Raise your hand if your day starts with a cup of coffee (or two). You’re not alone. Around the world, we consume over 988 billion cups annually. And this number is predicted to grow in coming years.
All this coffee comes with a pretty hefty carbon footprint. In Costa Rica, coffee production is responsible for nearly 10 percent of the country’s carbon dioxide emissions
One cooperative south of the capital city of San José is working to make coffee more climate-friendly.
The Coffee Cooperative of Dota (Coopedota), an association of 800 coffee farmers, is the world’s first certified carbon-neutral coffee producer.
The video above explores how Coopedota achieved this certification by changing the way coffee is grown and processed. With resulting energy and water savings, the cost of running the main production facility dropped by nearly half.
The Costa Rican government hopes the country’s 6,000-plus coffee producers will follow the cooperative’s lead and reduce emissions from one of the world’s most beloved beverages.
This story was written by Todd Reubold and republished with permission from Ensia.com
Q COSTA RICA – Judas Night (Quema de Judas in Spanish) is the night before Easter. For some it means a relief from the restrictions imposed by forty days of Lent and the joy of Resurrection Sunday.
For some it is a night of fun at the expense of others, and for some a night of fear.
“Judas Night will be April 15. Some nasties always build a huge fire in the road in front of my farm and we neighbors have to call 911 and put out the fire. Last year about a dozen police came on motorcycles so they could cross through cafetales and farmland and they said they were all over Alajuela that night,” writes Mitzi.
The tradition of a night of pranks and tricks goes back hundreds of years, to old Spain and the colonization of Latin America and represents punishment for Judas Iscariot, the fallen apostle and traitor who sold out Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. In colonial times the idea was to publicly expose the sins of the local population followed by burning or hanging (and sometimes both) an effigy of Judas as the sinner.
Photo from La Nacion archives
An effigy of Judas, made with old clothes stuffed with grass or hay is an integral part of Judas night even today. In the not too distant past events of Judas Night resembled Halloween and Guy Fawkes night with youths roaming the roads with a Judas and calling on neighbors in the dark of night, sometimes shaking a house to hear the inhabitants scream, or to carry off all the not-nailed-down possessions such as plants, tools, even ox carts, and in one case still remembered, an outhouse to the village square.
Men of retirement age will smile as they relate what a night it was, rolling the ox cart with its sleeping owner under the chicken roost to catch-all the droppings, rounding up a pig to place next to the one-to-many neighbor sleeping it off at the side of the road, or stealing everyone’s front gate and leaving them in a pile for the owners to sort out. Even the time a neighbor came after them with a shotgun merits a grin.
This night of revery was followed by an early Easter morning sound-off as Judases from all the surrounding neighborhoods and barrios, some stuffed with firecrackers were gathered in the soccer field in front of the church and torched just as the sun crept over the eastern horizon. Needless to say, the priests were furious at this demonic display, and so were all the people out looking for their plants, tools, ox carts and outhouses.
Photo from La Nacion archives
In 1870, a book, Testamento de Judas, by the beleaguered parish priest of San Ramon, Father Joaquin Garcia Carrillo, was read to an embarrassed community on Judas Night. Written all in verse as befitting the City of Poets, he exposed the frailties of his parishioners, including names; those who indulge in drinking and card playing, those too miserly or too lazy to support their church, and those who nag and scold. The book became a sensation and continues to be read on Judas Night in some places.
Sad to say, Judas Night is not what it used to be and some young people consider it their night to vandalize and cause damage to property by setting huge bonfires and breaking windows, giving the police and fire departments a very busy time on Judas Night.
But now there’s also an up side to counter balance the bad. In some areas neighbors and community organizations continue the tradition of making and burning a Judas but at an early hour when families can attend, the young and the old, so that the children can learn about this tradition first hand, and the older ones can relive one of the special nights of their youth.
The world is big and there are endless opportunities for travelers to explore. So why is Costa Rica consistently picked out as a top destination?
Well, there are plenty of reasons to visit Costa Rica: Its natural beauty, vibrant cultural offerings and unsurpassed surfing are all big attractions for travelers. Remember to bring lots of sunscreen!
But, perhaps one of the most important reasons Costa Rica regularly tops the lists of places people choose to visit is because it can be a very economical travel destination. Whether you are looking to save money on your spring break travel or are just looking for inexpensive places to visit in general, it pays to do your research.
The most effective and obvious way to save money while traveling is to pick a destination that has a low cost of living, or, if traveling internationally, has a favorable currency exchange (so your money will go further). In the United States, that means choosing a location that is not on a list of hotspots for the particular time of year you plan to travel.
For example, in February, Miami is a popular destination, so hotels are priced accordingly. On the other hand, San Antonio, while still offering mild temperatures, is much more affordable at that time of year. Consider visiting some of these less expensive destinations. If you cast your net wider, there are plenty of places outside of the U.S. that are a real travel bargain.
Aside from limiting your potential destinations, there are plenty of other ways to cut costs on travel. The most obvious strategy is to research deals and coupons before you go. Accommodation is one of the biggest expenses you’ll pay on a vacation and hotel rooms often run to hundreds of dollars per night. Often, all you’re doing at your hotel is sleeping! Consider renting a private condo or house instead. Not only are they often more economical, you’ll likely have more space and privacy, too. You can also make use of the kitchen for some meal preparation as another way to save money (restaurants can be pricy!).
Even if you don’t have the means to prepare your own meals, you can still find ways to save money on food while traveling. Take advantage of hotels that offer complimentary breakfasts and eat up! Consider limiting your sit-down meals at restaurants to just one a day, and opt instead for a couple of light snacks in between. In addition to saving money, this is a delicious way to really experience the culture of your destination. Nothing is more authentic than street food.
There is so much to see and do for travel aficionados. Where there is a will, there is a way, and money doesn’t need to be an obstacle to satisfying your wanderlust. With careful planning and research and some strategic decisions, it is possible to save money on traveling without compromising on the experience.
The plan for the Tablillas border post is a modern facility to expedite the passage of people and a gateway for a Central American logistics corridor. Photo Carlos Hernández / La Nacion
The plan for the Tablillas border post is a modern facility to expedite the passage of people and a gateway for a Central American logistics corridor. Photo Carlos Hernández / La Nacion
Q COSTA RICA – The dream that the border post of Tablillas, in Los Chiles, becoming the great gateway to the Central American logistics corridor, is still far from being a reality.
On the Nicaraguan side everything is ready for cargo to be transported to and from the port of Limon to save 160 kilometers, through the customs post of Las Tablillas, but endless red tape on the Costa Rican side is preventing works from starting on this side of the border.
On the Costa Rica side, after two years, Tablillas has the same temporary facilities with which it began and has not generated the promised development for the community.
The Tablillas border post on the Costa Rica side. The post was put into operation in May 2015 in temporary facilities. Today it continue as such. Photo Carlos Hernández / La Nacion
Officials of the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) operate the systems work out of containers and the last inspection of bags of travelers and the work of the Drug Control Police (PCD) is done under canopies.
For area resident, the border post has brought minimal changes and what little has changed has not been good. “We continue to suffer from a shortage of sources of work,” said Humberto Miranda, a resident of the area.
The Legislature granting approval for a loan to finance the work, completion of administrative procedures, the holding of a tender to hire a project manager who must then tender the work internationally, are all of the steps that have to be completed to just to get work started at the customs post in Las Tablillas.
The border post “…started operations in the border area with Nicaragua in May 2015 with the idea of taking the strain off of Peñas Blancas in terms of entry of people and goods from the northern region, mainly because it would save traveling 160 kilometers on the road to the ports in Limón. That means about 800 fewer containers a month would have to go through the Central Valley in order to reach the Caribbean, according to estimates from 2013.”
Nacion.com explains that on the Costa Rican side, “…The problem is that in order to finalize the draft project, decisions and procedures need to be made in the country which are taking longer than imagined. In an extremely optimistic estimate, John Fonseca, vice minister of Foreign Trade, said that it could be ready by 2019 or 2020. However, he himself detailed the long list of outstanding actions, some of which are beyond the control of the executive branch. ”
Since June 2015, the country has signed a US$100 million loan with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to finance the Border Integration Program.
The intention was to modernize facilities and equipment based on a study by the Georgia Tech Foundation, where service deficiencies threatened the competitiveness of trade.
Of that fund, US$29 million will be use for the Peñas Blancas post and $12 million for Tablillas, on the northern border with Nicaragua; and US$28 million for Paso Canoas and about US$7 million for Sixaola, on the southern border with Panama)
Once the credit was approved, it moved to the Legislature for approval.
According to Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade (Comex), John Fonseca, the controversy began when local municipalities were consulted, who did not agree to waive a part of the taxes collected to make the loan itself viable. For that reason, modifications had to be made.
Fonseca explained that the IDB loan was approved in the Legislative in first debate on March 19 and is currently undergoing a consultation with the indigenous communities (deadline is today, April 5), then the loan will then be submitted to second and final debate, that must be voted on before May 11.
Production company CIN is licensed to do business in Cuba by the USA, but still does not have permits required by local authorities to have an office on the island. (Flickr)
TODAY CUBA – The United States government, headed by Donald Trump, has promised to review its policy on Cuba, but Cuba has not yet enjoyed the expected results from Obama’s thaw. One example is that Cuba International Network (CIN), which specializes in television production and audiovisual material, received a license to operate in the Caribbean country and would thus to be able to sign contracts with state-run companies on the island.
This license, which was authorized by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), is a function of the US Department of the Treasury, which allows CIN to have a contractual arrangement with the state-owned Radio and Television Commercialization Company (RTV) and allows transactions which facilitate offering services to Americans and other international clients, as well as hiring equipment and local personnel.
“As broadcasters, we have been watching the changes that are taking place concerning Cuba closely, and if there is going to be a market, and many of the companies we work with want to go to Cuba to produce content,” said Barry H. Pasternak, founder and executive director of the aforementioned company.
Pasternak also mentioned that his company currently has “the possibility of filming a commercial with a camera to produce any type of events” in addition to informing that they have the support of great American producers like Gearhouse Broadcast and PRG.
This license was authorized on March 20th. The initial process began in December of 2015 when former president Barack Obama was still in office.
