El libertario José Alberto Alfaro (a la derecha) sentado en la silla del presidente legislativo, Antonio Álvarez Desanti, sesionando temporalmente. A partir del 22 de enero, lo hará de manera continua. A la izquierda, su compañera Natalia Díaz y, atrás, la socialcristiana Rosibel Ramos, quien vaticinó una yunta para paralizar nuevos impuestos. (Diana Méndez)
Libertarian José Alberto Alfaro (right) sitting in the chair of the legislative president, Antonio Álvarez Desanti. Starting January 22 Alfaro will have the chair pernanenty. On the left, is fellow ML legislator Natalia Diaz and, behind, Rosibel Ramos of the PUSC party, who predicted the paralyzing of the government’s tax amdement. (Diana Méndez/La Nacion)
Q COSTA RICA / The fate of President Luis Guillermo Solis’ proposed tax plan that would see increases in taxes, is now in the control of Otto Guevara and his fellow Movimiento Libertario (ML) party legislators, with the election of Jose Alberto Alfaro as chairman.
What this means is, that if the Otto and party keep to their word, the Legislative Assembly will be working at an even slower pace than ever, with the single purpose of frustrating the government’s plans to raise taxes.
“There will be breaks every few minutes, most likely, most likely the discussions and point of order would be extended and very probably all the pernicious extraordinary agenda, which is driven by the Partido Acción Ciudadana (PAC), will sink. Nothing at all will move,” said Otto Guevara.
How did this happen?
It appears the government party, the Partido Acción Ciudadana (PAC), caused it, perhaps not willingly in requiring that the chairman or president of the Legislative Assembly, Antonio Álvarez Desanti, legisaltor for the Partido Liberacion Nacional (PLN), step down to run for the 2018 presidential nomination of his party.
Desanti had been described by the government as “a fundamental piece” in the political agreements of last year to get the tax amendments approved in the legislature.
On Tuesday, Desanti was asked by PAC legislators to step down, in that they would not tolerate him running the Legislature all the while taking part in his political campain. His resignation, effective on January 22, means that the government’s proverbial thorn in the side, the Liberatios assumes the chair of the Legislature.
The rotation of the assuming leadership of the Legislative Assembly is by agreement given than the PAC does not have a majority in Congress.
Thus, in less than a day, President Solis’ tax plan went from almost a sure thing to, well stalling and more stalling and possibly dead in the water.
For his part, Desanti criticized Solis and his government for “its lack of decision and not moving the work (tax plan) forward”.
The liberationist argued that if the Solis government preferred that a candidate did not run the Legislature, it should have measured the consequences well. Desanti’s aspiration for the PLN presidential candidate nomination have not be a secret, months ago Desanti publicly announced his intentions.
PAC house leader, Laura Garro, lamented what had happened, including criticizing her fellow PAC legislators. “They did it in a personal capacity, something I do not share…they overstepped themselves,” said Garro,
Garro added that the “picture is now less clear. It hurts me personally, Antonio Alaverez Desanti, is a person who has done good work in managing Congress. I trust that they (the Libertarians), although they are not aligned with the government, have a commitment to Costa Rica…that is the faith I have”.
From Casa Presidencial (Government House), the word is that the PAC legislators acted on their own, attacking the legislative president, and not on the government’s instructions.
The daily nightmare of the autopista General Canas in the area of the ‘platina’ bridge
Q COSTA RICA / Today and tomorrow are just a taste of what is to come, traffic wise that is, as the Ministry of Transport (MOPT) finalizes details to shut down the Alajuela – San Jose lanes of the “platina” bridge over the Virilla river on the autopista General Cañas for six weeks.
The lanes were closed this morning at 9:00am and will remain closed until 1:00pm. The same will be tomorrow.
Infograph by La Nacion of the reconstruction of a the ‘platina’ bridge, that once complete will end the traffic nightmare.
But, starting on Saturday January 21 and until March 7, the almost 100,000 vehicles that daily circulate the autopista will have to find an alternative to get to San Jose from Alajuela.
The Minister of Transport, Carlos Villalta, said on Wednesday the total closure is necessary to remove the existing portion of the bridge, to finalize the construction of the new.
The minister reminded us that the work that is currently being carried out is not a “fixing of the bridge, but a the building of a completely new bridge”.
Once completed, the bridge will go from four lanes to six lanes.
On Friday, the MOPT is expected to announce details of the measures to mitigate the traffic congestion that will cause the interruption of the traffic by the bridge for more than one month.
During the closure, unless the MOPT and central government come up with a new an innovate alternates, what many feel has become a nightmare, will get even worse.
Q24N /PRNewswire – CorporateStays.com, leader in corporate and furnished apartments, is expanding its popular Signature Collection to Costa Rica and becomes the first and only corporate accommodations available in the country.
The company built the entire building from the ground up with the needs of their corporate and vacationing guests in mind. Following the Signature Collection quality standard, these world-class apartments offer spacious, luxury accommodations, professional, multi-lingual property managers and a 24/7 concierge service and guests can book San José apartments with the convenience of no security deposit.
The spacious Signature Collection rentals are fully furnished with CorporateStays.com own, modern, solid wood Casa Suarez furniture line. Their contemporary furniture collection has been designed and selected with the natural warmth, comfort and simplicity in mind.
All the Costa Rica properties are located in San José, near the business district of Santa Ana, a central and safe location, just outside of the city’s center.
Guests can enjoy shopping in the nation’s largest mall or browsing at the Sunday outdoor market. Surrounded by rolling mountains and stress-free attitude, the philosophy of the area is pura vida, or pure life, the locals value the beauty of their natural surroundings and the perfect climate.
“We are very proud to be the pioneers in corporate housing in Costa Rica. It is important to us to grow our global repertoire of furnished apartments in new markets but also to support the local economy of this beautiful country,” mentions Founder & CEO Vladimir Suarez.
Rentals start from US$72 per night for the Arbórea 1BR apartment in downtown Santa Ana. The minimum number of nights for this apartment is 2 nights. The website does not detail prices for the other apartments, with minimum number of 30 nights.
President Ortega positions his wife Rosario Murillo to become president if he leaves office before his term is out.
TODAY NICARAGUA (Managua) Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega officially began his third successive (fourth overall) term on Tuesday, January 10, 2017 this time with his wife as vice president as he tightens his decade-long grip over one of Latin America’s poorest countries.
The ex-rebel leader has ruled Nicaragua for 20 of the past 37 years. His new mandate, delivered in a landslide November election victory, will see him in office until 2022.
His wife Rosario Murillo’s elevation to vice president — she was already his official spokesperson and the public face of his government — positions her to become president if Ortega, 71, leaves office before his term is out.
Heavy security was evident ahead of the inauguration ceremony in the capital Managua, with the deployment of elite police units backed by dog handlers and the closure of surrounding roads.
VIPs attending included Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen, Bolivian President Evo Morales and El Salvador’s leader, Salvador Sanchez Ceren.
The absence of other Central American heads of state underlined the rocky state of Ortega’s relations with his neighbors.
Ortega has instead courted nations with an anti-US bent, including Russia and Venezuela.
TODAY NICARAGUA (Reuters) Nicaragua on Tuesday said it wanted to secure bigger international recognition for Taiwan during a visit by President Tsai Ing-wen at a moment of Chinese suspicions the leader of the self-ruled island is seeking formal independence from China.
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen visits textile industrial park in Managua, Nicaragua January 10, 2017. REUTERS/Oswaldo Rivas
Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega welcomed his Taiwanese counterpart on a visit that follows complaints by Beijing about the attitude of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump who has questioned the United States’ commitment to China’s position that Taiwan is part of one China.
State media in Nicaragua, which is seeking Chinese investment for a massive canal to compete with Panama’s waterway, said Ortega would continue backing Taiwan.
Taiwanese citizens living in Managua hold Nicaragua’s flag and Taiwan’s flag as they waits for arrival of Tawain’s President Tsai Ing-wen in Managua, Nicaragua January 10, 2017. REUTERS/Oswaldo Rivas
“We’re still engaged in this battle, which is a just battle, one of principles, so that the people of Taiwan continue to be incorporated in international organizations attached to the United Nations,” Ortega said in the state media of Taiwan, which is not a member of the United Nations.
Trump broke years of U.S. diplomatic tradition as president-elect by accepting a congratulatory telephone call from Tsai on his surprise election win, clashing with the one China policy that Beijing regards as the basis of U.S.-Chinese relations.
The row sparked speculation China could pressure Taiwan’s allies to break ties. Since the mid-1990s, almost a third have done so. Taiwan now has formal relations with just 21, mostly smaller and poorer nations in Latin America and the Pacific.
Tsai, who was travelling with a business delegation, took part in a meeting of the Taiwan-Nicaragua chamber of commerce, and pledged to deepen trade and investment between the two.
“(I want) to thank the allied countries in Central America, especially Nicaragua, because of this constant support for our country to participate in the United Nations,” she said in the Nicaraguan state media transcription of her remarks.
Nicaraguan General Alvaro Baltodano, one of Ortega’s delegates at the meeting with Tsai, said he did not expect her visit to complicate relations with China. “We’ve always had these warm relations with both China and Taiwan,” he said.
Nicaragua in 2013 granted Chinese businessman Wang Jing a 50-year concession to build a canal worth 40 billion dollars, although doubts about the project’s viability persist.
Alongside the presidents of Venezuela, Bolivia and El Salvador, Tsai was due to attend Ortega’s inauguration for a third consecutive term in office on Tuesday.
Nicolás Maduro admitted he would ignore any measures passed by the opposition-controlled National Assembly.
TODAY VENEZUELA – “I am President of Venezuela by constitutional mandate,” Nicolás Maduro said in response to the National Assembly ths voted by majority to remove him from office.
Maduro reiterated through a television broadcast that he will continue to preside over the country despite the fact that Parliament tried to dismiss him with a new measure on Monday, January 9.
“The actions of the National Assembly regarding the abandonment of my office makes me laughs,” he said during the swearing in of the “Anti-coup Command” chaired by Vice President Tareck El Aissami. It was created to seek out and prevent attempts to overthrow his presidency.
In that same speech, he also called for peace, and asked that officials not submit to provocation.
“I call the revolutionary people to work,” he reiterated, while also admitting he will ignore any measures approved by the opposition-majority parliament regarding his office.
“I am the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela by mandate of the people and with the people I will continue here defending peace, protecting the people and developing the economy,” he said.
“Take note of the consequences of the call to a coup that that gang approved yesterday in the National Assembly, a gang that kidnapped the National Assembly and that uses the precincts of the National Assembly in contempt of the law to promote a coup d’etat.”
Low-cost airline Wingo that began operations in Costa Rican in December announced the cut of Guatemala from its destinations. The airline is keeping the San Jose - Panama route.
Low-cost airline Wingo that began operations in Costa Rica in December announced the cut of Guatemala from its destinations. The airline is keeping the San Jose – Panama route.
Q COSTA RICA – The low-cost airline Wingo that began operations in Costa Rica last month announced the cancellation of its San José – Guatemala, reports La Nación.
According to Wingo, its low-cost flights to that destination do not have enough market to maintain operations.
“We take this opportunity to inform that from January 10, 2017, Wingo will stop operating the San José – Guatemala route because the behavior of this market and demand tends more towards the legacy carrier,” the company said in a statement.
Wingo, an airline belonging to Copa Holdings, began operations on December 1 with flights to Panama and Guatemala. The decision does not affect the airline’s operations to Panama, nor will it involve layoffs.
“We will not cancel the flight to Panama, a route in which we have been very well received,” explained Marcela Muñoz, communications manager at Wingo.
Passengers who purchased tickets for dates after January 10 will be relocated on Copa Airlines flights.
Since the arrival to Costa Rica of low-cost airlines such as Wingo, Volaris and Veca, major airlines like Avianca and Copa have drastically slashed their prices through promotions.
For example, Avianca is offering, from the San Jose airport, return flights to Guatemala from US$89; Panama and Managua (Nicaragua) from US$119; to Peru: Lima from US$189 and Quito from US$199; and Cartagena (Colombia) from US$299.
These prices are more than half of the regular flights traditionally charged by Avianca and Copa for these destinations.
Travelers can still fly to Guatemala at low-cost with Volaris.
On Tuesday, Volaris added El Salvador to its destinations.
Q COSTA RICA BUSINESS – Costa Ricans love chicken. And to feed the hunger, KFC in Costa Rica has announced that it will invest US$5 million this year in the opening of two new restaurants, three local self-service branches and the remodeling of existing ones.
The company’s plans include the full remodel of the branches on Avenida 3 and Calle 1 in heart of San Jose, as the the former U.S. Embassy location a few blocks away and the branches in Cartago, Tibás and Playa Jacó.
Of the new locations, one will be in the Greater Metropolitan Area and one outside it. The company did not disclose their location just yet.
Elfinancierocr.com reports that “…The three new self-service branches will be in Liberia (Guanacaste), San Antonio de Coronado and Sabanilla.”
To staff the new locations, KFC will be hiring 90 people. (If you are interested in working KFC in Costa Rica, send your resume to reclutamiento@kfccostarica.com).
“We are grateful for the preference of Costa Ricans, offering the best fresh and juicy chicken that has positioned us over the years as one of the best restaurants in the country, so we see great potential to continue growth in many places”, said Isidro Perera, general manager of KFC Costa Rica.
KFC arrived in Costa Rica in 1970, opening its first store on Paseo Colon, several blocks west of the downtown core.
Worldwide, KFC operates almost 20,000 locations in 123 countries and territories as of December 2015. The chain is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands. PepsiCo spun off its restaurants division as Tricon Global Restaurants, which later changed its name to Yum! Brands, a restaurant company that also owns the Pizza Hut and Taco Bell chains.
Kentucky Fried Chicken was founded by Colonel Harland Sanders, an entrepreneur who began selling fried chicken from his roadside restaurant in Corbin, Kentucky during the Great Depression. Sanders identified the potential of the restaurant franchising concept, and the first “Kentucky Fried Chicken” franchise opened in Utah in 1952.
Panama City from the Ancon Hill, a 654-foot hill that overlooks the capital city
TODAY PANAMA (Prensa Latina) The unequal distribution of wealth increased in Panama, indicates a recent report issued by the ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) in December 2016, quoted today by the local media.
The official report, titled ‘Distribution of Household Income’, said that in 2015 the 10 percent of the richest families of Panama had 37 times more profits than the 10 percent of the poorest families.
The levels of economic inequality exceeded the rates of 2014, when the income of the 10 percent of the wealthiest population exceeded almost 34 times the income earned by 10 percent of the poorest people.
MEF concluded in its socioeconomic assessment that the situation of the unequal distribution of wealth in Panama would be worse without the subsidies granted by the Government to ease the critical situation of the poor, said the newspaper La Estrella.
The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) indicated that between 2002 and 2015 the main fortunes of this region increased by an average of 21 percent a year, six times higher than the region’s gross domestic product.
