Photos of the accident from Policias de Costa Rica.
(QCOSTARICA) It was on the night of March 17 of this year. The scenario Pavas, in the area a few blocks from the National Stadium. A street race was on. But this time it would end different than the others. A young woman would up losing both her legs.
Daryl Andrea Aguilar Cruz, 23, was a spectator of this controversial sport that the traffic police have been unable to curb. She was sitting on the sidewalk in the company of friends, when the car driven by Frech Salameh, 20, hits another car not involved in the race.
Frech loses control of his vehicle, hitting the young woman. In hospital, the following day, doctors at the Trauma Centre of the Hospital Mexico, in La Uruca, had to amputate her legs.
Photos of the accident from Policias de Costa Rica.
According to immigration records, the Frech, blamed for causing the serious injury and wanted for careless driving, had left the country, crossing into Nicaragua on March 18.
The young woman said she holds no grudges against the young man, telling the press, “I was there (watching the street races) because I wanted to.” However, the prosecution confirms that in June she filed charges against Frech.
On Tuesday, the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) reported on Monday, that Frech had detained in Jordan, on August 3, by Interpol acting on an international warrant issued by Costa Rica, whe he tried to enter that country.
Daryl Andrea Aguilar Cruz, on March 21, 2016, talking to the press from her hospital bed. Doctors at the Trauma Centre of the Hospital Mexico, in La Uruca, had to amputed both her legs a result of her injuries. Photo Marcela Bertozzi
Given than Costa Rica does not have extradition with Jordan, on Tuesday, the Attorney General asked the Criminal Court of Pavas to authorize the extradition of Frech. The Pavas court has yet to rule on the request.
Meanwhile, Frech is being held by Jordan authorities, waiting on Costa Rica authorities to officially send the extradition request.
Costa Rica's leading Spanish language newspaper, La Nacion, calls taxi drivers in yesterday's protest "Big Losers". Photo
(QCOSTARICA) The leading daily Spanish language newspaper, La Nacion, calls the taxi drivers that blocked the streets on Tuesday in a protest against Uber, the big losers of their own making.
Costa Rica’s leading Spanish language newspaper, La Nacion, calls taxi drivers in yesterday’s protest “Big Losers”. Photo
The blockades of major routes in the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM) of San Jose began shortly after 5:00am, but by noon, it was all over. The quick and decisive action of the national police and traffic police, kept the protesters under control.
In total, some 3,000 Fuerza Publica and 300 Transito officials took part in the operations in various part of the city, from the outskirts of the international airport, to San Pedro where the most violent actions took place, to Curridabat where the majority of arrests and vehicle seizures took place.
The leader of the taxi movement, Ruben Vargas, called off the protest after hundreds gathered in front of the regulating authority offices in Guachipelin, announcing they had gotten a meeting (for next Monday) with the regulator.
Ruben Vargas, leader of the taxi drivers movement, outside the Aresep in Escazu.
However, what seems to have influenced the taxistas to cut their protest short may be the arrest of 75 taxi drivers, the seizure of 33 vehicles and the issuing of 119 traffic fines.
71 drivers of the drivers arrested with charged with minor offences (a fine basically and set free), the other four, however, face criminal charges. In addition, all have their concession permits in question and the those who had their vehicles seized face the trials and frustrations of getting them back. In all cases, all suffered economic losses.
The fact, that the government of Luis Guillermo Solis stayed firm in that there would be no dialogue if there were blockades and violence, many have also influenced the call to end the protest that was to have lasted all day.
To save face, supported by jeers of his fellow taxi driver, Vargas was adamant that, if the dialogue with the regulator doesn’t go well, they will be back, the next time “ready for war”.
Foreigners lending a helping hand to shuck cocoa in a small farm located in Matastal (south of Puriscal) Costa Rica. Photo by Rico, QCostarica
Foreigners lending a helping hand to shuck cocoa in a small farm located in Matastal (south of Puriscal) Costa Rica. Photo by Rico
(QCOSTARICA) In order to take advantage of the growing global demand for cocoa (cacao in Spanish) and fine chocolates, in the last three years the number of hectares dedicated to the cultivation of cocoa in the country went from 3169 to 4000.
Supporting efforts to obtain a high-quality grain, local producers are increasing acreage and diversifying final products, in order to export cocoa not only in its whole grain or chopped format, but also products such as chocolate, cocoa butter, liqueurs and other things.
Oscar Brenes, manager of the National Cocoa Program at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), told Nacion.com that “… during the last three years there has been a revival in the cultivation of this fruit thanks to more consumers being interested in a product with the qualities that we have in the country. ”
Cocoa small farm located in Matastal (south of Puriscal) Costa Rica. Photo by Rico
Figures from the Business Intelligence unit at CentralAmericaData com indicate that in 2013 the country exported 1962 tons, with a value of $7,845,319, in comparison, in 2015 the value of exports amounted to $10,185,865, with a total of 2,923 tons.
“… Increased demand for higher quality cocoa is also being felt by producers and traders of cocoa and its derivatives. Such are the cases of Nahua, Finca La Anita and Sibú Chocolates. ‘There is a preference worldwide for the finest products, if consumers want more fine chocolates or cocoa there is an opportunity. Cocoa from Costa Rica has unique notes, for example, Upala has notes of caramel but it also has advantages because of social and environmental aspects’, said Juan Pablo Buchert, owner of Nahua. ”
Among the main target markets for exports of this grain produced in Costa Rica are the Netherlands (31%), Panama (28%), Honduras (20%), Germany (8%), and Japan and the US (5% each).
Egina Sama (26) and Emensa Angela (30). Congo. “We have not eaten or slept well in weeks. We traveled by boat to Ecuador from the Congo with our children in our arms and we went up through the jungle with them until we reached Panama. We want to go to the United States to work.”
Dozens of Haitians crowd along a small breakfast table to secure a plate of beans and rice with shredded meat. Photos by Ariana Crespo
(By María Fernanda Cruz y Ariana Crespo, Vozdeguanacaste.com) Time creeps by slowly at the San Dimas shelter where hundreds of Haitians and Africans wait day after day for a miracle to open the closed border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua, just 5 kilometers away.
In a 500-square-meter common room mats compete for space with scattered baby pacifiers, diapers, food and small pieces of luggage whose only contents are a few photographs of what were once passports. Mothers bathe their children in sinks while others wash dishes next to them. Some pass the time brushing their hair. Others blankly stare at cellphones for hours on end.
Washing clothes is one of the main activities in the community hall. The migrants take advantage of the entire perimeter and the neighbors’ fences to hang their garments.
On a recent Wednesday in July, the goal of most of the people here was just getting through another day. It has been that way for three months, when the local municipality’s emergency commission opened this shelter.
“I don’t even know what day it is,” says Sammuel, a Nigerian whose badly burned skin tells the story of pain and suffering at the hands of Islamic extremist group Boko Haram. One day, the terrorists stormed his church, setting it ablaze and burning the Christian worshippers inside.
For Sammuel, time has stood still since the decision by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega on Nov. 15, 2015 to close its border with Costa Rica to the waves of migrants gathering here – first Cubans, and now Haitians and Africans. Sammuel has failed three times to cross Nicaragua’s border by attempting to trek across the rugged mountain forest. He lost $3,000 to smugglers in the process, and now he says he will try no more. But he also says he has nothing left to lose.
The others here are in limbo, too, with no money to return to their own countries or to try their luck with smugglers. Going back home, where they were poor to begin with or where they faced death threats, isn’t an option. They have WhatsApp messages and Facebook photos to prove their stories to anyone who will listen.
The Costa Rican government is keenly aware of the migrants’ plight. Communications Minister Mauricio Herrera says this new wave of migrants hopes for similar treatment as the Cubans received, but it’s simply not possible.
“We can’t deport them, we can’t provide them an air bridge, and Nicaragua won’t let them cross. We can’t do anything with them,” Herrera says.
Two weeks after this interview, the government has begun a process of detaining and deporting them to their countries of origin. Borders also have been closed to new migrants without proper documentation because Costa Rica lacks the resources to process them, according to President Luis Guillermo Solís.
La Cruz, already ranked as Costa Rica’s second to last canton in terms of social development, now faces another challenge: The migrants here want to leave, but they can’t.
Doing What They Can
Egina Sama (26) and Emensa Angela (30). Congo. “We have not eaten or slept well in weeks. We traveled by boat to Ecuador from the Congo with our children in our arms and we went up through the jungle with them until we reached Panama. We want to go to the United States to work.”
Muinga Mirielle is one of the cooks from the Haitian group. In the kitchen, they call her “Sexy” because she moves very gracefully. Alongwith two other Haitian women, she prepares three pots of rice and beans to feed about 150 people.
After waiting for two hours for the Haitians to finish using the kitchen, the group of Africans serve a dish of food in a very orderly fashion. The dish from Senegal, called Farci, contains onion, garlic, pepper, rice, meat and egg.The Government estimates that 300 people are living in this shelter, including men, women and their children.
It’s 3 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon in July and Red Cross paramedic Christopher Elizondo tries – and fails – to organize the tumultuous group that simultaneously shouts, laughs and cries while they eat.
This is the closest that Christopher and other members of the community of Las Vueltas de La Cruz will get to the violence and chaos caused by Boko Haram, or to the repression against those who speak freely in Ethiopia, or to the extreme hunger faced by countless Haitians after the devastating earthquake of 2010.
In this neighborhood, with its dozens of humble homes built with government bonds, some neighbors are concerned for their security. Others try to help with what they can, loaning a cellphone charger, withdrawing money from Western Union or bringing a simple cup of coffee.
“I let them (the migrants) camp here in my yard because it’s not a bother at all,” says Yuzel Rodríguez, who lives next to the shelter. “I heard the local (development) association was going around collecting signatures to remove them, but as I said before, I’m not signing anything.”
Other locals worry about the spread of dengue, Zika and other diseases they worry the migrants might bring with them or that could proliferate in the stagnant water accumulating at the entrance of the neighborhood, a large, green breeding ground for mosquitoes.
But at the shelter not a single mosquito is found, thanks to fumigation efforts by the Health Ministry. The only buzz here are the stories of horror – families who have hiked for six days through the rugged and unforgiving Darién Gap between Colombia and Panama, and the months-long journey on boats from Africa. Others have fled Brazil, where they once worked but had to leave because of the economic downturn there.
