The ¢550 colones fare set by the regulating authority for the San José – Cartago service is just not enough for the Instituto Costarricenses de Ferrocarriles (Incofer), says the railway’s president, Miguel Carabaguíaz.
According to Carabaguíaz, the Autoridad Reguladora de Servicios Públicos (Aresep) has not yet fully understood the rising costs of train operation, especially with respect to fuel.
The commuter train to east of San José was to have started this month. However, according to Carabaguíaz, it won’t until the next month as the Incofer appeals the Aresep decision.
The Incofer says it needs ¢565 colones – ¢15 colones more – from each passenger to cover costs.
Carabaguíaz confirmed that they won’t print the tickets and start rolling the trains until the Aresep appeal has been heard, which could take weeks.
Costa Rican police arrested 30 drug traffickers from four countries over the course of a year-long investigation that has shed light on the increasing transnationalization of the country’s organized crime.
Costa Rica Security Minister Mario Zamora Cordero
During the investigation, which began in May 2012, Costa Rican authorities identified four separate criminal organizations that worked together, said Security Minister Mario Zamora Cordero.
According to the authorities, one of the organizations bought Colombian cocaine in Panama and supplied it to the other three, who moved it from Costa Rica to Honduras, and then Mexico, reported El Porvenir.
Over the course of operations, authorities arrested seven Colombians, three Nicaraguans, one Panamanian and 19 Costa Ricans, and confiscated 3.1 tons of cocaine.
The latest arrests took place on April 24, when authorities detained 10 suspected members of one of the groups in a series of raids. A Colombian national arrested during the raids was identified as the suspected leader of the group.
Anti-Drugs Commissioner Mauricio Boraschi said that following the latest arrests, all of the main participants and leaders of the group have now been captured, putting an end to their operations.
Costa Rica’s importance as a drug trafficking hub has grown rapidly in recent years, as evidenced by reports that the country is now a transit point for cocaine which goes to 39 destinations on four continents. There have also been reports that an increasing number of Mexicans and Colombian traffickers are using the country as a base, leading to an increase in organized crime-related homicides.
Current President Laura Chinchilla has admitted the country is ill-equipped to respond adequately to the organized crime threat, putting it at risk of joining other Central American countries wracked by violence and corruption linked to drug trafficking and organized crime.
Disney and Marvel Studios’ Iron Man 3 roared out of the gate at the international box office, opening Wednesday to $13.2 million from a dozen territories on its way to a $110 million-plus foreign debut.
The tentpole, returning Robert Downey Jr. in the title role, earned ahead of Iron Man 2 in Australia and France, grossing $3.4 million and $3 million, respectively, and coming in just behind last year’s Marvel blockbuster The Avengers.
Australia marked Marvel’s biggest opening day outside of last year’s The Avengers, and the third biggest superhero opening behind Avengers and The Dark Knight.
In Italy, Iron Man 3 posted the biggest opening day of the year with $2.1 million. And in the Philippines and Taiwan, the threequel posted the highest opening day of all time with $1.5 million and $1.4 million, respectively.
Iron Man 3 is opening internationally a week ahead of its North American debut May 3, similar to Iron Man 2, which posted a foreign opening of roughly $100 million in 2010.
Disney has high hopes for the threequel — directed by franchise newcomer Shane Black — although the studio has yet to resolve a prickly battle with select U.S. theater owners over terms.
On Thursday, Iron Man 3 opens in another raft of territories, and by Sunday, it will be playing in 80 percent of the international marketplace, minus North America, China and Russia.
You can see Iron Man 3 at all major cinemas in San José. But the best will be on the big Imax screen at Cinema Nova in Escazú.
Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey
Robert Downey Jr. flashes three fingers for the cameras while posing with his wife, Susan Downey at the Iron Man 3 premiere.
Presidenta Laura Chinchilla does not want talks with President Barack Obama limited to drug trafficking. The Presidenta claimed that, in precedent occasions, the meetings between the United States and Central America have focused on this issue; however, this time she wants a wider agenda.
Therefore, she pointed out, during the visit of President Obama she will take advantage of to talk about different issues, which will range from increasing US investment in the region to cooperation in the teaching of English. Obama will be in San Jose on May 3rd and 4th.
Chinchilla remarked that the focus of the meeting will be “development”, which implies speaking about different initiatives.
As an example, there will be talks about ways of improving the digital government and for the transfer of technology.
Also, Presidenta Chinchilla said, there will be talks on the training of human resources and on the generation of clean energy, among which she stressed importing natural gas for the production of electricity.
This, however, does not mean that the security issue will not be discussed.
The Government has not defined yet the venues for the different meetings.
Using the staging of “Quiene Quiere Ser Millionario?”, a production by local television station Teletica, the artists of CRHoy.com bring us this amusing toon of how the government is to determine what amount to pay the Brazilian company OAS for the cancellation of the San José – San Ramón road concession.
The water level in the Arenal reservoir hydroelectric complex is three to four metres below optimun levels established by the state power company, the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE).
ICE officials say the level today is 535.3 metres above sea leavel, one of the lowest in history, similar to that recorded in 1994, 1995 and 2007.
According to ICE engineer, José Corrales, the situation is concerning because if the current demand continues, by mid-May the situation will be critical, which could mean power shortages and an increase in rates.
