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Ombudsman Calls For Tough Measures Against Aesthetics Clinics
The Ombudsman is demanding at the Ministerio de Salud (Ministry of Health) require “extreme measures” against aesthetic clinics.
This comes following several cases of patients suing their Costa Rican doctor alleging severe butt deformities. The cases involves aesthetic procedures performed by doctors who are not plastic surgeons, injecting patients with liquid silicon, known as PMMA biopolymer, into buttocks.
Ofelia Taitelbaum said she has met with officials of Health and representatives of the College of Physicians in order to establish the necessary measures to regulate aesthetic clinics.
While the Ombudsman calls for action the Ministry of Health and the College of Physicians are urging Legislators to approve a bill would improve the control of its members.
“Our goal is to have the reform in the legislature before May 1”, said Marino Ramirez, president of the College of Physicians.
Currently, the fine for minor breaches of the “Mora Code of Medical Ethics” is ¢200.000 colones or a warning. The reform would set fines from ¢800.000 to eight million colones.
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Costa Rican Hailed As Hero for Boston Marathon Rescue Efforts
Costa Rica’s Carlos Arredondo is being hailed a hero for his efforts during the Boston Marathon attack, as the cowboy-hatted peace campaigner and bereaved father Carlos, was a person even more extraordinary than usual.
The 52-year-old Costa Rican immigrant is visible in a series of photos and videos taken immediately after the twin blasts near the finish line. The distinctive, long-haired figure sprints across the street to tear away fencing and scaffolding to reach victims. Reports said he used his clothes and towels to try to staunch bleeding.
In one graphic photograph, Arredondo can be seen seemingly pinching shut the end of an artery on the part-severed leg of a man being carried away in a wheelchair. “I kept talking to him. I kept saying: ‘Stay with me, stay with me,'” Arredondo told the newspaper Maine Today.
It emerged on Tuesday that the man in the wheelchair later had to have both legs removed. Jeff Bauman, 27 had a double amputation at Boston Medical Centre. He had come to see his girlfriend run.
Arredondo’s story appears equally dramatic and harrowing. He was reportedly waiting at the finish to greet a runner, who was competing in the race in memory of his son Alexander Arredondo, a lance corporal in the US marines who was killed by a sniper in 2004 in Iraq. Carlos, a self-employed handyman, reacted to his son’s death by setting fire to himself inside a van, suffering severe burns. He subsequently became a peace campaigner, in part in remembrance of his son.
A 2007 New York Times story recounted how Arredondo took a pickup truck around the country, carrying a flag-draped coffin and photos and mementos of Alexander, including a football and his Winnie the Pooh toy. “As long as there are marines fighting and dying in Iraq, I’m going to share my mourning with the American people,” he told the paper.
In December 2011, Alexander’s younger brother Brian, then 24, who had become depressed after the first family tragedy and begun using drugs, killed himself.
Video footage after the blasts shows Arredondo, gripping a small blood-soaked American flag, shaking in shock as he describes the scene to people on the street. He said the apparent cause of the blast was an improvised explosive device.
With files from The Guardian
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Government Not Ruling Out Rescinding Concession Contract
Communications Minister, Francisco Chacon, said the government is not ruling out rescinding the San José-San Ramón concession contract, appeasing the opposition groups that have been protesting the last couple of weeks.
“To reach any conclusion when there are opposing positions, the logical is for the parties to sit down and listen to the arguments of each other and discuss the alternatives”, said Chacon.
Asked if the government is considering cancelling the contract, the Minister said yes, but only after looking at all sides of the issue and if only if necessary or essential.
Another possibility is to make amendments to the contract. “Legally many things are possible”, says Chacon.
The Minister also confirmed that Transport Minister, Pedro Castro, has asked Presidenta Laura Chinchilla to be remove him from the (re)negotiations with the Brazilian company, OAS.
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[FOTOS] San José’s Mercado Central (Central Market)
San José’s Mercado Central (Central Market), located in the heart of Costa Rica’s capital city, was established in 1880, and occupies an entire square block. The market contains a complex of narrow alleys with over 200 shops, stalls and sodas (small restaurants). A huge range of meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, coffees, and other products are for sale including snakeskin boots and cowboy saddles, herbal remedies, flowers, cooked meals, souvenirs, and local handcrafts. Tens of thousands of people visit the market daily.
Two blocks to the north is the Mercado Borbón, which specializes in food, with numerous butchers, fishmongers, and fruit vendors located there. Similar enclosed markets can be found in Heredia and Alajuela.