The Journey
Mitta, 25. Ethiopia. “(Between Colombia and Panama) I hiked for six days through the mountains, it rained constantly, I lost my documents, but I arrived. In Nicaragua, on the other hand, they leave you in the jungle and you have to find soldiers because you’re dying of thirst. They don’t say a word, but they send you back without any money”.
Fallou Sourang. Senegal. “I got to Costa Rica seven months ago. I was among the first migrants. In Africa, I worked as a salesperson and earned about $350. I paid $400 to a coyote (term used for someone who smuggles people across the border) to take me to Nicaragua. He ended up stealing everything from me.”
Tabit Rodulf, 30. Cameroon. “I just want to keep walking, keep going. Going to America has been my dream since I was a child. I am an engineer and I supervised works in Cameroon. I want to work to send money to my wife. I spent a week in the jungle without food and cut off from communication. If I had known what was waiting for me, I never would never come.”Mohammed Awal. Frank Boadi Nyaneke. Ghana. Awal: “I studied journalism and communication at Kumasi Technical University. When I finished college, I did not have work and I decided to start giving talks in schools and colleges. Although the constitution in my country guarantees freedom of expression, few people have the courage to criticize the government. I do and that is why I started receiving threatening messages via Whatsapp and Facebook.” Nyaneke: “I had my own bar. I used the back part of it as a meeting place for the gay community because it is illegal and dangerous there. When neighbors found out, they burned the bar and my house and threatened to kill me.”
Mitta opens her mouth to reveal badly infected gums. The gap where two teeth had been is now filled with swollen flesh that causes her jaw to bulge and forces her to chew her words before she speaks them.
Now 25, she says she fled Ethiopia six years ago after she began to speak out against the government.
“I said what I felt,” she says in English, dragging out the vowels. “They were going to kill my parents if I stayed there.”
Her journey led her to Brazil, where she worked in a hair salon. But she had to leave there, too, when two men began fighting over her attention and threatened to kill her. From Brazil she traveled to Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica.
–What was the most difficult part of the journey?
–Reaching Nicaragua.
Although there is a large police barrier preventing undocumented migrants from crossing into Costa Rica from Panama, the southern border is porous, and there are even some stores where you enter in one country and leave in another, says Herrera, the communications minister.
“Last week between 100 and 150 people entered (Costa Rica) each day. That’s unsustainable for a small country like Costa Rica,” he says.
At Paso Canoas, on Costa Rica’s southern border, undocumented migrants are placed under an immigration protocol that allows them 25 days in the country. Officials take their fingerprints and try to determine their identities, and a basic medical checkup is offered. All of the country’s community health clinics, known as Ebáis, in these areas of migration are under orders to administer care to the migrants.
–I’m in a lot of pain, so much pain, but I don’t want paracetamol for my teeth. The government has been good to us, but I don’t want to stay here. I want to continue to the United States.
–Do you have someone waiting there for you?
–No, I don’t have anyone.
–What do you hope to find in the United States?
–Education. I want to study politics to liberate my country.I want freedom for my people.
But wanting something requires an unimaginable degree of patience when hope is so illusory. As their watches strike 10 p.m., some migrants retire to bed. Sammuel takes pills to relieve his muscle pain and lies down on a foam mat with a blanket over his face. Next to him, a Muslim man quietly prays. Tomorrow is another day – one that most likely will be the same as today.
(by Henry Morales, Vozdeguanacaste.com) Two new legislative proposals are contributing to efforts by the community of Nosara to prevent drowning at local beaches, as well as crocodile attacks and environmental damage caused by both outsiders and local residents.
One of the proposals is a bill to create a National Lifeguard Corps, while the other is a program to recruit ad honorem environmental custodians.
Although Tourism Police and members of the coast guard currently patrol the beaches, the lifeguard proposal would provide more resources to government agencies for the training of additional personnel to keep beachgoers safe.
Technical studies would be conducted on various beaches to determine their level of danger and warning signs would be placed as needed, said Nogui Acosta, an aide to lawmaker Luis Vásquez, the bill’s main sponsor.
The Legislative Assembly is expected to discuss the proposed legislation as the safety of tourists continues to be threatened by growing populations of crocodiles at Guanacaste beaches and drowning deaths of tourists, including experienced swimmers.
Last year, for example, a 56-year-old Canadian man died at Playa Barrigona, near Sámara and Nosara. According to a friend of the victim, the man was an experienced swimmer, but emergency response time was too slow.
Days after the incident, National Police delegation chief Jorge Jiménez told The Voice of Guanacaste that his officers are not trained in aquatic rescue or how to react to these types of accidents.
If the bill passes, the National Lifeguard Commission would be composed of representatives from the Red Cross, the Costa Rican Tourism Board, the Public Security Ministry, tourism chambers and the Costa Rican Coast Guard.
Municipalities would be tasked with hiring squads of full-time, trained personnel and providing them with resources, equipment and budgets.
Marco Ávila, president of the Nosara Development Association, said the bill is badly needed.
“(The bill) would be a very good thing because in Nosara there is no signage or lifeguards with proper equipment. There are also numerous crocodiles in the Nosara River where many people bathe. Yet there are no preventive measures in place,” Ávila said.
Protecting Natural Resources
Another measure that would aid Nosara and other communities near refuges and national parks is a decree calling for the creation of Natural Resources Vigilance Committees, or COVIRENAS. The decree was signed by President Luis Guillermo Solís and Environment Minister Edgar Gutiérrez on July 25 in Nicoya.
Those interested in becoming ad honorem environmental custodians should present a formal request to a local office of the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) or to the Department of Prevention, Protection and Control at SINAC’s executive secretariat.
Better organization could help prevent crimes such as theft of animals or plants from protected areas and illegal logging. In Costa Rica, Guanacaste is the province most affected by illegal logging, according to the most recent report by the Environment Ministry, published in June.
The COVIRENAS decree takes effect once it is published in the official government newspaper La Gaceta. The National Lifeguard Commission bill is expected to enter into discussion in the Assembly in coming days.
(TICO BULL) The hooligans, also known as official taxi drivers or ‘taxistas’ in Spanish were out in full force this morning, in their intent on bringing the government of Luis Guillermo Solis to its knees, for being soft on NOT stopping Uber.
The taxistas, for the longest time, have been a force to be reckoned with. Nobody has wanted to mess with them. They have shown over and over they can quickly unite in a single cause, be it against Uber or in an assault on one of their own.
But today was different. From the early hours, the President, his Security Minister, Chief of the Fuerza Publica (police) and the Policia de Transito (traffic police), among others, began their day early, around 4:30am, hours ahead of the planned start of the taxi protest, to set in a motion a quick and decisive plan of action against the threatened violence.
And so it was. Within minutes of hitting the streets the police were on them. In San Pedro, by the San Pedro mall, the favourite location for most protests, some of the taxistas literally hit the ground when taxi blocked the intersection and a small group started beating on a police officer, cutting his lip and knocking out three teeth, in the first (and as it turns out the only serious) confrontation.
In the area of the airport, as on the Ruta 27 by Escazu and in the area of La Galera (Curridabat on the east side) the riot squads quickly moved the taxis to a side, making room for vehicles to pass. It was slow, but the blockade was broken. Authorities showed their muscles, they weren’t afraid of the hooligans.
President Solis stood by his word, refusing to talk if there blockades and violence. Even the regulator of public services would only set a meeting for next Monday after hundres of taxistas gathered in front of the Guachipelin offices.
In the end, 78 taxistas were arrested, 33 vehicles seized and 119 drivers fined for all kinds of infractions, from blocking traffic to not having their vehicle’s paperwork in order, even some with expired drivers licenses.
At noon the television cameras could only repeat what had happened in the morning, as there were no blockades, and the only taxis on the roads where the ones working, picking up fares.
This had never happened before.
The brave men and women of the Fuerza Publica and Policia de Transito did their job well, they have to be given much of the credit, mobilizing quickly, stopping the hooligans before things really got out of hands. A job well done.
To save face and keeping in line their hooligan mentality, a number of taxi drivers promised to be back, the next time ready for “war”.
The meal of the day at La Galeria soda. Exclusive photo the Q
The lunch counter in La Galeria, between Avenida 2 and Avenida Central, offers up some of the best San Jose street food.
(QCOSTARICA) Though San Jose may not be on the CNN list of the “World’s 23 best cities for street food”, you can get some great food on the streets of San Jose, but, you have to really look for it.
San Jose typically doesn’t have street vendors, “street food” is usually under roof, in a soda and in the mercados (markets). This is not “food court” food, the sodas and mercados are an acquired experience.
The Copo, a shaved ice treat, is a favourite street food in Costa Rica, found nearly on every beach in Costa Rica, but difficult to find in San Jose.
So, what are the world’s best cities for street food, according to CNN?
Marrakesh, Morocco
Marrakesh is the street food capital of Morocco, offering everything from camel spleen kebabs to deep-fried sesame cookies.
Bangkok, Thailand
Few cities can rival Bangkok when it comes to street food variety and quality. Spicy noodles, glistening rice porridge, tender pork legs — all can be had for a handful of change and minimal fuss.
Bali, Indonesia
The best satay sticks in Bali are marinated in turmeric, barbecued over coals and then coated with a generous dose of peanut sauce.
Beijing, China
Jiumen Snack Street and Wangfujing Snack Street (pictured) are two popular destinations for tourists looking for a street food extravaganza. Unusual treats include grilled seahorse and scorpion skewers.
Honolulu, Hawaii
Hawaii doesn’t only dish out creative street cuisine. It also has a thriving food truck culture with interesting truck designs.
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Some of the best banh mi sandwiches, one of Vietnam’s most loved exports, can be found on the sidewalk in Ho Chi Minh City.
Hong Kong
You know it’s a legit street food city when the Michelin Guide debuted a street food category there. A crispy Hong Kong-style egg waffle is one of the city’s favorites.
Cairo, Egypt
Travelers can explore a whole new world of street snacks in Cairo beyond just falafel and shawarma.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Coconut water and tropical fruit juice popsicles are some of the ideal foods to get when visiting Rio de Janeiro
Mumbai, India
Living in Mumbai, where there’s an unbelievable array of cheap eats in the streets, is both a treat and a threat to one’s waistline.
Sydney, Australia
The Sydney Fish Market is a wonderful place to get fresh seafood. Peter’s Seafood Cafe cooks it in its shop window.
