Costa Rica information, activities and news
Motorist on the Circunvalación are being detoured onto single-lane service roads starting today at the construction site for an overpass at the Alajuelita traffic circle.
The contractor, Constructora MECO, has installed asphalt service roads to take the traffic.
An earthquake registering 3.2 on the Richter Scale rocked the areas of Fortuna de Bagaces Sunday morning, bringing the total number of quakes during the past week to 7, all between 2.4 and 4.2.
The early morning quake was felt at 3:39am Sunday.
Experts say the activity is normal for this time of year.
Several of the quakes were in the area of the volcán Poás in Alajuela, close Cinchona, where a devastating earthquake in January still has the area recovering.
It is estimated that 12.000 homes owners of luxury homes will be affected with the new tax on luxury homes which has to be paid within the next three months.
The law that went into effect on October 1 and will be in place for the next ten years, affects all home owners with homes valued at ¢100 million colones and more.
The tax on those properties will be between 0.25% and 0.55% of their value.
The ministerio de Hacienda (Finance ministry) has said that home owners will have until January 15, 2010 to pay their taxes.
The added tax is destined for social housing programs.
The official start of the 2010 presidential campaign begins in a couple of days, as candidates ready for the start of what could be an historic campaign ending with the first ever woman president. Costa Ricans are getting ready also, updating and obtaining their cedulas in time for the vote on February 7th.
The Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE) informs that they are processing up to 3.000 cedula applications daily to beat the cut off date for elections registration.
Francisco Zúñiga, head of the “departamento de cédulas”departamento de cédulas” says that many Costa Ricans are facing renewal of their cedula that issued by the new system in 1998 and are now expired.
The TSE reports that an average of 250 first time cedular applications are received daily, while another 175 submit a transfer of voting district.
The TSE is located diagonal to the Legislative building in downtwon San José and is open from 8am to 4pm weekdays.
Zúñiga explains that it takes the TSE some eight days to hand over the new cedula and that the average wait time to apply is now about 30 minutes.
Anyone who has not renewed their cedula by October 7 will not be allowed to vote come election day.
Monday, October 5, is an important day in the legal history of Costa Rica, as the court decision in the Caja-Fischel case is due at the Goicoechea courthouse, when former president, Rafal Angel Calderón (1990 – 1994) and seven others will learn their fate.
To ensure that the area around the Segundo Circuito Judicial de Goicoechea does not turn into complete caos, some 10 Tránsito (traffic) officials will be assigned to control traffic, said Tránsito director, Germán Marín.
Although the reading of the court decision will be in the afternoon, Marín said that traffic control will begin in the morning and is asking anyone that does not have to be in the area, not to do so, to avoid the expected congestion.
The three judges of the Segundo Circuito Judicial de Goicoechea will begin the reading of the sentence at 2:30pm.
Former president Calderón and six others accused of embezzlement and fraud stand to spend up to 23 years in jail each, while the former president of the Fischel Corporation, Walter Reiche faces 8 years for his collaboration with the prosecution.
On the other side of the coin, Calderón can be vindicated, the court supporting his position all along that he did nothing wrong and his participation was part of a normal course of business.
Either way the afternoon court session will attract interest from a large group of people.
The trial began late last yeard and ended two weeks ago, as the Ministerio Público presented its evidence and testimony in its attempt to prove that the eight individuals defrauded the Costa Rican people.
Briefly, the eight are alleged to have siphoned off a part of the us$39 million dollar loan from the government of Finland for the purchase of medical equipment by the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) – Costa Rican social security – by way of the Fischel Corporation.
The ministerio Público presented its case of how Calderón, the former president of the CCSS and managers, along with the former president of the Fischel Corportation and its legal advisior, conspired together to defraud the state.
The case came to light when Eliseo Vargas, former president of the CCSS and former legislator, was living in a luxurious home in one of Costa Rica’s most upscale districts, Lindora de Santa Ana, a house paid for by the Fischel.
Calderón and six others have denied any wrong doing on their part. Reiche is alleged to have a made a deal with the Ministerio Público to help them in the case.
Calderón is also the 2010 presidential candidate for the Partido Unidad Social Crisitiana (PUSC) party.
The court decision will come two days ahead of the official start of the 2010 presidential elections and would leave the PUSC party without a leader if Calderón is found guilty.
The Czech Republic rallied to beat Costa Rica 3-2 at the Under-20 World Cup on Saturday, but Costa Rica still reached the knockout stage on goal difference, eliminating the United States.
Costa Rica finished with three points in Group E and a goal difference of minus-3 to take the final place in the last 16 as one of the best four third-place teams. The United States finished at three points and minus-3 in Group C, but scored a goal less than Costa Rica (4-5).
Jan Chramosta gave the Czechs the lead, Estrada equalized on a penalty kick, and Josue Martinez put Costa Rica ahead in the 71st.
