In the span of five minutes not one, but two earthquakes shook the Central Valley Wednesday night.
The first was registered 4.7 on the Richter Scale, the second with less intensity at 3.4, shook much of the Central Valley at 8:50pm and 9:04pm, respectively.
According to the seismologist, Marino Protti, of the Observatorio Vulcanológico y Sismológico Nacional (Ovsicori) – National Volcanological and Seismological Observatory – the Central Pacific is the most seismically active zone in the country.
Protti explained that the smaller magnitude earthquakes of the Central Pacific are felt more in the centre of the country that others of greater magnitude.
Wednesday nights quake occurred some 40 kilometres south of Quepos, Puntarenas.
Announcing the construction start June 20, 2013 of Croc’s Casino Resort, the Central Pacific’s Newest Address
Press Release – Change is in the air as Jacó is soon to be home to one of the country’s best resorts. The ground will officially be broken Thursday, June 20, 2013 at 4pm with a celebratory pool party rich with dignitaries, celebrities, local influencers, media and sports figures from Costa Rica and abroad.
Owner, Dag Hascall, and his wife Jennifer could not be happier that Croc’s Casino Resortis finally a reality. “The years of planning and permitting have been a great season to get to know Costa Rica, the culture and the warm people, but getting to build this impressive resort is what it is all about” says an elated Dag.
Croc’s Casino Resort is a welcome change for Jaco. All will be greeted with gracious hospitality and experience a vast array of resort offerings. Slated to open in December of 2014, Croc’s Casino Resort will be hiring over 300 new team members, again changing Jaco. Soon to be the biggest employer in the region, a destination in and of itself for tourists and locals alike and without a doubt, the most dramatic design and architectural wonder on the Central Pacific Coast. Stay tuned as Croc’s Casino Resort continues through the construction process and is pleased to call Costa Rica home.
Croc’s Casino Resort is a richly diverse hotel-casino-resort in Jaco, Costa Rica. It is located in the exclusive north end. Croc’s Casino Resort is poised to be the predominant casino resort in Costa Rica and will change the landscape of Jaco and the Costa Rica’s Pacific coast forever. A soaring 17 stories, Croc’s Casino Resort will feature 152 hotel rooms, 44 luxurious condominium residences, a Las Vegas style casino, beachfront resort pool, restaurants, disco, spa, the “Croc Habitat”, retail shopping and meeting and convention facilities.
Impeccable service advancing the guest experience will be provided at Croc’s Casino Resort and will surely elevate the standard of service expected on the Coast of Riches, Costa Rica.
Operated and managed by Rory Hascall, long-time Las Vegas Executive and a highly professional team of executives, Croc’s Casino Resort is your best bet in Costa Rica.
For More Information please contact: Esteban Martinez – Publicist Croc’s Casino Resort –esteban@crocscasinoresort.com
On a clear night, the Arenal Volcano of north central Costa Rica can put on a show that’s hard to match anywhere in the world. Rivers of molten rock cascade down the side of Costa Rica’s most active volcano.
The Arenal area features a number of hotels, resorts and spas, some featuring natural hot springs and rooms where you can sit on the verandah and watch the show (weather permitting, of course).
Spectacular as it is, Arenal is far from the only volcano in Costa Rica. To the northwest, towards Nicaragua are the Miravalles, Tenorio and Rincon de la Vieja volcanoes. Miravalles boasts the biggest geothermal facility in Costa Rica. Tenorio and Rincon de la Vieja are both noted for diverse wildlife, natural beauty and adventure tourism.
Miravalles Volcano
Southwest of Arenal are more volcanoes. Volcan Poas is probably the easiest to visit from the Capital of San Jose. It features one of the largest volcanic craters in the world, containing a beautiful turquoise lake (not great for swimming, unless you are invulnerable to sulfuric acid). Another much visited volcano is Volcan Irazu, whose 1723 eruption destroyed the country’s capital city, Cartago, and caused the capital to be moved to San Jose. Like Poas, Irazu can be visited in a day trip from San Jose.
Close by is the Turrialba volcano. Although there is no road to the summit, it can be reached by horseback or 4wd vehicles. The area is also a starting point for some excellent river rafting.
Turrialba Volcano
All these volcanoes are due to Costa Rica’s location on the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire.’ Movement between the Coco and the North American tectonic plates gives rise to volcanic activity, in addition to being the main source of Costa Rica’s frequent earthquakes. Without this tectonic activity, there would be no earthquakes or volcanic eruptions. There would also be no Costa Rica. The same geological forces that cause the volcanoes and earthquakes are responsible for the land under our feet here, and even for the eternal Spring that San Jose enjoys at 1000 meters (3000+ ft) altitude.
Costa Rica’s great biological diversity owes its existence to the great variation in altitude and climate caused by the eons of volcanic/seismic/tectonic activity. Come see for yourself!