Tokyo, Japan
Home to more Michelin-starred restaurants than any city in the world, Tokyo’s street food — be it raw or cooked — is hard to beat.
Rome, Italy
Gelato time in Rome is definitely an Instagrammable moment.
Paris, France
Delicious street food. Delicious views. That’s Paris.
Portland, Oregon
A churro sundae from Churros Locos, a venue in one of the hippest street food cities, Portland.
(QCOSTARICA) Some firms processing residency aren’t quite accurate in their description or disclosure of fees for temporary residency in Costa Rica.
Outlier Legal Services, a company dedicated to assist the expat community in Costa Rica, has posted a note explaining the importance of people to know the amount of money they will need to spend in government fees, regardless of their filing the residency application on their own or using an attorney.
All the government fees, payable at the Banco de Costa Rica (BCR), are split into two: at the beginning of the process when the residency application is field, and at the end of the process when residency is approved.
When Filing
At the start of the process the government fee is US$251. The payment receipt (from the BCR) is required to be attached to the application. The immigration service will reject any application without the fee. Remember the fee is payable only at the BCR, not any other financial institution.
The fees are broken down as such:
Application fee US$50
Change of Status fee, US$200
Stamps, US$1. This is basically a tax for filing the paperwork. The word stamp is use since in the past an actual stamp (just like postage stamp) was to be purchased as proof of the tax paid and attached (licked to glue) to the document.
When Approved
When the application is approved, the applicant will be required to pay the government fee of US$423 (more or less) to complete the process. This is where some people get a shock, mainly because they may never been told or didn’t pay attention to the fee structure.
The goverment fee is broken down as:
US$300 for security deposit, that may be used to send a foreign national back home in should the foreigner be deported. This amount could vary, depending on the applicants country of origin. A flight to China or Europe is much more than to the U.S. or Colombia, for example. Since the fee is set in colones, the actual dollar amount may vary, based on the exchange rate at the time of the payment.
US$123, this is for the cost of the DIMEX, the ID card issued to foreign residents.
Therefore, applicants should budget US$673 for government fees to complete their residency application.
The above fees are only application to the immigration process, and does not incude fees for the CCSS – the “Caja” or social security – application; nor legal fees if using a lawyer.
Other fees to consider are costs of official translation of documents and the cost for obtaining of document such as birth certificates and background checks )police record or Antecedentes Penales in Spanish) from the home country.
Ruben Vargas, leader of the taxi drivers movement, outside the Aresep in Escazu.
Ruben Vargas, leader of the taxi drivers movement, outside the Aresep in Escazu, is surrounded by taxi drivers in talking to the press, ending the protest for today.
(QCOSTARICA) In the face of a strong police presence and their quick response to blockades, the taxi drivers ended their protest earlier than anticipated, minutes before noon calling the protest at an end. For now.
Rubén Vargas, leader of the taxi drivers in the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM), thanked all the taxi drivers who came out to support the movement, to force the government to shut down Uber.
In front of the Autoridad Reguladora de Servicios Publicos (ARESEP), in Guachipelin de Escazú, Vargas said he and his group were satisfied to wait until Monday, August 16, the day they have a hearing with the regulatory general, Roberto Jimenez, to address their issues.
Vargas said they will be asking ¢70 million colones (US$128,000 dollars) for each driver in the even authorities legalize Uber in the country.
“Each of us will come, we will hand over the (taxi) plates, they give us a check, and we go home,” said Vargas.
The union leader said that government’s inaction against Uber has cost them their livelihood, their earnings dropping by more than 50% in many cases.
Asked as to who won or lost today, the Minister of Security, Gustavo Mata, explained that it wasn’t a question of winning or losing by one side or the other, however, the “taxi drivers out protesting today did lose their day’s earnings”.
While the roads for today and for coming days to come are free of protests from the taxi drivers, union leaders assure that this is not the end and more and strong action is forthcoming if their demands aren’t met. Some assure future protests will be “war”.
The day’s tally: 78 taxi drivers arrested, 33 vehicles seized, 119 traffic tickets issued and ¢80 millione colones cost for police operations.
For many the only way to make it on time for their flight was to walk.
For many the only way to make it on time for their flight was to walk. Photo Shirley Vásquez
(QCOSTARICA) San Jose, 10:17AM – “There was violence, a policeman has is teeth knocked out Today we will not negotiate,” were the words of Mauricio Herrera, the ministry of communications with respect to the protest by taxis today.
The specialized police unit ensured movement of traffic in the area of the San Jose airport. Photo from Twitter.
In statement to the press this morning, the government of Luis Guillermo Solis reiterated: if there were blockades, there would be no dialogue.
“Right now there is nothing to talk about and they know it,” said the government statement.
The situation around 6:00am this morning in San Pedro, less than an hour of the official start of the protest. Photo from Twitter
President Solis was at the central command post from 4:30am this morning, working with his minister of Security, Gustavo Mata and the Chief of the Fuerza Publica (police) and dozens of other officials, monitoring and coordinating efforts in the face of the threatened violence by the taxi drivers.
The detentions ranged from public disorder to blocking public roads. A total of 78 people were detained this morning (up to 9:30am). Photo from Ministerio de Seguridad Twitter.
The police official that had his teeth knocked out, injured by a taxi driver with a rock in his hand during a confrontation in the area of Mall San Pedro, was identified as Erick Chaves Sibaja, a member of the Unidad de Intervención Policial (UIP) – a specialized police unit dealing with manifestations (riots).
Migrants at the Paso Canos border with Panama with transit visa board a bus to the northen border with Nicaragua.
Migrants at the Paso Canos border with Panama with transit visas boarding a bus to the northen border with Nicaragua. Photo Jose Cordero, La Nacion
(QCOSTARICA) 95% of the migrants camped out in the northern and southern border points of the country are Haitians posing as Africans, to avoid deportation to their country of origin.
This was confirmed by Costa Rica’s Minister of Foreign Relations, Manuel Gonzalez, who said that the national authorities were able to detect this strategy, after interviewing several of them.
“Every time we see they are not Africans, but rather they Haitians (…). They say they are Africans, it does not suit them to say they are Haitians, because other conditions apply to them and, of course, the possibility of deportation to Haiti is closer than if we had to, to an African country,” said Gonzalez.
In the statement the Minister inferred that the cost is the determining factor if they are deported or not.
The government estimates some 2,000 migrants, as of August 4, are in the country waiting to be able to move north, through Nicaragua and the rest of Central America to their final destination, the United States.
But hundreds more are arriving from Panama daily, overwhelming the resources of the immigration service to handle the influx and the social service’s ability to meet their needs.
A few days ago, the government of Luis Guillermo Solis, said the flow is constant and unstoppable. To that end, the government issued an order for increased policing in the area.
The transit of migrants through Costa Rica is not new. Thousands each year arrive in the country from Panama, moving north to Nicaragua and forward to their final destination. Last October, Nicaragua closed its border to the migrants, causing a crisis when more than 8,000 Cuban nationals were stuck on the Costa Rica side of the border, forcing the government to seek out as solution with other members of the isthmus to enable them to reach Mexico, to then cross into the U.S.
Nicaragua has been the hold out.
But there is good news from Managua. On Saturday, the government of Daniel Ortega announced it has in the words a number of mechanisms to ensure a “safe and orderly” transit of persons through its territory. Click here for the report.
Migrants patiently wait immigration officials in Paso Canoas (Panama border) to be processed. Photo Jose Corder, La Nacion
Migrants patiently wait immigration officials in Paso Canoas (Panama border) to be processed. Photo Jose Corder, La Nacion
(QCOSTARICA) There is good news from Managua, sort of, for the migrants and the government of Costa Rica, a promise from Nicaragua to open its borders to growing number of migrants stuck in Costa Rica.
On Saturday, the government of Daniel Ortega announced it has in the works a number of mechanisms to ensure a “safe and orderly” transit of persons (migrants) through its territory.
“The authorities of Foreign Ministry, Police, Immigration and Customs are coordinating efforts to ensure the orderly migratory movement and secure our people need as part of their own life and relations between fraternal peoples,” said the Nicaraguan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a brief statement and without going into details.
In the statement of August 6, Nicaragua explains that it has intensified air, sea and land controls to prevent the transit of migrants, with possible ties to organized crime, and trafficking of drugs, weapons and persons.
The statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua.
“Given the threats of organized crime and its hazards we are working to organize transit, while protecting the integrity and lives of (Nicaraguan) families and communities,” said the statement.
The document is signed by the deputy director of the National Police of Nicaragua, Francisco Diaz Madriz; the Deputy Foreign Minister, Arlette Marenco Meza, and the Deputy Minister of the Interior, Luis Cañas Novoa.
The announcement comes days after Nicaraguan authorities found at least ten migrants, reportedly of African origin, drowned in Lake Nicaragua as they tried to cross the Nicaraguan territory en route to the United States.
At the time, dozens of undocumented immigrants were detained and returned to Costa Rica, the last country crossed, some starting their journey from Brazil.
Costa Rica’s Foreign Minister, Manuel Gonzalez, described the statement from Nicaragua as a “positive element”; however, he was cautious because the document does not provide many details.
“The statement is somewhat ambiguous because it does not specify what actions they intend to take (…) it is the first time in many months that Nicaragua was officially expressed on the problem in the region,” said Gonzalez.
The minister added that the authorities in Nicaragua have not established any contact with those of Costa Rica, and “if the interest is genuine”, for him the next step is to coordinate with multilateral organizations for a joint regional solution.
Gonzales stressed that the statement can not be interpreted that Nicaragua will open its borders and allow the passage of migrants stranded in Costa Rica and those who are on their way from South America.
“Although the statement (of Nicaragua) is positive, it is not reflecting the desire to make any bilateral coordination between Costa Rica and Nicaragua, it cannot be interpreted that they are to open their borders and will allow the passage of those people who have accumulated in Costa Rica and continue to accumulate because they come walking up from the south,” said Gonzalez.
by Michael Miller (QCostarica) – We are often asked why we enjoy living in Downtown San José, Costa Rica. Some people are surprised when we tell them that one of the main reasons is the city’s restaurant scene.
Keep in mind that there are well over a million people living in the greater San José area. Downtown San José is both the political capital and the economic center of Costa Rica, and over the past two decades San José has been emerging from a sleepy tropical town to an important international city.
