Liberia Is 1st Guanacaste Canton to Declare Itself Free from Sex Discrimination
(by Roberto Acuña Ávalos, Vozdeguanacaste) Discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity or disabilities no longer has a place in the canton of Liberia. On Aug. 24, municipal council members voted to declare the canton free from discrimination.
The initiative was prompted by a visit to the council by members of the Guanacaste branch of the University of Costa Rica’s Student Association. Association Vice President Iris Navarro said the province has an ongoing problem with machismo, or sexism, and policies like the current action by the council help promote tolerance and respect.
The students’ proposal was sponsored by council member Andrea Gutiérrez, who presented a motion in favor of the declaration, noting that Liberia must work harder to respect human rights. She added that more programs are needed to raise awareness and promote civility among Liberians.
“We must spearhead these efforts in all of Guanacaste,” she said.
In Costa Rica, 22 cantons already have signed the declaration. Navarro hopes other Guanacaste cantons will follow their lead.
In an interview with The Voice of Guanacaste, Marco Castillo, president of the Costa Rican Diversity Movement, said these types of declarations are important because they help to overcome social, cultural and religious influences that foster discrimination against the LGBT community.
Driver angry at getting a traffic ticket speeds away and hits and kills a pedestrian on Saturday, in Alajuela. Photo Francisco Barrantes, La Nacion
(QCOSTARICA) He was on his way home from church when he was struck and killed by what appears to be an angry driver who minutes earlier had just gotten a traffic ticket for an improper turn.
The incident occurred Saturday afternoon, around 5:00pm, in Villa Bonita de Alajuela, just a few metres from the local gas station, when 23 year old Edson Bejarano Orozco was struck by the Jeep Wrangler driver by an “adulto mayor” (senior), as he is described by La Nacion and whose identity was not released to the press.
Marcos Ramírez, the Policia de Transito (traffic police) official on the scene said report was received of a collision and a personal injury. On the scene, the situation was different, the driver of the Jeep had struck and killed the pedestration, hitting another vehicle, a Honday Civic and then a tree before ending up in a ditch.
The traffic offical said a breathalyzer test was not performed at the scene for driver’s safety, because outraged residents wanted to lynch the driver. The traffic official said a blood test would be performed at the hospital.
Gerardo Montoya, the driver of the Honda Civic hit by the angry driver, said he was waiting at a yield when he saw the young struck by the speeding vehicle.
Cesar Barrantes, first aid responder for the Cruz Roja (Red Cross), said the patient had no vital signs when they arrived on the scene.
The Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) is investigating the case.
(QCOSTARICA) Four members of Outlier Legal, a law firm dedicated to assist the expat community in Costa Rica, will be meeting on Monday, September 5, with legislator Otto Guevara in order to discuss issues affecting foreign nationals in the country.
Among the issues is the question of drivers licenses.
Foreigners can only driver in the country during their “tourist” visa period. North Americans, Europeans and others are typically granted a 90 day tourist visa, while many other nationalities are only given 30 days.
Obtaining a Costa Rica driver’s license requires residency, a process that takes time.
The Outlier Legal team will be asking the legislator for changes to allow foreign nationals with a pending application for residency to obtain a temporary driver’s license or as soon as they obtain their DIMEX (foreign residency cedula) without having to wait three months since the last entry into the country.
A petition has been created on Change.org. As of this morning (Sunday, September 4) 109 people of the required 200 have signed the petition. We urge you to sign here to show your support and make a difference.
(QCOSTARICA) A 5.1 magnitude earthquake rocked Costa Rica Saturday at 4:06pm that was felt throughout most of the country, with the exception of Guanacaste.
The epicentre was located 13 kilometres and a depth of 29.6 kilometers, northeast of Savegre, in Quepos, according to the National Seismological Network at the University of Costa Rica.
The quake was felt strongly in Heredia, San Jose, Quepos, Aguas Zarcas de San Carlos, Alajuela, Puntarenas, Perez Zeledon, Limon and Puerto Jimenez, among others. Residents of other towns like San Pablo de Heredia, Coronado, Grecia, San Ramon de Alajuela, Tejar de El Guarco of Carthage and to Bocas del Toro, Panama, also reported they felt the quake.
The quake was by subduction of the Cocos plate in the Caribbean.
There are no reports of damage.
A Facebook post by Sharon Wendel who lives near the epicentre said, “We just had an earthquake in Costa Rica! The windows were shaking and you could see the planters moving! WOW! The power of Mother Earth (…) We have no damage and are all fine. I have to say, it was energizing. You could feel the energy release.”
Did you feel the earthquake? Share you experience here or post to our official Facebook page.
Immigration police break up human trafficking ring in La Fortuna de San Carlos
(QCOSTARICA) The immigration police (Policía de Migración) broke up last night a human trafficking ring in La Fortuna de San Carlos, where some 30 women, mostly Nicaraguans, were potential victims.
Immigration officers raided three bars (Los Acostados, El Tenampa and Los Horcones) where the women, including five minors, were allegedly forced to work as prostitutes.
The raids netted the arrest of two Nicaraguan brothers; a woman who was a naturalized Costa Rican; and a Costa Rican man.
During the raids large sums of cash, documents and cellular phones were seized.
Modus Operandi
The method is an old one, the women (victims) were contracted in Nicaragua on the promise of waitressing jobs in Costa Rica. Given the scarcity of decent paying jobs in many Nicaraguan towns and cities, victims are easily lured.
Once the women enter the country illegally, they are then told by the sponsorts (traffickerts) that the job is to tend to the sexual needs of the clients and not waitressing as they were promised.
The victims are prohibited to leave the bar, under threat of violence to them and their families back home, if they don’t submit.
(QCOSTARICA) A declaration of unconstitutionality has been given to the section of the tax code that allowed the Ministerio de Hacienda (Treasury) to demand payment of penalties and interest allegedly owed on taxes.
In effect, the Court ruling put the brakes on the outlandish idea on the part of lawmakers putting the proverbial cart before the horse, asking taxpayers advance payments in a process (audit) that sometimes involves decades.
The objective of the prepayment of penalties and interest was to eliminate or reduce evasions where people would use to their advantage the inefficiency of the tax department.
“Unanimously and for separate reasons, declared partially with cause the action of unconstitutionality are articles 144 and 192 of the Code of Tax Procedures Standards,” reads the unanimous decision of the court.
Carlos Vargas, director of the Dirección General de Tributación (DGT) – Directorate General of Taxation, said yesterday that they are awaiting notification of the judgment to gauge its scope.
The taxation director confirmed that the ruling means the tax department can only collect on a tax debt once the process is complete.
Mauricio Estrada, president of Agroganadera Pinilla, and Rándall Madriz, lawyer for Comercializadora Konekta, who presented the Constitutional Court challenge said in the argument, “the law violates the right of innocence and defense by not allowing the taxpayer to submit arguments against the penalty set by the Treasury.”