The author lives in the Monte Cielo Gated Community in Puntarenas, in the hills above Pacific Ocean near Jacó.
Phil Taylor, retired building contractor from Chicago Illinois. Phil lives with his wife of 35 years, two mongrel dogs they adopted locally and a parrot named Socrates. Phil enjoys working on his tree house and writing about his adopted country.
The co-director of Channel 7’s news programming, Telenoticias, Pilar Cisneros, announced this week she will step down as news anchor, allowing for more time on to other projects within the Teletica television station.
Working with co-director, Ignacio Santos, they developed investigative news reporting seconded only by La Nacion.
Cisneros has been the centre of many exclusive news stories and used her commentaries to voice her opinion on the government and Costa Rica in general.
Although in Costa Rica we only get to her in Spanish, Cisneros is fully bilingual and has been heard on CNN and CNN en Español, the U.S. news organization with affiliations with Teletica.
No word from Teletica who will replace Cisneros at the anchor desk.
The video, shot at half time during the Mexico – Costa Rica game, shows an inside glimpse as presidenta Laura Chinchilla takes the accordion in hand.
With members of her cabinet and former soccer players, together at Theatre 1887 in the CENAC, Doña Laura hammed it up, surprising her audiene with her accordion playing.
In the following video, the minister of Culture and Youth and an accomplished musician, Manuel Obregon, shows how it is done.
[youtube id=”6aMpEeeZ2Jg” width=”620″ height=”360″]
The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) reports that from today until Friday, June 14 it will be performing maintenance in its communications network.
The work will probably affect both 3G cellular and internet service while it makes improvements.
ICE says all work should be completed by no later than 3pm Friday.
Presidenta Laura Chinchilla is publicly criticizing social groups opposed to the San José – San Ramón concession contract, looking to take the government to Court.
According to the Presidenta, commencing a court action will impede the process of the government putting an end to the concession contract with the OAS, as soon as possible.
Chinchilla insists that the “mutual agreement” is the best way to bring the the situation to a close. Chinchilla said, “yes, sometimes you to give in to something, to ultimately solve a problem”.
On Friday, the Brazilian contractor awarded the road reconstruction project put on the table the figure of US$45.9 million dollars to walk away “mutually”.
Bryan Ruiz (L) of Costa Rica challenges Jesus Eduardo Zavala of Mexico during their 2014 World Cup qualifying soccer match at Azteca stadium in Mexico City June 11, 2013. REUTERS/Henry Romero
Jennifer Monge manages the B Jimenez farm in northern Costa Rica. She says keeping half the land in forest provides a natural pest barrier as well as creates a cooler microclimate which protects the pineapples from heat waves and drought.
Jennifer Monge manages the B Jimenez farm in northern Costa Rica. She says keeping half the land in forest provides a natural pest barrier as well as creates a cooler microclimate which protects the pineapples from heat waves and drought.
In Costa Rica, birds, bats and bees serve vital roles in controlling pests and pollinating crops. Now, researchers are measuring the contributions of these critters to encourage farmers to move away from the single-crop model and toward biodiversity.
In the next installment of the “Food for 9 Billion” series airing Monday on the PBS NewsHour, Sam Eaton of Homelands Productions visits the central American country to report on one such biodiversity push.
Farmer Ademar Serrano Abarca, 65, has devoted a quarter of his land to forest, and grows coffee and more than 15 different food crops on the rest. He says pest infestations are drastically lower on his landLow intensity farmland near San Vito, Costa Rica, where as much as a third of the land consists of forest fragments, directly integrating biodiversity and its services into food production. Farmers in Costa Rica are encouraged to set aside part of their land from production to help maintain biodiversity and prevent deforestation.
A typical farm in Costa Rica grows coffee and other crops, such as corn, beans and bananas. But when Ademar Serrano Abarca purchased his land 10 years ago, he did something unusual at the time. Instead of clearing all of the trees, he set aside more than a quarter of the property to let the forest regenerate, according to Eaton’s report.
Costa Rica compensates farmers for keeping part of their land out of production, but researchers with the Las Cruces Biological Station in Costa Rica’s southern Puntarenas province and Stanford University’s Center for Conservation Biology found that farmers benefit in other ways as well. Birds, such as the Rufous-Capped Warbler, have a voracious appetite for insects that damage coffee plants. Bats do their part at night, eating bugs and spreading seeds, while native bees are helping with pollination.
Bats also do their part for insect control. They consume pests, carry pollen and scatter seeds throughout the night.
“Not all of us share these same ideas,” said Abarca of setting aside part of his land. “Other farmers don’t have this, they’ve lost it. But for me, it’s a gain. Everything you see here is a gain for me.”
