Archive for November, 2009
Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
Two photographers who claim they were shot at during Tom Brady [stats] and Gisele Bundchen’s Costa Rica wedding have punted their $1 million lawsuit from federal to state court in NYC because Mrs. Brady is not an American citizen!
Word is, the federal court did not have jurisdiction in the matter because the plaintiffs – photographers Yuri Cortez and Rolando Aviles and their photo agency, Agence France Presse – are foreign citizens, as is Bundchen, who is Brazilian. (If Bundchen were an American citizen, we’re told, then the so-called “diversity jurisdiction” would have applied and the federal court could have heard the case.)
But more important, why isn’t Gisele a citizen??? She is married to Mr. All-American, after all.
We’re told Mrs. B has a green card, which allows her to take all those veddy profitable modeling gigs in the U-S-of-A. However, she reportedly has not yet applied for citizenship.
As for the lawsuit, last week, the photographers’ attorney re-filed it in New York state supreme court. Since the alleged shooting happened in Costa Rica, they will have jurisdiction questions in the New York courts as well.
We’re told the plaintiffs will argue that Brady and Bundchen are residents of NYC. (Although the two reportedly are trying to liquidate their real estate holdings in the Apple and have settled in Boston.) The photographers also plan to argue that Brady was in Gi’s West Village digs when he hired a Massachusetts security company for the wedding gig. The local company then subcontracted with a security firm in Costa Rica.
Cortez and Aviles sued the Bradys in September, claiming they were attempting to photograph the New England Patriots [team stats] QB/QT’s wedding to the Brazilian supermodel last April when they were rousted by security guards hired by the couple.
The guards demanded their cameras and film, at which point, the photogs say, they fled the scene. As they were racing back to their cars, the guards allegedly opened fire, blowing out a back windshield in the cameramen’s vehicle.
Last week, security guard Alexander Rivas Barahona was taken into custody in Costa Rica in connection with the alleged shooting. Both Brady and Bundchen have publicly stated that they do not believe there was any gunplay on their special day.
File Under: Shotgun Wedding?
Posted in Costa Rica News | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
The Brazilian coach is confident that Costa Rica can still make it to South Africa, despite facing a deficit after their Saturday loss…
Costa Rica’s ambitions of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup were dealt a huge blow last weekend, when they were beaten 1-0 by Uruguay, but head coach Rene Simoes still thinks the Ticos can make it to South Africa.
Simoes’ men travel to Uruguay for the second leg of their play-off match in midweek, and he is looking to take positives from their home defeat at the weekend.
“The first half was decisive. Our form was poor. In the second half, we started playing, even though we had ten men,” Simoes told the press after the game.
“If we had played the first half the same way we played after the break, we would have seen another result.
“We must believe we can qualify. This is not over. There are 180 minutes. We are 1-0 down after the first half. It is not over at all. In 1950, Uruguay won the World Cup at the Maracana. Why can’t we win at the Centenario?” concluded the Costa Rica boss.
The Ticos know that nothing less than a win will do them if they are to qualify for the World Cup finals next year.
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Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
Can you imagine the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) offering its customers “customer service”? At least that is the plan by the state institution to face the coming of competition in the telecommunications sector.
The program called “salvavidas” (lifeguard) is a program by the Plan de Evolución de los Sistemas de Soporte a las Operaciones del Negocio (Pesso), an ambition of the institution to change its processes and better customer service.
Pesso is expected to introduce at least 7 programs costing the institution some us$150 million dollars as way to survive in a competitive market which is soon coming to Costa Rica.
The first of the Pesso programs is expected in February 2010. “If we don’t succeed we cease to exist. It’s that radical”, Javier León, director of program.
León explains that ICE has tried to bring together its “popurri” (potpourri) of services without success, especially in the process of integrating applications and technologies.
The major problem facing ICE is its ability to react quickly to the competition.
León explained that if a competitor offers a product, ICE is ill equipped to respond, taking at times up to a year or more to adjust. This has workerd well for ICE in the past, since it has been the only provider of telecommunications services. But, in the face of competition knocking on Costa Rica’s door, ICE has to be able to respond quickly of be left behind.
Without going into specific detail, ICE’s systems are for the most part propiatery and difficult to integrate. Integrated billing has been a major money loser for the state institution, losing almost us$2 billion dollars for not being able to integrate the SIMP and Gitel systems.
