A court in Mendoza, a city in western Argentina, handed Italian priest Nicola Corradi, 83, a 42-year sentence and Argentine priest Horacio Corbacho, 59, a 45-year sentence for acts at the Antonio Provolo Institute for Deaf and Hearing Impaired Children.
A third defendant, Armando Gomez, the institution’s gardener, was given an 18-year sentence.
All three were arrested in 2016 and accused of 25 acts of aggravated sexual abuse, abuse and corruption of minors between 2004 and 2016. The victims of the abuse are 10 former students.
Several other staff at the school were taken into custody after the abuse allegations came to light in 2016. The scandal caused the institute to shut down.
During the trial, the defendants pleaded innocence and asked the trial to be annulled, saying the students’ stories were improbable.
Outside the court, a group of young people awaited the ruling with banners supporting the victims.
Vatican under fire
The case has raised questions about how quickly Pope Francis, a native of Argentina, acted to deal with sexual abuse complaints.
The Vatican had known about Corradi since at least 2009 when 69 students of the sister Antonio Provolo Institute in Verona, Italy, went public with accusations of abuse, using the names of 24 priests. After ordering an investigation, the Vatican sanctioned 24 of the accused, though none of the cases went to trial.
Corradi was apparently not among the sanctioned in Italy. Many in Argentina asked why Francis didn’t remove Corradi, the director of the institute, from his post after the allegations in Italy.
(GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Vacationers planning a stay at Riu Guanacaste or Riu Palace Costa Rica can now enjoy unlimited complimentary access to an on-site water park, with the opening of RIU’s first ever ‘Splash Water World’ in Costa Rica.
Water slides at the new ‘Splash Water World’ water park in Costa Rica
The brand new park features five water slides, including a four-lane Aquaracer slide and two tube slides, in addition to a mini splash pad for kids.
Nestled on the soft sands of Matapalo Beach, both resorts offer travelers comfortable accommodation options, delicious dining and action-packed activities for all ages. Riu Guanacaste offers sprawling pools perfect for relaxing and a host of non-motorized water sports like sailing and kayaking. Vacationers seeking an enhanced level of service may choose to stay at Riu Palace Costa Rica where they can enjoy a pampering treatment at the spa or roll the dice at the on-site casino. The addition of the water park, which is located at the entrance of the RIU Costa Rica complex, gives guests more options than ever for fun in the sun.
The water park’s mini splash pad for kids.
As an exclusive vacation provider of RIU Hotels & Resorts, Sunwing offers customers exclusive RIU®-topia inclusions such as unlimited reservation-free dining at specialty restaurants, spa credits, 20% discount on select excursions, free Wi-Fi, in-room liquor dispensers and more when they book their vacation package.
For an enhanced level of service, guests may choose to stay at a RIU Palace property where they can look forward to poolside wait service, daily champagne breakfasts, nightly turndown service and more.
Canadians can visit Costa Rica with Sunwing vacation packages available from Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Edmonton. All Sunwing vacation packages include return flights on Sunwing Airlines.
In whichever way you work from home, you complete processes as part of your job. For example, if you are a remote writer or illustrator you undergo the processes of thinking of ideas, strategizing how to communicate your ideas, and then communicating your ideas.
Depending on how long you have been doing your online job, these three processes may seem like second nature to you.
It may be hard to imagine they could get more streamlined and efficient. Well, what if you were told that there is a system that can reduce the number of processes that go wrong to just 3.4 in every one million you complete…
How could that be possible?
The business community were wondering the same question when in 1986 Motorola reduced their faulty phones to the same error margin. The system they developed became known as the Six Sigma system, and involved a certain number of steps to ensure quality control and reduce wasted efficiency. Traditional Six Sigma used five steps, but there are often changes as different needs require tailoring to different requirements. Six Sigma became a staple of efficiency enhancing processes and was even adopted by General Electric, for whom it saved 2 Billion dollars in 1999. In the early 2000s, however, this traditional efficiency-saving technique was made more efficient. Lean Six Sigma came to be, and was focused on reducing waste in all sectors of the economy.
Lean Six Sigma is all about reducing and eliminating eight kinds of waste: overproduction; idle time waste; delivery waste; extra-processing waste; rejected parts/defects waste; and non-utilized talent waste. This sounds geared towards manufacturing because originally it was, but it applies well to any process that produces waste.
How does it apply to you?
Let’s say you are a remote writer for a fashion blog. You would probably be producing almost all waste that Lean Six Sigma seeks to eliminate. You might overproduce by going over your word count; you might idle time away by getting distracted; you might have delivery waste by composing emails to submit your blog posts, instead of using a template; you might have extra-processing waste by thinking in more depth than necessary for a particular post; you might have defects waste by making errors that you need to delete later; and finally, you might have non-utilized talent waste by being overqualified for the job.
But reducing these areas of waste will be difficult to do without using the five Six Sigma steps:
Define inefficient processes
Measure how these processes are inefficient
Analyze processes from the bottom-up to discover what causes inefficiency
Improve how you go about doing the processes
Add controls to the process so you don’t regress.
If this sounds almost too simple, many professionals agree with you. That’s why there is a belt-system for Lean Six Sigma – you can undergo training and grade in belts like in Judo. Belts range from white to master black, with yellow constituting as being aware enough about Lean Six Sigma to implement changes yourself. Nowadays, you can get a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt online at sites like https://www.6sigma.us/six-sigma-yellow-belt.php, but previously individuals had to travel and complete courses over periods of several days (though that’s still available on most Six Sigma training sites).
If you are interested in Lean Six Sigma, that is because it has a lot to offer. It is a process that has saved billions and billions of dollars over the past 30 years, and experts think it shows no sign of stopping. Hopefully you can see how to use Six Sigma to utilize your own working efficiency to save you time and make you money.
The US dollar exchange rate closed at ¢572.04 on Thursday, the highest since January 2010
Official figures from the Banco Central de Costa Rica (BCCR) – Central Bank – show a downward trend in the dollar exchange in recent weeks, due to the growing supply of dollars in the local market, which is explained in part by the revenue of US$1.5 billion from the recent issue of Eurobonds.
On November 12, the securities were sold in the international market, and at the end of the negotiation, bonds were issued for US$1.2 billion maturing in 2031 and US$300 million maturing in 2045.
So far in November, the price per US dollar in the wholesale market (Monex) has dropped ¢16.55 colones.
Between November 5 and 22, the price has dropped from ¢585,52 to ¢568,97, equivalent to a 3% variation.
Norberto Zúñiga, an economist, told Nacion.com that “… we are in a period of significant surplus in the private currency market, to which are added the receipt from the issuance of Eurobonds and other multilateral loans. In the end, what can happen to the exchange rate, depends exclusively on the decisions of intervention and purchase of foreign exchange that the Central Bank decides.”
We believe that competition is positive for the entire ecosystem: users, collaborating partners and mobility options in general, "said Carolina Coto, spokeswoman for Uber Central America. For his part, Pablo Mondragón, manager of DiDi Costa Rica, was grateful for the enthusiasm and incredible reception they have had these days.
The apps, such as Uber, DiDi and inDriver are winning the battle to mobilize Costa Ricans, not only in the Central Valley but now also in tourist areas such as beach areas and mountain resorts.