Costa Rica’s Bryan Ruiz tries to control the ball in front of two Mexican defenders as both teams played out to a 0-0 tie in a World Cup qualifying match in Mexico City on Tuesday. (Alfredo Estrella / Getty Images / June 11, 2013)
It was the type of performance that left the home fans throwing objects at opposing players and chanting for the team’s head coach to be fired.
Despite having the home-field advantage, Mexico could not manage more than a 0-0 tie with Costa Rica on Tuesday night in a World Cup qualifying game at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
It was the fifth tie in six games in the qualifying tournament for Mexico, which is tied with Costa Rica for second place in the standings with eight points each. The United States, which beat Panama, 2-0, leads the North and Central American and Caribbean group with 10 points.
Spectators threw objects at Costa Rica captain Carlos Ruiz late in the second half. The match ended with fans calling for the firing of Mexico’s coach José Manuel de la Torre.
Costa Rica set the tone of the game early.
The Ticos, who arrived at the stadium later than expected due to Mexico City traffic, slowly built momentum throughout the first half and did enough to hold off Mexico in the second half.
In the fourth minute, Joel Cambell had the first golden opportunity of the match when he raced past Mexico defender Maza Rodriguez and beat goalkeeper Jose Corona only to hit the far post.
Later in the half, Corona was forced to make a diving save off a Cambell attempt from inside box in the 37th minute followed by Ruiz firing a long shot right over the crossbar in the 41st.
Costa Rica had the best opportunity to break the deadlock off a long free kick that left Corona out of position and the ball sail just wide of the post.
Mexico pushed for a final goal and nearly got it when defender Gerardo Flores redirected a free kick to the far post but Chicharito was unable to get a piece of the ball as it sailed out of bounds.
It was not the ending either side would have liked.
A violent storm last Thursday in Heredia damaged more than 100 roofs
Some 30 Heredia families affected by the storm last Thursday will be getting aid in form of cash to pay rent for a house and other needs, while their home is repaired.
According to the municipality, some 20 million colones will be available from the Instituto Mixto de Ayuda Social (IMAS) – the same government agency that runs the duty free shops at the airports.
The aid consists of money for rent, purchase of materials to repair or replaced damages roods, household goods, kitchen utensils and clothing.
The areas most affected by last Thursday afternoon’s violent storm were San Pablo, Los Lagos, Barreal Cubujuquí and Guararí.
The airplane at the centre of the political storm.
Starting today, with the publication of the presidential directive in La Gaceta, public employees are forbidden to take private flights.
The prohibition is as was announced by Presidenta Laura Chinchilla following her controversial use of a private plane owned by THX Energy, and with alleged links to drug trafficking, to attend a private wedding in Peru.
The guidelines makes an exception in the case of an emergency.
Examples of an emergency is the use of a private plane offered by a coporation or individual to address a natual disaster or the transfer of a patient to a hospital.
One of the reasons that many foreigners flock to Jacó , Costa Rica’s Central Pacific coastal town, is sex, trade that now transcends the night and tourism businesses.
Prostitution in Jacó can now be found at anytime and anywhere, especially in private condominiums and hotels not certified by the government. This according to Gustavo Araya, vice-president of the Costa Rican Chamber of Hotels.
Gustavo, in a radio interview Monday, said that proposed regulation not be limted to tourism, but include the ministry of Seguridad (Security) and Hacienda (Finance) with the power to close these businesses.
The lack of government presence in the area is the blame for the widespread prostitution, this according to Marvin Elizondo, the mayor of Garabito.
In his view, the fault lies with the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT) – tourism ministry – and Security.
Elizondo emphasized that the absence of a regulatory plan precludes him to approve or disapprove establishment operating permits supposedly related to sex tourism.
The ICT, through a representative, told the radio program that the Minister of Tourism, Allan Flores, is particularly interested in identifying establishments related to sex tourism and “cancel” their tourism declaration.
Over the years Jacó has always been known for a sex heaven, where sex can be bought and sold openly with little or no police intervention.
Unlike today, most of the foregoing activities were at night and centred in locations like the Beatle Bar, and night clubs. During the day Jacó was a “normal” beach town.
Today, the Beatle Bar is closed and so are the night clubs. Their closure was economic (no business) and not legal. Where once a visit to these night spots was essential for the sex tourist, quickly they became not necessary, prostitution was everywhere and at any time.
From adullroar.blogspot.com – Recently, my son Michael and I were talking on Skype. At one point in the conversation, he scoffed in good humor about our seemingly daily hazards of thunderstorms, earthquakes and venomous reptiles that Costa Rica presents. Point taken, but these days I hardly think about that oft-cited troika of reasons not to move to the tropics.
That is, even after Mother Nature herself gave us a strong shaking in the wee hours last week. It was only a magnitude 5.6 temblor and no damage was done, but it was intense having originated at only a 7 kilometer depth.
