One is the New Two in Latin America

QBLOGS – First, here in Costa Rica we cannot avoid commenting as well as analyzing the recent elections in the United States. We are small, (Not too small to win at soccer) and we are vulnerable in so many ways such as the economy, jobs, water and most important of all a failed infrastructure which is keeping us in the last century.

Notice that almost all news articles pertaining to construction and jobs use the “future” tense. “It should be ready in late 2017,” “Studies are being completed to ease the flow of traffic.” We plan to borrow tons of money from the United States.”

No, we cannot expect too much from the U.S. under the newly elected administration, if the staunch, nationalistic rhetoric which got Trump, et al elected, is to be believed, then it is its big trouble for our exports, investments, immigration, and construction.

Meanwhile, the land of Pura Vida has morphed from a global recognized eco resort location that attracted millions of families each year to a violent drug bridge (turned warehouse) between South and North America, offices of home-grown shipping cartels, gang warfare, and Lone Rangers who commit just about every conceivable crime possible. Think about it, a “hit” man in Limon said he would knock off anyone for 20,000 colones. That’s less than forty U.S. dollars.

Without foreign assistance, Costa Rica simply cannot turn around its unemployment blues, it’s drowning economy, corruption on every level, potholes in main roads the size of a six person Jacuzzi, a faltering education system and a bureaucracy that would stop Superman, and he is faster than a speeding bullet.

Let’s hope, no call upon the Virgin Mary, that this Republican Congress and Senate along with their esteem leaders leader, the President, are collectively far more benevolent than their bravado claims of nationalism, America first, especially if you are white.

Never the less, Costa Rica will feel the Trump impact. Exactly? We do not know how….but we will feel it.

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Limitless Cigars and Rum for U.S. Tourists in Cuba

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19 November 2016

Article first appeared at TodayCuba.com. Reposted with permission.

Bolivar Belicoso Fino, Cohiba Siglo IV, Cuaba Distinguidos, Trinidad Robusto Extra and Hoyo Churchill brand cigars. Credit: Alex Brown/cc by 2.0

Q24N (IPS) – After more than a half-century of a commercial, financial and economic embargo, U.S.-Cuban trade relations took a significant step forward last month.

On Oct. 14, the Barack Obama administration announced a round of executive actions designed to increase trade and travel with Cuba. One of these included lifting restrictions on Cuban rum and cigars for U.S. travelers in Cuba.

The executive actions were taken following a series of changes made since Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced on Dec. 17, 2014 that they were committed to normalise relations after decades of enmity.

The lifting of trade restrictions signifies the willingness of both policymakers and the public to form a positive relationship between the U.S and Cuba. Many hope the breakdown of trade barriers will lead to a new era of economic vitality for Cuban citizens.

The Obama administration has called for a rescinding of the 50-year-old economic embargo on the island. The U.S. administration’s ultimate goal would be to make Obama’s trade policy with Cuba irreversible through the establishment of a wide network of trade relationships strong enough to defeat any future opposition from the public or Republican lawmakers alike.

Although lifting restrictions on cigars and rum may seem like a small step, these reforms could pave the road to open trade between the nations. There is just as much demand in Cuba for U.S commodities such as rice, wheat, and corn as there is in the U.S. for organic fruit, seafood and sugar produced in Cuba. With over 11 million citizens just 90 miles off the Florida coast, Cuba presents itself as a prosperous market for U.S food and agricultural exports.

Advocates of normalising trade relations say it would not only enhance Cuban citizens access to affordable food, it will also provide the U.S agri-business sector with a host of new trade opportunities with the island nation. Lifted restrictions will also make it easier for U.S. companies to import Cuban-made pharmaceuticals and for Cuban citizens to purchase affordable, high-quality products from the U.S online.

“The Treasury Department has worked to break down economic barriers in areas such as travel, trade and commerce, banking, and telecommunications,” Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew explained in a statement.

“Today’s action builds on this progress by enabling more scientific collaboration, grants and scholarships, people-to-people contract, and private sector growth. These steps have the potential to accelerate constructive change and unlock greater economic opportunity for Cubans and Americans.”

Many believe this lift could rebuild the booming rum and cigar trade relations the U.S. shared with Cuba in the past. In fact, cigars are widely considered to be Cuba’s most prized export. The island is renowned for being one of the world’s best tobacco producers.

In the 18th century, tobacco was the second most exported product in the nation, after sugar. Before the embargo, the U.S and Cuba shared a close trade relationship with the U.S having consumed some 300 million Cuban cigars by the mid-19th century, and many Cuban cigar-makers migrating to nearby Florida, where Tampa became known as “Cigar City” by the early 20th century.

Now, U.S citizens can also enjoy the limitless consumption of what has made Cuba’s known as the ‘Isle of Rum’. Through an age-old tradition of rum-making using a combination of world-famous sugar cane (first introduced by Christopher Columbus in 1493), a favourable Caribbean climate, fertile soil, and the unique know-how of Cuban “Maestro Roneros” (master rum-makers) this distinctly Cuban beverage is sought after the world over.

Lawrence Ward, a partner at Dorsey & Whitney, an international law firm focused on U.S. national security law, international trade compliance law and licensing, said that, “Today’s announcement is a massive development in further opening trade between the United States and Cuba. The Obama Administration has been committed to normalizing U.S.-Cuban relations and these new changes come at an interesting time when U.S.-Russian relations are quite tense.”

Ward added that Cuban tobacco and alcohol products are two of the most sought after commodities for U.S. tourists to bring home for personal use.

Original article appeared at Ipsnews.net

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Venezuela and the Unpredictable U.S. President-elect Donald Trump

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19 November 2016

Article originally appeared at TodayVenezuela.com. Reposted with permission.

Venezuela and the unpredictable Mr. Trump

TODAY VENEZUELA NEWS – The election of Donald Trump as US president has sent shock waves around the world. The change in the White House is being followed with interest globally given its political, military and economic weight and the effect of its policies on other nations.

Trump has pledged measures on illegal immigration including banning or deportation of Muslim immigrants and building a wall on the Mexican border to be financed by the US and reimbursed by Mexico. Such contentious issues won over to his side many white middle class voters affected by jobs lost through relocation of companies to Mexico, China, India and other countries benefiting from free trade agreements, and by the growing presence of Latin American immigrants who cheapen labor costs in industries and services.

As noted economics commentator Martin Wolf argues in his column in the Financial Times, this is a case of ‘pluto-populism’: “the marriage of plutocracy with rightwing populism.” Wolf added, quoting Robert Kagan, that Trump is the monstrous result of the GOP’s “demonization of political institutions, its flirtation with bigotry and its ‘racially tinged derangement syndrome’ over President Barack Obama.”

What’s in store for Latin America?
What will the incoming administration of president-elect Donald Trump’s Latin America policy be like in the overall context of the Obama administration’s policy of rapprochement with Cuba, the economic aid plans for Central America and the Caribbean, and more recently the strengthening of political and economic relations with Argentina and Brazil?

Two lines of action in this area were defined in the campaign: namely a new immigration policy and a revised Nafta and similar bilateral agreements, and respect for the decision to reengage diplomatically with Cuba, but reviewing recent trade policy decisions.

In this context, it is especially relevant to consider relations with Venezuela, which were severed in 2008 after Chavez expelled the American ambassador to Caracas in solidarity with Bolivian President Evo Morales, who allegedly was the victim of a plot by the US to assassinate him.

Venezuela is then the only country in the region that over the last few years is subjected to recurring tensions with the world’s largest power; still the United States remains Venezuela’s main trade partner.

After attempts at dialogue that did not lead to the full restoration of diplomatic relations, in December 2014 US President Barack Obama signed into law a bill authorizing him to impose sanctions against those Venezuelan officials who were involved in suppressing the series of widespread anti-government protests that erupted in February 2014, which led to months of violence and left 46 people killed and hundreds arrested, with some later freed or released on bail conditions. Based on that law, in March 2015, Obama issued a new Executive Order declaring a national emergency with respect to the “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by the situation in Venezuela.

The Venezuelan government began an international campaign that was echoed in several Latin American countries, underscoring the possible scope of a decision that, while only applicable within the United States against seven Venezuelan officials for their alleged role in human-rights violations, could be directed against the Venezuelan economy or might even serve as a pretext for military operations.

In recent years, the United States has declared similar states of emergency in countries affected by armed conflict like Ukraine, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Yemen, Libya and Somalia, which might force a kind of “legitimate interference” by US forces. Despite the Venezuelan rejection and Obama’s own statement that “We do not believe that Venezuela poses a threat to the United States, nor is the US a threat to the Venezuelan government,” the decree was ratified in January of this year.

While the Obama Decree has had no major consequences, it hangs as a sword of Damocles over Venezuela, the only country in the region in such a situation. For as long as the decree is in effect, it will breed widespread distrust among international investors and companies negatively impacting the confidence in the security of their business in this country. Further factors remain the warnings from rating agencies of a probability of default on external obligations and the closing of government’s foreign currency accounts by important banks.

In this context, it is understandable that a new hard-line Republican administration in the United States is giving rise to concerns about heightened levels of conflict in bilateral relations that in recent years have plunged to their worst level.

During a campaign event held in Miami on September 7 with a view to attracting the Latino vote, Trump said Venezuela has been run into the ground by socialists, and vowed that he would stand with the oppressed people of Venezuela yearning to be free. In August, asked about the Venezuelan situation in an interview with the Miami Herald, he said: “Their leaders are not very friendly to our leaders. But, of course, our leaders don’t get along with too many people.”