ICE president, Teófilo de la Torre, acknowledges the plight of the reservoir and that return to normal levels will depend on the amount of rainfall during the coming rainy season.
The drop in hydroelectric production means firing up generators using bunker fuel, increasing costs for the state power company, which in turns means a request for higher electricity rates from the consumer.
Former bank manager turned bank robber, Juan Carlos Quesada, was set free on bail last night, following a hearing by the Juzgado Penal de Hacienda.
Quesada is accused of embezzling ¢378 million colones from the Banco Nacional branch in Santa Teresita last January. After substracting the money from the branch, Quesada disappeared, but gave himself up to authorities days later on January 24.
Quesada does not deny taking the money, maintaining that he was forced into subtracting the money from the branch he had manages for several years.
Painting the sidewalks red to show the aggression faced by the handicapped to get around San José, is the idea of artist Maria Alicia Rodriguez, to aims to to bring this social problem to the conscience of all Costa Ricans.
The project is called “100en1dia”.
The first “red” sidealks can be found in the areas of the Allianza Francesa and the CENAC, which has taken aback many a pedestrian, for it is uncommon for the sidewalks to be painted the colour red.
The artist is hoping that others will pick up on the idea. Rodriguez said that none at the municipal or state government wants to be involved. “If we want change, we have to do it ourselves”, said the artist.
Medical tourism has seen a surge in popularity over the last 10 to 15 years, as many discover the savings that can be enjoyed by traveling abroad for medical and dental work.
InternationalLiving.com recently released its 2013 Health Care Survey, looking not only at the affordability of medical services and procedures abroad, but at the cost of living and real estate values as well.
With expats and experts alike weighing in, International Living has listed the top seven countries for high-quality health care overseas.
In the list of Internationaliving.com’s “Best Havens For Quality Health Care”, Costa Rica was ranked number 1. Following Costa Rica in the ranking is Malaysia, Panama, France, Uruguay, Mexico and Ecuador.
According to Internationalliving.com, Costa Rica in first place is for convenience, comfort, and care.
By Jason Holland / Back in California Laurel and Charles Carpenter paid $1,200 a month for health insurance. Now, living in the Central Valley town of Atenas, Costa Rica, they pay just $88 a month to be in the Caja—the country’s universal health-care system. Charles has multiple sclerosis and the Caja covers all his treatments and medications. With the money they don’t spend on insurance, they can afford to have a private, full-time nurse, which would cost $9,000 or more per month in the States. Charles’ and Laurel’s story is similar to that of other expats in Costa Rica. Expats must join the Caja (La Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social) to get a residence visa.
But with health care in Costa Rica—in both the public and private systems—among the best in Central America, that requirement is hardly a negative. And the Caja’s cost is low. It’s determined by your income but generally only runs $30 to $90 per person per month. And that monthly fee covers everything, from prescriptions to doctor visits to testing to surgeries.
The public health system has a large network of clinics and hospitals throughout the country. But while emergencies are treated right away, wait times for routine procedures can be up to several months. As a result, many expats use a combination of the public and private health-care systems. In the private system, wait times are practically nil and doctors are very accessible.
I have the cell-phone numbers and email addresses of all my family’s doctors. And they answer. The costs are also low—as little as half the U.S. rate for most procedures. A visit to a general practitioner can run $50 to $60, for instance, and $80 to $100 to visit a specialist. Doctors tack on an extra $20 to $30 to make house calls.
At these rates, it’s possible to pay out of pocket. And some expats do. But you can get low-cost private insurance through the government-affiliated Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS). Like most private insurers, INS excludes pre-existing conditions and does not take new policy-holders aged 75 and older. Annual premiums for INS are in the low $2,000s for those aged 55 to 65, up to the $5,000 range for those aged 76 to 80. Many U.S. and European insurance plans are also accepted in Costa Rica. Costa Rica has three JCI-accredited hospitals, all in the capital, San José. Most of the specialist doctors and services are concentrated here.
CIMA is affiliated with Baylor University Hospital in Texas, and Clinica Biblica is affiliated with Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami and Evergreen Healthcare in Washington. Many Costa Rican doctors trained in North America or studied English, so they speak some English. Many are fluent. Every doctor I’ve spoken with attends conferences in his specialty abroad.
Expat Luc Charette, 66, originally from Montreal, puts it well: “I’ve always dealt with the medical system here with great confidence. I’ve never had a doubt about being treated in Costa Rica. For example, I know the surgeon scheduled to perform my valve replacement went to the States to study, so his qualifications are top-notch.”
A new species from Costa Rica is attracting many researchers. This species has been dubbed as Tinkerbella nana after getting inspired from Peter Pan.
Tinkerbella nana is a newly found species of fairyfly. It is a type of chalcid wasp, and lives like a parasite on the eggs and larvae of other insects. They exude their nutrients from their prey and are also useful for farmers. They often use them to control the pests.
Mostly all fairyflies are extremely tiny. This also includes Kikiki huna, a Hawaiian species that grows to be only 0.005 inches long. It is almost the size of a drawing pen. The researchers headed by John Huber of Natural Resources Canada found out the insect eggs in leaf litter, soil and on plants in the Costa Rican province of Alajeula.
Their small size makes it difficult to find them. But, the researchers did find them and none of them were more than 250 micrometers in length.
