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| San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010, Vol. 10, No. 232 | |||||||||
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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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to cybercrime updates By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Corte Suprema de Justicia has given a green light to changes in the penal code that will provide stiff sentences for cybercriminals, including those who take photos and steal identities from the social networks. The proposed changes are being called the most advanced in Latin America. The legislature asked the court to review the changes. The changes also would penalize with prison certain violations of electronic correspondence and theft of personal data. A person who buys or sells unauthorized images could be sentenced to from three to six years, and if the image is that of a minor, from four to eight years. The legislation also contains penalties for those who do not use their real name on social networks, but it is presumed that this would only be prosecuted when the hidden identity is used in a crime. Many individuals adopt user names online. The penalty is from three to six years or from four to six years if the crime victim is a minor or disabled, according to a summary provided by the Poder Judicial. The legislation also includes penalties for installing trojans or other malware on computers or illegally replacing Web pages. Of course, one problem is that a lot of cybercrime is done from other countries, and officials here will find it difficult or impossible to prosecute. Venezuelan trawler said
to be trespassing at sea By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
While Costa Rica avoids confrontation along its northeastern border with Nicaragua, a Venezuelan trawler was reported to have invaded the country's exclusive zone in the Pacific. Commercial fishermen and sports fishermen said that the trawler was using explosive devices, presumably to direct schools of fish into its net. This took place about 30 miles off the Pacific coast, well within Costa Rican-controlled waters. Venezuelan trawlers are no stranger to that area. One threatened a sports fishing boat Aug. 1 in an effort to drive it away. The Venezuelan trawlers usually have home ports in Ecuador and do not have to transit the Panama Canal with their catches. Costa Rica has an active Servicio Nacional de Guardacostas that is supposed to enforce the law on the ocean. But the previous aggressive actions by the "La Rosa Mistica" did not generate an official response from Costa Rica even though sports fishing interests contacted President Laura Chinchilla. That attack involved the sports fishing boat Silver-Rod-O off Playa Garza in the Pacific. The Billfish Foundation also complained to the Instituto Costarricense de Pesca y Acuacultura, the country's fishing agency. Venezuela, of course, is an ally of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and is reported to have provided the money for the dredging and channel construction activity that has risen to the level of an international incident. Some Venezuelan officials have denied the country is fronting the money for the project, although other sources say that Iran also is involved. Tropical storm price tag is put at $330 million By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The price tag for the early November downpours from Tropical Storm Tomas is estimated to be $330 million just for repairs of government facilities, roads and homes for 672 families who lost theirs. The finances were discussed Tuesday at the weekly meeting of the Consejo de Gobierno where officials noted that 3,392 homes had received some damage from the storms and the result of heavy rains. Many homes suffered damage from landslides. Vice President Luis Liberman said that losses to agriculture would be about $30 million. Officials are considering some subsidies to farmers. About 5,500 farmers are eligible for these grants. Some $242 million is needed to repair infrastructure, the officials were told. Some money is being sought from development banks. Of this amount, about $109 million will go to reconstruct 177 kilometers of roads that were wiped out by the storms. There were 788 kilometers of highways that can be repaired, but that will take about $124 million, officials heard. 10-day holiday for Christmas By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Central government employees will have a 10-day vacation for Christmas. The bulk of the employees will leave work Thursday afternoon, Dec. 23, and not return until Monday, Jan. 3. Other agencies are expected to follow the executive branch lead. Small numbers of workers will maintain required services. The exact dates of the vacation were announced Tuesday.
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| San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010, Vol. 10, No. 232 | |||||||||
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 Ministerio de
Gobernación,
Policía y Seguridad Pública photo
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| A small stream appears to be the
route a meter-long caiman took to end up in the patio of a home in El
Tanque de la Fortuna. Tourism police responded, |
captured the critter, taped its mouth and turned it over to rangers at the Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal. The reptile did not put up any fight and awaited police. |
| ICE creates new barrier to halt auction for cell phone
service |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The former telephone monopoly, the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad, has thrown up another roadblock in an effort to halt opening the market to private competition. The company listed a litany of reasons Tuesday why private companies should not connect with its lines. It said that public resources should not be used for the benefit of private companies. The position is likely to cause more prolonged legal delays in opening the cell phone market. The Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones is poised to announce an auction for bandwidth for private firms. The public resources the company known as ICE means are the telephone networks. The company also said that for 47 years the networks have been paid by the users. |
Although the new services being
proposed are mobil telephones, they
would have interconnectivity with the fixed line services so cell
users can call phone customers regardless of the type of receiver they
have. The Superintendencia approved a rate for interconnection Nov. 12 that ICE said is below its costs. The company said it was defending the national interests in letter and spirit. An organization that represents employers quickly took issue with the telecom company and said that the firm continues to obstruct the opening of new telephone services. It said the company was acting contrary to the will of the public that was expressed in the Oct. 7, 2007, referendum that addressed, in part, the opening of the telephone system as part of the impact of the Central American Free Trade Treaty. The employer organization is the Unión Costarricense de Cámaras y Asociaciones del Sector Empresarial Privado. |