I had an image in my half-awake state of lying inside a Cracker Jacks box being shaken by a small boy trying to figure out what prize it contained. Surprisingly, to me, despite our doorless cupboards, nothing has ever fallen off during any quake in the last five years. Knock on wood.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin and American action movie actor Steven Seagal visit a newly-built sports complex in Moscow.
Shunned a few years back by Costa Rica’s Preidenta Laura chinchilla, Steven Seagal, is the new face of the Russian weapons industry, according to a report by Global Post.
The decision by the action star raises many questions, among them: why is he doing this? Who is the real Steven Seagal?
For starters he’s a big star in Russia. So, it’s clear why they would want him. A plethora of his B-grade action flicks from the ’90s were dubbed into Russian and became very popular there.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and American action movie actor Steven Seagal visit a newly-built sports complex in Moscow. Photo Global Post
But it’s less obvious why he’s agreed to appear in ads marketing Russian weapons in the United States.
It doesn’t seem to jibe with his religious views (Buddhist) or many of his activist endeavors.
During the administration of Oscar Arias (2006-2010), Seagal made numerous visits to Costa Rica, received by the president and media. His visits to the Casa Presidencial and the Arias private home in Rohrmoser made headlines.
However, in June 2010, a month after Chinchilla took office, Seagal found that the Presidenta was too busy to see him and had to make due with then Minister of Security, José María Tijerino and the director of the Judicial Investigative Police (OIJ), Jorge Rojas.
Segall’s visit was to solve Costa Rica’s crime problem, a plausible plan given his film image as a tough guy, enhanced by the title of Reserve Deputy Chief in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. In 2011, he was sworn in as deputy sheriff in Hudspeth County, Texas.
It was not state secret that Seagal felt slighted in by Presidenta Cinchilla. The situation became especially ugly on the allegations of human trafficking in a lawsuit, some have characterizing Seagal’s visit as coming under a cloud of suspicion.
“He leaves the country very hurt,” Seagal’s lawyer told media. “He said that he doesn’t need Costa Rica and there are many other countries where he can invest.”
Maybe one of those countries is Russia. That would explain a lot.
(Reuters) – The office of Costa Rica’s Attorney General said on Monday it had frozen $6.5 million belonging to a company connected to the family of former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo as part of a probe into financial transactions.
In this 2011 file photo, Peru’s then presidential candidate Alejandro Toledo gestures after casting his ballot in the general elections in Lima REUTERS/Enrique Castro-Mendivil
A statement from the office said it had opened the investigation at the request of Peru, whose Congress last month questioned Toledo over real estate dealings of his mother-in-law, Eva Fernenburg.
“The opening of this case is rooted in intelligence and data … as well as press reports that questioned the acquisition of a property (in an exclusive area of Peru) by a company based in our country, linked to the mother-in-law of former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo,” the statement said.
The move comes two weeks after Toledo was questioned by Peru’s Congress over the property, a luxury home in Lima. He told Congress his mother-in-law, Eva Fernenburg, used a loan, inheritance wealth and reparation payments for being a Holocaust survivor to pay for the house.
When he spoke in Congress, he said he was the victim of political mudslinging. “I might have made some mistakes but I am not corrupt,” Toledo told lawmakers during the inquiry. “My hands and pockets are not stained.”
Toledo, who works as an academic and is active on the speaking circuit in the United States, is one of four probable contenders for the next presidential race in 2016 with a chance of winning, according to polls.
Among the strongest candidates is two-time former President Alan Garcia, who faces official inquiries over thousands of presidential pardons he granted to convicted drug traffickers during his 2006-2011 term.
Both politicians have denied any wrongdoing. Toledo, like Garcia, has said unproven allegations against him point to a political witch-hunt meant to derail his political future.
Consumers in Costa Rica will soon have another choice of hamburger, one from California-based burger chain Johnny Rockets, who will open its first restaurant in Costa Rica.
In the past, getting an American hamburger in Costa Rica was a choice between McDonalds and Burger King. Over the last several years Wendy’s opened their first location and last year (in April) Carl’s Jr opened its first location. Smashburger followed up with the opening of its first store in Costa Rica last December.
In August, the first Johnny Rockets will open its doors in Lincoln Plaza in Moravia, with locations in Escazú, Heredia and Alajuela by next year.
The Costa Rica opening is part of the burger chain’s expansion into Central America, with locations in Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua (in that order). The Honduras opening in Tegucigalpa will be simultaneous with the Costa Rica opening.
The restaurants in Costa Rica and Central America will be operated under franchise bby Desarroloos Gastronomicos Internacionales Corporation, who plans to open eight restaurants in the next five years. The first location in Central America for the iconic all-American chain opened in Panama City in August 2010.
“The people of Central America travel quite a bit to the US and embrace everything American,” says Maria Eugenia Handal Canahuati, owner of the franchise.