After observing them, it was found that these insects have very fine scales, long, skinny wings, which end in hairlike fringe. This wing shape aids these small insects to reduce disturbance and drag when they fly.
One of the researchers, John Huber said, “If we have not already found them, we must surely be close to discovering the smallest insects”.
Costa Rica’s VP, Aflio Piva (left) meeting with China’s VP, Li Yuanchao (right).
BEIJING — Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao on Wednesday met with Costa Rica’s first vice-resident, Alfio Piva.
When meeting with Piva, Li said China is ready to work with Costa Rica to deepen political mutual trust, enhance mutually beneficial cooperation and enrich people-to-people exchanges, so as to promote comprehensive development of bilateral ties.
Piva said Costa Rica is willing to strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation in the sectors of agriculture, the economy and trade, infrastructure, education and territorial planning.
Costa Rica would like to promote the overall cooperation between China and Latin American countries, he said.
China’s VP also met with former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson in separate meetings. While meeting with Paulson, Li said China and the United States should seek more opportunities for cooperation and expand their common interests in line with the spirit of mutual trust and tolerance.
He urged the two countries to consolidate the mutually beneficial and win-win economic and trade pattern, so as to benefit the two peoples.
Paulson said he will continue to play a positive role in promoting bilateral cooperation in investment, environmental protection and entrepreneurship training programs.
International Court of Justice claims joining the two cases will speed up resolution to the pending border dispute.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) this week decided to join the two cases concerning the border dispute between Nicaragua and Costa Rica “in conformity with the principle of the sound administration of justice and with the need for judicial economy,” according to statement released by the World Court.
The first case, filed by Costa Rica in November 2010, was referred to a “Certain Activities carried out by Nicaragua in the Border Area.” That case was based on Costa Rica’s claim of “incursion into, occupation of and use by Nicaragua’s army of Costa Rican territory” in connection with Nicaragua’s river-dredging efforts, which Costa Rica likened to “the construction of a canal across Costa Rican territory.”
The second case, instituted by Nicaragua in 2011, was called “Construction of a Road in Costa Rica along the San Juan River.” That proceeding was based on Nicaragua’s claim of “violations of Nicaraguan sovereignty and major environmental damages on its territory” caused by Costa Rica’s construction of Route 1856—the riverside highway paralleling Nicaragua’s San Juan River.
The two proceedings will now be joined into one case at the request of Nicaragua. Costa Rica had rejected the joinder, argued that merging the two cases “would neither be timely nor equitable” because there is “no close connection between the two cases.” The Court disagrees.
“The Court is of the opinion that a decision to join the proceedings will allow the Court to address simultaneously the totality of the various interrelated and contested issues raised by the Parties, including any questions of fact or law that are common to the disputes presented,” the ICJ said in a statement published Tuesday afternoon. “In the view of the Court, hearing and deciding the two cases together will have significant advantages.”
Costa Rica reacts
The government of Costa Rica reacted to the Court’s decision on Tuesday evening with a press release celebrating ICJ’s alleged decision to also reject four counter-claims filed by Nicaragua last year. Nicaragua, in a letter to the Court last August, petitioned for inclusion of counter-claims seeking navigation rights to Costa Rica’s Colorado River and demanding an injunction to halt construction on Costa Rica’s riverside highway, which Nicaragua claims is causing irreversible damage to the Río San Juan and surrounding ecosystem.
Nicaragua argues that 90% of its waters from the Río San Juan are diverted into Costa Rica’s Río Colorado, so Nicaragua should be allowed to have free navigation rights to the Tico waterway in a quid pro quo for Costa Rica’s right to navigate the Río San Juan. Costa Rica, however, scoffed at Nicaragua’s courter-claim as a form of “expansionism.”
“We could respond to that with our own counter-claim demanding Costa Rica’s right to navigate Lake Nicaragua,” Costa Rican Foreign Minister Enrique Castillo told The Nicaragua Dispatch in February.
Still, it’s not clear where Costa Rica is getting its information that the ICJ has rejected Nicaragua’s counter-claims. The ICJ’s release on Tuesday references the four counter-claims by Nicaragua, but does not say that they were rejected by the Court.
The Nicaraguan government, meanwhile, has not yet responded to the ICJ decision.
What does Rwanda, a poor African country that has suffered a horrific war and genocide, have in common with Costa Rica, a Central American country of 4.5m best known for its beaches and high-quality coffee beans?
Answer: Both are the latest to benefit from the wave of cheap money looking for returns, by issuing debt at ridiculously low rates.
Costa Rica on Tuesday raised $1bn through a dual-tranche offering – a deal that bankers said was 10 times oversubscribed. Pricing for its $500m 12-year bond came in at 4.375 per cent – much lower than initial guidance of 4.5 per cent and earlier talk of 4.625. Its $500m 30-year tranche was priced at 5.625 per cent – also lower than initial guidance of 5.75 per cent and lower than the 6.058 per cent that Portugal is paying for its 30 year bond.
Rwanda, meanwhile, is looking to sell is first international bond. The central African country, which is rated B, or five notches below investment grade, is looking to raise $400m through a 10 year bond. Pricing is expected to close on Thursday and bankers say they expect yields of around 7 per cent. If so, this would make Rwanda’s financing costs cheaper than those of Greece (11.3 per cent).