About the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez he said: “He had some feelings, some very strong feelings, and he did represent a lot of people, and he represented a lot of people that had been left behind.” The unpredictable president-elect prompts uncertainties and fear over the implications of his decisions. To paraphrase renowned British journalist John Carlin, we could almost say that the American electorate has put a madman in charge of the asylum.

From Eluniversal.com

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Trump’s Offensive Against Undocumented Migrants Will Fuel Migration Crisis

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19 November 2016

migration-1 — About a hundred Central American migrants crammed into a large truck were rescued in the Mexican state of Tabasco in October. It is not likely that Donald Trump’s arrival to the White House will dissuade people from setting out on the hazardous journey to the United States. Credit: Courtesy of the Mesoamerican Migrant Movement

About a hundred Central American migrants crammed into a large truck were rescued in the Mexican state of Tabasco in October. It is not likely that Donald Trump’s arrival to the White House will dissuade people from setting out on the hazardous journey to the United States. Credit: Courtesy of the Mesoamerican Migrant Movement

Q24N (IPS) – “Donald Trump will not stop me from getting to the U.S.,” said Juan, a 35-year-old migrant from Nicaragua, referring to the Republican president-elect who will govern that country as of Jan. 20.

Juan, who worked as a street vendor in his country and asked that his last name not be mentioned, told IPS: “I got scared when I heard that Trump had won the election (on November 8). Maybe with Hillary (Clinton) there would have been more job opportunities. But that won’t stop me; it has never been easy to cross, but it is possible.”

Juan set out from Nicaragua on September 13, leaving his wife and son behind, and on the following day crossed the Suchiate River between Guatemala from Mexico, on a raft.

In Mexico, he experienced what thousands of migrants suffer in their odyssey towards the “American dream”. He evaded at least four checkpoints in the south of the country, escaped immigration officers, walked for hours and hours, and was robbed of money, clothes and shoes by three men wearing hoods in El Chagüite, in the southern state of Oaxaca.

After filing a complaint for assault in a local public prosecutor’s office, he has been living since October in the “Hermanos en el Camino” shelter, founded in 2007 by the Catholic Church division of pastoral care for human mobility of the Ixtepec Diocese in Oaxaca, awaiting an official humanitarian visa to cross Mexico.

“I want to get to the United States. What safeguards me is my desire and need to get there. I want to work about three years and then return,” Juan said by phone from the shelter, explaining that he has two friends in the Midwestern U.S. state of Illinois.

The struggles and aspirations of migrants such as Juan clash with Trump’s promise to extend the wall along the border with Mexico, to keep out undocumented migrants.

While they digest the triumph by Trump and his Republican Party, migrant rights organisations and governments in Latin America fear a major migration crisis.

During his campaign, Trump vowed to deport the 11 million undocumented immigrants who live in the United States, about half of whom are of Mexican origin.

And on Sunday Nov. 13 the president-elect said that as soon as he took office he would deport about three million unauthorised immigrants who, he claimed, have a criminal record.

A member of the migrant aid group “Las Patronas” waits for the train known as “The Beast”, that was used by undocumented migrants to cross southern Mexico, to give them water and food. The Mexican government shut down the notorious train in August. Credit: Courtesy of the Mesoamerican Migrant Movement

“Trump’s policy would aggravate the migratory situation,” said Alberto Donis, who works at Hermanos en el Camino, one of the first Mexican shelters for migrants, which currently houses some 200 undocumented migrants, mainly from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

“With Trump, we don’t know what else he will do, but it will be worse than what we have now. After what happened in the elections, people who are not able to cross will stay here. Mexico will be a country of destination. And what does it do? Detain and deport them,” he said, talking to IPS by phone from the shelter.

For the last eight years, the outgoing administration of Democratic President Barack Obama has implemented contradictory migration policies, that have demonstrated the scant influence that sending countries have on U.S. domestic policies.

On the one hand, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which delays deportation for migrants who arrived as children, was adopted in 2012. And a similar benefit was created in 2014: the Deferred Action for (undocumented) Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA).

However, DAPA has been suspended since February by a court order and it is taken for granted that Trump will revoke both measures when he takes office.

And on the other hand, the Obama administration set a new record for deportations: Since 2009, more than two million migrants have been deported, mainly to Mexico and Central America.

In 2015 alone, U.S. immigration authorities deported 146,132 Mexicans, which makes an increase of 56 per cent with respect to the previous year, 33,249 Guatemalans (14 per cent less than in 2014), 21,920 Salvadorans (similar to the previous year) and 20,309 Hondurans (nine per cent less).

An estimated 500,000 undocumented migrants from Central America cross Mexico every year in their attempt to reach the 3,185-km border separating Mexico from the United States, according to estimates from organisations that work with migrants.

In the first nine months of this year, Mexico deported 43,200 Guatemalans, 38,925 Hondurans and 22,582 Salvadorans.

Central American mothers in search of their children who went missing on their way to the United States take part in a caravan that set out on Nov. 10 and is set to reach the Mexico-U.S. border on Dec. 2. Credit: Courtesy of the Mesoamerican Migrant Movement

Activists criticize the Comprehensive Plan for the Southern Border, implemented since August 2014 by the Mexican government with the help of the United States to crack down on undocumented migrants. The plan includes the installation of 12 bases on rivers and three security belts along the Mexico-U.S. border.

But some migrant rights’ organisations have doubts as to whether Trump will actually carry out his threats, due to the social and economic consequences.

“He says so many outrageous things that I cannot imagine what he may do. He is a businessman and I don’t think he will risk losing cheap labour. None of it makes sense, it is nothing more than xenophobia and racism. The United States would face long-term consequences ,” Marta Sánchez, executive director of the Mesoamerican Migrant Movement, told IPS.

The Movement is taking part in the XII caravan of mothers of Central American migrants who have gone missing on their journey to the United States, made up of mothers from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua, which set out on Nov. 10 in Guatemala and reached Mexico Nov. 15.

On Nov. 12 Claudia Ruiz Massieu, Mexico’s secretary of foreign affairs, meet with this country’s ambassador and consuls in the U.S. to design plans for consular protection and assistance for Mexican nationals, with a view to the expected increase in tension.

The governments of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador do not appear to have devised plans to address the xenophobic campaign promises of Trump.

These economies would directly feel the impact of any drop in remittances from migrants abroad, which, in El Salvador for example, represent 17 per cent of GDP.

But the U.S. economy would suffer as well. The American Action Forum, a conservative think tank, estimated that the mass deportation of all undocumented migrants would cause an economic contraction of two per cent and a drop of 381 to 623 billion dollars in private sector output.

Juan just wants to cross the border. “The idea is to better yourself and then return home. People keep going there and they will continue to do so, because in our countries we cannot get by; the shelters are full of people looking for the same thing. If they were to deport me, I would try again,” he said.

For Donis from Hermanos en el Camino, migrant sending countries are not prepared to receive the massive return of their citizens.

“They already don’t have the capacity to sustain the people that are living in the country; it would be even more impossible for them to receive millions of deported migrants. Nor are shelters prepared. What these countries need to do is invest in sources of employment, in the countryside, in infrastructure, invest in their people, in order to curb migration,” said the activist.

During the caravan of mothers of missing migrants, which will end on Dec. 2 in Tapachula, Mexico, on the border with the United States, Sánchez anticipated that they would mention Trump and define their position. ”We will reject those measures and fight against them, this is just beginning,” she said.

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Colombian Kingpin “Mi Sangre” Extradited To The U.S.

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19 November 2016

Article originally appeared at TodayColombia.com. Reposted with permission.

Argentine policemen escort Henry de Jesus Lopez Londono, alleged leader of a Colombian drug trafficking outside a courthouse in Buenos Aires October 31, 2012. REUTERS/Stringer

TODAY COLOMBIA NEWS – Colombian kingpin “Mi Sangre” has been extradited from Argentina to the United States, closing a chapter in one of the most pivotal and turbulent periods in Colombia’s organized crime history.

In a secret operation in the early hours of November 17, Colombian drug trafficker Henry Jesús López Londoño, alias “Mi Sangre,” was extradited to the United States after four years in an Argentine jail, AFP reported.

'Mi Sangre' on his way to the United States — ‘Mi Sangre’ on his way to the United States

A US federal court in South Florida requested his extradition to face charges of cocaine trafficking to the United States (pdf), and the US Treasury department has accused the Colombian national of being a leading member of the Urabeños drug trafficking organization. (See the Treasury Department’s graphic below)

López was arrested in Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires in October 2012, and has since been held in the maximum security Ezeiza prison. The kingpin had long fought his extradition to the North American country, which was approved by Argentina’s Supreme Court in September 2016.

López was a crucial player in the early days of the Urabeños, an organization that emerged from the ashes of Colombia’s notorious paramilitaries and is now the most powerful criminal group in the country.

The Colombian kick-started his criminal career in the powerful Medellín-based criminal organization Oficina de Envigado under the group’s former leader Diego Fernando Murillo, alias “Don Berna.” While he would later return to Medellín, López proceeded to join the paramilitary umbrella organization United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia – AUC), eventually becoming one of the group’s top drug traffickers.

Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designations from the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control — Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designations from the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control

Following the demobilization of the AUC in the mid-2000s, López and other top commanders continued to run their criminal operations. López found an ally in former paramilitary Daniel Rendón Herrera, alias “Don Mario,” who needed money from the drug trade to support a rehashed group of former paramilitaries that would eventually become the Urabeños.

López joined Don Mario around 2008, and a few years later became key to the Urabeños’ bloody expansion into Medellín — still under the control of the Oficina de Envigado — through his ties to Oficina boss Maximiliano Bonilla Orozco, alias “Valenciano.”