“We believe that competition is positive for the entire ecosystem: users, collaborating partners and mobility options in general,” said Carolina Coto, (left) spokeswoman for Uber Central America. For his part, Pablo Mondragón, (right) manager of DiDi Costa Rica, was grateful for the enthusiasm and incredible reception they have had these days. Image La Republica
This regardless of the frustration of the taxi sector, which feels cornered by being tied to a government concession and an obsolete tariff model.
The constant operations of the traffic authorities against the mobility platforms (apps) and the million-dollar fines to which they are exposed to being caught providing an illegal service have done of little or nothing to curb their operations and the public’s use.
DiDi, which began operating last week, November 19, is the most recent, with some 5,000driving partners in San José, Heredia, Alajuela, Cartago and Puntarenas.
With discounts of up to 50% on the first two trips and other promotions for users and drivers, DiDi seeks to grow its market share, a market currently dominated by Uber, the pioneer in Costa Rica in this type of service.
InDriver has been operating in the country since April with a different payment method, where the user indicates the maximum amount to be paid for the trip and the driver is the one who chooses whether or not to take the service.
Bee Go and Ultra, which offer the same service, have had to start joining the profit auction to get a portion of the huge cake that is the private transportation service for people.
With these initiatives, more and more taxi drivers are turning in their taxi (license) plates, and more people download and use the applications, which show that technology is imposed on the law.
Against all odds, neither the constant pressure by traffic authorities, nor the strikes and persecution of the formal taxi drivers stop them, has stopped the rise of the transport apps
Carolina Coto, spokeswoman for Uber Central America, said: “We believe that competition is positive for the entire ecosystem: users, collaborating partners (drivers) and mobility options in general. This motivates us to strive and improve ourselves every day.”
Pablo Mondragón, General Manager of DiDi Costa Rica, said: “We are very grateful for the enthusiasm and incredible reception we have obtained with people in Costa Rica.
We are convinced that your expectations, as well as those of our local team, are very high, and we will put all our energy into contributing to the improvement of the mobility of the Ticos through an accessible alternative, with high-quality standards and with the focus on security.”
“We welcome any player who helps foster technological innovation. We have competition in other markets with different players, so this is nothing new for us or here in Costa Rica or globally,” said Eduardo Abud, inDriver PR Manager LATAM.
DiDi
Local manager: Pablo Mondragón
Headquarters: Beijing, China
Countries: 8
Divers in Costa Rica: 5,000
Website: didiglobal.com
InDriver
Region Manager: Eduardo Abud
Headquarters: New York
Countries: 25
Drivers in Costa Rica: N / A
Website: indriver.com
Uber
Country Manager: Andrés Echandi
Headquarters: San Francisco
Countries: 63
Drivers in Costa Rica: 22,000
Website: uber.com/cr/es/
Bee Go
Manager: César Blasco
Headquarters: Costa Rica
Countries: 1
Drivers in Costa Rica: N/A
Website: beegocr.app
One of the ‘must’ tools of a Transito (traffic officer) in Costa Rica is a tape measure, you know, that yellow flexible ruler and used to measure distance. Without it a Transito cannot do his job properly.
Typically the pate measure is used to prepare the “croxis” – a sketch of the traffic accident.
But, a video (see it below) that has been trending on the social networks, show a Transito taking our his measuring to check if a girl should use a child seat, which she wasn’t and would expose the driver to a ¢¢211.041 colones fine (plus costs) and four points.
The Transito was using his measure tape to measure the height of a girl. The video was recorded by a witness and posted online.
The current Ley de Transito (Traffic Act), establishes the obligation to restrain all children under 12 years of age or less than 145 cm (4.75 ft) in height in a carrier, chair, booster or booster with backing, depending on the age, size and weight of the child.
According to data from the Hospital de Niños (Children’s Hospital), Traumatology Unit, in San Jose, of all of the serious patients who enter the Children’s Hospital, half is directly related to events related to the actual traffic accidents, the other two important factors are collisions and overturns (flipping) of cars.
Alarming data from the Hospital, also show that if a child is thrown totally or partially, from the cabin during a collision only 75% are likely to live, and only 4% are likely to survive without physical or permanent neurological injury.
So, the next time you see a Transito pulling out his measuring tape and criticizing his or her actions at the scene, keep the foregoing in mind. And if you are a parent, please buckle up. I will be the back 40 the cost of the fine and points are nothing to the pain and suffering your child, you and your family will endure if not.
Several workers of the Globo delivery app held a protest Monday afternoon in the area of Montes de Oca, San Pedro (San Jose) and including burned some of their delivery bags.
The protest is against the company, one of the main reasons is the constant change in the work rules. They complain that their complaints are often ignored by the company.
The Ruta 2 of the Inter-American(Interamericana) highway crosses through the Cerro de la Muerte, at 3,491 meters (11,453 feet) above sea level, is the highest point in the Costa Rica. Its name means “Summit of Death”.
Before 1944 countless Costa Rican travelers perished on the narrow rocky trail that traversed this part of the Talamanca Mountain Range, in the provinces of Cartago and San José, where the temperature
At the highest point of the Ruta 2, a sign marks the high point at 3,335 meters (10,942 feet). At this altitude, temperatures range from 1º to 13º Celsius (33º to 55º Fahrenheit). Overnight temperatures can dip below freezing, but the sun soon raises the temperatures in the morning, with a high risk of sunburn in the thin clear air. Record temperatures reach below -6° C (21°).
Since in the past crossing the mountains from the Central Valley (Valle Central) meant a several days journey, on foot or on horseback, many ill-prepared travelers succumbed to the cold and rain.
A sign marks the summit at 3,335 meters above sea level (msnm – metros sobre el nivel del mar). Image www.wikiwand.com
At the beginning of the twentieth century, three resting stations were created by Congressional Decree Number 45, signed on August 5, 1908. Between 1910 and 1912, the three resting stops, known as houses, were built; “División”, “La Muerte” and “Ojo de Agua”, at a cost of ¢1,749. A hefty sum in those days.
The resting stops were built at intervals of about 10 to 12 hours of hiking from each other. There was a rule of leaving firewood ready for the next guest. In 1990, the Ministry of Culture recognized the importance of the resting stop houses, and on November 20, 2016, the “Casa Refugio Ojo de Agua” was restored and is now a small museum.
Undaunted, between 1941 and 1944 U.S. engineers and Costa Rican workers built a 78 kilometer (49-mile) segment of the Interamericana that conquered the Cerro.
The road was a symbol of progress and modernization that inspired an image of the San José-centered state as a benevolent patriarch and the United States as a wealthy and generous Good Neighbor.
On Facebook, Xinia Loria Avila writes, “I worked 22 years at Coto Brus and listened to the stories of the elders; pioneers of Sabalito; they related how it cost them to get from Neilly to Sabalito through the mountain and how pigs and grains to sell were brought to San Jose; all on foot. They say that on the Cerro de la Muerta it was so cold that many animals died as it took more than 15 days to arrive; it was almost impossible. The people did not know the capital and on the return, it was another novela (story) returning with food, clothing, kitchenware and the most necessary for their families”.
For Avila, the route solved many of the problems of the inhabitants of the southern area of Costa Rica. Mauricio López Elizondo writes, “The road was started by the US Army, during World War II, as a way of making sure to get to Panama (The Canal) by land , it was supposed to pass straight through Paso Real towards what was later called San Vito and Sabalito, but that ended the war and the government ended up building it towards Palmar, exactly where it connects with Costanera today.”
For those who have traveled this route know well the dangers, especially during the rainy season.