Although the company already has the authorization to film in Cuba, it does not yet have all the permits required by the island’s authorities in order to have office space there, but the procedures have already begun as informed by its founder and director who said that he is “very happy that the government knows that we are trying to benefit the United States. We are Americans. We want to support an industry that has never filmed in Cuba, an unexplored country and many people want to see that country.”
The entrepreneur also stated that his business has no political interests, “We are not building the wall, the embargo is outside our area of expertise; our job is to make films, produce quality content, and we are not a political company,” he said.
TODAY VENEZUELA, Caracas (news24.com) Protesters clashed with police in Venezuela on Tuesday as the opposition mobilised against moves to tighten President Nicolas Maduro’s grip on power and vowed to continue demonstrations.
Nine protesters were injured, including one who was shot in the leg, said Ramon Muchacho, mayor of one of Caracas’s districts. None of the injuries were life-threatening, he said.
Protesters hurled stones at riot police, who fired tear gas as they blocked the demonstrators from advancing along Libertador Avenue through central Caracas, where pro-government activists also marched.
An estimated 1 000 people tried to march to the National Assembly to demand the government restore powers to its opposition majority. Lawmakers were among the marchers.
(AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Maduro said that the demonstration was aimed at fostering violence in the country.
“Today, they tried to fill the streets of Venezuela with violence and blood,” said the president, speaking from the southern state Apure.
“I can say now… that peace triumphed in Caracas and in Venezuela,” he said.
The opposition called for new protests on Thursday.
“We’re going to continue to fill the streets to defend democracy and the right to vote,” Julio Borges, National Assembly president and a long-time opposition leader, told reporters.
The majority opposition also announced it would take steps Wednesday in the legislature to fire Supreme Court justices.
Supreme Court president Maikel Moreno dismissed their chance of success, insisting the legislature “lacks legality and legitimacy.”
A move by the top court last week to take over the legislature’s powers sparked international condemnation.
The United States and other powers backed the opposition’s calls for the government to allow timely elections and release political prisoners.
The court later backtracked on its move, but the opposition pressed ahead with calls for demonstrations.
The head of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, condemned the crackdown “in the strongest terms,” branding it “brutal repression.”
“I am once again obliged to demand that the Venezuelan government immediately stop violating the rule of law, reestablish democracy, recognize the civil and political liberties of the people, and immediately end this repression,” Almagro said.
(AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Borges, and former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles, were among the opposition protesters who felt the sting of police tear gas Tuesday.
“This is how they show disrespect for people sworn in as lawmakers,” Borges said on Twitter. “Lawmakers assaulted on Libertador Avenue as we headed in to hold a session.”
Lilian Tintori, wife of jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, told reporters: “They used tear gas bombs against us. It was like war.
“Venezuela is in the grips of a dictatorship but we are going to free it.”
The center-right opposition wants to remove the socialist president from office, blaming him for an economic crisis that has caused food shortages in the oil-rich nation.
Maduro says the crisis is the result of a capitalist conspiracy. The opposition has urged the military to drop its support for him, but so far he still has the public backing of the high command.
“We want liberty in Venezuela. This is a dictatorship,” 56-year-old nurse Maria Gonzalez yelled at police.
“Soon there will be no more food. Is that what you want for your children?”
In the pro-government march, thousands of people denounced the Organization of American States for criticizing the Venezuelan government over the court move.
“We support Maduro against these attacks, which seek to carry out a coup d’etat,” said another demonstrator, Angelo Olivo.
Hospira's current facilities are in Global Park, in Barreal de Heredia. In 2010, the company announced another expansion of its operations in Costa Rica. (File / Ileana Arauz)
Hospira’s current facilities are in Global Park, in Barreal de Heredia. Photo Ileana Arauz, La Nacion
Q COSTA RICA – Hospira, the larqest producer of generic injectable pharmaceuticals in the world, confirmed that it will gradually close its manufacturing plant in the Dominican Republic and that it will move most of these operations to its plant in Costa Rica, located in Global Park, in Barreal of Heredia.
La Nacion says the company confirmed to it the move, in a response to a questionnaire, but it did not provide the reason for the transfer, nor did it give figures of the number of new jobs it will create in Costa Rica.
La Nacion (Nacion.com) reports …”Today we report that after careful analysis of product volume and global manufacturing capabilities, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue manufacturing operations in the Dominican Republic and transfer most of the operations to the plant in Costa Rica.”
The closing down of the Dominican Republic plant and transfer of operations to Costa Rica is expected to be complete in the fourth quarter of 2017. “There will be a number of employees continuing through the next few months as the plant gradually transfers product lines and related systems,” said the company.
Rumors of the Hospira move away from the Dominican Republic and its move to Costa Rica began last month, but it wasn’t until March 30 that the Asociación Dominicana de Zonas Francas (Adozona) confirmed the leaving of Hospira, according to a publication in the Diario Libre.
Hospira has been present in Costa Rica since 1999, when it was part of Abbott Laboratories. In 2004, the company assumed the Hospira name as it became independent of Abbot.
In January 2007, Hospira moved some of its Ireland operations to Costa Rica, in order to save costs and take advantage of the productive capacity of its Global Park industrial park plant.
On September 2015, Hospira was acquired by Pfizer, who also has a presence in the country.
In October 2016, Pfizer inaugurated its new facilities for the Global Finance Shared Services Center, as part of the company’s growing process. The Finance Services Center, is located in Avenida Escazu, currently employs about 200 people to support the Latina American, United States, Canadian and European markets.
Yuli and Eduar of the 51st Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) eat at a camp in Cordillera Oriental, Colombia, August 16, 2016. Picture taken August 16, 2016. REUTERS/John Vizcaino - RTX2N6TF
Yuli and Eduar of the 51st Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) eat at a camp in Cordillera Oriental, Colombia, August 16, 2016. Picture taken August 16, 2016. REUTERS/John Vizcaino – RTX2N6TF
But less attention has been paid to the FARC’s internal challenges as this half-century-old Marxist insurgency decommissions its fighters and transitions into peace. Such dynamics are important. For Colombia’s peace to stick, this violent rebel group must successfully become an officially sanctioned political actor.
The FARC now finds itself in the midst of a deep transformation that will alter who it is, how it sees itself and what it does. And while its commanders seem to have a clear political vision for its future, the path there is fraught.
Making friends, gaining influence
As a political party, these consummate political outsiders will have to establish dialogue with other parties and social movements. At the moment, this is difficult to envision. Negotiations with the the FARC faced stiff opposition, and the organisation still features on the US terrorist watchlist.
Today, no politician dares to suggest an alliance. But in the long run, such domestic relationship-building seems both necessary and probable. Most likely, the FARC will seek to build ties with Colombia’s leftist national parties and social movements, as it has done in the past.
In the 1980s, negotiations with the FARC and other rebels resulted in the Patriotic Union, a big-tent leftist political party.
Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos (left) with the FARC leader known as Timochenko. Jaime Saldarriaga/Reuters
Still, whether the reinvented FARC will be allowed access to the highest spheres of national political power remains questionable. Will Colombia’s political establishment accept these fighters-turned-politicians?
In the 1980s and 1990s, more than 3,000 Patriotic Union representatives were assassinated, including presidential candidate Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa. That is hardly ancient history.
Persistent social hierarchies
Will all FARC militants transform along with the organisation? Its leadership seems to have a clear vision of the group’s political future; it will become a political party, name to be determined.
But not all members will benefit similarly from this new reality. The FARC is heterogeneous, much more so than most Colombians believe. The relatively high female participation rate (around 40% are women) has attracted the most public attention.
But the FARC is also diverse in terms of ethnicity, age, education level and social origins. Some members are college graduates from middle-class homes who have been in the group for decades; others are poor teenagers who joined a few years back. Like Colombian society, the FARC’s fighters are Afro-Colombian, indigenous, white and mixed-race.
Its leadership is less so. Like any social group, the FARC’s internal power relations reproduce the social hierarchy of the outside world. From head negotiator Ivan Marquez to FARC top general, Timochenko, the FARC’s highest-ranking, most publicly visible officials are largely white and male.
FARC troops are a diverse bunch, but not so much the commanders who led negotiations with the government. Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters
The FARC claims to be a revolutionary movement, in which historical social relations of powers are abolished, or at least reinvented. And it’s true that the group was able to overcome much of the social discrimination that is so deeply institutionalised in Colombian society. But this is only up to a point.
The gender subcommittee of the peace negotiations, established in September 2014 after pressure from women’s groups and international organisations, represented an opportunity for learning and leadership for female FARC fighters. Victoria Sandino, the FARC delegation’s subcommittee chairwoman, stepped out of the shadows to become a prominent figure within the guerrilla group. She is now one of the principal spokespersons of what the FARC is calling “insurgent feminism” – a set of collective anti-patriarchal, anti-racist and anti-classist practices built from the lived experience of female FARC fighters.
The experience of negotiation with political actors from different countries and ideologies shows how exchanges might contribute to mutual learning and help guide the deep transformation underway within the guerrilla group.
And as a political party, the FARC will likely seek to create new opportunities for political participation of its rank-and-file members belonging to other minority groups as well. Colombia has high rates of social marginalisation based on race, class and gender, and as its solders become civilians, the reintegration process is likely to highlight, and maybe reinforce, inequalities that were less visible when the FARC was a military organisation.
Now that the group will not be the sole provider of material support to its members, it is foreseeable that high-ranking former combatants with a diploma and family support will be better able to navigate the postwar period than their less privileged peers. How will the group’s foot soldiers fare in terms of job opportunities and political participation after the peace process?
Experience from other countries’ transitions out of armed conflict shows that decommissioned soldiers who are not well trained for a new career or supported sufficiently during their transition are more likely to rejoin armed militancy. The persistence of of paramilitary groups in Colombia suggests that some former fighters of the Colombian armed conflict may not be ready to lay down arms.
The end of one of the longest-standing guerrilla insurgencies in contemporary world history does not mean the end of armed violence in Colombia. And as the FARC prepares to reconstitute itself as a political party, all potential spoilers to the peace process – both outside of FARC’s control and those well within its mandate – must be soundly considered.
Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa (L) and Presidential candidate Lenin Moreno greet supporters. REUTERS/Mariana Bazo
Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa (L) and Presidential candidate Lenin Moreno greet supporters. REUTERS/Mariana Bazo
(Q24N) After 10 years in power, Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa will step down. However, political power isn’t falling far from the tree. Correa’s hand-picked successor and former vice president, Lenin Moreno, has declared victory against liberal banker Guillermo Lasso.