| Judgment for humiliation against husband upheld on appeal |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Sala II high court has upheld a 3 million-colon judgement against a dental surgeon based on allegations that he humiliated his wife and caused her public shame and embarrassment. The case is complex because the dentist is facing a criminal charge in which the wife seeks to obtain money based on the sale of joint property. The dentist's lawyer argued that he was being charged in two courts over the same set of facts. The couple were not named in the Poder Judicial summary that was released Tuesday. The case was heard first in the Juzgado de Familia del Primer Circuito Judicial in Pérez Zeledón. The lower court judge, identified as Manuel Rodríguez Arroyo, levied the judgment in 2009 for what was determined to be bad treatment by the husband during the marriage. The allegations included death threats. |
The woman said she was forced to
move from her home and into a small apartment with her children. The initial decision was appealed until it reached the Sala II, which upheld the original decision. The court also said that the criminal case and the family court case were two different judicial processes. In the criminal case, the woman is seeking half the proceeds of land sales that the man made. The judgment is about $6,000. A proposed law described as providing protection for women criminalizes the allegations that the dentist faced. Under the proposed legislation a man can be jailed for humiliating in public a woman who is his wife or companion. The proposal has had problems because it does not assess the same penalties against a women who does the same, and the Sala IV constitutional court struck down one version based on discrimination. |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010, Vol. 10, No. 232 | |||||||||
| Mine protesters plan to rally as court
gives Crucitas verdict |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The much-awaited court decision on the Las Crucitas open pit gold mine is scheduled for today, but regardless of the way the decision goes, more litigation is likely. The case is in the Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo, and the issue is whether the permits for the project were issued correctly by the Secretaría Técnica Nacional Ambiental. The three-judge panel has spent more than a month hearing testimony from opponents and also government officials. There were 29 witnesses. The decision is expected at 4 p.m., and environmental activists have called on their supporters to rally at the court location in Calle Blancos at 3 p.m. to demonstrate against the mine. Industrias Infinito S.A. has been working more than 10 years to develop the project. The Sala IV constitutional court decided in April that the challenges raised against the grant of permits that allowed development of the company's project were without merit, with one exception that was considered to have been cured by the date of the vote. April 17, the day after the vote, groups opposed to the Crucitas project obtained an injunction from the Tribunal Contenscioso Administrativo that prohibits further |
development
of the Crucitas
Project. The main litigant is the Asociación Preservacionista de
Flora
y Fauna. Defendants are the state, as well as the company. Hearing the case were judges Eduardo González Segura, David Fallas Redondo and Grace Loaiza Sánchez. They are not expected to release the full decision, just the vote. The full decision will be available sometime in December. In addition to the exploitation permit on the 1,200 hectares associated with the Crucitas project, the company holds 15 times this amount of ground, or 18,000 hectares in exploration concessions adjacent to the Crucitas concession. Gold has skyrocketed since the project began. Environmental activists are outraged that the company will have to cut down protected trees to development the mine. They have been pressuring President Laura Chinchilla Miranda to rescind a decree issued by Óscar Arias Sánchez that expedited the development work. She said she opposes open pit mines, but Casa Presidencial said that if the government pulls the permits the company would wage a successful fight with international arbitration. Opponents have waged an aggressive public relations campaign including hunger strikes and a march to the mine from Casa Presdencial. |
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| San
José,
Costa Rica, Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010, Vol. 10, No. 232 |
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Latin American news Please reload page if feed does not appear promptly |
Officials
warn motorists to keep license active By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Traffic officials are promoting the fact that individuals can renew their driver's license up to three months before they expire. In the past, this was not a critical issue because expired licenses could be renewed easily, and fines for violations were minimal. With the new traffic law, driving with an expired license draws a fine of 114,426 colons or about $227. There also is an assessment of five points against the license. Although physicians say they do not use the information, those seeking a new license are required to get a blood test to determine the blood type. Emergency room physicians say they need to get a hospital blood test when a motorist becomes a patient. New applicants and renewing drivers have to get a medical exam, which usually consists of answering a few questions from a physician. The Departamento de Acreditación de Conductores is expanding its hours to 6 p.m. though Dec. 17 because there usually is a rush at Christmas for license renewals, officials said. They reasoned that with Christmas bonuses drivers are likely to think of paying the 10,000 colons that is needed to renew. Officials also point out that driving with no license or with a suspended license is expensive if the motorist is caught. The fine is 381,420 colons or about $757. Plus the violation for not having a license costs the motorist 50 points which results on loss of driving privileges for a year. Driving on a suspended license results in 25 points, half of what is necessary to lose the right to drive. Trump hotel in Panamá to open next spring Special to A.M. Costa Rica
Trump Hotel Collection said Tuesday that Trump Ocean Club International Hotel & Tower Panama will debut in spring 2011, marking the firm's first foray into Latin America. Trump Ocean Club is perched above Panama Bay and enjoys sweeping views of the Pearl Islands and ocean beyond. The building – the vision of architect Arias Serna Saravia and developer Newland International Properties Corp. — stands 70 stories tall. The hotel is said to be the largest in Central America. Fugitive sought passport By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A man living here for 10 years to avoid a New Jersey drug charge made the mistake of attempting to renew his U.S. passport. The man, identified as John Bunsco, was returned under police escort this weekend as a result of his error. He faces a charge of possessing a controled substance, according to sources in New Jersey. |
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