The strawberry poison dart frog is sometimes called the blue jeans frog.
(Q24N) La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica (CNN) – The “blue jeans” frog is practically screaming to be noticed. Its head is blood red, and its legs are denim blue. It looks like it’s wearing jeggings. But this little critter, also known as the strawberry poison dart frog, is only about the size of a fingernail. It spends most of its time either high up in the trees in this Central American rainforest or rooting around in the gooey “leaf litter” of the forest floor.
As such, it’s practically invisible.
Unless you open your ears.
Chit-chit-chit-chit-chit.
“It sounds like an insect. It buzzes.”
That’s Bryan Pijanowski, a “soundscape ecologist” from Purdue University and one of the few people paying attention to the fact that nature — especially the amphibian part — is growing exceptionally quiet these days. Pijanowski and collaborators from around the world have been strapping audio recorders to trees here at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica. The microphones look like funny little robots — boxes with windscreen ears on each side.
The equipment has a critical mission.
It’s listening for the sound of extinction.
Have you heard it already? I ask Pijanowski.
“I think so,” he tells me. His muted, baritone voice sounds like a public radio host sharing secrets with you in a library. “There is evidence all around the world.”
‘Rapid extinctions’
Scientists fear Earth is on the verge of the sixth era of extinction.
There have been five mass extinctions in the planet’s history.
If we usher in the sixth, three-quarters of all species could disappear in a couple of centuries, says Anthony Barnosky, executive director of the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve at Stanford and author of “Dodging Extinction: Power, Food, Money and the Future of Life on Earth.”
“The best way to envision the sixth mass extinction,” he told me, “is to look outside and then just imagine that three out of every four of the species that were common out there are gone.”
If you study amphibians, it can seem like that dystopian future already is here.
About 10% of birds and a third of mammals are at high extinction risk.
Not good.
But more than 40% of amphibians are in similar straits — making them worse off than any other vertebrate group, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Amphibians are vanishing without warning, and often without explanation.
Chytrid fungus, which humans helped spread, has decimated frog populations around the world.
“In the past 30 years or so, we’ve seen really dramatic, really rapid extinctions for frog populations all over the world,” says Steven Whitfield, a conservation ecologist at Zoo Miami who joined Pijanowski and me on the visit to Costa Rica this summer. “Many of these extinctions are due to habitat loss. But other extinctions have occurred in pristine rainforests like this — places that look healthy but the frogs are telling us there’s something clearly wrong.”
‘Unable to see it’
Whitfield spent years studying frogs at this research station in this particular forest.
I ask him to show me how it’s done.
It doesn’t take long to realize it’s not easy work. When Whitfield conducts a study, he often ropes off a small plot of land and then spends hours searching for every single frog he can find.
The search begins with his ears.
“I’ll hear [a frog] call and spend half an hour or more looking into a small patch of vegetation, knowing that it’s right there and that I need to find it but unable to see it,” he tells me.
Whitfield is an expert at pulling frog sounds out of the EDM freak-out that is the rainforest. If you’ve been, then you know these places, in healthy conditions, are LOUD. I actually had a hard time falling asleep some nights in Costa Rica because it sounded (awesomely) like the forest was yelling at me; and I woke up early to screams of howler monkeys. (Fun aside: Researchers warn newcomers to always wear shoes — because, vipers — and to watch the trees, since the “bullet ant,” which delivers the world’s most painful bite, like a bullet, is all around.)
Whitfield’s amphibian-listening powers are impressive, but even he has trouble finding frogs by sight. He takes me and a group of researchers from the Center for Global Soundscapes deep into the forest just after dusk one evening, when some frogs tend to be the most active. Our headlamps provide a washed-out sort of tunnel vision of the diversity hiding all around us.
A Mexican Treefrog at La Selva Biological Station, which is a hub for field ecology.
Whitfield can hear and identify frogs at great distance. There’s the “chit-chit-chit” of the blue jeans frog (the one with jeggings), the panicked meowing of a creature aptly nicknamed the “kitten frog.” He hears the slot-machine rattle of the “glass frog,” which has a translucent belly, allowing you to see organs through its skin. Smoky jungle frogs scream like human babies when they’re threatened, and the tink frog seems to be named for its metallic call, which sounds like that ear-piercing noise a smoke detector makes when it wants you to change its battery.
This place is way beyond “ribbit.” The sounds are staggering.
But finding these frogs by sight?
That’s more difficult.
In a couple of hours, we saw only a handful of frogs.
Spiders almost seem easier to come by.
“Those bite,” Whitfield says, pointing to one. “Don’t touch that.”
‘Something is happening’
I’m grateful for the research Whitfield and other field ecologists have contributed when it comes to frogs. Their diligent, painstaking, searching-through-the-leaves work is how we know important (and fun) frog facts, like that the female blue jeans frog is an amphibian supermom.
A view from the forest canopy at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica.
Her tadpoles hatch on the forest floor, he says, but that’s a precarious place for them, so she carries them, on her back, high up into the forest canopy, sometimes 10 to 15 meters off the ground — about 33 to 50 feet.
She drops the tadpoles off in little puddles of water up there in the forest canopy and makes a mental note of their location. She does this again and again, leaving her young all over the forest canopy. She remembers where all these tadpoles are (!!) and spends her days climbing the trees to deliver food.
“That’s pretty complicated behavior for a tiny little frog,” Whitfield says.
His research also has helped show that frogs at La Selva are in decline.
“We have really good long-term data on what’s been happening with frog populations over four decades,” he tells me. “In the forest here now, there’s only about 25% as many frogs as there were sustained throughout the 1970s. And for us, that’s a concern because it says that something is happening to this rainforest but we don’t fully understand what that is.”
The strawberry poison dart frog is sometimes called the blue jeans frog.
That’s worth stating again.
Locally, only a quarter of the frogs from the 1970s remain.
Meanwhile, the human population jumped from less than 4 billion to 7.4 billion today.
Whitfield’s search-the-forest work is critical.
But even he would say it could use a technological assist.
That’s where Pijanowski and his tree-hugging microphones come in.
He’s listening for changes Whitfield might not be able to see.
‘Your ears ring’
Bryan Pijanowski is an ecologist by training. Before that, he was a “quiet alterboy-ish kind of kid” in the Midwest who also was sort of an audiophile — and an amateur musician. He played guitar in a high school band called Destruction. “Everybody wanted you to play ‘Freebird,'” he said, “so that’s what I played — over and over again.”
In school, he set out to become a medical doctor but changed his mind after hearing the “dawn chorus” of a swamp in Michigan. He became obsessed with nature and its music.
Bryan Pijanowski is a “soundscape ecologist” from Purdue University. He’s also director of the Center for Global Soundscapes.
So he studied birds and ecology, and eventually turned to “soundscapes,” the emerging field of using sound to understand the shifts in the health and function of ecosystems.
The work makes him so sound-focused he now has to wear earplugs to sleep.
He can’t stop listening.
“There are times when [the rainforest] is almost too loud,” he tells me.
“It’s like being too close to the speakers at a concert. Your ears ring.”
La Selva is now one of his study sites. He’s working to develop others around the world, including underwater to listen for changes to coral reefs. His microphones have taken him to the tip of South America and the deserts of Mongolia. But this site is special both because the rainforest is nearly untouched — and because there’s so much data. Pijanowski got his hands on recordings that date back to 2008 and started making his own recordings here in 2010. At the peak of his research, he’d installed 34 microphone sensors.
Now he has 255,000 recordings here, totaling about 6.8 years of tape.
He’s still analyzing the data with the help of computer algorithms.
What he’s heard — or rather, what he doesn’t hear — definitely freaks him out.
‘Acoustic fossils’
One evening, insects and frogs chattering outside, Pijanowski sits me down in an open-window classroom at the research station and shows me some of his sound files.
He visualizes the audio in charts called spectrograms.
These charts illuminate trends that a walk through the forest can’t.
Take a look at this La Selva recording from 2008.
It’s too soon to draw scientific conclusions from this, Pijanowski tells me.
But he’s frightened.
“I’m worried that these would potentially become acoustic fossils,” he says.
“In other words, the animals that are in these files are no longer alive. And the only record that we have of some of their presence is in an audio recording.
“That is somewhat disturbing to me, as a scientist and also as a citizen of this planet.”
A collaborator of Pijanowski’s, Michael Towsey, tells me he has a file of an Australian frog that’s thought to be extinct — a recording that already is an acoustic fossil.
‘Most beautiful sound in the world’
Why does this matter?
There’s the self-interested argument.
Here’s Steven Whitfield’s take on that.
“We are all dependent on the planet for clean water, for oxygen. And ecosystems not only provide food to people but rainforests like this are an important source of medicines. Some of the frogs that live in the rainforest here have chemicals in their skin that have been found to be important medicines. They can be painkillers or heart medicines. So these are things that can be really useful for medicine. And we’d like to not lose those. If we do lose those, it hurts us all.”
Frog populations at La Selva Biological Station have plunged 75% since the 1970s, according to Steven Whitfield, Zoo Miami.
There’s the ecosystem collapse argument.
Bryan Pijanowski: “Some of the theoretical work that we’re doing and ecology suggests that we could have ecosystem collapse. And that’s not good … You don’t wanna start removing organisms and expect the ecosystem to survive and function in a healthy way. It could very well mean that some of the things that we are much more emotionally attached to are lost.”
That should be enough to sway a pragmatist.
Still, I think there’s a more human reason you should care about the disappearance of amphibians.
Chances are you never or rarely see frogs in your day-to-day life. But when you learn about them — those with translucent bellies, supermom instincts, blue-jean legs and poisonous skin, all of which are calling to be noticed by each other if not by us — then it’s hard to ignore their plight.
There are multiple causes of the amphibian apocalypse, but all the trouble points back to us. We’ve helped carry a killer fungus, called chytrid, around the globe, with disastrous consequences. Climate change has been implicated in frog die-offs. Pollution is a big problem since frogs live part-time in water and basically breathe through their skin.
They are the front lines — the most vulnerable of species.
Yet few of us seem truly outraged by their disappearance.
Maybe that will change if we start listening more closely.
After all, frog choruses are some of the most fascinating songs in nature.
One recording from the island of Borneo — called “dusk by the frog pond” — was voted by the always-wise
Internet as “the most beautiful sound in the world.”
It’s not too late to stop the sixth extinction from taking permanent hold of us, according to Barnosky, the Stanford researcher. We have at most 20 years to change our ways.
There’s hope. But we must ditch fossil fuels, mitigating climate change. We have to stop the spread of invasive species and disease. And, in the view of one prominent biologist, we must set aside half the planet for the benefit of biodiversity and nature.
People sing the national anthem in Cali, Colombia, on June 23, 2016 celebrating the peace agreement between the Colombian governenment and the FARC leftist guerrilla to be signed today in Havana, taking one of the last crucial steps toward ending Latin America’s longest civil war. / AFP / LUIS ROBAYO (Photo credit should read LUIS ROBAYO/AFP/Getty Images)
(TODAY COLOMBIA) By Colin, Expat-chronicles.com – I’ve been getting a lot of questions about the Colombia’s peace agreement with the FARC when the war officially ended on Aug. 28.
But I haven’t lived in Colombia in almost five years, so most of what I say is gathered from the news. One fact I always point out is exactly how unpopular the FARC is among the people. And there is a very real possibility that voters will reject the government-negotiated peace agreement in a pending referendum because it doesn’t punish the guerrillas enough.
To get a better handle on things, I contacted some gringo friends in Colombia to sound off on how they think the Colombia-FARC saga will take shape. See analysis from Adriaan Alsema, Richard McColl, Kevin Howlett, Mark Kennedy and Christopher Kavanagh below.
I sent the following suggested questions.
Is the referendum going to pass?
How many of the FARC won’t demobilize? How many turn into drug gangs? What does the short- and medium-term macro-criminal situation look like?
For the ones who do demobilize, will there be mass reprisals and assassinations of FARC leaders by military, police, paramilitaries, drug gangs and others out for revenge?
Looking beyond their mandatory minimum terms in Congress, what is the FARC’s future in politics?
When will Colombia truly stabilize peace with what is now the FARC and its leftover remnants?
What question have I not asked?
Below are each one’s commentary.
Adriaan Alsema
Adriaan Alsema is editor of Colombia Reports, Colombia’s most reliable news outlet in English.
A “No” vote would reject the deal but not undo a formally signed ceasefire. The FARC has indicated they want to end the rebellion either way.
A “No” vote would require the renegotiation of some points, mostly concerning war criminals’ future in politics and prison. A bigger consequence will be a political crisis as Humberto de la Calle will resign and President Juan Manuel Santos would be in an impossible position. And a possible panic among FARC’s rank-and-file guerrillas.
Demobilization offers a monthly stipend from the government, but it’s so small I don’t see how it’s much of an incentive. A vast majority of the FARC are expected to demobilize partly because of the deal’s leniency. I think only a small minority will keep their guns and move into drugs.
But this depends on how smooth the transition is made. If it’s not orderly and individual guerrillas end up being targeted, others will freak out and could rearm out of self defense.
Territory control is the biggest issue. If the military does not move into the areas currently controlled by the FARC, there will be instant lawlessness. Other groups may move in and prevent the state from taking control. That would be an extremely explosive situation. So the demobilization needs to be coordinated so that when the FARC abandons, the military needs to move in within a matter of days. This cannot happen over months.
We have to stop talking about the FARC as a homogenous entity. If you go beyond the leadership, you got a whole bunch of children, people who joined because they were threatened to be killed or displaced by paramilitaries, teenagers from rural areas who literally had no opportunity other than joining the FARC and a few students who wanted to change the world.
FARC does not actively participate in drug trafficking everywhere in the country. They just charge the real narcos extortion payments. If they remove protection, there may not be as much of a disruption because the narcos can protect themselves. It’s just extortion they pay to the FARC. But there will be volatility in the areas where the FARC is actively producing and transporting cocaine, such as Tumaco in Nariño, north Antioquia and the Choco part of the Uruba region.
Mass reprisals against demobilized guerrillas are a big fear. If you look at the AUC demobilization between 2003 and 2006, at least 3,000 people were assassinated in just two years afterwards. They were a liability for the criminals they protected. Many FARC guerrillas will become a liability for the drug lords paying them protection money. These guerrillas have detailed information on who is in the drug trade and their operations.
There could be politically motivated revenge, but if you look at the AUC the majority of the killings were done to tie up loose ends. On the other hand, the peace deal provided protection measures deemed adequate by the FARC leadership.
The FARC are guaranteed five seats in Congress and five seats in the lower House of Representatives for eight years. The FARC has only 3% approval nationwide, but I don’t think they’ll be finished after their guaranteed terms in Congress. Right now emotions are high and the wounds are fresh. The conditions of the current deal are going to be felt in 30 years. In Uruguay and Brazil this happened decades ago.