The election has calmed fears that Correa might attempt to cling to the office after he changed the constitution in 2015 to allow for his permanent reelection.
However, Moreno’s election lacks legitimacy for about half of the electorate amid allegations of electoral fraud. To make matters worse, he won in an unfair electoral field. Correa and his party, Alianza País, used their power as elected officials to campaign for Moreno. State-controlled media blatantly favored Moreno. His party intimidated the opposition and even used thugs to attack Lasso.
They branded Lasso as a corrupt banker who would roll back social policies designed to reduce inequality and bring back the free-market past. He was portrayed as an enemy of the common people, and as a representative of the Latin American right that aimed to reverse social policies that benefited the poor. Correa constructed the election as a vote on the legacies of his administration, and more broadly on the sustainability of a political “left turn” in Latin America.
Other recent elections show evidence of a shift to the right in Latin American politics. For example, the election of President Mauricio Macri in Argentina, the transfer of power to Michel Temer in Brazil and the election of Pedro Pablo Kuczynski in Peru.
Lasso was supported by right- and left-wing parties and some social movement leaders who were the victims of Correa’s administration. For Lasso’s supporters, the contest was between Correa’s autocracy and the promise of the liberalization and democratization of Ecuador.
Rafael Correa’s populism
Correa was first elected in 2006 after running against Ecuador’s political and economic establishment. To reverse privatization and shrinking of the state, he strengthened the state and used it to reduce poverty and inequality.
Rafael Correa campaigning at a political rally in Zumbahua, Ecuador in 2006. REUTERS/Guillermo Granja
Word Bank data show that the number of people living under the national poverty line in Ecuador was reduced from 37.6 percent in 2006 to 23.3 percent in 2015.
Alianza País wanted to rule until they achieved their long-term project of revamping all political institutions. They wanted to transform the nation’s model of political and economic development from what they saw as a bourgeois democracy into a real democracy with equity and social justice. Correa claimed to be the leader of a “citizens’ revolution” tasked with bringing Ecuador to its second and definitive independence from foreign domination and anti-national elites.
Like Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez and other populists, Correa saw the people as a homogeneous entity with one interest and will embodied under his leadership. For example, after wining the 2009 election he asserted that “Ecuador voted for itself.” Correa believed he was the only voice of the people. He branded his rivals as enemies of the nation and his citizens’ revolution. Dissent even within his left-wing coalition was interpreted as treason, and Correa used discretion in enforcing laws to intimidate and repress independent social movements and his left-wing critics.
But Correa’s state-centered model of development fell into jeopardy. The price of oil, which accounts for 58 percent of Ecuador’s exports, collapsed. Ecuador developed a bloated bureaucracy and began overspending without saving for times of economic scarcity. He faced massive demonstrations against his intention to indefinitely remain in power. In 2016, Correa announced he would temporarily step down from politics, named Moreno as his successor and promised to come back in 2021.
The end of ‘correismo’?
Lenin Moreno will inherit institutions designed for autocratic control of the public sphere and civil society. His party controls the congress, the judiciary, the electoral council and all institutions of accountability like the comptroller and the ombudsman.
Correa took over media outlets and formed a state media emporium. He regulated and closed NGOs, and formed loyal social movements.
But Moreno lacks Correa’s charisma. In my opinion, he will have difficulty controlling the different factions of Alianza País made up of left-wing activists, technocrats, businesspeople and traditional politicians. This is especially true since Correa might actually encourage clashes within the coalition to set himself up as the ultimate deal maker. He might try to dictate to Moreno how to govern. Yet, it is uncertain that Moreno would become his puppet, and quite likely he would have his own agenda and ambitions that could clash with his mentor’s.
Moreno may also face an opposition emboldened by the tight race and allegations of electoral fraud. Perhaps he’ll follow the example of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the handpicked successor to Hugo Chávez. In the absence of Chavez’s charisma, Maduro has turned to an autocratic approach to silence critics. He has jailed members of the opposition and repressed protests. Venezuela is now in crisis.
Moreno will also confront increasing resistance to natural resource extraction from indigenous people, increasing protests against corruption and his election.
The Ecuadorian elections show the perils of populist succession. In order to win, Correa and Moreno used the state and the media, and packed cronies in the electoral council. Even though Moreno won, he lacks legitimacy. Accusations of fraud will haunt his administration.
There are signs that North Korea is hacking banks worldwide, including Costa Rica
There are signs that North Korea is hacking banks worldwide, including Costa Rica
Q COSTA RICA – North Korea’s hacking operations are growing and getting more bold, increasingly targeting financial institutions worldwide, now linked to attacks on banks in 18 countries, including Costa Rica.
According to a new report from Russian multinational cybersecurity and anti-virus provider Kaspersky, the same hacking operation (cyber-heists) – known as “Lazarus” – attempted on financial institutions in Bangladesh, Ecuador, the Philippines and Vietnam also attacked financial institutions in Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Gabon, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Poland, Taiwan, Thailand, and Uruguay.
Kaspersky researchers say the hackers can be traced back to North Korea.
To hide their location, Kaspersky says the Lazarus hackers carefully routed their signal through France, South Korea and Taiwan to set up that attack server.
“But there was apparently one mistake spotted by Kaspersky: A connection that briefly came from North Korea,” reports CNN. “North Korea is a very important part of this equation,” said Vitaly Kamluk, who leads Kaspersky’s Asia-Pacific research team.
The Q was not able to confirm if Costa Rica’s financial institutions were actually attacked, and if so, to what extent.
Emails to the Ministry of Finance (Ministerio de Hacienda) have gone unanswered.
Q24n (edited) – Costa Rica has a lot to offer expats. Are you looking for a low cost of living? Check. Are you looking for fabulous beaches and beautiful weather? Check. Need some cheap real estate? Check. The list can continue for days.
However, one of the biggest benefits that are not talked about often is the quality of healthcare. Expats, retirees, and business owners are realizing that they can get healthcare that is comparable to the United States at a fraction of the cost. Couple this with some of the best nurse practitioners and medical experts in the world living and working on this tropical land*, and you will begin to see that Cost Rica has an attitude about health care that is refreshing.
(*The word island was replaced with land in the above paragraph, see the comments section below for an explanation the original use of island instead of land.)
The rising price of health care in the United States and the continuous political debates about medical care has helped Costa Rica emerge as an affordable and easily accessible health care alternative for expats from around the world.
Most of the doctors and BSN to DNP online professionals graduated from schools located in the US, Europe or Canada. They use all the latest techniques in their practices, and all of the clinics and hospitals are equipped with the same tools you would see in the UK or the States.
Two Health Care Systems
There are two different health care systems in Costa Rica. These systems work together. All of the country’s citizens and the legal residents have access to health care that is managed by the government. This system is called Caja.
Expats who are interested in moving to the island after retirement would only need to have a verified source of income totaling $1,000. This income can come from pension, disability, or Social Security. This would allow them to qualify for retiree (pensionado) residency status. After this, their spouse will be able to join their health care plan. A low fee is paid every month and it is based on income.
The Drawbacks
No health care system is perfect, and even with all of the beauty that surrounds you in Costa Rica, there are drawbacks to receiving medical care. The number one complaint is the waiting time. Even though you may have a scheduled appointment that was set by a nurse practitioner doctorate degree professional, you may still have to wait months for MRIs and other diagnostic tests. Non-emergency surgery has the same protocol.
Another drawback is the language barrier. Although most doctors and nurses speak fluent English, the administrative staff may not. This can be frustrating if you are trying to get directions to a clinic or get a follow up after a test.
Affordable Procedures
With the drawbacks, there are some positive aspects. For example, an ultrasound generally costs around $70, while in the United States it can cost five times that amount. Surgeries may cost a third of what they do in the United States and this is the main reason why Costa Rica has become one of the top destinations for medical and cosmetic treatments in the world.
If you enjoy the expat lifestyle, add Costa Rica to your list if you have not already. This tropical paradise is highly competitive with some of the best health care in the world.
Divorce can create an unstable home life in which the kids' needs are no longer the priority. Image from Thinkstock
Divorce can create an unstable home life in which the kids’ needs are no longer the priority. Image from Thinkstock
Q24n – An annulment is a process that ends a marriage. It is a legal process that is like divorce, but there is a major difference. If a court grants a divorce, it is considered the dissolution of a marriage. An annulment means that not only are the two people no longer married in the eyes of the court, the marriage never existed.
In other words, the judicial system will be saying that the marriage should have never occurred.
Are There Legal Reasons for an Annulment?
For a spouse or couple to get an annulment, the marriage must be eligible to be ‘voided’. This means that a marriage that is void is invalid because its basis is illegal.
The most classic examples of these types of marriages are cases that involve bigamy or incest. Bigamy means that a person marries someone while they are still married to another person. A marriage that is incestuous is invalid in the entire country because it is a marriage of two people who are very closely related.
These situations can be difficult for children to understand and even more difficult for adults to explain. It is common for the court system to appoint a Rutgers Online social worker graduate to help children understand the process and encourage them to talk about their feelings.
A marriage can legally exist and still be considered voidable. In a situation like this, even having the marriage annulled does not terminate the relationship automatically. A spouse must file the action for annulment with the court system. The annulment action will request termination of the marriage.
What are the Effects of an Annulment?
In most cases, where the marriage was short-lived, each partner can go their separate ways after the judge has granted the annulment. However, it is much more complicated if these spouses are expats with children in Costa Rica.
Even if the court grants the annulment, it will not handle issues such as child custody, child visitation, and child support. The family may have a masters of social work online graduate and a mediator assigned to their case to help them with these issues. Issues of spousal support and the division of real estate will also need to be discussed. The division of property can be especially delicate if property has been purchased in Costa Rica.
Regardless of whether it is a divorce or annulment, the welfare of any minor children will take precedence of other issues like spousal support. Also, just because a marriage may be annulled, that action will not negate the legitimacy of any children the couple share.
Other Points to Consider
Neither partner can change their minds about getting the annulment after learning about some of the reasons the marriage could be granted an annulment.
Also, after an annulment, spouses lose any rights they may have had to an inheritance through the other spouse. However, this law can vary between jurisdictions.