Allan Saborío, CEO of Deloitte, told La Nacion that with the elimination of confiscatory taxation, “taxpayers who have paid (were charged) will have to visit the tax office to get back their payments if there is no firm decision on their case.”
Costa Rica has been opened to the British public by a new route this year. Image Edwin Giesbers/ naturepl.com/DENDROBATES PUMILIO
(QTRAVEL) The number of British holidaymakers travelling to the green and lush Costa Rica has soared, according to new research into the UK’s fastest growing currencies.
The value of Costa Rican colon bought by the British public this summer was up 84 per cent on last summer, the greatest increase of any currency purchased in the UK at the Post Office.
Top 10 | Summer’s fastest growing currencies
Costa Rican colon – +84% on last summer
Brazilian real – +70%
Omani rial – +59%
Indonesian rupiah – 57%
Barbados – 27%
Korean won – 23%
East Caribbean dollar – 21%
Polish zloty – +18%
US dollar – +17%
Hungarian forint – +16%
The increase is likely thanks to a new direct route launched in May from London to San José. Of course, there is a plethora of other reasons to visit Costa Rica.
“Costa Rica is the Latin American destination to come within the orbit od adventurous holidaymakers,” said Christopher Dewe from the Post Office. “With gains for Brazil, Chile and Peru as well, there is little doubt that growing numbers of UK tourists are prepared to travel long distances for their holiday.”
The summer index was calculated using currency bought between June and August this year. The Post Office also looked at growth when taking into account the year to date – the Indonesian rupiah topped this table, with 50 per cent growth compared to 2015.
Top 10 | Fastest growing currencies year to date
Indonesian rupiah – +50 per cent on last Jan to Aug
Costa Rican colon – +46%
Brazilian real – +41%
Danish kroner – +29%
Chilean peso – +23%
East Caribbean – +19%
Peru nuevo sol – +19%
Polish zloty – +19%
Icelandic krona – +16%
Japanese yen – +16%
Despite the growth of currencies in more niche travel destinations, figures from the exchange show that the euro and the dollar were the bestsellers over the summer, as they were last year. The Canadian dollar was third, up from fifth, followed by the Australian dollar, a non-mover, and the Croatian kuna, up from sixth.
Dewe said: “Looking ahead, we expect Eastern European cities with a great reputation for value to be popular this autumn. But whatever type of holiday they choose, UK holidaymakers will be looking for the best possible return on their pounds and this will come through a combination of competitively-priced holiday packages and low costs in destinations.
Top 10 | Best-selling currencies of the summer
Euro (1st last year)
US dollar (2)
Canadian dollar (5)
Australian dollar (4)
Croatian kuna (6)
Turkish lira (3)
Swiss franc (7)
Thai baht (8)
Norwegian krone (10)
UAE dirham (9)
“It is already clear from currency sales in recent weeks that destinations on the ‘most wanted’ list are those where prices on the ground are low or perceived to be good value and this is further evidence that people are becoming increasingly savvy in their holiday choice.”
(QCOSTARICA) Two million kilos of “Mamón Chino” (Rambutan) are produced in the country every year. The colourful and interesting exotic fruit is perhaps one of the most popular snacks in Costa Rica.
Thought to be native to Malaysia, in Costa Rica some 1,600 acres are planted of this fruit, benefiting some 4,000 families.
The Mamón Chino, closely related to several other edible tropical fruits including the Lychee, Longan, and Mamoncill, is a mainstay at farmer’s markets countrywide and roadside fruit stands. It can also be found on the sidewalks of downtown San Jose and the local supermarkets.
However, perhaps the biggest event dedicated to the Mamón Chino is the Rambutan Fair in Cajon de Perez Zeledon, today and tomorrow (Sept. 3 & 4), where you will the freshest fruit and at the cheapest prices.
The Ministry of Agriculture (MAG) estimates the Mamón Chino season will end in late October.
The "cedula", personal and corporate is the official indentification document in Costa Rica.
The “cedula”, personal and corporate, is the official identification document in Costa Rica.
(QCOSTARICA) The time-consuming and frustration of having to provide a photocopy of a cedula (personal or corporate) to deal with public institutions has come to an end, following the publication of the executive decree in the official government newsletter, La Gaceta, on Friday.
With the decree signed last July 13, the procedure of dealing with State entities and autonomous institutions, ie ICE, AyA seeks to avoid wasting paper, ink, electricity and time to get a photocopy for any interaction.
The government felt it an “unncessary practice” to request a photocopy of the cedula.
The change applies to all centralized and decentralized public institutions across the country. The directive also calls for the training of staff, to understand that photocopies are longer necessary, the information is publicly available electronically.
Every 15 minutes 9-1-1 receives a call for violence against children
(QCOSTARICA) In 2015, the Costa Rica 9-1-1 service registered one call every 15 minutes with regards to violence against children (maltrado infantil in Spanish), according to official data, reported by Telenoticias.
In 2015, more than 44,000 calls reporting that a child was in danger were made to 9-1-1, an increase over the previous three years. In 2014 there were 43,500 calls; in 2013, 38,900 calls and in 2012, 37,200 calls.
Former President Laura Chinchilla and Montserrat Solano, Defensora de los Habitantes (Ombudswoman), stated that, although the main responsibility in terms of the monitoring and control of children lies with the family, all citizens must protect them.
Both Chinchilla and Solano said, “we must be more proactive and supportive.”
But what are the threats against minors? According to statistics most violence registered against children involves family conflicts, followed by physical abuse, negligence in terms of health and sanitary and psychological aggression.
‘It is a difficult task, because children are naturally curious and easily attracted to toys or animals, but we have to teach them that they cannot talk or leave with unknown adults,’ Solano said, referring to the latest case of a minor lured by a neighbour who decapitated and mutilated the genitals of the eight year old boy.
Battle for Impeachment of Brazil's Rousseff is Being Waged in Courts
Battle for Impeachment of Brazil’s Rousseff is Being Waged in Courts
BRASILIA (Prensa Latina) The battle unleashed by the process of impeachment against the deposed Brazilian president, Dilma Rousseff, is now being waged in the Supreme Federal Tribunal (STF), with two actions to be undertaken by the parties in dispute.
An injunction demanding the annulment of the Senate’s session, which approved by majority the definitive separation of Rousseff from the Presidency on August 31st, was presented on Thursday before the Supreme Court by defense attorney Jose Eduardo Cardozo.
The STF has been also asked to conduct a new political trial, not based on questioning the merits of the decision of the senators, but taking as premise the alleged unconstitutionality of the process.
According to Cardozo’s explanation, as quoted by Agencia Brasil, one of the questions posed questions the adequacy of two articles of the Law of Impeachment in the Constitution of 1988 and asks them to be declared unconstitutional.