One of the major ojbectives of the Pesso is to focus on customer service. Of the seven Pesso programs, the main focus is on the Gestión de la Relación con los Clientes (CRM), which focuses on understanding the needs of the customer, customer service and support. This program has already begun operating but it won’t be until next year when it is fully integrated into company policy.
Other programs inlcude network planning and design, management of expenses and income, billing and business applications.
The hope of ICE, with the Pesso program, is to be able to quickly bring to market new services and respond to consumer demand and market changes.
Operators like Movistar, Tigo and Digicell are all looking at the Costa Rican cellular telephone market to compete with ICE.
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Monday, November 16th, 2009
Assailants continue to attack restaurants without discrimination, making it unsafe to go out dining anymore. The latest attack occurred last night (Sunday) at the Café Verbena, in Tres Ríos, La Unión.
The three men described as being black, wearing hoods over their heads, took the restaurant by storm with the objective, like many others occurring over the past few months, of taking what they could from the cash register and the belongings of customers.
However, this time, something went terribly wrong, when 75 year old Antonio Lehmann Struve decided to confront the assailants, losing his life in the struggle, angering the assailants, shooting the man in the head at close rage. Lehman is the founder of the Lehman bookstore.
A report by the Fuerza Pública (police) indicates that the men went from table to table taking valuables from patrons. When they reached the Lehman table, Antonio decided to pull a chair with an intent to strike one of the assailants, a move that cost him his life. Panic ensued, customers took cover under tables and the three assailants fled the scene with nothing, taking off in a hurry in a waiting vehicle.
Unfortunately, these types of acts are occurring with more frequency as criminal elements attack without pity and discrimination, taking advantage that surprise of customers who cannot do much except submit to the will of the assailants and the hope that it will be over quickly and without incident.
Last Sunday assailants attacked the Spoon restaurant across the US Embassy in Pavas, but were later captured by quick police action and tried and sentenced to 4 1/1 years in prison in a record 19 hours by the Tribunal de Flagrancia.
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Monday, November 16th, 2009
Ousted Honduran president Mel Zelaya has said the US is not serious about his reinstatement but focusing more on the upcoming presidential elections in November. “They have left us in the middle of the river, saying now that their priority is the elections and not the restoration of democracy,” Zelaya told Costa Rica’s ADN Radio Saturday.
A US-brokered pact to end the impasse between Zelaya and the de facto government collapsed last week when the latter pressed ahead with formation of a national unity government.
Critics say the current regime was emboldened when US diplomat Thomas Shannon said Washington would recognize the winner of the Nov 29 election regardless of whether Zelaya was reinstated.
Asked this week about Zelaya’s reinstatement, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said: “It’s not about any one person. It’s about return of democratic processes and democratic government. It’s an important aspect to us of continuing to support democracy within the hemisphere.”
The head of the Organisation of American States (OAS) has ruled out sending OAS election observers to Honduras under the current circumstances. Most members of the OAS have indicated they will not recognize the Honduran elections as valid unless Zelaya is reinstated before that.
Zelaya was forced into exile to Costa Rica after he was ousted from power in a military coup June 28. Zelaya is currently staying at the Brazilian embassy in Honduras capital Tegucigalpa.
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Monday, November 16th, 2009
Michael Dixon, 33, has not been seen since he left his hotel in the popular surfing resort of Tamarindo in Guanacaste on October 18.
His mother, Lynn Dixon, made an emotional appeal for information about what has happened to her son. She told a press conference in central London: “So far, the air, sea, and land searches have not turned up any evidence about what has happened, and we continue to wonder how he could have simply disappeared without explanation. All his belongings were left in his room.
“Michael is a caring, considerate son, with a great sense of humor. We are very close to our son, as are the many friends he has all over the world, and we are desperate to find him.”
Leeds University graduate Mr Dixon, who grew up in France and is based in Brussels as editor of a business magazine called Pulp and Paper International, checked into the Villas Macondo hotel at 3pm on October 18.
The last confirmed sighting of him was at 4.30pm the same day when staff saw him leave the hotel. It was three days before the hotel reported him missing to local police.
Mr Dixon’s family did not learn he had disappeared until October 26 when he failed to return to work. Costa Rican police searched his hotel room the same day, finding it was undisturbed with his mobile phone, wallet and glasses all left behind.