“They love Johnny Rockets’ juicy Hamburgers, hand-spun Shakes and crispy American Fries served with a ketchup smiley face, as well as the twirled straws, upbeat music and dancing servers that make every meal an entertaining dining experience. It will be my privilege to introduce more of them to what makes Johnny Rockets so special”, adds Handal/
The Lincoln Plaza location will be 180 square metres (1.700 sq ft) and will in front of Starbucks. The store will employ 30 to 40 people directly.
Johnny Rockets
Johnny Rockets was founded on June 6, 1986, by Ronn Teitelbaum of Los Angeles, California, and “crafted as a ‘nongimmicky’ recreation of the 1940s-vintage malt shops of his childhood.” The first restaurant was established as a 20-stool counter operation on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles
In 1999, Royal Caribbean International featured a Johnny Rockets location onboard its Voyager of the Seas, making it the first ever “mobile” Johnny Rockets restaurant. From that point forward the cruise line has offered a Johnny Rockets location onboard all of their new cruise ships.
The world’s largest Johnny Rockets franchise opened on April 25, 2006, inside the Knott’s Berry Farm amusement park in Buena Park, California. The restaurant has more than 5,900 square feet (550 m2), with indoor seating for over 260 guests with an additional outdoor patio seating area. It is located in The Boardwalk section of the amusement park.
The menu, presentation, counter seating and grilling area are based on an original restaurant from 1947 (still operating today), The Apple Pan in West Los Angeles. The restaurants feature a small two-sided menu, hamburgers wrapped in paper on cardboard plates, hamburgers grilled-to-order in full view of the counter-seated customers.
Apple’s Craig Federighi, vice president of software engineering, introduces iOS7 at a keynote address during the 2013 Apple WWDC at the Moscone Center on Monday in San Francisco, California. Photo: AFP
San Francisco: Smartphone thieves are set to have a harder time after Apple Inc. introduces an “activation lock” feature in its new mobile software, a move that comes amid pressure from authorities and consumers for companies to do more to stem a tide of smartphone theft.
Apple’s Craig Federighi, vice president of software engineering, introduces iOS7 at a keynote address during the 2013 Apple WWDC at the Moscone Center on Monday in San Francisco, California. Photo: AFP
The new feature, available with the launch of iOS 7 in the fall, will require a legitimate owner’s ID and password before an iPhone can be wiped clean or re-activated after being remotely erased, Apple executives said in a brief outline at company’s annual developers conference.
iOS 7 hits iPhones this fall, but only the iPhone 5 and iPod touch will get all the features announced at WWDC. The iPhone 4 and 4S will only get the new iOS 7 look and a splattering of features. And forget about the iPhone 3GS and older iPhones. They will be stuck in the skeuomorphic world of iOS 6 forever.
New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon plan to meet with representatives of Apple, Google Inc.’s Motorola Mobility, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd and Microsoft Corp. to discuss theft prevention on Thursday.
Both prosecutors have criticized the cellphone industry for what they say is a perceived unwillingness to solve an escalating problem. About half of San Francisco robberies last year involved stolen mobile devices, Gascon has said.
A recent study found that lost and stolen cellphones cost consumers some $30 billion in 2012, his office has said.
Some companies have measures in place to reunite smartphones with their rightful owners. Apple has ‘Find My iPhone’, which allows a user to track a missing device on a map and remotely lock it or erase data.
“‘Apple Picking’ is a huge epidemic in the US. We are appreciative of the gesture made by Apple to address smartphone theft. We reserve judgment on the activation lock feature until we can understand its actual functionality,” Schneiderman and Gascon said in a joint Monday statement.
“We look forward to having a substantive conversation with Apple and other manufacturers at our smartphone summit on Thursday.”
An image of what clearly appears to be a traffic cop crossing on his motorcycle one of the pedestrian overpasses of the autopista General Cañas, has been posted on the social media.
The overpasses are exclusively for pedestrians and motorized traffic is strictly prohibited, according to the traffic law.
According to the director of the Traffic Police, the image posted on the social media is not clear whether it is a traffic official or that of a private security official.
In addition, the image cannot be used to sanction, as there is not enough data to know the context of the occurred event, nor the identity of the driver or license plate number.
Marín did add that he welcomes any information that will lead to the identity of the person and if it turns out to be a traffic official, he or she will be referred to Internal Affairs Department of the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes (MOPT).
If anyone has any information with respect to the photo they can call at 2523 2000 or use the complaint form found at www.mopt.go.cr
At least 450 people donated their hair to make wigs for cancer patients. On Sunday, men and women, arrived at the CENAC to participate in the campaign “”Cambia cabellos por sonrisas”.
The event was organized by the Anna Ross Foundation and local businesses.
The majority made their donation to honour patients, some to honour a relative battling with cancer.
A group of some 50 hairstylists donated their work.
An electrical short circuit caused a fire burning down the popular gay strip club in downtown San José, known as Pucho’s.