Regardless of what happens with the FARC, what will happen is a normalizing in Colombian politics. Colombia’s left has been incessantly demonized and linked to terrorism. That has prevented legitimate left-wing forces from developing as a political movement. So Colombia may look like Brazil someday with Lula and Dilma. I think the main beneficiary will be the democratic left in Colombia, as opposed to the chavista left.
I am Dutch, and the Netherlands was occupied by Nazis from 1940 to 1945. It wasn’t until the 1990s that popular culture recovered and movies and books were being created which weren’t about the war. We couldn’t get over the war until we beat the Germans in the semifinals of the Eurocup in 1988. So to answer your unasked question, think about that.
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Richard McColl
Richard McColl is a journalist-author-hotelier in Colombia. Check out his kick-ass podcast Colombia Calling, where he will be featuring an episode from the FARC’s base next week.
While all eyes may be on the vote, it’s key to remember that the Government requires only 13 percent of the total to achieve their goal of pushing through the accords. My personal concern is not the referendum itself but the following 180 days and beyond.
FARC guerrillas will begin to demobilize after Oct. 2 and move to concentration zones around the country, where they will start the disarming process and presumably, in the eyes of the government, be ready for civilian life six months later. They will receive a subsidy for two years, but what happens when this source of income comes to an end?
Colombia has to construct an economy capable of generating adequate incomes for those who demobilize, firstly from the FARC and then presumably from the armed forces as there has to be some sort of military reform. It’s a crucial question. If incomes are not created, those who have demobilized face the tempting prospect of returning to arms to earn their money. This is potentially worse than the actual armed conflict in Colombia since there will be no formal chain of command or control as there is now.
The majority of the guerrillas are from the countryside. Can we assume that most of them will want to return to the countryside and an agricultural existence? Will agriculture and small-scale cattle farming be economically viable to generate decent incomes? If they are small-scale farmers, their ability to negotiate with major industry players will be limited. Are the mechanisms in place to permit a commercialization of their products at reasonable prices?
Is the Colombian state truly invested in helping them organize cooperatives so that there are channels for the distribution of their products? Will money come to build the roads and highways so these people can transport their products? Will there be the technological assistance to spur innovation?
It’s a huge challenge for the government and the Banco de la Republica.
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Kevin Howlett
Kevin Howlett is a lobbyist and political analyst based in Colombia and the UK. See his website, Colombia Politics.
President Santos will implement the agreement regardless of the outcome of the vote. Plenty of his supporters have been making the case that a referendum is unnecessary. They argue he has a right and constitutional duty to push ahead. It is almost inconceivable that Santos would let the public get in the way of something on which he has spent the entirety of his political capital.
The question will be turnout. Uribistas will vote “No” en masse. There are plenty who are skeptical of the agreements and not prepared to vote “Yes.” How many of these will not go? Santos was so concerned about turnout he amended the constitution to reduce the threshold to 13%.
Votes in Colombia are also subject to mind-boggling levels of corruption. Vote-buying is systemic. As perverse as it is to pay people to vote in a referendum on peace, the “electoral machine” will be a factor.
In any case, the vote should pass. The peace agreement will go ahead. Then the difficult part begins.
How many will demobilize but remain in the drug trade? The FARC are the biggest exporter of cocaine in the world. The routes remain open and production is on the increase again (at a similar level to pre-Plan Colombia). Criminal gangs are prepared for the agreement, they have already reacted and alliances are forming.
There is evidence now that certain fronts of the FARC are working closely with the neo-paramilitary groups – not just in drug trafficking but other criminal trades such as contraband, extortion, etc.
The government is desperate to protect the demobilized FARC from reprisals. The “concentration zones” and the resources the government has promised should ensure they are relatively safe. But if the Colombian state fails on this, it will have failed on one of its key promises in the peace agreement.
The FARC already have a voice in politics. Every election since and including Pastrana’s in 1998 has been decided on how the candidate would respond to the threat of the FARC. As soon as they formally enter politics the FARC will become less and less relevant. Who cares about Marxist-Leninist doctrine, and who would vote for romantic revolutionaries? The polls suggest very few Colombians have any political sympathy with the FARC. More supporters can be found on university campuses in Northern Europe.
However, money is key in Colombian politics. The FARC have major financial clout from their drug money. Will they lend their resources to a hard-left candidate in the next presidential elections? It isn’t difficult to see how they could shield themselves behind a more acceptable face.
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Mark Kennedy
Mark Kennedy is a freelance journalist based in Bogota. Follow him on Twitter at @MarkKennedy721.
Three opinion polls have varied wildly on the referendum. One predicted “Yes,” one predicted “No” and one was a statistical tie. People are more optimistic than I am that the “Yes” vote will win out because undecided voters are unlikely to vote “no,” they say. I personally believe that the “Yes” vote will win, but not by an overwhelming majority.
But if the “No” side should win, all bets are off as to what happens next. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos engaged in some scare-mongering when he said that the FARC rebels would return to “an urban war, which is much more destructive than a rural war” if the peace agreement fails.
The FARC’s 1st Front, also known as the ‘Armando Rios’ Front, which operates in Colombia’s eastern Llanos plains, came out in July and said they would not demobilize. They vowed to continue their insurgency against the government, and urged guerrilla fighters in other regions who felt the same way to desert their current posts and come join them. The FARC’s supreme command subsequently expelled the 200- strong renegade unit, and said they could no longer use the organization’s name. As the splinter group is no longer a part of the FARC, they fall outside the bilateral ceasefire in place, meaning they are fair game for the Colombian military. And that is exactly what happened in early August. The Air Force carried out air strikes against the group in Guaviare province, destroying 104 jungle labs used to process raw coca leaves into cocaine paste.
A refusal to demobilize makes splinter groups vulnerable to air strikes and other military operations. But for the 1st Front and other groups, the millions of dollars they make from drug trafficking, illegal mining, extortion and “taxes” levied on coca farmers make it worth the risk.
Some analysts predict that as much as 30 percent of the FARC’s estimated 7,000 fighters will ignore orders to disarm and continue dealing in the lucrative criminal industries. Without the ideological veneer of Marxism, these groups may rebrand themselves as a new autonomous leftist rebel group and assume another name. Some could join the smaller ELN guerrillas, while others may choose to work for neo-paramilitary drug gangs with no ideological slant, such as the Rastrojos or the Urabeños. Time will tell what happens, but with as many as 2,100 renegade FARC members running around, there is likely to be a little bit of all three scenarios taking place.
There is a legitimate fear among FARC fighters who lay down their arms and reintegrate into Colombian society that they will become targets by people who want to settle scores. Hundreds of members of a FARC-connected political party called the Patriotic Union were assassinated between the late 1980s to the mid-1990s in an extermination campaign carried about by the paramilitaries and elements of the Colombian army. The wholesale slaughter of left-wing activists, intellectuals, UP politicians and their supporters left the FARC more radicalized than ever.
The disarmament zones spread out across the country will be monitored by the UN, and there’s been talk of the weapons being held by a neutral country, the inference being that the FARC could get their guns back if enough of them start getting killed. A number of death threats against ex-FARC members have already been made, many from right-wing neo-paramilitary groups like the Aguilas Negras.
The FARC political party will likely mirror the ruling PSUV party in Venezuela. They are ideologically bound to the Soviet Union-style economic model, which will no doubt be laughed at by everyone in congress spare a few left-wing allies. If Colombian public opinion of the guerrilla group is any indication on how its candidates will do in elections, they are unlikely to see anyone else go to congress other than the allotted 10 seats, as the group long ago lost legitimacy with the ordinary people.
FARC-related violence has dropped off to near zero since the bilateral ceasefire was declared, but the smaller ELN guerrillas are still active and launching attacks against energy infrastructure and security forces. They bombed Caño Limon oil pipeline, Colombia’s longest, just this past weekend.
While foreign investment in the oil and gas sector is likely to remain as complicated as it has been pre-peace agreement, most analysts feel that so-called “post-conflict” Colombia investment will increase in the short and medium term, especially in mining and agriculture.
I think one thing that many foreigners have trouble comprehending is why so many Colombians are so passionately opposed to the peace deal and plan on voting against it.
Uribe’s opposition has more to do with self-preservation than an imaginary specter of communism haunting Colombia. As part of the agreement, a truth commission will be established which will investigate the killings, forced displacement and other human rights abuses committed by all sides of the conflict. Uribe knows this. He knows that he might well be linked to some of the most atrocious crimes that took place while he was president, and that he could very well face some serious jail time like your friend Alberto Fujimori in Peru.
But the more reasonable wing of the “No” camp point out that many FARC leaders will not spend a single day in prison despite having committed war crimes. Instead, they will be subjected to a vaguely-defined “limited freedom” where they will be confined to a certain area or community. Fighters and commanders who confess their crimes and cooperate with prosecutors will not be locked up. And for many Colombians, this is tantamount to immunity for the crimes they’ve committed, and it’s hard to argue against this point. It’s not just Colombia’s conservatives who are against the agreement, but also NGOs such as Human Rights Watch.
Other organizations seem to agree. The International Criminal Court, for example, has not ruled out intervening if the Colombian government is unwilling or unable to prosecute heinous acts.
Others oppose the deal because the FARC – by many accounts the world’s largest drug trafficking organization – has always denied having made hundreds of millions of dollars. They keep saying that all those millions were spent on the war, and that they don’t have the money to compensate their victims. The Santos government didn’t push the guerrillas on this point. Foreign aid will not cover the estimated billions of dollars to repair, rebuild, compensate victims and investigate the crimes. The shortfall will fall on the Colombian taxpayer. Imagine how unfair and underhanded this sounds to the taxi driver, accountant or fruit vendor who has to pay for post-conflict reconstruction while the guerrillas keep their millions in drug money stashed away somewhere.
Uribe has many followers, and what he’s doing is understandable. The conditions are too lenient. The referendum very well could fail. Many people I’m talking to are saying “No.” My students are the rich ones, and in Bogota these are the people who liked Mockus and Santos. They don’t like Uribe, and they say the agreement is too lenient on the comandantes of the FARC.
Another thing I’ve noticed is the people who talk bad about the peace process are the ones the war never touched, and that’s not good. The victims I know, the ones who were forced to move to Bogota from the countryside by the FARC, just want the war to stop.
The vote is being portrayed as if it’s for peace. The people are very skeptical about all this. Nobody reads around here so they have no idea about the conditions. They’re making it look like “Yes” is for peace and “No” is for no peace. So it’s a wrong kind of a vote.
There will be all kinds of killer gangs that don’t mobilize. Splinter groups are not going to hang up their guns.
Colombia has been a country at war since it independence. The fighters have changed but the people are basically the same. Colombia is great for killing Colombians, you know.
Look at these people. I saw a guy yesterday with two babies, one in his arm and the other barely walking, spitting at a bus driver and kicking the door. Anger and peace issues won’t be resolved by this referendum or the disappearance of the FARC. There’s something in their blood that pits Colombia against Colombia.
(TODAY COLOMBIA) By Colin, Expat-Chronicles – Around 2011 and 2012 the city of Medellin, Colombia began trying to bill itself as the Silicon Valley of Latin America. It is a wealthy city on Latin American standards, so Colombians and specifically residents of Medellin had a field day with that new image to replace the whole Pablo Escobar / cocaine cartel brand.
I was always skeptical given the lack of a highly educated workforce – and by highly educated I mean computer programmers. I always thought it was more of a self-indulgent promotion of something sexy than a dispassionate decision based on cold analysis. But maybe they could import the high-level coders and start from square one. Who knows?
The subject once came up on the now-defunct Expat Chronicles forum, and I’ll share a very interesting comment from Ajiaco, a gringo who works for a software firm based in Bogota.
This article is a bit like any other propaganda article in the foreign press about Colombia’s economic potential: it vastly overstates the case. But there is a nascent tech industry here. Colombian venture capital is only in its infancy, but lots of tech companies have gotten venture capital from the US, especially from Latino-run VC firms based out of Miami.
I work in the tech industry in Bogota, at a company that began as a Colombian startup about a decade ago. One of the most pleasant things about working for my company is that they think much more like a US company than a Colombian one. It’s all about the end result, and hierarchy exists but is rarely acknowledged. Our products are sold to companies throughout the Americas, including the US, and soon will be available throughout other parts of the world as well. It is possible to do in Colombia.
Medellin is a great town, full of good businessmen. Its quality of life crushes Bogota’s. But Bogota has the advantage of being the capital, and being the home of the vast majority of the country’s best universities. I don’t see how Medellin competes in the long term on tech.
Medellín markets itself as the most innovative in the world, in hopes of attracting start-ups, entrepreneurs, and multi-national companies. To this end, the city constructed an innovation center; a massive LEED-certified building named Ruta N (or, Route North). With square footage to fill, the city achieved a minor coup by signing Hewlett Packard as their anchor tenant in 2012. The Hewlett Packard brand was intended to attract start-ups and international entrepreneurs.
So far so good. Are you a big-shot gringo eyeing MDE? Be sure to stay at an Expat Chronicles-recommended Medellin luxury apartment.
In an attempt to rebrand the city, Medellín’s mayor chases awards and recognition for the city. This plan included bringing international concerts to the city, such as Madonna and Beyoncé, and paying millions of dollars to host the World Urban Forum.
How did the plan go?
Then, in 2012 Facebook hosted an innovative cities contest. The contest was promoted by the WSJ and Citi. At stake, winning the designation, “City of the Year: innovation”. The criteria was straight forward, the city with the most Facebook likes wins. Medellín citizens were reminded to vote daily. The plan worked, Medellín received the most Facebook votes and was declared ‘City of the Year’ for innovation. Then followed a marketing campaign to attract entrepreneurs and innovators.
That was based on votes? I thought it was for their escalator and gondola, and the light-rail metro – that’s innovative isn’t it!
In 2015, Hewlett Packard walked away from a 15-year lease at Ruta N. This left Ruta N without an anchor tenant and international brand. Recently, Huawei committed to leasing the space previously leased by Hewlett Packard.
Shortly after Hewlett Packard’s departure, Kimberly Clark cancelled plans to construct an innovation center in Medellín, citing obstructions by local officials and a void of top-level local talent. According to an anonymous source at Kimberly Clark, all but one of the local engineers hired to conduct research and development at the center were terminated, for what was described as and inability to perform and complete tasks to Western standards. The Kimberly Clark feedback is echoed by an OECD study, which places Colombia last in critical thinking.
LAST in critical thinking?
Facebook no longer has contests for cities and innovation. Such contests have gone away, replaced with measured approaches, such as the 2thinknow index and patent reports. Many who were seduced by Medellín’s marketing campaign and verbal commitment to innovate, including Hewlett Packard and Kimberly Clark, have left. Not only has Medellín lost two top brands, but the city has also lost entrepreneurs who gambled on doing business in the former city of Pablo Escobar.