Annulments can be complicated, especially if you are temporarily living in another country as an expat. An online MSW degree professional can help the entire family move past this difficult part of their lives.
A close and personal look into the Poas volcano. The colossus had an eruption over the weekend, after months of relative calm
A close and personal look into the Poas volcano. The colossus had an eruption over the weekend, after months of relative calm
Q COSTA RICA – After several months of relative calm, the Poas Volcano is acting up again, with a small groundwater and ash discharge.
Volcanologists Gino González and Yemerith Alpízar of Volcanes Sin Fronteras (Volcanos Without Borders) visited the colossus over the weekend and reported the reactivation after the volcano had remained relatively calm for eight months. A similar activity was recorded in 2013.
Specialists say theywere in the southwestern sector of the colossal crater where they found that the lagoon increased its temperature by 3 degrees Celsius compared to last month. The lagoon temperature is now 38 Celsius (100 Fahrenheit).
They also found that the lake has a gray color with sulfur floating in several sectors, with very acidic gases that forced the use of special masks. For now there is no presence of magma.
The ash from Poas is quite different from the ash spewed by the Turrialba, whose ash emanations are not acidic.
The Poas, located in the province of Alajuela, a stone’s throw if you will, from the San Jose airport, has a phreatic activity, which is water and hot gases, without direct magma. This is in contrast to the Cartago volcano, the Turrialba.
Will the Poas behave like the Turrialba? For now, experts say the colossi have a distinc activity.
Experts says they will continue with constant monitoring of the Poas, a major tourist destination in the Central Valley and that visitors should not be surprised if they feel the gases and the strong smell, which can mean shorter times in the lookout point.
Poas national park officials, where the volcano is located, also call on visitors to not use unauthorized trails – such as access by the Bajo del Toro – located on the west wall of the volcano, where the increased activity has occurred.
“It’s a dangerous, very fractured road – this weekend’s eruption – spewed ash and can affect those who walk there, the recommendation is that they better not do it,” Gonzalez said.
Important to note, Costa Rica DOES NOT have Yellow Fever. A vaccine is only needed to enter Costa Rica if you arriving from Colombia or an affected country.
Q TRAVEL (EDITED) The other day I got a call I have gotten many times before, a friend asking if a friend who will be travelling to Colombia in the coming weeks needs the yellow fever vaccine.
The friend of the friend is European with residency in Costa Rica. His travel plans are to leave San Jose, land in Bogota where he will stay for some time and then home to Europe. His return trip to Costa Rica is by way of Colombia.
But this applies to anyone who travels to Costa Rica by way of Colombia. Or, as it has been in some cases, their passport indicates they have been in Colombia recently. It is all up to the immigration official on entering Costa Rica.
Does he need the yellow fever and why?
What’s the process?
What happens if he doesn’t have it, can he get back in to Costa Rica?
Where does he get the shot in Costa Rica?
And finally, can he get it in Colombia?
A lot of questions packed into a short telephone conversation.
Basically, since he is not a Costa Rican national (citizen with a cedula – residency is not the same as citizenship) and will be travelling back to Costa Rica by way of Colombia, he needs proof of the yellow fever, and that it was administered at least 10 days prior to his arrival in Costa Rica.
Although the vaccine is much cheaper in Colombia, one you will need the time in Colombia to satisfy the 10 day rule and for first time travellers to the South American country and especially for those who don’t speak much Spanish, better to pay the higher price in Costa Rica than adventure it.
Travelling to Costa Rica from Colombia requires the yellow fever vaccine
At the Bogota airport there are friendly people who will help in where to get the shot, in other places it may not be as easy, given that English in Colombia is not, like in Costa Rica, a priority language.
FYI,in Colombia, the Cruz Roja (Red Cross) administers the shot and provides the corresponding certificate. In Costa Rica, you get the vaccine at the local pharmacy.
Editor’s note. The original report featured a great article that has since been removed because the author felt “it not appropriate with or without credit” us sharing it here.
You can read the article “Colombia to Costa Rica – The Yellow Fever Adventure We Didn’t Plan For” at Livingthedreamrtw.com
Important to note, Costa Rica DOES NOT have Yellow Fever. A vaccine is only needed to enter Costa Rica if you arriving from Colombia or an affected country.
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Have you ever had any problem with entering Costa Rica for not having the Yellow Fever vaccine? If so, comment below or to our official Facebook page.
Chef Siles spoke about available local fish, fruits and vegetables in Costa Rica and substitutes that anyone can find in their own marketplace while we chopped away for the recipes on the menu.
Farm to table was a way of life here
Q TRAVEL (Greenwithrenvy.com) Costa Rica was most probably the first destination to come onto the eco-friendly radar. Long known for offering all levels of sustainable tourism, the phrase Pura Vida or pure life weaves a web throughout the country’s culture and lifestyle.
While it might not currently register as a foodie destination, that my friends is quickly changing. I recently had the opportunity to talk food and indigenous ingredients when I was invited to Cook Like a Tico with Costa Rica’s Gastronomic Chef Ambassador for Sustainable and Healthy Plan, Randy Siles.
Chef Siles has been busy traversing the globe, surprising guests like myself with innovative recipes that highlight the sustainable food chain in Costa Rica.
Farm to table was a way of life here long before it became a phrase in the popular eco friendly lexicon. Locals in this country make daily trips to the bakery. Farmer’s markets are common shopping destinations to get the freshest ingredients. You are probably acquainted with the rich and aromatic Costa Rican coffee and the brewing vehicle, known as chorreardores. What are the other indigenous ingredients you’ll find in this Central American country? Dig a bit deeper and you’ll find plenty more than rice and beans.
Chef Randy Siles, Lisa Falso, Supervisor of Culinary Programs at Boston University and students.
When you are bordered on one side by the Caribbean and the other by the Atlantic ocean, rest assured there will be plenty of seafood on the menu. Casado. Mahi-mahi, red snapper, sea bass and tuna are all very common. You’ll also find fresh lobster, clams, calamari and crab, all mainstays that the Caribbean waters are known for.
I discovered how fertile volcanic soil allows for sustainable methods of farming on my recent trip to the Azores. A warmer climate in Costa Rica combined with the rich soil enhances the agricultural methods even further, allowing for a much wider variety of ingredients.
While bananas, pineapples and watermelon might be the countries largest exports, farmer’s markets will offer a dizzying selection of giant green avocados, mangoes, tamarind, lychees, guava, and golden Peruvian brown cherries, looking a bit like tomatillos in their pods. Pear squash, peach palm fruit, mangosteens, star fruit, passion fruit, noni, lemandarina and coconuts are also part of the picture in season.
Hungry yet?
Start to Cook Like a Tico.
Chef Siles spoke about available local fish, fruits and vegetables in Costa Rica and substitutes that anyone can find in their own marketplace while we chopped away for the recipes on the menu.
Landslides have killed at least 206 people in south-west Colombia and left many more injured, aid officials say.
Hours of heavy rains overnight caused rivers to burst their banks, flooding homes with mud in Putumayo province.
The Cruz Roja (Red Cross) said that at least 220 were missing, and another 202 were injured.
President Juan Manuel Santos, who travelled to the area, said troops had been deployed as part of a national emergency response.
From El Tiempo
He declared a state of emergency in the region.
Reuters news agency said more than 1,100 soldiers and police officers had joined the rescue effort. One army officer said the main local hospital was struggling to cope.
‘The river has got us, help us please’
The region’s governor, Sorrel Aroca, told Colombian media that whole neighbourhoods had been buried.
Rescue services said their efforts had been hampered by continuing bad weather and damaged infrastructure.
From El Tiempo
“There are mobility issues on almost 80% of the roads, and from where the road ends, it is three hours to where the landslide took place,” said one police officer.
Bridges have also been swept away.
Jose Antonio Castro, mayor of the provincial capital Mocoa, told Caracol radio that the town was “totally isolated”, without electricity and water.
From El Tiempo
On arriving at the scene, President Santos told reporters, “My heart and the hearts of all Colombians are with the victims of this tragedy.”
An alarm had sounded as the river’s levels rose, leading many people to leave their homes for shelter, and avoiding wider loss of life, Colombia’s El Tiempo newspaper said.
The mudslides were caused by the rise of the Mocoa river and three tributaries, a representative of the National Disaster Risk Management Unit told AFP news agency.
Rescue services said 17 neighbourhoods had been affected and Mr Castro said his own house had also been destroyed.
“The mud is up to the roof,” he told Caracol radio.
The region, bordering Ecuador and Peru, is heavily dependent on agriculture and the petroleum industry.
While landslides and heavy rains are common in the mountainous area, March was Colombia’s rainiest month since 2011, according to the state meteorological agency.
In neighbouring Peru, more than 90 people have died since the start of the year because of unusually heavy rainfall, which also caused landslides and flash floods.
Antonio Alvarez Desanti, the PLN candidate for the 2018 presidential elections
Antonio Alvarez Desanti, the PLN candidate for the 2018 presidential elections
Q COSTA RICA – After a short but intense campaign, on Sunday the Partido Liberacion Nacional (PLN) held its convention to elect a candidate for the 2018 presidential elections.
Although voting ended by 6:00pm Sunday night, the definitive, but not final, results weren’t available until a few minutes before noon on Monday, leaving both the leading candidates, Antonio Alvarez Desanti and former President Jose Maria Figueres Olsen (1994-1998) , and the some 500,000 PLN’ers who voted on Sunday, in total suspense.
With only 30% of the votes manually counted, Alvarez, with 45.5% of the popular vote, maintained his lead over Figueres with 38.9%. The 11:45am results weren’t much different from the results at 3:36am.
Shortly before noon, with only 30% of the votes counted, former President Jose Maria Figueres Olsen conceded the PLN 2018 presidential nomination to Alvarez
Minutes later, in a press conference, Figueres, who returned to Costa Rica in November 2011, after living in Europe for almost a decade, with the purpose of reentering national politics, accepted defeat.
“I consider this campaign at a close. Liberacion has chosen don Antonio Alvarez Desanti, I congratulate him. We gave put all our meant on the grill (sic). One the PLN is able to carry out a campaign like this,” said Figueres.
At 5:00 am Monday morning the voting ballots continued to pour in at Balcon Verde in La Sabana, for a manual count of almost 500,000 votes cast the day before
Late last evening Figueres was quoted as saying, “tomorrow we win”.