The FT’s Robin Wigglesworth has a great quote from Nick Darrant, a banker at BNP Paribas, that pretty much sums up the mood in EM bonds at the moment.
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It’s no secret that monetary easing by the US Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank has been suppressing yields in developed markets for a while now – and add Japan’s aggressive stimulus to that mix as well. But with yields on traditional, higher rated EM bonds now exceptionally low, return-hungry fund managers have been venturing further down the credit curve in ever greater numbers.
Among those that have rushed to exploit investors’ hunger for yield include unusual names such as Honduras, Lebanon, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mongolia, Guatemala, Bolivia, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Angola and Tanzania.
Costa Rica’s issue is notable because of its 30-year component. Coming as it did on the heels of Panama’s $750m 40-year bond, could this be a sign that investors are increasingly comfortable with longer-dated EM paper? If so, that would be an interesting development given the greater risk for losses in such a long timeframe.
With EM bonds being sold and snapped up at record low yields, the danger for investors lies in what will happen once the US Federal Reserve and other central banks turn off the QE or even begin raising interest rates. New issuers would be forced to offer higher yields in response, pushing down the resale value of EM bonds issued during the current frenzy and potentially delivering a huge blow to portfolios that are holding this paper.
Rwanda’s $400m issue might be a drop in the bucket in the greater scheme of things – some $1,100bn of bonds were sold by emerging markets companies and governments last year. But make no mistake, this bond sale is a big deal for a country whose GDP totalled only $6.9bn last year. To put it in context, if the US was to do a deal on a similar ratio to GDP, it would have to issue $1,000bn.
While you can’t blame Rwanda for wanting to take advantage of the current drop in borrowing costs, this is a pretty big chunk of borrowing to take on.
True, under President Paul Kagame, the country has made big strides in pulling itself away from the ruins of the 1994 genocide and a million Rwandans have edged out of poverty in the last five years. But the economy remains very much dependent on foreign aid, with some 48 per cent of the country’s budget last year funded by international grants. Its narrow industry base – tourism and commodities – means the economy is little insulated from external shocks, such as a surge in oil prices or a drop in coffee and tea prices.
“It is a country that remains vulnerable to shocks, to donor sentiment,” Yvonne Mhango, a Johannesburg-based economist at Renaissance Capital, told Bloomberg. “They’re still in a volatile region of Africa.”
Rwanda is also issuing its hard currency bond at a time when the Rwandan franc is trending at a 20-year low against the dollar. It’s lost 6.3 per cent over the last 12 months alone. If its currency continues to fall against the dollar, this will push up the cost of repayments.
The hope is that Rwanda will be prudent with its finances. The country said it planned to use $200m to repay loans on the Kigali Convention Centre and a development plan for RwandAir, the national carrier. Another $150m will be spent completing the centre and $50m on a hydropower plant.
Make of it what you will. But Rwanda is not a punt for the faint-hearted.
The quote of the day Tuesday, maybe of the year, the decade…of all time: “Demandaré a una periodista y a las personas que mancharon mi imagen con el tema de la concesión a la empresa brasileña OAS”.
Translation: “I am going to sue a journalist and everyone who has tarnished my image with respect to the OAS concession“.
In this toon by CRHoy we see doña Laura at her desk, in front of the television cameras, saying, “We decided to stop the concession project…”, meanwhile, Transport Minister, Pedro Castro, in a corner pouting and saying, ” I am going to sue everyone”.
The mobile phone giant Samsung Galaxy S4 promises more speed, a bigger screen and a slimmer, lighter design than its predecessor, the SIII.
It is expected to be a major rival to Apple’s iPhone. Only the 3G version will be available at launch but it is expected that within two weeks the 4G LTE version – which promises much faster browsing – will hit the shelves.
Among some of the phone’s features is the so-called “Samsung Smart Pause”, which automatically pauses videos if you look away from the screen.
At launch, the phone will be available in black or white but more colour options are promised later in the year.
In this war of smartphones, as consumers we only have one question, Which Phone Is Better, the Samsung Galaxy S4 or iPhone 5?
You can listen to people dither on and on about their smartphone of choice, but there are really only two devices at the forefront right now: Samsung’s Galaxy S4 and Apple’s iPhone 5.
Call it hype. Call it marketing. But these are the two phones a lot of you will be choosing between this year.
So which one is the best? Well, that’s not an easy question to answer. The better question is, “Which one is best for you?”
Let’s break it down.
Hardware Features
Samsung loaded the Galaxy S4 with a ton of specialized hardware features. The phone’s front-facing camera can detect when you’re looking at it, so it can do things like keep the display bright while you’re reading or let you tilt the phone to scroll through pages. The phone also lets you swipe through photos and other items just by waving your hand over the screen.
The iPhone 5 doesn’t have as many gee-whiz features as the Galaxy S4 does; it’s much more simplistic. In fact, the iPhone 5 doesn’t have many special hardware features that you can’t get on other phones. It’s pretty basic: 4G LTE connection, dual-core processor, and a high-resolution display.
Bottom Line: If simplicity suits you, go for the iPhone 5. If you want a bunch of flashy extras, go for the Galaxy S4.