Jan Voshalik to make it 2-2 in the 77th minute and Chramosta got his second of the night in the 86th.
The political crisis in Honduras is having a crippling effect on trade in Costa Rica as well as other Central American nations like Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua, losing millions of dollars of trade every day.
Because of its geographical position, practically all goods traded in the region have to pass through Honduran territory, whose movement have been hampered since the crisis began at the end of June and especially with last week’s curfew, which is still partially in place.
Two weeks ago, the de facto government leader, Roberto Micheletti, closed off the country’s borders and shut down the airports, with the arrival of elected president, Manuel Zelaya, returning to Honduras.
Although the restrictions on the borders and airports have been lifted since, the suspension of civil liberties continues, causing political instability in the country and affecting trade.
“It’s untenable,” the director of the Costa Rican Chamber of Foreign Commerce, Fernando Monge, tells BBC Mundo.
The closing of the Honduras border affected the ability of trade to flow uninterrupted between Guatemala, Mexico to the north and Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama to the south.
The greatest losses reported are in food, especially in perishable products, spoiling in trucks sitting at border crossings. The movement of other items like clothing, plastics and household goods is also affected.
Passenger transport through the region has also been severely affected. From Costa Rica, Tica Bus offers bus travel throughout the region, from Panama to Mexico and have had to alter their schedules to avoid the conflict, including the suspension to Honduran cities.
The problem also lies in manufactured goods and materials coming out of Honduras to the region. Honduras is Guatemala’s third largest trade partner and it is estimated that the curfew in Honduras costs Guatemalan businesses almost us$8 million dollars a day.
And that’s not all. Dozens of commercial contracts have failed to be met, and hundreds of people working in companies within the border zones have stopped turning up to work because of the recent border closures.
In neighbouring El Salvador, the picture is not quite so bleak.
The major concern for trade in the region is the risk of riots, especially in Honduras’ capital city of Tegucigalpa, as unrest continues while Zelaya is taking refuge in the Brazilian embassy in that city, and supports calling for his reinstatement.
Unless some settlement is reached, then the political crisis will continue to affect trade across Central America.
New Orleans-based Pan-American Life Insurance Group announced Wednesday that it has filed a request for authorization to enter the Costa Rican market.
The company already is doing business in Central America, with offices in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama.
“Pan-American Life’s 98-year history and the group’s experience throughout Latin America have played a fundamental role in this business development decision,” CEO José Suquet said. “Expansion into Costa Rica is a natural step that supports the company’s geographic expansion and regional strategic plan.”
Entry into Costa Rica “will complete our total coverage” in Central America, Suquet said.
Costa Rica recently approved a law authorizing private insurance competition. It is Central America’s second-largest insurance market behind Panama, according to Pan-American.
Upon receipt of authorization from Costa Rica’s equivalent of the insurance commissioner’s office, Pan-American has plans to prepare and file a customized portfolio of products, including individual life and health insurance, as well as group life, accident and health insurance.
Police accused of being zealous in seizing assets
When Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputies shut down a suspected gambling ring in April 2007 that stretched from the Southeast Valley to Costa Rica, the case was hailed as a victory for Arizona, legally and financially.
The announcement of the bust also came with pronouncements of a potential windfall for the participating law-enforcement agencies. Sheriff’s officials boasted that law-enforcement agencies expected to collect $145 million in confiscated assets before Operation High Stakes was done.
Hopes by the Sheriff’s Office of reaping more than $100 million were dashed in September when a judge formally dismissed charges against one of the final defendants involved, James Bennitt, after others pleaded to low-level misdemeanors.
ust over $8 million was seized, and attorneys estimate that 90 percent of that was returned.
As the case has fizzled, defense attorneys say state laws allowing seizure of cash and property from defendants suspected of committing a variety of crimes for financial gain encourage police to first lay claim to everything they can, and then later try to link the seized assets to criminal activity.
Defense attorneys contend there is a potential for abuse from law enforcement, which reaps the seized assets and spends the proceeds on an array of items ranging from office supplies to take-home cars for top administrators.
Prosecutors say the initial seizure prevents defendants from transferring assets and stashing cash that police could never recover if they had to wait for a conviction in a criminal case.
“A person who has ill-gotten gains is going to try to hide them or transfer them as soon as he realizes that the police are on to him,” said Cameron Holmes, senior litigation counsel in the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
“That’s one of the basic necessities of seizure.” (more…)
If it’s been a while since you tried Costa Rica coffee, you may want to try it again. Changes in coffee production and an attempt to keep up with the growing market for coffee and gourmet coffee has caused some changes in the coffee coming out of this region. The growing trend of small coffee mills also gives coffees from this region an even larger variety of flavors and qualities, so it might be time to revisit this coffee.
If you already love Costa Rica coffee, no doubt it’s for the extremely mild, some say perfect, coffee flavor. Very mild with no bitterness, a very balanced flavor that’s worst criticism has always been its steadiness. Some have long considered coffee from this region to be fairly bland or boring. And some of the huge coffee-producing farms and mills did make an effort to produce a coffee that would please almost every coffee drinker.