This morning, Alvarez, although clearly demonstrating his dissatisfaction with the process – the slow vote count and the fact that PLN internal elections committee had decided to call it a night around 2:00am, leaving the candidates, the voters and the public in general in total suspense.
In an early morning statement to the press carried live on the morning news, Alvarez said he was satisfied after the elections committee decided to accede to his request to work through the night and the addition of scrutinizers during the manual vote count. This last point led Alvarez to later retract is accusation of “voter fraud”.
When his communication chief, Roberto Gallardo, announced that Figueres was recognizing his defeat, Alvarez asked the press for privacy to listen to his opponent’s press conference and announced that he would be giving his victory speech at 4:00pm today.
TODAY VENEZUELA, by Insightcrime.org Venezuela Investigative Unit – Venezuela’s highest court has stripped the opposition-led National Assembly of its legislative duties, a sign the government is intent on consolidating power even as the country slips further into chaos, and crime and violence reach unprecedented levels.
Venezuela’s Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo de Justicia – TSJ) announced on March 29 that it has taken over the National Assembly’s responsibilities. The court declared the Assembly to be in “contempt” last December because it had sworn in three representatives from the states of Amazonas who were accused of voter fraud.
“While the situation persists of contempt and the invalidity of the National Assembly’s actions, this Constitutional Court will guarantee that the parliamentary responsibilities be exercised by the Court or the organ that it chooses, in order to preserve the rule of law,” the announcement reads.
A manager counts the incoming cash of the day at a bakery in Caracas, Venezuela, on Oct. 16, 2016. Photographer: Manaure Quintero/Bloomberg
Opposition lawmakers sharply criticized the move, saying it is another indication of President Nicolás Maduro’s intention to undermine the country’s democratic foundations.
“This [is an] unconstitutional decision that we reject … [and it] is another step in the dismantling of Venezuela’s democracry,” the coalition of opposition groups known as the Democratic Unity Roundtable said in a statement, according to Reuters.
The TSJ’s controversial decision came one day after the Organization of American States (OAS) convened a meeting to discuss potential solutions to the political and economic crisis in Venezuela. The meeting was held at the request of 18 member states, and came just days after OAS President Luis Almagro wrote a searing indictment of the Maduro administration.
“The rule of law is not in force in Venezuela. It has been eliminated by a judicial branch completely controlled by the executive branch,” Almagro said in the March 14 report (pdf). “Today in Venezuela, no citizen has the possibility of exercising their rights. If the government wants to incarcerate them, it does so. If it wants to torture them, it tortures them … The citizens have been left completely at the mercy of an authoritative regime that denies their most basic rights.”
A bakery manager weighs banknotes in Caracas. Photographer: Manaure Quintero/Bloomberg
The Maduro administration is fortifying its control over all branches of government, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that the government is unable to maintain order. Chronic shortages have left pantry shelves bare and medicine cabinets empty, while runaway inflation has turned the currency into something to be weighed rather than counted.
As Venezuela’s economic crisis grinds on, the government’s failures are no less apparent on the security front. The number of common crimes reported to the authorities rose 400 percent between 2014 and 2015, and criminal groups known as “megabandas” have become larger and more organized. Venezuela’s homicide rate, consistently one of the highest in Latin America, continues to climb. Growing frustration over the rise in crime and general lawlessness can be seen in the huge jump in reported cases of mob lynchings last year.
“Only the people can save the people.”
The government’s heavy-handed response to the security crisis has only exacerbated it. Human rights groups say an anti-crime campaign launched in July 2015, has led to widespread human rights violations and extrajudicial killings. Maduro announced a new package of security measures in January that included arming civilians, a tacit admission that the crackdown had failed.
“Only the people can save the people,” the president said.
Meanwhile, officials have essentially abdicated responsibility of running the country’s prisons to criminal bosses known as “pranes,” which has led to flare-ups of violence inside the jails. Clashes between rival pranes preceded the recent discovery of a mass grave believed to hold the remains of over 100 people at a prison in the northern state of Guarico.
The government’s ineptitude has been compounded by widespread corruption. An Associated Press report from last December found that the military, long suspected of having deep ties to the country’s cocaine trade, has turned to food trafficking while much of the population goes hungry. Officials have also used import schemes to siphon off billions of dollars from the treasury at a time when the government is nearly bankrupt.
As Venezuela comes apart at the seams, it appears the Maduro administration believes the best way to maintain its hold on power is to usurp it from one of the few institutions left to challenge its authority.
The timing of the TSJ ruling was probably not coincidental. Venezuela has made a habit of thumbing its nose at the international community when it takes a public stance against it. The most striking example came last August, when the US government unsealed an indictment against a former top Venezuelan official on drug-related charges. The next day, President Maduro named the blacklisted official as his new interior minister.
Article originally appeared on Insightcrime.org and is reposted here with permission.
A coca farmer in Columbia with his crop. Photo Phil Chan/Flickr
TODAY COLOMBIA – InSight Crime takes a closer look at shifts in coca cultivation trends in 19 of Colombia’s departments based on the most recent US estimates, shedding light on the different dynamics on the ground as the country’s cocaine production hits a historic high.
New US government figures obtained by InSight Crime place Colombia’s embattled Pacific department of Nariño as the number one coca crop cultivator in all of Colombia, taking over the top spot from the department of Norte de Santander on the Venezuelan border.
Nariño, which was the third-largest cultivator in 2015, saw a 52 percent increase in estimated coca hectares in 2016 to a total of 39,500 hectares. This represents 21 percent of the national total, which itself increased by almost a fifth in 2016 to over 188,000 hectares.
The top cocaine producer in 2016, however, is Cauca, Nariño’s neighbour on the Pacific coast. Together, these two Pacific departments alone produced an estimated 300 metric tons of cocaine, or over 40 percent of the national total.
This historic peak in Colombia’s cocaine trade has responded to the individual realities of the country’s diverse regions. But this development will pose similar obstacles to building peace on the ground as the nation transitions into a new phase of its decades-long armed conflict.
The past year has seen Colombia’s top coca-producing department, Nariño, plunge into an all-out battle over its extremely valuable drug real estate. Aside from its abundant coca fields, the region’s intricate network of rivers, hundreds of drug production laboratories and long stretch of Pacific coastline contribute to its role as a launch pad for drugs heading to the United States.
These factors have made Nariño prize territory for criminal groups looking to expand their influence and earnings. While for years this area and its criminal economies were under the tight control of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – FARC), the withdrawal of the rebels following the signing of a historic peace deal with the Colombian government has left much of this strategic turf up for grabs. Powerful national organizations as well as newer groups, some of which have defected from the FARC, are now taking advantage of the guerrillas’ demobilization to take power.
One of the factors pushing up coca production in places like Nariño and neighboring Cauca is that criminal actors have been pressuring coca farmers to plant more crops. In the case of the FARC, it has been speculated that the guerrillas encouraged ramping up cultivation in order to accumulate funds in anticipation of their eventual demobilization.
A steep drop in both aerial and manual eradication nationwide — from a peak of 230,000 hectares in 2008 to less than 18,000 hectares in 2016 — has also reduced the perceived risk by farmers, increasing the incentive to grow.
Another crucial issue facilitating drug proliferation in places like Nariño and Cauca is the fact that a huge amount of crops are located in protected territories such as indigenous reserves. Here, forced eradication is harder as authorities face a greater number of obstacles to operate.
One region with many attractive characteristics for drug trafficking that surprisingly has not seen coca production surge as much as in other departments is Valle del Cauca.
Also on the Pacific, it has similar qualities as Nariño and is home to one of the busiest ports in the country. That Valle has not seen an explosion in coca could be at least partly explained by the fact that the area where most of the drug crop is concentrated — Buenaventura municipality — has not been prioritized for “post-conflict” development projects. These will aim to create new economic opportunities in places historically affected by the conflict, and it has been suggested that armed groups have been encouraging farmers to plant more coca in order to receive such benefits. Yet, in the absence of such promises, this is less likely to be a factor.
In Chocó, the control of armed actors in rural communities has perhaps had a more inhibitory effect on the coca industry, and cultivation estimates decreased slightly in 2016 despite a 44 percent rise the year before. Parts of this department are currently in the grip of a heavy dispute between illegal groups looking to expand. This has possibly destabilized the drug trade enough to halt a growth in crop farming, the seeds for which are often provided by the local armed actors themselves.
As InSight Crime has noted, Colombia’s Pacific coast may be gaining importance in the international drug trade, a trend that will likely be fuelled by the overall growth in coca production.
A somewhat different trend can be seen in Antioquia, where coca dynamics have been closely linked to the gold industry. The region saw many coca farmers turn to mining as international gold prices soared after 2008, while the state focused more on battling the illegal drug trade. Now, the process has been reversed, with the region seeing an increasingly steep rise in coca since the gold market plummeted in value and the state began an intense crack down on informal mining.
Another area to keep an eye on is the Eastern Plains, which include the Meta, Arauca, Casanare and Vichada departments, all of which saw big increases in estimated coca production, according to the United States. In contrast, 2015 data from the United Nations — which is used by the Colombian government — shows that this region has experienced a significant downward trend in cultivations over the past several years. The Urabeños organization appears to be making a greater push into this coveted drug trafficking hub, which is home to several criminal networks.
It should be noted that the US estimates appear to contain some discrepancies. Cauca, for example, produces more cocaine than other departments with more coca crops, while Putumayo saw estimated cocaine production increase despite a drop in coca cultivations in the same year, according to the US data.
One possible reason for this is the differing levels of crop maturity in each region. Plants produce more cocaine when they have more time to grow. Thus it is possible that the US figures were adjusted to account for this. The United States may be also taking into account techniques implemented by drug producers to boost the cocaine yield of coca leaves.
Indeed, Colombian criminals have become so adept at optimizing productivity that they may even be sharing such strategies with other Andean countries.
Article originally appeared on Insightcrime.org and is repubished here with permission.
he Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) which has favored Nicolas Maduro’s regime through its Constitutional Chamber, ruled that the National Assembly -with an opposition majority- will no longer carry out its task because it is supposed to remain in “contempt.” (Arrobaradio)V
TODAY VENEZUELA – Venezuela’s Supreme Court nullified the country’s legislative body in a ruling this week, announcing it would assume all legislative functions in its place.
