Costa Rica information, activities and news
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The Ticos coach has explained why his players only just missed out on a ticket for the 2010 World Cup…
Costa Rica were edged out of the World Cup by Uruguay in a two-legged play-off, much to the disappointment of head coach Rene Simoes, who has explained that his side lacked the killer instinct that their opponents boasted.
“We were really lacking that nastiness, the kind that South American players have. And I can say that, because I’m Brazilian,” Simoes told local reporters.
“The problem was the first leg, we gave Uruguay far too much respect. They [the media] said we had no chance over here but we showed that we did, though it was too late.”
The Ticos will miss out on World Cup participation for the first time since 1998. They were eliminated in the first round in both 2006 and 2002.
Honduras’ interim president said Thursday he may step down temporarily to allow voters to concentrate on the upcoming presidential elections.
Roberto Micheletti said he will consult his advisers and those who have supported his government on whether he should step aside ahead of the Nov. 29 election and until at least Dec. 2, when Congress is scheduled to vote on whether to reinstate ousted President Manuel Zelaya.
Micheletti did not say who would be in charge of the government if he takes the weeklong leave of absence.
“My purpose with this measure is for the attention of all Hondurans to concentrate on the electoral process and not on the political crisis,” Micheletti said in a message broadcast on national television.
He said he would immediately return to the presidency should threats to “order and security arise.”
Micheletti was named president by Congress after Zelaya was rousted from his bed by soldiers and flown to Costa Rica on June 28.
Zelaya, who has been holed up at the Brazilian Embassy since slipping back into the country on Sept. 21, called Micheletti’s announcement “an easy maneuver … to deceive fools.”
Zelaya again warned that he would not return to the presidency if Congress votes to restore him after the elections, saying doing so would legitimize the coup.
“It’s illegal and violates the rights of the voters because it tries to hide a coup d’etat,” Zelaya said.
Both Zelaya and Micheletti signed an agreement brokered by U.S. diplomats last month. However, the two sides are now at odds over whether the pact is being fulfilled.
The accord calls for formation of a national unity government, but does not require Zelaya’s restoration to office, leaving that decision up to Congress.
Zelaya declared the pact a failure two weeks ago when Micheletti announced the formation of a unity government before any vote by Congress.
February 15, 2010, is the date set for the start of former president Miguel Ángel Rodríguez (1998-2002) trial in the ICE-Alcatel case. The date was confirmed by the trial judges, Rosaura García Aguilar, Ileana Méndez Sandí and Jorge Camacho Morales assigned to the case.
The trial will be held at the Tribunales de Goicoechea, in San José, the same courthouse that spent the better part of the past year hearing testimony and evidence in the CCSS-Fischel case that resulted in a guilty verdict of former president Rafael Angel Calderón (1990-1994) and seven others.
The ICE-Alcatel case had been scheduled for trial on November 11, 2008. However due to conflcting agendas of the judges it was postponed. García confirmed date and that she will be chairing the hearing.
The case concerns the alleged payment by the French telecommunications firm Alcatel to public officials as part of the process of obtaining the cellular network contract with the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE).
Rodríguez is alleged to have received payment from Alcatel in the sum of us$589.563 dollars, of which us$231.000 dollars was in cash and the balance in various financial instruments.
Alcatel was awarded the contract to install 400.000 GSM cellular lines, the first of the two GSM networks installed in the Costa Rica, which was totally eliminated earlier this year as ICE decided to completely break relations with Alcatel and fused the Alcatel lines to the Ericsson network.
Rodriguez has denied any wrong doing and claims that his rights have been trampled upon. Rodríguez explains his ordeal in the book “Di la Cara: Una Batalla Por El Estado Del Derecho” (I gave face: A Battle For The State Of Law).
Rodríguez ran three times for president: in 1990 he lost his party’s nomination to Rafael Ángel Calderón. In 1994 he won his party’s nomination but lost the election to José María Figueres. He finally secured the presidency in 1998.
On 7 June 2004 he was unanimously elected to replace César Gaviria as secretary general of the OAS. He began his term on 15 September 2004 but served only 1 month before stepping down choosing to return to Costa Rica to face the allegations, when he was placed first under house arrest and two weeks later in jail, pending further investigation.
In the coming weeks the Aguinaldo – year end bonus – is set to hit the streets. And while most are planning how to spend their Aguinaldo, another group are working out their scams.
Janina del Vecchio, the ministra de Seguridad Pública, in a press conference said that the Fuerza Pública patrols will be beefed up for the season, with some 11.500 officers assigned to detail.
The ministra said the police operation is divided in three groups: Operación Aguinaldo, Bus Seguro y Candado (operation Aguinaldo, safe bus and lock).
The director of the Fuerza Pública, Erick Lacayo, said the operation, which has already commenced, will continue until January 9, 2010. The director said the police presence will be all over the country, with particular attention to the capital of each province.
“This is a time for family”, said Del Vecchio.
The ministra said she want to let Costa Ricans know that they can enjoy the holiday in peace, with police in small towns, villages and communities all over the country, citing the excellent results of the program in the downtown San José districts of Catedral, Merced, Carmen and Hospital.
The Bus Seguro operation will see, according to the ministra, uniformed police officials on buses, while the Candado program is directed at control of private vehicle inspections.
Authorities are asking the public co-operation during the season to be on the lookout for scams and becoming victims of an assault by not carrying large amounts of cash, using plastic instead.
Keep on eye on credit and debit cards at all times when making purchases and to report any suspicious activity to the 911 service.
Both Del Vecchio and Lacayo said that any citizen has the right to detain a suspicious person while waiting for police to arrive on the scene.
