Elias Antonio Saca was President of ARENA from 2004 to 2009. (El Diario de Hoy)
Elias Antonio Saca was President of ARENA from 2004 to 2009. (El Diario de Hoy)
(Q24N) Ex-President of El Salvador Elias Antonio Saca (2004-2009) was arrested during the wedding of his oldest son Sunday, October 30 on charges of money laundering and illicit enrichment, among other things.
Later, the authorities reported two other arrests had been made regarding the Saca administration: Former Secretary of Communications Julio Rank and former Secretary of Youth César Funes.
“He was arrested at 1:30 a.m. during the wedding of his son,” Saca’s lawyer told the media. “They don’t even spare you in interrupting the most intimate moments and that’s regrettable.”
The lawyer added that the ex-President “is doing well. He’s strong, has strength and faith in God, aware that it will be a horrible battle but that they will overcome it and show enough evidence to prove his innocence.”
The arrest warrant was approved by El Salvador’s Attorney General’s office on grounds of alleged embezzlement, money laundering and illicit enrichment.
Two weeks ago, Saca’s Private Secretary Elmer Charlaix was sent to jail as well for illicit enrichment of more than US $18.7 million. According to reports, he had used a check worth US $400,000 on behalf of Saca’s party Alianza Republicana Nacionalista.
Last week, President of the Commission of Ethics and Probity Sidney Blanco said that during Saca’s time in office, those involved moved more than US $15 million from Charlaix’s account into Saca’s.
Blanco also explained that Saca’s adminstration used issuance checks to third parties as a facade for embezzling some US $20 million.
Magistrate for the Constitutional Division Rodolfo Gonzáles said Saca individually received a “secret split” of money, which came out of the budget for the country’s intelligence units.
“This is a very scandalous revelation about abuse of public funds,” he said.
Gonzalez said they don’t know the final destination of lots of the diverted funds. Rather, their attention was drawn to the delivery of checks to people that have nothing to do with combatting crime. In the trial, they will have to prove that Charlaix made the final decision regarding where those checks went.
Saca was a businessman in the communications sector before becoming President of El Salvador for the ARENA party.
(QCOSTARICA) Starting Wednesday, November 2, Air France will be operating direct flights between Paris, Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and the Juan Santamaria international airport (SJO), in San Jose, Costa Rica.
The airline will be offering two weekly flights, Wednesdays and Saturdays. According to the airline website, the cost of the return flight, in economy, leaving San Jose November 2 and returning November 9 is US$798. The cost in premium economy is US$3,328; business class is US$4,579.
The direct flight, operated by Air France, is 10 hours 15 minutes in a Boeing 777-330ER with a capacity of 468 (Updated: while the Boeing website list max. capcity for the 777-300 at 396, the Air France cabin layout for intecontinental flights indicates a capcity of 468). It is the highest capacity commercial flight to arrive in the country.
Air France (formally Société Air France, S.A.), stylized as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, (north of Paris). It is a subsidiary of the Air France–KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance.
Air France offers 27 destinations in Latin America, including Buenos Aires (Argentina), Brasilia (Brazil), Caracas (Venezuela), Bogota (Colombia) and La Habana (Cuba).
(TICO BULL by Rico) Owning a late model or new car in Costa Rica just doesn’t pay. Sure, who wouldn’t want to be stuck in traffic in a luxury car, one that can take all of the stress out of driving in and around the greater metropolitan area. Or, being the proud owner of that gorgeous vehicle you just parked at the front door of the Pali.
In Costa Rica, besides having to have the money to buy such a car (figure about twice the price the same care in the U.S.), there is the little thing called the Marchamo.
The cost of gasoline is the same. The Riteve (vehicle inspection) is the same. Even parking and traffic tickets are the same. But the Marchamo, the annual circulation permit, is not.
Almost two-thirds of the cost of the Marchamo is property tax. Yep, each and every year, a property tax is payable. A sweet deal for the state coffers.
And the amount payable is based on the fiscal (tax) value, a value that is established by the Ministerio de Hacienda (Ministry of Finance) based on, well whatever they thing the value is or perhaps more bluntly, what they can get away with, that is what you, are willing to accept without question.
Yes, there is a review and appeal process, but few are willing to tackle it. The few that I know personally to challenge the fiscal value, did win. One told me the process was a walk in the park, the others they had to go through the hoops. But in the end was worth it.
So, with the start of next year’s Marchamo every November 1, it is nature to look up the highest amount to be paid.
For 2017 is the owner of this 2012 Lexus, which according to the INS website, will pay ¢8.810.694 colones (US$16.000 dollars). The consolation is that last year the owner paid out ¢9.688.00 colones.
Illustration of the vehicle with the highest paying Marchamo for 2017, a 2013 Lexus
Me, I’m going to stick to my two trusted vehicles, my 1975 Landcruiser that more than 40 years later still has a fiscal value of ¢480,000 colones and my 1986 Mercedes, an oldie, but a goodie. This year (for 2017) I pay ¢65.074 and ¢75.394 respectively.
Screenshot from the INS website indicating the fiscal value of ¢480,000 colones for my 1975 Landcruiser (plate number 1972)
They both get me to and from I want to go as the owner of the Lexus, with a major difference, if I had the ¢9 million colones, it would be in my pocket and not the taxman.
What is the fiscal value of your vehicle? Find out here.
What is the cost of the 2017 Marchamo for your vehicle? Find out here.
What is your opinion on the Marchamo, the way Hacienda determines the tax value and in general what you think of the entire process? Make your voice heard using our comments section below or post to our official Facebook page.
(Prensa Latina) The First International Convention on Science and Technology has begun today here with more than 1,000 delegates from several countries and a comprehensive scientific program that includes 10 events, with 750 papers and an exhibition fair.
Sponsored by the Cuban Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (CITMA), the event, according to its organizers, goes beyond a scientific event.
It is comprehensive, covers innovation from the idea to the product marketing, and conceives science and its application to the society.
Several figures distinguish the event, among them Alberto Majo, secretary general of the Ibero-American Program of Science and Technology for Development (CYTED) and Anil Kumar, executive vice president of the National Innovation Foundation of India, who will give a keynote speech during the opening ceremony.
Cuban scientist, Agustin Lage, director of the Center for Molecular Immunology, will also talk at the opening session about: What can we learn from the experience of Biotechnology in Cuba?.
The convention, to be run until Friday, November 4, includes among its events the First International Conference on Science and inclusive innovation for sustainable development, and the 14th International Congress of Information.
One of the attractions will be the inclusive and transforming young Student Science Forum with the participation of 100 people from this population group.
The theoretical program includes the International Workshop management of science and technology for the confrontation of the climate change and that of Cuban Science: creative women.
More than 800 delegates will participate, among them, Latin American representatives of Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Uruguay, Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Argentina, Costa Rica and Panama.
Researchers from Russia, Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Austria, Spain, and experts from China, India, Morocco, Ethiopia, Angola, the United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Zenegal and Seicheles will also participate.
(QCOSTARICA) It’s that time of year again. It snuck up quickly this year, November 1, when the following year’s Marchamo becomes known.
Starting this morning, the INS website publishes the cost of the 2017 Marchamo – the annual circulation permit for every registered vehicle in the country, some 2.1 million at last count.
The Marchamo, due payable by December 31 of each year, includes items like property tax on vehicle (the single largest portion of the cost) and mandatory insurance, among other items. The Marchamo also includes outstanding traffic tickets.
To find out what you own on your vehicle(s), go to the INS website. In addition, the information is available by sending a text message at 1467 with the word “marchamo” and the license plate number in the message or calling 800MARCHAMO (800 6272 4266).
The Machamo is payable online or in person at more than 2.262 point of sale (POS) online, at banks and financial institutions; even at supermarkets like Walmart and Masxmenos by way of Servimas and many other places.