The country’s highest court, which has historically favored President Nicolas Maduro’s administration, ruled that the opposition-majority National Assembly is being held in contempt and will no longer be authorized to pass legislation.
The ruling warned that “as long as the contempt and invalidity of the proceedings of the National Assembly persist, this constitutional chamber shall ensure that parliamentary powers are exercised directly by this chamber or the body that it chooses, to ensure the rule of law. ”
The court also ruled that Maduro’s administration will have a say in the decisions exercised on behalf of the National Assembly.
Using the state of emergency as justification, the court said: “the Head of State may modify, by means of reform, the norm object to interpretation, in correspondence with the jurisprudence of this high court.”
Maduro’s authorization
In an interview for PanAm Post, constitutional lawyer Juan Manuel Raffalli explained that due to these recent rulings, Maduro will be able to make any and decisions at his convenience.
“While there is a state of exception in economic matters,” he said, “what is mentioned in this ruling — that’s the possibility of an exception state by internal shock.”
Rafalli said Maduro could take advantage of the situation and initiate legal proceedings, indict people, take action against media and freedom of expression among others.
Suspending elections, imprisoning members of congress and withdrawing Venezuela from the Organization of American States are three other measures that the president might now be able to take.
Political Scientist Luis Salamaca told the newspaper El Nacional that the ruling gives Maduro total power to “handle everything without any respect for the norms established in the Magna Carta,” and warned that the government might be setting the stage for avoiding elections in 2018.
From the Laht.com – Authoritarianism in Venezuela has moved forward by leaps and bounds with the rulings of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), giving extraordinary powers to Nicolás Maduro so he can do whatever he wants. It gave him clearance to legislate and imprison anyone he wants.
Since its defeat during a parliamentary election on December 6 2015, the chavismo regime decided to abandon the electoral path, which had given it such good results, and pave the way towards dictatorship in its purest form
Since its defeat during a parliamentary election on December 6 2015, the chavismo regime decided to abandon the electoral path, which had given it such good results, and pave the way towards dictatorship in its purest form, as confirmed by Luisa Ortega Díaz, the Attorney General, who boldly denounced the violation of the Constitution after two rulings were issued by the TSJ last week.
In addition, the whole world was able to see the true face of chavismo with the events that took place at the OAS. The interventions, firstly of Foreign Affairs Minister Delcy Rodríguez and subsequently that of the Permanent Representative to the OAS Samuel Moncada, allowed everybody to understand what respect, tolerance and debate means to the Government of Venezuela.
The steps taken by the TSJ are quite serious and are worthy of a very coherent response on the part of the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) opposition coalition and all democratic sectors in the country.
It is time to address the issue with a cool head and not get carried away by emotions. The international pressure will be maintained despite the possibility Venezuela may be suspended from the OAS, but that kind of pressure is insufficient. Political costs must be increased for the Government if it stays in power through internal pressures and by demanding the restoration of constitutional order.
A demonstrator holds a sign with the face of President Nicolás Maduro that reads “No Dictatorship, Out” during a second day of protests as the Supreme Court reverses its decision to seize the powers of the opposition-led Congress in Caracas, Venezuela, on April 1. (Wil Riera/Bloomberg)
The situation in Venezuela is important to Latin America and to the United States.
The effective coup d’etat by which the Venezuelan parliament was all but dissolved by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s controlled judiciary was an affront to democracy and a threat to political stability in the region, and is fortunately no longer successful.
The United States has more than oil interests here; it also has an interest in freedom and democracy.
Nelson Vanegas, Medellín, Colombia
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Neighboring countries offer humanitarian assistance after a natural disaster such as an earthquake, flooding or a hurricane. In Venezuela, the human condition has deteriorated to the point where international rescue, recovery and rehabilitation would be the logical steps. Yet there seems to be an obstacle for the Organization of American States.
Venezuela is more developed than Zimbabwe but its citizens are leaving the formal economy at a similar rate. In Venezuela, political conditions are more in line with those in North Korea than other countries in the Americas. Venezuela is thousands of miles away from Syria but only a few months away from a similar exodus.
Regrettably, the crisis in Venezuela is a man-made disaster.
Pope Francis celebrates Mass at Monza Park in Milan, Italy, March 25, 2017. REUTERS/Max Rossi – RTX32OEJ
Priests are Catholicism’s greatest figures: shepherds who manage the relationship with the divine. But their numbers have been dwindling worldwide since the 1930s.
In Argentina, the Church lost 23% of its priests and nuns from 1960 to 2013. France and Spain have also seen a dramatic reduction in clergy. In Europe, the number of priests declined 3.6% between 2012 and 2015 alone.
The demands of the job are a killer combination today. Between restrictions on sexuality and the loss of priests’ social status, there are ever fewer seminarians and, consequently, ever fewer men of the cloth, particularly in remote regions of the world such as the Amazon, where there is one priest for every 10,000 Catholics.
Responding to this challenge, Pope Francis recently suggested that the Church might allow married men to be ordained. Many Church officials believe the requirement of celibacy is the main reason fewer men are joining the priesthood, though there’s no single cause for the fall in numbers.
Female deacons, married priests?
Rethinking celibacy was discussed by the Second Vatican Council (1965-1968, but advocates for abandoning the vow did not win out. Like many other questions about the Church’s regulation of its adherents’ lifestyles (clergy or otherwise) – from opposing contraception to prohibiting communion for divorced people – celibacy was set aside for further deliberation.
In truth, the Pope’s recent statements are not aimed at undoing an historic pillar of the sacred institution of the priesthood, as some headlines have imprecisely indicated, but rather at considering exceptions. The pontiff was referring to potentially allowing married Catholic men to assume certain church duties in far-flung regions, invoking the figure of the viri probati, or men of unquestionable faith, virtue and obedience.
In other words, the Pope suggested something markedly similar to an existing institution, the diaconate. Deacons are men who, after completing a two- to four-year course, are ordained to assist priests and bishops. They can baptise, marry, preach and administer the Eucharist, but they cannot take confession.
Though the concept is as old as Christianity itself – the Church traces it to the apostles – the diaconate has garnered renewed interest in recent years as priests become scarce.
Deacons don’t have to remain chaste, but, like the priesthood, this ministry disallows women. In August 2016, at the request of the Synod of Bishops, the highest Catholic decision-making body, Pope Francis established a commission to study female deacons.
Thus, his recent statements about easing the celibacy requirement are converging with an ongoing conversation about allowing women in the diaconate. Ordained female deacons supporting an all-male ministry does not entirely fulfil progressive Catholics’ demands to allow women in the priesthood, but it has calmed some anxiety and indicated a potential path forward.
To paraphrase Émile Poulat, the great Church scholar, Catholicism is a world. And in Latin America, as in other Catholic places, this world is comprised of diverse groups, all of which have received the papacy of their old acquaintance Jorge Bergoglio in different ways.
Progressive Latin American Catholics were leery of this Pope early on, given his origins in the conservative pastoral-theologian tradition. When he was Bishop Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, this group did not have the best relationship with him.
Unexpectedly, they’ve now been seduced by the open-minded pontiff who listens to concerns about the Church’s restrictive view on sexual diversity, abortion and convicted criminals. When the Pope was a cardinal, issues such as women in the priesthood, the celibacy vow and contraception were not on his agenda.
Works with the poor, on the other hand, were his strong suit; in Argentina, the ecclesiastical word on poverty is authoritative. Holding masses with cartoneros (rubbish-pickers) in the squares and train stations of Buenos Aires and doing ministerial work in its shantytowns? Very Cardinal Bergoglio.
Good works and being one with the people were high on the Pope’s social agenda back when he was Cardinal Bergoglio in Buenos Aires. Reuters
Conservative Latin American Catholics, who celebrated Francis’ assumption in Buenos Aires’ main square, the Plaza de Mayo, have run an inverse course. They expected that the Argentinean Pope would continue in the same vein as before: moderate, and in constant dialogue with all sectors of the Church, as well as with government.
Such is the character of Pope Francis, a refined and intelligent man educated in the turbulent waters of Argentinean ecclesiastic politics, which have always been linked to national politics. After decades of political acrobatics, the Pope has learned an operating style that plays with the divide between public statements and what’s said in private, between the general rule of mercy and actually engaging with personal suffering.
A sharp shepherd
Every papacy is political but the politics depend on nuances of the international scenario. Pope John Paul II came infused with anti-communist charisma, (which later hastened his fall), and Pope Benedict XVI demonstrated the continued preeminence of European academic theological thinking.
As Pope, Bergoglio, the pastoral theologian who hews closely to the faithful and the marginalised, is seeking to reify his commitment to society’s most vulnerable – immigrants, the poor, peasants – without changing the Church in any fundamental way.
Bergoglio is a son of the Catholicism that has dominated in Argentina since the 1930s: plebeian in its social leanings, with strong government relations. This kind of Catholicism does not limit itself to personal belief; it has something to say to all society, is willing to recognise modernity and even, at times, to have a dialogue with it.
A sharp shepherd of his flock, the Pope has mastered the art of containing people without making structural changes. Argentina is full of stories about his papal calls: the time he called a divorced woman to comfort her with the possibility that she might one day again receive communion, for instance, or the human rights NGO director to whom the Pope committed his support for public political actions.
Much like these anecdotes, Francis’s recent declarations about married viri probati are an extension of his conservative, people-centred pastoralism, rather than a sign that he’s turned progressive on the moral question of sex. This is the Catholicism in which Father Bergolgio was raised, and Pope Francis continues to be its beloved son.
Former president Laura Chinchilla hamming it up at the Provocarte Pole Dance studio in Escazu
Former president Laura Chinchilla hamming it up at the Provocarte Pole Dance studio in Escazu
Ok, before you get the wrong idea, no, our beloved Doña Laura has not hit financial hard times and having to take a job as pole dancer in a nightclub (strip club).
But, we can understand why, this after the usually dry and restrained former president shared photos on Instagram a few days practicing her “pininos” (first steps) in the art of pole dancing or “baile del tubo” in Spanish.
“Don’t think I’m dedicated to that. I have very dear friend whose daughter is in classes. There is a dance pole studio near my home and today there was a recital and I accompanied her,” doña Laura told said on the telephone. She added that she had been fascinated “what the girls do in classes. I loved it and enjoyed it.”