It is no surprise then, that you will find a wealth of restaurants, both local and international, in Downtown San José. With this article, we will highlight five restaurants featuring food from different parts of the world. We hope to give you a sampling of what you can find here. It should be just enough to whet your appetite.
Sofia Mediterráneo
Co-owner of Sofia Mediterráneo, Mehmet Onurlap, explains the different appetizer spreads to San José guide, Nury Mora-Vargas and her daughter, Maria José.
At Sofia Mediterráneo you will find dishes from all over the Mediterranean, with an emphasis on Greek and Turkish. Here you can start with freshly made hummus, appetizers of tabbouleh or baba ganoush, and salads with eggplants and tomatoes, all accompanied by their own baked bread.
Entrees include red bell peppers stuffed with a spicy beef and rice mixture, different fresh seafood dishes, vegetarian offerings . . . . but the main attraction is the lamb. Sofia boasts that it has the biggest variety of lamb dishes in all of Costa Rica: Leg of lamb, lamb chops, lamb kababs, and more. And of course, you will want to try baklava and turkish coffee for desert.
Sofia Mediterráneo boasts a full bar and a good wine list to go with its Mediterranean selections, including several popular lamb dishes.
One of the owners of Sofia is Mehmet Onurlap, a native of Istanbul. And like any good Mediterranean host, Mehmet is often seen making the rounds of the tables to make sure that his patrons are happy. He has also been known to suggest the perfect wine to go with your dinners.
Sofia Mediterráneo is part of the trendy new restaurant row called Paseo Gastronomico La Luz, which now boasts 16 restaurants along 5 blocks of Calle 33. Sofia has a full bar and a good selection of wines. The address is Calle 33 and Avenida 1, in the Barrio Escalante section of town. It is usually very busy on weekends, so reservations are recommended. Phone: 2224-5050.
La Esquina de Buenos Aires
White tablecloths and flowers on the tables and vintage photos on the walls create a mid-twentieth century feel to Argentinian steak house, La Esquina de Buenos Aires.
There is a joke among North American visitors to Costa Rica that goes something like this: “Where is the best place to go to get a good steak? The answer . . . Argentina.”
That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but Argentina is known to produce some of the best beef in the world. And Costa Rica . . . . well not so much. La Esquina de Buenos Aires, has been a fixture in Downtown San José since 2004, and it offers excellent beef imported from Argentina.
La Esquina (in English: “the corner”) has the look and feel of a neighborhood tavern from the 1950’s or ’60’s, with its white table cloths and flowers on the tables, and its vintage posters and photos on the walls. It has a well stocked, and very popular, bar that adds to the ambiance.
The popular bar at La Esquina de Buenos Aires will be packed most every night.
As you would expect from an Argentinian restaurant, it has many cuts of beef: Tenderloin, rib-eye steak, skirt steak, and much more. What is surprising, is how diverse the menu is. You will also see chicken and pork selections, and fresh seafood specials of the day. And, in keeping with the Italian influence found in Buenos Aires, you will also find some excellent pasta dishes.
La Esquina de Buenos Aires is on Calle 11, between Avenidas 4 and 6. It is literally across the street from the rear of the beautiful Soledad Church. It has a full bar and an extensive wine selection. You are likely to find it packed any day of the week, so reservations are recommended. Phone: 2257-9741.
Sapore Trattoria
With traditional red and white tablecloths, Sapore Trattoria offers one of the most interesting Italian menus in San José.
Sapore Trattoria is a popular Italian restaurant. One reason for its popularity comes from the fact that its offerings range from traditional spaghetti bolognese, to much more sophisticated dishes from different parts of Italy. However, the main reason for its popularity is because everything is excellent.
You can start with an antipasto plate of wonderful Italian meats, cheeses and olives. It is a perfect starter for four or more, while you decide what to have next.
A colorful antipasto platter from Sapore Trattoria, features delicious Italian meats, cheeses and olives.
You might try ossobuco with fresh pasta, or try risotto with asparagus and champagne, or perhaps fresh tuna livornese . . . . or you might just want to try the classic chicken parmesan.
If you have a craving for pasta, Sapore makes several styles of pasta, all of it fresh. You get to choose from a wide range of toppings including 3 different kinds of mushrooms, or frutti di mare. And if that weren’t enough, Sapore is also popular for its pizzas.
Sapore Trattoria is owned by David Eminente, a native of Rome, and his chef is also from Italy. Together they have created one of the finest restaurants in San Jose. There is a small bar. A selection of beers and wine is available. It is located on the corner of Avenida 2 and Calle 13. That means it is two blocks west of the National Museum. Phone: 2222-8906.
Casa China
A peek inside the kitchen of Casa China, one of the most authentic Chinese restaurants in San José.
Downtown San José is filled with restaurants that claim to be Chinese. However, anyone who has spent time on the West Coast of the U. S. or Canada, or anyone who has traveled to the Far East, knows that most of these restaurants are not Chinese. Many North Americans label them as “Chinarican” restaurants, because they have adapted so many Costa Rican dishes.
After an extensive search, we discovered Casa China, possibly the most authentic Chinese restaurant in Downtown San José. Casa China has a huge menu with page after page of offerings. You might want to start with one of the Chinese soups; we had the hot-and-sour soup and it was excellent.
You will find all the popular Chinese dishes, such as beef brocoli, kung pao chicken, chicken with mushrooms, and way more than we can possibly list. Or you might try something a bit different: We had a whole fish steamed with fresh ginger and soy sauce that was the hit of the night. And Casa China has a growing reputation for its dim sum, the traditional bite-size portions served on small plates or in steamer baskets.
A variety of tasty Chinese dishes from Casa China, including a steamed fish with fresh ginger, green onions and soy sauce.
Casa China is a huge restaurant. It is basically a warehouse with scores of tables, so do not go expecting charm and ambiance. On a recent visit, we went early in the week, so very few of the tables were occupied. Thus, we got excellent service.
Casa China is on Calle 25A and Avenida 10. It is 50 meters south of the ultra-modern Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart (Templo del Sagrado Corazón). There is wine and beer available. Phone: 2222-1374.
Club Alemán
Tucked on a quiet corner of the Los Yoses neighborhood of Downtown San José, is Club Alemán Restaurant and Biergarten, serving authentic German dishes.
Many people are surprised to learn that there is a German restaurant in Downtown San Jose. This may be because it is hidden away on a quiet residential corner of the Los Yoses neighborhood.
It is Club Alemán (in English: “German Club”) Restaurant and Biergarten. There has been a German Club in Costa Rica since the 1880’s, and it is currently owned by Hans and Sabine Wehnemann.
The Wehnemanns have brought a deep knowledge of German dishes along with a keen ability to take advantage of Costa Rica’s fresh produce. Hans tells us, “Nothing comes from a can here. We make everything from scratch: the soups, the sauces, the mushrooms, everything.” The couple also owns a spice farm near Quepos where they grow their own cardamon, cinnamon, black pepper and many other spices.
– Hans and Sabine Wehnemann, the owners of Club Alemán combine an expertise in German cooking with an appreciation of Costa Rica’s fresh produce.
Their most popular dishes are Jagerschnitzel, a milanese of pork with a mushroom topping; Rouladen vom Rind, a beef roll with a sauce inside; and they have several popular goulashes. Of course, it would not be a German restaurant without sausages. Club Alemán boast a big variety of German sausages (bratwurst, bockwurst, weisswurst and much more) that Hans tells us come from local farmers and processed by a true German butcher.
This fall Club Alemán will host its extremely popular Octoberfest. There will be music, dancing, food and, of course, lots of beer. The Octoberfest will be held on two weekends: September 31/October 1, and October 14/15.
Club Alemán is located on the corner of Avenida 8 and Calle 35. The easiest way to find it: From the National Theater take the broad Avenida 2 toward San Pedro. As you climb up you will see a new Starbucks Coffee on the right. Take that right and go to the next corner. There is a small bar; wine and beer is available. Closed on Sundays and Mondays. Phone: 2225-0366.
This is just a small sampling of the tremendous variety of restaurants in Downtown San José. It is an exciting scene that is always changing and growing. As the nation of Costa Rica continues to prosper over the coming years, you will see more and more international restaurants in Downtown.
Whether you live in Downtown, or you come in from the suburbs occasionally to enjoy the art galleries or the symphony, there are now more and more good reasons to linger for a fine dinner.
No compensation was asked for, nor given, from any of the restaurants discussed in this article.
Michael Miller is the author of the only guide book that focuses on Downtown San José, titled: The Real San José. You can also access other stories by Michael at his website: TheRealSanJose.com
(QCOSTARICA) While the formal taxi drivers are taking to the streets, causing chaos across the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM) of San Jose, the multinational Uber – and the main reason of the protest by the taxis – is taking advantage of the day by offering all rides in the GAM for ¢1,000 colones or a “rojo” (a red).
The company confirmed the promotion this morning, in the context of taxi drivers locks are preventing the arrival of thousands of people to work, doctor appointments, school and even flights.
The company said the promotion is from 10:00am to 5:00pm; all customers have to do is enter the code VIAJAPOR1ROJO on the app.
“No matter if you’re a registered member or if it is the first time using Uber, just enter the coupon code VIAJAPOR1ROJO and can travel between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm for ¢ 1,000 trips begin and end within the metropolitan area,” the company said in a statement on its website.
The anger of many taxi drivers who have taken to the streets this morning is, in their opinion, the lack of government action to regulate Uber.
On Monday, the Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos (Aresep) – regulating authority of public services – said that it currently lacks legal authority to regulate Uber’s transport activity.
This was confirmed by Roberto Jimenez, head of the Aresep, who explained that the regulating authority is limited to intervene the digital platform, given that the Constitutional Court has ruled that Internet access is a fundamental right and the law creating the Aresep is not empowered to order the disconnection of systems or digital platforms.
Jimenez added that the Aresep will continue to review the legal framework and evaluating possible bills, to meet the effective regulation of public transportation and avoid illegal services.
Many tourists reorted to walking to catch a flight at the San Jose airport this Tuesday morning. Photo La Nacion
The protest by the taxi drivers today turned violent minutes before 6:00am, less than an hour after hundreds of taxi drivers began to block major roads around the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM).
The only violent confrontation reported (as of 8:00am) was in San Pedro, across from the mall, when a group of taxi drivers fought with police. One report says a police officer lost several teeth. Images of bloodied shirts of taxi drivers were among the images on national television.