The Q recommends waiting a few hours or even a day or two to avoid the online rush for the information. Posts on social media this morning, moments after the 7:00am when the INS portal opened, had people saying thinks like, “worthless, the website is down”
Back to the cost of the Marchamo, almost two thirds (69%) of the total cost is property tax, the tax applied to vehicles based on their “fiscal” (tax) value set by the Ministry of Finance (Ministerio de Hacienda).
According to figures released by Hacienda, 1.123.306 vehicles will be paying less property tax for 2017, as their fiscal value was adjusted down over the previous year. Meanwhile, 100.226 vehicles will be paying more for 2017.
Despite the belief by many that the fiscal value is etched in stone, Hacienda does have a mechanism in place for a review and appeal. The fiscal value for each vehicle can be found at the Hacienda website.
The government expects take in ¢154 billion colones in tax revenuew from the 2017 Marchamo.
The next single highest cost is the Seguro Obligatorio de Automóviles (SOA) – mandatory insurance that covers third party liability, representing 19% of the overall cost of the Marchamo. The SOA for 2017 is ¢21.564 colones for all passenger vehicles regardless if it is new or old.
The SOA for 2017 saw an increase over the previous due to the high number of traffic accidents so far this year. The statistics show that between January and August of this year, there were 17.957 traffic accidents, a 27% increase over the same period in 2015.
Included in the SOA cover of medical costs and death in a traffic accident, with maximum coverage ¢6 million million colones. For additional coverage, vehicles owners need to by a separate policy.
The balance of the Marchamo is made of up special taxes and outstanding traffic fines, including municipal parking tickets.
Important note: it is required your vehicle to have the Riteve (vehicular inspection) current to pay the Marchamo. If your vehicle does not have the current sticker, make an appointment to get your vehicle inspected, after which the Marchamo is payable a day later. Remember, that starting January 1 the outstanding Marchamo begins to accrue pretty steep penalties and interest.
Airplane seats don’t always line up with the window. So paying extra for a window seat is often a rip-off
(QTRAVEL) We can all agree that flying in economy class isn’t ever a comfortable experience. It’s cramped, sometimes smelly, and it’s almost definitely going to cramped. But out of all the horrible things about flying, finding out your window seat isn’t actually lined up with the plane’s window.
So, why can’t a window seat always mean you actually get to look out at the incredible views below?
A YouTube channel has answered that exact question, and the reason is actually pretty obvious. So if you’ve always wondered why you often find yourself on the scant end of the window scale, watch the video for a more detailed explanation on the subject.
It turns out that the airplane seats aren’t designed with any real regard to where the windows are – what the airlines really care about is squishing as many paying customers as possible.
Did you really expect anything different?
Use the comments section below or post to our official Facebook page for your view (pun intended) on this subject.
former minister of Culture, philosopher and intellectual Arnoldo Mora
(Prensa Latina) Costa Rican outstanding artists, academics and groups of solidarity with Cuba on Saturday welcomed the new condemnation at the United Nations General Assembly of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba.
Former minister of Culture, philosopher and intellectual Arnoldo Mora
The former minister of Culture, philosopher and intellectual Arnoldo Mora said that the vote that took place two days ago at the UN is a success for Cuba, but also for international law, and must serve every effort to solve any dispute or conflict in the international arena.
What happened at the United Nations ‘is a triumph of civility, of the best values as a source of inspiration and hope for a humanity that is thirsty of lasting peace based on justice and respect for the dignity of all peoples,’ said Mora.
He considered that this result is due to the heroism and strict commitment of the Cuban people and their leaders to the principles and humanistic values applied to political work.
The Cuban Revolution is the heritage of humanity, he said.
Cuba was supported by 191 UN member states in condemning the US blockade, without no votes against and only two abstentions (U.S. and Israel).
Meanwhile, the prestigious Costa Rican singer Dionisio Cabal noted that with the Cuban unquestioable victory ‘humanity takes another step along the path of its own redemption.’
For his part, Jose Alfredo Pineda, former dean of a regional headquarters of the National University of Costa Rica, highglighted Cuba’s strength to face the economic, financial and commercial war launched by the United States with the intention to overthrow the Cuban Revolution.
Cuba’s resistance, decorum, vision and political patience will overcome the blockade, due to its inhumane and illegal features, he said.
(Q24N) In this video by Buzzfeed News, a man tells his personal perspective on the crisis in Venezuela, and how politicians made things worse:
“They fed the country hatred. They separated us into two types of people. We stopped being one group of people and we became either red or blue.”
In the video, he tells stories of family members getting kidnapped, killed, or mugged on the street. In Venezuela, the country currently experiences one murder every thirty minutes. People on average make $33 a month, or about 20 cents an hour. Watch the video to learn more.
11 people who are nailing their Day of the Dead costumes
(Q24N) While Costa Rica follows the North American tradition of Halloween, the same is not true in other parts of the Latin America, more specifically Mexico, where the celebration is DIA DE LOS MUERTOS (or “Day of the Dead” in English).
The holiday, which runs from October 31st to November 2nd, is roughly the Mexican equivalent of Halloween, but with roots in an ancient Aztec festival as well and maybe the coolest-looking holiday on the planet.
It also produces the coolest costumes of any holiday anywhere. While Americans are dressing up as Donald Trump or David Pumpkins, Mexicans will be donning colorful skeleton make-up, building private altars, and surrounding themselves with marigolds. We dug into Instagram to find some of the people who are really nailing their Dia de los Muertos costumes this year.
Original article first appeared at Matadornetwork.com
(NY Times) MANAGUA, Nicaragua — She started out as a teenage mother working as a newspaper secretary, then spent decades of revolution, conflict, power and public scandal at the side of one of the region’s most influential men.
Rosario Murillo greeted supporters in 2014 in Managua, Nicaragua. Credit Esteban Felix/Associated Press
Now the first lady of Nicaragua, Rosario Murillo, has succeeded in doing something that seems more like a plotline out of the Netflix series “House of Cards”: She will be on the Nov. 6 ballot to become vice president.
Her running mate? Her husband, President Daniel Ortega.
The election, in which the couple’s victory and Mr. Ortega’s third consecutive term are all but certain, is a critical step in what people around Ms. Murillo describe as her decades-long climb to power. She paved the way by helping the poor and winning over the public, but also by holding political grudges and pushing aside nearly all the members of her husband’s inner circle.
“Denying something to my mother is a declaration of war,” her daughter Zoilamérica Ortega said.
But in many ways, the first lady’s spot on the presidential ticket is an acknowledgment of the role she already plays in the country.
“She’s not the vice president; she’s the co-president,” said Agustín Jarquín, who ran for vice president on Mr. Ortega’s ticket in 2001 but was kicked out of the National Assembly without notice once he fell from favor.
Ms. Murillo, 65, is already a de facto cabinet member, deeply involved in every aspect of the government. She is the one who gives daily news briefings about the latest earthquake or damage from an industrial fire. If a child has Zika, Ms. Murillo knows the boy’s name and might just call the parents herself. She meets regularly with municipal leaders and makes it clear that decisions cannot be made without her approval.
“It’s not that she has as many followers as her husband — she has more,” said Florencia del Carmen López, 48, a street vendor. “The men are annoyed by it. The majority of her followers are women.”
As Ms. Murillo gained more control in the country, the government was widely criticized for taking bolder steps to secure Mr. Ortega’s power, raising troubling questions about the state of Nicaragua’s young democracy.
Nicaragua is a country where a revolution deposed one family dynasty, only to see it at risk of being replaced by another. Mr. Ortega, the president, is a 70-year-old former guerrilla who played a leading role in the Sandinista revolution that toppled Anastasio Somoza Debayle, the dictator whose family ruled here from the 1930s to 1979.
Now the Ortegas and their allies control fuel companies, television stations and public construction projects. At the helm is Ms. Murillo, who has a penchant for hard work that amazes even her opponents. She has made it her business to overhaul everything from the nation’s parks to her husband’s image.
“There were signals: Little by little, her face started showing up as the face on the political propaganda, at first with Daniel and then alone,” said Sergio Ramírez, who was Mr. Ortega’s vice president in the 1980s. “Now it seems she is looking for political legitimacy. This is an extreme search for legitimacy.”