Asked if she could see herself being a pole dancer, she responded in typical doña Laura style, firm and honest (and laughing, in this case).
“Not even from afar. I love dance. As a young woman I took dance classes; Rogelio Lopez was one of my teachers. But I tell you: If I were young, I would surely be pole dancing.”
The former president, who just turned 58 a few days ago (March 28), stays in shape. She says she walks a lot and invests a good part of her time in the gym.
Since the mid 2000s, promoters of pole dance fitness competitions have been trying to change peoples’ perception of pole dance and to promote it as a non-sexual form of dance and acrobatics.
Impact craters created by the rocky material expelled by the active crater of the Turrialba volcano. (Pnhoto courtesy of Raul Mora)
The image of lava pouring out of the crater is one that comes to mind when we think of active volcano and eruptions. Although incandescent material has been observed in the mount of the volcano, the Turrialba has yet to spew lava.
That does not mean that the Turrialba is a tame volcano. Quite the contrary, the volcano within a slingshot of the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM) of San Jose, is explosive and dangerous.
In fact, it is currently recording pyroplastic flows – hot clouds composed of gases, solid materials and trapped air from the crater moving rapidly down the slopes – which can reach temperatures of between 60 and 70 degrees Celius (140 and 158 degrees Fahrenheit).
The emanation can affect the respiratory tract, eyes and skin.
La Nacion from data provided by the Red Sismologica Nacional (RSN ICE UCR) shows the Turrialba volcanic hazards
The latest report of an eruption is 1:33am (local time) last Sunday, as the colossus began releasing a small continuous column of ashes that has become constant. At 7:52am (local time) Wednesday explosions from the Turrialba were heard after almost two months of relative calm.
For this reason, volcanologists emphasize the importance of respecting the restriction zone established by the Comision Nacional de Emergencias (CNE) – National Emergency Commission, that is from two to five kilometres from the active crater.
“When a powerful eruption occurs, a column of ash rises and often that column is no longer supported because the volcano stops feeding it. Generally, as it rises, its gases get to have the same density of the atmosphere and there it is, it’s a huge explosion,” volcanologist with the Preventec program at the University of Costa Rica, Raúl Mora, told La Nacion.
Image explains why Costa Rica’s volcanos are so explosive. Olga Cajina, La Nacion
“People need to be clear that this is a very dangerous volcano,” Mora said, adding: “The volcano does not stop, it is becoming more active and unstable.”
Respecting the rings of prevention
The northern sector of the Turrialba volcano, facing the Caribbean, is a national park and is covered with vegetation. However, on the southern and eastern sides, people live there.
As the last eruptive period of the Turrialba back to 1864 – 1866, “the perception of the residents is that it was a mountain and they kept getting deeper in the mountainside, planting and breeding livestock. People did not size it up as a volcano,” commented Mora.
But, despite declaring the surroundings of the active volcanoes as national parks in the middle of the twentieth century, which helped in terms of security, “in Turrialba, currently, there are animals were they should not be and are being affected by the ash. There are people living in these area and that is very dangerous,” said Javier Pacheco, volcanic seismologist at the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (Ovsicori).
After remaining quiet for over a century, the Turrialba woke up in 2007. From January 2010 has been constantly active, with serious eruptions recorded in October 2014 and March 2015.
Eruptions last year forced authorities to suspend San Jose air traffic on several occasions, the last in September.
Q COSTA RICA – Participants in the Cultural Meeting for the Youth and Trade Union Unit of Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean (Encuentro Cultural por la Unidad Juvenil Sindical y Popular de Centroamérica, México y el Caribe), that took place in Sam Jose, Costa Rica, expressed their solidarity with the Bolivarian government and the Venezuelan people.
‘We strongly reject any intervention that undermines the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and the right to self-determination of the Venezuelan people,’ said the manifesto of solidarity with the Bolivarian government and the Venezuelan people.
The text points out that the true Venezuelan people fight day by day for the most felt needs of the Venezuelan people and that they have given repeated shows of solidarity with the brothers and sisters of Our Americas.
“The Bolivarian Revolution is the revolution of our people and our hope,” says the text, approved by the vice-presidents and coordinators of the World-Central American Trade Union Federation, at a meeting held at the Recreational Center of the National Union of Employees of Caja y Seguridad Social (Undeca).
“Due to the serious situation that our Venezuelan brothers and sisters are going through, as they are threatened by imperialism and the nefarious right wing present in many governments of Our Americas, we express our solidarity with the Bolivarian government.”
Participants in the Cultural Meeting charged that ‘in other countries there have been cases in which the constitutional framework was violated and no angry statements were made, much less from the Organization of American States (OAS), a discredited body that has failed.
Present at the closing session of the meeting, which took place from March 30 to April 1, were Ambassadors Danilo Sanchez (Cuba) and Venezuela’s ambassador to Costa Rica, Jesus Arias, as well as other officials from those diplomatic missions, members of Costa Rica’s solidarity groups and the president of the Association of Cuban Residents in Costa Rica, Juan Meza.
The Presidents of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto, Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, Costa Rica’s, Luis Guillermo Solís, Guatemala’s, Jimmy Morales and Panama’s, Juan Carlos Varela, united in San José, for the XVI Cumbre de Tuxtla.
Q COSTA RICA – The commitment to integration and the Mesoamerica Project were strengthened by the 16th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Tuxtla Mechanism for Dialogue and Coordination, which concluded yesterday in Costa Rica.
The Political Declaration of San José, agreed by the presidents of the 10 member countries of the Mechanism, highlights the commitment to integration and its conviction of unity for the development and prosperity of the region.
It emphasizes the political importance of the bloc as a privileged space for dialogue and Mesoamerican consensus, which promotes integration through a solid agenda and concrete actions.
It acknowledges that regional integration contributes to addressing the challenges associated with globalization, and that efforts to consolidate the Tuxtla Mechanism should be deepened in a way that substantially advances towards the attainment of its founding objectives.
These include high-level political dialogue, respect for plurality, strengthening of democratic processes, cooperation for institutional strengthening and the articulation of regional consensus and strategies on issues of common interest.
The Political Declaration highlights the progress of the process of reflection and strategic vision that is carried out within the framework of the Mesoamerica Project, in order to review its institutionalization and integral functioning, as well as the prospective exercise that seeks to identify and prioritize strategic actions at medium and long term.
It urges us to work together on the renewal of Mexico’s cooperation portfolio with the countries of the region, based on the Mesoamerican Cooperation Program.
It also recognizes Colombia’s decision to align the regional technical cooperation granted by the Presidential Agency for International Cooperation (APC Colombia) with the Mesoamerica Project agenda since 2016.
With this, it points out, it seeks to share good practices in public policies related to the thematic axes of the Project, as well as to provide scenarios to furthering the fulfillment of the mandates emanating from Tuxtla Summits.
It also reaffirms its commitment to the Mesoamerican Agenda for Cooperation as the regional instrument that favors the articulation and complementarity of actions within the framework of the Tuxtla Mechanism for Dialogue and Coordination.
In that sense, it calls for the promotion of inter-sectoral initiatives to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals contained in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Tuxtla Mechanism for Dialogue and Cooperation was created in 1991 in the Mexican city that gives it its name and it is formed by Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic.
The Grupo Cuestamoras announced the sale of three of its hotel properties in Costa Rica, the Marriott Los Suenos, in Playa Herradura, the Marriott Costa Rica, in Belen, Heredia, and the Hyatt Place San Jose, in Pinares de Curridabat.
In the announcement, Cuestamoras said the Marriotts were sold to CPG Real Estate, based in New York, and the Costa Rican Enjoy Group; the Hyatt to Desarrolladores D506.
The statement cites that the agreement is solely on the property, the hotels will continue under the operation of the same international companies that have operated them since its inception.
“Cuestamoras is a company that directly operates businesses, that is the way to exercise our vocation to innovate incessantly. The purpose of the sale is to maintain our strategic focus on the businesses we operate,” said Manuel Zúñiga, Cuestamoras CEO.
Rubén Pacheco, president of Enjoy Group, “… confirmed the purchase of the properties and explained that the operation of hotels will remain with the Marriott chain. For this reason, he added, no changes will be made either in staff or in the administration of these two accommodation centers, one located in Playa Herradura, north of Playa Jaco and the other minutes away from the San Jose international airport.
The sale of the hotels is the second major significant transaction for Cuestamoras this year. In February, the company, owner of the Fischel chain of pharmacies, announced the purchase of the La Bomba pharmacies.
Cuestamors acquired the Fischel, along with the pharmaceutical distributor, Cef, in 2015 from the Chilean company, Sofocar.
Cuestamoras also interests in the areas of urbanism and energy.
The firm is the developer of the Distrito Cuatro, Momentum Pinares (where the Hyatt Place is located) and the Oxígeno project, in Heredia. In the Peninsula Papagayo, in Guanacaste, the company still maintains a presence in the Andaz Península Papagayo hotel project.
In the area of energy, Cuestamoras has interests in wind and hydroelectric projects, among them, the Orosí project and the Torito hydroelectric plant.
Q COSTA RICA – Panama’s Delta reports the purchase of Costa Rica’s Total gas stations. According to the information provided by Delta, the purchase involves 19 gasoline stations across the country. Delta did not specify in the March 30 notice what it paid the French company owning the Total brand in Costa Rica.
Total Petróleo Costa Rica was wholly owned by TOTAL headquartered in France.
“After several years of presence in Costa Rica, we concluded that it would be difficult to achieve significant market share in fuel distribution. However, we will maintain our presence in the distribution of special fluids and lubricants through a distributor and in Delta service,” said Isabelle Gaildraud, Total Senior Vice President for the Americas.
With the acquisition, Delta’s number of gasoline stations increases from 33 to 52.
In Panama the Delta operates 186 stations.
“This acquisition allows us to bring the same experience of attention and service to other corners of this beautiful country, replicating the formula of success that we have developed, through listening and understanding our client,” explained Augusto Gerbaud, general manager of Petróleos Delta.
While Petróleos Delta is a Panamanian company created in 1983 with the acquisition of Gulf operations in Panama, in Costa Rica, it has been present since 2010 when it absorbed Shell’s service stations.
The sale of service stations in the country, despite not occurring frequently, has happened in the country on several occasions.