Firefighters responded to a call Sunday morning of a fire in a soda (small restaurant) next to Pucho’s at corner of Avenida 10 and Calle 11.
Although firefighters were able to bring the fire under control in less than 20 minutes, the fire had spread rapidly due mainly to wood construction and fibreglass insulation, destroying the soda and the club.
Pucho’s Nightclub is described as a gay low-rent (and significantly raunchier) than some male outpost, featuring scantily-clad go-go boys and over-the-top drag shows.
Friday will the last day as the first woman to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica, Anne Andrew, says goodbye to her team she has led since December 2009. But it won’t be goodbye to Costa Rica entirely.
Married, with two teenage kids who just recently received their High School diploma in Costa Rica, Andrew says she will return to the private sector in the United Syayes after leaving the State Department. He connection to Costa Rica will remain a member of the board of director of EARTH University.
In a Twitter post Andrews says of her children, “attending High School here has enriched their lives in many ways”.
During Ambassador Andrew’s tenure in Costa Rica, she has had the opportunity to leverage her expertise acquired in a career that has spanned the fields of law, business, and public policy. Immediately before becoming Ambassador, she was a founder of New Energy Nexus, LLC a consulting firm advising companies and investors on strategies related to clean energy technology.
U.S. President Barack Obama has not yet named her successor.
This video was posted on Facebook allegedly by the moron riding the motorcycle irresponsibly and with the lack of respect for the lives of others. The post says the footage was taken on June 8, 2103.
The complete moron must be very proud of his actions! And don’t forget of the other moron shooting the video.
What is more concerning is that during the 6 minutes of filming, from the toll station near the airport to the Hospital Meico, NOT ONE TRAFFIC COP WAS AROUND TO STOP the insanity!
San Lucas Island (Spanish: Isla San Lucas) is an island located off the Pacific shore of Costa Rica in the Golf of Nicoya. It is part of the 11th district of Puntarenas,of the province of Puntarenas. Formerly serving as an island prison, it is now a National Park.
Geography San Lucas Island located in the Gulf of Nicoya off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, about 40 minutes in boat from Puntarenas. The island has an area of approximately 4.6 km².
Indigenous Culture Indigenous groups lived on San Lucas and the surrounding islands. There are eight known archeological sites on the island, including apparent houses where stone tools and a metal object were found in the late 1970s. The excavation sites date to between 1,000 and 1,500 AD.
Prison From 1873 to 1991, San Lucas Island was a penal island for some of the worst criminals in Costa Rica. It is often erroneously cited as the largest prison in Costa Rican history. It was founded by the dictator Tomás Miguel Guardia Gutiérrez. Being sent to San Lucas Island was a terrible prospect as prisoners lives were short and often spent in torture. Ironically, Guardia abolished the death penalty a year after establishing the prison.
While Ecuador does have some nice things to offer, it will never be Costa Rica.
By Christopher Howard, Living in Costa Rica
I first met Don about ten years ago when he was checking out Costa Rica with the intention of moving here.
Don was in his early fifties and had make some smart investments while living in the United States. He was far from being a millionaire but since he was single he socked away a good nest egg by selling his home when it was at the top of the market and invested wisely in stocks.
About six months after I met Don he moved to Costa Rica, rented a small apartment, bought a car and found a young girlfriend. He seemed to be on top of the world. Since Don had quit his job he had to live off the interest from his investments until his retirement and his IRAs kicked in about ten years down the road. He knew how to live frugally and this shouldn’t have been a problem.
Don opted not to become a Costa Rica resident because he was not yet of retirement age so he was forced to become a perpetual tourist by leaving the country every 90 days and then renewing his visa for 90 days more. Many people live in Costa Rica for years by doing this. In most cases this maneuver works but is not recommend. You put yourself at the whim of mercurial custom’s officials who can at their discretion ban you from the country. Fortunately, I have only heard of this happening in a few cases.
Anyway back to Don. The more I got to know Don I discovered he was the type of person who complains about everything and will never be happy. He soon began to take out his frustration on Costa Rica by complaining about the high cost of living, the traffic, the Ticos, crime and anything else he could think of to make himself absolutely miserable. I feel sorry for the guy because he just does not seem to enjoy life.
Don became so disenchanted with Costa Rica that he wanted to move to Florida and take advantage of the cheap housing market caused by the crisis in the States. However, he soon changed his mind because he found out that he was unable to get a visa for his girlfriend.
So now Don has set his eyes on Ecuador because it appears to be cheaper to live there. Ecuador is striving to become the next Costa Rica thanks to a barrage of advertising by the organization International Living, a few retirement gurus, the real estate “hustlers” and the Ecuadorian Tourism Department.
Don has committed the same error that many potential expats do when looking for a place to settle. He equated the quality of lifestyle with the cost of living. The bottom line is that you really get what you pay for. While Ecuador does have some nice things to offer, it will never be Costa Rica. One retirement publication touts Ecuador as being the number one retirement haven in the world. Read between the lines! The Ecuadorian Tourist board even adopted a slogan similar to Costa Rica’s world-famous “Pura Vida.”