Her relationship with Mr. Ortega began in the caldron of war. He spent part of the Sandinista revolution underground in Costa Rica, where he became romantically involved with Ms. Murillo. By then, she already had two children, and she was raising them in a clandestine safe house filled with copy machines, short wave radios and people who assumed false names. Mr. Ortega went by “Enrique.”
Zoilamérica Ortega, Ms. Murillo’s oldest child, was adopted by Mr. Ortega in her late teens. She recalled those early years as chaotic, describing a busy office with people traipsing in and out.
“Nobody took care of us, literally nobody,” she said in an interview.
Ms. Ortega, now 48, publicly accused Mr. Ortega of sexually abusing her for years. She said he had taken advantage of the supervision vacuum of that period and had begun molesting her around the time that the Sandinista revolutionaries claimed victory. She was 11.
She went public with rape accusations in 1998. But her mother, who has had seven children with Mr. Ortega as well, stood by him.
Joined by Mr. Ortega and their adult children, Ms. Murillo held a news conference calling her eldest daughter a liar who suffered from psychological problems.
Although at least one witness backed up the abuse allegations, a legal case against Mr. Ortega collapsed in the courts, which are controlled by the Sandinista party.
Ms. Ortega, the daughter, said she had suffered retribution for going public, contending that the nonprofit organization she ran was routinely cut off from funding sources that feared losing favor with the government. Three years ago, the government deported Ms. Ortega’s Bolivian husband, so she was forced to leave Nicaragua. They now live in neighboring Costa Rica.
“I speak to her only to receive threats,” Ms. Ortega said of her mother. “She opted for an alliance of power.”
Campaign posters for Ms. Murillo, a vice presidential candidate, and her husband, President Daniel Ortega, in Masaya, Nicaragua. Credit Oswaldo Rivas/Reuters
Some critics of Ms. Murillo in politics and the news media also contend that her loyalty to Mr. Ortega and her public defense of him were rewarded in the influence she has gained across the country.
Mr. Ortega himself used a Sandinista revolution anniversary speech in July to recount what he told his ally Fidel Castro about Ms. Murillo. Many Nicaraguans took it as a nod to her decision to side with Mr. Ortega over her daughter.
“I was telling Fidel how Rosario’s loyalty dates back to our time in clandestinity,” Mr. Ortega said.
The president said her interest and involvement in politics had been evident early on, when she was arrested for attending a protest and refused to cooperate with the police. After the revolution ended in 1979, the family moved back to Nicaragua, where Mr. Ortega and a committee of eight other men ran the nation.
“The other commanders looked at Rosario as some bothersome person who wanted to get involved,” said Sofía Montenegro, a leading feminist intellectual at the Center for Communication Research, a research group in Managua. “There were nine men, and she did not fit. They had wives who were not interested, and it would not have occurred to them to do so. The men tolerated her.”
But Ms. Murillo, a poet who had attended a British convent school and a Swiss finishing school and was fluent in English and French, wanted a bigger role. Former government officials say she jockeyed to control the Ministry of Culture, where she clashed with high-level administrators and got people fired when they shut her out of decision-making.
Meanwhile, a war raged in Nicaragua as the victorious Sandinista revolutionaries fought insurgents known as the contras, who were backed by the administration of President Ronald Reagan. Mr. Ortega officially became president in 1984 and left office in 1990, when Nicaragua took steps toward peace.
Despite having many children together, the couple did not marry until 2005, just as they prepared to take another shot at the presidency. Mr. Ortega had lost three consecutive elections. Then, with Ms. Murillo’s help, he won in 2006, and her influence was notable right away. She is credited for the government’s bold efforts to help the poor by doling out new houses, pigs and tin roofs.
But she also clashed with members of her husband’s longtime inner circle, sidelining them one by one and kicking them out of their offices in the presidential palace. The National Assembly and the courts were stacked with allies. The law was changed so that Mr. Ortega could run indefinitely.
In June, the Supreme Court banished a leading opposition figure from his own party, the Liberal Independent Party, preventing him from becoming an opponent in the November election. In August, more than two dozen opposition members were expelled from the National Assembly after they refused to recognize the person the government had selected to lead their party.
Now some Nicaraguans are worried that even more power will be consolidated in the Ortega family.
“She wants to continue having power — that’s a sickness,” said Sergio González Gutiérrez, 42, a taxi driver, who gathered with his family at a corner store in San José Oriental, Ms. Murillo’s old neighborhood. “If a private company does not allow a married couple to work together, how is that allowed for a nation?”
The government contends that the Nicaraguan Constitution prohibits only blood relatives — like two siblings, or a parent and a child — from being on the same ticket. But many political analysts say the couple is violating the part that also excludes people who are related “by affinity.”
Dozens of people interviewed for this article, from former government officials to people on the street, said they believed that the plan to put Ms. Murillo in office was intended to guarantee the family succession.
“I met her when she was 17 years old and the secretary for the publisher of the newspaper, and I was always impressed with her ability to work, which people still notice,” said Ángela Saballos, the spokeswoman for the Nicaraguan Embassy in Washington during Mr. Ortega’s first term in office. “She must sleep three hours.”
Her pursuit of the vice presidency, Ms. Saballos said, appears to be an attempt to “legalize all the work she has been doing.”
Ms. Murillo is already the official government spokeswoman, so no other bureaucrat is authorized to speak to the news media except her. In an email, she declined to be interviewed. (She speaks mostly to news organizations that are controlled by the government, several of them by her children.)
“This is a movie we already saw, and we know how it ends,” said Mr. Ramírez, the former vice president. “It ends badly.”
(Q24N) Do you remember what life was like at age 10? A report by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) focused on the reality of girls of that age and stressed the importance of investing in them to have tools to protect them and to choose their course.
The UNFPA report says that at 10, a girl arrives at a vulnerable point in her life. She must negotiate a tricky transition to adulthood, with its rapid changes in body and brain, and dramatic shifts in family and social expectations. Although risks abound for both girls and boys, gender discrimination makes these worse for girls in almost every way. Public policies often focus on young children or older adolescents, failing to adequately manage the potential risks 10-year-old girls might face.
If her rights are not well protected, through appropriate laws, services and investments, the chance to bloom in adolescence and become a fully fledged adult forever slips away.
32 million girls of primary school are not in school. 10-year-old-girls are subjected to countless abuses linked to gender inequality like child marriage, female genital mutilation, forced or coerced sex, unintended pregnancy, or the denial of education.
The world has already done well in many ways for the 10-year-old boy. It is past time to do equally well for the 10-year-old girl.
Picture a new world for the 10-year-old girl. “No one thinks she is ready for marriage or childbearing until she is at least 18. No one expects her to abandon school for paid work or household chores. She goes to a good school that is clean, safe and close to her home (…),” states the report.
Making this vision a reality. The world can realize this vision, and has agreed to do so through a set of international commitments known as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Adopted by 193 countries at the United Nations in 2015, the 2030 Agenda represents a singular moment in the history of global consensus on development, applying to all countries—rich, poor and in-between.
An estimated 125 million 10-year-olds are alive today. Of these, just over 60 million are girls, and 65 million are boys.
The lives of 10-year-olds today. Almost six in 10 girls live in countries where gender norms and practices place them at a significant disadvantage, both at their current 10 years of age and as they grow older. The obstacles faced by a 10-year-old girl vary in type and intractability around the world. But no matter the place, there are walls that disadvantage her compared with boys, and these walls will only grow taller as she does.
(QCOSTARICA) Although most of the parties around town were on Friday and Saturday, today, October 31 is Halloween (Noche de Brujas in Spanish).
From Facebook
What can you expect around town today and tonight? Not much. Halloween is relatively new to Costa Rica.
It is unlikely you will find children in costumes and little of the trick-or-treating Halloween custom for children in many countries, traveling from house to house asking for treats such as candy (or, in some cultures, money) with the phrase “Trick or treat”. Perhaps in communities with a large number of North American expats.
