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Second news page |
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| Costa Rica Expertise Ltd http://crexpertise.com E-mail info@crexpertise.com Tel:506-256-8585 Fax:506-256-7575 |
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reach record amount By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
With a seizure of 167 kilos of cocaine, drug agents with the Ministerio de Gobernacíón, Policía y Seguridad Pública broke the previous record they had reached for the amount of cocaine seized in a year, agents said. And there's still approximately seven weeks to go. The seizure makes 5,623 kilos for the year. The previous record was 5,566, set in 1997, agents said. The specifics of the seizure were this: agents pulled over a Nissa Urban at a checkpoint near Kilometer 37 in Río Claro de Guaycará, Golfito, agents said. Fuerza Pública officers found the stash, separated into kilo packages, in two hidden compartments in the van, they said. The agents arrested the 38-year-old driver, identified by the last names Chávez Salas. Agents said the van was headed towards San José. If convicted, Chávez faces 15 years in prison, agents said. Two homes raided as crack cocaine outlets By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Agents with the Judicial Investigating Organization raided two houses 50 meters apart late Thursday evening and arrested two married couples as well as a fifth man on allegations of selling marijuana and crack cocaine, agents said. The houses were in Pueblo Nuevo de Parrita near Quepos, agents said. In the first house, agents arrested a 22-year-old woman and a 36-year-old man who were married, agents said. They also arrested another person, who agents think was involved. Agents said they found 47 crack rocks and five marijuana joints as well as nearly 25,000 colons ($50.91) in coins, they said. Agents said that crime in the town had increased in the six months the couple had lived in the house. The agents attribute that rise to the the couple letting users consume their drug of choice inside the house. Agents also say that the couple let buyers pay them in goods, which added to the increase in robberies in the town. Agents also raided a house 50 meters down the street which had been under surveillance for a year, they said. The agents arrested a 42-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman who were also married, they said. These two had guards notify them by radio whenever police were in town, agents said. The house was also at a dead end, which allowed the couple to hide their operation more easily, the agents said. In that house, agents said they found 42 rocks of crack cocaine hidden in the woman's clothes as well as 78,000 colons ($158.84) in cash and 300,000 colons ($610.94) worth of jewelry. They also found the radios that the pair allegedly used to protect their operation, agents said. Wildlife fund offers conservation scholarships By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A scholarship offered by the World Wildlife Fund is seeking to support Central American students who are taking conservation courses that last no more than a year. The organization is especially interested in women, or persons who work for non-governmental organizations, it said. “We give priority to candidates who study themes related to climate change, forests, fresh water, oceans, coasts, species and toxins that form part of the world priorities of our organization,” said Ana Isabel Estrada, the fund's head of grants. Students wishing to apply can do so until Jan. 13 at aestrada@wwfca.org. The scholarship is worth approximately $7,600, the fund said. The course the student wishes to use the money for must start after July 1, 2006 and before June 30, 2007. Our reader's opinion
He disputes statistics provided by Jo Stuart Dear A.M. Costa Rica: After reading Jo Stuart’s column in the Friday, Nov. 4, edition of A.M. Costa Rica, I decided to do some checking. According to the World Health Organization, her facts are just plain wrong on life expectancy and infant mortality. Unless the WHO is misinformed, the life expectancy in Costa Rica and the United States is exactly the same. By the way, it’s the females who get to live to be 80 years old. Men predecease them by five years in both countries. As far as the infant mortality rate is concerned, in Costa Rica, it is 11 males and 9 females per 1,000 births. While in the United States it is 9 males and 7 females per 1,000 births. Again her facts are incorrect. When quoting statistics in an article, it would also be nice to have the name of the reporting agency, not just “charts comparing various countries,” so the figures can be verified. I don’t want to be too hard on Jo Stuart, but accuracy in reporting is crucial for credibility. I know she loves Costa Rica, and does an excellent job of writing about the paradise she found in her adopted country. On occasion she will raise my blood pressure, and other times she calms me down. I guess that’s what keeps me reading her stories. Al Loria
New York EDITOR'S NOTE; Mr. Loria's statistics are identical to those from 2003 on the World Health Organization Web page. Jo Stuart's main point was that Costa Rica has raised itself to first world status with a nearly universal health plan. |