Apps/Content Selection
Even though there are more Android users in the world, developers still prefer to make apps for the iPhone first. Apple has a unified system for all its mobile devices, which makes it easy for developers to make an app once and push it out to millions of users.
Since the Android ecosystem is scattered across several different manufacturers and devices, Galaxy S4 owners will have to wait longer than iPhone 5 owners to get new apps and significant updates.
Bottom Line: If you want the best apps, get the iPhone 5.
Operating System
Samsung’s Galaxy S4 runs on Google’s Android operating system, but Samsung has modified the look and feel with its own “skin” called TouchWiz. Still, Samsung does keep Android’s core features, so the experience isn’t radically different from other Android devices.
The benefit to using Android over using the iPhone is that it allows a greater level of customization, meaning you can do stuff like remove apps you don’t want and tweak your home screen with widgets that update with live information.
The iPhone’s operating system, iOS, is much more simplistic and easier for most people to use. It’s basically just a screen of static icons for apps. A lot of people criticize the iPhone software for being too simplistic, but you could also argue that’s been the key to the phone’s success.
Bottom Line: If you like customization, go with the Galaxy S4. If you want something simple and easy to use, go with the iPhone 5.
Design
It was a bit disappointing when Samsung decided to build the Galaxy S4 out of plastic. The build quality is OK, but not nearly as good as the iPhone 5’s all metal and glass design.
But the Galaxy S4 does have a 5-inch screen, which is a full inch larger than the iPhone 5’s screen. That could be a big draw for some people.
Bottom Line: If design and build quality matter to you, choose the iPhone. If you want a big screen, go with the Galaxy S4.
Conclusion
It really is a close call. Most people will be happy with either the Galaxy S4 or iPhone 5. It’s a matter of preference.
You have to ask yourself: Is a big screen and customization more important to you? If yes, then choose the Galaxy S4.
But if you prefer simplicity and the best selection of apps, choose the iPhone 5.
An earthquake registering 4.7 on the Richter Scale was felt this morning in Matina, Limón. The Observatorio Vulcanológico y Sismológico de Costa Rica, (OVSICORI) reports the epicentre located 2 kms southeast of Matina.
The quake had a depth of of 17kms and caused by a local fault.
The quake was reported felt in various communities in Limón, Turrialba, Cartago and Pérez Zeledón.
All alone in her support of the San José-San Ramón road reconstruction contract with the Brazilian firm OAS, Presidenta Laura Chinchilla, had to back peddle on Monday, announcing that the concession contract would be rescinded. And with that on Tuesday promised that it would not cost the country not “one colon”.
It was on March 11, when the Presidenta and her Transport Minister, Pedro Castro, announced the concession contract to OAS, the Brazilian construction company that we quickly learned was involved in allegations of corruption in other countries.
And it was the Presidenta who, on that day on March 11, predicted strong opposition, but promised to fight at all levels to ensure that project would proceed.
As the days and weeks passed, however, popular discontent grew steadily and her support for the concession, began to erode quickly. Chinchilla knocked on many doors: chambers of commerce, met with local mayors, asked the universities for input, as well as that of the technical colleges.
Following last weekend’s meeting with representatives of the OAS, Presidenta Laura Chinchilla, in her televised public address on Monday, announced to the country that the deal was dead.
And although the Presidenta promises the cancellation will not cost anything, the price tag in fact is US$30 million dollars.
According to Presidenta, the Brazilian company will not take legal action for compensation for los of earnings, which is estimated at US$600 million dollars.
The government, however, will foot (compensate) OAS for up US$30 million dollars it has spent on the concession project. “We will verify all expenses and pay out only those that the company incurred”, says Chinchilla.
Planning Minister, Roberto Gallardo, explained that to pay OAS the government will make a thorough review of documents and a form a commission of experts in infrascture and finance to analyze the case.
Now the government is said to start process of receiving proposals for design and economic feasibility for the reconstruct the 58 kilometres of road between La Sabana in San José and San Ramón.
The largest of the opponent groups, Foro del Occidente, is expected to continue its fight to ensure that road is one that serves the community and not the interest of the politicians and foreign companies.
A piece of San José has been brought back to life. Following years of neglect, abandonment and enduring inclement weather and damage by vandals, the Botica Solera now stands proud once again.
The odd shaped building was declared “Patrimonio Histórico Arquitectónico” (Architectural Heritage) in 1999.
Over the past decade or more, the building was home to many indigents of the area, who slept outside the building after the municipality took steps to deny them entrance into the interior, which had been completely vandalized.
The Botica Solera building was built in 1930 by Antonio Dolinelli, at a time when “art deco” developed in Costa Rica between 1930 and 1950.
Art Deco uses symbols of masonic origin. “This speaks volumes about San José because we must remember that all the founding fathers of the republic were Masons, with the exception of Ricardo Jimenez, who also knew much about Freemasonry,” says architect Andrés Fernández, who is an advocate of a dwindling group of building that are still up and the pride of reinforced concrete, in San José’s northwest.
Fernández explains that there were five architects, foreign and national who worked this style in Barrio Mexico: Teodorico Quirós, José María Barrantes, José Francisco Salazar, Luis Llach and Paul Erenberg
The Botica Solera is a structure that cannot be missed. It’s triangular shape stands at a high traffic corner in San José and one of San José’s roughest “barrios”(neighbourhoods), in between Paso de La Vaca and Barrio Mexico.