Just in case you forgot from when you were a child growing up in the Halloween tradition, the “trick” is a (usually idle) threat to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given to them.
From Facebook
In North America, trick-or-treating has been a Halloween tradition since the late 1920s. In Britain and Ireland the tradition of going house-to-house collecting food at Halloween goes back at least as far as the 16th century.
History. The custom of trick-or-treating when it is Halloween may come from the belief that supernatural beings, or the souls of the dead, roamed the earth at this time and needed to be appeased. It may otherwise have originated in a Celtic festival, held on 31 October–1 November, to mark the beginning of winter. It was Samhain in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, and Calan Gaeaf in Wales, Cornwall and Brittany. The festival is believed to have pre-Christian roots.
How do you celebrate Halloween in Costa Rica? Use the comments section below or post to our official Facebook page.
(QCOSTARICA) December is approaching and with it two things: the ‘aguinaldo’, the annual year-end bonus and ways to spend to spend it or save.
For many the aguinaldo is a saviour at one of the more expensive times of the year, while for others it means adding to savings. But it is also a time to waste, spending on non-essential items, prompted by offers by retailers.
The “financial revolution”, as explained by Xavier Serbiá, financial commentator, syndicated columnist, and news anchor of CNN Dinero at CNN en Español, is way of planning your finances, breaking the financial illiteracy that exists today, to make a 180 degree change, to cultivate a culture of savings.
Serbiá will be in Costa Rica to give a talk on the best practices in personal finances, on Monday, November 7 in an event organizer by the El Financiero and sponsored by the Banco Nacional.
According to Serbiá, people do not always feel comfortable talking about finances. To achieve this the expert says we must give knowledge to people on issues of finance, savings and credit.
“We have focused on the subject of reading, to have culture, but we are illiterate in matters of finance, because we do not understand a mortgage contract,” Serbiá said in an interview with La Nacion.
What advice does Serbiá give to people for their aguinaldo?
The expert said that first horror that people commit as soon as they receive their bonus is spend, enter into the fever and excitement of Christmas shopping. “They spend it all,” said Serbiá.
The expert recommends to first look at priorities like savings for an emergency, retirement, etc.
One of the first problems many face is the mind-set that saving is bad; that having money we think about being capitalists. “I think we have to attack this moral problem, money is neither good nor bad, it is a tool to allows us to buy the things we need to progress,” said Serbiá.
On the issue of borrowing, Serbiá said “borrowing should be temporary and productive.” For the expert, debt service (payment of principal and interest) should not be more than one-third (36%) of net income.
The expert also considers liquidity, the ability to have cash available to meet emergencies is important. Serbiá, like many other financial experts, believes on at least six months liquidity to survive a job loss, for exampe.
The event, “La revolución financiera: el dinero y la prosperidad viene con instrucciones”, (The financial revolution: money and prosperity comes with instructions) will be held at the Museo de los Niños (Children’s Musuem) auditorium starting at 2:00pm on Monday, November 6. Tickets are on sale at www.boleteria.cr.
(QCOSTARICA) Throughout the world, every metropolitan area hosts cultural enclaves. Little Italy. Japantown. Koreatown. But Chinatowns are something else, set apart by their uniform aesthetic.
No matter where you are, a Chinatown should pull you across oceans and land masses to an authentic Chinese marketplace. It should be loud, cramped, and there’s no reason you should leave without getting everything you wanted.
Foodbeast brings a glimpse of the 5 best Chinatowns around the world.
LONDON
PHOTO: GEOFF TOMPKINSON
HAVANA
PHOTO: VISITARCUBA.ORG
SAN FRANCISCO
PHOTO: SAVVY CALIFORNIA
BANGKOK
PHOTO: ALYONA TRAVELS
NEW YORK
PHOTO: BOOMSBEAT
And then there’s SAN JOSE’s (Costa Rica) “Barrio Chino”
And some photos from beyond the entrace…
Photos from Skyscrapercity.com, Photobucket.com, Anewlifeincostarica.com
And when it rains…
Pretty lame, no?
Use the comments section below to voice your opinion on San Jose’s Barrio Chino or post to our official Facebook page.
(QCOSTARICA) It is not Halloween, but last night (October 29) the routes around San José and Heredia were a horror traffic wise, most collapsed due to the number of vehicles.
Ruta 27, the San Jose – Caldera, the worst. An accident in the area of Multiplaza, in the westbound lanes, completely choked off traffic for some time. A collision between a car and motorcyclist was the reason.
The routes between San Jose and Heredia were also heavily congested, especially in the area of Jardines del Recuerdo. In Lagunilla, the road from the Jardines to Riteve, traffic was a row of three cars on road built for only one lane. Typically this route is congested all day on weekdays, but on a Saturday night?
Early morning accident has Calle 0 and Avenida 2 by the Catedral in downtown San Jose closed this Sunday morning.
If you are heading to downtown San Jose this morning, Traffico Costa Rica informs of an accident in the heart of the city, a vehicle flipping over in front of the Catedral (across from the Parque Central), shutting down all traffic on Calle 0 and Avenida 2 until it is cleared.
Globalvia, the operator of the Ruta 27, reports there is NO reversible lane for today (Sunday, October 29) and recommends stay within the posted speed limits and use your seatbelt. Current traffic conditions on the Ruta 27 can be found at https://twitter.com/autopdelsol.
The Q recommends checking Waze before heading out today. If you don’t have the app on your smartphone, you can check out the Waze Twitter feed. It can save you a lot of time knowing ahead of time where the traffic problems are on this Halloween weekend.
(QCOSTARICA) The Turrialba volcano continues its intense eruptive activity. We’ve seen many photos and videos, one fthe latest, taken on October 27, is stunning.
Javier Elizondo, an architect and photograph, was near the erupting volcano, capturing stunning images. The vidoe below is a time lapse of his images.
Elizondo said the images were taken around 5:ooam (when the sun starts coming up on Costa Rica). What makes these images stunning and different that the others is the golden cloud of ash due to the effect of the early rising sun.
Elizondo said he took some 240 photos over a 45 minute period.
(QTRAVEL) Costa Rica’s talking sloth has a lot of people talking. “Hello Americas, I’m a sloth,” begins the sloth in a video promoting Costa Rica as a tourist destination. “A sloth that lives in the happiest country in the world.”
Aimed at tourists in North America (United States and Canada), the campaign called “Costa Rica’s Million Dollar Gift of Happiness” is giving awayUS$1 million worth of vacation packages.
The idea is to lure tourists to Costa Rica by highlighting the country’s status as one of the happiest places in the world.
“Some people ask me: Why are Costa Ricans so happy,” the sloth says, before answering his own question. Biodiversity, he says, along with two oceans, friendly locals and talking sloths.
It’s the first time in 16 years that the country’s tourism board has launched an advertising campaign in the U.S. and Canada, according to a statement. The organization is trying to increase visitors to Costa Rica by 5 percent.
CNN host Anderson Cooper even gave away a Costa Rican “Gift of Happiness” vacation on his news show.
The former ambassador of Panama to the OAS, Guillermo ‘Willy’ Cochez said the meeting between Nicolas Maduro and Pope Francis was not to agree on dialogue with the opposition, but to negotiate his ouster from power and Venezuela (Photo El Telegrafo)
(Today Venezuela) A report by Panamapost.com says that the according to the local media in Panama that Nicolas Maduro, president of Venezuela, had requested political asylum in that country.
According to the Panama press Nicolas Maduro had sought asylum through theDemocratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), with the help of former President Martin Torrijos.