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[FOTOS] Canada’s Governor General Visit To Costa Rica
On December 12 2009, Canada’s Governor General, Michaelle Jean, accompanied by her husband Jean-Daniel Lafond, made an official visit of Costa Rica. During her three day visit, the GG got a glimpse of Costa Rican life.
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[FOTOS] Quepos – Matina
It wasn’t too many years back when traveling to one of Costa Rica’s most visited tourist destination of Quepos/Manuel Antonio was an adventure. The bridges between Matina and Quepos would leave many foreigners shaking their heads.
The photos here were taken on in 2005.
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[FOTOS] 2009 Costa Rica Earthquake
The 2009 Costa Rica earthquake (also known as Cinchona Earthquake), occurred at 1:21:34 pm local time (19:21:34 UTC) on January 8, 2009. The epicentre of the 6.1 Mw earthquake was in northern Costa Rica, 30 kilometres (19 mi) north-northwest of San José. The earthquake was felt all over Costa Rica as well as in southern central Nicaragua.
The earthquake took at least 34 lives,including at least three children, left about 64 people missing, and injured at least 91.Hundreds of people were trapped and two villages had been cut off. Most of the victims died when a landslide occurred near the La Paz waterfall by the Poás Volcano, and 452 people including 369 tourists were evacuated from the area in helicopters. 1,244 people were displaced in the immediate aftermath. In addition, a hotel, houses, roads, and vehicles were damaged, and several bridges were also destroyed. The town of Cinchona was heavily hit, and all of the buildings there were heavily damaged. Power was temporarily disrupted in San José.
About 2,000 aftershocks have been felt throughout Costa Rica. nOn January 12, president Oscar Arias declared National Grieving of 5 days out of respect for the victims.
The exclusive photos were taken on January 13, 2009.
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[FOTOS] Costa Rica Way Back In 2005
Costa Rica in 2005 remembered in this exclusive photo collection by the Q.
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[FOTOS] Costa Rica Way Back In 2004
Costa Rica in 2004 remembered in this exclusive photo collection by the Q.
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[FOTOS] Costa Rica Way Back In 2003
Costa Rica in 2003 remembered in this exclusive photo collection by the Q.
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PROFILE: Maduro, From Bus Driver to President
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Not so long ago, the president-elect was a hate figure among Chávez supporters
There was a time – not too long ago – that many supporters of the late President Hugo Chávez detested Nicolás Maduro.
It was at the end of 2009 and Maduro, serving as foreign minister, had just signed the extradition order for Joaquín Pérez Becerra, a member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) who served as the head of insurgency group’s news outlets.
Pérez Becerra was a Swedish resident who had arrived in Caracas on a flight from Paris when he was detained. He must have thought he would have been protected by Chávez’s leftist government.
The Venezuelan Communist Party (PCV) – an unruly ally of Chávez – and other radical movements held a protest outside the Foreign Ministry in downtown Caracas with supporters holding placards that read: “Traitor” and “Juan Manuel Santos’ lapdog.” Santos, who is now Colombian president, was then the defense minister under Álvaro Uribe.
It was perhaps one of the lowest points of Maduro’s political career, which began with membership in the Socialist League, a political platform for Latin American guerrillas who had renounced the armed struggle which became popular in the 1980s.
The Pérez Becerra incident not only demonstrated the difficulties Maduro has had in seeking in ways to find conciliatory gestures among various ideological groups, but it also showed how a former bus driver and union leader got so far under the protection of the Chávez government.
If fact, the fine line between his staunch loyalty to the iconic leftist leader and Maduro’s own personality was too often blurred. US film director Michael Moore once told a story about how he always believed that Maduro was Chávez’s bodyguard because it was him who opened the door to the president’s hotel room on two occasions when he visited him.
As foreign minister, Maduro, now 50, had some successes in coming up with his own initiatives, according to several US State Department cables released by WikiLeaks in 2010, including trying to improve ties with the United States and Israel, two countries that still have rocky relations with Venezuela.
He was instrumental in helping to calm the tense situation in 2009 between Venezuela and Colombia, which almost went to war over charges made by Uribe against his nemesis Chávez, whom he accused of harboring members of the FARC.
Born in Caracas in 1962, Maduro grew up in the capital as opposed to Chávez and many other Socialist leaders who were raised in the rural parts of Venezuela. In his youth, he formed part of a rock band in the crowded El Valle sector and has one son from a previous relationship. In 1994, he became active in trying to win a pardon for Chávez, the former paratrooper lieutenant colonel who was jailed for leading a 1992 attempted coup against President Carlos Andrés Pérez. It was then when he met his current partner, Cilia Flores, the now-attorney general who will become first lady.