Here is what one expat recently wrote about Ecuador in an on-line forum. “Here is an interesting link to compare the two countries: www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/comparison.jsp. The results compare San Jose and Cuenca, Ecuador and show that you can live for a about one-third less in Cuenca. Having spent several months in Ecuador this year I can attest to the figures. Yes, you can save money in Ecuador but I prefer Costa Rica because of the country’s time-tested health care, pro-American government and faster accessibility to beaches from the inland areas of the country. All countries have their pluses and minuses. It is a matter of preference and it is NOT so much as what one’s income is”
I wish Don the best of luck and hope he finds his piece or paradise in Ecuador. From what I have seen he may have a hard time equalling the quality of life he has had here in Costa Rica for last few years and will probably regret his decision.
While authorities in Costa Rica investigate the alleged “illegal sale” of organs, there is no legislation to penalize those motivated to offer their organs online.
Just by typing in “venta de riñón” on Google search in your web browser and you will be surprised at the number of offers available. Some go as far as publishing their age, blood type and heath conditions and the price of the organs. In some ads, telephone numbers are published for quicker response than email.
Tengo 27 años de edad, soy una persona atletica, sin vicios, vendo mi riñon por motivos personales, mi tipo de sangre es rh o positivo, contactar con marco al 8xxx-xxx, san jose costa rica
The Contralor Institucional del Ministerio de Salud, Francisco Golcher, explained that following the report in the Mexican publication, El Universal, where it was revealed that two Israeli men came to Costa Rica and paid US$6.000 dollars each for kidneys; raising concerns over illegal organ trafficking in Costa Rica, Salud has moved the investigation to the Ministerio Publico (Judicial Branch).
vendo riñon soy sangre tipo o positivo en 18000 mil dolares sano yengo 21 años llamar urgente gente seria con el dinero 7xxx xxxx
Hola atodos me llamo jhamill vendo mi riñon por que mis padres estan bien endeudados y quiero ayudarlos tengo 20 años solo interesados al xxxx
Yo tambien vendo el mio $45.000
Yo = vendo el mio..tengo 18 años..no fumo ni tomo…mi tipo de sangre es a+…escucho ofertas….costa rica…..xxxx
Golcher confirms that to date there have been no complaints filed for the transplant of organs.
While authorities discuss the “legal issues”, private lawyer Henry Vega explained that the issue remains in dispute, because there Codigo Penal (Criminal Code) only refers to child trafficking in order to sell organs, which provides a penalty of 5-10 years prison.
“Costa Rica is known worldwide for its transplant tourism*,” Roberto Tanus, president of the Transplant Society of Latin America and the Caribbean, told El Universal. “Everyone knows what we are talking about here. Transplant tourism is an elegant disguise for what’s really the unlawful trafficking of organs.”
“It’s one specific thing to go to Costa Rica to get your teeth fixed,” Tanus declared at a world symposium in Qatar in April. “It’s another thing to commit a crime. It puts the whole industry of medical tourism at risk.”
“We do not need Costa Rica to be seen as a place where an organ can be purchased,” Public Security Vice Minister Freddy Montero expounded, according to El Universal. “We can’t back down on this issue.”
Illegal organ trade
Poverty and loopholes in legislation contribute to the illegal trade of organs. Poverty is seen in all countries with a large black market for organs. This, however, is not the only factor affecting illegal organ markets – some of the poorest countries in the world do not engage in organ trade.
Legislation is another contributing factor in the illegal organ trade, especially legislation with loopholes. For example, India’s Transplantation of Human Organs Act (THOA) requires that an organ donor must be a relative, spouse, or an individual donating for reasons of “affection.” Oftentimes, claims of “affection” are unfounded and the organ donor has no connection to the recipient. Monetary transactions for organs are illegal in India currently, but there are no laws concerning funds given to a spouse. The spousal inclusion provides a loophole for illegal trade; in some cases organ donors marry the recipient to avoid legal penalty.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), illegal organ trade occurs when organs are removed from the body for the purpose of commercial transactions. The WHO justifies these actions by stating that, “Payment for…organs is likely to take unfair advantage of the poorest and most vulnerable groups, undermines altruistic donation and leads to profiteering and human trafficking.”
Despite these ordinances, it was estimated that 5% of all organ recipients engaged in commercial organ transplant in 2005. Research indicates that illegal organ trade is on the rise, with a recent report by Global Financial Integrity estimating that the illegal organ trade generates profits between US$600 million and US$1.2 billion per year with a span over many countries.
With notes from: Wikipedia, Google, Cosmetic Sugeons in Costa Rica & CRHoy,
* The United Network for Organ Sharing defines transplant tourism as “the purchase of a transplant organ abroad that includes access to an organ while bypassing laws, rules, or processes of any or all countries involved.”