Rodrigo Noriega, in his column “Tal Cual” of the Panamanian newspaper La Prensa, was the first to publish it:
Viene el Lobo. Ayer, en la mañana, corrió un rumor de que Nicolás Maduro se asilaría en Panamá. La improbable decisión del mandatario venezolano lo haría miembro del selecto club de exjefes de Estado que han adoptado a Panamá como su segundo hogar. Recordemos a Perón, al Sha de Irán, Serrano Elías, Cedrás y Bucaram. A esta listita también se sumó el exjefe de inteligencia del Perú Vladimiro Montesinos y su colega de Colombia, María del Pilar Hurtado. No se sorprenda si encontramos a don Nicolás manejando un metrobús un día de estos”
English Translation:Comes the Wolf. Yesterday morning, ran a rumor that Nicolas Maduro would take asylum in Panama. The improbable decision of the Venezuelan president would become a member of the select club of former heads of statewho have adopted Panama as their second home. We recall Peron, the Shah of Iran, Serrano Elias, Cedras and Bucaram. To this short is list the former head of Peru‘s intelligenceVladimiro Montesinos and his colleague from Colombia, María del Pilar Hurtado. Do not be surprised if we find Don Nicolas driving a Metrobus one of these days.”
Meanwhile, Panama’s former ambassador to the Organization of American States, Guillermo ‘Willy’ Cochez, toldPanamá Todaythe same information.
Cochez says Maduro’s meeting with Pope Francis was not to agree to dialogue with the Venezuelan opposition, but to negotiate his ouster from power and Venezuela; and discuss the possibility of asylum in Panama.
The two-time Panamanian deputy, insists that the presidents of Venezuela and Panama are good friends, “since the two were foreign ministers“.
The report says, “It should be noted that the Panamanian president and leader of the PRD, Ernesto Balladares, arecurrently on a media tour which could confirm the negotiations with the Venezuelan government, considering that the president Torrijos is in Venezuela in his work as mediator conducting a dialogue between the government and the opposition.”
Several members of Maduro’s adminstration threatened local businesses. (notihoy)
(Today Venezuela) Following the Venezuelan opposition’s announcement that there will be a strike held October 28, the government has threatened all companies that attempt to participate.
First Deputy Chairman of the Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) Diosdado Cabello threatened all companies, saying that those that participate in the strike will be taken over by “the people.”
“Did they not call for a strike for Friday?” He said. “Now I’ll tell you something. Comrades of the armed forces, stand firm against companies that strike, companies that are being taken over by the workers and the people.”
Cabello said he spoke with President Nicolás Maduro, whose instructions are to stand firm against any company that strikes, as the armed forces “will not allow any disturbances.”
The warning was made after the opposition announced plans for a general strike Friday, October 28 as part of a demand that the government announce a date for the recall against President Maduro.
Maduro has thus far disregarded the demand, according to reports.
“I call on working class entrepreneurs to close ranks,” Maduro said, adding that he and the people have to defend “prosperity and life in Venezuela.”
Furthermore, the Federation of Chambers and Associations of Commerce and Production of Venezuela announced it is up to each and every company and its employees whether they want to join in on the strike.
“We respect, as it says in our constitution, the right of citizens to demonstrate peacefully,” the statement said. “It is up to each company, along with its employees, to join or not to join the 12 hours general strike called by the MUD for Friday, October 28.”
The text also calls for carrying out a political “frank and sincere” dialogue to ensure Venezuela sees progress and prosperity.
“The state must understand that maintaining and sharpening the political and institutional crisis only worsens the quality of life of Venezuelans,” the statement said. “The political and economic model adopted by the government has kept the country in a deep domestic production crisis.”
Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services of Caracas Victor Maldonado gave his support of all efforts made by the opposition — as long as they are peaceful — in order to restore democracy.
“There is no choice but to confront the dictatorship,” he said. “It is part of … the challenge of restoring democracy. I’m sure the streets are deserted because people will respond.”
“Join the support for the general strike as a formula of worker participation in the struggle for the rescue of democracy and the defense of labor rights,” said Coordinator of the National Workers Union Marcela Máspero.
She stressed that the massive attendance at the march Wednesday, October 26 showed that the Venezuelan people have the will to act against a regmine that has impoverished the working class.
Cubans often sell everything they own to travel 90 miles to Florida by boat. (Cjaronu)
(Today Cuba via Panampost.com) Cuba is like going back in time. It’s old and dirty. There’s no advertising, probably because there’s nothing to sell. The only billboards are propaganda for the dictatorship, with the faces of Fidel or Raúl Castro, Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos.
You hear on the radio again and again “in 1958,” or “since the Revolution,” followed by news on Venezuela: ” …the monopolization of private supermarkets of the right and their allies…the international press…thanks to public policies of the Venezuelan government…famine has declined…”
Money is the key factor determining how a person is treated. If you are a foreigner, things are great, given that apart from having money, the regime forces Cubans to try to “make a good impression” — though it is difficult to pretend. The government behaves as if foreigners were royalty and Cubans were commoners. The same happens with Cuban-Americans who fled the island and return to visit, because they come back with purchasing power.
Cubans work for practically nothing. The average salary for a Cuban is US$20. A nurse earns US$40 per month. A teacher earns US$20 per month and a doctor earns US$60 per month.
There are two markets in Cuba: the Cuban peso market and the dollar market. The dollar market has decent products, while poor quality products are valued in Cuban pesos. With the salary of a Cuban, the possibilities are limited to buying products in pesos, because only foreigners can buy products in dollars.
Usually, when one goes to the market looking for a food item, it is not available. Sellers say they might have it tomorrow, but they rarely do. Other times, sellers do not have any money for giving change to the customers, or no packaging like napkins, plates, cups, bags, etc.
Each family has its own “sales control for food items” book, which indicates the amount of food that families can buy from the government. Often, they are the only things accessible and reasonably priced for a Cuban salary.
Fruits, vegetables and meat are not part of the Cuban peso system, so not everyone gets to enjoy such things. The sales control book only includes rice, beans, sugar, coffee and pasta. Together, they still aren’t enough to form a healthy diet.
The installation of a landline is valued at US$600, and a card to access one hour of internet is US$2, but only in certain areas of Havana. A cellphone line is US$40, so communication is very expensive and thus almost inaccessible to the average Cuban.
Given that cell phones are also expensive, people generally do not call each other. Often they only ring each other to alert if they have arrived somewhere, but hang up before the other person answers, so it doesn’t technically charge the cell phone plan.
Currently, the island is suffering from an energy shortage. Power is interrupted several times a day without notice. Additionally, a liter of gasoline — if there is any — is US$1.50, because Venezuela’s oil crisis has prevented it from helping the island.
Schools and hospitals are in deplorable condition. Like everything else in Cuba, buildings are damaged, outdated and unsanitary.
Almost every Cuban has a relative who lives abroad and sends them money so they can survive. the streets are full of people wearing t-shirts with phrases like “I love NY” or “Miami Beach.”
Another way for Cubans to survive is having children, marrying, or prostituting themselves with foreigners in exchange for money. It is very common to see family members walking around offering tourists such options.
It is therefore understandable why “the 90 miles” — the distance from Cuba to Miami — is so famous. The United States feels so close and yet so far from reach. Many Cubans will tell stories of their attempts to escape in a boat, how much time it takes to save enough money to pay someone to get them on a boat, and how Cubans who want to escape must use oars and not start the engine until a certain distance so the government won’t notice them and put a stop to it. Plenty have died on the way.
Some Cubans aiming to escape in search of a new life and opportunities sell everything they have and then leave. Getting sent back to the island, then, is sometimes a nightmare.
Cubans are hoping Raúl Castro will leave office in February 2018. Though how the new president will be chosen remains unknown, people believe the current Vice President Miguel Díaz-Canel is the likely successor.
It’s doubtful he will repair the failed system of this socialist country, though. Hopefully someone will do so soon.
Original article by Mariela Palma appeared at Panampost.com. Mariela Palma is the president of Fundación América Libre.
(QBLOGS) I don’t think anyone would disagree, that the two top supermarket chains in Costa Rica are AutoMercado and Mas x Menos (Walmart), both as to overall quality and selection, especially when it comes to imported goods.
I’m sure that their owner/managers have visited similar business ventures in the U.S. and Canada, such as Safeway, and have tried to mimic their merchandising practices somewhat.
