Archive for March, 2009
Friday, March 20th, 2009
Once-bustling construction sites on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast are lying silent as a real estate boom fueled by tourists and U.S. expatriates slumps due to the global financial crisis.
At a dozen building sites around the picturesque Tamarindo resort town, where workers once crawled up and down hulking concrete structures, now only security guards stand vigil in the midday tropical sun.
The site is part of a series of beaches known as Costa Rica’s “Gold Coast,” which became one of Central America’s hottest property spots when a local airport began handling international flights six years ago. (more…)
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Friday, March 20th, 2009
A fugitive who fled to Costa Rica after being charged with stealing money from a vacation management Company in Truckee has been returned to Nevada County to face charges. District Attorney, Cliff Newell says Dean Clark was accused of collecting rents and deposits and not forwarding the money to the property owners.
“When we filed the complaint, it’s a 45 count complaint of various theft charges related to those activities, he took off and we were unable to find him. We got an arrest warrant and ultimately through the hard work of my office and the Truckee Police Department, we were able to catch up with him in Costa Rica.”
Clark spent two months in a Costa Rica Jail before that government would release him to face charges. He is now in the Wayne Brown Correctional Facility on one million dollars bail with a special motion.
“A special motion put in place to where if he presents bail, he’ll have to prove that it’s legitimately gotten money so he’s not using the proceeds from his alleged thefts to make bail.”
Clark will be arraigned next week in Superior Court in Truckee.
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Thursday, March 19th, 2009
A modern science and business centre is set to be built in Costa Rica with financial assistance from China, Costa Rican authorities said Wednesday.
The 65-million-dollar complex will seek to attract investment from state-of-the-art companies, the daily La Nacion reported.
Wang Xiaoyuan, the Chinese ambassador to Costa Rica, confirmed the project, dpa reported.
“The idea is to have a development area with research and production to attract investment,” he explained.
China has offered millions of dollars in aid to Costa Rica after San Jose established ties with Beijing in June 2007. Until then, Costa Rica had maintained ties with Taiwan, which China regards as a breakaway province and is recognized only by 23 small countries.
China has acquired 300 million dollars in Costa Rican bonds, is financing a project to enlarge Costa Rica’s state oil refinery and has donated funds for the construction of a football stadium in San Jose, which is set to be the most modern in Central America at a cost of 85 million dollars.
Both countries are also negotiating towards a free-trade agreement.
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Thursday, March 19th, 2009
Costa Rica reopened diplomatic relations with Cuba on Wednesday, nearly 50 years after it broke formal ties with the communist-run island.
“It doesn’t make sense today to maintain an official distance, when we have open channels of cooperation in various areas, when we have consular and commercial relations with Havana,” President Oscar Arias told a news conference, after signing a decree to reopen formal relations.
Costa Rica cut ties with Cuba in 1961, two years after Fidel Castro’s revolution, but has stepped up consular and commercial relations in recent years.
Arias, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his role in bringing Central American civil wars to an end, has made a number of diplomatic shifts since taking office in 2006, including opening diplomatic relations with China and the Palestinian Authority.
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Wednesday, March 18th, 2009
While Pfizer Inc. is downsizing its worldwide work force, the company is expanding its presence in Costa Rica.
Pfizer has decided to make Costa Rica the hub for all of the company’s operations in Central America and the Caribbean.
At the same time, Pfizer has worked out an alliance with Costa Rica’s Ministry of Health in an advertising campaign warning about the harmful effects of tobacco. A Pfizer drug called Champix, known as Chantix in the United States, is among the options for people who want to quit smoking
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Wednesday, March 18th, 2009
The foreign ministers of Costa Rica and Colombia met Tuesday in San José to coordinate strategies to fight drug trafficking and call for an update to the 1928 Extradition Treaty between the two countries.