And how does MDE do in the measured approaches?
The 2014 2thinknow index, ranks Medellín number 265 (out of 500 cities), just behind El Paso, Texas. In 2015, Medellín’s rank improved to 147. A sharp improvement over 2014, but still a stark contrast to being ‘The Most Innovative City in the World’.
But they beat El Paso! Now they trail Albany …
Alan Colmenares, a Venture Capitalist from the United States, came to Medellín to sponsor Founders Institute, a tech-mentorship program. The program successfully graduated two cohorts. The business model [included] Silicon Valley CEOs [mentoring local MDE entrepreneurs], which in some cases resulted in venture capital funding. Early success stories include Diego Benitez and his SiembraViva, and Daniel Morales and his FloresyMas…
Initially, Ruta N seemed to embrace Colmenares’ Founders Institute. But, things came to an abrupt halt when there was a leadership change at Ruta N, which attempted to replace Colmenares’ program with one of their own. The Ruta N plan featured local businessmen as mentors instead of the Silicon Valley-based CEOs.
…
The Ruta N homegrown program has yet to produce a market proven startup.
Don’t be a dick. There’s still time!
What does Adriaan Alsema, editor of Colombia Reports and resident of Medellin, say about all this?
“The government has simply embarked on a very clever and effective marketing strategy, using the 2012 WSJ contest as a confirmation of something that never existed. Following the rigging of the contest, the government made many promises, but none of them have materialized,” Alsema said. “Things have changed, or unraveled rather, since the city began promoting itself as innovative. For a while, it looked like the local government was serious about innovation, but that was just window dressing.”
Et tu, Brute?
Instead of funneling resources into winning awards and installing billboards, there is a need to solve problems that will make the city more livable and attract and keep innovators. Needed, policy to address severe inequality, transparency or corruption, gender equity, the environment, and hunger. One might say, Medellín boasts a pride too strong to openly discuss these issues, and would prefer to keep the negative topics out of the innovation conversation.
And the closing thought:
Each city has its own issues that obstruct their path toward innovation. The question for Medellín and other cities, is it realistic for them to create a culture of innovation?
Read the whole article for details I completely left out.
Looks like the air was sucked out of the whole Silicon Valley of Latin America. You can feel that disappointment in 6 Things to Consider Before Moving a Startup to Medellín, which smacks of a warning for an otherwise booster of MDE.
Let’s finish on a positive note. Back to Ajiaco on the defunct forum:
I think it was mentioned in the comments of this article that there is an influx of talented Venezuelans coming to Colombia who are fed up with how things are going in their home country who are also bolstering all sorts of commerce here. It’s a huge brain drain out of Venezuela of people who don’t think the current government is working for them, and at least in some ways is working to Colombia’s advantage. It is certainly making Bogota the logical choice for local company headquarters in the northwestern part of South America. Facebook just opened an office here, and Google, Microsoft, IBM and almost every other notable tech company also has a branch here.
So let’s build on an actual strength, and in Colombia’s case that means strong cultural connection and physical proximity to the gravest humanitarian crisis and most sweeping brain drain in the history of the hemisphere. Venezuela’s nerds and Colombia’s nerds, come together and make a TECH HUB. Even if it’s not in Medellin, just make one!
Q COSTA RICA NEWS – Passengers on an Air Canada flight 1807 were delayed for 32 hours in San Jose, Costa Rica not because of bad weather or ash from the Turrialba volcano, but because of a passenger count problem.
A report by Canada’s CBC News says the 273 passengers boarded the direct flight from San Jose to Toronto at 8:30am on Sunday, January 8. Pamela Machado, a Ontario lawyer, who was seated in business class, said they sat on the plane until 2:00pm, permitted to deplane to get food and asked to reboard at 3:30pm. But at 7:15pm, the crew announced the flight had been cancelled, she said.
Photo via Twitter
Air Canada then put the passengers up in a hotel for the night and provided food vouchers.
However, Machado says when they arrived back at the airport on Monday, check-in was even more atrocious than the day before, claiming they were ‘being herded like cats’.
“They just simply couldn’t get it together,” she said. Those on the plane were “walking over each other trying to get to the other end of the airport.”
The Monday makeup flight finally did take off, about two and a half hours later than scheduled.
Photo via Twitter
The reason for Sunday’s delay was that the passenger head count did not match computer records.
“It was technically a ‘reconciliation error’ between [the] computer count and the physical passenger count on board which revealed one person was missing,” said Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick. “For safety and security reasons, aircraft cannot depart in such situations.”
Air Canada said they would be refunding the passengers for the return portion of the trip but a passenger rights expert says the airline did not do enough. A report by Citynews.ca says according to Dr. Gabor Lukacs, the efforts made by the airline were a start but that Air Canada is still responsible for things like “lost wages and parking their car an extra day.”
Another passenger, Lawrence Paddington also Tweeted his experience.
“Don’t dwell on how bad it was, just be factual,” explained Lukacs, adding that airlines can be on the hook for up to $8,000 in such expenses.
But for Machado, who said the delay cost her and her partner dearly, missing a day at the office and her partner missed the first day of a three month police training program, the damage has already been done. “I will definitely not fly Air Canada again,” she stated bluntly.
The Alajuela - San Jose lanes of the Platina bridge closed Thursday and Friday morning.
The Alajuela – San Jose lanes of the Platina bridge closed Thursday and Friday morning.
Q COSTA RICA NEWS – Despite the comments made by the Consejo Nacional de Vialidad (CONAVI) only a couple of days ago, that the Platina bridge – the bridge over the Virilla river on the autopista General Cañas – closures would only be on weekends, brace yourself for some heavy duty traffic headaches this Thursday and Friday.
On Thursday, January 12 the Alajuela – San Jose lanes will be closed for four hours, from 9:00am. The same on Friday, January 13.
Thursday night, one lane of the San Jose – Alajuela side of the bridge will be closed starting at 10:00pm and re-open by 5:00am Friday morning.
The Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes (MOPT) – Ministry of Transport and Public Works – is recommending people use the train to reduce the number of vehicles and congestion.
Andres Muñoz, of the Consejo Nacional de Vialidad (CONAVI) – National Roads Council – says the closures are necessary to continue with the installation of the support for the new lanes that will form part of the bridge. When complete, the bridge will go from four lanes to six, that is from two to three lanes in each direction.
Last weekend, the Alajuela – San Jose lanes of bridge were closed Saturday morning and although the opening had been anticipated for Monday morning, by Sunday the bridge was completely open to traffic.
A couple of weeks ago, just before Christmas, the closure announced late in the afternoon and taking effect the next day, raised the ire of many. This time, the CONAVI feels that two days notice is plenty. We will see.
The bridge has been a thorn in the side of drivers since 2009. Several attempts to repair the bridge failed miserably. Hopefully, the latest work, coming in at a cost of US$14 million dollars, will be end once and for all the nightmare of that is known as the “platina”, by the end of February.
MOPT ninister Carlos Villalta has promised to resign if the work is not done by February 28 (2017). President Luis Guillermo Solis, who has made a number of personal inspection of the work progress, said he would accept his minister’s resignation. Villata is the third minister of the MOPT of the current administration.
Punctuality League 2016. On-time performance results for airlines and airports
Q TRAVEL – Are you in the need to be punctual? In addition to price and customer service, airline passengers of the world highly value their flight being punctual.
To help understand which airlines keep their promise of being on time and which do not, the Official Airline Guide (OAG) reveals the world’s most punctual airlines and airports in 2016.
The OAG says it arrived at the conclusions using a compilation of the most comprehensive airline schedules database in the world and the most trusted source of flight status information. The OAG Punctuality League 2016 reveals rankings of all airlines – mainline, low-cost and by region – plus the best small, medium, large and major airports.
TOP 20 MAIN AIRLINES BY OTP
Among the Top 20 airlines “mainline category”, operating in Costa Rica and how well their perform when it comes to being punctual, are:
Copa Airlines, with multiple daily flights to and from Costa Rica, Copa, repeated its 2nd place ranking of 2015 with OTP of 88.75% in 2016.
Alaska Airlines, with regular to the San Jose and Liberia airports, took seventh position overall with a score 86.05%, followed by Iberia, with daily direct flights between San Jose and Madrid, ranked in eight position, with a OTP of 85.67%.
Delta Air Lines is the largest airline featuring among the , operating the second largest number of flights of any airline in 2016, had over 84% of all flights arrived on time.
When it comes to LOW COST CATEGORY (LCC), the top 20 for the airlines with service to Costa Rica are:
Westjet (Canada) ranked 6th
Southwest (United States), the largest LCC in the world, ranked 7th
Frontier is 12th
JetBlue is ranked 15th
Spirit is 18th
LATIN AMERICA
The Punctuality League 2016 includes eight airlines based in Latin America which meet the qualifying criteria.
At the top of the rankings is Sky Airline with OTP of 91.13%. Sky Airline is the only airline in Latin America to achieve OTP of over 90%.
Copa Airlines narrowly misses the top spot, appearing in second place in the region with OTP of 88.75%.
Low-cost airline Gol, the largest airline in Latin America in terms of flights operated in 2016,
is ranked 3rd with OTP of 84.63%.
The Official Airline Guide ranked the San Jose – Juan Santamaria international airport (SJO) – 20th in ‘Top 20 Medium Airports’, with OTP of 82.3%.
The average on-time performance in 2016 among the Top 20 Medium Airports was 85.4%, meaning this percentage of arriving and departing flights operated under 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival and departure times. The average data coverage for these 20 airports was 94.7%.
In Latin America, the Tocumen international airport in Panama (PTY) was the best performer (third in the Top 20 Medium Airports with OTP of 89.56%); followed by Belo Horizonte (CNF) in Brazil with OPT of 88.49%; and San Jose (SJO).
Marabu coal, noted for its superb flavor, is to be exported soon to the US (RTVE).
TODAY CUBA – The first Cuban export to the United States in 60 years will be marabu coal. Despite the Washington-imposed blockade that currently restricts most of the island’s exports, an agreement was reached with regard to exporting and marketing this mineral.
Cubaexport was the company that signed an international contract with the North American company Coabana Trading LLC; the two companies recently signed a formal agreement on coal export.
This signing took place at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment (MINCEX), after a long series of negotiations. The agreement was spearheaded by the president of Reneo Consulting LLC, Scott Gilbert and the director of Cubaexport, Isabel O’Reilly.
According to the Granma’s website, Isabel O’Reilly explained that “This will be our first contract, but we hope to continue our relationship for many years, and not only with coal, but also with other products that we have ready to export like honey and coffee.”
They agreed on a price of USD $420 per ton, so far, the highest that CubaExport has achieved in more than 10 years of marketing this product.
In the international market the normal price for Cuban coal varies between USD $340 and $380 per ton.
Gilber said he was very proud to have participated in the deal and added that “this is a far-reaching agreement for economic relations between the two countries. The most important thing is that it means another plank in the construction of the bridge between the United States and Cuba.”
With respect to the takeover of Donald Trump on January 2, the president of Reneo Consulting LLC said that if the new administration believes in free trade, such agreements can be made without problems. “We look forward to working with the new government just as we have done with Barack Obama,” he said.
The process will begin with the agricultural cooperatives that will be in charge of cutting and processing the marabú coal. It will then be sold to another company that prepares and packages it for final export. Cubaexport is in charge of the formalities, sales, and exportation from the country.
It is important to remember that marabu coal is recognized for being one of the best in the world as it has a high energy capacity. It is produced in artisan kilns in a natural way and does not contribute to deforestation.
Executive Vice President Tareck El Aissami with President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro (Tareck Psuv)
TODAY VENEZUELA – Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro continues to seek out alleged coups against his administration, having just announced the creation of a new anti-treason committee.
Maduro appointed Executive Vice President Tareck El Aissami as the new head of the “National Anti-coup Command” on Sunday, January 8, with other members of the group set to be sworn in on Tuesday, January 10.
Maduro again threatened the opposition, especially new President of the National Assembly Julio Borges.
Borges said he will defeat Maduro in a way that Henry Ramos Allup, the previous President of the National Assembly, did.
“I am going to delegate the battle against coup d’état to a special anti-coup command for peace and sovereignty,” Maduro said. “(They will) devote 24 hours a day to taking preventive, legal and corrective measures against all internal coup and terrorist sectors.”
He explained that the command will attend to alleged coup plans that are political, economic and at all levels of governance.
Subcommands will reportedly be created in all the states of Venezuela with the participation of the Armed Forces, the police forces and the central government.
The Anti-coup Command will be composed of Minister of the Office of the President El Aissami, Defense Minister Carmen Meléndez, Deputy to the National Assembly Vladimir Padrino Lopez and Minister of People’s Power for Interior Relations Diosdado Cabello. Director of the Political Police Sebin Gustavo González, General Commander of the Bolivarian Militia César Vega and General Director of the Bolivarian National Police Franklin García Duque are also involved.
TODAY VENEZUELA (Insightcrime.org) Venezuela is likely the second most dangerous nation on earth, and with the situation of political, economic and social crisis set to worsen, escalating homicides are expected in 2017.
The Venezuelan Violence Observatory (Observatorio Venezolano de Violencia – OVV) estimated 28,479 “violent deaths” during 2016, a homicide rate of 91.8 per 100,000 residents. As a point of comparison, the murder rate in the United States is less than five per 100,000. The count included deaths from confrontations involving security forces, many of which are suspected to be extrajudicial killings.
According to the OVV, Venezuela maintained its rank as the second most violent nation in the world outside of open war, second only to El Salvador. In 2015, the OVV estimated 27,875 “violent deaths,” a homicide rate of 90 deaths per 100,000 residents in 2015. Roberto Briceño León, the OVV director, told EFE that the annual increase in violence is “moderate” but “alarming.” (See InSight Crime’s 2014 and 2015 regional homicide rankings).
The 2016 annual report highlighted several trends that fed the murder rate. Crime became more violent with the widespread use of firearms by criminals, police and military responses became more violent (at least 80 percent of cases of resistance to authority ended in death), and severe food and medicine shortages also fueled criminal activities.
During 2016, living conditions in the country further deteriorated. Hyperinflation is spiraling out of control. And while the minimum wage has increased, salaries have been eroded by the rising cost of products, leading to a proliferation of the black market. Security forces have become increasingly heavy handed, spurring violent resistance from organized crime groups, which are growing in number, size and sophistication. These trends are likely to continue in 2017, further feeding the murder rate.
The situation in Venezuela looks set to worsen in the year to come. According to a report by risk consultancy G4S, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted an inflation rate of 1,640 percent in 2017 for Venezuela. Food and medicine scarcity in 2016 saw the development of “hunger crimes.” Rampant impunity and a worsening economic and political crisis will only feed the expansion of a new breed of criminal gangs known as “megabandas.”