The other one refers to the fact that the rapporteur of the case in the Senate, Antonio Anastasia, included in the indictment against Rousseff a decree not mentioned in the report approved in the Chamber of Deputies, which would mean a change in a step in the process, in which it is no longer possible to do so, as it would be detrimental to the defense.
This was not about a simple change in the legal characterization of the facts, but there was a real change of facts, he argued.
Meanwhile, the main promoters of the process against Rousseff, the parties of the Brazilian Social Democracy (PSDB), Democrats (DEM), the Brazilian Democratic Movement (PMDB) and Social Popular (PPS) announced that they would also appeal to the Supreme Court on Friday.
The leader of the PSDB in the Senate, Cássio Cunha Lima, said they will demand the separate vote on the appeal of the mandate of Dilma Rousseff, adopted by 61 votes to 20, and her disqualification from public office for a period of eight years, which was rejected by the plenary of the Senate.
In the latter case, 42 legislators supported the punishment, 36 voted against it and three abstained, making impossible to reach the figure of 54 votes required for approval.
Among those who voted against the disqualification of Rousseff there were several members from the PMDB, including president of the Senate, Renan Calheiros, and of the Special Committee on Impeachment, Ricardo Lira, which caused a manifest disgust among ‘toucans’ and Democrats, who accused the PMDB of making agreements in secret.
The president of the nation himself, Michel Temer (PMDB), acknowledged that the vote caused a ‘small embarrasment’ and demanded unconditional support from legislators. ‘If its government, it is government,’ he said, forgetting that, at least in theory,there should be independence between the executive and the legislative branches.
The Alliance for Prosperity seeks to reduce migration from the Northern Triangle to the United States. (Council of the Americas)
The Alliance for Prosperity seeks to reduce migration from the Northern Triangle to the United States. (Council of the Americas)
(Q24N) Immigrants from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras have more than enough reasons to abandon their countries — local wars between drug cartels as well as economic problems — and so there is no end in sight to their flow into the United States.
Only the lucky ones are able to afford plane tickets. The less fortunate get to the US — if they make it — after walking throughout Mexico and its deserts.
“We have gathered our efforts as a region to combat transnational crime. We will begin to implement some of these in September,” Salvadoran President Salvador Sánchez Cerén said on August 21 during the signing of a transnational security agreement with Guatemala and Honduras.
The accord creates a “common front” against organized crime and violence between the three countries.
The agreement was celebrated by the Alliance for Prosperity, the most recent check that the US has sent to the Northern Triangle in hopes of reaching a solution to this violence while indirectly reducing illegal immigration from Central America to the United States. This year, the three nations received US$750 million of support.
In early 2015, US Vice President Joe Biden announced the Alliance for Prosperity by means of an editorial published in the New York Times.
It’s an initiative put forth by the four countries to increase investment and trade, reduce violence, and strengthen institutions.
Los Estados Unidos ignora que el desarrollo humano no se da de un día para otro. (Naciones Unidas)
The United States ignores local corruption and endemic institutional failure. (Naciones Unidas)
However, the program ignores local corruption and neglects the need for radical legislative change.
The Alliance seeks to improve human development by 2020, but it is forgetting that one of the biggest engines of human development — legislation — does not happen overnight. Moreover, it aims to find solutions for other problems that US interventionism has generated.
The Alliance does not specify how the United States is going to reduce the drug demand it generates and which ultimately results in an increased supply. This drug supply travels throughout Central America and leaves a trail of violence in its wake.
By creating programs like this one, the United States forgets that what led them to prosperity was not determining how, when or why people would do things. The Alliance leaves many questions unresolved, and in no way ensures that illegal migration will decrease.
The first step toward prosperity in a country is to have a society made up of citizens, not subjects. Without concern for them, welfare programs like this one will only fix the symptoms — not the sickness.
The regimes of Nicaragua and Venezuela have followed similar tactics to cling to power and attack the opposition
The regimes of Nicaragua and Venezuela have followed similar tactics to cling to power and attack the opposition
(Q24N) The regime of Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua took the final step on its way toward dictatorship when it removed 28 opposition congressmen from office on July 29.
Moreover, the country’s electoral body rubber-stamped Ortega’s plan to run for what could be his fourth presidency and third consecutive term. This time, his running mate is no less than his wife, the controversial Rosario Murillo.
This institutional breach shows that Ortega is no longer concerned with keeping up appearances and is willing to stay in power at any cost.
The parliamentary coup and nepotism just goes to show that he refuses to participate in open, transparent elections, in which the ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) could actually lose to the opposition.
Reactions to these latest events swiftly appeared both at home and abroad, condemning them as a coup and a violation of the Nicaraguan people’s sovereignty, the Constitution, and international law that underlies the United Nations and the Organization of the American States (OAS). However, the Nicaraguan regime cares little about multilateral bodies.
The main business chamber of Nicaragua, the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP), which has turned a blind eye to President Ortega’s abuses while enjoying privileges for a decade, is now openly demanding respect for the Constitution.
COSEP is asking Daniel Ortega to prevent “the concentration of power at the expense of democracy,” arguing that the parliamentary coup “weakens representative democracy, political pluralism, and the division of power.” The American Chamber of Commerce of Nicaragua has issued a similar statement.
Abroad, criticism and demands are also multiplying. In addition to the harsh pronouncements of the US government and several others, 25 Latin American former presidents have asked the OAS Permanent Council and the European Union (EU) to maintain a “critical vigilance” towards the “serious disruptions to the democratic and constitutional order” — in Nicaragua as well as in Venezuela.
Nicolás Maduro Clings to Power in Venezuela
The similarities between Daniel Ortega and his main ally in Latin America, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, have triggered alarms across the region.
The threats that Maduro’s regime has made in recent months against the Venezuelan opposition have materialized in Nicaragua as well. In Venezuela, President Maduro has used the Supreme Court to override 18 of the 19 laws that Congress — dominated by the opposition — has passed in the last six months.
Like the Nicaraguan regime, Venezuela’s not only counts on a top court packed with party loyalists. Maduro has unashamedly announced that he will stop funding Congress, and his administration has requested subservient electoral authorities to withdraw the license of opposition alliance Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD).
This explains why the Venezuelan Congress, after condemning the Nicaraguan electoral court’s actions, rightly said:
We are very concerned to see that these authoritarian behaviors are becoming a model of governance in some Latin American countries influenced by chavismo, which in recent years has profoundly damaged democracy, violated human rights, taken away autonomy from the branches of government, persecuting the opposition and jailing political prisoners… Chavismo is the culprit of Venezuela’s current humanitarian, economic, and political crisis.”
As Chilean analyst Fernando Mires has noted, it seems that a new trend is taking root in many Latin American countries — and even in some European ones — on behalf of a false direct democracy: the power of congressmen is being transferred to an increasingly authoritarian executive branch.
