories is one titled "De cómo mi abuela habló con la Llorona." La Llorona is the crying woman who haunts Latin America in one manifestation or another because, as legend goes, she killed her baby. In other words, she is a ghost to whom the author's grandmother had a chat. |
The work on the metropolitan is
simply "La Sabana, un parque con
historia." It is by Carlos Zamora. The area used to be known as the
Liano de Mata Redonda. It also was the location of the municipal
airport. John Kennedy landed there in 1963 on his famed Latin tour with
his elegant Spanish-speaking wife. The oxcart is the central subject of "La ornamentatión de Carretas en Costa Rica: origenes y tendencias." It is by Carmen Murillo Chaverri and Yanori Alvarez Masís. This is an academic-level work treating the history and development of the colorful carts that are seen today. The collection "Circuito de Turismo Cultural" really contains four little books that treat the district of El Carmen in San José, the city of Cartago and the Orosi Valley and Puntarenas. Carlos Zamora also was involved in writing these works as were Gerardo Alberto Vargas and Elisa González. The book contains maps and information about the specific areas. For San José it includes a suggestion for a walking tour through the central city. While on the walking tour, visitors might be tempted to carry "Sintesis histórica de las estructuras arquitectónicas de la antigua Fábrica Nacional de Licores." The former liquor factory is just east of Parque España and houses Ministerio de Cultural, Juventud y Deportes now. There many features remain from the early days of making alcohol. The ministry took over the location in 1994. Much of the ministry is open to the public during working hours, and there are art galleries inside. The Centro de Patrimonio is an agency of the ministry. The books that will be presented today are not yet on the education ministry's Web site, but there are other historical and cultural titles there. |
| The decision has been made to go back to
the books |
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| I watched most of
“Latinos in America,” a CNN documentary produced and narrated by
Soledad O’Brien. It was as compelling as her “Black in America.”
As far as I could tell there were no Costa Ricans featured or even
mentioned. That only half surprised me because compared to other
Latinos who have migrated to the States, Costa Ricans are few. Or maybe
as some wiseacre said “The show’s producers didn’t go to New Jersey.” I felt more sympathy for the illegal immigrants in the U.S., especially the children who crossed the border, often on their own, and were put in detention centers to wait for hearings about whether their fate would be to stay or be deported. I guess that is the problem with so many laws in many countries: they are rigid and cannot take into account the relativity of some actions or the consequences of their sweep. But the big news for me this week was not on TV. It was the fact that I took a walk for the pleasure of it. After a cloudy morning that kept me from getting my 20 minutes on my balcony soaking up the sun, the clouds broke their huddle and the sun came through. What thrilled me was that I was eager to walk. Just a week ago, all I wanted to do was stay in bed. I have reached an age when maladies I never thought about have begun to plague me. Perceiving myself as less than resilient, I have succumbed to the supposedly greater knowledge of the medical profession. Thus I have become a pill taker and a candidate for tests. Then a combination of events came together to make me decide that maybe I knew more about my body than anyone. One was seeing an interview on TV with an agile and smart 112-year-old man, who declared that he was not taking a single pill. Suddenly I realized that all the pills I was taking were not making me better. So I rallied the troops — the troops being the cells of all my organs — and said, “Team, we’re going to do this on |
our own, like that 112-year-old man.” We began to
withdraw from the pills, and I changed my diet to a bit healthier one
(mainly giving up bread and butter). In less than a week I was free of the pain that had been a
part of me
for months. I cautiously waited a couple of more days before
declaring
victory. Then just before going to sleep I said, “Well, gang, we
did
it. And I want to thank all of you, I am so proud of you!” and I swear,
I heard a whole bunch of little “yeas!” And they weren’t coming from my
mouth. I burst out laughing and went to sleep. It may be a bit late now, but my friend
Sandy
and I have decided to find a teacher for a class of two. We both
got
excited about the idea until she said, “I really want to brush up on
the subjunctive!” |
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| Acción
Ciudadana wants the new Hotel RUI investigated |
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|