The Venezuelan government has previously admitted to keeping crime figures secret and frequently withholds official statistics. While the OVV’s figures are widely trusted, they were challenged in July 2016 when academic research questioned the methodology. Critics argued that in 2013 the OVV double counted deaths reported by Venezuela’s investigative police force, the CICPC. However, in the total absence of transparency from the state, the OVV figures are the best available, and none doubt the trend of worsening homicides in Venezuela.
Article originally appeared on Insightcrime.org, reposted here with permission.
Can Colombia Meet Its Huge 2017 Coca Eradication Goal?
TODAY COLOMBIA (Insightcrime.org) Colombia has outlined plans to mitigate surging coca cultivations — one of the biggest threats to lasting peace in the country — as the FARC guerrillas’ demobilization process moves slowly forward.
The Colombian government will aim to eradicate 100,000 hectares of the cocaine-producing plant this year despite only uprooting 17,593 hectares in 2016, according to El Tiempo. (See InSight Crime’s graphic below)
The ambitious goal amounts to more than the 96,000 hectares of coca cultivations believed to be present in Colombia in 2015, based on figures from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Sources consulted by El Tiempo predict that cultivations may have risen to 130,000 hectares in 2016, a figure unseen since a peak of 145,000 hectares in 2001, according to UNODC estimates.
Eradication efforts will be split evenly between the voluntary substitution of coca crops for legal alternatives, and forced eradication by state forces. To carry out the job, the army will reportedly have specialized manual eradication brigades totalling 20,000 troops.
These developments come only weeks after a milestone for the peace process unfolding with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – FARC), who control the lion’s share of the country’s coca crops.
On December 28, Colombia’s congress approved an Amnesty Law outlined in an agreement signed by the rebel army and the Colombian government. This law is a key requirement in providing judicial guarantees for FARC members who hand over their weapons, but it has been strongly criticized by opposition politicians. When implemented, it will grant pardons for thousands of guerrillas not considered responsible for crimes against humanity, and possible freedom for imprisoned rebels.
There have been some hiccups since the demobilization phase began at the start of December 2016, including delays in readying in the zones where guerrilla fighters will temporarily gather to surrender their weapons and prepare for reintegration into society. Nonetheless, FARC troops are slowly moving to their designated areas.
These ongoing developments show that the wheels are finally in motion for Colombia’s “post-conflict” plans, yet they also draw attention to the biggest obstacles ahead.
The cocaine trade is a huge source of income for dissident FARC members as well as other criminal organizations that are already moving into areas left behind by the demobilizing rebels. And despite Colombia’s surge in coca cultivations, eradication fell sharply last year. This is mainly due to the government’s controversial decision in 2015 to ban the aerial fumigation of coca crops, a method that represented over 80 percent of total eradication the previous year.
Many have opposed this change, including the United States government. It is possible that Colombian officials had their North American allies in mind when setting the 2017 eradication goal; US congressional representatives recently suggested withholding “post-conflict” aid to the country unless significant changes are made to the peace deal. Moreover, US Vice President Joe Biden advised Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos in December 2016 to focus on the fight against drug trafficking in order to maintain good ties with incoming US President Donald Trump.
While it will be difficult for Colombia to achieve its eradication goal, it may have more resources to do so, as former FARC members convicted of grave crimes will be expected to participate in crop substitution efforts.
Another significant challenge will be to provide viable economic alternatives for coca growing communities to secure long-term change. However, there are doubts about the government’s capacity to fill the state void in these areas in the imminent future.
Article originally appeared on Insightcrime.org, reposted here with permission.
Donald Trump has a unique opportunity to improve US relations with Latin America. Many are unsure in what direction the new President will take Latin America.
Donald Trump has a unique opportunity to improve US relations with Latin America. Many are unsure in what direction the new President will take.
(Q24N) There is a growing expectation among analysts, diplomats and politicians regarding president elect Donald Trump’s policy toward Latin America. Some fear that Latin America will become even more disaffected or that there will be a shift toward protectionism that reduces our foreign trade. Others, on the contrary, have positive expectations, especially in terms of facing the dictatorships in Cuba and Venezuela.
A review of the historical changes in US foreign policy might help, I believe, to better understand all possible scenarios.
We cannot go into profound historical analysis for reasons of space, so let’s begin in the final days of World War II, when the struggle against totalitarianism encouraged democratic reforms in the region.
In Guatemala, the United States viewed with great kindness the resignation of Jorge Ubico and the overthrow of the regime that followed him for a few months. But shortly afterward, when the Cold War began against the Soviet Union and Communism, they changed their position: it was not so much a matter of democracy as a firm stance against communism. Thus, friendly relations with Trujillo were resumed in the Dominican Republic and with Somoza in Nicaragua. Such regimes were tolerated and this stance even caused coups against leftist governments.
Then, with the arrival of Jimmy Carter in 1977, a change took place. The fight against pro-Communist guerrillas, encouraged by Fidel Castro from Cuba, moved to second place. Instead, the subject of human rights was promoted. Those who fought against Marxism became enemies, such as the Somozas in Nicaragua and Pinochet in Chile. State coups were neither accepted nor tolerated; rather, non-governmental organizations that opposed the military everywhere were favored.
What can we expect now before the beginning of a new presidency in the United States?
It does not appear that Donald Trump has a well-defined ideology, but he will apparently move away from his predecessor’s leftist leanings. A stronger stance on Cuba and Venezuela could be in the cards, which would be very favorable in a regional context. Trump’s statements against free trade, however, cast a shadow over inter-American trade relations.
Let’s hope that, if we act more consistently, we will reverse the human rights policy followed during the more recent administrations of Democratic presidents. It would be a good thing if, instead of persecuting those who fought against communist guerrillas in past decades, US policy is turned against governments that violate elementary human rights in various countries.
The hypocrisy of the policy followed so far is striking, and it casts serious doubts over Washington’s true intentions: how can the Obama administration favor Colombia’s FARC while it persecutes the military that fought subversion elsewhere?
What human rights are being referred to when countless political prisoners continue to languish in Cuban and Venezuelan prisons while the US engages with these tyrannical governments?
The new administration, therefore, has a pending debt: to show that the United States is the country of freedom and respect for individual rights and not just another version of socialism, the ideology that, in various ways, has negatively affected so many of our people.
Article by Carlos Sabino, Sociologist, writer, and university professor, originally appeared at Panampost.com.
Q COSTA RICA – If the draft Ley de Impuesto a las Personas Jurídicas (Corporations Tax Law) has no constitutional problems, it would come into force by the middle of the year, requiring all active and inactive corporations, including branches of foreign companies, their legal representatives and limited liability companies, as well as limited partnerships, to pay a yearly tax to maintain its legal status.
A similar law enacted by the previous administration was declared unconstitutional in January 2015, though, the Constitutional Court established that debtors (corporations) would have to pay the tax for the periods between 2012 and 2015.
According to the Contraloría General (Comptroller General), as of January 2015 there were 558,183 registered corporations. Of those, some 336,000 are delinquent (in paying the old tax), of which some 266,000 owe three periods (years) or more.
Even though the revived tax on corporations is not in force yet, the collection of the tax starts on January 1 of each year, with 30 days to pay before incurring late fees and penalties. For 2017, the tax will be pro-rated. For example, if the law goes into effect in July, the tax would only be half.
Payment of the tax is to be made only at any Banco de Costa Rica (BCR) branch or online or directly to the Registro Nacional (National Registry).
How much do companies have to pay?
In reviving the tax on corporations, legislators modified the previous tax table, to apply a differentiated rate, not only according if the corporation is active or inactive, but also according to the yearly profit.
The rate would be:
¢64.000 colones for all inactive corporations
¢106,000 colones for corporations with income less than ¢51 million colones annually
¢127,000 colones for corporations with income between ¢51 million and ¢119 million annually
¢212,000 colones for corporations with income greater than ¢119 million colones annually
Newly registered corporations would have to pay ¢64,000 colones within 30 days of registration.
Exempt from paying the tax are the micro and small companies (PYMES) registered as such in the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce (MEIC), as well as the small and medium agricultural producers enrolled in the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce (MAG).
What are the penalties and fines for non-payment?
The fines and penalties applicable are those established in the Tax Code, that includes interest on arrears, fixed by the Tax Department.
In addition:
The National Registry will deny certifications of legal status or veritable certifications to corporations in default.
Defaulters cannot enter into contracts with State or any public institution.
The unpaid tax debt will become a preferential legal mortgage or lien on the assets of the corporation.
Corporations that go three consecutive periods without paying the tax, will be dissolved.
What will the money raised through the corporations tax be used for?
The Ministerio de Seguridad Publica (MSP) – Ministry of Public Security – will receive 90% of the proceeds, to invest in infrastructure of police stations and the purchase and maintenance of equipment for the police force.
The MSP will be prohibited from using the money to pay salaries, overtime, travel expenses, transportation and consultancies, among other items, with the exception of the hiring of 1,000 new police officers and defray the expenses corresponding to the new hiring during their existence.
5% will be allocated to the Ministry of Justice, to support the financing of the General Directorate of Social Adaptation, the entity in charge of the country’s prisons.
The remaining 5% will go to the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) – Judicial Investigation Police – to address the fight against organized crime.
What is required for the tax to go into effect?
The draft law is awaiting a response from the Constitutional Court, responding to a consultation made by legislators before it can be submitted to a second (and final) debate and vote.
Following the vote, regulations needs to be drafted and its publications is required in the official government newsletter, La Gaceta.
Q Analysis
What does this mean to foreigners in Costa Rica with corporations?
Many foreigners calling Costa Rica their home or home-away-from-home (as well as nationals) prefer to use corporations to hold assets such as a house, farm, vacant land or vehicles, for example. We can expect the current administration to make a similar interpretation of its predecessor, that is that the corporations primarily to for the holding of assets, are ‘active’ and as such must pay the ‘active corporations’ tax.
Although the previous law had a similar bite, it lacked enforcement. This draft seems to have taken that into consideration, especially the constitutional part, and failure to pay could result in dissolution and loss of assets, but the tax debt will still be owed by the legal representative.
It should be made clear that the Corporation Tax is not a tax on profits or income tax or corporate tax. The Corporations Tax is a fixed annual fee that is to paid by every corporation regardless of its activity or profitability.
Manitoba (Canada) Premier Brian Pallister in his office Friday with a sample of the reading material he had with him in Costa Rica. Photo WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Q24N – The Premier of the Manitoba (Canada) is under fire for his vacationing in Costa Rica, though not for his choice to spend his time in the land of Pura Vida, but for being “incomunicado” with his office while doing do.
Manitoba (Canada) Premier Brian Pallister in his office Friday with a sample of the reading material he had with him in Costa Rica. Photo WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
“The Premier of Manitoba is not a semi-retirement position,” said Andrew Swan, the NDP’s justice critic. “I remember being on holidays and sneaking out to the hotel to make phone calls, to receive briefings. I would receive documents by email and review them on holiday time.”According to a report by the Winnipeg Free Press, Brian Pallister appears to be a premier who doesn’t use email — a revelation raising questions about how much work he is actually doing while residing at his Costa Rica.
The Free Press says it has obtained records that show for the first three months as Premier, Pallister had no email communication with any of his senior political staff, including his chief of staff and director of communications. Moreover, in response to questions from the Free Press, Pallister’s office has disclosed the Premier is not receiving any documents once he has left Manitoba to spend weeks at a time in Costa Rica.
The Free Press says the Premier doesn’t seem to have a personal government email account. There is no Brian Pallister registered in the legislature’s email database, and premier@leg.gov.mb.ca is a general email account, used by staff for general communication from the premier’s office, writes the Free Press.
When Pallister’s office made clear the Premier would be spending the Christmas holidays and much of January in Costa Rica, the Conservative party (Tories) went to great lengths to argue he would continue in his role as Premier by maintaining regular contact with his cabinet and staff.
But how?
“It would be surprising for someone to head out of the province for weeks at a time and not have measures in place to be receiving documents securely and be up to speed on what is happening,” said Swan. “That might have been the way it worked in the ’50s, but that is not the way it works now.”
Royce Koop, a political studies professor at the University of Manitoba, said modern technology offers the opportunity for Pallister to work remotely and still help govern the province while in Costa Rica — as long as he uses these tools.
“You can access information remotely and direct people remotely. But there are also limits to this… there is some utility to people coming together and working together in an office, and there is usefulness to being present,” said Koop, who said Pallister likely corresponds by phone frequently. He said when Pallister is in Manitoba, having staff to facilitate communications likely compensates for him not using email.
Q COSTA RICA – Wind gusts of up to 100 km/h associated with a cold front gripping the country are responsible for the fall of at least 17 trees and damage to homes in areas such as Heredia centre, San Isidro (Heredia), Cartago, Pacayas, Turrialba, Guápiles, El Guarco, Alvarado, Alajuela, Matina, Puntarenas, Coronado, Goicoechea, San Carlos, San Isidro, Pococí and Limón.
The Cuerpo de Bomberos (Fire Department) have been busy since Sunday afternoon attending emergencies.
Despite the conditions, no persons have been reported injured, says the Cruz Roja (Red Cross).
The national parks Poás and Rincón de la Vieja volcanoes are closed due the strong winds and falling of branches.
With the winds and cold are some rains causing floods in Matina and Pococi in the province of Limon; Puntarenas; Paraíso and Talamanca, in Cartago, according to the Comision Nacional de Emergencies (CNE) – national emergency commission.
Transit on some routes has also been affected, such as the Ruta 32 (San Jose – Limon) closed due to a landslide and Ruta 141 that connects Zarcero with Cuidad Quesada de San Carlos. Click here for the latest road conditions.
Traffic police clearing the autopista General Cañas of a fallen tree in the morning hours
A fallen tree near the “platina” bridge on the autopista General Cañas (San Jose – Alajuela) disrupted morning traffic for several minutes, around 9:00am.
The weather phenomenon is expected to cause rains and winds in the Caribbean area where there are major downpours, while in the Central Valley, showers will be intermittent, especially in mountainous areas, on Monday and Tuesday.
The Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN) – national weather service – says the cold front is expected to continue until Wednesday morning, after which weather conditions will normalize.
The cold front caused the thermometer to dip between 2 and 3 degrees Celsius from the normal highs of a typical January.
On the seas, the Centro de Investigación en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología (Center for Marine and Limnological Sciences Research) warns of the acceleration of the wind generating choppy seas in the Caribbean and in the North Pacific.
Q COSTA RICA NEWS – Six Cubans, who entered the country illegally, were arrested while travelling in a the back of a truck carrying gas cylinders. The Ministerio de Seguridad Publica (MSP) – Ministry of Public Security – confirmed the migrants were detained at a police checkpoint in La Gamba de Golfito, on the Inter-American highway.
The MSP says the driver of the truck is under investigation, arrested by police for the crime of human trafficking.
The report by La Nacion says the migrants paid US$1,100 dollars for the trip, whose final destination was not revealed to authorities.