Today, from the Central Valley, you can take the Ruta 27 to the Costanera (at the Jaco cutoff) to Palmar Sur, where the Ruta 39 becomes the Ruta 2.
If you continue the route past the Paso Canoas border into Panama, the route then becomes, on the Panama side, Ruta 1 of the Interamericana.
Costa Rica’s capital gains tax is the highest in the region, and one of the highest in the world in terms of the impact on the productive sector.
Except in unusual cases, the rate in this country is 30% of the increase in the value of a good used for a medium or large company, even small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) – pequeñas y medianas empresas (Pymes) in Spanish – could pay the same rate.
In the region, only Mexico has a 30% rate on capital gains; however, the tax payable is lower in the shareholder dividend, paid as a result of the sale of the good by the company.
The capital gain tax that is recorded is the real increase in the value of the good from the date on which it was acquired and would affect, above all, any company that owns an extensive land, as is the case of an auto dealership, a supermarket, a mall and an agricultural farm, among others, since the land tends to appreciate over time.
The capital gains tax went into effect as of July 1.
Comparing capital gains tax in the region:
Mexico – 30%
Costa Rica – 30%
Chile – 25%
Colombia – 10%
El Salvador – 10%
Guatemala – 10%
Honduras – 10%
Nicaragua -10%
Panama – 10%
Higher still, the capital gain tax impact in Costa Rica is even greater when it comes to the final amount that the shareholder receives in the payment of a dividend, product of the sale of the good used in the business of his/her company, (rate refers to the total capital gains tax and dividend tax, according to data from the Minister of Finance and international accountants/consultants firms):
The tennis player began her career with only seven years and now has the sponsorship of GBM and Yonex, among others. Javier Carvajal / The Republic
After becoming the youngest Tica (Costa Rican) to enter the world tennis ranking, Nicole Alfaro, 14, prepares day by day with her father and coach, Fred Alfaro, to fulfill one of her dreams: play professionally and reach the Grand Slam tournaments, also called majors.
Nicole Alfaro began her career at only seven years of age and now has the sponsorship of GBM and Yonex, among others. Javier Carvajal / The Republic
“I want to play Grand Slams, study at a university in another country and play professionally, that’s my wish in the future,” said Nicole, who at her young age reached fourth place as the best tennis athlete in Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
While other young people of her age attend school, Alfaro studies online from home at “Abeka Academy” based in Pensacola, Florida; In addition, studies English and Portuguese online.
The online studies allow Nicole to adjust her training schedules, which are around five hours a day from Monday to Friday, with competitions on Saturdays and Sundays.
“In Costa Rica she has had an impeccable trajectory, she participates very often outside the country and these experiences have helped her to professionalize, it is the best way in which an athlete can achieve a better position and is competing outside the country,” said the coach and father of the young woman
In addition, she has two hours of mental coaching a week with an online instructor, who is in Spain and belonging to the Spanish Tennis Federation.
Currently, Nicole is playing in a series of tournaments that will prepare her for the Copa América 2019, which will be held from December 9 to 13 in Orlando, Florida.
This contest is played by the best rackets between 14 and 16 years of age.
And while the International Tennis Federation (ITF) does not give points for the world ranking, in case the Tica advances, it could win a tour of South America and Europe, where she will have “coaching” from the best ITF coaches.
“Each tour means US$20,000, so if Nicole does well, it’s a great prize. This year they have a good team, the tournament is played in pairs and Nicole will play with the number one in the area, a Mexican, and although it is difficult to win, if they reach the semifinals, the chances of winning the tours are high,” said Nicole’s dad.
Images from Cámaras Viales gave us a look at the open-air parking of the Ruta 27 at peak afternoon Friday.
The image is east of the Escazu toll. At this junction, the Ruta 27 is always busy almost every weekday afternoon, starting around 3:00 pm. But this past Friday it was, well, impassable.
Waze reported, “atasco con tráfico parado” (jammed with stopped traffic).
The cause was an accident by the bridge, said Globalvia in a Tweet. But the crash was on the westbound lanes, the lanes that head to toll stations, in the opposite direction.
Retirada//Colisión km 3. Sector Tiribi hacia Caldera, modere velocidad, respete la señalización de la vía.
A new symbol of struggle was born in the immediacy of social networks. These are water bottles, which for the self-organized movement represents solidarity and resistance.
Social networks users have viralize illustrations and artworks to show solidarity with 16 activists arrested for bringing water to mothers in strike. Photo: Jorge Mejíae
It emerged as a result of the imprisonment of 16 activists on the night of November 14, after they attempted to bring water to people who the day before started a hunger strike inside the San Miguel church in Masaya.
The group of mothers of political prisoners, accompanied by Fr. Edwin Roman, were surrounded by the National Police for 9 days with basic services interrupted. During those days new demonstrations have appeared in Nicaragua.
The women, the priest and other persons accompanying them, were finally evacuated out of the church by the Red Cross on Friday, November 22.
The 16 solidarity activists who tried to provide water were presented 72 hours later by the Police. The Prosecutor’s Office accuses them of arms trafficking. Indignation in social networks exploded through dozens of illustrations and artworks—some created in anonymity—that have given another meaning to solidarity.
Some of the ones found on the internet.
“Giving water is not a crime. Repressing, kidnapping and killing is.” Artwork by unknown author.“Water is life, not a synonym for jail. Solidarity is not a crime.” Some illustrations emphasize the word “agua” (water), charging it with the meaning of struggle.“Solidarity is not a crime.” This was one of the first illustrations that was disseminated in all social networks. We do not know its author, but it went viral in a question of minutes.They planted freedom out of solidarity. An anonymous illustration.Three members of the alternative media “Hora Cero” (Zero Hour) were arrested for passing water bottles to the mothers on strike. Hansel Quintero, José Medina and Atahualpa Quintero have been accused of arms trafficking by the Prosecutor’s Office. Hora Cero shared this artwork on networks, where they demand the release of their colleagues.Another illustration of Juan R. Mon where he communicates about freedom.Graphic designer Juan R. Mon shared the illustration of a water bottle with the shield of Nicaragua and the colors of the flag.The front page of the newspaper La Prensa on Thursday, November 21, was a water bottle. The daily denounced the siege that on that day had turned a week old.Artwork by the cartoonist PxMolina, where he plays with symbols of water bottles, the national flag and the name of the country. PxMolina
President Iván Duque opened a national dialogue Sunday that he said will include citizens from all walks of life in tackling issues like corruption and inequality days after one of Colombia’s biggest protests in recent history.
An anti-government demonstrator waves a Colombian flag after he climbed up to a statue of South American independence hero Simon Bolivar during a protest at Bolivar square in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019. Ivan Valencia AP Photo
The leader gathered mayors and governors from around the country to launch an initiative that he said will focus on six main topics: economic growth with equality; corruption; education; improvements in life for areas hard hit by the nation’s long civil conflict; the environment; and strengthened government institutions.
The dialogue will run through March 15, though Duque provided relatively few details on exactly how citizens would become involved.
“Our responsibility is to unite Colombia,” he said.
Duque is under pressure to present a solution that will appease the masses that filled Colombia’s streets four days earlier and are calling for new mobilizations Monday.
Some organizers are already criticizing the president’s dialogue, saying he should first hold a meeting with the National Strike Committee – a steering group made up of student and labor leaders among those organizing the protests.