It’s already happening in Putin’s Russia, Erdogan’s Turkey, and in Victor Orban’s Hungary, where the legislature has become little more than an ornament for autocratic presidents who feel destined to “save” their people.
So now the question is: How can we stop this trend? What can we do so that the dictators of Nicaragua and Venezuela allow citizens to decide the future of their countries through free and fair elections?
At this point, the task seems impossible without massive protests in the streets, aided by greater international pressure. But mere electoral observers missions to ensure transparency in the upcoming elections are not enough.
It is time to implement strong, realistic, multilateral, economic and diplomatic sanctions to these regimes. And it is up to neighbouring countries to take the lead. There is no other democratic and peaceful solution.
Costa Rica currently imports about half of its rice consumption
Costa Rica currently imports about half of its rice consumption
(QCOSTARICA) From the lighter side, but true department – concerned about the high cost of living in Costa Rica? Here is some good news: the cost of rice will drop next week.
Yep, a kilogram of rice will cost a whopping ¢10 colones less. That is ¢20 colones for the typical 2 kg bag sold in supermarkets around the country, more if you buy larger quantities, less if you just buy a handful.
The price drop was published on Thursday (Sept. 1) in the official government newsletter, La Gaceta, following the signing of an executive decree and will be effective on Tuesday, September 6.
But, the price drop only affects rice that with 20% broken rice.
Broken rice is fragmented, not defective; there is nothing wrong with it, just in case you were wondering. According to Wikipedia, it (broken rice) is as nutritious as the equivalent unbroken rice, i.e. if all the germ and bran remains, it is as nutritious as brown rice; if none remains, it is only as nutritious as white rice.
So, on Tuesday, a kilo of this rice will drop from ¢631 to ¢621.
According to Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Comercio (MEIC), 51% of all rice sold in the country is of this type.
The drop is said to be due to a fall in international prices.
Costa Rica currently imports about half of its rice consumption, according to the national rice corporation, the Corporación Arrocera Nacional (Conarroz).
The process that led to the decree to effect such a price drop was, as many things in Costa Rica, a complicated one: it had to be reviewed by the respective ministries and is in the process that include Legal Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) and the Ministry of Foreign Trade (COMEX), among others.
(QCOSTARICA) For the first time in six years, the percentage of ownership of computers, both desktops and laptops, in Tico (Costa Rican) homes has decreased.
According to figures from the Encuesta Nacional de Hogares (ENAHO) – national household survey, the number went from 52% in 2014 to 48% in 2015.
What is the reason of the (downward) trend? The answer could be in the increased use of smartphones and tablets to connect ot the internet.
Alejandro Amador researcher for the Programa de la Sociedad de la Información y el Conocimiento (Prosic), of the University of Costa Rica (UCR), says its hard to know exactly what is causing the decline, in that, although the number of computers has reduced, we see a significant increase in Internet access in homes.
Confirming the trend, Gilles Maury, Managing Director of Technology, Media and Telecommunications at Deloitte, saying that the computer is no longer the “privileged” access device to the Internet.
According to Maury, the computer is used for production, such as data manipulation, graphic design, programming and high-end video games; meanwhile, devices such as smartphones or tablets are best suited for consumers to connect to the internet to access multimedia content or interact in social networks.
QBLOGS – I’m a Canadian/ Costa Rican (naturalized) and I won’t be voting in the U.S. Election in November. However, I still believe that I’m qualified to comment on this subject, as the U.S. President is commonly referred to as being the “Leader of the Free World”, of which Canada and Costa Rica are a part.
I consider myself to be a moderate conservative politically speaking, probably being closer to the Libertarian ideology over-all (Socially liberal, but fiscally conservative). As such, I understand the quandary that the U.S. conservative electorate is having, being mainly of the Republican Party persuasion.
The Republican and the Democratic Party Establishments do not have a recent history of representing the U.S. electorate well and many in the electorate for both mainstream parties are of the opinion that it is time for a complete change. But does a complete change include the likes of electing a President Donald Trump, merely to satisfy the requirement for change?
I would agree with the majority of Republicans, that Hillary Clinton, for different reasons, is less than a satisfactory alternative. In my opinion, there really is no viable choice for the Office of President, for the Republicans, or the Democrats, this time around.
Donald Trump has a business background, which is a positive attribute to have when running for the position of President of the U.S. However, Democratic Governments operate differently than businesses and require a much broader background knowledge than merely transacting business deals.
As CEO of his various businesses, Donald Trump has acted more in the capacity of a dictator and not as a “team player”, as is required in the case of a President of a Democratic country, such as the U.S.
In his rally speeches, Trump constantly refers to actions he will take in the first-person figure of speech, with phrases such as, ”I will fix….”. A Democratic country has a division of governmental powers between the three Branches of Government, Congress, Executive, and Judiciary; there is no room for an “I will do anything” response.
Trump’s recent meeting with the Mexican President over his Immigration and NAFTA stance, shows that his understanding of the requirements of the position of President, center on “The Art of the Deal”, and are absent a more broader range of required knowledge and other considerations involving in part, Foreign and Social Policies.
However, assuming the foregoing could be learned by a President Trump and “The Art of Delegation and Consultation” replace his obvious knowledge of “The Art of the Deal”, there are some more troubling underlying personality flaws that Trump has, bordering on the schizophrenic, which I believe can’t be corrected by education. This involves the different personality traits that Trump displays, depending on the venue.
In the presence of the Mexican President, Trump was humble and conciliatory regarding matters of Immigration and Trade, even to the point of, so he says, but which the Mexican President denies, not discussing with the Mexican President, his cornerstone position of having Mexico pay for the wall he intends to have constructed on the Mexico/U.S.A. border as an integral part of his Immigration Policy.
The Mexican President states that he emphatically stated that Mexico would not pay for the construction of such a border wall. Within a matter of a few hours of his meeting with the Mexican President, Trump was in Phoenix, Arizona, delivering his usual “fire and brimstone” speech on Immigration, emphasizing that Mexico would have to pay for the border wall, among other hostile quips.
Such changes in Trump’s personality traits have been displayed in many other instances throughout both the Republican Primary and now the General Election Campaigns.
His lack of having the required presidential command of the English language, resorting to the use of vulgarities and “name-calling”, tends to exacerbate these personality problem issues, leading to unnecessary ambiguity and in many instances offensive and hurtful interpretations by others, of his stated policy positions. This has lead to a considerable amount of media time being spent on clarifications of such matters, to the detriment of the electorate hearing about important policy considerations, required to make an informed choice for President in November.
Having viewed Donald Trump’s lack of ability to state in clear and concise terms, what his workable policies as President would be on any given topic, based upon his acting as the Democratic President bound by the U.S. Constitution, rather than as the Dictator, of the United States of America, I believe that my question posed in the title of this blog, is somewhat rhetorical. In my opinion, the real Donald Trump has clearly stood–up and has been standing for quite some time.