Photo Ministerio de Seguiridad Publica (MSP)
Of the 26,000 migrants who entered Costa Rica between November 2015 and December 2016, in their attempt to reach the United States, some 8,000 were Cubans, according to official government figures.
Migrants making their way through Costa Rica from Panama and headed north is nothing new. However, in late 2015, in the country began a migrant crisis when Nicaragua closed its borders to all migrants.
Currently several thousand African and Haitian migrants are still in Costa Rica, housed in temporary shelters in area mainly in La Cruz, near the northern border.
Of the Cuban migrants arrested Sunday, authorities say they are in good health and housed in a local hotel near Golfito, while their future is being determined.
(Bna.com) Costa Rica has introduced a series of changes to its personal data protection legislation that have the potential to make life easier for multinational companies and advance data owners’ rights, privacy professionals told Bloomberg BNA.
Executive Decree JP-40008 drops a previous requirement to register databases held by different units of a single company that share information with each other.
Regarding consent, Decree JP-40008 introduces the principle of “unequivocal” assent. Database holders must be in a position to prove to Prohab that they have obtained this consent “in an indubitable fashion” and must provide data owners access to their own information.
Additionally, the decree makes clear that if a database holder subcontracts services, it remains the main responsible of the data security and integrity before the law. It also clarifies how the 10-year “right to be forgotten” principle must be calculated and allows the two sides to negotiate freely what exact date should be taken as a starting point, she added.
Companies that need to internationally transfer data within its business unit and companies that market data will benefit from this law. Dropping the registration requirement and lowering fees were major demands made by both local and international companies, Gabriela Arroyo, an attorney with Soley, Saborio & Asociados law firm in San Jose, Costa Rica, told Bloomberg BNA Dec. 22.
The new law also scraps the concept of “super-user,” which in the past gave Costa Rica’s Citizens Data Protection Agency (Prodhab) the right to gain unrestricted access to listed databases. Additionally, it tightens up the procedures that database holders must follow to get owners’ consent for data transfers and makes a two-point cut in royalties paid by database holders that market information.
“Those features were causing a lot of concern to companies,” she said.
Companies Bid Farewell to ‘Super User’
“The notion of super-user made no sense at all,” Viviana Solis, a lawyer at Costa Rica’s Legal Business Advisors told Bloomberg BNA Dec. 22. This concept, unique to the Central American nation, wasn’t mentioned in Costa Rica’s Personal Data Protection Act enacted in 2011 and was only adopted through its implementing regulations issued in 2013, she said.
Prior super-user powers by Prodhab were particularly troublesome for companies because those powers could run right against confidentiality clauses that are a common business feature, privacy professionals said.
Therefore, the need to comply with them had the potential to expose firms to sanctions arising from a breach of contract scenario, Arroyo said.
Additionally, the super-user clause’s vague language was giving excessive discretionary powers to the head of Prodhab. “Getting rid of this clause was one of the main achievements of the reform,” she said.
Easier Data Sharing Within Companies
“Previously, a company with a unit in Costa Rica and headquarters in the U.S. needed to register its database in order to be allowed to shuffle data back and forth,” Arroyo said. “Now, only the transfer of information between two parties on a for-profit basis requires database listing.” This waiver applies even if the two sides operate under different brand names.
However, Solis said, it would be wise for companies to register with Prodhab nonetheless. By doing so, “they will be regarded as companies eager to comply with local and international security, quality and confidentiality data-use standards, which these days is extremely important,” she said.
“This reform gives a respite to multinationals operating in Costa Rica in the sense that if they are part of one economic group and they don’t disseminate, distribute to third parties, sell or commercialize their databases, they can share their content among them” without a need to register, Solis said.
Q COSTA RICA NEWS – The 15 passengers and driver aboard a bus that for yet to be determined reasons caught fire and burned. The incident occurred Saturday night, in Pozos de Santa Ana, in the area of El Alto de las Palomas, around 7:30pm.
Photo of the bus engulfed in flames sent to the Q via Facebook by Duke Doodle.
The Cuerpo de Bomberos (Fire Department) is investigating.
Witnesses say the bus, owned by the Tapachula company that operates the San Jose – Santa Ana route, for no apparent reason caught fire and was quickly engulfed in flames. Bomberos on the scene put out the fire completely and are investigating.
Photo by Adrian Soto, La Nacion
The flames also damaged overhead wires, leaving a number of homes without electricity for some time.
From International Living – For just over a quarter of a century, International Living has ranked, rated, and named the best retirement destinations in the world. Each year we’ve refined and improved the process, bringing new categories and considerations into play, gathering new data, and asking more and better questions of a greater number of expats.
We’ve added countries to the shortlist as they moved into the limelight, Malaysia in 2000…Colombia in 2007…and let others drop away. But the winner this year has been constant. For the past 14 years, this country has consistently ranked in the top 10 retirement destinations on the planet. And—for the fifth time—it takes the top spot once again in our Annual Global Retirement Index.
This year sees our most comprehensive index yet, with a list of 24 top retirement destinations, all of which have been put under the microscope and examined as regards their cost of living, retiree benefits, climate, healthcare, and much more.
This thorough questioning and assessment ultimately leaves us with a definitive list of the best retirement havens from around the world. All of which share the values that you can expect from an International Living approved retirement destination, while also maintaining aspects that make them stand out as individuals, meaning our index has a place to suit every taste.
So, without further ado—after months of research, number-crunching, and fact-finding—allow the expats who live there to introduce you to the benefits of the world’s top 10 retirement destinations in 2017.
International Living Index
1. Mexico
Mexico
Mexico has always offered arguably the easiest transition to expat life around: Low-cost, conveniently close, friendly locals and plenty of expats—Mexico offers an appealing balance of exotic foreign culture and familiar First-World lifestyle.
Over recent years, crime and insecurity across the border have made headlines—and yes, there are parts of Mexico we don’t recommend. But this is a big country…and while the mainstream media may bash Mexico, we’ve actually noticed a trend of people gravitating there. Seasoned expats, folks who have lived in countries like Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Belize, are moving to Mexico.
After all, there’s a reason over 1 million Americans call Mexico home. The cost of living is great—expats report living well for as little as $1,200 a month—and has gotten even better with the weakening of the peso against the dollar in recent years. Your dollars now buy nearly 50% more pesos than they did just a few short years ago. The weak peso also means you can pick up great-value real estate (to buy or rent) for even less than you could a few years ago—an apartment that cost $1,300 to rent in 2014 costs $980 now. Those dollars also go even further when it comes to Mexican healthcare. You can get healthcare that’s even better quality than what you’re used to and for one half to one third the price to boot.
According to IL’s Roving Latin America Editor Jason Holland, who lives on the Riviera Maya, there are first-rate hospitals throughout the country—every major city has one. “Even paying cash at private facilities costs a fraction of what it would in the U.S. Most doctors have received at least part of their training in the U.S. or Europe…and many speak English,” Jason says.
English is widely spoken in popular expat spots like Lake Chapala and the Riviera Maya. This makes it easy for you to fit right in. And heck, you can drive down, or fly home for as little as $200 round-trip—so getting home is convenient.
This proximity also makes it an ideal destination for snowbird living, perfect for escaping from the worst of the winter weather. And the diverse selection of climates spread out across this massive country, ranging from hot weather on the beach to spring-like in the highlands, means you’re guaranteed to find weather that’s perfect for you.
“The cost of living in Mexico allows me to live a fun life on my Social Security check,” says San Francisco-native Jack Bramy. Living half a block from the beach in Puerto Vallarta, Jack’s not scrimping. “There are great restaurants and tons of cool bars on the malecón (promenade). My rent is $575 a month for a two-bedroom apartment with a great modern bathroom and nice kitchen.”
If you prefer to live in the Colonial Highlands, there are the picturesque historic towns like San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, and Ajijic on Lake Chapala.
Chicago native Steve Garcia, 67, has lived in Guanajuato for four years. “I live well here on Social Security. My expenses are $1,200 a month, including rent. I have a two-bedroom house with a terraced garden,” says Steve. “With the dollar going up I’ve got 50% more to spend.”
After you become a legal resident of Mexico, which is quite easy to qualify for, you can also take advantage of its retiree benefits. Those over 60 get discounts on airline and bus tickets, medical care, museum entrance fees, and much more.
“I love my senior discount card,” says expat Marty Kramer who lives in Playa del Carmen. “All Mexican citizens, including resident expats, can get one when they turn 60. With it, I get discounts on almost everything: healthcare, public transportation, groceries, restaurants, hotels, and even some airlines. It’s up to the business how much of a discount they offer, but it’s usually around 10%.”
If you acquire official residence in Mexico, you can get an INAPAM Card—and all the discounts that come with it. These can range from 5% up to 50%. And recent changes in the law now provide an easier and faster path than ever to permanent Mexican residence.
Most retirees qualify for residence by showing they have the funds to support themselves. And—also unusually—Mexico gives you two ways to qualify. You can show monthly income from Social Security or a pension. Alternatively, you can use assets, such as funds in a savings or investment account, to qualify. You don’t need to transfer these assets to Mexico; you only need to prove that you have them.
“Life here is easy and relaxed,” says IL Mexico editor Glynna Prentice. “And also rich and complex in sensations and experiences. People are friendly and welcoming, their warmth as genuine as the Mexican sun. And roots are deep.
“Whether you’re looking at the mighty ruins of Teotihuacan, the face of a local Maya vendor, or the cool patio of a Spanish colonial hacienda, you sense a depth of history and tradition around you.
“Mexico isn’t perfect—no place is. But its flaws pale when weighed against the vividness of life here.”
2. Panama
Panama
Modern, comfortable, and tolerant—if you had to describe Panama in just a few words, these are what they’d be. Panama may be famous for its canal, but it’s the ease of living that draws retirees here.
Of course, this country is so convenient thanks to the international trade and migration facilitated by the canal. (And even before that, by Panama’s strategic location and unique geography.) Today’s Panama is a place shaped by interactions with people from Spain, France, Israel, Lebanon, the U.S., China, India, the Antilles, and many more. Newcomers need not fear that they won’t fit in or be welcomed. Panamanians are accustomed to and welcoming of foreigners. In fact, they usually treat them like VIPs.
Add to welcoming people and policies, a rock-solid infrastructure and Panama’s appeal is easy to see. As IL Panama Editor Jessica Ramesch explains: “With top-notch cellular and internet connections, Panama offers a user-friendly and familiar environment you may not have expected to find in the warm, sunny tropics. It’s a big reason why Panama regularly scores so highly in International Living’s Annual Global Retirement Index.”
In terms of retiree benefits, Panama’s Pensionado program is one of the best in the world. In addition to making it easy for foreign retirees to obtain residence, this program also grants members access to a wide range of discounts. Save 10% to 50% on travel, healthcare, hotels, restaurants, and more as a resident pensionado.
There are many other Latin American countries that offer excellent benefits, but when it comes to overall value, Panama checks more boxes than any other. Whether you’re looking to live in a truly cosmopolitan world capital…by a pristine beach ringed by clear blue waters…or on a mountain in the cool, verdant highlands…Panama has much to offer.
3. Ecuador
Ecuador
If you look at the overall scores on this year’s Global Retirement Index, you’ll see that the top three retirement destinations on the Index are separated by just three tenths of a point (see the chart below with all the scores for the 24 countries featured in this year’s index).
Ecuador comes in third this year with a final score of 90.7.
But Ecuador has been someplace at the top of IL’s Annual Global Retirement Index for a long time now. This year is no exception, and there are good reasons for that.
For anyone who has excellent weather at the top of their list of personal requirements for a retirement destination, Ecuador can’t be beat. Thanks to its mountainous terrain and its position directly on the equator, you can choose almost any climate you like simply by moving up or down in altitude.
And healthcare in Ecuador’s major cities is the equal to anything available, anywhere, and at amazingly low prices.
Ecuador also comes out on top for its affordability and availability of real estate to rent or buy. This can mean significant long-term savings for anyone making Ecuador their permanent or semi-permanent residence.
The country also offers great retiree benefits. Over-65s get discounts on flights originating in Ecuador, as well as up to 50% off entry to movies and sporting events. Discounts are also available on public transport (50%) and utilities, with the option of a free landline if you purchase a property.
Also, once you get here you won’t have any problems getting to know your neighbors. According to IL Senior Editor Dan Prescher: “Thanks to growing expat communities in several of Ecuador’s most popular destinations, fitting in once you arrive is remarkably easy, and the infrastructure in those destinations ranks near the top as well.”
Ecuador’s most popular expat havens are Cuenca, Quito, Cotacachi, and Salinas. Jim Santos, IL’s Coastal Ecuador Correspondent, lives in the beach town of Salinas with his wife Rita.
Their monthly budget comes in at less than $1,500 a month. But, he reports another huge benefit of life in Ecuador over the past three years.
“Living in Salinas has had a big impact on our health,” Jim says.
“Here in Salinas the weather is great and there are lots of opportunity to be outdoors. We enjoy fresh, healthy foods too. My wife and I have both lost weight and feel better than we have in years. I’ve been able to stop taking medication for Type 2 diabetes, and we are more active than ever, spending time exploring Ecuador and enjoying our new, healthier lifestyle.”
For thousands of expats who have already made the move, Ecuador has ticked all the right boxes for years now, and continues to do so.
4. Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica has been hosting retirees and other expats for more than 30 years, and all the reasons why this Central American gem first attracted those seeking a better life abroad back then still hold true today.
As a safe and stable country, with no army, Costa Rica welcomes foreigners with open arms. People are friendly and happy. The unofficial national motto, Pura Vida, means “life is good.” And that laidback attitude permeates daily life in the country. It’s a stress-free, relaxed existence.
Because expats have been living here for so long, it’s an easy transition. You don’t have to be a pioneer or figure things out—services and modern conveniences are available. And it’s easy to make friends with both locals and expats.
Getting residence is a straightforward process in Costa Rica. For retirees, the pensionado program requires an income of just $1,000 per month from Social Security, a pension, disability, or another similar source. That covers the applicant and a dependent spouse. It’s the perfect solution for long-term living in Costa Rica.
One of the major benefits of Costa Rica is the lower cost of living. “For between $2,000 and $3,000 per month, a retired couple can live well and cover all expenses without scrimping,” says IL’s Roving Latin America Editor Jason Holland. “For example, you can fill your fridge with fresh produce from farmers’ markets for about $35 per week…property taxes are just 0.25% of the home’s assessed value…a decent meal at a local restaurant will run you $5 per plate…and rents start at $400 per month for fully-furnished condos or homes in nice areas.”
Costa Rica also has a wide variety of climates, landscapes, and lifestyles. So there’s really something for everybody. Whether you want a temperate climate in the mountains, in small farming communities…or would rather chill out in a bustling beach town where there’s always a party going on…there’s a place for you in Costa Rica.