In such foreign supermarkets, there is no head of lettuce displayed with a brown leaf, or apples displaying bruising from mis-handling as there is in these local entities.
I find it strange that there are good examples of how to conduct supermarket merchandising, but in my opinion, even the most highly rated and expensive supermarket chain in Costa Rica, AutoMercado, it falls short of the mark.
Supermarkets are designed, of course, to make your grocery shopping a “one-stop” event.
However, when fruit and vegetables are offered by the AutoMercado, in an almost putrid state, it is difficult not to opt for the local farmer’s market as an alternative, both as to quality and price. It is a weekly occurrence for grapes being offered in AutoMercado at the outrageous price of ¢6,000 colones ($11.50 U.S.) a kilogram, displayed rotting in their plastic bags.
AutoMercado has ceased to import Jumex brand tomato juice from Mexico, forcing me to make an additional stop at Mas x Menos, just to complete that weekly purchase. Strangely enough, the only place in Mas x Menos where it is offered, is right next to the vodka in the liquor section, not in the juice section.
What reasonable person would ever want to drink tomato juice without a shot of vodka, I guess.
Don’t be surprised that on your next visit to one of these two Costa Rican supermarkets, that you don’t have to look for the toothpaste next to the corn flakes. A little more attention to merchandising by these two entities would go a long way.
(Q24N) This is a difficult piece for me to write. Last September 2015, I wrote about my family’s relocation from Brooklyn, New York to Costa Rica, my maternal homeland.
Photo by Masauko Chipembere
This July, we ventured back to Brooklyn for the first time in two years – filled with anticipation but mostly anguish.
Anton Sterling and Philando Castile were heavy on my heart as my husband, two kids (15 and 11) and I boarded Copa airlines back to NYC. This piece is not about vilifying New York, as there is no perfect place on earth. Mostly, this piece is about having to humbly sit side-by-side with the multiple realities I inhabit and accept the changes around me.
There are people in the USA that I love with the full width of my soul but I know I cannot be buried there; my home is now elsewhere. I have walked to that new home; not run. And so my words here are not pretty as I stepped into a USA that laced us with death and dying at every corner.
Was there beauty – yes; in the laughter with my sister, in the exquisite Ethiopian food that I cannot get in Costa Rica; in Trader Joe’s where I wanted to pack 10 suitcases with goodies, in good wine and conversations with sister-friends, in sunsets on rooftops with nephews and in the smell of new books at Barnes and Nobles after a drought of books in English in Costa Rica.
I honored my well-worn paths on those Brooklyn streets; pouring mental libation by acknowledging all the bags I carried on subway stairs in the freezing cold, all the snow I shoveled and the playdates I scheduled and all the walking, walking, walking to baseball practice and games in Prospect Park though we lived in Crown Heights; conscious of how neighborhoods do not connect when one is without a car.
(TICO BULL by Rico) Updating the dollar exchange rate on QCR I have seen the ‘venta’ (sell) up and down fractions of colon, the Banco Central keeping it a hair away from the 560 to one US dollar.
What does that mean,the breaking of the 560 barrier? I really don’t know. Except that I believe we will now see the exchange rate hit 570 by year’s end, maybe even higher.
What does this mean at the grocery store? Having skipped economics class (as many other classes) I don’t have the skills or knowledge to answer it properly. But what I don know and call tell you is, prices have been going steadily over the past few months.
I don’t mean big changes, small amounts 10 or 20 colones here or 50 there. I have seen items I buy regularly increase in price almost overnight.
This has led to two things happening, at least for me.
One, I am now looking at competitive brands. When I see the higher price my eyes start to wander for a same or similar product to compare. On more than one occasion I have tried, based solely on the price and have liked the new (for me) product. On other occasions I have gone back to paying the higher price.
Two, I am now shopping more for deals. I will stock up on items on sale, put off buying items I usually buy until I really have to, hoping for a sale the next time I am at the supermarket. This led me to go one day without coffee at home.
My espresso coffee bag is a must at every supermarket outing. Not, that I consume that much coffee, just that the 400g bag doesn’t contain enough coffee to feed my habit, some even say addiction.
What’s all this have to do with the dollar exchange? Probably nothing. Prices at the supermarket keep rising, even on local products such as coffee.
Although I blame it on the dollar exchange, if I were paranoid I would go as far as saying the retailers use this (the dollar exchange) to keep upping the prices artificially high. And though some people complain, most nothing more than complain.
Me, I refuse to buy it. Like the Angus certified rib-eye at Automercado the other that went for ¢30,205 colones per kilogram (¢13,700 colones or US$24.50 per pound). Even if you earn in dollars and spend in colones, something just is not right.
Am I wrong?
Use the comments section below or post the official Facebook page to tell your story, set me straight.
(QBUSINESS) The British company Smith & Nephew, the global medical equipment company, recently inaugurated the expansion of its Coyol operation, adding 250 new jobs.
The company says it invested US$55 million dollars in its new manufacturing facility for sports medicine orthopedic devices.
The S&N, based in London, now employs a total of 1,950 in Costa Rica.
“The Government of Costa Rica is pleased to inaugurate the new plant of Smith & Nephew in Coyol, with a capacity to expand the operation by up to 250 new employees. This is the result of the effort of the country to reinforce the conditions to compete and the alliance we have with business and productive sectors. Costa Rica is a stable and growing economy, with low inflation rates, and one of the top ranking countries for competitiveness. The expansion of Smith and Nephew comes to reaffirm the operation and our country’s capacity to attract foreign investment”, stated Costa Rica President Luis Guillermo Solis.
The new S&N manufacturing plant will support the global demand for it’s COBLATION◊ technology. COBLATION is an arthroscopic procedure that involves the creation and application of an energy field, which is used for the precise removal of soft tissue with minimal damage to untargeted tissue.
“Sports Medicine is a fast growing market where unmet clinical needs lend room for procedural and technological innovation,” said Olivier Bohuon, Chief Executive Officer of Smith & Nephew. “We are proud to open this new facility in Costa Rica, which, alongside our established sites in the U.S., gives us the state-of-the-art manufacturing platform that will support our ambition to expand our pioneering Sports Medicine business.”
Andrés Salazar, General Manager and Vice President of Operations for Smith & Nephew in Costa Rica said: “From the new manufacturing facility, Smith & Nephew will manufacture medical devices that will help improve the health of thousands of people around the world. We are very proud of this new phase that begins today, and excited by the prospects for the future.”
Smith & Nephew has over 15,000 employees and a presence in more than 100 countries.
The Coyol Free Zone and Business Park (Zona Franca Coyol), located west of the San Jose airport, is the largest and the most modern high-tech business park in Central America. This state-of-the-art park broke ground in 2007, is spread over 107 hectares (246 acres) of prime real estate and already boasts 400,000 m2 (4,305,000 square feet) of world-class facilities.
(Today Venezuela) by Emiliana Durarte, You could see it in their faces. Scratch that, most people were so far away from the makeshift stage their faces were reduced to tiny, sweaty blurs. And the hastily put-together sound systems barely carried speeches across the vast expanse of highway, packed tight with bodies, so you can’t say you could hear it in their voices either.
And yet, you could feel it. Something in the demeanor of Democratic Unity Roundtable (Spanish: Mesa de la Unidad Democrática, MUD) leaders betrayed a kind of panic. “What the fuck do we do now?”
Two dozen MUD leaders stood before hundreds of thousands of eyes, the very people they’d summoned, the people they were supposed to lead. But the crowd was in no mood to be led yesterday: it was very much into doing the leading.
First of all, it was emboldened by its sheer, belief-beggaring size. Nobody expected this kind of turnout in Caracas. We’d just come off of days of deeply confused messaging: an invocation of rebellion from the floor of the AN one day (from Julio “2019” Borges, no less), followed by contradictory announcements about a priestly dialogue the next, all mixed in with a muddled call for a highway takeover with zero media promotion and mere hours of logistical planning in between. The odds were stacked against a successful 26-O street mobilization.
But boy did people turn out.