“The government of Iván Duque hasn’t concretely resolved any of the motives for the protest,” the Central Union of Workers said in a statement.
Anti-government demonstrators protest at Bolivar square in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019. Authorities are maintaining a heightened police presence amidst scattered unrest in the aftermath of a mass protest that drew about 250,000 to the streets Thursday. Ivan Valencia AP Photo
The demonstrators are decrying a wide range of issues – everything from violence against social leaders to fracking – though one underlying theme is a general rejection of the conservative Duque’s government, which has been in office 15 months.
The protests come as much of Latin America is experiencing a tide of discontent, with paralyzing demonstrations in nations including Chile, Ecuador and Bolivia clamoring against political leaders of varying ideological hues.
“It has been decades since we’ve seen a mobilization like this,” said Patricia Muñoz Yi, a professor at Bogota’s Pontifical Xavieran University.
Colombia’s protest is different in that there is no one crystalizing event or government decision that sparked the unrest – and it remains unclear how long it will continue. Though thousands have gathered throughout Colombia each day in the aftermath of Thursday’s huge turnout, the demonstrations have been notably smaller.
Youth attend a vigil for Dilan Cruz, who was injured during clashes between anti-government protesters and police, in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019. President Ivan Duque said he was ordering an urgent investigation to determine who was responsible for the injuries of the 18 year-old student, who is in hospital in critical condition after he was hit in the head Saturday, apparently by a tear gas canister. Ivan Valencia AP Photo
Several of the protester complaints involve labor and pension changes that the Duque government insists do not exist as formal proposals but are rather only recommendations from think tanks. Demonstrators have been unsatisfied with that response, pointing to comments from Cabinet ministers and a bill introduced in congress.
Duque’s call for what he terms a “National Conversation” could perhaps be taking a page from French President Emmanuel Macron, who opened a “Great National Debate” to involve citizens in solutions after months of angry protests there.
“This is a conversation of all and with all,” Duque said.
In order to be successful, analysts say Duque’s dialogue will need to draw genuine participation from a wide cross-section of society and provide swift answers.
The president is facing a litany of thorny issues that have long dogged Colombia leaders, including soaring coca production, violence from illegal armed groups and entrenched corruption and inequality despite better economic growth.
Youth attend a vigil for Dilan Cruz, who was injured during clashes between anti-government protesters and police, in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019. Ivan Valencia AP Photo
He sought to highlight the accomplishments of his administration Sunday, describing in an unusually fiery speech how his government has pushed rural development, increased education funding and improved economic opportunities.
He encouraged a room full of local political leaders to begin the national dialogue in their regions with a “patriotic sensibility.”
A study led by the World Health Organization has reported that physical and verbal abuse of women during labor is a worldwide phenomenon.
Monday (November 25) marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women around the world.
A study led by the World Health Organization has reported that physical and verbal abuse of women during labor is a worldwide phenomenon.
However, the abuse of women during the childbirth process, also known as obstetric violence, remains largely undocumented and unspoken about. An October study led by the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded that around 42% of the women in the report said they experienced physical or verbal abuse or discrimination during childbirth in health centers, with some of the women being punched, slapped, shouted at, mocked, or forcibly held down.
The study followed 2,016 women during labor and interviewed 2,672 women after childbirth.
According to the study, more than one third of women in Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria and Myanmar experienced such abuse but suggested that the mistreatment of women during childbirth, occurs worldwide, including in developed countries.
Mistreatment during childbirth “could be a powerful disincentive from seeking facility-based maternity care,” the study warned.
What is obstetric violence?
Obstetric violence is the abuse of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.
According to the Brazilian researchers, Danubia Barbosa Jardim and Celina Modena, obstetric violence is “revealed in the form of negligent, reckless, discriminatory and disrespectful acts by health professionals and legitimized by the symbolic relations of power that naturalize and trivialize their occurrence.”
They argue that the abuse is a violation of human rights and a serious public health problem.
Examples of obstetric violence include practices such as episiotomies without consent (a surgical cut made at the opening of the vagina during childbirth, usually to assist a difficult delivery), pain that goes unattended, use of force such as abdominal compression, a lack of information given to women, or excessive or inappropriate vaginal touching during birth or when anaesthetized.
Read more: Violence
The WHO study
Most of the physical and verbal abuse peaked 30 minutes before birth until 15 minutes after birth.
Thirteen percent of the cesarean sections and 75% of the episiotomies were performed without consent – and often without a painkiller. Fifty-seven percent of the women interviewed after childbirth said they had not been offered any relief for pain.
In 59% of cases, vaginal examinations were performed without consent.
Some women were then detained after giving birth at the health centers for failing to pay the bill.
Obstetric violence, along with gynecological violence, is a form of abuse that exclusively affects women and tends to be swept under the rug because it’s still a taboo subject. It remains largely unreported due to the impunity and silence surrounding it.
Women themselves are not always aware that their experiences can be counted as abuse.
“Younger, unmarried women were more likely to have non-consented vaginal examinations,” the study said.
The study cited research that found that “midwives and doctors described women as ‘uncooperative’ during this period and some justified using physical and verbal abuse as ‘punishment.'”
Minorities and refugee women at higher risk
Earlier studies have documented the physical abuse of women of Roma descent in eastern Europe, where some of the women were also forcibly separated from their newborns for several days.
Refugee women in Greece have reported being refused pain relief during labor and given non-consensual procedures including forced caesarians.
US tennis champion Serena Williams brought global awareness to obstetric violence against black women living in the United States after she opened up about the birth of her daughter in 2017, igniting debates about the abuse and negligence black women face around the world.
Two years later, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that black women, along with Native Americans and Alaska natives, are over three times more likely to die from pregnancy or childbirth-related causes in the US, highlighting the racial disparities that exist during and after childbirth.
American tennis champion Serena Williams brought global awareness to obstetric violence against black women after the birth of her daughter
Taking action
To combat abusive practices during maternal care, the study called for improving the informed consent process in childbirth. It also suggested redesigning maternity wards for better privacy and permitting women to have a companion of their choice present during the birth.
After obstetric violence cases were widely reported across Latin America, Venezuela became the first country to take legal action against specific unethical practices by adopting a law in 2007 to ban obstetric violence.
Luxembourg has recently called for the integration of obstetric and gynecological practices into health education on their national agenda.
The inventor of the World Wide Web has argued that some internet platforms and social media firms are becoming too powerful. In March 2018, Tim Berners-Lee said they were in a position to “weaponize the internet at scale.”
Whether hate speech, propaganda or activism, governments across the globe have upped efforts to curb content deemed illegal from circulating on social networks.
2. Social media law
After a public debate in Germany, a new law on social media came into effect in October. The legislation imposes heavy fines on social media companies, such as Facebook, for failing to take down posts containing hate speech. Facebook and other social media companies have complained about the law, saying that harsh rules might lead to unnecessary censorship.
3. Right to be forgotten
In 2014, the European Court of Justice ruled that European citizens had the right to request search engines, such as Google and Bing, remove “inaccurate, inadequate, irrelevant or excessive” search results linked to their name. Although Google has complied with the ruling, it has done so reluctantly, warning that it could make the internet as “free as the world’s least free place.”
4. Blanket ban
In May 2017, Ukraine imposed sanctions on Russian social media platforms and web services. The blanket ban affected millions of Ukrainian citizens, many of whom were anxious about their data. The move prompted young Ukrainians to protest on the streets, calling for the government to reinstate access to platforms that included VKontakte (VK), Russia’s largest social network.