But Valenciano later fled to Venezuela, where he was arrested in 2011. This was a boon for López, who with the Urabeños took control of his former associate’s valuable drug trafficking networks in Medellín and along the Caribbean coast. The following year, the Urabeños’ main contenders for control of Colombia’s underworld — the Rastrojos — swiftly collapsed as its leaders fell to authorities.

Yet as the Urabeños emerged as Colombia’s new crime lords, López was reportedly told to take refuge in Argentina for his own protection. There are also indications that López — like others after him — was part of the Urabeños’ expansion into this key drug transit country.

Given the fact that he has spent several years in a foreign prison, it is seems unlikely that López will be able to offer US investigators much information on current criminal activities in Colombia. However, his long history in the South American country’s underworld could nonetheless shed light on older cases, like those involving the paramilitaries and their elite allies, and he may try to use this as a bargaining chip when dealing with US prosecutors.

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Argentina, Paraguay Smugglers Use Drug Routes for Contraband Soybeans

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19 November 2016

soja-ppt — The millionaire business of smuggling soybeans along the Paraná River to Paraguay

The millionaire business of smuggling soybeans along the Paraná River to Paraguay — The big business of smuggling soybeans along the Paraná River to Paraguay

Q24N NEWS (Insightcrime.org) Paraguay is exporting more soybeans than it produces in a tell-tale sign of a booming contraband smuggling trade that utilizes the same cross-border blindspots as drug trafficking in the region.

An investigation by Argentine television news show Periodismo Para Todos (PPT) has revealed how smugglers are moving soya from Argentina into Paraguay so they can export for free instead of paying Argentina’s 30 percent export tariffs.

According to PPT, Paraguayan boats pass into Argentina along the Paraná River and either collect soya loads from Argentine boats or moor up in clandestine ports and await the arrival of trucks bringing the beans.

The boats, which tow convoys of containers that can hold up to 900 tons of soya, then travel north along the barely monitored waterway until they reach Paraguay. Once in the country, the soya is recorded as Paraguayan production and shipped abroad.

The contraband boom has been fueled by rising production costs in Argentina and falling global soybean prices, which have made selling to smugglers the only way for many farmers to make a profit, Rolando Muñez from Argentina’s Nelson Mandel Center for Studies and Social Research (Centro de Estudios e Investigación Social Nelson Mandela) told PPT.

The impact of the illicit trade is visible in industry statistics. According to PPT, between 2011 and 2015 Argentina’s soybean production increased 8 percent but exports fell 6 percent. In Paraguay, meanwhile, production rose 10 percent but exports increased by a dramatic 62 percent.
InSight Crime Analysis

The contraband soybean boom in the Southern Cone is an example of organized crime capitalizing on an ideal combination of factors.

Firstly, there is the economic. Discrepancies between tax regimes — like the disparity between soybean tariffs in Paraguay and Argentina — are commonly at the heart of contraband smuggling. When economic pressures are added to this, such as growing production costs and falling prices that squeeze producers, then there is major motivation for turning to contraband.

While economic factors provide the incentive, geography provides the method. The Paraná River stretches from Brazil to Argentina, running through the Paraguayan capital Asunción and connecting with the Argentine capital Buenos Aires. It is also largely empty of customs checks and only lightly monitored.

These advantages have made the river a major artery for drug trafficking, especially for Paraguayan marijuana moving into Argentina. As is commonly the case throughout the region, smugglers have been quick to recognize that a good route for trafficking one illicit good is also a good route for other illicit products.

Source Insightcrime.org

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Peru Seizes US$30 Million in Counterfeit Dollars, Biggest Ever

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19 November 2016

2016-11-17t030815z_157281144_s1beungwrnab_rtrmadp_3_peru-crime — Police officers display seized counterfeit U.S. and Nuevos Soles bills at a news conference in Lima, Peru, November 16, 2016. The National Police seized $30 million worth of counterfeit bills, according to a police media release. GUADALUPE PARDO / Reuters

Police officers display seized counterfeit U.S. and Nuevos Soles bills at a news conference in Lima, Peru, November 16, 2016. The National Police seized $30 million worth of counterfeit bills, according to a police media release. GUADALUPE PARDO / Reuters — Police officers display seized counterfeit U.S. and Nuevos Soles bills at a news conference in Lima, Peru, November 16, 2016. The National Police seized $30 million worth of counterfeit bills, according to a police media release. Photo Guadalupe Pardo / Reuters

Q24N NEWS – A recent operation by police in Peru led to the largest seizure of counterfeit dollars in the country’s history, illustrating the sophistication and scale of the counterfeiting industry in the Andean nation infamous for its production of fake bills.

The Peruvian Interior Ministry announced on November 16 the seizure of US$30 million worth of counterfeit US currency, 50,000 Euros worth of fake bills and a yet-undetermined quantity of counterfeit Peruvian soles. Authorities also confiscated nine printing machines as well as other equipment used in the production of the counterfeit currency.

In addition, 49 individuals, including several Ecuadoran citizens, were arrested in several cities during what the government described as the largest counterfeit money bust in Peru’s history. Authorities said the suspects were part of a “powerful network that dispatched huge amounts of false money out of Peru” by various methods.

Although the network mainly sent the fake money to the United States, the Interior Ministry said the suspects also had connections in Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and countries in the European Union.

The US agency in charge of combating currency counterfeiting, the Secret Service, announced in 2013 that Peru had overtaken Colombia as the world’s biggest producer of counterfeit dollars. In the ten years prior to that announcement, some $103 million worth of seized fake US currency had reportedly been traced back to Peru, a figure which has undoubtedly increased in recent years.

The head of Peru’s anti-fraud police division Walter Escalante told The Guardian earlier this year that his unit had seized around “about $75 million in fake bills” since 2009. But as the news outlet pointed out, this figure almost certainly does not reflect the true scale of Peru’s currency counterfeiting industry.

In conversations with The Guardian, a “veteran counterfeiter” said that a single clandestine lab could produce an average of $3 to $5 million every week, yielding an annual production of around $150 million. According to police information cited by the newspaper, at least four such sophisticated labs were operating just in the capital city of Lima.

Experts often point to the high quality of the counterfeit currency produced in Peru to explain the country’s leading role in this illicit industry. Unlike their Colombian counterparts who heavily relied on older techniques, Peruvian counterfeiters make extensive use of digital technology and often touch up the fake bills by hand to ensure their believability. Additionally, as InSight Crime previously pointed out, economic variables like the dollar’s rising value and high inflation in nearby Venezuela can contribute to increased demand for counterfeit money.

Another significant factor may be the substantial return on investment due to relatively cheap materials and labor needed to run counterfeiting operation. The Guardian reported that counterfeiters usually charge customers around 20 percent of the bill’s face value. Using a rough calculation, this means a single lab could earn up to $1 million per week by producing $5 million worth of fake bills. But even using more conservative estimates, a Peruvian police officer told El País that currency counterfeiting was more profitable than drug trafficking.

The profits from currency counterfeiting are typically divided between the two separate parts of the operation, namely the clandestine labs which print the product and the networks that then ship the fake bills outside of the country.

Source Insightcrime.org

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Costa Rica’s Poor Households Devote High Percentage Of Income On Debt Service

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19 November 2016

vigesimosegundo-informe-nacion — From the 22nd State of the Naion report

(Q COSTA RICA NEWS) Purchasing appliances, acquiring quick loans or paying for courses in installments are some of the reasons why Costa Rica’s poor households devote a high percentage of their income to debt maintenance.

According to the twenty-second State of the Nation report (Vigésimo Segundo Informe del Estado de la Nación), on average, the most humble families allocate ¢43,973 monthly to amortize their financial commitments. (Click here for previous reports)

That figure may see low, but for these households, it represents 16% of their income.

The study revealed that, despite the fact that the wealthier households carry an average monthly consumer debt of ¢243,455 colones, the amount represents only 11% of their income.

The report used the Income and Expenditure Survey, carried out by the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC) in 2013, to study the use of credit by families.

The research found that, due to their low financial resources and excessive requirements, the lower-income group does not have the option of accessing formal loans and turn to businesses that offer appliances, services, consumer goods and travel, among others, on fast credit with easy payments.

The names in the market vary, but their offers are similar, low weekly or bi-weekly payments, easy credit and take home today, from a major appliance, to a flat screen television or simple rice cooker.

“When we see households that use commercial (non banking) loans the most, we find it is of people from rural areas, with lower-income and lower educational levels,” said Pamela Jimenez, heading the 22nd chapter of the State of the Nation report.

Counterproductive. The high level of indebtedness of the poor families ends up being an adverse consequence of an option that, in principle, serves for those households to increase their consumption capacity that generally comes with high interest rates.

That is these consumers are lured in by the low payments, ignoring that the payment terms (“quotas” in Spanish) can be 48, 60 or even 72 months or more, in most cases doubling or tripling the initial cost of the item if it were paid in cash (“contado” in Spanish).

The report proposes to evaluate that the commercial companies that they be supervised by the General Superintendence of Financial Entities (Sugef), to control the risks of delinquency and to know the behaviour of the market and consumers.

However, Javier Cascante, head of the Sugef, explains that this would require legal reform, as well as incorporating the information of the businesses that sell on credit to the Central de Información Crediticia (CIC) – Central Credit Information, which already includes data from the Formal financial entities.

With notes from La Nacion and El Financiero

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Hilton Announced Upscale Hotel For The Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica

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19 November 2016

botanika-osa — Photo from Botanikaresort.com

Q COSTA RICA TRAVEL – Hilton on Friday announced the signing of the Botánika Osa Peninsula to Curio – A Collection by Hilton. As Hilton’s rapidly-expanding global collection of distinctive upper upscale hotels, Curio caters to passionate travelers seeking local discovery and authentic experiences.