Arriving around noon, I had a privileged view from the top of Distribuidor Altamira. Rather than bothering with MUD’s rallying spots, like most people I just went straight out to the Autopista, feeling suitably subversive. Hey, it’s not everyday you get to overrun the highway in protest.
Perched atop the overpass, I had an unobstructed view of the entire western stretch of the highway, and also, as I would soon find out, of the hard-to-make-out tarima where, everyone assumed, important political figures would eventually assemble when things got going.
To call it a tarima is to glorify it, really. There was no proper stage, there was just a semi-truck flatbed, one of the many telltale signs that this was not your run-of-the-mill prefab opposition rally.
Let me pause on this point a second. It’s been forever since the opposition managed a spontaneous event of such magnitude. And the scrappy, improvised factor definitely added to the rebelión vibe. The September 1st protest might have had more people, but today was not about numbers, it was about ethos. You can’t replicate this stuff in a lab.
Soaked in defiance, everyone around me watched as the highway kept filling up with people, with La Carlota Military airbase as background. Nobody really knew what we were there to do, but it didn’t matter. We were there. And for the first time in a long time, the lack of agenda made it all the more raw.
“Check out the group coming in from Santa Fe!”
“Holy shit there’s more people pouring in from Baruta!”
“Ahí llegaron los Adecos!”
Every once in a while, the giant blanket of people would part and a MUD leader would make his way to the tarima amidst cheers and groping and selfies, like some demented procession. If this had happened in the U.S., the secret service would’ve had a conniption. But we’re tropical. It’s all good.
When the speeches started, they almost seemed like an afterthought. Everyone was so exhilarated to feel part of a massive, unplanned release. But the collective need for instructions on how to proceed eventually eclipsed the party. We were in rebellion, yes, but even rebellion needs direction.
The crowd was in no mood to be led yesterday: it was very much into doing the leading.
You could feel people were in no mood to be pontificated to by slick politicos the moment Chúo Torrealba, fresh off his Vatican fiasco, tried to address the crowd. He was booed off the stage, really: he couldn’t even finish his statement. He cut one lonely figure as he weaved through the crowd of mortals in his beige shirt and solemn, downcast gaze. I felt bad for Chúo. But not that bad. I had a rebellion to get back to!
The crowd hushed as speakers, crammed onto the tarima like confused sardines took turns with the mic, in ascending order of importance. Freddy Guevara, Enrique Márquez, Henry then Capriles. Every time they spoke of elections, the mob would jeer them: a massive, collective “de pana, don’t you know that ship has sailed?” kind of jeer. It wasn’t quite the brutal hazing Chúo got, just enough to let them know this crowd had its red lines and they’d better be mindful of them.
Chants of “Miraflores! Miraflores!” would break out, to roaring cheers from the crowd. And if you’re imagining the Miraflores proponents as gas mask-wearing guarimba-loving zealots, then you are wrong. It was normal people. Like the young couple smushed next to me with their eight month old daughter in tow. Or the motorizado who clung to a lamppost, feet dangling above the sea of people, complaining that he was sick of hearing speeches. A man behind me, his sunglasses sinking into his gaunt cheekbones, was indignant. “O llaman a Miraflores o yo no regreso pa’ esta vaina. I have nothing to eat.”
Upon closer inspection of the tiny tarima, I realized that the speakers were addressing the crowd with their backs to us. Literally, la espalda. Was it fear of facing head-on, the electorate that put them on that stage to begin with? Was it a bit too much to handle? Hundreds of thousands of angry, expectant protesters with no music, no security guards, no artifice or glitzy production values to fall back on.
Maybe it’s the way the lack of a real tarima brought them down to our level, but there was something about this dynamic that was intoxicating: it was a real two-way interaction, poles apart from the traditional model of MUD handing down a pre-cooked decision from above.
MUD’s leaders were naked before their followers. They had no choice but to grasp that they’re nothing without this crowd, and that this crowd has a say over what happens next. The final say, actually.
And so, we saw something we hadn’t seen in MUD for far too long: accountability. Simple, raw, unmediated accountability. The kind I’m sort of obsessed with.
I’ve argued for a long time that MUD has serious accountability issues. The buck stops nowhere in this sprawling, multi-party political beast. When the political scene is as polarized as ours is, nobody is made to answer for even the worst decisions. For three long, volatile years, MUD has decided, unchecked, and handed down its imperial decisions to us, taking for granted that we will blindly follow their lead. And we always do because, really, what’s the alternative?
I say this as a bigtime MUD fan, and that goes beyond just being anti-chavista. I’ve devoted hundreds of hours to leading electoral efforts on their behalf, celebrated their technical and logistical prowess in the face of a tyrannical adversity, and I proudly talk up their titanic effort to work out internal differences as examples of what real democracy looks like.
Something about this dynamic was intoxicating: it was a real two-way interaction, poles apart from the traditional model of MUD handing down a pre-cooked decision from above.
Acutely conscious of the tension between desperately wanting MUD (and democracy) to succeed, and feeling enormously frustrated by MUD’s clubby, unresponsive leadership, I was exhilarated by what I saw happening all around me yesterday. A political leadership that so often feels so distant, so removed from the people it represents was anything but. They were face to face with a massive crowd that demanded action now.
Y tuvieron que mover el culo.
Initially, MUD’s plan was to announce a “juicio político” to be launched today, a general strike for tomorrow, followed by a declaration that the president had abandoned his post and then a march on Miraflores to hand Maduro his pink slip on Thursday, November 3rd. This was, already, far and away the most radical protest agenda MUD had unveiled in ages. It was already mindboggling to see Henrique Capriles, Chúo, Henry Ramos all these leaders long associated with moderate, incrementalist political action stand in front of a crowd and announce a march on Miraflores.
But it wasn’t enough. The crowd wanted more. Demanded more. They either call us out to the presidential palace or this is my last march. People — yours truly very much included — kept shouting (among other, more expletive-laden putdowns of dialogue and such) “¡A Miraflores!” And we meant it. November 3rd felt like an eternity away. We wanted action right now.
The feeling wasn’t so much expectation, it was empowerment. An all out license to feel emboldened and present, and a determination to make this one count.
MUD’s more radical leaders around the truck/tarima read this beautifully and pounced. Maria Corina Machado and Lilian Tintori grabbed that microphone and started freelancing new protest actions right then and there. For once they had all the leverage, and the moderates had none.
It was mindboggling to see all these leaders long associated with moderate, incrementalist political action stand in front of a crowd and announce a march on Miraflores.
Still, they negotiated. If they couldn’t get an “¡A Miraflores!” from them right then and there, they still wanted to march West. To the Assembly! But Henry pushed back: the Assembly was closed, what would be the point? The moment when they really would need people around the Assembly was the next day — today — when chavismo would be tempted to once again physically intimidate and takeover the building where Maduro would be tried.
Bueno, a la Asamblea on Thursday, then. The deal was cut right then and there, in front of everybody. It was amazing.
In the end, MUD was probably right, we can do bigger and better if we wait till November 3rd. And deep down everyone kinda knew it too. Which is why everyone went home in peace.
But not before having popped the MUD’s rebellion cherry. Man it felt good.
(QBLOGS) We talk the talk but not the walk when it comes to creating an “echo friendly” and pollution free society. It is refreshing that Costa Rica has done its best to manifest “green” but the country has not regulated the biggest polluter of all….traffic!
How many of us have been behind a bus, truck or car that spews black, diesel smoke into our lungs, our hair, our eyes and our clothing, which will smell like diesel the rest of the day?
Once is too many times, especially when the problem is easy to fix.
I have never seen a police officer, transit police nor any other person or entity stop the truck, bus or car and fine the polluters which just keep rolling on. Even with the annual inspection by Riteve (RTV), a private company having the concession to inspect vehicles for lights, seat belts, brakes and most of all carbon emission, the polluters, after passing, in less than a wink of and eye, are back on the road again, spewing smoke.
Many drivers believe the catalytic converter is from star wars.