5. Safe Harbor
In 2015, the European Court of Justice ruled that Safe Harbor, a 15-year-old pact between the US and EU that allowed the transfer of personal data without prior approval, was effectively invalid. Austrian law student Max Schrems launched the legal proceedings against Facebook in response to revelations made by former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, Edward Snowden.
6. Regulation
In China, the use of social media is highly regulated by the government. Beijing has effectively blocked access to thousands of websites and platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Instead, China offers its citizens access to local social media platforms, such as Weibo and WeChat, which boast hundreds of millions of monthly users.
7. Twitter bans Russia-linked accounts
Many politicians and media outlets blame Russia’s influence for Donald Trump’s election victory in 2016. Moscow reportedly used Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Instagram to shape public opinion on key issues. In October 2017, Twitter suspended over 2,750 accounts due to alleged Russian propaganda. The platform also banned ads from RT (formerly Russia Today) and the Sputnik news agency.
8. Facebook announces propaganda-linked tool
With social media under pressure for allowing alleged Russian meddling, Facebook announced a new project to combat such efforts in November 2017. The upcoming page will give users a chance to check if they “liked” or followed an alleged propaganda account on Facebook or Instagram. Meanwhile, Facebook has come under fire for not protecting user data in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
Tim Berners-Lee, a British engineer credited with having invented the World Wide Web in 1989, has released an ambitious plan detailing steps for better online governance, addressing problems like misinformation, data surveillance and censorship.
British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee, who invented the internet, says “Everyone has a role to play in safeguarding the future of the Web”
The Contract for the Web was created by Berners-Lee’s World Wide Web Foundation in cooperation with representatives from governments, companies and civil society to “keep knowledge freely available,” while strengthening laws, regulations and companies “to ensure pursuit of profit is not at the expense of human rights and democracy.”
“If we don’t act now — and act together — to prevent the web being misused by those who want to exploit, divide and undermine, we are at risk of squandering” its potential for good, Berners-Lee said in a statement released by the WWW Foundation.
The plan is backed by more than 150 organizations, including internet giants like Google, Microsoft and Facebook, along with interest groups like Reporters Without Borders. The governments of Germany and France have also indicated their support for the plan.
“I will stand up for the preservation of the free internet that we have grown to know and love in recent decades,” German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said in a statement released ahead of the UN Internet Governance Forum, being held this week in Berlin. Berners-Lee is due to speak at the forum on Monday.
Although the contract is not legally binding, it proposes frameworks for national laws that would protect online privacy and personal data.
The WWW Foundation criticizes current laws and institutions that it says fall short of protecting citizens and preventing the abuse of the technology in society, business and politics.
‘Tipping point’ for the internet?
British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee 29 years ago
“The web needs radical intervention from all those who have power over its future,” Berners-Lee wrote in a statement published Sunday night by the The New York Times.
“We’re at a tipping point. How we respond to this abuse will determine whether the web lives up to its potential as a global force for good or leads us into a digital dystopia.”
Berners-Lee also defended including Google and Facebook in composing the Contract for the Web. The companies have faced criticism from civil society for their data-collecting business models, and sensation-rewarding algorithms have been blamed for spreading misinformation and violating user data privacy.
Last week, Amnesty International said the companies’ business models were a “threat to human rights.”
“Having them in the room is really important,” Berners-Lee said. “We feel that companies and governments deserve equal seats at the table.
“Citizens must hold those in power accountable, demand their digital rights be respected and help foster healthy conversation online.”
Bolivian lawmakers on Saturday approved a bill that allows for new elections and annuls the results of the October 20 election.
Interim President Jeanine Anez, a former senator and opponent of Morales, still needs to sign the bill so it can go into effect, and the timeline of the new elections remains unclear.
The move comes after Bolivia’s worst political crisis in 16 years and weeks of unrest that have left dozens dead. The crisis began after Morales claimed he won a fourth term in October’s election, despite widespread irregularities and opposition accusations of election rigging.
He eventually resigned on November 10 at the request of the military. After he took asylum in Mexico, claiming he had been ousted in a coup, his own supporters began protesting in the streets of the capital, La Paz.
The dispute and resulting civil unrest exposed divisions between indigenous people loyal to Morales, Bolivia’s first indigenous president, and Bolivia’s urban middle and upper classes.
Goods and supplies moving again
On Saturday, street blockades enforced by Morales’ supporters were lifted, and supplies and goods could again reach marketplaces in La Paz and other cities that had been suffering shortages.
The relief followed an agreement Friday for talks between Anez’s caretaker government and Morales’ Movement to Socialism (MAS) party.
In the city of El Alto, west of La Paz, road access was resumed Saturday to a natural gas distribution center that had been a focus of protesters. Reuters news agency reported long lines of people waiting to refill their natural gas tanks.
Eight people were killed in clashes between security forces and protesters at the gas plant on Tuesday.
Some residents told Reuters they feared the blockade might resume, depending on how talks progress.
Colombia’s Defense Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo on Friday confirmed that three people died and 122 civilians were injured during the nationwide strike against President Ivan Duque held on Thursday, when some 622 massive marches, rallies or other forms of protest were held in 350 municipalities across the country.
A policeman points a gun at a woman who is trying to leave the protest zone, Colombia, Nov. 21, 2019. | Photo: Twitter/ @ConElMazoDando
Trujillo also acknowledged that 53 raids were made, 98 people were arrested and another 207 protesters were “taken” to police stations.
While authorities were trying to justify police repression as a necessary response to halt “the vandals”, Colombians uploaded videos and photographs in which the police officers’ behavior can be observed.
Among those graphic records of police brutality, for instance, are photographs in which the Mobile Riot Squadron (ESMAD) members hit a woman in her face. There is also a video that shows more than five policemen kicking and beating a couple in downtown Bogota.
In a tacit reference to what happened in Bogota, Manizales, Cali, and Cartagena, the Defense Minister said that the police have already opened 11 investigations related to allegations of “possible irregularities.”
“Security forces acted with legitimate force”, Trujillo insisted and held they helped restore order.
“Details surrounding the deaths are also under investigation,” the Minister added.
The Thursday (November 21) national strike was called by the country’s main organizations of workers, farmers, students, and social activists to express growing discontent with Duque’s administration, which has been incapable of stopping corruption and the murder of human rights defenders.
Like what has been happening in other Latin American countries – Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil and Venezuela – Colombian protests were systematically hidden yesterday by local mainstream media, which used different communication tactics to minimize the magnitude of citizens’ discontent.
In the coming days, demonstrations are expected to continue with different intensities and modalities.
Despite the obvious social and economic costs of his agenda, Duque is still trying to impose his policy package, which seeks to eliminate the state-based pension fund, increase the retirement age and hire young people with salaries below the minimum wage.
Former presidential candidate Gustavo Petro called for another demonstration on Friday afternoon, urging people to bang pots and pans in Bogota’s central square.
Good morning and happy Saturday! Star Wars fever arrived at the San Jose (SJO), Costa Rica airport last night, with the landing of the United Airlines Boeing 737-800with special painting to the new movie of the Star Wars saga, The Rise of Skywalker.
The movie will be opening in Costa Rica on December 19 (one day ahead of the U.S. release).