Source: ElPais
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The Ten Best Ways To Keep Your Car From Getting Stolen
Well, we all know that the Toyota Prius is one of the most fuel efficient vehicles on the road. Apparently car thieves are not interested in fuel efficiently because, the Prius had the lowest theft rate of any car.
No Car Invincible. By the way, keep this in mind: even the least-stolen used cars get stolen. They are not invincible. You still need to lock your doors and take your keys with you every time you park your vehicle. After all, a lot of stolen cars are crimes of opportunity and not well-planned heists like you might see in “Gone in 60 Seconds.”
The obvious is that the best car not to get stolen is one you don’t have.
But, if you do have a car in Costa Rica, here’s a list of things you can do to minimize the risk of having it stolen.
10.) Garage It
If you car isn’t on the street, it’s less likely to get stolen.
9.) Keep Your Car in Good Shape
A well-maintained car will deter potential carjackers. If they see that you care about and take care of your car, you’re more likely to have an alarm, more likely to have a way to find it, and more likely to notice it missing.
8.) Have an Alarm Sticker
Just like the “Protected by Brinks” signs in front of houses deter burglars, so do visual signs of a tougher job for a car thief.
7.) Don’t Leave Valuables in Sight
Here’s a scenario: you see Car One with a box of tissues on the floor. In front of that car is Car Two in which an iPod, navigation system, and a watch are strewn about the passenger’s seat. Are you more tempted to break into Car One or Car Two? Pretty simple really — make it seem like there’s nothing in your car worth taking.
6.) Park in a Safe Area or Parking Lot
If you park your car an area with a high crime rate, and presumably a high concentration of criminals, it’s more likely to be taken than when it’s parked in a statistically safer area with good lighting and a neighborhood watch.
5.) The Club
The first step in this system works like #8 — seeing a giant metal bar keeping the steering wheel from moving is a pretty good visual deterrent. And the second step is that you have a giant metal bar keeping the steering wheel from moving. There’s a reason these are pretty popular in urban areas. They are, of course, notoriously easy to defeat, but the idea is to get someone to steal someone else’s car because it’s easier.
4.) Hidden Kill Switches
Usually the greatest challenge for a car thief is getting your car started without the key. To the thief’s advantage, however, is the fact that he knows he’s working with your ignition. But if he also needs to be looking for a connector hidden under the passenger’s seat, he’s that much less likely to get it started. This one doesn’t come cheap, but it may be well worth the investment someday.
3.) Lock the Doors
This one seems so simple, and yet is so often ignored. A thief looking for a car to steal is more likely to go for the vehicle whose owner was kind enough to complete his first step for him, and has given him open access to everything inside.
2.) Take Your Steering Wheel With You (If your vehicle has this installed)
How well do you think you can drive a car without a steering wheel? Exactly. Even if your potential carjacker can get inside and get it started, if you’ve got a quick-release hub and have taken your steering wheel with you, you should be fine. That thief is probably not going anywhere without a way to drive.
1.) Drive a Automatic
Automatic transmissions are a theft deterrent. In Costa Rica, only recently have automatic transmissions begun to appear, the largest number of vehicles are still stick. Most Costa Rican’s can’t drive an automatic. No, seriously, automatics do not sell well in the market and they are not in great demand for spare parts and thus are not on the top of the list of car thieves.
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Costa Rica: Only 1 In 10 Stolen Cars Recovered
Losing your car to thieves in Costa Rica is easy, getting it back is another matter.
According to figures by the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ), the judicial police was only able to recover 12.8% of the total number of vehicles stolen in 2011 and 2012 and does not have a figure on the how many people were arrested for the crime.
Data released by the OIJ Crime Analysis Unit, shows that during 2011 and 2012, a total of 8.563 complaints for stolen vehicles were filed, while only 1.109 vehicles were recovered.
The figures indicate a total 4.033 vehicles were stolen in 2012, while only 4.650 in 2011, representing an increase of 647 less vehicles stolen over the previous year.
The province with the largest number of stolen vehicles is San José, with the country’s largest city, with 1.783 stolen vehicles in 2011 ad 1.473 in 2012.
In second place is Alajuela, followed by Heredia, Limón, Puntarenas, Cartago and Guancaste, the province with the lowest figures.
