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A.M. Costa Rica
Your daily English-language news source Monday through Friday |
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
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| A.M. Costa Rica's Second news page | |||||||||
| San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, Vol. 12, No. 222 | |||||||||
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 Ministerio
de
Gobernación,
Policía
Police
officer passes
display of
illegal
materialsy Seguridad Pública/Jorge Alonso Alvarez V. Officials
torch
illegal
fireworks
in advance of holiday season By
the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
Intelligence agency workers destroyed 134,995 fireworks Tuesday in Moravia. The bulk of the illegal explosives were confiscated last year. Fireworks are a tradition in the holiday season, but officials are working to keep children safe. They have launched a project seeking to prevent even just one child from being burned by fireworks. Last year seven youngsters suffered burns serious enough for hospitalization, said the Hospital Nacional de Niños. The Unidad Especial de Intervención de la Dirección de Inteligencia y Seguridad Nacional destroyed the illegal material. Lawmakers have stiffened the penalties for importing and possessing explosive fireworks, and police frequently confiscate fireworks coming in from Nicaragua. Yet serious fireworks are easily purchased all over the country. As the clock reaches midnight New Year's Eve Costa Rica has its own version of shock and awe with thousands of rockets lighting the sky. Strong winds predicted along with heavy rains By
the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
Winds of up to 60 kph (37 mph) are expected in Guanacaste and the Central Valley starting today. This is being caused by an increase in atmospheric pressure in the Caribbean Sea, said the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional. The winds are expected to build to a peak Thursday. Coupled with these conditions is an expected increase in rain on the Caribbean coast and in the northern zone, said the institute. Predicted are rains there today of from 30 to 80 millimeters or from one to three inches. These conditions are expected to last to the weekend. The weather institute warned of slides and flooding both on the Caribbean coast and on the Pacific. Students will show their stuff at 26th annual science fair By
the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
Some 382 students will be displaying their research at the XXVI Feria Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología that is open to the public Thursday. In all, there are 200 science projects in environment, biology, social sciences, engineering, health and other areas. The science fair is at the University of Costa Rica sports center in Sabanilla de Montes de Oca. The inauguration is at 5 p.m. today in the university's Facultad de Derecho. Students are from all over the country. The closing and awarding of prizes also is at the law school site Friday morning. Store workers to sweep beach By
the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
Employees and executives of the Gollo appliance stores will be on the beach today, but not for rest and relaxation. Some 150 persons will at Playa Angostura in Esparza to give the area a cleaning. The effort is in conjunction with the municipality and the Asociación Terranostra. Much of the trash collected will be recycled.
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
| The contents of this page and this Web site are copyrighted by Consultantes Río Colorado 2012 and may not be reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details | ||||||
| A.M. Costa Rica Third News Page | |
| San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, Vol. 12, No. 222 |
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| Hotels, travel agencies, airlines,
restaurants get consumer checks |
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Consumer investigators turned their attention to hotels, travel agencies and airlines in the latest sweep to check on how well the laws are being followed. Some 51 percent of the 37 hotels checked failed to provide required information to consumers, said the Dirección de Apoyo al Consumidor of the economics ministry. They were in San José, Alajuela, Heredia and Cartago. At travel agencies, the investigators checked invoices, tickets, contracts, signs, handouts and the information available on Web pages. In all there were 43 travel agencies and 12 airline offices visited in the metro area, said the consumer agency. Some 60 percent of the travel agencies and 50 percent of the airlines were not consistent with the law, the agency said. Some of the flaws included failing to include sales tax in prices on the Web pages or failing to include the cost of an exit tax on package prices. In most cases the taxes and exit fees were listed in tiny type on the Web pages but not included in the larger type that listed a price. One agency was cited for not including information on its Web site in Spanish as well as English. In all, 11 travel agencies failed to include the taxes on the prices they offered, said the agency. Others failed to explain restrictions on travel or to list the exchange rate if the price was advertised in dollars, the agency added. Three airlines also were criticized for failing to include an exchange rate in offerings given in dollars. There were 35 hotels and 22 restaurants that were checked. Inspectors visited 44 locations and checked 14 Web pages. They also said they checked menus, invoices, signs, handouts and information available on Web pages. |
 Dirección de Apoyo al Consumidor
graphic
Chart shows the degree of
compliance with relevant laws byhotels and restaurants. Some 18 or 51 percent of the hotels had some type of problem, but only three (14 percent) of the restaurants did not comply fully with the law, the agency reported. Restaurant operators are used to these types of sweeps. The inspectors were not impressed with tiny print that included restrictions, such as the amount of sales tax or the age below which children are not charged. One restaurant did not include prices on its menu, and there also were problems with others in failing to provide an exchange rate if the price were quoted in something other than colons. The biggest failing that was reported from 11 hotels was not specifying what type of room would be provided for a particular price. The investigators also check newspaper ads for similar requirements. |
A self-propelled crane estimated at 85 tons rests awkwardly on the stressed bailey bridge on the Autopista Cañas. |
 Consejo
Nacional de Vialidad photo
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| Another mishap on Autopista Cañas
closes eastbound lanes |