The Municipalidad de San José plans to convert the buildig into a multicultural library, a gourmet coffee shop, with exhibition halls, with access to the general public.
Botica Solera Hermanos
The Botica Solera wass one of San Jose’s well known drugstores, before giant drugstore chains came about in the 1980’s. The building itself is a symbol of the Art Deco era, and was modelled imitating buildings such as the Flatiron in New York or the Metropolis in Madrid.
The concept was similar to the Metropolis and the Flatiron in that the wide, frequented street running north to south would meet the triangular building head on, displaying its architectural features and using the building to naturally direct traffic flows.
Suburbanization in the late 1970’s caused this area of the city to depopulate and become abandoned. With few permanent customers, the drugstore went broke and the building closed down.
The original owners died, leaving the building to over 20 heirs and claim holders. The legal battles that ensued left the building in a stalemate, during which it was occupied and looted by the homeless. Finally through a series of government grants and municipal negotiations, the building was turned over to the state and restored.
The Botica Solera as it stood during the last several years before the restoration
The International Court of Justice in The Hague rejected the claim in which Nicaragua sought to obtain navigational rights of the Colorado River, in Costa Rica.
Nicaragua raised the question last year, responding to Costa Rica’s demands that the government of Daniel Ortega invaded and caused environmental damage to the Isla Calero, an area in the most northen point of the Limón province.
The two countries have been locked into an international court battle following the alleged invasion by Nicaragua of Costa Rican territory in October 2010.
At the time of the filing, the demand by the Ortega administration for the right to navigate the Colorado river, an area that is strictly within Costa Rica’s sovereignty, seemed to be in retaliation for the Calero incident.
Nicaragua argued before the International Court that 90% of the flow of the Colorado comes from Nicaragua.
Costa Rica objected to the demands by its neighbour.
The international court said Nicaragua’s requests were “unacceptable within current procedures.”
Costa Rica’s Foreign Ministry posted the court’s ruling on its website.
It’s been some time since we’ve seen the “yellow wave” (ICE employees typically dressed in yellow t-shirts) hit the streets in protest for something or other. This time, workers of the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) are protesting the number portability issue.
The ICE workers union said that the state telecom employees will walk off the job next Monday.
Number portability allows cellular phone customers to switch carier and keep their phone number. Fabio Chaves, head of the workers union, said that the portability is happening to fast in Costa Rica, some 18 months, when it takes some 10 years in other countries.
Another point of contention is that number portability in Costa Rica will be free to the consumer, the carriers footing the bill every time a customer wants to make a switch. In most countries the consumer is charged a fee for any change in carrier, according to Chaves.
Other issues on the protest agenda are an electricity bill currently before Legislators and the practice of political appointments in top posts at ICE.
Costa Rica’s Legislators approved an amendment to the computer crimes law yesterday by a big majority (42 to 2) without any changes to the version that was adopted on first reading after modification. The bill is now waiting to be signed into law by the Presidenta.
Reporters Without Borders, the France-based international non-profit, non-governmental organization that promotes and defends freedom of information and freedom of the press, said it regrets that legislators did not make further changes on second and final reading and, in particular, that they did not change a new provision under which revealing state secrets related to national security, defence of sovereignty and foreign relations will be punishable by one to six years in prison.
The provision nonetheless allows for appeals.
Costa Rica’s ranking in the latest Reporters Without Borders press freedom index, 18th out of 179 countries, is the best in Latin America.
The Minister of Communication Francisco Chacon announced after the meeting of the Government Council that Friday, May 3rd, when US President Barack Obama is to arrive here, will be off for public workers in San Jose.
That possibility, which was foreseen since President Obama’s visit to Costa Rica was first announced, was confirmed through an official release.
Foreign Minister Enrique Castillo disclosed details about the visit of the United States President to Costa Rica, as part of the summit of the Central American Integration System (SICA in Spanish).
This is the first official visit of a President of the United States to Costa Rica in the last 15 years.
The landing of Air Force One, the airplane carrying U.S. President Barack Obama, will affect operations at the Juan Santamaría International (SJO) airport from May 3 to May 5.
As reported yesterday by the Dirección General de Aviación Civil (DGCA) – Costa Rica’s Civil Aviation – all cargo operations and private aircraft will be suspended at the San José airport from 6am May 3 and until midnight on May 5.
Aviación Civil also informs that commercial passenger flights will be affected on Obama’s landing day, but did not specify times, saying only the impact will be hours before the arrival of Air Force One.
“Once U.S. authorities confirm the exact time of arrival of President Obama, we will inform which operations (flights) will be affected”, said the statement.
In addition, Aviación Civil says that planning and protocol meetings for the arrival of the U.S. president are continuing. Foreign Minister, Enrique Castillo, confirmed the arrival today of an advance team from the United States to continue working on these issues.
A scam directed apparently against the cell phone service provider Claro has caught some of its customers with blocked phones. La Nacion reported the case of Jessica Zamora who bought her phone several months ago and found it useless recently.
When she tried to check back with the store that sold it to her, she found it closed. Claro officials say an individual bought 1,000 phones for resale but did not keep up the payments, so the phones were blocked.
Edgar del Valle of Claro’s legal department said that the individual had represented himself as buying the phone in a bloc for a corporation. But instead, he sold them to customers at stores.