The director of the OIJ, Francisco Segura, in the report of “Criminalidad Reportada en Costa Rica 2012” (Reported Crime in Costa Rica 2012), issued by the Office of Plans and Operations, said that the “neglect” is responsible for the largest number of stolen vehicles with 1669 complaints, followed by bajonazos (at gunpoint) with 311 complaints.
The favourites by “car thieves”, according to the OIJ data, are 1992 to 1996 model vehicles, because most don’t have sophisticated security devices and most are used for spare parts.
The Ten Best Ways To Keep Your Car From Getting Stolen
Well, we all know that the Toyota Prius is one of the most fuel efficient vehicles on the road. Apparently car thieves are not interested in fuel efficiently because, the Prius had the lowest theft rate of any car.
No Car Invincible. By the way, keep this in mind: even the least-stolen used cars get stolen. They are not invincible. You still need to lock your doors and take your keys with you every time you park your vehicle. After all, a lot of stolen cars are crimes of opportunity and not well-planned heists like you might see in “Gone in 60 Seconds.”
10.) Garage It
If you car isn’t on the street, it’s less likely to get stolen.
9.) Keep Your Car in Good Shape
A well-maintained car will deter potential carjackers. If they see that you care about and take care of your car, you’re more likely to have an alarm, more likely to have a way to find it, and more likely to notice it missing.
8.) Have an Alarm Sticker
Just like the “Protected by Brinks” signs in front of houses deter burglars, so do visual signs of a tougher job for a car thief.
7.) Don’t Leave Valuables in Sight
Here’s a scenario: you see Car One with a box of tissues on the floor. In front of that car is Car Two in which an iPod, navigation system, and a watch are strewn about the passenger’s seat. Are you more tempted to break into Car One or Car Two? Pretty simple really — make it seem like there’s nothing in your car worth taking.
6.) Park in a Safe Area or Parking Lot
If you park your car an area with a high crime rate, and presumably a high concentration of criminals, it’s more likely to be taken than when it’s parked in a statistically safer area with good lighting and a neighborhood watch.
5.) The Club
The first step in this system works like #8 — seeing a giant metal bar keeping the steering wheel from moving is a pretty good visual deterrent. And the second step is that you have a giant metal bar keeping the steering wheel from moving. There’s a reason these are pretty popular in urban areas. They are, of course, notoriously easy to defeat, but the idea is to get someone to steal someone else’s car because it’s easier.
4.) Hidden Kill Switches
Usually the greatest challenge for a car thief is getting your car started without the key. To the thief’s advantage, however, is the fact that he knows he’s working with your ignition. But if he also needs to be looking for a connector hidden under the passenger’s seat, he’s that much less likely to get it started. This one doesn’t come cheap, but it may be well worth the investment someday.
3.) Lock the Doors
This one seems so simple, and yet is so often ignored. A thief looking for a car to steal is more likely to go for the vehicle whose owner was kind enough to complete his first step for him, and has given him open access to everything inside.
2.) Take Your Steering Wheel With You (If your vehicle has this installed)
How well do you think you can drive a car without a steering wheel? Exactly. Even if your potential carjacker can get inside and get it started, if you’ve got a quick-release hub and have taken your steering wheel with you, you should be fine. That thief is probably not going anywhere without a way to drive.
1.) Drive a Automatic
Automatic transmissions are a theft deterrent. In Costa Rica, only recently have automatic transmissions begun to appear, the largest number of vehicles are still stick. Most Costa Rican’s can’t drive an automatic. No, seriously, automatics do not sell well in the market and they are not in great demand for spare parts and thus are not on the top of the list of car thieves.
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[Video] Pedro Castro Advised Concessionaire
There is no denying that Transport Minister, Pedro Castro, worked as and adviser for the Brazilian company, OAS, that was awarded the US$530 million dollar contract for the San José – San Ramón road.
In an investigative report by CRHoy.com, Castro when questioned by reporter Gabriela Contreras on the source of the data to support his ministry’s assertion that the concession will benefit the public, Castro, on camera tells her, “this is not a matter for a journalist”.
[youtube id=”3dRiShNRvuc” width=”620″ height=”360″]
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Demand For Cacao Increases
Almost everyone loves chocolate and this is but one of the factors that has caused production in the country of cacao to begin a slow recovery over the last five years. The other is that quality of the local product is improving, reports the newspaper La Nacion.
The Ministry of Agriculture (MAG) figures show that in 2008, production was an anemic 4,484 hectares in cacao plantations while last year it was 4,660 — not a great increase but promising.