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
An 85-ton crane collapsed a bailey bridge on the troubled Autopista General Cañas Tuesday evening, and the eastbound lanes will be closed for at least a week. The accident happened above a worksite where a new drainage system is being installed. Workmen already had placed arches of concrete below the four bailey bridges that carry east and westbound traffic. José Luis Salas, executive director of the Consejo Nacional de Vialidad, said that workmen will not try to salvage the bailey bridge. Instead, they will begin the job of backfilling the drainage system site and bringing the soil up to highway level. The Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes said that the crane weighs more than twice the safe limit for the temporary bridge. That limit was 40 tons. When the older drainage system gave way because of a severe storm and damage by a tree trunk, a hole began to develop |
in the westbound lanes of the
highway at this location. The hole quickly earned the name crater and became the subject of many jokes. In order to fix the problem, workmen had to remove all the soil under the highways. That is why the temporary bailey bridges were installed. There was one for each of the four lanes. Traffic police will be assisting in detouring eastbound traffic for a week. Special detour routes will be established for heavy vehicles. The General Cañas is the main route between San José and Alajuela. It also is the route that leads to Juan Santamaría airport. Meanwhile, transport officials still are wrestling with the eroding of concrete on a bridge that spans the Río Virilla. That troubled bridge has caused the closing of the same highway several times. |
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| You need to see Costa Rican tourism information HERE! |
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
| The contents of this page and this Web site are copyrighted by Consultantes Río Colorado 2012 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 Fourth News page | |||||
| San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, Vol. 12, No. 222 | |||||
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| Annual study of nation lists long-running
deficiencies |
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By
Aaron Knapp and Kayla Pearson
of the A.M. Costa Rica staff Although Costa Rica is a place with a high life expectancy and has improved healthcare coverage and education, the country still has problems with poverty, inequality and corruption, according to the Estado de la Nación. The annual report is in its 18th year, and documents the sustainable human development of both Costa Rica and Central America based on 2011 statistics from various organizations. It is the work of 85 researchers and 4,750 participants. “Moderate growth and monetary stability, but an environmental management plan, a society and a political system in serious problems. This is, in short, the story of 2011,” opened the synopsis of the report. The institution that must fix Costa Rica's problems, the government, is plagued by corruption, instability in personnel and mismanagement by local officials, researchers found. Although the study says that officials in President Laura Chinchilla's administration are more experienced overall than those in previous governments, it also finds that this government is the most unstable of the past four. The study indicates that 15 of the original 21 ministers and 17 vice-ministers in the Chinchilla administration have left or been removed from their posts in less than two years. Many of these departures were fueled by public accusations of corruption. Researchers also found that these problems are causing a rift between the government and the increasingly disenchanted general population. A 2012 survey by the Latin American Public Opinion Project indicates that the general population's faith in the government as a system is at the lowest point it has been since before the first poll in 1978. That survey found that 56 percent of those polled still believe in the system. That is down 7 percentage points from the last survey in 2010. Researchers also tracked the number of protests per year since 1995 and found that 2011 had the third highest number of protests. With 632 protests, 2011 starkly contrasts with the previous six years where there were never more than 400 in any given year. By this measure, former president Oscar Arias' tenure was one of the most tranquil periods in recent history. The study, which focuses mostly on elevating the population's standard of living, also condemns the legislature for introducing laws that increase each person's duty to the country, but do not open financial opportunities up to the poor. Researchers also found many municipal governments to be lacking in providing services and a satisfactory overall standard of living for the residents. The best cantons for these areas are primarily suburbs of San José in the Central Valley. The worst cantons are concentrated on the Caribbean coast. Economy With such a government, the study says that developing growth and stability in the economy is one of the biggest challenges for the country. The most urgent issue the government must address is overall growth of the national debt, researchers found. The study says that the national debt has almost hit 45 percent of the gross domestic product, the value of all goods and services. Researchers said that many of the problems are the same international issues that the entire world is facing. However, the debt has been growing overall since September 2008 even though it had phases of increasing and decreasing, the study said. More concerning is that the public spending has persistently remained higher than tax revenue, it added. Additionally, most indicators show that growth is decelerating in production and most industries overall last year. Unemployment has barely budged, and the new jobs the majority of jobs are concentrated in 10 of Costa Rica's 81 cantons, it added. Environment Researchers found that the environment has become more volatile over the past decade and that natural disasters are leaving more death and destruction in their wake. Floods have especially become more dangerous since 2000, killing five times more people and causing 242 percent more damages to buildings. The most affected areas have been the cantons of Puntarenas, San Carlos and Pococí, said the report. Closely related to that problem, the study also says that less than a quarter of cantons have an adequate urban development plan. Many of the damages from disasters happen in areas where buildings are close together while on ground susceptible to floods, it said. |
 The study urges more regional
governments to develop better plans for land use in their districts.