The blocking of the phones was all per contract if the “corporation” did not keep up its payments, which happened. The lawyers says that the company was astounded when they cut off service to find that they had stuck their foot into a public relations bear trap.
Eduardo Castellon of the regulating agency SUTEL says there is nothing his agency can do for irate customers because the scam was directed at Claro. He says customers should have verified the origin of the phones.
The best he could suggest was that customers file a criminal complaint through the courts. (Another alternative is to file with Consumer Protection from the Economy Ministry.)
But it is unlikely that the customers would know the name of the fraud artist since the phones were sold in stores. It is unreasonable that buyers from a fixed outlet would play detective. They had every reason to believe the phones were legitimate.
Del Valle suggests that the affected customers go to a licensed Claro store and take out a plan with the company to get their phones switched on. But he defended the company’s right to block the service because the phones belong to Claro.
Commentary: Frankly, the attitude of both SUTEL and Claro makes no sense to us. It seems that Claro should have checked the credentials of the man claiming to represent a corporation. They have resources to do so.
A more reasonable tactic, public relations-wise, would be to turn the phones back on for a limited number of months and swallow the loss caused by the firm’s gullibility. Otherwise, we can guarantee that 1,000 persons will never buy another Claro service as long as they live.
A group of 13 Costa Rican companies will participate in the first edition of the International Tourism Fair World Travel Market (WTM) Latin America that kicks off today (April 23) and runs to April 25 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Costa Rica’s tourism board, the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT), will be accompanying the Tico businesses, whose effort is to increase marketing in South America.
The participating companies are: Costa Rica Top Tours, Europcar Rent a Car, Travel Excellence, Enjoy Hotels& Resort, Agencia de viajes Amadeus, Corporación de Viajes TAM, Panorama Tours, Hampton Inn & Suites San Jose Aiport, Costa Rica Trails, Discovery Travel, Asuaire Travel and Swiss Travel.
According to Allan Flores, Minister of Tourism, participating in this fair is part of effective advocacy strategies to captivate relevant markets.
WTM Latin America will be held in Santo Amaro Expocentre Transamerica in Sao Paulo and will feature more than 1150 exhibitors, within the listed tour operators, tourism businesses, institutions, airlines, among others, and wholesalers mainly in Brazil, Latin America and USA.
According to the organizers, they are awaiting the arrival of about 7,000 visitors, 80% from Brazil, 15% of the rest of Latin America and the remaining 5% of other countries.
Growth in Brazilian arrivals to the country has remained constant and even in the year there were 15,071 arrivals. According to the ICT about 69% of Brazilians who visit Costa Rica are for vacation or pleasure, 21% for business, 6% do so to meet relatives and 4% indicated other reasons trip.
The Brazilians traveling to Costa Rica have an average daily expenditure of $134 and stay around 13 nights.
It is unlikely that U.S. President, Barack Obama, will be seen in public during his visit to Costa Rica set for May 3 and 4.
Costa Rica’s Foreign Minister, Enrique Castillo, explained that potentioal protests, as well as security provisions, will probably prevent any U.S. president’s public activities.
Castillo explained on ADN Radio that meetings continue on the President’s public agenda while in the country.
Obama is set to arrive in Costa Rica on Friday, May 3 and will leave the country the following day, on Saturday afternoon.
The Obama visit is to participate in the Central American Integration System (SICA) summit that unites the presidents of Central America and the Dominican Republic.
“We know that there are Costa Ricans who may be planning events that are disrespectful to the [United States] President and we will not expose [Obama] or any other president to that type of situation”, said Castillo during his radio interview.
The comments by the Foreign Minister were before the evening announcement by Presidenta Chinchilla to end the contract concession for the San José – San Ramón reconstruction, and a source of potential protests.
Castillo said that preparations for Obama’s visit are still be organized, and U.S. officials are coordinating closely with local officials.
Due to security reasons, the details of the Presidential visit is being kept confidential. What we do know is that the First Lady, Michelle Obama, will not be accompanying her husband on his visit to Costa Rica.
It was 7:52pm Monday night when Presidenta Laura Chinchilla took to the airwaves, appearing on national television, to announce that the San José – San Ramón concession contract had been “terminated”. The Presidenta told her audience that the decision was by mutual agreement with the Brazilian company, OAS.
In the message that lasted 10 minutes and 5 seconds, the Presidenta did not provide details during the television network announcement, but reconfirmed her government’s policy of continuing the concession model as a way of building public works.
The growing popular unrest and lacking support from different sectors, like business, technical and political, the Chinchilla administration had their back against the wall, promoting a public works project nobody wanted. At least not in the way it was negotiated.
With the cancellation of the contract, the Government seeks to end the growing controversy and the conflicts that could escalate to legal battles and possibly violence on the streets.
Although the Presidenta and her Transport Minister, Pedro Castro, told the public during the past few weeks that there was room renegotiate the contract and including the announcement of a commission to analyze the project, it did not appease opposition groups.
The strategies of the last weeks by the government to reduce social unrest and opposition to the project failed.
Chinchilla said the decision was based on “my repsonsibiliy to ensure social peace and seek a prompt settlement to the project”.
In her television address, the Presidenta said she regretted that the opposition to the project never accepted the invitation to dialogue, to reach an agreement.