In the 1970s, a plague of the fungus monilia swept the cacao producing areas of the country with devastating results. Many farmers abandoned the crop completely.
Since then, monilia-resistent strains have been developed and planted. Some farmers have deserted the crop that once covered 20,000 hectares of the Caribbean slope’s hot, humid areas but new ones have shown willingness to take a chance on it.
Costa Rican cacao does not reach the quality of its coffee but is high, although only some 10% of it qualifies as gourmet. But that part of the crop has given birth to at least one small confectioner with a thriving on-line business, Chocolates Sibu.
Moreover, Cafe Britt, famous for its excellent marketing tactics for its high quality roasted coffees, is targeting chocolate production for its next investment, according to CEO Pablo Vargas. He plans to install special machinery at Barva de Heredia.
Martin Chacon, manager of the largest cacao processor in the country, also would like to see more farmers going back into production. He acknowledges that new farms have popped up in Los Chiles and San Carlos but says it is just a drop in the bucket.
At full scale production, his plant can turn out 540 tons per month but the country’s production barely makes 700 tons per year.
Chocolates Sibu is, almost completely alone in the world, a candy maker whose product is 100% organic. One of the partners in the firm, Julio Fernandez, told La Nacion that the firm only buys from 15 Pococi farmers with a Rainforest Alliance social certificate and one from Eko-logica promising organic purity.
Sibu has one other distinction: It is a workshop with low production, mainly producing an exquisite product by hand. It has stubbornly rejected efforts by investors eager to turn the plant into a enlarged mass production facility.
Source: iNews.co.cr
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“Complete Chaos” Was The Word From Ticos Living in Boston
According to the Boston marathon’s official website, at least 29 Costa Ricans participated Monday in the competition where two explosions occurred near the finish line.
Costa Rica’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday it is investigating if any Tico was present at the scene of the blast, and if there were any injuries.
To do this, an official from the Costa Rica embassy in New York will be traveling to Boston, to provide assistance to any Costa Rican affected by the incident that left two dead and more than 150 injured.
In Costa Rica, deputy Foreign Minister, Carlos Roverssi, assured the families of Tico in the Boston race, they would do eveything possible to assist in communication with family, and if necessary help with the transfer to a medical facility.
“The city is in complete chaos and is totally paralyzed”, were the words of Esteban valverde, a Costa Rican living in Boston for the last 13 years.
Local news television reports included a number of telephone interviews with Costa Ricans in Boston, and CNN en Español showed video footage of Ticos who were taking part in the marathon and affected by the event.
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Ministerio Publico Raids ‘Concesiones’ In Suspicion of Crimes in San José-San Ramón Concession
It was about two in the afternoon Monday when officials of the Ministerio Público (Public Prosecutor) raided the offices of the Consejo Nacional de Concesiones (National Tender Board).
Investigators were looking for and seized documents relating to a complaint filed by a citizen last Monday, alleging at San José – San Ramón road concession contract violates at least five criminal acts.
According to a Ministerio Publico press released, the investigation is currently focusing on alleged breach of duties and that in the raid, officials took away some 200 boxes of documents related to the case.
Opponents to the US$530 million dollar contract awarded to the Brazilian company, OAS, claim a number of irregularities with the award of the contract.
Since the contract award was made public by the government two weeks ago, Presidenta Laura Chinchilla and Transport Minister Pedro Castro, have come under fire. Opposition to the contract is now more than just a group of citizens from San Ramón and surrounding areas.
Luis Fishman, legislator for the PUSC party, is the latest to join the opposition, filing a case before the Constitutional Court, alleging violation of Article 185 of the country’s Political Constitution.
The Comisión de Ingreso y Gasto Público (Legislative committee on income and public spending) has called Minister Castro, Edwin Rodriguez, director of Concesiones and Marta Acosta, the Comptroller General, to appear.
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Caprilistas in Costa Rica Protest Embassy, Demand Recount
Dozens of Venezuelans living in COsta Rica, supporters of presidential candidate Henrique Capriles, protested in front their country’s embassy in Rohrmoser, San José.
The focus of the protest was a “carcerolazo” (a jailing) as a sign of rejection of the Venezuelan government’s refusal to count the vote results of Sunday’s election.
With pots ad pans Venezuelans claim fraud in the election.
Capriles called on Venezuelns to protest the victory of Nicolas Maduro and demand a recount.
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Casinos, Bakeries and Car Washes Among Suspected of Money Laundering in Costa Rica
Money laundering happens in almost every country in the world, and a single scheme typically involves transferring money through several countries in order to obscure its origins.