Two Americans have gone missing in the Guanacaste area this year but the Costa Rican ambassador to the UK, Pilar Saborio, played down any connections. She told the press conference: “Costa Rica is the oldest democracy in Latin America. We have no political kidnappings or disappearances.”
Ms Saborio said police investigating Mr Dixon’s disappearance had so far found no evidence of foul play.
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Monday, November 16th, 2009
Police investigations mostly move pretty slowly. Facts need to be checked, parties need to be interviewed, and forensic evidence needs to be gathered.
So when four Mexicans and a Costa Rican entered the United Arab Emirates a little over two weeks ago to stage an elaborate gold heist, one would think the local authorities would have their hands full.
The Mexicans and Costa Rican, three men and two women, arrived into the capital Abu Dhabi. From there they hired a rental car and drove to Dubai, a little over an hour away. There they began surveillance of a local Dubai jeweller who regularly transported gold bars to destinations overseas where they were transformed into jewellry pieces and returned to Dubai, where the jeweller would sell them.
After a couple of days surveillance the crooks moved in. On October 29 as the jeweller was trying to organize a trolley the gang confronted the jeweller, caused confusion, and snatched his bag which was carrying 25 gold bars worth $1.6 million. The jeweller was overtaken by events and in the turmoil didn’t get a good look at any of the gang members.
The thieves then left the airport, packaged up the bars with electronic devices and consigned the cargo to Costa Rica. They then drove back to the Abu Dhabi Airport and boarded a plane to Hong Kong. Mission accomplished.
It was one of the most daring, brazen robberies committed in the country. The gang must have been sipping champagne on board their flight having been successful in the robbery, and having escaped the country all within a matter of hours. And they were $1.6 million richer.
Unfortunately for them the story doesn’t end there. The Dubai Police were alerted to the robbery when it occurred. As the jeweller couldn’t describe his attackers the police studied the airport security surveillance cameras. They also checked where the jeweller had parked his car and found a rental car parked nearby. It was a gold Honda Accord. Police checked the car rental company and found there were 358 similar cars in the UAE. Forty two patrols were sent to investigate car rental locations and track down the one that rented the car. It was found but the identity of the renter turned out to be fictitious, as was the drivers license. An interview of the rental car company employee that rented the car however indicated the renter was Mexican.
Police then checked the arrival information in recent days for Mexican entrants and found the renter. It was also noted he had arrived with three other Mexicans and the Costa Rican.
Surveillance cameras noting the arrival into the country of the gang, matched with those of the robbery at Dubai Airport gave police vital clues.
Police also checked international couriers for consignments to Mexico and Costa Rica, realizing the gold bars could not be taken through security at the country’s airports without being discovered.
The Dubai Police then checked the immigration department for airport departures of the group, and then the airlines to establish the five had boarded a flight to Hong Kong.
Ninety minutes after the plane for Hong Kong had taken off the police had identified the culprits, established their whereabouts, and in the meantime tracked down the courier company that had been engaged to transport the cargo overseas.
Dubai Police then contacted their counterparts in Hong Kong and Interpol and as the plane landed law enforcement officers in Hong Kong boarded the plane and took the four Mexicans and the Costa Rican into custody.
Within hours the five were herded back on to a plane and flown back to Abu Dhabi where they were arrested on arrival and transported to Dubai where they are now in prison awaiting trial.
And the gold bars? They were intercepted in Europe, and returned to Dubai, within hours of their consignment.
A stunning robbery to be sure, but an even more stunning police operation. Congratulations to Dubai Police and in particular, Lt Col Ahmed al Merri, head of the criminal investigation division who supervised the operation, and Brig Khalil al Mansouri, the director of the General Department for Criminal Investigation. The chief of Dubai Police Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan and his deputy director Major General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, were also directly involved in the case.
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Monday, November 16th, 2009
Diego Lugano’s 23rd-minute goal lifted Uruguay to a 1-0 victory over Costa Rica on Saturday and left the South Americans favored to reach next year’s World Cup.
The second leg of the playoff will be on Wednesday in Montevideo.
The winner of the two-game series will get the last spot at South Africa 2010 from the Americas. Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Argentina have already advanced from South America. The United States, Mexico and Honduras are the qualifiers from North and Central American and the Caribbean.
Costa Rica played a man short after Randall Azofeifa was sent off in the 52nd on his second yellow card.