Costa Rica’s National Biodiversity Institute (INBio), an ambitious project to inventory all that country’s biota, is in the midst of negotiating its rescue from financial ruin with the Costa Rican government.
The deal entails the government taking over the maintenance of INBio’s extensive collection of specimens, a US$750,000 annual cost savings that will enable INBio to begin to pay off its debts. At issue, however, is what part of the government will actually foot the bill and what will be the ultimate fate of the collections.
Started in 1989, INBio quickly earned international recognition for its approach to cataloging biodiversity and, after a few years, its success partnering with pharmaceutical companies for “bioprospecting,” or searching for new drugs and other useful chemicals in tropical plants and animals. For the inventory, INBio trained dozens of local residents as parataxonomists who collected and did a first pass on identifying all species. The private, nonprofit organization now has about 4 million specimens in its coffers; they represent about 28% of the Costa Rica’s biodiversity.
INBio has run into financial trouble before, yet managed to keep going by expanding its consulting efforts. But for the past 3 years, INBio has had increasing trouble making ends meet, in part because of a $7 million debt incurred to develop a theme park that provides the public with a chance to experience Costa Rican ecosystems. INBio employs 121 people and spends about US$6 million per year, of which US$750,000 per year goes for the collections.
Until now, INBio has been independent of the Costa Rican government. Initially, INBio relied on grants from international agencies such as the World Bank’s Global Environmental Facility and from national governments, such as Norway and the Netherlands. But that support has been declining, in a large part because Costa Rica is no longer seen as a poor country deserving of much international aid, says INBio’s new director, Randall Garcia. Corporate grants now cover about 20% of the budget. The rest comes from services, such as bioprospecting and other consulting arrangements; editorial services; and the theme park income. But it does not generate enough revenue to pay the interest on its debts.
Three months ago, Garcia was quite worried. But last month, INBio gave control of its collections and its theme park to the Costa Rican government. For now, the collections will stay with INBio, but the maintenance bill will be footed by the government. The money freed up by not having to support the collections will be put toward paying down the debt, says Garcia, who plans to reorganize INBio and expand its consulting services. In addition, the government wants INBio to work on a national biodiversity information system, which would provide one-stop online shopping for biodiversity information. Right now, data on Costa Rica’s plants and animals are scattered among INBio and Costa Rica’s universities and natural history museum. Last week, the four public universities agreed to contribute to this new information system, Garcia says.
But INBio is far from being out of the woods, says Daniel Janzen, who is based at the University of Pennsylvania. He helped found INBio and has been a mover and shaker in Costa Rican biodiversity for decades. He worries that the government will not be able to come to an agreement about how it will finance INBio before the country gets focused on next year’s elections; the campaigns will start revving up this summer. “People may drag their feet,” and a change in power may lead to a loss of support, he says. Janzen is also worried about the fate of the collections. The government may decide that, ultimately, they should be given to a university or natural history museum. The situation is “full of catch-22s,” he says, “How it will get resolved, I don’t know.”
The Ministro de Comunicación, Francisco Chacón, confirmed that Presidenta Laura Chinchilla will address the nation on national television tonight at 8:00pm, to speak on the San José – San Ramón concession.
Chacón did not proffer details on what the Presidenta will say, only to confirm that meetings were held this weekend between the Presidenta and representatives of the Brazilian company, OAS, who was awarded the concession contract.
Opponents to the concession say they have filed the legal papers to have the contract annulled.
“The Presidenta asked of us legal reasons to annul the contract and last Thursday we gave 10. We are backing what we say, but will not sit down to negotiate…”, said Paul Brenes, del Foro de Occidente
Costa RicaTravel Guard polled travel agents to learn more about clients who are concerned about eco-tourism and “green” travel.
Environmentally friendly travel has become popular in the industry for some time, according to agents. Twenty-four percent of those who responded said that interest in green travel is currently the highest it has ever been in the last 10 years. Fifty-one percent reported that interest has remained the same throughout the time period.
The majority of the travel agents noted that the most popular eco-tourism activity among their clients is visiting historical sites, followed by wildlife activities. The least popular activities included visiting national parks and learning about local culture by attending community events or visiting villages.
Costa Rica has become known for its offerings in green travel, with almost half of travel agents noting the country as the most popular destination among clients, followed by South Africa, the Galapagos Islands, Peru and Belize.
Eco-tourism travel can be expensive and usually involves a more complicated itinerary. Travelers embarking on eco-tourism trips have a variety of concerns, most notably suffering an injury in a remote location. Other concerns included flight delays or cancellations, inclement weather, contracting a tropical or rare disease or unexpected trip cancellation.
The average age of clients booking an eco-tourism trip was over 45.
Travelers can also get involved in “voluntourism” activities after booking their trip. Volunteers can devote a day or two to participate, but fewer are most interested in trips focused solely on volunteering.
Travel Guard also offers comprehensive insurance plans that come with 24-hour assistance service. Coverage typically includes medical expenses, emergency medical transportation, trip interruption, trip cancellation, and baggage loss, delay and damage. A Cancel for Any Reason add-on that may cover travelers’ last minute trip changes, is also available.
The My Travel Guard plan even lets travelers customize and build their own plan tailored to each trip so that their trip investment is covered.