A police official cleaning the road way strewn with nails and screws. Suspected are the protesting taxi drivers. Photo from Waze
At other points – the area around the San Jose airport, in Ochomogo de Cartago, La Galera, La Uruca, La Valencia de Heredia, Ruta 32 and Ruta 27 in the area of Escazu – riot police were able to re-open the flow of traffic without any incident.
A police official cleaning the road way strewn with nails and screws. Suspected are the protesting taxi drivers. Photo from Waze
Taxi stands in areas like the Parque Central in downtown San Jose were bare of any taxis.
What is the reason for the protest? The taxi drivers want the government to regulate the public transport, in other words, want the end of Uber.
Photos from variou sources, including La Nacion, Crhoy, Teletica, Repretel and Waze
Venezuelans’ life expectancy might be decreasing. Malnutrition resulting from shortages and high food prices has predisposed an entire generation to suffer more heart conditions, diabetes, obesity, and some types of cancer, Pablo Hernández, nutritionist-dietologist and researcher from the Venezuelan Health Observatory (OVS ), warns.
According to the annual survey on global health prepared by the World Health Organization (WHO), life expectancy in Venezuela is 74.1 years; however, this figure could drop over the upcoming years.
The researcher explains that, even though today no statistical estimates on the number of years Venezuelans could live in the future are available, some indicators suggest that future generations will live less than the current ones.
Concretely, “the generation that is presently growing is expected to die younger than their parents,” Hernández states and adds that people undergoing the shortage situation will get sick more frequently in the future and shall be at a higher risk of dying at a young age.
Hernández stresses that the first thousand days of life are fundamental foot the development of any human being. “And if during those first three years of life, including pregnancy, people do not have a balanced diet or lack vitamins and minerals, they will not develop properly because they will have some limitations.”
Hernández refers, as an example, that children with lack of iron will not be able to fully develop their cognitive and physical abilities, because they will be prone to develop anemia, a disease that will stop them from properly performing in their everyday lives.
Chronic illnesses
Hernández, who is also a professor of Human Nutrition at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV), warns that a diet like the current one, which is rich in hydrocarbons that are subsequently transformed by the body into sugars, is highly risky, because malignant cells, in the case of cancer, for example, nurture with and multiply thanks to these substances.
The nutritionist remembers the connection between fat-rich diets and the development of cancer of pancreas, bowel, colon or gastrointestinal tract in general, as well as the incidence of smoking on lung cancer, alcohol on liver cancer, and the high consumption of industrial meet by-products on esophagus, gastrointestinal tract, breast and prostate cancer.
Diets mostly based on hydrocarbons like mango, yucca and plantain do not help control blood sugar levels, because since they are not metabolized, they tend to increase the risk of overweight, obesity and diabetes,” the OVS’ researcher points out.
Another risk are diets with a high content of sodium (salt), such as those based on stews, sauces and dry soups, which directly influence the increase of blood pressure and hypertensive conditions.
Hernández warns that the shortage of medicines and other products renders health care more difficult, thus leading to an increase in both emerging diseases (zika) and re-emerging diseases (dengue fever). “The more you get sick the shorter your life expectancy.”
Shortage of medicines
The shortage of medicines may result in an increase in mortality. Therefore, according to Hernández, the Venezuelan government should accept the humanitarian aid, “because we definitely don’t have the industrial infrastructure required to address those demands and need foreign support to meet today’s demand.”
Lack of personal security
Crime also plays a significant role, because yearly crime reports show that deaths related to hypertension, diabetes and heart infarction as well as those from homicides increase in tandem, specially affecting young adults. “The consequence of all this is that reaching the same age at which their parents died will be very difficult for future generations,” professor Hernández ends.
(Today Colombia) Colombia’s murder rate reached a 40-year low in 2015 despite evidence to suggest organized crime in the country is thriving, raising the question of what could lie behind this apparent contradiction.
The latest statistics released by Colombian forensic institute Medicina Legal (pdf) show there were 11,585 murders in Colombia in 2015, giving the country a homicide rate of 24.03 per 100,000 people. That’s a 9 percent drop from 2014 when the murder rate was 26.46 and 12,626 people were killed.
Speaking at a press conference, President Juan Manuel Santos announced this was Colombia’s lowest murder rate in 40 years.
The results make 2015 the sixth consecutive year of falling violence in Colombia, with year on year reductions from 2009, when 17,717 people were killed at a rate of 39.39 per 100,000 people.
The steady drop in homicides in Colombia is welcome news at a time when the country is drawing ever closer to a peace deal expected to end half a century of war between the state and guerrilla insurgents. However, there is little to indicate the fall in violence correlates with a drop in organized crime activities. In fact, the opposite may be true.
As violence has been falling, cocaine production has bounced back dramatically after years of decline, and Colombian trafficking networks now distribute to an ever greater range of countries. Organized crime has also diversified its national interests substantially into lucrative activities such as extortion and illegal mining, giving the groups a much broader base of income.
There are several likely reasons for this apparent contradiction. It could be indicative of Colombia’s organized crime networks taking a more low-key approach, keeping violence levels down so they do not to draw attention or security forces to their areas of operations.
These efforts can be seen in places such as the city of Medellin, where warring organized crime networks struck a pact to end the fighting, divide up the criminal spoils of the city and collaborate on international drug trafficking. The result has been the lowest murder rate in decades, but tempered by rising numbers of disappearances and macabre discoveries of locations used to dismember and dispose of bodies — another way to keep official murder figures down. People simply disappear.
Another likely contributing factor is the current underworld dynamic. Much of Colombia’s violence over the last decade has been driven by the criminalized remnants of demobilized counter-insurgents — groups the government labeled BACRIM (from “bandas criminals” or criminal bands). However, now there is only one BACRIM — the Urabeños — with a genuine national reach, and where their hegemony is challenged by BACRIM rivals it tends to be in smaller, more localized conflicts than those seen in the recent past.
Mexican criminal organizations have laundered billions of dollars through the US financial system in recent years.
(Q24N) A new report highlights how criminal groups use anonymous shell companies to help launder illicit proceeds, and how a simple legal change could help law enforcement tackle the issue.
The report (pdf), published August 1 by the research and advocacy organization Fair Share Education Fund, outlines the basic process of laundering money using anonymous companies and cites several cases in which Latin American crime groups have used these entities to hide dirty cash from authorities.
Money laundering occurs in three stages, the report explains. In the first stage, known as “placement,” ill-gotten gains are generally converted from cash to a form that is easier to transfer, like an electronic bank deposit, a check or a pre-paid stored value card.
Money Laundering: the concealment of the origins of illegally obtained money, typically by means of transfers involving foreign banks or legitimate businesses.
Next, money launderers “layer” the funds to make their origin harder to trace. This often involves routing the money through many different shell companies in numerous transactions. Once the money is “clean” enough, the launderers move to the “integration” stage, where the funds can be used for legal and illegal purposes. (See Fair Share’s infographic to the right)
Shell companies can be used for legitimate purposes. But as the Fair Share report points out, anonymous shell companies play a crucial role in the money laundering process. A county sheriff from Iowa cited in the document described these entities as “financial getaway cars — companies set up to move ill-gotten money without leaving anyone to be held accountable.”
The use of anonymous shell companies made headlines earlier this year when the leaked “Panama Papers” exposed how a Panamanian law firm helped powerful elites and alleged criminals set up anonymous corporations in tax havens like Panama and the British Virgin Islands in order to help the firm’s clients hide their wealth.
However, as the Fair Share report notes, a large number of anonymous companies are also established in the United States, where no state currently requires people establishing companies to disclose the corporation’s “beneficial owner” — that is, the “living person or persons that own, control and ultimately ‘benefit’ from the company’s existence.”
An investigation published earlier this year by the McClatchy news service likened certain US states to the Cayman Islands — a well-known money laundering center — and reported that a Nevada-based shell company had been used to hide money embezzled as part of the huge corruption scheme involving Brazil’s state oil company Petrobras.
Perhaps the most infamous instance of a Latin American criminal organization using a US-based shell company to launder dirty money is the Zetas’ use of such companies to purchase race horses, an investment that helped the group launder millions of dollars in drug proceeds.
Mexican criminal organizations have laundered billions of dollars through the US financial system in recent years. In several cases, drug trafficking groups took advantage of lax monitoring by large US financial institutions like HSBC and Wachovia, a bank acquired by Wells Fargo in 2008. Both of those companies paid huge fines for their role in the laundering. Recently, some banks have started closing branches near the US-Mexico border in order to prevent criminals from using their services.
Citing US government estimates, the Fair Share report states that “it is likely that 98.5% of the proceeds derived from drug trafficking” — more than $60 billion per year — “remain in the hands of traffickers” thanks to money laundering schemes.
The conclusion of the Fair Share report is simple: it “recommends that [US] federal law makers end the use of anonymous shell companies by mandating the collection of true beneficial ownership information from all companies.” Collecting beneficial ownership information and making it readily accessible to law enforcement will help investigators trace illicit proceeds back to the people involved in criminal activities, the report argues.
The US Treasury Department’s Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Adam Szubin argued in favor of this reform in an op-ed published last month in The Hill.
“Criminals have learned that American companies have an easier time obtaining bank accounts, and so they incorporate here in large numbers. The result is that our financial investigators often come across US shell companies in their money hunts — and that may be where the trail ends,” he wrote.
But, Szubin argued, “It does not need to be this way. Congress could close this loophole by passing a simple, two-page law requiring the beneficial owner of a company to be identified whenever a US company is formed.”
In the absence of legislation mandating the disclosure of beneficial ownership information for all companies, the Treasury Department has instituted temporary, targeted regulations requiring the collection of such information from companies in sectors prone to money laundering, such as the high-value real estate market.
A number of experts have said that the ease with which criminals can launder their money using anonymous US shell companies damages the credibility of US efforts to push other countries to improve their anti-money laundering practices.
In congressional testimony (pdf) given in 2009, then-District Attorney for New York county Robert Morgenthau said, “Simply put, we lag behind many other countries in the world in this regard, and it makes our statements concerning transparency and tax evasion ring hollow and hypocritical.”
From Puravidaguide.com are 7 handy free apps for living in Costa Rica, with Waze being a God-send to navigate around this country, having no postal addresses or little in the way of road signs. But there are a few recent new ones out, almost tailor-made for the Pura Vida lifestyle that you may not have come across.