In a noontime press conference, Colombian Foreign Minister Jaime Bermúdez announced that the two countries would hold high-level talks later this year to share information on security issues. Updating the Extradition Treaty, he said, would be critical to rely on more expedient tools to fight drug trafficking and terrorism.
Drug trafficking does not stop at borders, Bermúdez said. Terrorism does not stop at borders.
Costa Rican Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno said updating the law is necessary to adapt to current reality.
Colombia has already made us a proposal that is under consideration, Stagno said, and later we will have to present a counterproposal on our part.
Stagno said that, as part of the update, Costa Rica would look into the possibility that Colombian prisoners in Costa Rican jails serve out part of their sentence in Colombia.
The high-level talks will take part in the second half of 2009, and will focus on sharing information on security coordination, Stagno said. Public Security Minister Janina del Vecchio will also visit Colombia in the coming weeks to talk about drug trafficking and organized crime.
The ministers also agreed to create a technical commission on immigration matters, which will meet for the first time in May.
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Tuesday, March 17th, 2009
Researchers with the ocean conservation organization PRETOMA were pulling in their fishing line when they realized they had caught a little more than they had bargained for: what is believed to be a bull shark measuring approximately four meters (13 feet) in length.
It was very close to the surface. We were pulling it in when the line broke, said Allan Bolaños, a researcher who was aboard a boat about two kilometers off the coast of the southern Pacific Osa Peninsula when he and others spotted the massive shark.
Bolaños and a group of researchers were in the region to capture bull sharks in order to outfit them with tracking devices in order to study their movements. The fishing lines the scientists were using, however, were no match for the largest of these sharks, PRETOMA said in a statement released last week. (more…)
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Monday, March 16th, 2009
Almost 50 years after Costa Rica broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba, ties between the two countries could be on the mend, said Costa Rican Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno in statements to that Central American country’s press.
According to Stagno, the continental atmosphere is propitious for a dialogue between the two governments.
Cuba currently has diplomatic relations with all countries in the Americas except Costa Rica, El Salvador and the United States.
With the victory Sunday of FMLN candidate Mauricio Funes in El Salvador, it is expected that relations between Cuba and that Central American country will be restored.
That would leave the governments of Oscar Arias in Costa Rica and Barack Obama in the US with the challenge to join the rest of the continent in regards to Cuba.
The topic, as well as the half-century US blockade on Cuba, are sure to be brought up at the April 17-19 Americas Summit in Trinidad and Tobago. The meeting will be Obama’s first with the continent’s leaders.
Meanwhile, the US president met over the weekend in Washington with Brazil’s President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva who reportedly made a pitch to the US leader to set a new, less aggressive, tone to US-Latin American relations and seek dialogue with countries like Venezuela, Cuba and Bolivia.
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Monday, March 16th, 2009
A 75 year-old Saudi woman has been sentenced to forty lashes for the crime of allowing a bread deliveryman into her home when she had no other male family members there with her. The woman is actually Syrian, but was married to a Saudi national and is now a widow. The young delivery man was well-known to the woman, but her breach of the insanely repressive laws in Saudi Arabia has earned her what might turn out to be a death sentence.
The newspaper Al-Watan said the woman met with the two 24-year-old men last April after she asked them to bring her five loaves of bread at her home in al-Chamil, a city north of the capital, Riyadh. Al-Watan identified one man as Fahd al-Anzi, the nephew of Sawadi’s late husband, and the other as his friend and business partner Hadiyan bin Zein. It said they were arrested by the religious police after delivering the bread. The men also were convicted and sentenced to lashes and prison.
The court said it based its ruling on “citizen information” and testimony from al-Anzi’s father, who accused Sawadi of corruption. “Because she said she doesn’t have a husband and because she is not a Saudi, conviction of the defendants of illegal mingling has been confirmed,” the court verdict read.
Saudi Arabia’s strict interpretation of Islam prohibits men and women who are not immediate relatives from mingling. It also bars women from driving, and the playing of music, dancing and many movies also are a concern for hard-liners who believe they violate religious and moral values.
