QCOSTARICA – The Tico blogger, El Infierno in Costa Rica, has pointed out a very interesting business association the Instituto Costarricense de Electridad (ICE) and Mendiola & Compañía S.A., that represents Philip Morris International in Costa Rica.
On the Grupo ICE website, Mendolia is listed as an authorized wholesale distributor of Kolbi brand prepaid chips, basically offering vendors, pulperias (corner variety stores), supermarkets, kiosks and other points-of-sale, smokes and telephone cards.
Mendolia is also stock holder of Tabacalera Costarricense, S.A. (Costa Rica Tobacco Company), the country representative for Phillip Morris, whose major brands sold in Costa Rica are Derby, Marlboro, L&M.
Established on 1932, Mario Bengoechea and Manuel De Mendiola founded Tabacalera Costarricense, the first cigarette factory on Costa Rica.
As El Chamuko writes, “What the hell does the ICE associated with tobacco? … this goes against what the country has struggled to avoid cigarette smoking … there is no need because Koliine has distributors up the wazzu”.
The blogger asks ICE to “strongly” reconsider this “ill-fated” association, which does nothing to help Kolbi, or public health.
Warning: smoking is harmful to your health, even when talking, chatting or surfing the internet.