A migrant, who says she's from the Congo, hangs out laundry at a shelter in southern Costa Rica. In the past four months, more than 6,500 migrants have been registered entering Costa Rica along its southern border. Most say they are from Africa and Southeast Asia, but authorities believe the majority are from Haiti. Photo: Carrie Kahn/NPR
A Costa Rican Cruz Roja (Red Cross) member distributes food to migrants in an encampment of Africans in Penas Blancas, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, on July 19. In a makeshift camp hundreds of tents shelter Haitians, Congolese, Senegalese and Ghanaian migrants waiting to continue their journey to the United States. Photo, Ezequiel Becerra/AFP/Getty Images
(NPR) Heard on All Things Considered – Costa Rica is best known for its vacation beaches and lush rain forests. But recently it has become a thoroughfare for tens of thousands of migrants from South America and elsewhere who are hoping to reach the U.S.
Many are from the Caribbean, but a significant number trekking through the country are Africans and Southeast Asians, and collectively, they are straining Costa Rica’s welcoming reputation.
Migration officer Marvin Rodriguez is on the phone. He’s getting word that authorities are sending two buses carrying 120 migrants that just crossed into Costa Rica on its southern border with Panama.
It’ll take about two hours for them to arrive at this newly erected migrant shelter where he’s stationed, in the small town of Buenos Aires, just north of the border.
“We’ve never seen anything like this,” says Rodriguez.
But this is becoming increasingly common in Costa Rica.
Migrants from many countries
Late last year, thousands of Cubans came. They got stuck in Costa Rica when Nicaragua refused to let them continue northward. Then soon after came Haitians, Nigerians, Congolese, and even Kashmiris started coming. Authorities say about 150 migrants arrive every day, though only about 30 can sneak out daily into Nicaragua.
That’s left most migrants stranded at shelters. Migrants like Maria Joseph, who arrived eight days ago with her husband and two daughters.
In broken Spanish, she says her family flew from the Congo to Brazil, then crossed several South American countries by bus, paying off border guards all along the way, then walked eight grueling days through the jungle between Colombia and Panama.
A migrant, who says she’s from the Congo, hangs out laundry at a shelter in southern Costa Rica. In the past four months, more than 6,500 migrants have been registered entering Costa Rica along its southern border. Most say they are from Africa and Southeast Asia, but authorities believe the majority are from Haiti. Photo: Carrie Kahn/NPR
“In Panama these five guys with guns got us, and took everything. Clothes, cellphones, all our money,” says Joseph.
“In Costa Rica, they don’t take from you,” she says. “They just give.”
Mayte Castro Santi smiles when she hears the migrants speak well of the Costa Ricans. She’s one of several local residents cooking two meals a day, washing the bedsheets and handing out donated clothes.
Stirring a huge pot of white rice, she says that “since our grandparents’ time, Costa Ricans have always greeted people as best as we can.”
Lately though, that goodwill is being put to the test.
In just the past four months, more than 6,500 migrants have been registered entering Costa Rica’s southern border. The majority have told officials they are from Congo. But most are believed to be Haitians who were living in Brazil and left when their construction jobs in the run up to the Olympics ended.
With so many migrants coming through, authorities say even if they could determine nationalities, mass detention or deportation is not an option financially or morally.
“A humanitarian challenge”
President Luis Guillermo Solis says his country will not criminalize migration.
“It has to be seen as a humanitarian challenge and this is how we like to think we are handling it,” he says.
Solis spoke at the Wilson Center, a Washington, D.C., think tank, after a meeting last week with President Obama and Vice President Biden.
The U.S. ambassador to Costa Rica, S. Fitzgerald Haney, says Costa Rica is a model for the world on how to treat refugees.
“We very much appreciate and applaud the government of Costa Rica for everything they are doing, and where we can help we will,” he says.
The U.S. sent tents for 2,400 families and is helping migration officials reduce a backlog of asylum applications. The country is also dealing with a record number of Central Americans, especially from El Salvador, seeking refuge. Starting this month, the U.S. will work with Costa Rica to resettle some of those asylum seekers in the U.S.
While the current work with migrants is admirable, University of Costa Rica social science professor Carlos Sandoval says the country has a mixed record on accepting immigrant groups and long-term resettlement.
Nicaraguans, who arrived here during the tumultuous 1980s and ’90s, still fill the lowest jobs in society and get blamed for nearly all social ills.
“Insecurity, lack of health provisions and the like … you just blame it on the Nicaraguans,” he says. “It is very common, that kind of justification.”
Sandoval worries the newest refugees may suffer the same outcome, especially since there’s no sign their numbers are letting up.
Carlos Granados lives next to one of Costa Rica’s official migrant shelters and has grown tired of the endless traffic.
“It’s great being good people, but there’s a limit,” says Granados. “We have a lot of our own poor people here … and they need help, too.”
Purchases from Costa Rica on Asian e-commerce portals has grown 600% this year
(QCOSTARICA) Package delivery from China will be a priority for the Correos de Costa Rica (Post Office), due to a rise of online shopping from the Asian country, especially on e-commerce sites like Wish.com.
Under its pilot plan starting on September 5, packages can be tracked on its website, Correos.cr, to verify when available for delivery or pick up. In addition, Correos has its own online shopping portal, Boxcorreos.com offering a 20% discount on fleet costs.
The Dirección General de Aduanas (Customs) says it has four centres located in Puntarenas, Paso Canos, Limon and the central facilities in Zapote (San Jose) to handle the processing of the packages, which is then sent to any of the 112 Correos branches.
Correos and Customs say they are still working out the procedures for a decentralized tax collection service.
This year, purchases made online from Costa Rica and received through Correos has grown 35% on sites like Ebay and Amazon and 600% in Asian portals, such as Aliexpress and Wish.
Journalists from Colombia, US and France were not admitted by Venezuelan migration and will be deported to Bogota
(El Universal) Journalists of radio networks Caracol Radio (Colombia) and NPR (US), and Le Monde daily (France) were “not admitted” in Venezuela upon their arrival on Wednesday from Bogota to cover a rally convened by the opposition for Thursday in Caracas.
Through a phone call at the Simón Bolívar International Airport of Maiquetía, Caracol Radio reporter César Moreno told Efe they were moved away from the migration line and had their passports retained “to investigate the relevant documents.”
“After some two hours, (airport authorities) told us we were not admitted in Venezuela,” Moreno elaborated.
He read a letter delivered by the relevant authorities terming him “person inadmissible” for “failing to comply with the requirements set forth in the Law on Immigration Matters.”
In this connection, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Wednesday urged Venezuelan authorities to inquire into recent attacks against journal headquarters, a move that, in its view, shows a deteriorating climate around the Venezuelan press.