One of the most recent was in 2014 when Uno Costa Rica, the oil division of the Honduran Grupo Terra, bought seven pumps operated by Costa Rican Grupo Colono. Three years earlier, the Honduran company took over the 14 service stations operated by Vitogaz S.A., a subsidiary of the French Rubis, under the Texaco brand.
Traveling Abroad? Here Are Five Tech Tools to Keep in Touch with Loved Ones
Our ability to communicate around the globe has reached phenomenal proportions. It was only 103 years ago that the first telephone call was made across continents. Today, keeping in contact with loved ones anywhere on the planet is as simple as hooking up to an internet connection. Just last year, NASA Astronaut Tim Kopra was able to call students at Columbia University to chat from the International Space Station. Five of the best modern-day tech tools to keep in touch with your loved ones are global communication apps, Google software, social media websites, scheduling apps and traditional email.
Global Communication Apps
Before the development of VoIP, Voice Over Internet Protocol, we were forced to rely on the plain old telephone service. International calling was very expensive. VoIP, on the other hand, works by sending sound bites over high speed internet connections, so callers can communicate at speeds comparable to landlines. All that you need is a phone or computer connected to WiFi and a VoIP supported software. Some popular global communication apps that take advantage of VoIP software include Skype, BroadVoice, Vonage and Comcast. Skype allows video or voice calls, text messages and screen share capabilities to anyone in the world.
Google Software
Google has been ahead of the game for most technological advancements, and international communication is no different. Google offers a plethora of products that can help you keep in touch with your friends from anywhere around the globe. Even though you may be traveling abroad to find meaning in your life, you still need to check back in with the people you care about. Google Voice is a VoIP service that allows you to use your computer like a telephone and make international calls. Google Hangouts allows free international calls to any user who is also on Google Hangouts. Google Spreadsheets and Google Docs both allow collaboration in real-time. Even though there are dozens of VolP and SIP apps and development tools available, Google will always stand out amongst them all.
Social Media Websites
One of the most popular tech tools that help us keep in touch with our loved ones is social media websites. Websites like Facebook let you post status updates, location information and pictures to share your international travel experience. The social media platform has also introduced its own international messaging and calling service. All that is required to use their service is an active email account, the Facebook messenger app and an internet connection. Snapchat allows you to post picture updates with an internet or mobile data connection, while Twitter lets you post brief status updates. You can take advantage of all social media platforms in any area with an internet connection.
Scheduling Apps
Some apps can help you send messages while being respectful of different time-zones. Boomerang, for example, contains artificial intelligence bots that can make sure your message arrives during business hours. This ensures it isn’t forgotten because it arrived in the middle of the night. World Meeting Time is a website that helps schedule appointments across time-zones. You simply drag the markers to where you and your loved ones are and it’ll show the current times.
Email
The easiest and most reliable method of contacting your loved ones is by sending them a quick email. Almost all apps, VoIP services and messaging services all send your information in the same way that email servers do. You won’t need anything other than an internet connection, an email account and your loved one’s email address. These days, it couldn’t be any easier to keep in contact with your loved ones even from across the globe.
Q COSTA RICA – A man accused of raping and impregnating his 14-year-old daughter will not be going to prison due to the statute of limitations.
The accused man on his arrival in Costa Rica after being deported from the United States, where he lived for 14 years as a fugitive, after being accused by his 14-year-old daughter of rape. Photo Telenoticias
The accused, José Alberto Orozco Ramírez, on the run in the United States, a fugitive of Costa Rica law for the last 14 years before being caught, was in November last deported to Costa Rica. Five months later, on March 15, the Juzgado Penal de Cartago (Cartago Criminal Court) set him free on a technicality.
Orozco, now 49, was arrested in July 2016 in New Jersey by the International Police (Interpol) and U.S. immigration authorities, who found he was living under a false identity, his immigration status ‘irregular’ and was wanted on an international arrest warrant.
According to the Fiscalía Adjunta de Cartago – Cartago Prosecutor’s Office – the man fled Costa Rica the day after his 14-year-old daughter denounced him for rape and impregnation in his home in Oreamuno de Cartago.
This was near the end of 2002.
On November 1, 2016, Orzco was deported by the United States. The following day the Cartgo criminal court imposed a six month preventive detention, due to being a flight risk.
Last month (February 2017), at a hearing the Cartago court sent the case to trial.
A slam dunk. The man is accused of raping and impregnating is 14-year-old daughter, flees Costa Rica, lives on the run, under a false identity, for the next 14 years, gets caught, is brought back home.
However, Orozco’s lawyer, Rafael Rodriguez, appealed the ruling sending the case to trial, alleging that there was a ‘defective procedural process’ – that is, a technical problem in the case.
The lawyer argued that the same Cartago court had, in 2007, ruled his client ‘rebelde’ (failure to appear), when the correct thing was to have declared him ‘absente’.
The lawyer argued his client was never notified, as is required by the Criminal Procedures Code, thus the judge wrongly ruled him a ‘failure to appear’, when his client was in fact an ‘absentee’.
“The rebelde is when one has knowledge of the notice and does not appear, but, it (in this case) should not be so because he was never notified to appear,” argued the lawyer.
The lawyer’s argument was accepted by the Cartago Court, annulling the ‘rebelde’, rendering the case beyond the stature of limitations as of August 2016.
Article 31 of the Criminal Procedures Code establishes a 10 year statute of limitations. In the cases crimes against minors, the limitation run out after the victim turns 18 years of age.
In this case, victim turned 18 on August 13, 2006, thus, in accordance with the Code, the statute of limitations ran out on August 13, 2016.
The Court order releasing the man from being tried for the rape is 14-year-old daughter back in 2002
The Technicality
Legal experts argue that if the Cartago Court had not dropped the ‘rebelde’ of the case, the statute of limitations would have allowed the case to stay open until November 2, 2021.
That was the assumption by the Fiscalia, based on the Criminal Procedures Code allowing the case to continue for five years following his ‘arrest’, that would be the moment he set foot on Costa Rican soil, in November of last year.
Another way of keeping the process open was for the Fiscalia to have requested an extradition at the time of Orozco’s detention in the U.S.
Article 34 of the Criminal Procedure Code allows for the suspension of the statute fo limitations when it involves an international process.
However, the Fiscalia did not request extradition considering two elements: the statute of limitations was 2021 and deportation was the faster way of getting Orozco back in the country.
Worse yet, under the Criminal Procedures Code, the Fiscalia cannot appeal.
Panoramic view of Playa Naranjo. Photos by Luciano Capelli
Q TRAVEL by María Fernanda Cruz,Vozdeguanacaste.com – The tropical dry forest in Santa Rosa National Park has a stone-covered road that leads to Playa Naranjo, one of the last beaches in the province where you can spin around 360 degrees without finding a trace of buildings or construction projects.
At the path’s entrance, a wooden sign tests the mettle of adventurous – or skeptical – drivers by advising that whoever takes their car down the path does so at their own risk. “There isn’t any cell phone coverage in there. If they break down or get stuck they’ll have to wait until someone passes and helps,” state the park rangers at the entrance.
The first time we were there we didn’t think it was all that bad: “Ah, this car can handle it!” Once we had traveled the first third of the way, our temptation and skepticism were over. The road is like a dry river or a dormant volcano, full of rocks and craters.
Witches Rock poses with the moon at 5:30 A.M. last Saturday, February 11, in the hours after the lunar eclipse.
The second time we went with an experienced off-road truck driver who had a 1997 4Runner that he treated like an amusement park.
Within this vehicle we bounced around for an hour (less experienced drivers might take more time) until we reached this hidden little piece of paradise where deer move about freely.
A Solitary Man
“The deer are used to tourists,” says Minor Barrantes, a park guard, as he lie in a hammock.
Deer are friends of birds and tourists alike at Santa Rosa National Park.
This is one of the few times we have seen him rest. Minor lives and works here for fifteen days straight. He stays in a little cabin built by volunteers, other park guards, and himself. After two weeks of work, he goes home to rest for ten days. Then he returns. This is his routine.
He is in charge of controlling the amount of visitors to the park according to the amount of available water, making night rounds to keep noise down, confronting hunters, starting the pump and monitoring water levels, making sure there aren’t any campfires, and even collecting camping fees, which are 3,000 colones per person, per night for Costa Rican nationals and $19 for foreigners.
Minor is a hardworking jack of all trades who loves his mission as a park guard. His passion is evident when you see him conversing with visitors as if he were a lifelong friend. “I enjoy this. I’d go crazy stuck in an office.”
The Desert
To be a deserted beach with a giant rock embedded in the sea called “Bruja” (Witch) is quite sexy. Today, on the second Saturday in February, this irresistible combination attracted more than 70 people, many of whom are surfers waiting for waves that never appear.
Although this isn’t nesting season, we found an olive ridley sea turtle on its midnight march back to sea.
Although the campground has space for more people, the water levels today have reached their lowest point, so Minor calls on his colleagues to stop traffic to the beach.
Water calls the shots. In the dry season water runs out more quickly, but it’s also the best time to travel here because the road is more accessible. Between September and December, which are the rainiest months, the path often become impassable and even dangerous.
Perhaps because of that being here, sitting on pale sand overlooking a beach without buildings or roads, feels like a small triumph.
In fact, it’s a triumph of conservation. In the 1960s, Naranjo was still part of Haciendas Santa Rosa, a company that mines salt, cuts lumber, and has livestock. Some 40 families lived there, and they were relocated outside of the protected area, according to the Guanacaste Conservation Area website.
In fact, the only building on the beach is the park rangers’ home, which was one of the previous families’ homes.
Today, this blend of mangroves and estuaries, dry forest, three paths, beach, crocodiles, jaguars, raccoon and deer is a living example of what can happen when nature is allowed to retake its place in the world.
Useful Facts:
Public transport: The bus runs 18 kilometers from Playa Naranjo. If you’re traveling by bus, you’ll have to walk.
There are three walking trails.
The water is not potable and is used for bathing only.
Take food with you. There are no supermarkets or small stores nearby.
There is no electricity in the camping area.
There are always park guards on site.
Article originally appeared on Vozdeguanacaste.com and is republished here with permission.
However, political power isn’t falling far from the tree. Correa’s hand-picked successor and former vice president, Lenin Moreno, has declared 