“United Airlines and the Star Wars franchise share a common goal: connect people and unite the world,” Mark Krolick, United’s vice president of marketing, said in a statement in October. “We are thrilled to join forces and help promote the concluding chapter of the Skywalker story, while at the same time enlisting help from our new friends from the Star Wars universe to demonstrate the importance of safety for our customers and colleagues.”
The aircraft left Costa Rica, headed for Houston, at 6:30 am this morning. In case you missed it, we have it on good word that it will be back on Sunday.
How many support the resistance? Raise your lightsaber.
The report of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) “Mejor gasto para mejores vidas” (Better spending for better lives) published in 2018 estimates that in Costa Rica, 4.7% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that for that year – almost US$3 billion dollars – is wasted.
Cambiemos.cr, an initiative of Costa Rican citizens who work to change Costa Rica for a freer, more economically prosperous and more developed country, says Costa Rica is one of the most corrupt countries in Latin America and one of the worst in the management of public money.
Source BID
Cambiemos states that the US$3 billion is stolen: US$1.116 billion by politicians together with corrupt businessmen who do business with the State in matters of public works, through overspending or ruinous projects and contracts for the country; US$486 million dollars in purchases of goods and services in the public sector; And US$1,155 billion in salaries of public employees (including the political class).
That is to say, from each inhabitant of Costa Rica, the State steals from them, on average, US$571 dollars.
Cambiemos says, it is things like this that the ruling political class squeezes the private sector more and more with new taxes such as Value Added Tax (VAT) – IVA in Spanish – as more and more money is required to maintain the level of theft.
What do you think?
The group says Costa Ricans should be outraged. If so, they invite you to join Cambiemos to stop once and for all with this dirt.
Volaris announced on November 13 that it would freeze the growth of its operations in Costa Rica. The risk of a strong increase in costs, the possibility of extending a contract and the current competitiveness of fares are the three axes of the tense situation between the airlines, the manager of the Juan Santamaría international airport (SJO) and the Government.
The airline counters on the departure level of the Juan Santamaria, commonly known as the San Jose airport, which has the capacity to receive 5 million passengers per year. Photo Esteban Monge/La República
There are three different themes that each actor is defending in the same discussion, so they generate noise even if everyone tells the truth, in their own way.
The tone of disagreement was given by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) through a press release sent from Miami, on November 18.
The IATA used terms such as “threat” and “deep concern” to refer to the possible impact of an increase in operating costs in 2020, at the Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), under the management of Aeris Holdings Costa Rica.
IATA even described the increases as excessive.
This is the first threat of crisis for the manager, for its part the Government faces the third blow in the aviation sector, following criticism for an apparent indecision about the project of an airport in Orotina, also included in the IATA complaint, and the drop in the airport security rating applied on May 13 to the country by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
A day later, on November 19, Costa Rica’s Civil Aviation Technical Council (CETAC), delivered a press release issued from the Casa Presidencial (Government House). Rodolfo Solano, head of CETAC, acknowledged that he understands the concerns of IATA, but clarified that there is still no request from Aeris for the rate increase.
However, Solano’s message was characterized by insisting that the CETAC is in a process of study (on tariffs, new airport and investments) and not in a decision-making phase. Nor did it provide a deadline in which this stage would be completed.
The Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT) – Costa Rican Tourism Board – maintains the efforts to attract airlines from the main markets, North American and Europe.
María Amalia Revelo, Minister of Tourism, adhered to the Government’s argument on the issue of tariffs and told El Financiero (EF) that the costs to operate in the San Jose airport are competitive, therefore, current operations flow normally.
On the issue of airport security, the Minister clarified that the ratings drop only precludes the increase of non-stop flights of national flag airlines to the United States (Avianca de Costa Rica and Volaris Costa Rica), not the attraction of airlines. Both airlines have announced hold on growth on their operations in the country, in contrast to foreign airlines.
“At this time we see significant growth in the operations of the American and Canadian flag airlines (Air Canada and Westjet, for example) to Costa Rica,” said the minister.
In Liberia, the manager of Daniel Oduber International Airport (LIR), Coriport, said they perceive the discussion between IATA, Aeris and the Government not involving them.
César Jaramillo, general manager Coriport, told EF that the Guanacaste Airport is capable of serving up to 1.7 million passengers a year “with the highest standards of quality and safety”. In 2018, the terminal registered a total passenger traffic of 1,125,170 and in March 2019 it reached its highest monthly mark, with 166,140 people, a record figure since its beginning operations in 2012.
“Sample of this capacity and service is the recent award we received from the International Airport Council (ACI), which recognized the Liberia airport as the best in Latin America and the Caribbean for its customer service in the category of less than two million passengers a year,” Jaramillo emphasized.
In its report, the EF said Aeris declined to give an official position on the claims of airlines. However, Rafael Mencía, executive director of the company, gave statements to La República, where he said that the rate increase is not yet firm, without denying IATA’s complaints.
“It is normal for tariff increases to occur in a context where major works had to be carried out to modernize the airport, as part of the master plan,” Mencía told La República earlier this week.
This is the first time in years that Aeris Holdings Costa Rica faces a frontal attack to its management, as the only recent complaint from IATA had been more nuanced: in 2018 the IATA presented its arguments against costs and taxes, throughout the Central American region.
As long as the rate increase remains undefined, it is the Government that faces a major challenge, since it must resolve its position on the construction or not of an airport in Orotina, and be aware of the progress to recover the airport security rating.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) currently includes about 290 airlines in 120 countries.This corresponds to 82% of global air traffic.
The end of November is likely to be a good time to buy dollars, specifically if you take into account the value of the currency last October.
The end of November could be a likely good time to buy dollars, specifically if you take into account the value of the currency since the beginning of the month.
The price of the U.S. dollar in the Foreign Currency Market (Monex) registered a decline since last November 5.
For this November 21, the decrease was ¢12.35 with respect to the November 5 and a weighted average of ¢573.17; down ¢3.74 from Monday (Nov 18) alone, when the weighted average was ¢576.91.
For the reference exchange, the sell at the banks dropped this morning ¢573.72, ¢11.37 down from the sell of ¢585.09 on November 1.
The final part of November and the first days of December have been characterized in other years by a downward trend in the value of the US dollar. The Banco Central (Central Bank of Costa Rica) – BCCR – attributes this behavior to the excess currency that predominates in the market for that period, which is generated by companies that change dollars to meet obligations such as payment of taxes or aguinaldos (bonuses).
However, last year that behavior did not occur, and on the contrary, the price in the Monex exceed ¢600. At that time, the BCCR attributed the increase to a deficit in the net balance of negotiations in dollars, that is, the demand for currencies exceeded the inventory available at that time.
This behavior also occurred a few months after Rodrigo Cubero assumed as president of the Banco Central in August 2018, and who said from the beginning of his administration that it would allow greater volatility in the exchange rate.
This year the value of the dollar has rather had downward pressures. Even the Central has undertaken to make more purchases of dollars on behalf of the Non-Banking Public Sector (SPNB) and has increased its level of reserves. This is considered a form of intervention in the exchange market.
“This year highlights the largest private sector surplus compared to 2018, US$1.512 billion to be purchased with US$992.8 million in the same period of the previous year (…),” the Central reported in its commentary on the national economy on November 6.
Despite the downward trend in the value of the dollar this year.
On November 19, the Government received US$1.5 billion in its accounts as a result of the placement of bonds. These resources took the reserves to a level higher than US$9 billion.