Botánika Osa Peninsula, Curio – A Collection by Hilton, is slated to open in 2018 and the project developer is Sinergo Development Group.

The Osa Peninsula (Spanish: Península de Osa) is a peninsula located in southwestern Costa Rica with the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Golfo Dulce to the east. The peninsula was formed geologically by a faulting system that extends north into California.

The peninsula is home to at least half of all species living in Costa Rica. The main town on the peninsula is Puerto Jimenez, which has its own airport and provides access to Corcovado National Park as well as the coastal villages of Cabo Matapalo and Carate.

From a statement issued by Hilton Hotels:

The resort will be on the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica, an unspoiled tropical rainforest that is home to 2.5% of the world’s biodiversity. The property will be nearby the Golfo Dulce, where one of the world’s few tropical fjords is located and migrating humpback whales can be seen seasonally. With the new eco-friendly Botánika resort, guests will be able to fully immerse themselves in one of the most remote locations in Costa Rica while enjoying a comfortable, luxurious stay.

“We are excited to welcome the Botánika Osa Peninsula property to Curio, and to introduce our rapidly-expanding collection brand to one of the most exclusive Costa Rican resort areas,” said Juan Corvinos, managing director, development, Mexico, Central America, and Hispanic Caribbean regions, Hilton. “This one-of-a-kind resort will be sure to meet our guests’ desire for local discovery in the prime Osa Peninsula location.”

Property ownership is working with local biologists and forestry specialists to ensure that the resort is being constructed in harmony with its environment. The new build will be on the former location of Crocodile Bay Resort, an eco-resort known for its sport fishing expeditions and close to Crocodile Bay Marina, which offers world class sport fishing and has a fleet of 40 privately owned boats. Staying true to the area, Botánika will offer certified in-house staff to provide tours such as the Sea Turtle Rescue Tour, jungle night walks, surfing, snorkeling, gold panning, whale watching and sport fishing. The property will be easily accessible with a five-minute drive from the Puerto Jimenez Airport.

“Guests of Botánika Osa Peninsula will be able to experience a truly magical place,” said Cory Williams, managing member, Botánika Osa Peninsula, Curio – A Collection by Hilton. “Our new resort will be a gateway to an immersive rainforest experience that guests cannot get anywhere else in the world. Between the rainforest location, the luxurious residences and our partnership with Hilton, the property is bound to become legendary when it opens in 2018.”

The resort will comprise four main buildings, containing guest rooms and suites with a full kitchen. There will be an interior open air courtyard within each building containing plants, a plush seating area and a rooftop where guests can birdwatch and stargaze. The interior will be designed by DAS Concepts, providing a rustic yet elegant look and feel. The LEED Certified architecture will be led by Gensler, and the landscaping will be designed by GCH.

The property will also offer an outdoor natural pool, pool bar, fitness center, technology lounge, luxury spa offering over 30 rainforest treatments, 1,550 square foot conference center, large event lawn, golf cart concierge service, café gift shop with freshly brewed local coffee, a juice bar and a restaurant and bar serving locally-sourced dishes. Guests will be able to walk the nature trails on property, or utilize one of the complimentary bicycles to explore nearby beaches and the village of Puerto Jimenez.

“Both the unique character of the Botánika property and the pristine tropical setting will continue to help define our Curio collection of remarkable hotels around the world,” said Mark Nogal, global head, Curio – A Collection by Hilton. “The Osa Peninsula is the perfect location for guests who seek local discovery and authentic experiences, and the sophisticated Botánika property will truly embody the spirit of the community.”

As part of the Hilton portfolio, Botánika Osa Peninsula, Curio – A Collection by Hilton will participate in Hilton HHonors®, the award-winning guest-loyalty program for Hilton’s 13 distinct hotel brands. Hilton HHonors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels receive instant benefits, including an exclusive member discount that can’t be found anywhere else, free standard Wi-Fi and digital amenities like digital check-in with room selection and Digital Key available exclusively through the industry-leading Hilton HHonors app.

For more information, visit BotanikaResort.com or curio.com. Media may access high resolution images and more information by visiting news.curio.com.

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What is Being Built in Costa Rica

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19 November 2016

Q COSTA RICA BUSINESS – Office buildings, works on the network of aqueducts, an apartment tower and development works are some of the projects for which environmental impact studies were submitted in September 2016.

The report “Construction projects in Costa Rica – September 2016” prepared by the Business Intelligence unit at CentralAmericaData.com, provides an updated list of major construction projects for which environmental impact studies (EIS) were presented to the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA).

The Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers submitted an EIA to improve and expand the distribution pipes and expand storage capacity of tanks and make improvements to them, in addition to the construction of two tanks in the flowline going into the existing aqueduct in the districts of Puerto Viejo and La Virgen in the province Heredia. According to the document the investment will be US$10,552,724 for the project “Improvement and Expansion of ASADA coverage integrated into Sarapiqui”.

Core Desarrolladora SRL submitted an EIA to build in the district of Pavas, San José province, an apartment building with 24 levels and 5 basement levels. According to the study for the project “Torre Cosmopolitan” the amount to be invested is $10,134,000.

Portafolio Inmobiliario S.A. presented an EIA to develop in the district of Ulloa, Heredia province, road infrastructure, sidewalks, rights of way with 4, 3 and 2 lanes and hard shoulders for parking in some sections. The project is called “Construcción de obras de infraestructura en proyecto Montealegre” and according to the document the investment amount is US$8,651,572.

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Error In Wholesale Currency Exchange System Allowed Someone To Purchase U.S. Dollars At ¢5.555 colones

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18 November 2016

The MONEX is the Central Bank's wholesale currency exchange service — The MONEX is the Central Bank’s wholesale currency exchange service

Q COSTA RICA NEWS – How would you like to buy one U.S. dollar at the rate of ¢5.555 colones? Someone(s) did this week, due to an error in the system in the first transaction of the day of the Monex wholesale currency market.

The Mercado de Monedas Extranjeras (MONEX), since 2006, is the Central Bank’s (Banco Central de Costa Rica) service whereby participating entities trade and liquidate with BCCR and among themselves their foreign currency buying and selling operations.

The service allows entities to address their needs for buying and selling foreign exchange in the wholesale market, according to the BCCR description of the service, which includes advantages such as: easy to trade foreign exchange, liquidation in real time and information on market and exchange rate behavior and transactions.

La Republica reports that at the opening of the market Wednesday, the system allowed US$400,000 to be traded at ¢5.555 colones instead of ¢555 per one US dollar. A report by La Nacion, however, reports two transactions occurred at the low rate and the transactions were for ¢63,000 colones.

From La Nacion screen capture from the BCCR

The MONEX rate closed Tuesday night at ¢556.15 colones for one U.S. dollar.

It is not known who made the transaction, because the MONEX market is “blind”, that is, the amounts of the purchase and sale are known, as well as the exchange rate of the transaction, but it is not known who performs the transaction, although there is a register list of participants at the Central Bank.

Source: Larepublica.net, Nacion.com, Banco Central

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Additional Commuter Train Service Could Ease San Jose Traffic Congestion

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18 November 2016

151116_tren_incofer_alajuela_full — The railway is hoping more people will use public transportation with the additional trains

The railway is hoping more people will use public transportation with the additional trains — The railway is hoping more people will use public transportation with the additional train runs.

Q COSTA RICA NEWS – With the hope as a relief the daily traffic congestion in the Gran Área Metropolitana (GAM) – greater metropolitan area of San Jose – on Monday, November 21, the Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarriles (INCOFER) adds 19 new weekly runs to the commuter train service from San Jose to Belen and Alajuela.

In addition to the current only morning and afternoon service, more trains will be providing service for extended hours.

In addition, the INCOFER will also offer trains on Saturdays.

The San Jose – Alajuela commuter train leaves the Atlantico station, located near the Hospital Calderon Guardia and weaves through Cuatro Reinas in Tibas and Heredia that includes stops in San Francisco, Miraflores, Santa Rosa to the Rio Segundo station in Alajuela, near the airport.

The Belen train leaves the Pacifico station near the Clinica Biblica and runs through La Sabana, Pavas and Belen.

The hope is that these additional trains will entice more people to use public transportation and leave their cars at home.

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President Solis Star Of His Own Television Show

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18 November 2016

republica-guillermo-solis-albert-marin_lncima20160620_0041_5 — President Luis Guillermo Solis will on television on Thursday nights with his program "Va de frente"

President Luis Guillermo Solis will on television on Thursday nights with his program "Va de frente" — President Luis Guillermo Solis will on television on Thursday nights with his program “Va de frente”

Q COSTA RICA NEWS – If other leaders around the world can have their own television show, why not ‘Luisgui’, that is the word from Casa Presidencial (government house) announcing that President Luis Guillermo Solis will be starring in a weekly television show aired on the state public television network.

The minister of Communications, Mauricio Herrera, says the production by the National Radio and Television System (SINART), aims to bring Solís to the screens of open television, where on each episde will be interviewed “critically and without complacency” on a particular issue, by a specialist selected by network.

Herrera explained that it is a program of the President’s accountability to the people. “It is a proposal that comes out of SINART. We think it can be very interesting as an exercise of accountability…a new format proposed by the Sinart,” added Herrera

In Latin America, former Venezuela president Hugo Chavez used his “Aló Presidente” program that ran continuously for 13 years, between 1999 and 2012, very successfully to reach the masses. The Chavez program ran on Venezuela’s public television in marathon transmissions of up to six hours.

In Ecuador, president Rafael Correa, since 2007 does his thing every Saturday morning in a three-hour program that is transmitted over 54 radio and television channels in the country.