One of the major reasons Costa Rica is so attractive to retirees is the highly-rated healthcare. All the latest technology is available, and doctors are trained in the latest techniques. There are two healthcare systems in the country. Legal residents, in the pensionado retiree visa program for example, join the government-run healthcare system known as Caja, which has a network of clinics and hospitals throughout the country. After you pay a monthly fee based on income, your care is free. You can also pay cash or use insurance to access private medical providers in Costa Rica, including clinics, hospitals, and individual doctors. Even in this system, the costs are a fraction of what you might pay in the
5. Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, once an overlooked retirement haven, is now just grabbing the attention of expats looking for a place to live that is close to home, has excellent healthcare, a diverse and temperate climate, and of course is low cost.
The country has shed its dark past and is now thriving, welcoming to foreigners and proud of its culture and heritage. Located on the northern tip of South America, Colombia is a little over 440,000 square miles in area, about the size of California and Texas combined. It touches both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea and has the three ranges of the Andes Mountains running down its spine. This beautiful country has something for everyone, including lush green coffee plantations, sparkling crystal beaches, and quaint colonial towns.
All this gorgeous scenery is a backdrop to one of the best things about Colombia—its warm, accepting people. Happy to share their country with foreigners, the Colombians will welcome you into their communities with music, dancing, delicious local food, and of course festivals. Nearly every city and town has a festival to celebrate some aspect of Colombian life.
This beautiful setting and exciting lifestyle also comes at an affordable price. According to IL’s Colombia Correspondent Nancy Kiernan: “An expat living in Medellín’s upscale El Poblado neighborhood pays about $1,250 a month to rent a three-bedroom high-rise apartment, however there is a very wide range of prices available throughout the city beginning around $500.”
Only a short three-hour flight to Florida, Colombia is in the eastern time zone, and due to being located so close to the equator, there is no daylight savings time. Colombia enjoys approximately 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night regardless of the month of the year.
Getting from one area of the country to the other is easy. Bus travel is inexpensive, however, due to the mountainous area around most of the country, journey times can be quite long. On the positive side, you can spend the hours soaking in all the magnificent scenery. Many airlines provide service between major cities. Domestic flights are reasonably priced and make for much shorter transit, allowing you to spend more time exploring your destinations.
Life in Colombia varies from laidback, relaxing beach living in the coastal town of Santa Marta, to the culturally rich capital city of Bogotá, filled with theaters, churches, and the Gold Museum, which houses the world’s largest collection of Pre-Columbian gold artifacts. Trendy nightlife, upscale shopping, and an array of imaginative restaurants can be found in both Bogotá and Medellín, as well as several other large cities.
6. Malaysia
Malaysia
Malaysian cities are clean and modern, its public transport unrivaled, and its people the friendliest in Asia. And while other Asian countries offer great budget holidays, and some offer first-class vacations, Malaysia manages to cater extraordinarily well to both.
Occupying Peninsula Malaysia and two states on the island of Borneo, Malaysia is known for its idyllic islands—there are 878 of them—its stunning beaches, and its untouched rainforests. Malaysia’s people are a mixture of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and Europeans. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to recognize its rare qualities over 600 years ago, and the Dutch, and then the English quickly followed. This fusion of cultures is unique to Malaysia and has resulted in a truly multi-cultural society where all religions are tolerated.
“In Malaysia, you’ll get the best street food, restaurants and cafés in the region, and some interesting architecture that is unlike any other,” says IL Malaysia correspondent, Keith Hockton. “The food is not just first class, it’s world class, and the shopping in Kuala Lumpur and Penang, where I live, is to die for. From state of the art air-conditioned shopping centers to colorful night markets, Malaysia has it all.”
Malaysia also has no less than four UNESCO world heritage sites (the Lenggong Valley, the Gunung Mulu National Park, Kinabalu Park and the cities of George Town and Malacca). Kinabalu Park is a bird watcher’s paradise, and Mont Kinabalu is the tallest mountain in Malaysia. Sunrise seen from here is something that you will remember for the rest of your life.
Consisting of 13 states and three federal territories, there is a lot to see and do here. It’s just one of the reasons that first time tourists to Malaysia come back again and again, and ultimately end up moving or retiring here.
It’s also one of only three countries in Asia (Singapore and Hong Kong are the other two) where you can buy property freehold. And you don’t need to be living here to do it. When you arrive in the country you’ll be given a three-month visa, and if you decide to buy while you are here, you can.
It’s a very special place, central to Southeast Asia, which means that traveling to other countries in Asia is quick and affordable. And there is a plethora of good, reliable, safe budget airlines that will help you do just that.
Add to that the low cost of living and excellent healthcare, and you have a great retirement haven if Southeast Asia is on your shortlist.
“Malaysia has some of the best-trained doctors in Asia, and most have learned their profession in the U.S. or the U.K. They all speak English, too, which is a huge plus,” Keith says.
Two months ago, Keith tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee and needed treatment.
“The cost of the entire procedure, including the initial consultation, MRI, and then the operation, anesthetist, and a private room, was just $2,000. In the U.S., depending on your insurance, the same would have cost $18,000 or more.”
7. Spain
Spain
Spain’s miles of beaches, the warm climate along its coasts, its low cost of living and real estate, and its relaxed, laidback lifestyle all help to make it a top retirement destination.
The many advantages of this southern European country have long made it a favorite among European vacationers and second-home buyers. Today, it’s increasingly popular among North Americans for many of the same reasons.
Spain offers some of the lowest-cost First-World living in Europe. IL Editor Glynna Prentice says that: “In Spain, a couple can comfortably get by in smaller cities from as little as $1,900 a month, including rent. Small one- and two-bedroom apartments can be rented from as little as $500 a month, and can be bought from about $70,000.” Daily living expenses, especially food, are also low-cost, and the famed Mediterranean diet means plenty of tasty, healthy cuisine.
Spain covers most of the Iberian Peninsula, from the Pyrenees Mountains right down to the Strait of Gibraltar, looking across at Africa. This gives it a climate that ranges from cool and moist in the northwest, to hot and dry in the south, with sunshine most days in southern Spain. Throw in Spain’s many miles of beach—including such famous stretches as the Costa del Sol and the Costa Blanca, on its southern and eastern Mediterranean coasts, respectively—and you have your choice of warm, seaside destinations.
But Spain offers much more than just beach living. Spain’s interior is rich in beautiful, historic cities. The country’s largest cities—Madrid, the capital, followed by Barcelona—are among the world’s greats, yet are much less expensive than their peers, like London or Paris. Valencia, the country’s third-largest city, remains a bargain by any measure. It offers all the big-city amenities you’d expect, including museums, concert halls, sports and science facilities, major hospitals, universities, and an international airport—yet offers a low cost of living. A couple can live here comfortably on a budget of about $2,200 a month.
And for many expats, Spain’s biggest attraction is its friendly, laidback lifestyle. Stroll Spain’s parks and cities, sip a coffee or an aperitif at an outdoor café, enjoy a long, leisurely meal with friends until the wee hours…it’s all part of the Spanish way of life.
8. Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua has changed greatly over the last decade. And all for the better. Pock-marked roads have turned into smooth highways. Renewable energy windmills dot the southern countryside. San Juan del Sur has blossomed into a foodie town, as well as a surf town, and a great place to retire. Matagalpa is now on the map too, and its coffee sells in cafés around the world. Everywhere you look, there is progress, and the expat lifestyle gets easier and easier every year.
It doesn’t take long to get your resident’s card, and it’s easy for expats to open businesses. Many find that when they open a business they make a U.S. profit, but in a country where their costs are a fraction of what they are back home, allowing for a superior lifestyle.
And that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy the amenities and conveniences you had back home either. IL Nicaragua Correspondent Bonnie Hayman says: “Nicaragua has stores like PriceSmart and Walmart, where you’ll find all the electronic equipment you need as well as washing machines, flat screen TVs, and high-end sound systems. Modern supermarkets like Maxi Pali and La Colonia provide turkey, shitaki mushrooms, quinoa, almond milk, all the beef cuts you like, and more. Alcohol distributor Global Brands also provides all of your wines, preferred tequilas, and everything else to stock a bar. This is a far cry from a decade ago, when your choices were rum and nothing else.”
In 2006, Bonnie’s financial advisor told her she could never retire in the U.S. She had worked since she was 16, paid into Social Security all her life…yet she would have to work forever.
“One vacation later and I made up my mind,” Bonnie says. “I was going to leave the U.S. and retire in Nicaragua. What was there to stay for? Working forever?”
So, about 11 years shy of her retirement, she moved to San Juan del Sur, all by herself, without knowing a soul there. “Sounds scary,” Bonnie admits, “but it was the best decision I ever made.”
So if you’re considering retiring in Nicaragua, just know that each year the infrastructure improves, the chocolate and coffee wins global awards, there’s great healthcare, wonderful people, less stress, no traffic jams, and a couple on a budget can live here for $1,500 a month. What more could you want?
9. Portugal
Portugal
Portugal’s low cost of living and real estate is just some of the reasons for its growing popularity among retirees. According to IL Editor Glynna Prentice: “A couple can live well on as little as $1,700 a month, including rent, in many smaller cities, and from about $2,200 a month in Lisbon, the capital.”
It also doesn’t hurt that Portugal’s climate is generally mild, and that most of its western coast is lined with beaches. And although its coastline is Atlantic, Portugal’s lifestyle in many ways is classic Mediterranean, with a laidback air, an emphasis on friends and family, and plenty of good food and wine (and leisurely mealtimes for enjoying them). Port, the fortified wine beloved by the British, is the signature drink of Porto, the country’s second city. But Portugal’s red and white wines, including the slightly fizzy vinho verde, are also excellent. Seafood appears on most menus, especially bacalhau (salted cod), showing Portugal’s seafaring history is evident in its diet, even today.
The Lisbon area, including the seaside towns of Cascais and Estoril, is a favorite with expats. Lisbon offers all the amenities you’d expect in a capital city, including an international airport, great restaurants and cafés, and museums and concert halls. Though it’s one of Europe’s oldest cities, much of Lisbon is 18th century or later, thanks to the Great Lisbon Earthquake that razed much of the city in 1755. Lisbon proper lies along the banks of the Tagus River estuary, which gives the city a pleasant seaside air. Cascais and Estoril, just half an hour away, are on the Atlantic proper. Known for their beaches, they are popular with both full- and part-time expats, especially the British.
The country’s second city, Porto, offers a mild, moist climate, much like the U.S.’s Pacific Northwest. It tends to attract expats who prefer cool weather and city amenities in a small package. (Though Porto has all the amenities of a major city, its population is a cozy 240,000.)
The Algarve, the country’s warmest and southernmost region, is home to numerous golf courses and sunny beaches. You’ll also find plenty of British expats here, so English is widely spoken.
But, actually, many Portuguese speak English. So while it’s a good idea to learn some Portuguese if you plan to retire here, you can generally get by in English. And Portugal’s friendly locals help make life here extremely pleasant.
10. Malta
Malta
Glorious pink and gold sunsets. Sapphire blue waters. Centuries-old cities made of honey-hued stone. Vertiginous white cliffs rising from the sea. This is just a taste of the beauty Malta offers to those who live here. And it’s only one small part of what makes it such an extraordinary place to retire.
Malta is easy to overlook—literally—as a desirable retirement destination. On a map, the tiny island chain is represented as a scattering of dots floating in the Mediterranean, between the coasts of Sicily and North Africa. Only two of its main islands, Malta and Gozo, have a substantial population, and both are so small that it only takes 30 minutes to drive across them.
But Malta’s compact size doesn’t detract from the marvelous lifestyle it offers.
Here you can expect 300 days of sun with warm weather lasting through mid-November…mild winters…and a laidback atmosphere with a large and welcoming international, English-speaking community.
For a Mediterranean island, the cost of living is remarkably reasonable. IL Correspondent Barbara Diggs says: “A couple can live here comfortably for less than $2,700 per month. You can rent a two-bedroom apartment in Sliema, one of Malta’s most lively cities, for about $800 per month. Your rent could be as low as $600 per month in the countryside in Gozo. A pleasant dinner out can cost as little as $25 per person, including a glass of local wine.”
Excellent healthcare is another major plus, and the cost of private health insurance is far lower than in the U.S. Even if you have a basic hospitalization plan, prices are so low in Malta that you can cover the cost of doctor’s visits and medications out-of-pocket. For example, a general practitioner visit usually costs around $20 while a specialist may cost $65.
Perhaps best of all, you’ll never get bored in Malta. Thanks to the careful preservation of their 7,000-year history, these islands have a phenomenal number of historic sites to explore, from prehistoric temples to stunning medieval fortifications. There are also endless opportunities for sailing, swimming, snorkeling, and diving. Expats also enjoy the many festivals that Malta and Gozo host each year. Known as festas, these celebrations largely focus on Maltese culture, religion, local foods and wines, and music of every variety.
And if you do ever find yourself with island fever, then just take a three-hour ferry ride over to Sicily for a change of scenery. Or you can even take a short flight to Paris. On Air Malta, roundtrip flights are available for as little as $175.
(Q24N )From International Living – One of the main concerns of any person looking to retire overseas is the quality of healthcare. Is it possible to get medical treatment as good as what’s available in the U.S. and Canada? The answer…a resounding yes.
Sometimes it’s even better than what’s on offer at home, and at a more affordable price too.
Measuring the quality of healthcare is difficult, and it’s hard to put a number on it. We can, however, put a number on the price of medical procedures. And these costs (as well as quality) helped us score each of the 24 countries in the healthcare category of International Living’s 2017 Global Retirement Index.
Read on to learn more about the top five countries in the world for healthcare. In each of these countries you’ll find clean, excellent hospitals, highly trained doctors, and very affordable care.
1. Malaysia: Medical Tourism is Booming
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
A stronger U.S. dollar, cheaper air travel, mounting healthcare costs in Western countries (and long waiting lists), have all contributed to the Malaysian medical tourism boom in the past decade. Medical tourists arriving in Malaysia have increased on average by 100% in the last five years.
George Town and Kuala Lumpur are the main two medical centers in Malaysia, and both cities are serviced by a multitude of international airlines from around the world.
Malaysia has some of the best-trained doctors in Asia–and the majority of them were trained in the U.S., Australia, or the UK. All of them speak English too, and that takes a lot of the stress away from what is already a stressful situation.
Western accreditation is also a vital component for confidence in undergoing foreign medical treatments. Numerous hospitals in Penang and Kuala Lumpur are among Southeast Asia’s first recipients of the United States’ prestigious Joint Commission International (JCI) certification. Seen as the gold standard for healthcare service providers around the world, Malaysia has no less than eight JCI-accredited hospitals.
That being said, there are also some very good “not for profit” hospitals here too. One of best is The Lam Wah Ee Hospital in Penang. I’ve had two operations there, and I can’t say enough about their professionalism.
The most popular areas of treatment across the board in Malaysia include cosmetic surgery, dental work, and dermatology. In 2016 Malaysia was visited by more than 1 million medical tourists from around the globe, a figure that is certain to rise in 2017.