In the past year, the Instituto Costarricense sobre Drogas (ICD) – Costa Rican Drug Institute – reports a total of 302 “suspicious transactions”, many of which are investigated by the auditors of the entity or by the agents of the Unidad de Lavado de Dinero del Organismo de Investigación Judicial – OIJ Money Laundering Unit.
Investigated for money laundering are the owners of casinos, gaming houses and bakeries, among others.
Suspicious transactions ares analyzed thoroughly to determine the relationship between the money flowing through the bank accounts and the owners of the businesses.
“These are very complex cases. Sometimes something we can look very suspicious but there is justification for the money or property, ” said the director of ICD, Carlos Alvarado.
The OIJ’s Money Laundering Unit reports sixteen “active” major cases, related to capital invested in casinos and including bakeries and “lavacars” (car washes)”.
The problem for investigators is to prove that the investments are the result of organized crime. In fact, in Costa Rica there is only one reported conviction, a judgement against a Cuban found guilty of money laundering.
A report by the Tax Justice Network, a non-governmental organization dedicated to the study of tax-havens, places Costa Rica in position 41 globally and 14th in Latin America for banking secrecy.
“The money trail is usually Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica by land. That money is usually invested and earnings sent to Panama”, said the director of the OIJ, Francisco Segura.
To combat capital crimes, the ICD requires tools like the proof of provenance of capital or the form in which goods and properties where obtained, or the owners (suspects) face forfeiture, in the same way it is applied in other countries, like Mexico and Colombia.
The director of the OIJ, Francisco Segura and former economic crimes prosecutor, Guillermo Hernandez, agree that this legal concept is essential to improve results in the fight against money laundering.
The “forfeiture bill” is being currently written by the ICD, though it is not known if and when it will be presented to the Legislature, which then has to approve any such law.
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of concealing the source of money obtained by illicit means. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount of money laundered, either worldwide or within their national economy. In 1996, the International Monetary Fund estimated that two to five percent of the worldwide global economy involved laundered money. However, the Financial Action 
Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF), an intergovernmental body set up to combat money laundering, stated that “overall it is absolutely impossible to produce a reliable estimate of the amount of money laundered and therefore the FATF does not publish any figures in this regard”.
Regardless of the difficulty in measurement, the amount of money laundered each year is in the billions (US dollars) and poses a significant policy concern for governments. As a result, governments and international bodies have undertaken efforts to deter, prevent and apprehend money launderers. Financial institutions have likewise undertaken efforts to prevent and detect transactions involving dirty money, both as a result of government requirements and to avoid the reputational risk involved.
How Money Laundering Works
Money laundering, at its simplest, is the act of making money that comes from Source A to look like it comes from Source B. In practice, criminals are trying to disguise the origins of money obtained through illegal activities so it looks like it was obtained from legal sources. Otherwise, they can’t use the money because it would connect them to the criminal activity, and law-enforcement officials would seize it.
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Venezuelans in Costa Rica Voted For New President
It was more like a street party than an election outside the Venezuelan embassy in Costa Rica, located in Rohrmoser. Just six months ago, Venezuelans gathered in front their embassy to re-elect President Hugo Chavez, yesterday they elected his successor as president.
Venezuelans had the choice of Nicolás Maduro, the heir chosen by Chavez before his death and Henrique Capriles, representative of the opposition alliance, whom the Venezuelans in Costa Rica propably gave their greatest number of votes and support -as Venezuelans living in Costa Rica mostly are caprilistas – according to results of the previous election in the embassy.
A survery of voters outside the embassy showed satisfaction in the process, saying it was a much better process than in the past.
Between music, traditional food and banners, about 1300 Venezuelans living in Costa Rica elect the successor to Hugo Chavez. Watch the video as provided by AmeliaRueda.com
[youtube id=”AguzWE4D2cY” width=”620″ height=”360″]
According to Costa Rica immigration data, there are some 4.500 Venezuelans living in Costa Rica, of which 290 are refugees.
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A Plaza That Feeds Them
The Plaza de la Cultura in the heart of Costa Rica’s capital city is a major tourist attraction and a place to take a break and street watch for both visitors and locals. But, more than a tourist attraction it is also home to hundreds of “palomas” (pigeons).
Through the sale of corn in small bags, to photographs, balloons or “face painting”, more than 30 people substain the pigeons in the Plaza.
Click here to watch the video on QTV!