Overall, the study commends the government's efforts to protect the forests, water supplies and the environment, but it also says that more must be done to conserve the environment and natural resources. Human development In 2011, Costa Rica continued to show progress in human development for the average of the population, especially in the areas of health and education, researchers found. However, achievements in human development were met with a decrease in social investment as the sector fell 0.5 percent between 2010 and 2011, it added. An analysis showed that the public education programs suffered the most with a 6.3 percent decrease, particularly in general education that includes incentives for studies and professional training. The country also needs to improve upon building the educational level of citizens, the report said. For example the average schooling for those ages 18 to 64 is 8.9 years. When it comes to the upper and middle classes, more than 85 percent of these populations have a secondary education. Yet, a little more than 20 percent of industrial workers and less than 10 percent of agricultural workers have received high school diplomas. In the workforce, unemployment has risen to a rate of 7.7 percent, and there is insufficient economic recovery to reverse the crisis in employment, said the report. Those with jobs are not getting their legal rights, the report said. One out of five laborers don't receive aguinaldos, the mandatory Christmas bonus, and three out of 10 do not have paid vacations or sick leave. Persons in the Brunca and Chorotega regions along the Pacific coast are the most vulnerable to these situations, with neither of these areas getting more than 70 percent compliance with the law, said the report. Poverty The Estado de la Nación
report highlights the fact that as the country becomes more modernized
and grows economically, it will create a gap between those with access
to opportunities and those without. The result will be more poverty, it
said.
A 2011 national survey revealed that 287,367 households live in poverty and 85,557 live in extreme poverty, a situation where families lack the capability to perform basic abilities or enjoy fundamental rights, it said. This equates to more than a million poor people in the country and another 336,000 worse off than the poor, said the report. Fortunately, households with older adults are decreasing in poverty, due to pensions given out by the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social. However, elderly living alone do so in poor housing where the ceilings, floors and outer walls are deteriorating, said the report. They also don't possess technology, it added. As inequality grows, the barrier between social barriers is increasingly harder to overcome, the report said. It is also shown that as of last year, Costa Rica is reaching a point where institutions are “out of gas” when it comes to dealing with social welfare problems as resources are declining. The likely and most effective solution is to increase the efficiency and quality of institutions. They should also be evaluated and held accountable for faults, report creators said. The challenge is to avoid budget cuts in the coming years that would push more of the population into poverty, and integrate all residents in developmental improvements, the report said. |
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Jo
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
| The contents of this page and this Web site are copyrighted by Consultantes Río Colorado 2012 and may not be reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details | ||||||
| A.M. Costa
Rica's Fifth news page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, Vol. 12, No. 222 | |||||||||
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| Congressional
makeup
means more of the same as before By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Projections Tuesday show Republicans will hold onto control of the House of Representatives while Democrats will stay in charge of the Senate. Democrats made key inroads in the Senate, defeating the Republican incumbent in Massachusetts. Sen. Scott Brown lost to Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren. Democrats also won the swing state of Virginia, where former Republican governor George Allen conceded to former governor Tim Kaine. And Democrats held on in the battleground state of Ohio, where Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, held off a challenge from Josh Mandel, a Republican. Democrats also picked up a seat in Indiana, where Rep. Joe Donnelly defeated Republican Richard Mourdock. The contest drew national attention after Mourdock made controversial remarks about rape and abortion. Another Republican candidate who made similarly controversial remarks also lost in Missouri. Rep. Todd Akin lost to incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Democrat. Projections also have the Democrats holding onto Florida, where incumbent Bill Nelson defeated Connie Mack. Thirty-three seats in the 100-seat Senate were up for election. Republicans need to gain four seats to take control. Projections also indicate little will change in the House, with Republicans maintaining their majority as voters in many states re-elected incumbents from both parties. That means Rep. John Boehner from the battleground state of Ohio will likely retain his post as House speaker. In a statement late Tuesday night, Boehner said Republicans were humbled to have been chosen by voters to lead the House and that they would continue to oppose any calls to raise taxes. But he also offered to work with any willing