There has been an international outcry over the case, but so far the Saudi government has not intervened to save the woman. If the sentence is allowed to stand, she will suffer forty lashes (which could be fatal to an elderly woman), then imprisoned for four months, then deported to Syria. The entire case is absolutely appalling.
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Monday, March 16th, 2009
The Korean manufactured e-Zone EV is now available in Costa Rica for delivery.
One company, Electric Cars of Costa Rica has launched the first 100% electric car for use in Costa Rica, which completely eliminates gas emissions and a trip to the gasoline station.
The vehicle known as the e-Zone EV is completely pollution free, running up to 50 kilometres on a single charge. The electric vehicle is great for commuting, taking children to and from school and best of all, just plugs into any houseld electrical socket to charge its batteries.
James Milldebrooks, president of Electric Cars of Costa Rica, says the two door vehicle costs us$17.500, but has a us$15.500 special ExpoMovil (car show) price.
The maker of e-Zone EV, CT&T, the leading electric vehicle manufacturer in Korea, says the vehicle is built with advanced safety technology that makes it comfortable to drive on regular roads. The interior has lots of leg and headroom, comfortable sports seats and comes complete with an MP3 CD player.
The two-seat e-Zone EV features a fiberglass body over a rigid aluminum frame that’s designed to protect driver and passenger in case of a collision. The NEV has been successfully crash tested to 30 mph and meets U.S. FMVSS301 as well as European safety standards. (more…)
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Monday, March 16th, 2009
Scientists and collaborators at a local marina are looking for a way to save the life of one of Costa Rica’s most precious endangered species.
The Center of Caribbean Sea Turtle Rehabilitation is researching methods that would fit a prosthetic fin onto a six-year old hawksbill sea turtle.
The turtle arrived at the center two years ago with three missing fins both rear fins and one front fin after being attacked by a shark.
Gabriel Hobart works with the center’s owner for part of the year and said the facility has been working with a local dentist and a prosthetic center in San José to find the best way to create a new fin.
The difficulty, Hobart said, is that the turtle is still growing and will need a system that will allow scientists to change the fin for a bigger one as the turtle develops.
Although the turtle is missing three fins, Hobart said it is only necessary to replace one front fin to stabilize the animal and allow it to move properly.
The ultimate goal of the rehabilitation center is to release turtles back into the wild, but Hobart said this turtle will remain at the center forever because it doesn’t have the ability to survive in open waters.
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Friday, March 13th, 2009
Costa Rican President Oscar Arias and Chinese ambassador to Costa Rica Wang Xiaoyuan set on Thursday the first stone of the new National Stadium of Costa Rica, which is a donation by China.
Costa Rican sports authorities, Costa Rican cabinet Ministers, Peruvian outstanding sportsmen and special guests attended the ceremony.
The new stadium will be located in the same place of the old one, which was 80 years and it was demolished last year; it will have a capacity of 35,000.
China invested in the new stadium 83 million U.S. dollars, and according to the responsible ones of the project it is estimated it will be ready in 23 months.
“Thanks to the enormous generosity of the Chinese people, this dream will be possible in some months. Today we set the first stone of a stadium equal to the passion of our people; a stadium that will be the heart of a country, in the middle of the city,” Arias said.
The new building will have the offices of the 32 federations of the different sports played in the county, an athletics trail and a sports museum.
This new stadium is part of the cooperation agreements that China and Costa Rica signed after the reset of their diplomatic ties in 2007.
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Friday, March 13th, 2009
The tourism industry worldwide is suffering under the throes of the current economic crisis and Costa Rica is no exception. We have known for some time now that there is tremendous opportunity in “medical tourism” as a niche in the Costa Rican tourism repertoire. Now the government has made it official by declaring that medical tourism is in the national interest. It is expected that in 2009 some 20,000 tourists will arrive for various medical and dental procedures. Why? Because Costa Rica offers such procedures at a fraction of the cost of those same procedures in the U.S., which is the country of major draw for medical tourism to Costa Rica. And quality is not in question since according to the World Health Organization Costa Rica ranks 36th of 191 countries in terms of the quality of its health care systems.