The exchange rate at the banks this morning (Friday, November 22) hovers at ¢563 and ¢565 for the sell; and ¢577 and ¢580. Rates at finance companies and exchange houses will vary.
International Airline Association said there is "deep concern" in the middle for the future of private air operations in the country
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) expressed its “deep concern” for the increases in airport charges and the cost of aviation fuel at the Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO).
International Airline Association said there is “deep concern” in the middle for the future of private air operations in the country
In addition, the IATA considered that Costa Rica’s airport infrastructure expansion plans “do not have a long-term vision defined,” which it believes creates uncertainty in the commercial aviation sector.
IATA said on Tuesday (November 18), through a press release in Miami, that the airport operator confirmed an increase in its rates for next year, because recent investments will be depreciated rapidly to coincide with the expiration of the management contract in 2026.
“Accelerated depreciation contradicts the collection principles established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which indicates that the fees must be related to the current operating costs of the airport. Paying for an asset in an accelerated way – before the end of its useful life – results in an inappropriate increase in costs to passengers and airlines operating in San José, that is, a rate not related to the real cost,” said IATA in the document.
The organization represents more than 290 airlines worldwide.
Peter Cerdá, IATA Regional Vice President for the Americas, urged the Costa Rica government to define an “urgent” solution that slows the increase.
“It can be an extension of the contract, the depreciation of the assets according to their useful life, or the addition of a residual value to the assets,” Cerdá suggested.
On the other hand, according to IATA estimates, the fuel price formula applied by Costa Rica’s state refinery, the Refinería Costarricense de Petróleo (Recope), makes this fuel on average 20% more expensive than other relevant airports in the region.
For the IATA, the issue of medium and long-term management will worsen the current situation. “Proof of this is that the decision on continuing the expansion of the current airport or building a completely new one is still pending by the State,” the organization said in the statement.
The association even asks the Government to create a “high-level working table” to define the future of the air terminal in San José.
“It is crucial that this table includes representation of the airlines, which are the main users of the airport and that contribute 155,000 direct and indirect jobs and US$5 billion of added value, equivalent to 9% of Costa Rica’s GDP,” Cerdá argued.
EF sent consultations on this issue to the General Directorate of Civil Aviation, Aeris and the airlines, but at the time of publication they had not responded.
Thursday morning, the Rockefeller Center in New York, woke up with a particular Costa Rican presence: A bronze couple, leaning on their backs.
The work ‘Pareja’ was created in 2014
This is the monumental work “Pareja” by Jiménez Deredia created in 2014. In October last year, the sculpture was exhibited in Pisa and, a few weeks before, in Luca, Italy.
This work, according to the creator himself, “is a tribute to women. My sculptures are inspired by life. My work is inspired by women, who generate life,” the artist told La Nacion’s Viva in a previous interview.
“What a joy to see one of my monumental sculptures at the Rochefeller Center in New York for the Christie’s auction,” the noted Costa Rican sculptor wrote on his Facebook page.
Christie’s has valued the “Pareja” at US$675,000 dollars.
The work ‘Pareja’ was created in 2014
Jiménez Deredia said that, for that sale, he had no intervention. “That’s the secondary market, a gallery or dealer took it to Christie’s. Although I was not the one who sold it, it does mark a milestone in auctions and, in addition, it was shown to millions,” said the sculptor.
Earlier this year, Jiménez Deredia returned to Costa Rica with the exhibition La fuerza y la universalidad de la esfera, which turned San José into an open-air museum.
On that occasion, Pareja was exposed in the Hotel Costa Rica square.
The Antigua Botica Solera – the old Solera apothecary – is a San Jose landmark. It’s not a high building if we compare it next to the Flatiron building.
For many years the building sat abandoned, becoming a shelter for the homeless in San Jose, the area surrounding called “tierra de nadie” (land of no one).
But today, the remodeled Solera is open daily to visitors and has become a center for events.
Below is a 360 degree view of the interior of the Solera, posted on Facebook
In episode 7 of season 31, the animated series that has lasted the longest in the history of television in the United States, the Simpsons, are invited to come on vacation to Costa Rica.
Homer and Marge accept the invitation from their friends, the Van Housten (Mr. Kirk and Mrs. Luann), who are Milhouse’s parents, to spend a few days full of beach, sand, and sea in Puta Vida.
In the Simpson’s episode, “Pura Vida” is explained as a state of mind about being a million times happy.
American Airlines began on Thursday, November 21 daily service between John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) – San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO).
JFK-SJO: Departs New York daily at 3:59 pm and arrives at 9:42 pm Departs the San José area at 11:03 pm and arrives in New York at 5:19 am.
Starting on December 21, the airline will offer direct flights between JFK and the Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) in Liberia, Guanacaste.
JFK-LIR: Departs New York on Saturdays at 7:00 a.m. and arrives at 10:55 am Departs Liberia at 11:04 a.m. and arrives in New York at 4:59 pm.
Recently, the Traffic Police confirmed that if you do that, you may have to pay a fine of 22,860 colones.
Rico’s TICO BULL – Vehicle owners who usually pay for Marchamo (annual circulation permit) well in advance usually remove the sticker from the current year for the new one.
Recently, the Traffic Police confirmed that if you replace the old Marchamo sticker for the new before its time, you may have to pay a fine of ¢22,860 colones.
Recently, the Policia de Transito (Traffic Police) confirmed that doing so, you may be exposed to a ¢22,860 colones fine. You read it right, having the coming year sticker in place before December 31, when the current year sticker expires, can cost you.
This was not received well based on the comments on the social networks, many qualifying the fine as ‘illogical’.
The INS, the state insurance company that collects the Marchamo and issues the sticker said the fine (for applying the sticker early) is a traffic law regulation and outside their purvue.
For Rodolfo Méndez Mata, the Minister of Transport, under which the Policia de Transito and traffic law operates, said: ” it is incomprehensible that a fine is charged for removing the 2019 sticker to place the 2020″.
To avoid these things should the law must be modified. The truth is that for now, the best you can do is not replace the 2019 sticker until January 1, which by the way, if not done on or after that date, the driver will face a fine.
Me, I don’t have that problem. My practice is to pay the Marchamo at the very last possible day, which BTW is December 31. You won’t catch me paying early. No way.
Looking for a job and have customer service skills? Bill Gosling Outsourcing announced the hiring of 300+ people in its launch of nearshore operations in Costa Rica.
Employment options
The company dedicated to outsourcing customer communication services is located in the Centro Corporativo El Cafetal, in Belén (next to the Marriott hotel).
Bill Gosling Outsourcing chose Costa Rica for its literacy rate of 97.98%, #1 ranking in Latin America in skills of graduates, current and future workforce, 99.99% on renewable energy, its 3 fiber-optic submarine cables that give stability and security to their telecommunications infrastructure, and its multi-talented bilingual workforce.
Many of the ‘Forbes Top 100 Companies’ have recently opened up R&D labs and other operations in the country.
“We are excited to extend our operations to Costa Rica, providing a quality nearshore option to our North American Clients. We chose Costa Rica for their highly educated bilingual workforce, IT infrastructure, and proximity to North America,” said Dave Rae, CEO of Bill Gosling Outsourcing in a press release.
Costa Rica’s renowned reputation for economic stability has allowed the country to transform itself into a key market for many top companies to set up operations. Kenny Johnston, President of Bill Gosling Outsourcing added, “As we continue to evolve our tech-based solutions, we want to ensure that we can deliver a consistent quality of work in all locations with our live-agent and technology services. For many reasons, we felt Costa Rica was the perfect location to start our expansion into the LATAM market.”