In Brazil, Lula de Silva broadcast between 2003 and 2010 the “Desayuno con el Presidente” (breakfast with the president), which was continued by Dilma Rousseff, renamed to “Café con la presidenta” (Coffee with the president).

Mario Alfaro, president of the SINART, confirmed they already have several episodes recorded that will be aired starting on November 24.

“Va de frente” (Go Forward) will air on local channel 13 at 9:00pm on Thursdays.

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Last Hurrah: Heavy Rains Cause Floods In Many Areas In The Southern Zone

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18 November 2016

687816_940 — Many homes are under water this morning in a number of communities in the southern zone

Many homes are under water this morning in a number of communities in the southern zone

Q COSTA RICA NEWS – Heavy rains in the last two days have flooded homes and villages in the southern zone. Areas like Puerto Jiménez, Rincón, Golfito and Pavones were the most affected. Other areas affected by the rains include Finca Coto, Ciudad Neily and Puerto Jiménez.

In some cases, communities have been isolated and all the residents can do is wait for the waters to recede.

Water overapassed the Amarillo river bridge in Corredores

A low pressure system is hovering over almost the entire country and expected to last into the weekend.

Xinia Guerrero, spokesperson for the national emergency commission – the Comisión Nacional de Emergencias (CNE) – said the heavy rain has caused many rivers, in particular in the southern zone, to overflow their banks.

At least in one case, this morning (Friday), a fallen tree onto the roadway from the Paso Canos border to Cuiadad Cortés (south of Perez Zeledon), at kilometre 37 of the Interamericana Sur, was the indirect cause of a traffic accident that resulted in a bus, full of passengers, to land on its side as the driver swerved to avoid a head on collision with a small truck that crossed the median.

Of the 51 passengers on board, only two suffered serious injuries and taken to hospital Tomás Casas de Ciudad Cortés in delicate condition, another 15 with minor injuries were also taken to hospital, the rest treated at the scene by paramedics.

The driver told the Telenoticias television camera crew at the scene of the accident within minutes of the mishap, that the truck crossed into his path to avoid the tree blocking his entire lane, and his attempt to avoid a head on collision, he swerved into the soft shoulder causing his unit to fall on its side. The driver of the small truck fled the scene. The bus, operated by Tracopa, was travelling from Paso Canoas to San José.

Last hurrah. Across the country many areas have reported light to heavy rains, but none have been affected to the extend of the southern zone.

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Costa Rica From Above (Part II)

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17 November 2016

Article first appeared on COSTA RICACONFIDENTIALcom. Reposted with permission.

COSTA RICA CONFIDENTIAL – This is part II from the Costa Rica Aerea book by brothers Sergio and Giancarlo Pucci.

As the authors tell it, the book is not the story of one journey. Click here for Part I.

For the whole story, more photos and the book visit www.craerea.com.

The post Costa Rica From Above (Part II) appeared first on Costa Rica Confidential.

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Canada’s Trudeau visits Cuba to reboot ties

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17 November 2016

Click here to go to the source article.

Canada First Minister Justin Trudeau places a wreath at the Jose Marti monument at Revolution Square

TODAY CUBA NEWS – HAVANA: Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrived in Cuba Tuesday (Nov 16) to boost ties as a breakthrough in the communist island’s US relations hung in the balance following Donald Trump’s presidential election win.

After arriving at Havana airport, Trudeau headed straight to the city’s iconic Revolution Square and laid a wreath, an AFP photographer saw.

The two-day visit is the first stop on a tour that will also take Trudeau to Argentina and to Peru for the APEC Asia-Pacific trade summit.

It comes 40 years after Trudeau’s father Pierre Elliott Trudeau committed to a lifelong friendship with Cuba’s former revolutionary president Fidel Castro during a similar visit.

According to Trudeau’s office, the goal is to “renew and strengthen” the bilateral relationship.

The visit will also provide an opportunity to “collaborate more closely on sustainable economic growth, inclusive governance, security, climate change, and gender equality,” a statement said.

TRUMP FACTOR

Trump, who won the US presidential election a week ago, has sent mixed messages about the thaw in US-Cuba relations which was started two years ago by current US President Barack Obama.

Trump gave it a lukewarm welcome at first, before vowing to reverse the new policies unless Raul Castro agrees to democratic reforms and other demands.

Because Obama used executive authority to enact the rapprochement, Trump could change course just as easily to reinstate financial, trade and travel restrictions.

While observers note that Cuba will probably not be a priority for Trump, it remains unclear how he would view a Trudeau-Castro photo opportunity.

The visit is primarily “symbolic,” John Kirk, a politics professor and Cuba expert at Dalhousie University in Halifax, told AFP.

Canada maintained diplomatic ties with Havana after the revolution “despite significant pressure from Washington” over the years, Kirk said.

Ottawa also remained steadfastly opposed to the American trade embargo on Cuba, which has not been revoked by Congress.

MEETING WITH FIDEL?

Officially, no meeting is planned with Fidel Castro, but “there’s a chance” they will see each other, Cuba’s ambassador to Canada, Julio Garmendia Pena, told Canadian media. The visit is the first by a Canadian leader to Cuba since Jean Chretien in 1998.

Over the past decade, bilateral ties reached a historic low with former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper often siding with Washington in seeking to isolate Cuba on the international scene.

Yet it was also Harper who hosted secret talks between US and Cuban officials in 2014 leading to the rapprochement.

Today, Cuba continues to welcome a huge influx of Canadian tourists each year — 1.3 million or nearly 40 per cent of all tourist visitors.

Bilateral trade remains modest at less than US$1 billion annually.

Despite their warm diplomatic ties, many Canadian companies do not invest in Cuba over fear they will be blocked from the US market.

– AFP

Article first appeared at TodayCuba.com. Reposted with permission.

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That Was Quick. Back to Jail. ‘Cuba Dave’ Found Guilty!

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17 November 2016

Q COSTA RICA NEWS – Well, that was quick, David Strecker, known as Cuba Dave on the internet, is going to continue behind bars after being found guilty for promoting sexual tourism. The trial that started on Tuesday took only two days.

cuba-dave-1369 — David Strecket, aka CUBA DAVE in happier times. Photo from Google search.

Strecker, 66 years old, is the first person to be convicted under Costa Rica’s relatively new “sex tourism law” on Wednesday, declared guilty by the three judge panel in a San Jose courtroom.

Strecker was sentenced to a five-year prison term on the single count of violating the 2012 law prohibiting the promotion of Costa Rica as a sexual tourism destination. Strecker’s lawyer, Luis Diento Chacon, pleaded with he judges to dismiss the charges against his client.

Prosecutor Maria Quesada had requested a 15-year sentence for promoting sex tourism on YouTube, Facebook and Cuba Dave postings on Ticaland.com.

Prostitution is not a crime in Costa Rica.

Strecker has been in preventive detention (prison) since September 4, 2015, arrested based on a formal complaint filed with the Organismo de Investigacion Judicial (OIJ) by the Fundación Rahab (Rahab Foundation) – a local NGO combating human trafficking – in August 2015. This was confirmed by lawyers and an OIJ agent who was called to the witness stand.

In a report by the Tico Times earlier this year, the Rahab Foundation lawyers denied the organization had filed an official complaint or “even knowledge of the case”. The Tico Times reported on Wednesday it had contacted the Rahab Foundation founder Mariliana Morales to inquire about the complaint and the OIJ agent sworn statement. “Before hanging up the phone abruptly, Morales said she would not comment on the case,” said the Tico Times report.

In his statement to the judge on the second and final day of trial, Strecker said he always had a passion for photography and the ‘Cuba Dave’ network grew more and more as his follower numbers grew, asking for more info about where to stay while in San Jose and the pitfalls. Strecker said he did not financially gain from his online posts, telling the judges he just liked being the guy who informed people of his travels in Costa Rica.

A post on the social media captured the sentiment of many about this case, “…It seems rather hypocritical to make prostitution legal, then makes it a crime to say, “Hey, prostitution is legal here”.

The defense lawyer said an appeal will be filed as soon as possible.

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Costa Rica Commercial Real Estate Inventory Grew In September 2016

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17 November 2016

espacios-terrazas-lindora — Terrazas Lindora

Q COSTA RICA NEWS – The total inventory of square metres of commercial property use grew by 15.04% in the last twelve months, according to a report (in Spanish) by Colliers Costa Rica.

The report says that over the past year, the entry on the market of commercial property such as City Mall, and Expreso Desamparados and some Lifestyle Centre buildings, have marked a commercial turning point, which has generated negative and positive results, respectively.

On the supply side, the increase consists largely in property of the Regional Centre type, however the entry of the mixed use such as Terrazas Lindora is also part of it, as well as the development of existing projects in stages. The increase is 156,787 m2.

Source: Centralamericandata.com, Colliers Costa Rica

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Cuba Prepares Military for Hostile Trump Administration

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17 November 2016

Article first appeared at TodayCuba.com. Reposted with permission.

Military training maneuvers are a signal that the government is preparing for a hostile administration (hotel-r)

TODAY CUBA NEWS – In the wake of Trump’s victory in the US presidential election and his promises to get tough on Cuba, officials on the island have raised concern about the future of relations between the two countries.

Raul Castro sent a brief message of congratulations to Trump, but hours later the communist adminstration announced a strategic military exercise between Novemeber 16 and 18.

Triunfo. Diarios con el título sobre el triunfo de Donald Trump son mostrados en kioscos de La Habana (AFP — Election of Donald Trump makes headlines in Havana newspapers. (AFP)

Some say such military training is a sign that the island’s government is preparing for a “hostile” US government.

The Cuban newspaper Granma originally reported the plan, explaining that the strategy is “part of the country’s preparation for defense.”