Not far from RTV stations, you can actually rent a converter and have it installed before the inspection. The same is true for tires, but you have to give them back by the end of day.
Without law enforcement signing on to fine these vehicles of destruction, this type of pollution will go on and on as it has during the last 50 years.
It is not fair that you and I must inhale this horrible tasting smoke and it is essential to put the brakes on now (No pun intended.), not after another drawn out research and debate. We can be fined and pay a hefty price for just about everything else, including DWE (Driving while being an expat).
(QCOSTARICA by Roberto Acuña Ávalos, Vozdeguanacaste.com) Being sick with Dengue, Zika or Chikungunya turns you into a victim of a barrage of advice, remedies and warnings without knowing whether they are urban legends or if they have some sort of medical basis to back them up.
The aedes aegypti mosquito took up residence in the country more than 20 years ago, but the illnesses that it is capable of transmitting continue to surprise us.
The Voice of Guanacaste consulted four doctors and a nutritionist to set the record straight on many of the urban legends that surround the mosquito. They all agreed that eliminating breeding sites is the best way to combat reproduction.
Crocodile That Scared Tamarindo Tourists Moved to Nicoya Wildlife Area
Crocodile That Scared Tamarindo Tourists Moved to Nicoya Wildlife Area
(QCOSTARICA, by Roberto Acuña Ávalos, Vozdeguanacaste.com) A crocodile that attacked a tourist last July in Tamarindo and caused consternation among beachgoers is no longer in the area: It now lives in a wildlife area in the canton of Nicoya.
On Oct. 16, rangers at Las Baulas National Marine Park along with scientists and volunteers captured an American crocodile identified has having caused the incident on July 22.
Yeimy Cedeño, coordinator of the Tempisque Wildlife Conservation Area, said the “extreme measure” was taken after several weeks of continuous monitoring and an analysis by scientific experts who concluded the animal did not display normal behavior due to the habits of people visiting the area.
“The illegal feeding of wild animals is what caused this individual (the crocodile) to do what it did (attack a tourist), because it had become considerably brazen,” Cedeño said.
She clarified that the decision is not standard procedure for all of the country’s crocodiles. Rather, the step was taken after determining the animal could be a danger to the public.
Cedeño also said the attack on the tourist did not happen in open ocean at Playa Tamarindo, as some news media had reported, but rather in the estuary.
Crocodile expert Laura Porras, from the National University, previously told The Voice of Guanacaste that crocodiles are not overpopulating beaches as commonly thought, but rather navigate the ocean to move to nearby rivers and lagoons.
(QCOSTARICA) Costa Rica lawmakers on Monday gave final approval to legislation that jails adults who maintain sexual relations with minors.
Ley 19,337 sets out penalties depending on the age difference. A person having a sexual relationship with an adolescent between 15 years of age and prior to their 18th birthday is exposed to a prison term of two to three years, if the adult is seven or more years older. The age of majority in Costa Rica is 18.
In the case where sexual liaisons involve a minor between the age of 13 and prior to their 15th birthday, the punishment is three to six years in prison, when the age difference is five or more years.
The law also prohibits the registration of marriages of people under 18; between and adult and minor and including an adoptee or his or her adoptive family.
The new law also increases the minimum age of sexual consent from 13 to 15 when the age difference is five or more years.
A prison term of four to ten years would apply when the adult is the minor’s family member or legal guardian. The sanction also applies to a person who is a caregiver, or has a close relation with the adolescent or his or her family.
In Costa Rica, sex between an adult and a person under the age of 13 is considered rape.
Watch the video by La Nacion
The vote on Monday was 43 legislators in favour and four against. The bill, to go into effect, now requires the signature of President Luis Guillermo Solis.
The action was by a group of legislators led by Moviemiento Libertario party leader Otto Guevara, opposed to the bill. Guevara used the example of a 24 year-old going to prison for having a sexual relationship with a 17 year-old, something according to the legislator is “common” in Costa Rica, and thus exposed to criminal charges.
Vice-President Ana Helena Chacon said that the initiative “returns to the minors the right to live a life with dignity.”
According to the last Population and Housing Census, 8.6% of adolescent women between 12 and 19 said they had been in some kind of conjugal life, of which 7% said had been living together and 1.3% married.
26/10/16. Aeropuerto Juan Santamaria. Lanzamiento y presentación del avión de Air Costa Rica. Foto: Rafael Pacheco
Costa Rica’s new airline presented its first plane on Wednesday. The airline will proudly fly the Costa Rica flag painted on its tail and the message “Pura Vida” on its side.
(QCOSTARICA) After two years of preparations, Air Costa Rica took to the skies on Wednesday. Well almost. The airline made its official presentation on Wednesday without being able to announce a final date for the start of daily flights to Guatemala.
For now the airline is saying it expects to start regular flights between next month (November 2016) and “before January 2017” because it has not yet received its air operator’s certificate from Guatemala Civil Aviation.
The last several months the airline gone through the hoops, meeting the requirements to obtain the certificate of air worthiness and aircraft registration from the Costa Rica Civil Aviation (Aviación Civil).
The Boeing 737-300, the airline’s first airplane with a capacity of 148, will proudly fly the Costa Rica flag painted on its tailand the phrase “Pura Vida” on the side
Air Costa Rica flight crew. Foto: Rafael Pacheco
“Prices will not be inexpensive, but will be below market,” said Carlos Viquez, general manager of Air Costa Rica. The price of the tickets will range between US$250 and US$350, according Víquez, who emphasized that it includes hot meals and beverages at no extra cost.
The airline has more than 60 employees, including customer service personnel and crew.
(CONFIDENTIAL) Knowing what’s going on in entertainment events and activities around the corner, across town or worldwide will soon be a click away with iconoLand, a website that allows the world to discover entertainment in a completely new way.
Still in the beta stage, the website says, “there is no need to type the city name, or the entertainment category, simply tap the territory or country on the main page, zoom to the city, select an entertainment category, then refine your results by selecting the genre you are looking for. Discovering entertainment options in your own city or the one your travelling to has never been so easy or so fast. With iconoLand, the world will be able to explore, like never before!”
IconoLand is a louišP Ltd. production company based in Hong Kong. “We are a group of people from about 20 countries have been developing the project,” said Gabriela Quesada, local representative of louišP told El Financiero.
Quesada explained that with this site visitors can schedule their travel plans to see events being held in the city they are visiting. They may also easily and quickly find activities and establishments within their genres.
Locally, Costa Ricans will be able to find events around them or in neighbouring provinces. The entertainment options go beyond just going to the movies or out to eat, you can find weekends happenings for children and the entire family.
IconoLand is the first four sites landing on your computer, tablet or smartphone. The other three, still in development, are iconoLive, iconoWorld and iconoLife.
IconoWorld is for every genre of music, movies, books and art categorized by country and genre; iconoLive will be streaming video like never before; and, iconoLife is to socially connect with people who share the same entertainment taste.
The U30X team is made up of entrepreneurial go-getters, tour guides, travel bloggers, professional photographers, yogis, and all-around awesome humans.
(QTRAVEL) QCR blogger Miles Demars-Rote with Under30Experiences, a travel company that provides experiential trips in more than a dozen places throughout the world, with focus on Costa Rica, is currently looking to hire a Costa Rican travel guide.
Want to get paid to show the beautiful country of Costa Rica to small groups of young adults? Then join this group
For immediate placement for ICT Certified tour guides to lead trips throughout the Arenal & Manuel Antonio areas of Costa Rica.
Preferred Qualifications:
ICT Certified (Instituto Costarricense de Turismo)
Age 21-35
Preferred experience in Manuel Antonio National Park and Arenal National Park
Bi-lingual Spanish / English
Has cultural knowledge about USA / Canada, can relate to our travelers
Previous Tour Manager Experience with Gadventures, Contiki, STA, Intrepid, or Gecko would be nice
Blogging & social media is a bonus but you MUST have strong social skills
The U30X team is made up of entrepreneurial go-getters, tour guides, travel bloggers, professional photographers, yogis, and all-around awesome humans.