The victory gives two-time World Cup champion Uruguay a huge edge going into the second leg. Uruguay qualified for the 2002 World Cup in a playoff with Australia, but lost a playoff four years later — also against Australia. Costa Rica has qualified directly for the last two World Cups.
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Saturday, November 14th, 2009
While Honduras was still in the throes of a political crisis, a grenade exploded in its capital Tegucigalpa early Friday morning, without hurting anyone or causing material damages, police said Friday.
The explosion with an influence range of 25 to 35 meters was caused by a RPG-7M grenade, police spokesman Orlin Cerrato told local media.
“We think all these actions are intended to create restlessness among the people — a psychological effect, in order to obstruct the electoral process,” Cerrato explained.
Residents in Tegucigalpa’s Miraflores district heard the sound of the explosion, and some people said they saw a light plane which may have fired the grenade.
The police have not named any suspects.
Several media outlets and shopping centers have been attacked by grenades since the political crisis was ignited five months ago by a military-backed coup, in which Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was deposed and flown to Costa Rica on June 28.
Honduras is scheduled to hold presidential elections on Nov. 29. The international community has called for a restitution of Zelaya before the elections.
The de facto Honduran government has prohibited imports of a new list of products including ice creams, some dairy products and processed chicken and food for poultry and dogs, in response to ElSalvador’s refusal to recognize it as the legitimate government, local media in El Salvador’s capital reported Friday.
Craig Kelly, a senior U.S. diplomat and deputy assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, left Honduras on Thursday without being able to help resolve the country’s political crisis.
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Saturday, November 14th, 2009
A 5.1 magnitude earthquake shook Costa Rica Friday, without immediate report of victims and material damages. The quake was felt almost all across the country.
The Costa Rican Vulcanology and Seismology Observatory (OVISCORI) said the earthquake occurred at 3:20 p.m. local time (2120 GMT) and its epicenter was located 20 km northeast to Parritain Puntarenas province, 70 km southeast to San Jose.
The earthquake had a depth of 19 km and it was produced due to a local geological failure.
Costa Rica’s Vulcanology and Seismology Observatory did not immediately report any damages or injuries from Friday’s quake.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake in January left 23 dead in Costa Rica.
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Friday, November 13th, 2009
If you are a salsa lover there is no doubt that Casa Zeller is the place to be on Friday night (take a taxi… it’s somewhere south of downtown San Jose). Entrance is 3,000 and dancing starts a little after 9:00. The slightly high price is due to the live band and worth every penny. In contrast to Salsa 54 and Castro Bar, most of the music in Casa Zeller is salsa, with some marengue and a tiny bit of bolero and cumbia. However, most people arrive in couples and/or groups, so if you’re all by yourself you may find it challenging to make it to the dance floor. Dress code (for women) ranges from jeans and a T-shirt to a super-short mini skirt and tight top with the obvious high heels
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Friday, November 13th, 2009
The Central American country’s pineapple exports have exceeded banana sales in value terms during the first nine months of 2009
Costa Rican pineapples are reportedly on the verge of leapfrogging the banana trade to become the country’s leading agricultural export item in value terms, according to figures from the Foreign Trade Corporation of Costa Rica (Procomer) and published by Costa Rican daily newspaper La Nación.
In the 12 months to September 2009, Costa Rican pineapple sales were worth just US$30m less than bananas, Procomer said, and even exceeded returns during the first nine months of 2009.
Between October 2008 and September 2009, banana sales generated some US$604m, according to Procomer, compared with US$574m for pineapples.
Meanwhile, during the first nine months of this year (January to September), pineapple returns reached US$436m, just above the US$429m recorded for bananas.
The rise in Costa Rica’s pineapple trade is down to a combination of factors, according to Procomer, one of which is the growing impact of inclement weather conditions on the country’s banana plantations.
“The banana and coffee trades have registered a 22 per cent fall in export volume in 2009 – two clear examples of products which have faced adverse climate conditions this year,” explained Francisco Gamboa, Procomer’s director of market intelligence.
Meanwhile, planted area with pineapples has more than doubled from 15,500ha in 2002 to 32,500ha in 2007, according to the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Farming.
Currently, the Costa Rican National Chamber of Pineapple Producers and Exporters (Canapep) estimates national pineapple production at 45,000ha, compared with the 42,000ha planted with bananas.