They are free to download, so scan down the list to see if there´s one to suit you:
RUTA ALTERNA
San José in particular, is notorious for its traffic-jams and although there are not so many alternative routes to avoid them, at least this Free Download will give you a heads-up to have you moving on your way. Available for iPhone or Android.
ARBOLES MÁGICOS (MAGIC Trees)
For the lovers of nature, Costa Rica is a pure joy to study with its abundance of tropical plants and trees. This Free Download not only identifies the name of the tree, but gives you a full description of its origin, when it flowers, the average height and much more. Available for iPhone, iPad and Android.
VOICE TRANSLATOR
This is extremely useful for those who know little or no Spanish to get by in Costa Rica. It´s also a great way to improve the language and learn new expressions. All you have to do is dictate a text instead of typing and listen to the spoken translation. Free to Download and is available for iPhone, iPad and Android.
A TURISTEAR from the MINISTRY OF TOURISM
To avoid the disappointment of missing an amazing sight in Costa Rica, the Ministry of Tourism have a Free Download “A Turistear” to advise where best to go with updated promotions and best bargains. Then use Pura Vida Guide to book your trip! Available for iPhone, iPad and Android in English.
QUÉ COMEMOS (Food Express)Don´t want to go out to eat or pick-up a take-away? Then this Free Download “Qué Comemos” will suggest 150 restaurants around Costa Rica who will bring your delicious supper straight to the door! Enter the name into Pura Vida Guide for more information before you order, to avoid disappointment. Available in English for iPhone, iPad and Android.
PETS APP COSTA RICA
Hopefully there´s no need for this Free Download in an emergency for an injured pet, but this useful app finds the closest veterinarian along with grooming parlors and other animal needs in Costa Rica by each province. Only available for iPhone and iPad.
HOMEKIT for a Smart Home
Leaving home to adventure around the beautiful Costa Rica can become less stressful with this Free Download Homekit. You can now manage your property whilst you´re away, turning on and off the lights, checking locks, the airflow, shades and many other gadgets in your property without the need of a house-sitter! Available for iPhone´s only.
Police checking documents of migrants. The government has warned of deportation to all migrants found illegally in the country. Photo Casa Presidencial
(QCOSTARICA) The Government of Costa Rica is warning large groups of Cubans and other migrants from Colombia. The government is reiterating its position that it does not have the condition to allow them entry as it did in late 2015.
The continued closure of the border by Nicaragua to migrants and presence of some 2,000 African migrants currently in Costa Rica, has the contry’s resources stretched to the limit.
“The people and the Government of Costa Rica are respectful of human rights, protect the dignity of persons and are in solidarity with migrants, but the current conditions do not allow entry or possibly of settlement in national territory,” reads the statement issued by President Luis Guillermo Solis.
The government website said on Thursday, “authorities have put in operation processes attached to law, to apprehend and initiate subsequent deportation to their country of original all those who are in Costa Rican territory in irregular condition. The Government of Costa Rica urges the irregular migrant population not to enter the country in that condition.”
Important to note that the migrant situation is not new, it has been ongoing for some years. What has changed in the past 10 months are two factors: one, a steep increase in the migrant flow, and two, Nicaragua last October closing borders to the migrants, becoming a bottleneck to a land transit corridor from Ecuador and Peru to Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, that borders with the United States.
Study indicates that 70% of owners did not think about implications of having a dog
(QCOSTARICA) Costa Ricans are impulsive when purchasing the a dog, indicates a recent study that says 70% of owners do not think about the implications of having a dog, leading to negligence in care and even abandonment of the pet.
According to the figures of the study, 45.5% of the dogs reach Tico households as a gift, regardless of whether the person can take of the pet or able to do for then next 15 years; 22.9% of the dogs are claimed to have been purchased, and 20.7% are claimed to have been adopted or picked up from the street.
What alarms veterinarians is the impulsiveness, no matter how the dog is acquired. According to the report, almost half admitted to not have stopped to think what it meant to owning a dog and two of ten said they just briefly considered it.
“The vast majority of owners say they have spent little time or no time to talk with their family about the responsibilities of acquiring a dog,” said Melania Gamboa, manager of Veterinary World Animal Protection Programs, told La Nacion.
The study finds that five of ten Costa Rican households have one or two dogs as pets, some even more; 14% have a litter of puppies, of which 76% are given away, 22.6% are sold and 1.3% end up in an animal shelter.
“This, combined with little forethought owners have when purchasing a pet, increases the chances that the dog ends in the street,” says the study.
For Gamboa, when the person acts on a whim and does not consider what it means owning a dog, the animal ends up abandoned and when the puppy grows and reaches the stage of adolescence, because it becomes rebellious.
“People cannot handle them and then they leave them at a shelter or put them out in the street because they are no longer small and beautiful,” said Gamboa.
According to Gamboa, animal rescue organizations have helped reserve this situation, many of them carrying out an interview of potential owners, informing them of the responsibilities and care when adopting a pet.
Editor’s note: I have, over the years, rescued a number of dogs from the streets of San Jose and Santa Ana. A couple became to be long time pets, others a short time, with me until I found a willing owner that would care for them. One dog, who is still with me almost 7 years later, was adopted from animal rescue organization who insisted on my contact information and did in fact call one time, months later, to follow up. I currently have five dogs, the most recent 9 months old, adopted a couple of months ago from an owner who did not have space in his apartment after the dog started growing.
(QCOSTARICA) Safety is a pretty big concern for any traveller. For that, many can rely on the 2016 Global Peace Index, put together by the Institute for Economics and Peace, recently measured the safety and peacefulness of 163 countries according to “23 qualitative and quantitative indicators.”
The index scored each country on a 1 – 5 scale, one being the highest, taking into account indicators such as terrorism impact, perception of criminality, and political instability.
While Costa Rica did not make it in the top ten, it fared pretty well, in the 2016 report taking spot 33 with a score of 1.699. Tops is Iceland (sixth year in a row) with a near perfect score of 1.192, followed by Denmark with 1.246 and Austria at 1.278, rounding out the top three.
In the region (Central America), Costa Rica is tops, followed by Panama (1.387) and Nicaragua (1.975).
The 2026 reports says: Costa Rica in particular has no standing armed forces, although border disputes have occasionally arisen; while Panama had the greatest improvement in the score within the region and jumped 24 places in the global rankings due to a lower likelihood of violent demonstrations and political instability in 2015, which followed elections in 2014.
Costa Rica is also among the ten countries with the highest per capita illicit financial flows, in fifth place after Bahamas, Equatorial Guinea, Brunei and Trinidad and Tobago.
The reports indicates: by definition, those engaged in illicit financial or arms flows will not want their activity known. As such, there will be great difficulties in creating a measure that is direct and meaningful for this target. A measure which could potentially be used in the interim is the International Finance Corporation (IFC) indicator of illicit financial flows for 145 relevant countries. Whilst this measure is an estimate and cannot show the granularity required by the indicator, it does allow for prioritization of efforts.
Combined with its continued rank as the “happiest place in the world“, Costa Rica continues to be great place to visit and live.
What do you think? Use the comments section below or post to our official Facebook page.
Fire Department Central Station San J ose were caught in a traffic congestion on Second Avenue. According to Manuel Perez, head of that unit, that scenario is something to encounter daily every time they go to meet an emergency, so you have to be looking for alternate routes. | GUSTAVO FAULTS.
From inside the a fire truck caught in a traffic congestion on Avenida Segunda. According to Manuel Perez, head of that San Jose Central Station, the scenario is something they encounter daily every time they roll an emergency. Photo by Gustavo Fallas, for the La Nacion, on a ride along.
(QCOSTARICA) The traffic congestion of the Greater Metropolitan Area of San Jose (GAM) not only overwhelms drivers headed to and from work and home, but also robs vital minutes from an emergency response.
Workers of the Cruz Roja (Red Cross) and Bomberos (Fire Department) face the same traffic congestion, taking longer to reach an emergency.
According to words of the responders, a few years ago they would reach an emergency under 5 minutes, today it can take up to 10 minutes.
“We have sectors where its complicated, for example, from the Central Fire Station in San Jose to the Melico Salazar (about 400 metres) it can take almost 10 minutes,” said Luis Chaves, head of the Bomberos.
According to Manuel Perez, head of the Central Fire Station in San Jose, arriving after 10 minutes is a long time, because in that period of time there are places where it costs more to extinguish in case of fire.
Many of the structures in the downtown area are made of wood and have old and poor electrical installations, where every minute counts.
At the Cruz Roja, the situation is similar. Deputy director Jim Batres told La Nacion, it can take up to nine minutes from the San Jose station to Los Yoses (less than a kilometre away); it used take less than five only a few years ago.
Both the Bomberos and Cruz Roja workers say the same, every day they have to fight traffic congestion and response times get longer.
Sirens and flashing lights don’t seem to matter to many drivers who will not mover out the way. “There are cases were drivers that give way, others take advantage of the sirens,” said Batres.
“Most people show a good attitude; however, there is a group of drivers who are irresponsible,” said Chaves.
But, not giving way to an emergency vehicles is not the complaint of the emergency responders: vehicles parking in front of fire stations, blocking their exit. These are not isolated cases, it is happening with more frequency, say both Chaves and Batres.
In the last month alone, posted on the social media are two cases: one, in Barrio Mexico, a vehicle parked in front of the fire station; and, in Moravia, a driver failing to move over, to give way to the sirens of an ambulance for almost one kilometre, evidenced by the emergency vehicle’s onboard camera.
(QCOSTARICA) Best to avoid San Jose today, the first day of a combo pack of protests by several unions and groups against; Tuesday and possibly Wednesday.
The first is today, Monday, when workers of the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) will strike to press management to halt a policy of savings, which includes layoffs.
According to the Frente Interno de Trabajadores del ICE , that groups six unions, the strike today will affect all work at agencies and branches of the state power and telecommunications, that will only respond to emergencies.
The workers will be gathering at the main ICE building in La Sabana and around 10:30am are expected to take to the streets of downtown San Jose, headed to Casa Presidencial in Zapote.
In June, the state institution released a document, saying employees of ICE and its subsidiaries (RACSA, CNFL and Cablevision) to lay off workers in “non-essential” posts. Manager and supervisors are instructed to identify non-essential staff and relocate them or proceed to layoff. The institution is also offering early retirement before August 31.