The Fábrica Nacional de Licores (FANAL) is gearing up to export its products to Central America. This is not the first attempt, but one with a different strategy, under a management contract.
In 2011, the Consejo Nacional de Producción (CNP), tested the sale of its Cacique brand of guaro in Panama. William Barrantes, president of the CNP, admits the failure when its products re-entered Costa Rica a contraband.
Barrantes says the CNP does not have the internal staff to boost exports, for which it proposes transferring the administration of the CNP, thus it would no loner be under the shadow of the budgetary authority.
Under the plan, the CNP will be taking in bid from management companies through an international tender that closed in December.
Barrantes emphasized that the CNP will not be giving up control of the factory, just the administration of the FANAL, insisting that it is not a concession.
“This would give us greater possibility that the manager may invest unlike the way we can to generate profits and share them with the Costa Rican government. The best thing is that assets will not be sold, ” said Barrantes.
Recently, the Contraloría General de la República (General Accounting Office) issued a report on the financial projections of the CNP that shows a 20% to 25% increase in profits for the years 2014 and 2015. The Contraloría, in its report, felt that projections should be based on actual production.
Barrantes said that the financial growth of Costa Rican liquor factory will come, in part, from exports.
The proverb ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again’ popularized by Thomas H. Palmer could not be more accurate when describing the tenacity of the founder of the Partido Movimiento Libertario (ML) – Libertarian Movement – Otto Guevara.
Guevara, has on three occasions made a bid for the presidential chair. And in all three occasions lost. But that doesn’t mean he is giving up, no sir, it appears he will be in for a fourth run.
Guevara is the only aspiring candidate for the ML presidential candidate nomination for the 2014 elections. The party is holding its convention today and is expected to officially name Guevara their man.
However, Guevara is playing down the role. In an interview with El Financiero last week, he said that the probability of he will be running in 2014 is at 60%. Since, no one has come forth to enter the nomination race.
In the 2010 election, the Guevara and the ML campaigned for change. For 2014 it appears the party will again be calling on Costa Ricans for a change in leadership, to drop their support for the Liberacion Nacional (PLN), as the country is in urgent need of change.
Without a question the PLN has been politically a powerhouse. In the years past the PLN alternated the country’s presidency with the PUSC party, which was decimated in 2006. If the PLN wins the 2014 it will be three consecutive leaderships.
And that seems to be the basis for Guevara’s call for change.
Guevara, as a pre candidate, points out the current situation with respect to unemployment, the cost of living and the lack of basis services.
One of the major issues that could be faced by all presidential candidates is the San José – San Ramón road reconstruction.
Guevara is maintaining the line that the road should be built nationally and take advantage of the proposal by the state insurer, the Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS) to finance the work.
Costa Rica's Joel Campbell (L) fights for the ball with Honduras' Victor Bernardez during their 2014 World Cup qualifying soccer match at the National Stadium in San Jose June 7, 2013. REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate
Costa Rica and the United States earned crucial wins in their World Cup qualifying games in the CONCACAF region on Friday while Mexico were held to a goalless draw at dogged Panama.
Costa Rica’s Joel Campbell (L) fights for the ball with Honduras’ Victor Bernardez during their 2014 World Cup qualifying soccer match at the National Stadium in San Jose June 7, 2013. REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate
Roy Millers’ 25th minute header, after Honduras keeper Noel Valladares parried out a Celso Borges free-kick, was enough to give Costa Rica a 1-0 victory in San Jose which moved them to the top spot.
Costa Rica (seven points) lead on goal difference from the United States (seven) while Mexico also have seven points although they have played one more game.
Panama (6), Honduras (4) and Jamaica (2) complete the bottom half.
The United States were lucky to be part of the leading trio after Brad Evans struck in injury time to give Juergen Klinsmann’s team a 2-1 win in Kingston against Jamaica.
The Americans took the lead on the half hour with a thundering header from Jozy Altidore who met a beautifully delivered Graham Zusi cross.
But the Reggae Boyz looked to have snatched a point with a Jermaine Beckford header in the 89th minute before Evans slotted home after being well provided for by Michael Bradley.
Mexico will be disappointed with their fourth draw in five games but Panama are proving to be the surprise package in the group.
Surprisingly Mexican striker Aldo Di Nigris, who scored in Tuesday’s 1-0 win in Jamaica, was left on the bench and did not enter until he replaced the injured Javier Hernandez in the 80th minute.
There were few chances but Panama went the closest in the second half when, from a corner, striker Blas Perez fired through the crowded penalty area but Mexico keeper Jesus Corona got down well.
Panama, who have never reached a World Cup finals, travel to Seattle on Tuesday to face the United States.
Mexico host Costa Rica while Jamaica travel to Honduras.