“Venezuelan authorities must thoroughly investigate these attacks, indict all perpetrators and guarantee that journalists may work without fear of being the target of violence,” said in a communiqué Carlos Jauría, CPJ’s senior program coordinator for the America.
Costa Rica’s food industry is opposed to the executive decree which eliminates the exemption from payment of sales tax on some food products.
From a statement issued by the Cámara Costarricense de la Industria Alimentaria(CACIA) – Costa Rican Chamber of Food Industry:
The CACIA sent a note to the Finance Minister protesting against the publication in July this year, of Executive Decree 39732-H, which introduces changes to the regulations to the law on sales tax. It eliminates the definition of “canned” or “packaged” food which in the previous Decree referred to products which were canned or packaged in glass products. This change can affect exemptions applied to some products such as cheese, coffee, sausages, some seafood and corn.
This change in the rules creates a number of problems in interpretation and legal uncertainty regarding the correct way to determine if certain foods are exempted from payment of Sales Tax or not, which will in turn affect certain products in the basic basket.
Previously, the Regulations on the Law on Sales Tax stated: “packaged or canned goods: these are products contained in sealed tins or glass containers.” The new decree eliminates this definition.
CACIA is also oppoesed to legislative bill seeking to impose a new tax on plastic containers, an environmental tax the CACIA says will result in a rise in all processed and fresh foods sold in some kind of plastic container.
Cocaine found in orange juice shipment from Costa Rica to Coca Cola plant in France. Photo Var-Matin
Factory workers at Coca-Cola in France found 370 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a shipment of orange juice from Costa Rica, according to the French media.The discovery of the drug was made on Tuesday inside a container in the town of Signes, near the Mediterranean coast.
Factory employees reported immediately to the police and judicial authorities, who opened an investigation, the AP news agency reported. While the French newspaper Var-Matin said that the drug was concealed in several packages
Marseille prosecutor, Xavier Tarabeux, told the newspaper that value of the drug is about €50 million Euros (US$56 million dollars) in the European market and confirmed that the container arrived from Costa Rica.
Photo M. Mejia / AP / Sipa
Asked about the discovery of the drug, the Coca-Cola company in Costa Rica reported that it could not refer the case widely being under investigation; however, they confirmed that indeed the drug was found in a shipment of concentrate orange juice arrived in France on August 26.
The Legend: The original Coca-Cola formula, created in 1886 by US pharmacist John Pemberton, is believed to have contained traces of cocaine derived from coca leaf extract. While the Coca-Cola Company officially denies the presence of cocaine in any of its products — past or present — historical evidence suggests that the original Coca-Cola did, in fact, contain cocaine. Until 1903, the world-famous soft drink is believed to have contained a significant dose of cocaine.
“Immediately, Coca-Cola contacted the National Gendarmerie (national police) and is cooperating fully with the investigation,” said the company.
Employees at the Coca-Cola plant have been ruled out of any involvement as investigators attempt to trace the origin of the drug.
“The first elements of the investigation have shown that employees are in no way involved,” Jean-Denis Malgras, the regional president of Coca-Cola, told local news website Var-Matin.
Meanwhile, the Costa Rica Drug Control Police (PCD) explained that, so far, they have no information, according to the Ministry of Security spokesman, Carlos Hidalgo.
The event has brought back to the table discussion in Costa Rica on the issue of implementation of controls to prevent export cargos from being used for drug smuggling to Europe and the United States, the main destinations of Costa Rica’s foreign trade.
Businesses and governments yesterday analyzed the potential of trade and investment between Colombia and Costa Rica, at the Crowne Plaza hotel Corobicí at an event organized by the Chamber of Exporters of Costa Rica in a range of activities in this regard. | COURTESY CADEXCO
Analyzing the potential of trade and investment between Colombia and Costa Rica, at the Crowne Plaza hotel Corobicí, an event organized by the Chamber of Exporters of Costa Rica in a range of activities in this regard. | COURTESY CADEXCO
Through trade missions, market mapping, seminars and conventions the union of exporters in Costa Rica intends to take better advantage of business opportunities offered by Colombia.
In 2015 Colombia spent US$75 million on the purchase of goods and services in Costa Rica, establishing itself as the main market, above Brazil, Ecuador and Chile, from where Colombia imported US$51.9 million, US$44 million and US$37 million respectively.
Nacion.com reports that “…As part of the promotional activities of the FTA, PROCOMER presented a mapping of the Colombian market, where it concludes that the food industry has the most options in that country, followed by the pharmaceutical chemical and electrical and electronics industries.
Sweet biscuits, sauces and preparations, bread, energy drinks, candies and chocolates, and frozen fish are also among those with potential, although their tariffs will be eliminated in installments from five to 15 years. “
Santa Clara, Cuba (CNN) When JetBlue Flight 387 touched down Wednesday in Cuba, it was the first direct commercial flight between the US and the island in over a half-century.
The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Santa Clara, Cuba, flight is the latest symbol of the thawing of relations between the former Cold War adversaries, who restored diplomatic ties in 2015.
Until now, Santa Clara was most famous for being the site of the tomb of Ernesto “Che” Guevara, the Argentine revolutionary who fought alongside Fidel Castro and was later killed with the help of the CIA while leading an insurrection in Bolivia.
Soon, up to a maximum of 110 daily flights operated by US carriers are due to begin flying to the communist-run island, according to the US Department of Transportation.
The department later Wednesday that eight carriers will begin scheduled flights to Cuba’s capital city Havana as early as the fall. Those carriers are: Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines and United Airlines.
The flights will provide service to Havana from Atlanta; Charlotte, North Carolina; Fort Lauderdale; Houston; Los Angeles; Miami; Newark, New Jersey; New York City; Orlando, Florida; and Tampa, Florida, the department said.
“Today’s actions are the result of months of work by airlines, cities, the US government, and many others toward delivering on President Obama’s promise to reengage with Cuba,” said US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.
“Transportation has a unique role in this historic initiative and we look forward to the benefits these new services will provide to those eligible for Cuba travel.”
People from different states of Venezuela rallied on Thursday at different places of Caracas, as planned by opposition alliance Unified Democratic Panel
From early hours on Thursday, people from all the states of Venezuela rallied at the seven points planned by opposition alliance Unified Democratic Panel for a demonstration called the “Takeover of Caracas,” which aims to demand electoral authorities to hold a presidential recall vote this year.
Northeast Caracas, people started marching towards the Francisco de Miranda avenue at 10 am. Demonstrators came from the eastern states of Nueva Esparta, Sucre, Delta Amacuro and Bolívar, besides people from Caracas.
On Libertador Avenue, demonstrators headed by Congress Speaker Henry Ramos Allup walked to Francisco de Miranda Avenue.
El Universal journalists reported that people living in buildings provided by the state-run Great Mission Housing Venezuela (GMVV) were wearing white t-shirts and waving Venezuelan flags in support of the opposition mobilization.