These coffees were typically made from your average Arabica beans and produced on a mass scale. Today, smaller mills are becoming more and more popular in the region. The Costa Rica coffee produced on these smaller farms are carefully controlled by the mill owner and blended to produce a distinct flavor to set it apart from the other coffee in the area. Even on a small farm, different lots of coffee depending on soil drainage, elevation and other factors are found to have subtle taste differences. Combine that with different roasting temperatures and times, and the range of flavors can be huge.
How the coffee is processed has much to do with the quality and flavor, and each mill uses its own signature process or a combination to create different micro-brands of Costa Rica coffee. The region has been producing coffee since the late 18th century, with the first type of coffee grown there having come from Saudi Arabia?Arabica coffee. It wasn’t long before coffee became Costa Rica’s largest exported crop, outselling even tobacco, sugar and cacao.
The Costa Rica coffee designed to remain in the country rather than be exported is tinted to distinguish it, and falls under government price regulations so that it’s much cheaper than the coffee that’s exported to the rest of the world. Workers are typically immigrants from nearby countries like Nicaragua, and the best workers still only make between $12 and $18 per day, depending on how many baskets they pick. Given the other wages in the area and that the wages are governmentally set, in Costa Rica, a seasonal worker actually makes a decent living, comparable to other agricultural workers in the area.
Costa Rica coffee is still a valuable export crop the world over, especially now that the production has become refined and the variety of different types and flavors of coffee coming from the region is so vast. If you’re a big fan of Arabica and Arabica blends, you might find that your new favorite type of mild and well-balanced coffee is indeed Costa Rica coffee.
So you forecast on pleasing a Costa Rica retreat? You have made a great variety. Nevertheless before you dawn applying for your passport and packing your suitcase, there are several effects that you should know.
Let’s just found by the start. For starters you necessary to know that the best time to voyage on a Costa Rica trip is in the pounce or early summer. There is the wits for this. , you will experience the best erode and you will have the best odds for a lot of excitement during those time periods.
On the other hand, if you are uneasy about your account and you are primarily interested in receiving a trip at a shoddy cost, you may be able to find g a heaps of deals if you go on a Costa Rica rest during other time of the year. One thing is for reliable. No affair when you indicate to go, you are ready to have the time of your life. You will notice that a Costa Rica retreat has much to proposal you, regardless of the playhouse of your life. There is something for everyone!
For Couples
If you are free on a Costa Rica escape as a combine, you should know that the beaches and restaurants are among some of the most romantic in the world. You can like the cool sultry breezes, relax on the sallow grimy beaches and finish trait secret time together. Many resorts propose romantic get away packages that are specially designed just for you, so don’t be fearful to take benefit of some of the great effects that a Costa Rica escape can proffer you as a pair. Costa Rica is also a accepted position for destination weddings. So if you are planning to get married adn would like to have a destination wedding, Costa Rica should be at the top of your catalog. Your fantasy destination wedding can become a realism in Costa Rica.
For Singles
If you aren’t going on a Costa Rica leave as part of a pair or a group, there are still many stuff that a Costa Rica break can proffer you. For starters, be steady to take plump lead of the night life in Costa Rica. Why? Because this gives you the opportunity know and merge with many other interesting people just like manually who decided to wish Costa Rica as there break smidgen. There is amazing espy since and touring that you can do, and many time there will be groups that are put together that are made up of different singles form around the world, so this could be the luck of a existence for you to suffer people from all around the world and have new contacts. You should also take plus of the great shopping that you can find on a Costa Rica retreat, because it can’t be beat, no topic where you go in the world.
For Families
If you are traveling on a Costa Rica trip as a family, the same applies. Another great decision are the many day trips that are existing. You can go on one day excursions to see glorious beaches and many other eco-pleasant tourist attrations. One thing is for indeed. The sights in Costa Rica plainly can’t be beat. Most of the resorts and tourist attractions are family friendly, with things for the kids to do as well. You can imagine most of the resorts to offer fun, exciting and interesting activities for the kids. These will all be provided by the option itself so that mom and dad can delicacy themselves to some reserved time and a night out for themselves.
For Baby Boomers
As part of the Baby Boomer generation, you know that you want to get out and see the sights and have a great time. There are many chances to do this on a Costa Rica vacation because the fun never stops. From bars and restaurants that cater to people of your age, to tourist sights that you only have to see in order to suppose. You won’t be bored at all. In fact, you may never have a jiffy to free on your Costa Rica vacation because there is forever more to see and more to do from sunrise to twilight and afar. You will make memories to last you a life time, no stuff what age you are or who comes with you on your Costa Rica vacation. There are always great deals being presented, so take your time and do your inquiries. Shop and associate both online and with your beloved move agent so that you can get the best treaty doable.