Despite the fierce opposition by the city of San José practice to street vending, dozens of clowns and photographers work the Plaza without problems thanks to “tolerances”.
Given its tourism value, Marcelo Solano, director of the San José Municipal Police, orders his officers to allow the public get a treat and the pigeons to survive.
The photographers nor the vendors are allowed, that is none are legally licensed to operate in the Plaza. City officials do not concern themselves much with the photographs, but more with the sale of corn. The “photographers” say it is “very difficut” to sell pictures with the birds without the corn, to attract the pigeons.
While the pigeons are an attraction for some, they are a nuisance for others.
In a Trip Advisor post, a reviewer says, “thepark is nice, but has pigeons everywhere”. Another reviewer sees it different, the post reads, “I stayed at the hotel that faced this plaza. There is always a crowd, always something going on…”
Impossible to miss if you’re walking along the Boulevard (Avenida Central pedestrian way). All of a sudden you come upon an open plaza and you can’t help but smile.
Without a question feeding the pigeons is one the most popular pastimes at the Plaza de La Cultura. The other is people watching.
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Living With pigeons: The Economy around the Square
More than 30 people earn their daily living with the pigeons of the Plaza de la Cultura.
Click for the report: A Plaza That Feeds Them
[youtube id=”FdGpr-iID9U” width=”620″ height=”360″]
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Venzuelans in Costa Rica Cast Their Vote
[youtube id=”AguzWE4D2cY” width=”620″ height=”360″]
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Yoga Marathon (Mon, Apr 15th – Fri, 19th)
Starting today, Monday, April 15th Gringo Central in San Ramón will be starting our Yoga Marathon. There will be a vigorous yoga class @ 9:00am Mon – Thurs this week only.
Friday will still be reserved for the more nurturing and slower paced Yin Yoga class.
It is only $10 or 5,000 colones for the whole 5 days of yoga (this week only) If you ever wanted to kick start a healthy lifestyle or just want to build some strength, flexibility and endurance here is your non-stop chance!
It’s beneficial to practice yoga once or twice a week, but wait until you feel the benefits of practicing five days in a row!! Whoa!!!! This is a fast paced class so some yoga experiecne is recommended, but not essential. Be prepared to sweep your ego aside and get to know your true self.
Classes will be held at the home of Anna in the El Empalme neighborhood of San Ramon (usual location). Please feel free to email or call Anna at 8718-2719 with any questions or concerns.
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New Personeria Juridicas
If you have a Corporation (S.A. or Sociedad Anoima), and need an up-to-date Personeria Juridica, now you can pay for it online, download it and print off. No more queuing up in Alajuela or in San José on Paseo Colon or Zapote (or wherever).
Note that you DON’T need to take a Personeria Juridica with you when replacing license plates because, when they enter the license plate number into their computer system, they can see the Corporation details there. The same goes for the up-to-date Marchamo. H
ere are 2 options (besides using a lawyer) of how to obtain a new Personeria Juridica:
a) You can either go to the post office (Correo) and give them your Corporation number (beginning with 3-101- or 3-102-) and they’ll create the Personeria Juridica for you there and then (less than 5 mins).
b) Print your own off by following this process:
Go to the Registro Nacional website and
register https://www.rnpdigital.com/shopping/login.jspx
After you have registered, on the left of the screen click on “INDICE PERSONAS JURIDICAS”. To the right of “Registro” select the drop-down arrows and choose “Personas Juridicas” and, to the right of “Razon Social” type the name of your Corporation (don’t need to include SRL or LTDA… just the main name) in CAPITAL LETTERS. Now, on the left of the screen again, click on “CARRITO DE COMPRAS” to make your order and payment then click on a shopping cart to the right of “Personeria Juridica”. [A notice will come up warning you that you can only do this if your Corporation taxes are up-to-date. Click the little “x” on the top right corner of that notice to continue with your process.] At the bottom is should total Col. 2,800 then click on Comprar to make your payment. Once paid, click on “Utizar” then type in your Corporation number and then click on the certification number to download your new Personeria Juridica.
Note that you will receive email confirmation once you’ve made the payment.
The good thing is, now that you can download this and print off, you can print off as many as you like and not pay anymore. So ONLY pay for one when you order!
Another note is that they appear to now only be valid for 15 days which seems to be indicated in the very last sentence at the bottom of the document.
If you decide to download your Personeria Juridica later, click on “MI INVENTRARIO” then click next to “Usados” then click on “Descargar” to download the document.
If you have more than one Corporation you will need to follow the whole process again to ensure you are paying for the correct Personeria Juridica.