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| When normal words take a walk on the dark side |
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| No creer que porque
el perro lleva el hocico estirado es porque va silbando. “Don’t believe that just because a dog has a long snout he can whistle.” The meaning of today’s dicho is that what may often appear obvious at first glance may not turn out to be true. In other words, things are not always as they seem. Or, as George and Ira Gershwin so aptly wrote: “It ain’t necessarily so.” Take, for example, the Spanish language. Hundreds of perfectly good Spanish words have double meanings, and a person can end up in a lot of trouble by using them the wrong way or in the wrong place. Let’s start with the word papaya. In Costa Rica we all know the papaya as a kind of fruit, elongated and green on the outside, and bright orange on the inside with many black seeds down the middle. Most people consider it quite delicious, and there is nothing wrong with using the word papaya in Central America. In many parts of the Caribbean basin, particularly in Venezuela, Cuba and Puerto Rico, however it’s better to avoid this word. In these countries the word papaya refers to female genitalia. So, you can see that it would be unwise to ask the pretty señorita tending her fruit stand in Maracaibo the price of her lovely papaya. Lechosa is the word to employ in Venezuela, if it is indeed tropical fruit you’re in the market for. Mango is another kind fruit popular all over Latin America. Of course, we enjoy mangos in Costa Rica too and we call them by that name. But, the word mango has another meaning in tiquicia (Ticoland). We call our currency mangos in much the same way that North Americans refer to their dollars as “bucks.” So, if you hear a Tico saying that such and such a thing cost him dos mil mangos (two thousand mangos) he simply means that the price was 2,000 colones. Many of you will also recall from a previous column that the Costa Rican 5000-colon note is referred to as a toucan. This is because the bill carries a toucan’s picture. Huevos, a perfectly respectable Spanish word, means eggs. And that’s what it means in Costa Rica, too. But in vulgar usage in Costa Rica and elsewhere it refers to certain features of the male genitalia, in which case it is often pronounced güevos with a hard “g” sound before the “u” replacing the silent “h.” So rather than asking the stock boy at Auto Mercado where he keeps his güevos, perhaps it would be better to save you both considerable embarrassment by rephrasing the question a bit. Toronjas, which simply means “grapefruits” in standard Spanish, takes on new meaning when used to refer to particular parts of the female anatomy, if you get my drift. Bolsa, is another seemingly benign word meaning |
“bag.” And
in
Costa Rica that’s all it means. But in Ecuador it is pregnant with
peril especially if you go to the market, where eggs are sold in large
and small bags depending upon the quantity, and bargaining over the
price is common. It’s not difficult to see how asking ¿cuanto cuesta
su bolsita de huevos? (“How much for your little bag of eggs?”) —
an innocent enough locution on its surface — might be
misinterpreted. |
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| Book on Peruvian aid in fight against Walker will be
presented Tuesday |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
In the mid-19th century, a pesky Gringo named William Walker decided to take over parts of Central America and Mexico for the United States in the name of Manifest Destiny. After an unsuccessful attempt to seize Baja California, Walker headed south and went after Nicaragua. He wasn't very successful there either though he did declare himself president of Nicaragua for a short while. Even the normally tranquil Ticos became enraged enough to declare war on him and eventually they, and the rest of Walker's enemies, successfully booted him from Nicaragua and Costa Rica. |
Such is the topic of a
book by Peruvian writer Rosa Garibaldi, but with
much more emphasis on the Peruvian support in ousting Walker. Tuesday, the book, “La Política Exterior del Perú en la era de Ramón Castilla,” will be presented at the Salón José Luis Cardona of the Instituto Diplomático Manuel María de Peralta. The presentation starts at 4 p.m. The work also covers the diplomacy and exterior politics which drove the Peruvian government during Walker's filibustering, 1854 to 1857. In this context, the author explains Perú's support to the campaign against Walker and his eventual defeat, arrest and execution in Honduras. |
| Police report a total of four murders during a violent
weekend |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Two people were murdered in Guanacaste this weekend and one person was killed in the Central Valley and another in the southern part of the Provincia de Limón, said Fuerza Pública officers. Officers arrested a man identified by the last names Vargas Avendaño in relation to the murder of 20-year-old Noel López Blas in Valle de La Estrella Friday. According to reports, the two got in an argument at Finca 20, near the town in Limón. As the scuffle escalated, López suffered two bullet wounds in the head, police said. Officers found a .22-caliber Beretta pistol at the scene, they said. Police found a another man dead in Pavas with gunshots in his back Saturday night, they said. The body of the 29-year-old victim, Roberto Vargas Oviedo, was found in Lomas del Río. |