Other considerations to take into account are that there is little to no waiting time when you arrive. It’s as simple as registering at the hospital of your choice and then waiting for that particular specialist to see you. You also don’t need to be referred to that particular specialist by a General Practitioner. – Keith Hockton
2. Costa Rica: Low-Cost, High-Quality Healthcare
Central Valley, Costa Rica
More than 40,000 Americans travel each year to Costa Rica to seek medical and dental treatment. These “medical tourists” have discovered that this little Central American country has high quality healthcare available at a very low cost.
And expats who live in Costa Rica are able to take advantage of this benefit every day of the year, paying a fraction of what they did back home for doctor’s visits, surgeries, prescriptions, and any other care they need.
There are two medical systems in Costa Rica, with expats allowed to access both.
First is the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social, known as Caja for short. This is universal healthcare, provided and managed by the government. It’s available to citizens and legal residents, including foreigners with the pensionado visa, for example.
As part of Caja, you pay a monthly fee based on the income you reported on your residence application, 6% to 12%. This covers the applicant and a dependent spouse, with the average fee running from $75 to $150 per couple.
After you pay your monthly fee, all your care is covered. Doctor’s visits (including specialists), diagnostic testing, prescriptions, surgeries…everything. And there are no exclusions for age or pre-existing conditions. Most expats say the Caja provides good care, although there can be issues with wait times for doctor’s visits and non-emergency procedures. The system has an emphasis on preventative care.
There is also an extensive private medical system in Costa Rica, with doctors, clinics, and hospitals throughout the country. You can pay cash to see private providers, but it’s still cheap. A doctor’s visit is $50; you’ll pay $80 to $100 to see a specialist. An ultrasound will run you about $75. And even major surgeries are cheap, about half to a quarter of the cost in the U.S.
You can also use insurance, either international policies or those provided by Costa Rican companies. Most private hospitals have international patient departments to help you arrange financial matters.
Often expats mix and match private and public medical care. They might see a private doctor and pay cash and then have their prescription filled in the Caja pharmacy for free. Or if a procedure is taking too long to schedule at a public clinic, they might go private.
Something to keep in mind: although there are well-regarded facilities throughout the country, the best hospitals and most specialists in both the public and private system are in San José, Costa Rica’s capital. So if you have a serious medical issue, you will likely have to travel there to seek treatment. – Jason Holland
3. Colombia: Where Health is Valued
Medellin Colombia
Healthcare in Colombia is both high quality and affordable. The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks Colombia’s healthcare system as number 22 out of the 191 countries they review. That is better than Canada, which ranks number 30, and the U.S., which ranks number 37.
There are many excellent hospitals and clinics located throughout Colombia that provide both general and specialized medical services. Half of the top 43 hospitals in Latin America are in Colombia (22 out of 43). The larger cities of Bogotá, Medellín, and Bucaramanga have hospitals which have received the Joint Commission International accreditation.
While speaking Spanish certainly helps, it will not prevent you from receiving excellent care. Many hospitals in the large and medium-sized cities have either English speaking staff, or a certified translation department.
Any expat not over the age of 60 with a resident cédula (national ID card) can apply for the government health insurance EPS (Entidades Promotoras de Salud). Even if you have pre-existing conditions, you can be accepted into the plan. These conditions may be excluded for a short period of time—six months or so—but then will be covered in full. Retirees pay a premium equal to 12% of their income. Many expats report monthly premiums in the $70 to $85 range for a couple.
Co-pays for the public health plan are based on a three-tiered system with the mid-range price costing about $3. These co-pays apply to laboratory tests, x-rays, and prescription medications.
Private health insurance is an option for people over the age of 60 or as a supplemental plan to your EPS public coverage. Coomeva, for example, offers a private health insurance plan for people up to the age of 85. Premiums will be significantly lower than what a couple would pay in the U.S. Of course they vary depending on the carrier you choose, the level of coverage you want, and your age and health at time of application.
If you decide to pay-as-you-go and not get health insurance, that can be done easily too. Prices for procedures, office visits, and medications are much lower than in the U.S. For example, an hour-long consultation with a specialist costs about $50. – Nancy Kiernan
4. Mexico: High Quality Healthcare at a Fraction of the U.S. Cost
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Thousands of Americans visit Mexico each year for medical treatment and dental care. It’s no wonder. The care is high quality and the cost is a fraction of what you might pay in the U.S.
The facilities, even in medium-sized cities, are top notch. And physicians have usually received at least some training in the U.S., Canada, or Europe. If not medical school, they receive ongoing training abroad. All the latest technology, techniques, and prescriptions are available in Mexico. And having major surgery or treatment for serious medical conditions is not a problem.
As an expat you’ll also enjoy access to this top medical care, of course. Overall, you can expect to pay about half—or less—of what you would in the U.S. That goes for prescription drugs as well.
As a legal resident, you’ll have access to two systems.
The government-run system operates clinics and hospitals throughout the country and most expats say it offers good basic care at a low price—with costs running to just a few hundred dollars per year.
Many expats also use private healthcare, for which you can pay cash or use insurance. It is much cheaper than the U.S. For example, a visit to the doctor is about $30 to $40. For lab testing, expect to pay about a third of the U.S. cost.
As a long-term retirement destination, you can also find assisted living facilities in popular expat towns like Lake Chapala and San Miguel de Allende. – Jason Holland
(Q24N) San Jose, Costa Rica (CNN) On a chilly Saturday night in the Costa Rican capital, fashionable young couples pack into nightclubs and spill onto the sidewalks.
But that’s not the part of San Jose that Mariliana Morales wants to show us. She drives us down a quiet side street where the shuttered stores are covered in graffiti. On the corners, solitary women in high heels and bright lipstick stare down cars as they drive by.
“All of this area is prostitution,” says Morales, the founder of the Rahab Foundation, a non-profit that rescues, rehabilitates and supports survivors of sexual exploitation and helps those who want a change, to get off the street.
The first step is outreach, she says as we pull up to an abandoned strip alongside a railroad track where two individuals stand shivering in short skirts.
“This is their turf,” Morales says, as she steps out of the car, “all of the prostitutes around here are transgender.”
‘I’m the owner of the corner’
Morales says she was called by God to pull as many people off the streets as she can.
She comes armed with a thermos of sugary coffee with a hint of cinnamon and packets of cookies. Nicole and Rachel happily accept two steaming cups.
“I’ve been doing this for 17 years, I’m the owner of the corner,” says Nicole as she nibbles a cookie. “This is all we can do to support our households.”
According to advocacy groups, transgender women often turn to prostitution at a young age.
“Here in Latin America, their own families can reject them thanks to a macho mentality,” Morales explains. “They find themselves on the street and they don’t have any way to obtain even the most basic things because no one will give them work.”
She says she has rescued transgender youth who were forced into sexual slavery — most of them migrants from other Latin American countries who were lured to Costa Rica by traffickers or criminal gangs with the promise of jobs. Once they arrived, the traffickers confiscated their documents and they were forced to have sex — while they paid off their “debts.”
Transgender prostitutes face the added difficulty that they suffer from an extremely high rate of HIV-infection — the result of poverty and social exclusion as well as institutional discrimination that can make them wary of the medical establishment.
‘Rejected by society’
“It’s very tough because they have been removed from their network of friends and they are rejected by society,” Morales says.
Nicole says she chose her profession, but does wish that she’d had more options.
“I love animals. I have nine dogs and five cats,” she says. “I would like to work in an animal shelter, at least part time. So then I could work less here on the street.”
Rachel says she has been prostituting herself on corners for three or four years, but was exploited when she was younger.
“Since I was very, very little I got involved in these vicious circles so I did it in a different way,” she says.
“Now I have a degree as a hair stylist but I’d like to work in something more serious, not on the street,” she says. “I’d like to be a secretary and be really sexy,” she adds laughing.
Morales offers Nicole and Rachel small slips of paper with Biblical citations on them and says a prayer before jumping back in her car — on to the next corner.
The Rahab Foundation has an extensive support network for those it rescues from sexual slavery and for those who choose to leave prostitution — providing everything from doctors and psychologists to career training and financial loans.
Outreach, she says, is just the beginning of a long relationship.
“We wait for them, treat them kindly, and hope that one day they will receive our help so we can see them get out of this lifestyle and have a good life,” she says.
McGill University scholar John A. Hall says civility is the glue that holds society together. (John Martz For The Globe and Mail)
Canada’s McGill University scholar John A. Hall says civility is the glue that holds society together. (John Martz For The Globe and Mail)
QBLOGS – I read the news or watch it every day for hours on end. One, to write and two, to teach. On a level of 1 to 10, ten being “excellent civility”, the entire world is a one. Okay, not the entire world, but most of it.
I was naïve enough not to consider the depth and indeed, power of global hate among mankind. Either that or the news outlets are fabricating sensationalism to sell advertising.
How is it possible in the last few day four girls, just youngsters, using their hate of Trump as their excuse, kidnapped and tortured a teenage boy who is mentally disabled while forcing him to shout anti-Trump slogans?
Before that, news reported a young man mowed down passengers at the Ft. Lauderdale airport, Russian troops are backing off in Syria, but sending planes to bomb the living crap of what is left of Aleppo, once a highly sophisticated city and now miles and miles of dead people, homeless people and rubble.
In Africa, Boko Harem has killed, captured and raped thousands of innocent folks who cannot read, write and have no skills but dig out a living and run from the rebels.
In Mexico, it has become “The Killing Fields” and never do the stories match up, why? What happened to those 43 young people who simply disappeared and the two men decapitated n Acapulco, just last week. Is everyone a cartel member?
The U.S, is not an exception. From Sandy Hook to Ft. Lauderdale, to Ferguson the hate scenario has continually won over civility.
The last presidential election, as Bill Clinton said, “…made white men angry.”
And then there is Costa Rica.
While we are not having mass killings, we have significantly increased violence on every level and it is only a matter of time before, like Brazil and the Philippines we simply shoot to kill because the legal system is so terribly slow, the conviction rate limited to less than 20% of all arrests and we, the people, are frustrated with government, and an unplanned future.
To grow and prosper we need to practice two words: Empathy and Civility. Otherwise, those 20% of the population considered destitute will become just as violent as in Nicaragua was in 1978 and Cuba in 1959.
Wingo is the latest low-cost entry to Costa Rica, starting operations form the San Jose airport on December 2016
Wingo is the latest low-cost entry to Costa Rica, starting operations form the San Jose airport on December 2016
Q COSTA RICA TRAVEL – Aggressive strategies by low-cost carriers are poised to overthrow the region’s established airline order. Low-cost airlines flying to and from Costa Rica are now offering never-seen-before rates of less than US$100 to a Central American destination.
For example, Volaris offers one-way flights from San Jose’s Juan Santamaria (SJO) to Guatemala City (GUA)for US$68.42; Wingo to Panama City (BLB) for only US$56.34 (US$18 fare plus taxes); and, Veca to El Salvador (SAL) for US$105.68
With fares sliding, airline giants Avianca and Copa have responded by establishing low-cost units of their own.
Avianca slashed its fares to Guatemala starting at US$117 return and Panama City (PTY) at US$143.80. At Copa Airlines, a one way flight from San Jose (SJO) to Guatemala City (GUA) is US$81.45; to Panama City (PTY),US$93.70. Only a few months ago these fares were in the range of US$250 one way.
Screen capture of Avianca slashed fare to Guatemala
To compare fares I used flights leaving San Jose (SJO) on Saturday January 14.
But, there are considerations to make before deciding on a low-cost versus the big airlines. The low-cost airlines charge for additional services such as a seat, meals, drinks, checked luggage, and so on, while the big airlines continue with full services, at slashed fares.
Some considerations to take into account before booking with the low-cost airlines include:
1. Food and drinks not included. While some airlines offer complimentary hot and cold beverages, others charge for a soda or coffee and meals. At WestJet a hamburger, fries and a beer can be more than US$15.
2. Limited Luggage. The low-cost airlines limit the number of checked bags, as well as the weight. The right to check bag comes at a cost for each bag, and cheaper if paying online that at the airport counter.
3. Airport Terminal. While all the low-cost airlines fly out of the Juan Santamaria International, Wingo lands at Panama Pacifico not the Tocumen, the most important airport with all the connections.
4. Seat Selection. Veca charges from US$5 for a standard to US$20 for a premium seat. The fare does not come with a seat. At Wingo, the range is US$10 to US$25 for the seat. While Interjet, Jetblue and Southwest do not charge extra for a seat, WestJet does. No Business or Executive Class. Low-cost airlines do away with business or first class or priority passengers.
5. Check-in. At some of the low-cost airlines airport check-in comes at a cost. Spirit and Wingo charge US$5 per passenger at the counter.
6. Cancellations and Refunds. Generally promo rates are not refundable. Before buying check the refunds policy for the fare class.
7. Buying online. The low fares are usually available only for online purchases. On all tickets purchased at airline counter or airport in Costa Rica there is an additional US$25 per ticket.
For the sixth time since 2013 a six month extension has been granted to the suspension on the levying of fines on companies that hire undocumented foreign labotr for activities such as agricultural harvesting.
Q COSTA RICA – The Government of Costa Rica will give a new extension, this time up to six months, so that agricultural entrepreneurs can legalize their migrant workers without applying fines on the hire of undocumented (illegal) foreign labour. This is the sixth time since 2013 an extension has been granted.
The extension will be by via a decree, confirmed Carmen Muñoz, deputy minister of Interior (Gobernación). The country’s immigration service is a dependency of that ministry.
The last extension expired in December of 2015. But the whole of 2016 passed without the publication of a decree. The new extension is expected appear soon in the official government newsletter, La Gaceta.
The law establishes fines ranging from two and up to 12 base salaries for employers who take on illegal migrant workers. It includes domestic helpers, construction workers, security guards and agricultural workers, among others. The sanctions are currently between ¢848,400 and ¢5.09 million colones.
Despite the law applying fines to employers is difficult given the need of the agricultural sector to have available ready labour for seasonal crops such as coffee, melon, sugar cane, orange, pineapple and watermelon, among others.
Most of the undocumented workers are from Nicaragua.
Muñoz explained that the extensions have been given due to the difficulties encountered by employers in the procedures.
In that sense, agricultural companies have asked the Ministry of Labour (Ministerio de Trabajo) to apply a current agreement with Nicaragua and to send recommendations to the immigration service that allows the entry of temporary migrant labour.
For the season 2016-2017 the recommendation is to allow the entry of 12,934 workers. The areas with the highest demand are Guanacaste, with 4,294 applications (for melon, watermelon, sugar cane, and orange) and Puntarenas with 4,143, which includes the Coto Brus coffee zone and many watermelon and melon plantations in Lepanto, Esparza and Garabito. For Alajuela’s northern zone, the recommendation is for 3,123 workers.