Most procedures take place at the two internationally certified “private” hospitals, Cima and Clinica Biblica. Also, many recuperation centers are now available that offer luxury accommodations, an all-inclusive meal plan and nursing care. According to statistics a medical tourism related visit to Costa Rice generally has a duration of about 11 days and the tourist will not only spend money on the medical procedures themselves, but also for general tourist related activities.
So now that the government has made medical tourism a priority for the country, what is the strategy to increase it? A five part strategy was disclosed that includes promoting medical tourism outside the country, especially in the U.S., providing incentives for careers in medicine to attract qualified personnel to the industry, promoting accreditation of the country’s hospital and other health care facilities, creating alliances with insurers and large employers that can send patients to Costa Rica for treatment, and attracting investment in medical infrastructure.
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Thursday, March 12th, 2009
On Costa Rica’s northern Pacific coast is Papagayo Peninsula. This coastal paradise has enchanting beaches and virgin rain forests, along with all the amenities and luxuries of a high-end beach resort hotel environment. Papagayo Peninsula is a beautiful location unlike any other you will find anywhere in Central America.
The spectacular scenery is inviting, tranquil, fragrant, and welcoming and guests are treated to the vibrant colors of brilliant tropical flowers and emerald green plants that fill the landscape. This lush, rich backdrop is only the beginning of the dazzling sights and wonders that are waiting to be shared.
At Papagayo Peninsula, you will discover a slice of paradise that you may never have dreamed possible. 15 miles of unspoiled coastline and over 30 separate beaches that invite guests to leisurely explore and enjoy. Perfect water temperatures, crystal clear surf , and an immense blue sky create a pretty tantalizing temptation to immerse yourself and play in the sea.
This is a place where you can unabashedly indulge your desires to relax in luxury both inside your beach resort hotel, and outside. There are tropical rain forests to be explored, canopy tours to discover and literally hundreds of little secrets awaiting you. The Papagayo Peninsula is still a quiet place of unimaginable beauty and the vibrant foliage and warmth of the deep forests will ignite your imagination and curiosity and possibly lift your spirit.
Right now is the perfect time to visit one of the most breathtaking settings in the world. The Papagayo region of Costa Rica has an abundance of natural beauty for guests of all ages. On any one of the Peninsula’s marinas one can find plenty of boats available for charters, sightseeing or personal moonlight escapes. When you choose the Papagayo Peninsula as a vacation destination, you will experience what it’s like to enter a timeless world of relaxed, gracious elegance.
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Thursday, March 12th, 2009
Costa Rica and Trinidad & Tobago will join the USA and Honduras as the Concacaf representatives at the 2009 Under-20 World Cup. The Ticos won Group B with a 2-1 victory over Canada on Wednesday. Host T&T will face the USA in Friday’s semifinals after tying Mexico, 2-2, to finish second and qualify for the U-20 finals for the first time since 1991.
Marcos Urena scored in the 72nd minute to give Costa Rica the victory over Canada and its second straight trip to the U-20 World Cup.
With the loss, Canada’s string of four straight appearances in the U-20 finals came to an end.
The Costa Rica-Canada result clinched Trinidad’s berth in the semifinals against the USA. It rallied with second-half goals by Juma Clarence and Uriah Bentick to tie Mexico.
In an embarrassing setback for the Mexican national team program, the Tri finished with only one point in three games.
Mexico was playing less than month after Juan Carlos Chavez replaced Jesus “Chucho” Ramirez as coach. In 2005, Ramirez led Mexico to the U-17 World Cup title, the first world championship at the youth level for a Concacaf team. Ramirez, the interim national team coach in 2008, left the Mexico program in February to coach Club America.
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