The two vice presidents of Costa Rica, Epsy Campbell and Marvin Rodriguez.
President Carlos Alvarado has been left standing alone by his two vice presidents, Epsy Campbell and Marvin Rodríguez, who once promised to accompany him and support him in the difficult task of assuming the issues facing the nation.
The two vice presidents of Costa Rica, Epsy Campbell (left) and Marvin Rodriguez (right).
That promise that Campbell and Rodriguez publicly assumed on October 15, 2017, when Alvarado announced them in his presidential formula, seems to have vanished.
Today, 18 months after taking office, neither the legislators nor political experts can identify the functions and responsibilities of the country’s vice-presidents, except the citizens, who could identify in them only a former unionist in the education sector (Rodriguez) and an ex-legislator who later became chancellor (Campbell), that in less than a year she was forced to leave the position amid accusations of alleged corruption and nepotism.
Opposition legislators and political analysts agree that Campbell and Rodríguez are two absent and distant vice presidents of the country’s problems and that both left President Alvarado alone at a crucial moment in his administration, marked by an economic slowdown, high unemployment, insecurity, and growing social discontent.
Liberationist legislator Franggi Nicolás has been vocal on the matter, saying that her perception is that President Alvarado is “overloaded” given the inaction of his two vice presidents, whom she accuses of only collecting the paycheck every 15 days.
“We are seeing absolutely nothing of their work,” said Nicolás.
Independent legislator Erick Rodríguez Steller said that Campbell and Rodríguez are a ‘mirror reflection’ of this administration, which in his opinion the only thing they do is “sell smoke” and not identify the country’s greatest needs.
Legislators, Erwen Masís of the PUSC and Jonathan Prendas of the Nueva Republica, said two vice-presidents have no link as the main problems of the country and they appear from time to time “so nobody asks.”
Analysts blame Casa Presidencial (Government House).
Political scientists Gustavo Araya and Sergio Araya have their views on why the absenteeism of the two vice presidents. For them, for the almost two years of government, Casa Presidencial has preferred to expose and announce with greater force the actions of President Carlos Alvarado and the first lady, Claudia Doubles; leaving aside what the vice presidents could be doing.
What the VPs are supposed to do
The “Vice” formula. Legislators and analysts agree that Epsy Campbell (right) and Marvin Rodríguez (left) are two vice presidents who have abandoned President Carlos Alvarado (Crhoy.com)
Epsy Campbell and Marvin Rodríguez have different functions, assigned by President Carlos Alvarado.
In the case of Campbell, despite having professional training as an economist, it is not fully linked to a job linked to the critical economic situation that the country is going through. A month after she was forced to leave the post of Foreign Minister, she was assigned 4 tasks listed as “strategic for economic recovery”: the empowerment of women, territorial development, financial education and attention to the Afro-descendant population.
In addition, Campbell is responsible for serving the northern part of the country, in a division of tasks by geographical areas that Alvarado made among his leaders and ministers.
In the case of Rodriguez, his work area is supposed to be social. Despite his closeness to the trade union sector, there has been little participation in the resolution of social conflicts and with unions between public sector officials and the government. In addition, Alvarado assigned him to the attention of the Caribbean area of the country.
But, what is it exactly (or even loosely) that they do?
DiDi says it already has some 5,000 registered drivers. Facebook
Neither the 4 years that Uber has been operating in Costa Rica, nor its more than 22,000 drivers, nor a clientele that is around 783,000 was enough for the government and legislators to issue a regulation on transport apps.
Newcomer to Costa Rica, DiDi, competes with Uber and taxi drivers
During the Solís Rivera administration (2014-2018), the Executive Power and Legislative Assembly engaged in moving responsibilities from one to another, without the issue being truly placed on the discussion table.
It wasn’t until the beginning of this year, in January, that the current government of Carlos Alvarado (2018-2022) presented a bill that was of little use: the legislators of the Economic Affairs Committee dismissed it for ‘insurmountable’ deficiencies.
The Ministerio de Obras Publicas y Transportes (MOPT) – Ministry of Transport – thus chose to publish a new regulation proposal that is still under discussion.
This week, on Tuesday, a second player, DiDi, began operating. It is a company with similar characteristics to Uber and promises to stir – even more – the raging waters of that market.
What is the status of the latest regulation plans? Roberto Thompson, legislator for the Partido Liberacion Nacional (PLN), believes that in the best of scenarios a possible law could become a reality before the middle of 2020. Of course: in the best of scenarios.
“I am of the opinion that the project should not be filled with hearings. We already had enough hearings with the previous project that deals with the same topic (…) We have 3 or 4 hearings left to refer to the new text. The subcommission is given a maximum period of 60 days for a ruling. The expectation we have is that, in order to move forward with this process, the project must be convened by the Executive Power during (legislative) extraordinary sessions,” said Thompson, who is president of the Committee on Economic Affairs.
”It is a priority issue. With the report, we could issue an opinion immediately to go to the plenary. Everything will depend on the call of the Executive Power,” said the legislator.
According to Thompson, with the arrival of DiDi, it “clouds over” the bill even more.
“Taxi drivers remain dissatisfied and believe that the damage to them has already been done,” said Thompson.
“In this country, everyone has a car. What do they do to pay the credit card bills or the purchases of their financed vehicles? Go to ‘hack’. Meanwhile, the taxi driver has to be subject to the laws of this country and does not earn 5 colones. It is exasperating. There are taxi drivers who don’t earn enough to take home. Neither the government nor the legislators do anything,” said Gilbert Ureña, representative of the Foro Nacional de Taxistas, the national taxi forum.
According to the union leader, apps (such as Uber or DiDi) causes the “cake to become smaller and smaller, but to the detriment of formal taxi drivers.”
“We do not know why there is so much tolerance. Why do the government and the legislators allow transnationals to come here and take money to other countries? (…) There is a desperation among the taxi drivers to do something of that is going on in this country,” said Ureña.
“It was easy”
DiDi says it already has some 5,000 registered drivers. Image from Facebook
Felipe Contreras, director of communications for DiDi for the region, said that the decision to enter Costa Rica was easy. Why? The technology is well received by users and the existing legal framework allows it.
“When we made the decision to internationalize the company and looked towards Latin America, Costa Rica definitely appeared as one of the countries that we had to reach first to stabilize an operation across the continent (…) Beyond launching a business and generating revenues very fast, our intention is to deliver mobility options to all people. Not only those who live in big cities. That is why it is so important to deliver a broad service in the medium term to reach the whole country,” said Contreras.
DiDi operates in five provinces: Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia, San José and Puntarenas.
“We come with better prices than the competition, with lower rates and launch promotions.Not only that.Not everything is about saving.It’s about saving safely.We are working for a secure platform that allows users to reach from point ‘A ’ to point‘ B ’ safely,” the spokesperson said.
DiDi says it already has more than 5,000 registered drivers.
But, a video (see it below) that has been trending on the social networks, show a Transito taking our his measuring to check if a girl should use a child seat, which she wasn’t and would expose the driver to a ¢¢211.041 colones fine (plus costs) and four points.
The protest is against the company, one of the main reasons is the constant change in the work rules. They complain that their complaints are often ignored by the company.
For those who have traveled this route know well the dangers, especially during the rainy season.