The crux of the standoff: the union sees the initiative as an “underhanded policy of layoffs”, while management sees it as a strategy of financial sustainability.
The union charges ICE president, Carlos Obregon, for “his inability to generate new services and fresh revenue”. Meanwhile, Obregon, in an internal memo to workers on Friday and leaked to the press, he sees the strike as unjustified pressure.
On Tuesday, taxi drivers will be taking to the streets in protest against the government, mainly for not shutting down the shared ride company, Uber, among other issues.
File phot of taxi driver protest
Over the weekend, the Ministerio de Seguridad (MSP) issued a strong warning against planned violence by some taxi drivers, the statement following reports of “terrorism threats” made on applications like Whatsapp, saying that besides blockades of major routes, there would be attacks against police and even civilians, that will include the burning of tires, breaking car windows and use of molotov cocktails.
For his part, President Luis Guillermo Solis on Friday said his administration will not tolerate any acts of violence and called from the taxi group to continued dialogue.
Ruben Vargas, secretary-general of the Union de Taxistas Costarricenses – the group spearheading the taxi drivers movement, said the MSP is trying to scare drivers from protesting. Vargas called the warning by the MSP “a show, a government tactic to discredit the planned protest, because this never imagined that groups of taxi drivers would be able to unite in a cause”.
And for Wednesday, it will be traffic police officials that will protest against the President, Luis Guillermo Solís, for the lack off staff, which exposes them constant violent situations.
The Transitos (as they are known in Costa Rica) protest will be different from that of Monday and Tuesday; one, that they will not block the streets; and two, the demonstration will brconcentrated in one olny location, holding up protest banners.
According to Homer Alfaro, head of the Unión La Unión Nacional de Técnicos Profesionales del Tránsito (Unateprot), “starting at 3:00pm we will be at the ‘puente platina‘ with some 50 banners in demonstration without encroaching the right of way…we hope for and request the silent support of those (officials) workings that afternoon. Those with guts to join us, if not, not to complain.”
On Saturday night, an irate driver fired on a Transito during an anti street racing operation in Naranjo.
Alfaro said the lack of staff means that traffic officials have to work alone and many do not want to continue being at risk. The union leader added that many of (traffic officials) do not raise their voice to claim their rights.
“We are now more (voicing concern) and are stronger, we demand our right to life, our children are waiting for us, our wives and our mothers and fathers also await us. We want the people to know our discontent,” said Vargas.
(QBLOGS) Let me start by saying for the last twelve of the eighteen years that I have lived in Costa Rica, I have lived in gated and guarded condominium communities of various configurations, in the Greater San Jose Metropolitan Area.
I would not choose to live in any other way, especially considering the aspect of personal security afforded by such a lifestyle. While the personal security afforded cannot be considered as being 100% effective, it is the living arrangement in Costa Rica that offers the highest degree of such.
As condominium living is a relatively new way of living in Costa Rica, unlike countries such as the U.S. and Canada, where such has existed for years, most of the developments are fairly modern and based primarily on North American architectural styles involving open floor plans and the like. Condominium developments come is various configurations, comprising single family dwellings, townhouse-style dwellings, and apartment-style dwellings.
I currently live in a townhouse-style dwelling in an approximately three year old condominium development. One of the things that has evolved in condominium development and is employed by the better condo builders, is double concrete block walls separating adjoining units. This has led to less sound transmission between condo units. I can state, that without a doubt, the double concrete wall has made a considerable difference to the quality of life from that which I experienced in older condo developments employing only single concrete block wall construction. Of course, the best configuration to prevent sound transmission between units is the single free-standing condo dwelling, now becoming more popular in newer developments.
Other considerations that impact directly on the quality of life offered in such developments, is the type of common area facilities offered within the condo development. This usually varies with the size of the development. The condo development that I currently live in is comprised of two hundred townhouse-style condo units with two three storey apartment-style condo buildings currently under construction, comprising at least twenty units per building.
It is really a small town unto itself and offers a club house and barbecue area, fully equipped gymnasium, three swimming pools (including one-half Olympic-sized pool), two tennis courts, a volleyball court, and a soccer field, all located within the common area of the condo development. A Manager/Administrator is on-duty and on-site from Monday to Friday.
These facilities and services are all requiring significance maintenance and costs, which, of course, is reflected in the monthly maintenance quota paid to the HOA by each condo unit owner. The question is, whether you will make use of all such facilities and services to justify this expense.
Another important consideration is the existence of a club house facility within the condo development, comprising salons for parties and gatherings. Latin Societies, Costa Rica being no exception, embodies a greater degree of noise in their day-to-day activities, than those British-based societies in countries such as the U.S. and Canada.
A facility such as a club house provides an opportunity for the existence of rowdy and noisy late-night parties, sometimes involving the likes of Karaoke; do I need to say more. Unless you have a penchant to attend such events, this can be a very important consideration in choosing the condominium development that is correct for you.
One of the single most important considerations in choosing a condominium development in which to live, is that it is in-fact a true condominium development, registered as such in the Costa Rica National Registry. I say this, because there are a number of residential developments found throughout Costa Rica, that masquerade as condominium developments, which are not.
The important difference is the enforceability of the payment of the monthly maintenance quota to the HOA, for the maintenance of the common areas and other services provided. Only in true condominium developments are the payment of the monthly quotas enforceable under the provisions of the Condominium Law and Regulations, which provide for a summary collection procedure against condo unit owners who are in default.
In residential developments which appear to be condominium developments (eg. gated and guarded), but are not, Article 45 of the Costa Rica Constitution prohibits enforced collection of a monthly maintenance quota from individually registered property owners within the development.
This relegates payment of these maintenance quotas to a managerial entity as being on a voluntary basis only. Obviously, this can be abused by property owners who do not pay their share of these costs, increasing the maintenance costs payable by those individual owners who do pay.
The foregoing represents a synopsis of some of the most important considerations that one should have, when choosing the condo living lifestyle in Costa Rica.
(QCOSTARICA) One of the most heated contests of any Rio 2015 Olympic Games was not on the sports competition, but in fashion, where countries competed for the best outfits during the Parade of Nations at the opening ceremony?
On Friday night, 207 delegations modeled their duds for millions around the world. Although Costa Rica didn’t make it in the best of the best, it did get A-listed by the ESPN network.
So, who wore the best?
According to ESPN, Sweden. Croatia, Australia, France and Norway round out the top 5.
On the A-list, the design by Fabrizzio Berrocal placed Costa Rica in fourth, behind tops: Argentina, Portugal and Cameroon.
This is all subjective.
Browsing websites like Esquire and Vogue to CNN, the best and worst varied greatly.
The first breastfeeding booth, located in front of the Correos building, was unveiled Friday. The Municipality of San Jose says it will be locating a number of the booths in strategic locations across the city. Photo Municiapalidad de San Jose (MSJ)
(QCOSTARICA) The social networks are bursting with criticism for the installation by the Municipality of San Jose of booths for mothers to breastfeed their children, and at the same time offers mothers shelter from the rain and provide them with a place to changediapers.
The first booth, located in front of the Correos (Post Office) building was inaugurated Friday morning. The booths, donated by the Plycem company, will be located at a number of strategic points of the city, such as hospitals, the children’s museum and city hall.
Deputy Mayor Paula Vargas Ramirez, said the city wants to provide an option where mothers feel comfortable a safe to breastfeed their infants. “We are grateful to Plycem and are committed to encourage these spaces (booths) be used in different parts of the country,” said Vargas.
Photo Municipalidad de San Jose (MSJ)
However, the idea has been heavily criticized on the social networks, for its pink colour and their eventually being used as urinals for the homeless.
Critics say the booths encourage the idea that women should hide breastfeeding, as is if it were a morbid act, people seeing breastfeeding in public as evil.
Others say that by having these booths, it gives the “prudes” an additional argument, “they have a place, why not go there?” And it takes away the right of mothers to breastfeed anywhere, “having to move to a booth and if occupied the baby has to wait to feed?”
“If I don’t like to see a woman with her breast out in public I turn the other way and that’s that”.
“The haters are a group of people who specialize in hate and criticize everything, these are people usually that have never done anything or proposed anything. I ask, who is it harming to have a private place, for they that want it, to use?”
There are also those, not many, in support of the breastfeeding booths.
One woman wrote, “I find it uncomfortable breastfeeding anywhere and I look for a comfortable area that is not surrounded by people, but it’s up to me and not the people of double standard to decide for me.”
I’m Australian. Flying internationally anywhere is an 8-hour minimum commitment, and as such, I can confidently say I’ve seen it all — lost passports, lost luggage, lost marbles. I’ve been seated next to every asshole one could possibly meet on a plane. I have probably, at some point, been guilty of each in-flight offense myself. But typecasts aren’t limited to the friendly sky. Oh no. Through frequent visits and keen observation, I’ve come to realize there are definitive categories that group airport dwellers together, too.
1. The Businessman SmarmyPants
This guy. This three-piece-suit-wearing business class regular can navigate the airport like it’s his own personal pool house. He enters the security line reserved for first class travelers with a casual flick of his top-tier membership card while simultaneously talking loudly (and importantly) at someone down his Galaxy S6. Access to this express lane is a prerequisite in whatever 8-page contract he signed for his C-level position at Insert Bank/Law Firm Here.
2. The First-Time Flyers
Get swept up in their enthusiasm, my friends, as it will help wash away your cynicism and disdain when you inevitably get stuck behind them. They’re the type of people who are excited when randomly selected for an explosives test. (They’re also the only people paying attention to the safety briefing when on the plane.)
3. The Lads on Tour
You can’t decipher their obscure nicknames printed on their jerseys nor the impetus of their trip. Is it a bachelor party weekend or a sporting tour? You actually don’t care. You just pray you’re not on the same flight.
4. The Time Wasters
Phwoar. Making up about 60% of the security line, they’re the ones wearing triple strength Doc Marten lace-up boots that take 20 minutes to disassemble. They repeatedly forget the four million gadgets in their pockets and go through the security gates upwards of 12 times. Their carry-on bags have a Jack-In-The-Box effect when opening: possessions everywhere. You may or may not have previously fallen into this category but when The Time Waster isn’t you, he or she is your stress level’s worst nightmare.