Two persons were killed
in Guanacaste as well. A Panamanian, Jairo
Baltodono Busano, was gunned down in the popular beach town of
Tamarindo approximately 3:30 Saturday morning. Police found his
body
alongside the main street in the town, they said. According to
his
Nicaraguan companion, identified by the last names Bello Castillo, the
two were walking down the street after they left a local bar when a car
drove by and someone inside shot the man, killing
him. Police in Tilarán arrested a Nicaraguan in relation to the death of 70-year-old Domingo Hurtado Barquero, they said. According to police, the 25-year-old suspect identified by the last names Guriel Centeno, stabbed Hurtado once in the neck and twice in the chest approximately 2 a.m. Saturday morning. After a quick search, police found the murder weapon and at 4 a.m., they arrested Guriel, who police said was in the country illegally and has been deported before. |
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| Nations of hemisphere split into two camps on trade |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina — The 34-nation Summit of the Americas has concluded here without accord on a topic that came to dominate the gathering: trade within the region. Intense negotiations continued hours after the scheduled close of the two-day event, with President George Bush leaving the gathering ahead of virtually all other leaders. In the end, delegates agreed to disagree on a proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas that would allow goods to transit tariff-free from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. As the last summit participants were preparing to leave Mar del Plata, Argentine Foreign Minister Rafael Bielsa told reporters a final document was crafted to reflect divergent points of view between two major groups of nations. He said, "With respect to the FTAA, there were a group of countries that find no obstacle in continuing negotiations within the FTAA as it exists right now. In another paragraph, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay and Venezuela find that conditions do not exist to negotiate the FTAA as proposed." With the exception of Venezuela, the dissenting nations constitute a regional trade bloc known as Mercosur. Bielsa noted that Mercosur nations believe they have a competitive advantage in producing agricultural goods, and that they do not believe the free trade agreement will go far enough to address sizable agricultural subsidies that exist for farmers in nations like the United States. As a result, he said, Mercosur nations prefer to await the results of the next World Trade Organization meeting next month in Hong Kong, where they expect the topic of agricultural subsidies by wealthy nations to be addressed. |
The hemispheric free
trade pact has the backing of 29 other summit
participants, including the United States. The Bush administration,
which argues the agreement would boost prosperity and reduce poverty
throughout the hemisphere, had hoped the summit would serve to revive
the initiative, which was originally proposed some 10 years ago and
which its first architects had envisioned would already be in place by
this year. But if the Summit of the Americas dashed hopes of advancing the free trade agenda, it also appears to have foiled the ambitions of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who, as the gathering was getting underway Friday, boasted that it would be "the tomb" of the trade proposal. Argentine Foreign Minister Bielsa disagreed. He said, "This is not the end of the FTAA. The FTAA is a side note to a summit that was dealt with something else. It dealt with decent jobs, reducing poverty and democratic governance." There was no final public appearance by the leaders, and President Bush did not speak with reporters before leaving for Brazil, the second stop on a three-nation trip that will also take the U.S. leader to Panamá. But administration officials are expressing quiet satisfaction with the summit's outcome, saying important topics were discussed and some progress achieved. The two-day gathering of hemispheric leaders attracted tens of thousands of leftist activists to Mar del Plata from Argentina and beyond. Friday, they marched to protest the presence of President Bush and gave a hero's welcome to President Chavez. Anti-Bush protests descended into violence later in the day, with several dozen local businesses ransacked and looted. |
| Mar del Plata merchants are shocked and saddened |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina — Dozens of business owners returned to a scene of utter destruction in this resort town Saturday. A day earlier, protests turned violent blocks away from where President George Bush and other leaders were gathered for the 34-nation Summit of the Americas. Locals, many of whom had feared such an outbreak of violence, are deeply saddened, dismayed and angry. One day after scores of masked youths went on a rampage near barricades that formed a security perimeter for the Summit of the Americas, business owners and employees were sweeping up huge mounds of broken glass and debris. Inside a bank, blackened by fire, an automated teller machine was barely recognizable, its outer casing melted. Passersby shook their heads in disbelief. Rotisserie chicken vendor Mario Maurino says he and a younger female employee were trapped inside, when club-wielding youths smashed his store-front windows late Friday. He says, "It was as if I were Public Enemy Number One — I, who come to work and never take a day off. And I felt completely exposed and unprotected. That was the sensation, and I assure you, it is terrifying to feel alone, completely alone." Maurino says he fell victim to vandals and delinquents, and does not believe those who smashed his chicken shop were the same people who marched peacefully against President Bush earlier in the day. Asked if he blames President Bush in any way for his misfortune, he waves his hand dismissively. |