At Santa Fe, southeast Caracas, opposition Deputy Delsa Solórzano led people dressed in white and with Venezuelan flags.
At noon the national anthem was sung and political leaders read a statement at Francisco de Miranda Avenue.
(Q24N) “It’s a historic error,” said Enrique Krauze, a well-known historian of Mexico President Enrique Peña Nieto inviting Donald J. Trump to visit Mexico for a dialogue in the interest of democracy. “You confront tyrants. You don’t appease them.”
For many Mexicans, who feel that Trump offended them with his disparaging comments and promises to build a border wall, the surprising invitation from Peña — who has likened Trump’s language to that of Hitler and Mussolini in the past — is even worse.
In Mexico, newspapers, television stations, social media and all manner of national communications were awash in vitriol at the idea of a meeting between the two men.
Peña has at least one supporter, Rafael Fernández de Castro, a professor at Syracuse University and former foreign policy adviser to Felipe Calderón, the previous Mexican president, who said “the U.S. electorate put him (Trump) in this position, and Peña is respecting that (…) a good relationship with the U.S. is essential for the well-being of Mexico.”
In the news release following the private meeting, President Peña explained the rationale for the meeting as being in the interest of democracy and to create a dialogue.
However, Esteban Illades, editor of Nexos, a magazine in Mexico, said “To put it mildly, I think it was the biggest humiliation a Mexican president has suffered on his own territory in the last 50 years, he not only managed to make Donald Trump look presidential, which is an incredibly hard thing to do, he managed to forgive Donald Trump even though he didn’t actually offer an apology in the first place.”
Read the complete story from the New York Times here.
Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and GOP nominee Donald Trump. CREDIT: CNN
Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Donald Trump. CREDIT: CNN
(Q24N) Following a controversial and hastily thrown together bilateral meeting behind closed doors on Wednesday, Donald Trump and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto held a tense press conference in which they politely disagreed about immigration, trade, and jobs.
Speaking first, President Peña Nieto tore into the core argument of Trump’s campaign — that illegal immigration across the U.S. Mexico border is out of control.
Watch:
“Undocumented immigration from Mexico to the U.S. had its highest point 10 years ago and it has slowed down consistently, even to the point of being negative in a net effect at this point,” said Peña Nieto, referring to data that supports these claims. He added that Trump’s portrayal of the border as a one-way street is “a clearly incomplete version” that “doesn’t account for the illegal flow” of money and firearms that goes into Mexico from the United States.
Mexican president says he told Trump they’re not paying for the wall. “Who pays for the wall? We didn’t discuss that,” Trump said in Mexico City, shortly after Peña Nieto spoke.
“Every year, millions of dollars and weapons come in from the north that strengthen the cartels and other criminal organizations that generate violence in Mexico,” Peña Nieto pointed out, adding that criminals in the U.S. benefit from the sale of illegal drugs.
Mexico’s president, who is deeply unpopular in his own country, also pushed back against Trump’s frequent rhetoric disparaging the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). “I shared with Mr. Trump my belief that NAFTA has been good for both the US and Mexico,” he said, adding that Trump’s characterization of multilateral trade deals having winners and losers is inaccurate. “Trade is not a zero sum endeavor.”
Trump stood stiffly at his podium during Peña Nieto’s statement, not looking at the Mexican president. When it was his turn to speak, he hammered the importance of building a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.
“Having a secure border is a sovereign right,” he said. “We recognize and respect the right of either country to build a physical barrier or wall on any of its borders to stop the illegal movement of people, drugs, and weapons.”
He then hinted at his frequent boast that he would force Mexico to pay for such a wall, which is estimated to cost billions of dollars, saying: “Cooperation toward achieving the shared objective, and it will be shared, of safety for all citizens is paramount to the United States and Mexico.”
But when reporters present pinned Trump down on whether he directly asked Mexico to pay for the wall, as he has led supporters at nearly all of his rallies to believe, he demurred. “Who pays for the wall? We didn’t discuss that. This was a very preliminary meeting.”
In a follow-up statement after his joint press conference, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto said that he had in fact told Donald Trump that Mexico would not pay for his proposed border wall.
For the first time in 8 years, Clowning & Caring in Costa Rica will bring a Festival to La Carpio, one of the most dangerous communities in San Jose and the largest settlement of migrants in Central America. Photo from Patchadams.org
(QCOSTARICA) “Patch Adams”, Hunter Doherty Adams, the American physician, clown and author who’s character inspired the popular movie is currently spreading smiles in Costa Rica, bringing laughter therapy to one of the most vulnerable communities in San Jose.
Patch Adams in La Carpio
“La Carpio is the most dangerous place in Costa Rica, so where do we go? A La Carpio,” an excited Patch said, adding that on his first visit to the community he met many people full of love.
Doctor Patch Adam founded the Gesundheit Institute in 1971. Known for his philosophy of using humour as therapy, each year he organizes a group of volunteers from around the world to travel to various countries.
In Costa Rica, accompanied by a group of 45 clowns from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Argentina and Italy, the agenda calls for a week with the residents of La Carpio.
The agenda also called for share of the story of his life, jokes and emotional reflections on Tuesday with students and volunteers of the University of Costa Rica (UCR). Adams on Tuesday filled the UCR auditorium, urging young medical students to make a revolution and find ways to provide a non-traditional service.
As part of the project, 45 clowns United States, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Argentina and Italy, will also visit different institutions will share in workshops aimed at developing Clowning as a tool for healthy living.
Watch the video, Village of Hope: La Carpio, a documentary exploring the lives of eleven women who live in La Carpio, a slum located outside San Jose, Costa Rica.
Legislator Otto Guevara tried to stall Monday’s approval of the legislation with respect sexual relations between adults and minors. Guevara opposes the changes. Photo Mayela Lopez, La Nacion
(QCOSTARICA) The Legislature approved Monday night the bill that punishes with prison sex with a minor, but, depending on the age difference.
The bill calls for a prison term of two to three years for adults who have a sexual relationship with an adolescent between 15 and 17, if the age difference is greater than seven years.
The original text of the proposal known as Ley 19,337, called for a penalty of two to four years in prison, provided the age difference was less than 5 years.
In the case of minors 13 and 14, the adult faces a prison term of three to six years if the age difference is five years or more.
However, the negotiated change in the hours leading up to voting, prison is not the first option for adults who engage in such sexual liaisons, because in sentences of three years or less, the trial judge may opt for a conditional sentence, ie. probation, unless the person is a repeat offender, explained Emilia Monila, legislator for the Partido Acción Ciudadana (PAC).
Sexual relations with a minor under 13 is considered statutory rape irrespective of the age difference.
The bill also prohibits marriages involving minors (anyone under the age of 18), in an attempt to reduce the school drop out rate, teenage pregnancy and abuse of power by adults over minors.