Similar military exercises began under Ronald Reagan in 1980 and had not been in effect since 2013.

Trump said that he would put more pressure on the Cuban government when he arrived to The White House.

“We will cancel Obama’s unilateral agreement with Cuba made through executive order if we do not get the treatment we want and the agreement that people in Cuba deserve,” he said, “which protects political and religious freedoms.”

The Republican also announced that he will deport all immigrants who have a criminal record, and will push countries to accept their citizens once US judges order their deportation.

Original article appeared at Panampost.com

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Trump, A Concern For Cuba

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17 November 2016

Article first appeared at TodayCuba.com. Reposted with permission.

Are the new US-Cuba relations in jeopardy under Donald Trump?

TODAY CUBA NEWS – During a visit to Florida 24 hours before Election Day, now President-elect Donald Trump pledged he would “stand with the people of Cuba and Venezuela in their fight against oppression” and that he would “bring jobs and education … to Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Venezuelans and all Floridians.”

While this was uplifting for several Cuban-Americans who voted for Trump in Florida, such message was received with mixed feelings from those living in the island.

People wait for visas outside the U.S Embassy in Havana, the day after Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton. Desmond Boylan AP

There is a rising concern that President Barack Obama’s legacy will be in peril due to a Republican majority in Congress and with Trump as president. In fact, one of Obama’s landmark decisions was to thaw U.S.-Cuba relations after more than 50 years of political estrangement. However, this may change in the next four years.

According to the Miami Herald, Trump can reverse some of the “concessions” the Obama administration made to Cuba, yet some of the commercial initiatives may not be undone. In mid-October, Obama announced that U.S. travelers could bring unlimited quantities of Cuban cigars and rum, and U.S. companies began establishing ventures and deals in Cuba.

For Cuba, the main concern is the new Congress, which will be run by Republicans. By mandate, Congress has the power to lift the Cuban embargo, but this possibility may be fading away. “I’m not concerned about Trump more than I’m about [the new] Congress,” Viviana Díaz Frías, a Cuban journalist living in Havana, said in an email. “There is a conservative majority, and some [members of Congress] have adopted an anti-Cuban position. We are still under a big commotion after Trump’s victory.”

People line up outside the United States embassy in Havana, Cuba, the day after Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in the U.S. general election. Desmond Boylan AP

A Cuban government employer told Mexican newspaper El Financiero that Trump being president “is not good for us, because if there was sluggishness in [bilateral] talks, it’ll be worse as of this point.”

Views on the Cuban embargo are mixed due to a generation chasm among Cuban-Americans. According to the Atlantic:

“A slight majority of Cuban-Americans living in Miami-Dade County who also left the island between 1959 and 1964 … oppose reestablishing diplomatic relations with Cuba. But when it comes to Cuban-Americans who left in later years, that opposition flips, as 65% of those who came between 1981 and 1994 and 80% who came between 1995 and 2014 favor diplomatic relations with Cuba.”

The Cuban-American vote in Florida may have caused some collateral damage. The Miami Herald reports Trump can deport more than 35,000 Cubans who have an arrest warrant for committing crimes in the United States, as part of the pledge he made on 60 Minutes about deporting 3 million undocumented immigrants who have faced criminal charges.

Previously, Trump expressed opposition with respect to the 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act. In an interview with the Tampa Bay Times in February, he said allowing Cuban immigrants legal access to the United States is wrong and unfair. A stronger position on immigration can exacerbate a crisis hundreds of Cubans have grappled with in recent months, as they trek across a perilous journey from Cuba to South America, up through Central America and across the U.S.-Mexico border.

It remains to be seen whether Trump will upend U.S.-Cuban relations. For now, uncertainty looms large.

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Venezuela’s Catholic Church Predicts Civil War if Dialogue Fails

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17 November 2016

Article originally appeared at TodayVenezuela.com. Reposted with permission.

The Catholic Church spoke out against Venezuela in Rome recently. (El Estímulo)

TODAY VENEZUELA NEWS – Venezuela’s Catholic Church predicts civil war if the dialogue between President Nicolás Maduro’s administration and the country’s political opposition doesn’t come to fruition.

Venezuelan Episcopal Conference Spokesman Pedro Pablo Aguilar responded to a question in Rome regarding whether he thought the country was heading toward a civil war, to which he responded, “if the dialogue doesn’t move forward, it’s possible.”

Aguilar traveled to Rome with Venezuelan Archbishop Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo, who is set to be made a Cardinal by Pope Francis November 19.

In his statements, Aguilar was emphatic about his position against Nicolas Maduro and his aggressive behavior that has come to define his presidency.

Aguilar said there has been 18 years of hate speech, and lamented the fact that if you aren’t in favor of Maduro’s government, then you are its enemy.

“I’m not saying that the political actors of the opposition haven’t been violent” he said. “But the current government has proven it’s ready, because they have military and weapons.”

He said he was saddened that the residents of Venezuela are becoming “increasingly poor” and confirmed that the country is in a situation of humanitarian crisis.

Nearly two children die each day from malnutrition, he said, and every week at least 200 other people are killed while the country struggles for medicine and food.

Aguilar was asked about the role played by former President of Spain José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero in creating dialogues between the two sides. Maduro reportedly sees him as a friend to the government, and tips the scales in their favor.

Finally, Aguilar celebrated that Pope Francis has decided to make Porras Cardozo a cardinal at the end of the month, recognizing the naming as an “endorsement of the Venezuelan Church.”

Original article appeared at Panampost.com, from El Nacional

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Over 11 Million Venezuelans Have Crossed the Colombian Border since August

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17 November 2016

Article originally appeared at TodayVenezuela.com. Reposted with permission.

venezuelans-crossing-into-colombia1350 — Mother and child shopping in Colombia

TODAY VENEZUELA NEWS – Over 11 million Venezuelans have crossed the Colombian border since August’s reopening, with Colombian officials reporting that a little more than 5.6 million Venezuelans have entered, and around the same number have crossed back.

Around 92 percent of Venezuelans coming into de country do it for food, cleaning products and medicine, which are all scarce in their country (El Confidencial) — Around 92 percent of Venezuelans travel to Colombia for food, cleaning products and medicine, which are all scarce in their country

According to officials, about 92 percent of Venezuelans entering Colombia do so to buy food, sanitary products or medicine that are scarce in their own country.

The difference between the number of entries and exits — close to 65,000 — corresponds to the people who remain in Colombia to take advantage of the possibility of being granted an immigration card needed for longer stays.

Officials also said 95 percent of the people that move across the border do through the department of Norte de Santander, where there are three open crossings points.

The Colombian-Venezuelan border was closed almost a year ago by order of President Nicolás Maduro, but was reopened last August.

Source: El Nacional, Panamapost, Photos from El Confidencial

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Is Venezuela’s Maduro Looking to Nicaragua as a Model for Future Elections?

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17 November 2016

Original article appeared at TodayNicaragua.com. Reposted with permission.

espite low participation, officials said there was 70 percent turnout. (Trinchera de la Noticia) — Despite low participation, officials said there was 70 percent voter turnout. (Trinchera de la Noticia)

TODAY NICARAGUA NEWS – Only three Latin American countries — Cuba, Bolivia and Venezuela — have congratulated Daniel Ortega on his reelection, probably because the entire campaign was a farce.

On Sunday, Novemeber 6, empty polling stations across the country somehow correlated to 70 percent participation.

“The President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro Moros, on behalf of the Venezuelan government and people, conveys his effusive congratulations to President Daniel Ortega, Vice-President Rosario Murillo, and the dignified people of our sister Republic of Nicaragua, for the unobjectionable victory of the Sandinista Front in the presidential elections held yesterday,” Venezuela’s congratulatory statement to Ortega read.

Emphasis should be on the word “unobjectionable.” Take into account that this was a single-party election. Abstention was estimated around 70 percent, and the government eliminated dissidence through the judiciary. It was such an absurd process that Daniel Ortega, aiming to avoid warming the spirits even more, did not even really campaign.

“The victory of the Nicaraguan people is the result of an extraordinary mobilization of the popular forces which, once again, demonstrated their high level of political awareness, and commitment to continuing to strengthen the socialist, Christian and solidarity project that concentrates most of Nicaraguans in the construction of a sovereign, independent, free and peaceful homeland.

The exemplary demonstration of the Sandinista forces, guided by the values of unity, love, respect and dignity, is inspired by the historical gesture of Augusto César Sandino, and enhances the transcendence of this victory against imperialism and its national allies, who seek to restore neoliberalism in our region.”

Apart from the communist fussiness and the tone of Venezuela’s statement, the phrase “to continue strengthening the socialist, Christian and solidarity project,” should draw your attention. This alliance is not made up by the “popular forces.” And Christian? Only as “Christian” as Murillo, who simultaneously declared herself Catholic, Presbyterian and a follower of Sai Baba.

“Long live the Nicaraguan people! Long live Sandino!” the statement concluded.

In Nicaragua there are no “maras.” Crime is under control, unlike in Venezuela, the most violent country on the continent.

Managua’s Example

Are Maduro and Cilia Flores dreaming of something similar to what Ortega is currently doing? There seem to be clear signs that they are.

Obviously, Maduro cannot compete with Ortega’s epic; nor can Cilia Flores, who does not have a resume close to that of Rosario Murillo’s.

Somoza speaks to Nicaraguans on the most varied topics every day. Cilia tried to have a television program on Sunday, but she did not even make it to the third episode despite it being broadcasted on Venezuelan public television, which is basically a 24/7 propaganda channel for the PSUV.

But charm does not matter where authoritarianism exists. Maduro has torpedoed the referendum to have him recalled from office.