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Friday, November 13th, 2009
San Jose, Nov 12 (DPA) Costa Rican police seized over two tonnes of cocaine in San Francisco de Dos Rios, in the southern suburbs of the capital, San Jose.
The drugs were found late Wednesday in a storage facility belonging to an international drug gang that was shipping the load to the US in containers, officials said.
Two Costa Ricans and two South Americans – whose nationalities were not revealed – were arrested in the raid.
Source: Over two tonnes of cocaine seized in Costa Rica
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Friday, November 13th, 2009
Uruguay, set to play Costa Rica Saturday in the first leg of the World Cup play-offs, the last chance for both teams to make it to South Africa 2010.
The artificial turf of the Ricardo Saprissa stadium – the largest in Costa Rica, with a capacity for 17,000 people, on the outskirts of capital San Jose – emerged as a major threat for Uruguay, not used to a peculiar surface.
‘Artificial turf is just one more circumstance of play, as was the case with high altitude in La Paz,’ Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez said of the complications this week.
He did not, however, want to underestimate its effects, and the side led by Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan travelled to Guatemala as early as Monday, to train on artificial turf ahead of the crucial game. They were only set to go to Costa Rica on Friday.
The return leg of this play-off between the fifth-placed team in the South American qualifiers and the fourth-placed of the North and Central American and Caribbean region is set to be played Wednesday at the Centenario stadium in Montevideo.
Tabarez stressed that his men would have to demonstrate on the pitch whether they are better than Costa Rica, as many presume.
‘We do not mind being described as the favourites, but that is more a matter for the media. We have to focus on playing,’ he said. ‘Thinking that you are the favourite means not being cautious enough.’
Indeed, Uruguay have won two editions of the World Cup, but they date back to 1930 and 1950. Recent times have been a lot more disappointing: of the past four editions of the prestigious tournament, they only played one, and even then they crashed out in the first round of play.
The side led by Brazilian-born coach Rene Simoes was hoping to make the most of their experience on artificial turf, which they regarded as their main ally to gain an advantage at home, ahead of the decisive match in Uruguay.
Fans were generally disappointed with the team, after Costa Rica lost the chance to qualify directly for their fourth World Cup at the very last minute.
The United States managed a last-minute 2-2 draw against the ‘Ticos’ in Washington in the fourth minute of injury time in very last round of play. The result handed the World Cup berth to Honduras.
That just closed off a most irregular qualifying session: Costa Rica ended the first round at the top of the table, with 12 out of 15 possible points, but then crashed and lost the next three matches. That led to a change of coach, with Rodrigo Kenton being replaced by Simoes, but it was not enough to redress course completely.
Costa Rica already played three World Cups, but this is the first time they ever have to engage in a playoff en route to the tournament.
For Uruguay this is the third playoff. They won one and lost another, in both cases against Australia.
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Friday, November 13th, 2009
Snuggled in between the Caribbean and Pacific is a hidden jewel of a country, Costa Rica. There are a number of vacation packages in the major regions of the country to choose from which will let you experience the rich eco systems and abundance of natural wildlife available here. While many Latin American countries have hunted down much of the native wildlife, there is a conservationist and reservist philosophy in Costa Rica which the rest of the world would do well to emulate.
Sporting amazing oceans and seas, majestic volcanoes, lush tropical rainforests, and pristine beaches, Costa Rica vacation packages are a treasure that will keep on giving long after you’re returned home. From surfing to fishing to hiking and exploring to white water rafting and canopy tours, there is really something for everyone here by car rental Costa Rica. The canopy tours in particular will expose you to a vast array of wildlife and beautiful natural vistas.
Most hotel stays are going to be in one of three areas, Guanacaste (specifically Tamarindo), the Southern Pacific side (specifically Jacó) or the Caribbean side. The Caribbean side offers arguably the best nightlife and ritziest atmosphere, while Guanacaste has the most untouched and laid back feel. If you want a great natural adventure for you and your family, a Costa Rica vacation package is for you.
The people are very friendly to Americans (sometimes to the derision of their Nicarguan neighbors), and most speak pretty good English, at least in the areas you are likely to visit. The food is excellent, and most is local in origin(although a lot of vegetables are imports). You’ll notice the sugarcane fields (no high fructose corn syrup gunking up your sweets down here), and also the roving cattle herds. Many steak places will let you choose your own cut which comes from herds that are on premises or nearby.
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