Archive for September 29th, 2009
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009
A Nobel Peace Prize laureate who’s been mediating talks between Honduras’ interim government and its ousted president is speaking at a business and political forum in South Florida.
Costa Rica’s President Oscar Arias will speak at the Americas Conference on Tuesday at a suburban Miami hotel. He brokered a plan that would allow ousted President Manuel Zelaya to return to power in Honduras with limited authority, but the interim government has refused to accept the plan.
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton also is scheduled to address the conference later Tuesday. Clinton is also U.N. Special Envoy to Haiti. Last week, the Clinton Global Initiative announced $258 million worth of aid projects for that country.
The Miami Herald is hosting the conference.
Posted in Costa Rica News | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009
Alan Kardec scored twice Sunday to help Brazil beat Costa Rica 5-0 at the under-20 World Cup. The Brazilians comfortably outplayed the Costa Ricans for most of the Group E match, and were three goals up at the break.
Kardec headed in a corner kick in the 24th minute, and Guiliano delivered an expert lob over Costa Rica goalkeeper Esteban Alvarado to make it 2-0.
Kardec got his second in the 44th, lunging to meet a loose ball in the goalmouth following a Guiliano free kick.
Alex Teixeira tapped in the ball for 4-0 in the 75th, after Douglas slipped through the Costa Rican defense and struck the post with his shot.
Substitute Boquita completed the rout with a blistering shot past Alvarado in the 89th.
Posted in Costa Rica News | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009
The Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE) says it will spend some ¢19 billion colones (us$3.19 million dollars) for the 2010 presidential elections in a race that kicks off officially on October 7 and the voting on February 7, 2010.
The amount includes spendoing for municipal elections that occur in December and takes into account a second round of voting in the event no one candidate is ahead by a clear margin come February.
Almost 25% of the total amount will be spent on election day.
Luis Antonio Sobrado, president of the TSE, added that the expenditure includes the cost of purchasing technology for this election.
Posted in Costa Rica News | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009
Costa Rica’s oil bill fell 53% between January and August, compared to the same period in 2008, due to the sharp drop in oil prices, falling vehicle imports and a general decline in economic activity, state refinery Refinadora Costarricense de Petroleo (Recope) said Sunday.
Recope , the monopoly on gasoline products – spent us$1.59 billion during the first eight months of 2008 to buy oil, while the bill for the same period this year came in at us$749 million.
Purchases of crude oil and petroleum derivatives, such as diesel and gasoline, were reduced, Recope said.
Recope said it imported 11.8 million barrels of fuel in the January-August period, or 1.3 million barrels less than in the same period in 2008.
Costa Rica especially benefited from the drop in oil prices on the global market, Recope finance manager Carlos Quesada told the La Nacion newspaper.
In July 2008, oil prices hit nearly us$150 per barrel in intraday trading, but they have averaged just us$60 to us$71 per barrel this year.
The recession has reduced demand for fuel in the key industrial and lodging sectors, and trimmed vehicle imports, Quesada said.
Costa Rican officials expect the bill for fuel imports to drop to us$1.26 billion this year, well below the more than us$2 billion tab registered in 2008.
Posted in Costa Rica News | No Comments »