Officials are also trying to outlaw the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) for allegedly committing fraud during the referendum, arguing they had found dead people’s names registered in the first one percent of the signatures.

In addition, a PSUV spokesman recently called on the opposition to “prepare” themselves to legalize their political parties, since they did not participate in the last two elections individually, but under the electoral umbrella of the MUD. Now, one percent of signatures will be required to re-register opposition political parties.

Is it possible for Maduro’s administration to ban 65 political parties, and the MUD at the same time?Why not? No one thought he would block the referendum, but he did that with ease.

As a result, Maduro will be able to appear in an electoral charade next year without opposition, or against two or three made-up parties that could never win.

And let the world protest. There will always be a Cuba and Bolivia to, as in the case of “Commander Ortega” and his “eternally loyal companion” Rosario Murillo, endorse so much abuse, while the rest of the region looks the other way rather than applying political and commercial sanctions.

Venezuelans, especially those who lead the opposition (now that 80 percent of the country supports them), hold in their hands the responsibility to prevent Maduro from succeeding in 2017.

Original article appeared at the Panampost.com

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Ruling Party in Nicaragua Offers Little Transparency Regarding Campaign

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17 November 2016

Original article appeared at TodayNicaragua.com. Reposted with permission.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88FHTJptdHU]

TODAY NICARAGUA NEWS – Ruling party in Nicaragua offers little transparency regarding campaign. The president of the Economic Commission, Walmaro Gutierrez, did not report on the spending for the electoral campaign of his party, the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN).

“I honestly do not have the information in hand, it would be great to ask the party authorities, I have no opinion on the matter” (la prensa) — “I honestly do not have the information in hand, it would be great to ask the party authorities, I have no opinion on the matter” (La Prensa)

Gutierrez said he did not have the information, and invited the press to consult the FSLN authorities.

“I honestly do not have that information at hand, it would be good to ask the party authorities, I have no opinion about it,” he said.

The FSLN’s legal representative, Edwin Castro, did not attend the National Assembly plenary on Monday, November 14, so it was not possible to clarify doubts on this issue.

The deputy Edwin Castro also did not answer his cell phone, but he is still expected to provide information with respect to the electoral campaign.

The General budget of the Republic of Nicaragua is 633.1 million NIO, that is, USD $ 21.46 million, which must be reimbursed to the political parties for the expenditure of the 2016 election campaign, considered by the opposition to be a “farce”, as they were totally excluded from the process.

The Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) assigned 72.44% of the votes to the ruling FSLN left-wing party, which must obtain a reimbursement of 458.64 million NIO, equivalent to USD $ 15.54 million, on the amount the state budgeted

The president of the Independent Liberal Party (PLI), Pedro Reyes, mentioned that it is estimated that the reimbursement that the CSE must make for the winning electoral campaign is about USD $ 1,000,000.

“I think we have to repay more than a million dollars. I spent USD $380,000 in the first stage of the campaign, but we will see how much the others spent, “he said.

Original article appeared at Panampost.com.

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Northern Triangle Deploys Tri-National Force to Combat Gangs

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16 November 2016

Nearly 70,000 gang members operate in the Northern Triangle countries of Central America, according to estimates by Honduran authorities (Photo: El Heraldo Honduras / Noticias de Honduras)

Q24N NEWS (Insightcrime.org)- The Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras will launch a tri-national force aimed at disrupting the movements of street gangs that are increasingly crossing borders in order to coordinate criminal activities and flee security crackdowns.

Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández announced in a November 14 press conference that the anti-gang unit would be inaugurated the following day in the western department of Ocotepeque, which shares a border with El Salvador and Guatemala, reported AFP. Hernández said that the force will be comprised of police, military, intelligence, migration and customs officials.

The head of state also said that the unit will monitor some 600 kilometers of shared border areas “because we are no longer going to permit that criminals commit atrocities in one country and evade justice by fleeing to another.”

Hernández added that the unit will increase intelligence sharing among the Northern Triangle countries, which will facilitate “the capture of drug traffickers, gang members and any other criminals along the border.”

The deployment of the anti-gang force has been in the works since it was first announced in August.

The new unit is a response to the increasing number of gang members migrating from one Northern Triangle country to another. Most of this migratory flow is emanating from El Salvador, where the crackdown on gangs by security forces has been felt the strongest. Over 365 alleged Salvadoran gang members were reportedly arrested in just the first ten months of this year. Rather than maintaining a low profile, some of these gang members who fled because of the increased security pressure have gone on to become leaders of gang structures in Guatemala.

While the problem it seeks to address is real, the initiative may be more window dressing than tangible security reform. Authorities from the three countries are presumably already sharing intelligence and monitoring the border areas; as Hernández mentioned in the press conference, Honduras and Guatemala deployed a similar bi-national force to its shared frontier last year. The effectiveness of the new tri-national force will ultimately depend on whether the Northern Triangle countries can improve upon the mechanisms for multilateral security cooperation already in place. However, on this topic there have so far been few details.

From Insightcrime.org

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Alleged MS13 Members in El Salvador Caught Selling Illicit Horse Meat

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16 November 2016

Q24N NEWS (Insightcrime.org) Authorities in El Salvador have arrested 39 alleged members of the MS13 for planning to sell 5,600 pounds of contraband horse meat, a potential sign of the gang’s increasing sophistication as it seeks to diversify its criminal revenue streams.

Police conducted the raid on the morning of November 15 in the municipality of San Rafael Obrajuelo, reported El Diario de Hoy. At least 14 horses were slaughtered in order to produce the meat, while four more were found alive near a clandestine slaughterhouse. Authorities also seized seven cars that were used to transport the product.

Prosecutors said that 20 additional gang members who are already in prison have also been implicated in the scheme, reported DiarioTRV. The suspects are charged with belonging to a terrorist organization and environmental contamination. The commercialization of horse meat for human consumption is illegal in El Salvador.

The authorities did not specify whether the horses legally belonged to the alleged gang members or whether they had been stolen. According to El Diario de Hoy, police in San Rafael Obrajuelo frequently make seizures of contraband horse meat.

If the MS13 was in fact behind the scheme, it would represent yet another source of income for a gang that is increasing its stake in semi-legal and fully legal companies. While micro-trafficking and extortion remain its staple revenue streams, authorities have raided over 150 businesses linked to MS13 leaders as part of an ongoing investigation known as “Operación Jaque” (Operation Check). The motels, bars, brothels and public transport companies run by frontmen generated “millions of dollars” for the gang’s leadership, according to police officials.

The horse meat conspiracy is somewhat different in that it appears to have involved dozens of low-level gang members. Still, it would have required contacts along several points in the supply chain, that could range from the ranchers procuring the horses to butchers to vendors in local markets. That type of coordination suggests the MS13 is becoming an increasingly sophisticated organization as its financial interests diversify.

This pattern can also be seen in neighboring Honduras and Guatemala, which along with El Salvador make up what is known as Central America’s Northern Triangle region. In Honduras, “Operation Avalanche” has revealed that MS13 leaders are laundering extortion profits in more elaborate ways in order to protect their assets. Guatemalan MS13 members have also reportedly begun to invest their criminal earnings in legitimate enterprises such as motorcycle taxis.

From Insightcrime.org

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Colombia Has a New Peace Deal, But Challenges Remain

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16 November 2016

Article originally appeared at TodayColombia.com. Reposted with permission.

TODAY COLOMBIA NEWS – Insightcrime.org – Forty days after Colombia rejected a peace agreement between the government and FARC rebels, a second deal has been signed with 56 amendments, getting the peace process back on track. Nevertheless, huge challenges remain.

The new agreement was signed on November 12 in Havana, Cuba, the venue for more than four years of difficult negotiations between the government of President Juan Manuel Santos and senior commanders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – FARC).

The new agreement was signed by the chief FARC negotiator Luciano Marín Arango, alias “Iván Márquez,” and the lead government representative, Humberto de la Calle (pictured below, left and right respectively).

Studying the new peace deal, it looks very much like the one signed on September 26 to international fanfare. There appear to have been some small adjustments to address the concerns of the opposition, led by former president and now senator, Álvaro Uribe. The opposition politicians were not invited to attend the talks that modified the agreement and indeed were not even given a preview of the new 310-page document before it was signed. (For the complete document see this pdf)

Here is a breakdown of the major issues and amendments:

1. The controversial Special Jurisdiction for Peace (Jurisdicción Especial para la Paz), the legal framework for the agreement and the central pillar of the deal, remains in place despite opposition requests that this be scrapped. This Special Jurisdiction ensures that no rebel, even those guilty of crimes against humanity, will be condemned to more than eight years as long as they fully cooperate with investigations. Under the September agreement, this sentence was to be under the conditions of “restricted liberty,” which was left largely undefined. The opposition wanted this to potentially include prison time or at least confinement in penal farms. The new agreement states that the convicted rebels will be restricted to a very limited geographic area but will live in a residence during the entirety of their sentence, so long as they are involved in consolidating peace. There was one concession made, namely that rulings by the Special Jurisdiction could be challenged and the Constitutional Court would have the final say.

2. Holding of political office. The opposition to the agreement charged that no rebels guilty of crimes against humanity — which is almost the entire FARC high command — should be allowed to hold political office.

“Nothing can justify the election of Timochenko [the alias of the FARC commander-in-chief Rodrigo Londoño Echeverri] to the Senate or the Presidency, or Joaquín Gómez [the alias of another top FARC commander, Milton de Jesús Toncel Redondo] as governor of La Guajira” said Uribe.

“I understand this is the feeling of many citizens,” replied President Santos. But he said that “the reason for all peace processes in the world is precisely that guerrillas leave aside their weapons and engage in legal politics.”