By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Partido Acción Ciudadana is asking environmental judges to investigate the new Hotel RIU on Playa Matapalo, Guanacaste. The massive, seven-story hotel with some 701 rooms is at the point of opening. Acción Ciudadana said that it questions the way the project was designed and that it appears the hotel construction damaged the mangroves in the area. The political party also noted that the Asociación Confraternidad Guanacasteca has filed a Sala IV case against the hotel. That organization generally opposes development in the area. Acción Ciudadana said in a release that the hotel had not followed the local zoning plan devised by the Ministerio de Ambiente, Energía y Telecomunicaciones that showed part of the project area to be mangroves. The plan also was devised by the Área de Conservación Tempisque. The statement was issued in the names of Lesvia Villalobos and Patricia Romero, legislative deputies who are members of the political party. |
The communication
said that the hotel was just 200 meters from the
beach, although that is a legal location. The statement seemed to
suggest that such large projects should not be so close to the ocean. The political party also said that the hotel contractor had deficiencies in matters of health and labor and that workers lived in terrible conditions there. The construction project closed for a time last November when some of the workers became sick. One man died. The majority of the workers were from Nicaragua. Acción Ciudadana did not say why it waited until now to complain about the hotel, which has been a long-time construction project. The hotel is believed to have an inauguration ceremony today. The political party said that the project should be investigated by the Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo and the local prosecutor. The hotel probably will not be a popular vacation spot for Costa Ricans. A Web site said that a special deal for a standard room was in excess of $400 a night. It is an all-inclusive hotel, meaning that food is part of the price. |
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| Nation
may study railroad route that would go to Panamá |
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Costa Rican and Panamanian officials are considering a feasibility study over the possibility of a rail route between the two countries. That was one of the topics when President Óscar Arias Sánchez met with his counterpart, Ricardo Martinelli Berrocal of Panamá. The two presidents signed what is being called an association agreement. The two men also discussed |
additional ways of
integrating the two countries, including the
electrical grid. Panama is installing some 31 hydroplants along its
rivers, and Costa Rica hopes to build a giant plant on the Río
Térraba
in southwest Costa Rica. The meeting was held in Panama City. The men also discussed the narcotics smuggling situation and the possibility of reinforcing controls at the common border, according to Casa Presidencial. Arias also got a helicopter ride to see the progress of work on the Panamá Canal expansion project. |
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Latin American news Please reload page if feed does not appear promptly |
New data
suggests recovery is ending U.S. recession By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The longest and deepest U.S. economic recession of the post-World War II era is over, according to government data released Thursday. After four consecutive quarters of contraction, the U.S. economy grew at a 3.5 percent annual rate from July through September. The figure, released by the Commerce Department, showed the most robust expansion in two years. Economists, like Kathleen Stephansen at Connecticut-based Aladdin Capital Holdings, hailed the news. "Indeed, the recovery is in place. This is a good start. It is a little bit stronger than what the consensus was," she said, Stephansen was speaking on Bloomberg television. Fueling the economic growth were jumps in spending on large manufactured goods and housing. Both of those categories benefited from significant government subsidies for the purchase of fuel-efficient vehicles and homes. But the so-called "Cash for Clunkers" automobile subsidy has ended, and the first-time home buyer tax credit is expiring. That has Ms. Stephansen apprehensive about U.S. economic performance going forward. "A lot of this consumer spending increase is thanks to government support. Seventy percent of this economy is still the consumer. The consumer is still in a balance sheet repair-mode. And that means that he or she will be careful in spending, and wage income is not growing very fast. So, we still have major headwinds here for the consumer, and that worries me," she said. Among the hurdles to sustained, robust growth is the U.S. unemployment rate, which stands at 9.8 percent and is expected to go even higher in coming months. The Labor Department reports 530,000 newly-laid off Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, a slight dip from the previous week but still more than many economists had expected. On the other hand, the total number of continuing claims stood at 5.8 million, down by nearly 150,000 from a week ago. Analysts say stubbornly-high unemployment will constrain U.S. economic expansion for the foreseeable future. But some also note that the current economic improvement is welcome, since barely a year ago there was open debate among economists as to whether the United States stood at the precipice of a second Great Depression.
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