What happens if…? To be clear, if the bill obtains approval in second and final vote, the following assumptions apply:
1. An adolescent after reaching 15 and before their 18th birthday can have a sexual relationship with another adolescent, including an adult if the age difference is less than 7 years. That is, an 21-year-old can enter into a relationship with a 15-year-old without any legal consequences, 16 and 22, 17 and 23 and so on.
2. A minor, after completing their 13th birthday and before their 15th, can have a sexual relationship with an adult as long as the age difference is less than 5 years. That is, a 14-year-old can have sex with an 18-year-old (an adult) with no legal problems.
3. Under no circumstances is a minor (under 18 years of age) permitted to enter into a marriage.
Legislators like Otto Guevara of the Movimiento Libertario (ML) and Oscar Lopez of the Accesibilidad Sin Exclusión (PASE) question the changes to the Criminal Code.
In Monday’s legislative session, Guevara try to stall the approval of the bill. The legislator opposes the changes to the current legislation that has no age difference limits, including allowing a 15 year-old to enter into a marriage with an adult of any age, like in the most recent ‘all legal’ case of a 40 year-old teacher marrying her 15 year-old student.
For is part, Lopez related his story of how when he was 13, his first girlfriend was 20, thus with the new law she would have gone to jail, though it (the jail sentence) would be unlikely because, according to the legislator, “there is so much hypocrisy in this matter”.
(Q24N) As time passes there is growing uncertainty on the part of traders that have shops in Soho Mall in Panama about the future of the company which has been included on the US government’s list of companies suspected of money laundering.
From a statement issued by the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP):
Entrepreneurs are asking local authorities to intervene in the situation faced by companies included in the Clinton List.
Panama, August 29, 2016
The Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP) has expressed concern, as more than three months after several Panamanian companies were included in the so-called Clinton List, and although operating licenses have been extended to some of them, there is uncertainty about being able to to comply with bank transfers and payments of their suppliers on time, because of the multiple steps that must be taken in order to achieve this and because there is no certainty over the future of their operations as well as the fact that it is difficult to manage providers and suppliers who feel that these businesses could close at any time.
These remarks came during a second meeting between executives of the business association with representatives of companies operating in the premises established in Soho Mall, businessmen affected by the inclusion of Soho Panama, S.A. in the Clinton List, but who are not responsible nor have they anything to do with the companies included in the Clinton List, but who are however being seriously affected.
Earlier this year, authorities pounced on Panama businessman whose family ‘laundered funds on behalf of Colombian and Mexican drug cartels’. Read more ar the Dailymail.co.uk
(QCOSTARICA) It is common to hear that gasoline in Costa Rica is expensive. But is it really so?
When comparing prices with the rest of the world, Costa Rica is 74th of 160 in the world, far from being the most expensive.
The LaRepublica.net provides an infograph of prices around the world, converted to Colones for comparison. Topping the list is Hong Kong, where a litre of regular gasoline is priced at ¢1,020 colones, almost double what we pay in Costa Rica.
At the bottom, with the least expensive gasoline, is Kuwait where the a litre of regular costs ¢120.
Even in Latin America, Costa Rica not the most expensive, cheaper that countries like Brazil, Argentina and Chile, but more expensive that is neighbours Panama and Nicargua, an a long way to Ecuador, with the loest price in the Americas.
The price of a litre of regular gasoline in Latin America:
Ecuador (156) ¢217
Bolivia (145) ¢301
Venezuela (140) ¢335
Panama (132) ¢374
Colombia (127) ¢390
Guatemala (124) ¢407
El Salvador (122) ¢433
Peru (97) ¢485
Nicaragua (92) ¢496
Honduras (82) ¢519
Costa Rica (74) ¢563
Paraguay (64) ¢608
Chile (62) ¢619
Brazil (57) ¢630
Argentina (51) ¢647
Belize (42) ¢675
To round out the Americas, the price in the United States (135) ¢351, Mexico (105) ¢457 and Canada (87) ¢507.
Rounding out the top ten most expensive following number 1 Hong Kong are Norway, Iceland, Holland, Italy, Denmark, Greece, San Marino and Sweden.
However, for a valid comparison we cannot take just the price of a litre, but how many litres can be bought with a salary.
In Costa Rica, with a per capita annual income of nearly US$11,000 dollars (¢6.1 million colones at the current dollar exchange rate), it buys 900 litres a month of regular gasoline.
By doing the same with all countries, Costa Rica falls to 94th place in the ranking, even cheaper compared to prices around the world. For example, Hong Kong, with an average annual income of US$42,000 and with the highest per litre price turns out to be one even cheaper than Costa Rica, ranking 128th.
(QCOSTARICA) Costa Rica DTH service Qualy TV has announced that it’s ceasing operations just under two years after announcing its commercial launch.
“In the last few months we have experienced various difficulties beyond our control, prompting us to take the decision to close operations definitively,” said the company on its Facebook page. The service will continue operating until 30 September at no cost to subscribers.
Qualy TV, part of the Albavision Group, officially launched in November 2014 on the satellite broadband platform of Media Networks, a Telefonica unit. It offered 64 national and international channels for ¢12,500 per month.
In an open letter to subscribers, QualyTv in Costa Rica (TVSEÑAL INNOVA S. A) general manager, Danny Zúñiga, the closure will take place in strict compliance with current legislation.
Subscribers with any questions regarding this process please contact our toll-free customer-QUALYTV 800 (800-7825988), from Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM, or numbers 2299-7532 or 2299-7533.
Qualy TV still has a presence in Nicaragua and Guatemala and previously announced plans to expand to other markets including Honduras, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic
EPA is among the many retailers offering liquidation prices in September.
EPA is among the many retailers offering liquidation prices in September.
(QCOSTARICA) September is around the corner and so are the deals at local merchants, offering discounts for the end of the fiscal period, which for many will be on September 30.
Large retailers like Walmart and EPA have already announced liquidation prices, with discounts of up to 70% on selected items in stock.
Mariela Pacecho, coordinator of Corporata Affaits at Walmart, told La Nacion, “these reductions correspond to a process of liquidation of merchandise that is part of the end of the fiscal period.”
While Walmart had its big blow this past week, Pacheco added that deals will continue, as well at their Masxmenos and Pali stores.
“Currently, EPA has more than 2,000 products with discounts ranging between 30% and 70%, which will reap great benefits people to invest in their home,” the company said in a statement.
EPA’s strategy is to offer customers to buy products affordably, to make room for new products.
For most companies, the fiscal period runs from October 1 to September 30, with income tax declaration be made not later than December 15.
German Morales, tax partner at Deloitte, explained that if the company sells the products at lower prices or at cost, then the profit is lower and tax to be paid is reduced.
The expert added that companies need to sell their existing stock to recover their liquidity to purchase merchandise for the new season.