5. The Productive Member of Society.
This is the person who doesn’t use an excessive amount of plastic trays. The person who wears slip-on shoes and doesn’t complain how long the line is taking, who knows where her ID is and finished her water bottle in tandem with checking her suitcase. You can just tell she doesn’t have to pee. This is the person you want to be.
6. The Wildcard
Despite your best efforts, this one cannot be placed. You saw him in the business class check in – is he secretly a billionaire? And if so, why is he wearing Converse? A tech start-up genius, maybe? Does he travel often? Is he 10 or 30? Why is he eating rice cakes?
7. The Grandparents Doing Life Right
Chances are they’re celebrating their soon-to-be golden wedding anniversary and are patiently waiting their turn to be scanned. These seasoned travelers are wonderfully mellow; nothing can spike their anxiety; they’ve seen it all. They’ve learned the zen art of enjoying the trip, not only the destination. They are great! But why oh why oh why do they have to be in front of you moving at the Snapchat-filtered mile per hour of zero?
8. The Disgruntled Airline Employee
Mavis had the privilege of checking in The Lads and she is not impressed. Avoid her check-in kiosk all costs — there will be a zero chance of an arbitrary upgrade. (Find someone whose shift has just begun.)
9. The Late Person
Who actually receives an applause when they board the plane.
**
Who have you met? And who have you been? Take your keys out of your pockets, your feet out of your shoes and tell us in plastic the bin below.
The magistrates of the Constitutional Court (from left), José Paulino Hernández (from left), Nancy Hernandez, Fernando Castillo and Fernando Cruz. File photo.
(QCOSTARICA) The Banco de Costa Rica (BCR) does not want the public to know the salaries of its officials and the Constitutional Court supports the action.
In a decision on Thursday, the magistrates of the Court said it “valid” the decision by the bank to place a password to an electronic file with public data.
The action before the Court was brought by two journalists from the weekly El Financierio (a La Nacion publication), when the BCR prevented access to the electronic data.
The newspaper had requested access to the database of public information to make a journalistic analysis. The Court said the restriction does not impede the making of a hard copy of the information and that its support of password protecting the electronic file was “in order to prevent the (digitized) information from being manipulated.”
For legal expert, Juan Manuel Casanueva, the told La Nacion the Court ruling “holds no water”, since the the institution supplying the information always will have control of the original files.
“It is a clear form of censorship,” says Alejandro Fernández, one of the journalists filing the Court action.
The Court ruling is also a contradiction to the position taken by the Central Government on the access of information, which is one of the principles of the Global Alliance for Open Government, which the country forms part of.
“Any government that adopts or talk about open government must be consistent with policies of open data in formats that can be used and processed by machines,” said Casanueva.
In this regard, Communications Minister Mauricio Herrera said the government will respect Court decision and that the Executive will continue to promote the publication of information in free formats, as part of its accountability commitment.
Olivier Castro, President of the Banco Central de Costa Rica (BCCR)
The current and proposed policies of the Central Bank dollar loans will become more expensive, and therefore there will be less investment, and having less investment will mean less production for the country, financial experts warn
(QCOSTARICA) Concerned about the risks involved with the high degree of dollarization of loans in the financial system, the Banco Central de Costa Rica (BCCR) – Central Bank – is looking to implement a plan that would have banks requiring authorization in order to borrow abroad in dollars.
The Central Bank says the risks of lending in a different currency to which the debtor generates income, is devaluation.
In addition to the Central Bank last month raised the reserve requirements to 15% on new business loads from abroad. In June the increase in the dollars loan portfolio was up 14% as compared to the same month in 2015.
The specific measures are that each financial institution must obtain permission from the Central Bank in order to raise funds abroad, as is currently done with savings and loans cooperatives.
Luis Mesalles, director of the Uccaep said that “…’This will mean that loan options for productive sectors will become more expensive, and therefore there will be less investment, and having less investment will mean less production for the country, which goes against the desire to make the economy grow more and have more job creation.’ ”
In an opinion piece published in La Nacion today, Messales says, “the problem is that, to solve the problem, the Central Bank is not taking the best path…while debtors perceive greater stability in the exchange rate, they will not believe that there is a significant risk to borrow in dollars.There,the Central Bank has much of the fault as exaggerated in its policy of avoiding ‘sharp fluctuations‘ in the exchange rate.”
Olivier Castro, President of the Banco Central de Costa Rica (BCCR)
In the opinion of Mesalles, “by not promoting solutions that address the structural causes, it is difficult for the Central Bank to significantly reduce dollarization“.
According to the President of the Central Bank, Olivier Castro, “We have little instrumental to curb dollarization of credit. If we had other instruments, it would be handled differently.”
In an interview with La Nacion, Castro was asked,”what instrumental does the Central need? You only speak to strengthen the engagement within the monetary policy,” to which Castro answered, “we do not want to advance because, while it is still under consideration, when the (proposed) bill is ready the Bank’s decision will be known.”
(Q24N) With ties to sports gambling businesses based in Costa Rica, and arrests earlier this week of nearly four dozen people in New York, including four from New Jersey, U.S. law enforcement officials say it is a reminder that organized crime – wiseguys – remain a force to be reckoned with.
“Tony Soprano may have gone off the air, but the mob never did,” said Lee Seglem, acting executive director of the State Commission of Investigation in New Jersey. “In the real world these guys are still active and, as this indictment shows, they haven’t faded away—because there’s a lot of money to be made.”
According to the report by NJ.com, in the cases announced by federal prosecutors in New York on Thursday, the schemes ranged from old-style loan sharking to the move by organized crime into health care fraud. With aliases that included names like “Mustache Pat,” “Fish,” “Harpo” and “Tugboat,” the FBI’s New York assistant director, Diego Rodriguez, said the indictment read like an old school Mafia novel.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said the charges against members and associates of five different crime families demonstrated that the Mafia remained “fully diversified in its boundless search for illegal profits.”
Anthony Cassetta of Belmar tries to cover his face as he leaves federal court in New York, after he was charged with nearly four dozen others in a wide-ranging mob racketeering conspiracy. (Seth Wenig | AP Photo)
Among the arrested was Daniel Marino Jr., 49, of New Jersey, charged with racketeering.
Merlino was said to be involved in a sports gambling business based in Costa Rica through a company named Costa Rican International Sportsbook, which authorities said was utilized in New Jersey, New York and Florida.
The NJ.com says, “it was a high-tech offshore sports betting operation run by a bunch of alleged old school Jersey wiseguys.”
The Costa Rica Connection
In 2014, two men tied to the scheme — 75-year-old “Uncle Patsy,” aka Pat Pirozzi, and 49-year-old John Breheney, better known as “Johnny Fugazi” or “Fu” — were sentenced in Newark federal court for their role in the sophisticated, mob-backed internet gambling scheme based out of Costa Rica. A third, Eric Patten, 37, pleaded guilty to conspiracy.
The three were among 13 arrested in May 2012 in what federal prosecutors called a multi-million-dollar sports betting ring out of northern New Jersey involving the Genovese crime family, including alleged associates of the Gambino crime family — were charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Connecticut in connection with an illegal internet sports bookmaking operation known as 44wager.com, also based in Costa Rica.
In 2009, New York authorities busted up an alleged half-billion-dollar internet betting ring. Last year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan charged 34 people with alleged ties to Russian organized crime with operating an international bookmaking organization that laundered tens of millions of dollars from Russia and Ukraine through Cyprus and into the U.S.
In the surveillance recordings, Joseph Graziano, 77, one of the principal owners of the sports betting website Beteagle.com, bragged about his net take out of the Costa Rica operation.
“I got 49 people. … These kids get two thousand each,” he said. “If at the end of the year I can make two million and I gotta give away, like four or five hundred (expletive), that’s a million and a half, you know. My money.
Are you one of those that claps, you know applaud, at the landing of your flight? Please stop. Do you give a hearty round of applause for the chef when the meal arrives at your table? And why not a standing ovation when the washing machine has finished ?
Come on now. Common sense dictates there’s a time and place for an applause, and when not. And, sorry, clapping for a pilot landing the plane is a not. Why not clap when he/she get the plane off the ground?
Before applauding me for writing this (a not by the way, I would prefer a click on the ads), read the following by Gianni Jaccoma posted on Thrillist.com: Stop Clapping When the Plane Lands: an Open Letter.
Dear fellow passengers,
Congratulations on your decision to partake in the miracle of human flight. Like you, I also recognize the superiority of the airplane to every other form of mechanized travel. Sorry, cars. That being said, this practice of breaking out into rapturous applause every time your flight touches down is getting out of control, and it needs to stop
Now, don’t get me wrong. There’s no shortage of in-flight horror stories out there, and between wing-snapping turbulence, lightning storms, and engines actually catching fire, there are definitely times when group expressions of catharsis are warranted. If you’re onboard when some crazy crap goes down, you have every right to put your hands together, stomp your feet, and light a match for the fact that you made it out in one piece.
But let’s be honest: these edge cases are rare, and most of us go our entire airborne lives without experiencing anything more terrifying than being stuck in the middle seat next to a dude with a questionable sense of personal hygiene. Spontaneously clapping and whooping for joy after a decidedly milquetoast flight devalues the times when it’s actually warranted.
It’s also not like we’re in the nascent days of aviation anymore. Back when planes were still a frightening novelty, it probably wasn’t out of place for someone to start cheering when the plane landed, or took off, or pretty much did anything at all. These days, it makes you look like a 5-year-old who can’t believe he survived his first flight back to Dubuque to visit nana.
If you’re reading and think I’m just an asshole, that’s fine. Maybe I am! Maybe it really is perfectly acceptable to holler and whistle whenever the tires touch the tarmac, because you paid for your seat, and damn if you’re not gonna show your appreciation. You’re probably also the first person to start clapping in a movie theater once the credits start to roll, even though nobody involved in making the movie is actually present. And maybe that’s okay too!
But really, where do the cheers end? What’s the threshold for a clappable experience? Do you abruptly burst into applause when the busboy takes your plate after a meal? Do you hurl kudos and commendations when your dryer finishes at the laundromat? Do you give your SO a standing ovation when they do that thing you’re always asking them to do in bed?
The answer to all those questions is probably (hopefully) a resounding no. Because while they’re all objectively good experiences, common sense dictates there’s a time and place for a round of applause, and these instances ain’t it. And sorry, but neither is the pilot announcing you’ve reached your final destination. Unless that destination is Maui, in which case disregard everything I said and put those hands together for luaus, poi, and beaches.