partner in the White House. All 435 House seats were up for grabs and Democrats would have needed to gain 25 seats to take control. Maine and Maryland voters approve same-sex marriage By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Proponents of same-sex marriage and legalized marijuana use gained ground in ballot initiatives across the United States Tuesday. The northeastern state of Maine and the mid-Atlantic state of Maryland became the first two states to approve gay marriage through a popular vote. Six U.S. states and Washington, D.C. allow gay marriage, but in their cases, legalization came through lawmakers or the courts. The states of Washington and Colorado approved legalizing the production, sale, and possession of marijuana for recreational use. But those approvals put the states at odds with the federal government which still outlaws the drug. In total, U.S. voters were weighing more than 170 ballot initiatives across the 50 U.S. states. Despite hurricane damage, coastal voters make it to polls By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
In storm-ravaged areas along the New Jersey coast, some voters cast ballots at makeshift polling stations and many people displaced by the storm voted at other locations, using special ballots that only allowed them to vote for president and statewide offices. New Jersey voters were also able to vote online or by fax, although they would give up their right to secrecy as a result. It's still difficult to get into some parts of this coastal area near Atlantic Highlands, which were hard hit by Hurricane Sandy. But voters who remain in the area were able to vote at a local fire station. Dawn Gioello came early. "Besides being our duty, it is also a privilege and, whether I like either candidate or neither candidate, I try to make the best choice possible," said Ms. Gioello. She is not enthusiastic about voting by mail or online. "There is something about coming to the polling place and casting your vote that is so very important," she said. Jennifer Jamgochian is a first-time voter. She might have voted by absentee ballot, but for the storm. "I go to school in New York, and I came to check on my parents and decided to vote while I am here," said Ms. Jamgochian. In spite of the disruption caused by the storm and the power outages and transportation problems, most of the people coming out here to vote in New Jersey do it because they say it is their civic duty. Patriotism motivated Jack and Anna Powell. "A lot of people died for our freedom," Powell said. "It is a right that we have in this country that was given to us, and I think a lot of people should use it," said his wife. Across the water, in New York City, Leslie Harper expressed a similar view. "It's very important because it's very important for the country, and I wanted to vote today," she said. David Scott says voting in the city has been easy for those outside the worst-hit storm zones. "I think that most people will be able to find a place to vote, and I know that the city is working hard. They opened the polls on Sunday so you could vote early and get it done," he said. Officials in both states say every effort is being made to ensure that the hurricane does not rob anyone of the right to vote. |
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
| The contents of this page and this Web site are copyrighted by Consultantes Río Colorado 2012 and may not be reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details | ||||||
| A.M.
Costa
Rica's sixth news page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, Vol. 12, No. 222 | |||||||||
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Latin America news |
 Ministerio de
Gobernación,
Policía
Fuerza
Pública officers
on patrol apprehended three suspects and
confiscated this 1,000 pounds
of cocaine that was being transported openly in a
pickup bed Monday
night in Santa Cecilia de La Cruz near the
Nicaraguan border.y Seguridad Pública photo Security officials are pleased at change in public mind By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Security officials are expressing their happiness now that a national survey said that insecurity as the principal concern of Costa Ricans has declined from 50 percent to 25 percent. The Ministerio de Gobernación, Policía y Seguridad Pública quickly produced a press release Tuesday after the Spanish-language daily La Nación published the results of a Unimer survey that contained this data. "We are beginning to see the fruits of a grand national effort," said Mario Zamora Cordero, the security minister. The survey results were not that clear cut because many more Costa Ricans cited unemployment as their principal concern. Las Nación said that was 21 percent up from 12 percent a year and a half ago. In other words, unemployment has replaced insecurity sat the principal concern. Four workshops planned to promote recycling By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The environmental ministry will host four workshops this month teaching people how to recycle and use waste materials, according to a press release. The series “Clean Your Footprint,” is sponsored by the Ministerio de Ambiente, Energía y Telecomunicaciones. The first workshop is today in Mall San Pedro, the press release says. It will feature the minister and vice minister of the environment. The event is free, but requires registration. This can be done by sending an email to limpiatuhuella@gmail.com. Guests must also bring two empty soda cans, two empty half-liter sauce bottles and a glass vase. The other workshops will be Nov. 21, 24 and 28. |
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