So all FARC commanders remain eligible for political office and will be able to take up the 10 guaranteed seats in Congress (five in the House of Representatives and five in the Senate) for two four-year terms, as set out in the original agreement.

3. FARC money and drug trafficking. Virtually nobody believes the rebel claims that they are broke. The FARC became aware that this was generating problems for them, and two days before the October 2 plebiscite they said they would look at delivering some assets to compensate victims. It was far too little, far too late, and this was a major contributor to the successful “No” vote. Under the terms of the new deal, the FARC have now promised to draw up a list of all their assets to hand over as part of reparations for victims.

After more than three decades profiting from the cocaine trade, the issue of drug trafficking was at the heart of opposition complaints. Under the September agreement, drug trafficking by rebels was made a political crime, as earnings went to fund the revolution. This remains the case, although the new agreement stipulates that each drug trafficking case will be reviewed separately to ensure that funds went to the revolutionary cause, not personal enrichment. If any personal enrichment is found, that case comes under normal criminal jurisdiction. Those involved in drug trafficking activity also have to give up all routes, contacts and the inner workings of the trade to qualify for amnesty.

4. Incorporating the agreement in the Constitution. This was one serious concession to the “No” camp. Under the September deal, the entire 297-page agreement was to be added to the Constitution. The guerrillas insisted on this, fearing that the next president could come from political elements opposed to the deal and move the goalposts. Under the new deal, only the sections of the agreement that deal with human rights and international humanitarian law will be added to the Constitution. It seems the guerrillas are happy that international involvement and the judicial guarantees in place will protect them in the future.

Analysis

While it seems the government and the FARC have given little to the “No” camp, this does not portend smooth sailing for the peace process. We are still waiting for the reaction from the opposition, which could claim the wishes of the majority of voters in the plebiscite have not been respected. Former President Uribe has said that he and his team still have to read and digest the document, but told Santos that this “should be not definitive” as the final agreement until they have had a chance to comment.

The other issue is whether Santos will allow the Colombian public to vote again on the agreement. He might well lose a second vote. Most likely he will simply present the signed agreement to Congress, where he has a majority, to vote on the deal. Once it has got through Congress it has to go to the Constitutional Court for final ratification before it becomes law. If Santos had won the plebiscite, the agreement would have gone through Congress very quickly with “fast track” status, where legislators would have had a simple yes or no vote and no power to change the agreement. Unless Santos calls another plebiscite and wins it, he might not have his fast track option, in which case the new agreement would have to go through Congress at the normal speed and be open to debate and perhaps amendment. While this could be done in four to six months, opposition elements might deliberately slow up the process. Then the agreement could become part of the 2018 election campaign, which might further delay its implementation.

However it is not just Santos who has serious challenges ahead. Timochenko is also trying to hold his rebel army together. InSight Crime attended the FARC’s 10th Conference in September, when rebel representatives from across the country came together to debate and approve the initial agreement. While the agreement was approved, several middle-ranking rebel commanders expressed great concern about its contents. One rebel unit, the FARC’s First Front in Guaviare, has already broken away, stating it will not respect the agreement and will stay in the revolutionary struggle. InSight Crime, after more than 18 months of field research across the country, believes that the First Front is not the only rebel unit to be profoundly unhappy with the peace deal.

After the October plebiscite, Santos stated the bilateral ceasefire would only be extended to the end of the month. Rebel sources consulted by InSight Crime said that this caused panic among rebel units. Many had left their strongholds, moving along corridors “opened” for them by the military towards the concentration zones agreed in the peace deal, or to attend the 10th Conference. Many had travelled for weeks. So giving the FARC just over three weeks meant that many guerrilla units panicked and started moving straight back to take up war positions. Santos realized his mistake and extended the ceasefire until the end of the year. But the damage had already been done, and many guerrillas feared that the military was preparing to launch an offensive, as happened after peace processes in 1990 and 2002 failed. The fragile trust that certain guerrilla factions have in the government was severely eroded.

“The ceasefire is fragile,” Santos admitted. “The uncertainty generates fears and increases the risks to throw this immense effort overboard.”

The new agreements on drug trafficking might also push certain guerrilla commanders deeply involved in the cocaine and marijuana trade out of the process. While drug trafficking remains a political crime under the new agreement, now any FARC members involved in the trade will go under the microscope and will have to give up all their associates, in many cases family members not part of the guerrilla army. This could be seen as far too great a risk by certain rebel leaders, many of whom are loathe to give up the immense earnings drugs generate for them.

While in the field interviewing FARC members, InSight Crime also found that the guerrillas may well have a Plan B in case the agreement collapses or the government fails to fulfill the terms of the deal. Some 1,500 of the most dedicated and veteran guerrillas may not surrender, but remain in the field, hidden or across the border in neighboring Venezuela, which is facing its own problems. A quantity of weapons will also not be handed over to the United Nations. We heard several different rumors of this plan, but there was a common thread, and that was the Teofilo Forero Mobile Column, the closest the FARC has to a Special Forces unit, which has been responsible for bombs in Bogotá and has shown the ability to act well beyond its base in Caquetá.

Implementation of the agreement is still a way off, and the longer it takes the more likely the FARC is to break up. Previous peace processes in Colombia, that of the Popular Liberation Army (Ejército Popular de Liberación – EPL) in 1991 and the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia – AUC) in 2006, saw around 20 per cent of fighters stay in the field. There is no reason that the FARC should not suffer the same; many factors like the earnings from drugs, mining and extortion, could mean that more fighters might now opt to stay outside of the new agreement.

Source: Insightcrime.org

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Costa Rica From Above (Part I)

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16 November 2016

Article first appeared on COSTA RICACONFIDENTIALcom. Reposted with permission.

COSTA RICA CONFIDENTIAL – Costa Rica Aerea is a book by brothers Sergio and Giancarlo Pucci, whose idea and apssion was never simply the challenger of going out and taking aerial photographs of Costa Rica.

From the air, things can be seen in another dimension. One who flies can immediately perceive the interconnectedness of elements.

The book is not the story of one journey, but of many flights that involved many hours of planning and a few weeks to complete.

The photographs offer a perspective in which the many parts of life’s visual mosaic fit together with haphazard perfection, a cohesive image we’ve never before been privileged to see. As we look upon it, we recognize ourselves.

For the whole story, more photos and the book visit www.craerea.com.

The post Costa Rica From Above (Part I) appeared first on Costa Rica Confidential.

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Gooooollllll: Costa Rica Takes Down USA 4-0

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16 November 2016

costa-rica-vs-usa1341 — Joel Campbell put two goals past US goalie

Joel Campbell put two goals past US goalie Brad Guzan

Q COSTA RICA NEWS – “How nice to be TICO and see a country like this united regardless of race, colour political creed or favourite team, just to see the Sele (Costa Rican national team) and that clamor to tell the world we are one” extolling the ‘pura vida’ on Facebook this morning, following last night’s trashing of the U.S. national team, at the National Stadium in La Sabana.

The National Stadium in La Sabana from above. Click here for more photos of Costa Rica from above.

The U.S. lacked defense, the Sele taking advantage of the mistakes, drilling in 4 goals.

Johan Venegas scored in the 43rd minute, Cristian Bolaños doubled the lead in the 69th and second-half substitute Joel Campbell beat beleaguered goalkeeper Brad Guzan twice, in the 74th and 77th minutes.

In the U.S., the Los Angeles Times headline said: “U.S. suffers embarrassing loss to Costa Rica, in the most one-sided loss for the Americans in World Cup qualifying since 1980 — and the most one-sided shutout loss in 59 years.”

Combined with last week’s loss to Mexico, the U.S. has opened the final round of World Cup qualifying with consecutive losses for the first time, falling to the bottom of the six-team table and leaving its streak of seven straight World Cup appearances in danger.

In Costa Rica the mood was completely different. The morning Telenoticias newscast at 6:00am started with the sports and went on for almost 30 minutes with a series of reports before touching on the ‘hard news’.

Without question Costa Ricans this morning did not care about the daily traffic nightmare and all the other stuff, just the euphoria of the Sele’s victory and they now sit at the top of the heap in World Cup qualifying with six points. Mexico and Panama each have 4 points; Honduras has 3; and Trinidad and Tobago and the United States with 0.

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San Jose Shows Off Its New Plaza de la Cultura

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16 November 2016

I took this photo on Wednesday, November 9, a few days before the unveiling on November 14

Q COSTA RICA NEWS – Frequent visitors to downtown San Jose will notice something different, the Plaza de la Cultura got a facelift.

Street vendors and itinerant musicians will now have to compete with the new plaza for the attention of the thousands of pedestrians daily in the downtown core.

15107193_10211539283783546_7733739374517046902_n — Opening night

The retrofit that took eight months to complete. At a cost of ¢3.3 million colones, the work includes a water fountain that will be running from 10:00am every day. But the real show starts at sundown, at 6:00pm daily when the water will be synchronized to music and lights until 10:00pm.

The Banco Central, that undertook the project, calls it “A Living Plaza”.

In case your thoughts went to ‘waste of public resources’, the Banco Central explains that the work was a necessary one that included a structural reinforcement of the main slab and the waterproofing of the entire surface to protect the gold musuem located below the plaza.

Multiple layers of material were used to extend the life of the work to between 25 and 50 years.

As to costs to operate the fountain, the Banco Central says the 35 cubic meters of water will be continuously filtered and changed twice a year at a cost of ¢65,000 per year. The electricity to run the pump, lights and music is equivalent to the of 10 75 watt light bulbs per month.

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Travel Websites and Blogs Are Changing Costa Rica Tourism

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16 November 2016