He says, "No, no, not
at all. How could Bush be at fault? He had to come [to the summit]." Instead, Maurino blames Argentine security forces, who he says were slow to respond to the situation, as well as Argentine officials, whom he described as incompetent. He says the troublemakers had free reign of the streets for more than half-an-hour before police arrived. Other merchants have made similar complaints, and a local business group says it will petition Argentina's government for reparations. Mar del Plata's mayor has said he will actively support any legal action taken to secure compensation. The mayhem was concentrated along six city blocks, less than a kilometer away from where leaders at the Summit of the Americas had gathered for a gala dinner. Aside from destroying and looting property, masked assailants hurled rocks and sticks at security forces, who stood their ground behind barricades. Riot police fired tear gas, and eventually cleared the affected area, making dozens of arrests in the process. No life-threatening injuries were reported. But intense sorrow is felt in this seaside town, Argentina's No. 1 domestic tourist destination, known for magnificent beaches, vibrant night life and, until now, tranquil repose. In the middle of Friday's melee, a distraught pharmacy owner, hoarse from shouting, pleaded with rampaging youths to spare her business. She said, "Boys, not the pharmacy! This is a pharmacy of Mar del Plata, which has nothing to do [with the summit]. We are all against President Bush, but please do not punish my people, my city." Her plea was in vain. |
| Bush and Lula da Silva say there is common ground |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
President George Bush is in Brazil where he has met with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and will deliver the only speech of his three-nation trip to Latin America. This is the president's first visit to Brazil, the largest country in South America and one of the fastest growing economies in the world. President Lula, a former labor leader, is far to the left of Bush on the political spectrum. But following their talks, both stressed their desire to find common ground. The Brazilian leader said that, despite their differences, relations are good. "When I was elected president, there were those who foresaw the deterioration of relations between Brazil and the United States. They were roundly mistaken," said Lula. "Relations between Brazil and the United States are essential and they are strong," agreed Bush. But Brazil was one of five countries to take a stand at the just ended Summit of the Americas against U.S.-backed negotiations on a hemispheric free-trade zone. And President Lula left no doubt he believes U.S. agricultural subsidies remain a big obstacle to progress. "We are working to negotiate the removal of unjustified barriers to our bilateral trade," added Lula. President Bush responded by saying the best way to address the subsidy dispute is through the current round of World Trade Organization talks, which enjoy |
strong support from
both Brazil and the United States. A
ministerial-level WTO meeting in Hong Kong next month hopes to iron out
differences on the issue. "And we agreed to work together to advance the round. It is in the workers of Brazil's best interest that WTO [the World Trade Organization] advance," he said. Earlier, Bush met in private with members of the Brazilian business community and sat down for a question and answer session with a group described as young leaders. One participant asked him about tensions between the United States and Latin America, saying some in the Southern Hemisphere believe that, in its zeal to promote democracy, the Bush administration is forcing its policies on other countries. Bush said he wants nations to develop democracies that conform to their own traditions and customs. But he added, there are certain things that all democracies believe in, including freedom of speech. He said that freedom allowed peaceful demonstrators to express their views during the Summit of the Americas Friday and Saturday in Argentina. "I expect there to be dissent," noted Bush. "That is what freedom is all about. People should be allowed to express themselves. And so, what happened in Argentina happens in America. That is positive." There were protests in Brasilia during the president's brief visit, but they were small in comparison to those in Argentina. From Brazil, Bush travels to Panamá, the last stop on his three-nation visit to South America. |
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