Source: Gringocentral
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Patent term extensions in Costa Rica
Patent term extensions are available in Costa Rica as an adjustment of the patent term due to delays in the patent registration process or regulatory approval of a pharmaceutical product.
The Costa Rican Patent Law provides that patent term extensions are available for patents filed after April 25th 2008 and in the following cases:
- When the Patent Office takes more the 5 years to grant the patent, from the date of filing in Costa Rica, or from the date it entered the national phase in Costa Rica for PCT applications.
- When the Patent Office takes more than 3 years to grant the patent, from the date examination was requested.
- For pharmaceutical products, when the approval for sale by the Ministry of Health has taken more than 3 years from the application.
Actions attributed to the applicant will not be taken into account to calculate the delays. The term to compensate will be 1 day per day of delay, as long as the remaining term of the patent does not exceed 12 years. Nevertheless, the total term to compensate shall never be more than 18 months.
The request to apply for patent term compensation shall be filed by the applicant with the Patent Office no later than 3 months after the patent was granted, or 3 months after the marketing approval was issued by the Ministry of Health.
An interesting fact is that patent term compensation was introduced into the Costa Rican Patent Law as a consequence of the enactment of DR-CAFTA, the Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement with the United States, which means it should also be available in all the other countries party to the agreement, which are Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic and the United States.
Source: http://www.lexology.com/
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Oblivion (2013 film)
Oblivion is a 2013 science fiction film co-written, produced and directed by Joseph Kosinski and based on his unpublished graphic novel of the same name edited by Radical Comics. It stars Tom Cruise, Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough, Morgan Freeman, Melissa Leo, Zoë Bell, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.
The film was initially scheduled to release on July 10, 2013. Since the 3D re-release of Jurassic Park was set for a July 19, 2013 release date, the US release date was moved forward to April 19, 2013.[10] According to Kosinski, Oblivion pays homage to science fiction films of the 1970s
Plot Summary
In the year 2070, Jack Harper (Tom Cruise), lives in a futuristic house above the clouds, with his assigned partner, Victoria/Vika (Andrea Riseborough).
They are the last people left on Earth after it was destroyed by aliens known as the ‘Scavs’, who wanted Earth’s resources.
They had destroyed the moon, which lead to a series of natural disasters until the humans declared war on them. In the end, the humans won, but had lost the Earth. The entire human population have moved to a large spaceship called the Tet, ready to go to Titan, Saturn’s moon.
Part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with a terrifying threat known as the Scavs, Jack’s mission is nearly complete. Living in and patrolling the skies from thousands of feet above, his existence is brought crashing down when he rescues a stranger from a downed spacecraft.
Her arrival triggers a chain of events that forces him to question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands.
See it at:
But, don’t take our word for it, see it for yourself at:
- Cinemark Multiplaza Escazú and Multiplaza del Este
- Nova Cinema by Repretel
- CCM Cinemas
- Cinépolis
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Movie Theatres in Costa Rica
- Multiplaza Escazú
- Multiplaza del Este
- Nova Cinema
- CCM Cinemas
- Cinépolis
- Sala Garbo
- CitiCimenas in Grecia
- Multicines Liberia
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G.I. Joe: Retaliation
G.I. Joe: Retaliation is a 2013 American science fiction action film directed by Jon M. Chu, based on Hasbro’s G.I. Joe toy, comic and media franchises.
It is a sequel to 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.The film was written by Zombieland writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. G.I. Joe: Retaliation features an ensemble cast, starring Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson, with Channing Tatum, Arnold Vosloo, Ray Park, Jonathan Pryce, and Byung-hun Lee reprising their roles from the first film. The film was released in North America on March 28, 2013.
Review: It’s an exercise in futility
Many believe that hiring Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock, to star in 2011’s ‘Fast Five’, was the genius idea that salvaged a flagging franchise. The same trick, however, doesn’t work for ‘GI Joe: Retaliation’ which, as it turns out, is even more awful than 2009’s disappointing ‘GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra’.
While you can’t really be surprised by the absence of compelling characters or the lack of emotional depth in the story – given that the GI Joe films are based on a kid’s toy – there’s no excuse why Retaliation is such a dull enterprise, or why it doesn’t even deliver a sense of guilty pleasure.
But, don’t take our word for it, see it for yourself at:
- Cinemark Multiplaza Escazú and Multiplaza del Este
- Nova Cinema by Repretel in Digital 3D
- CCM Cinemas
- Cinépolis
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