Archive for December 2nd, 2009
Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009
The country’s supermarkets and retailers are under the watchful eyes of officials of the Ministerio de Economía (MEIC), as many take advantage of consumers during the holiday season.
To that end, the MEIC has already charged six supermarkets for overpricing or unfair competitive practices.
The director of the MEIC, Eudardo Sibaja, explained that the six retailers charged had higher prices at the check out counter than that displayed on the shelves.
In one case, said Sibaja, who would not reveal the name of the supermarket, there was a price difference from one store to another of the same chain for the same product.
The MEIC investigation, according to Sibaja, also noted that all supermarkets had the price of rice in regulation with the established price by the government, in contrast to years past when the MEIC always found discrepancies.
Retailers face a maximum fine of ¢1 million colones.
Posted in Costa Rica News | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009
The Cruz Roja Costarricense (Costa Rican Red Cross) reports a November a violent month, with 85 violent deaths attended to by the Benemerita, higher that the 63 of November 2008, making this November the bloodiest month of the year.
The major cause of deaths is led by traffic accidents that accounted for 31 deaths, followed by homicides with 27.
Posted in Costa Rica News | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009
After bowing out from the helm of a rocky Honduran mediation process, President Oscar Arias has voiced support for Honduras’ controversial presidential elections set for Sunday.
“If this Sunday’s elections are transparent … I’m going to request the Ibero-American countries in this meeting in Portugal that we should recognize the future Honduran government,” Arias said in a statement.
Arias’ remarks came as the international community grew divided over the question of whether Honduras is able to hold fair and transparent elections.
Leaders in Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay, Spain and Venezuela, according to global media reports, have refused to recognize the winner of Sunday’s vote, charging that one key issue – that ousted President Manuel Zelaya be restored – remains unresolved.
Meanwhile, Peru and Panama – and now Costa Rica – have joined the United States in publicly supporting the elections as the only way forward for the country that has been torn since Zelaya’s June 28 ouster.
Arias said the countries that refuse to recognize the vote’s legitimacy should ask themselves why they recognize the Iranian and Afghan elections, “when those elections were not clean.”
He said, “By wishing to punish the person that the Honduran people choose in the next elections, who you’re really punishing are the humble Hondurans.”
Posted in Costa Rica News | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009
The dictionary defines Reality as “the state of things as they actually exist.”
Let’s look what’s real in Costa Rica
1. Fantastic year-round weather
2. Excellent health care
3. A myriad of activities to stay busy and happy
4. Many real estate options and living situations taking all lifestyles into consideration.
5. The country’s stellar international reputation
6. Friendly people
7. Good and bad highway
8. A user-friendly country for Americans, Canadians and Europeans
9. The only country in Latin America with a Resident’s Association to assist foreign residents
10. Some crime but nothing in comparison to neighboring countries like Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. Panama and Nicaragua also have crime.
11. Bad traffic in and around San José. The country is working on improving the roads and reducing traffic
12. The most democratic country in Latin America with NO army since the 1940s. No external enemies.
13. One of the BEST lifestyles in the world.
14. Costa Rica is a brand because of its incredible lifestyle.
What things and people are real and unreal in Costa Rica
1. Costa Rica is paradise. The country is one of the best places to live in the world because of its natural beauty, incredible lifestyle and other intangibles. However NO place is perfect. Utopia doesn’t exist.
2. A proliferation of self-serving websites and videos put up by foreigners who pass themselves off as Costa Rica experts after living here for only a few years. A friend who lives here once asked, “Isn’t it strange? Gringos seem they think they know everything about the country despite only having lived here a short time.” Expertise takes time in anything in life.
3. Websites that scare foreigners with alarmist information in order to solicit services of the people who own the sites. These sites make people look like messiahs.
4. Blogs and chat rooms that provide some useful information for foreigners but disseminate more opinions than facts. The Internet is a useful tool in many cases but can give anyone their 15 minutes of fame and an air of expertise.
5. The pontificating foreigners who profess their self righteousness as the only ones who can show you the way to the promise land. These guys are a dime a dozen.
Posted in Costa Rica News | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009
Costa Rican officials are asking developed nations to reduce emissions by 45 percent by 2020.
Costa Rican Environmental Minister Jorge Rodriguez says the country’s proposal for next week’s international climate change summit also calls for greater financial support to poorer nations.
Rodriguez told reporters Tuesday that Costa Rica’s proposal includes increased protection of forests and a goal of reducing emissions by 95 percent from their 1990 levels by 2050.
Last week China announced it would cut carbon emissions by 40 percent to 45 percent by 2020, compared with levels in 2005.
Posted in Costa Rica News | No Comments »
