BEIJING, China — Cuban President Fidel Castro is here for talks about Iraq, trade with the country, and other issues. Castro's meeting with President Jiang Zemin brings together two Communist leaders who share concerns about the American march toward war with Iraq and growing U.S. power elsewhere. 

At the just-completed Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Castro blasted what he called the "almost certain and unnecessary" U.S. war with Iraq. The government here has been urging Washington to seek a peaceful solution to divest Iraq of weapons of mass destruction and allow more time for diplomacy.

Kong Quan, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, says relations between Cuba and his country are "mutually supportive" and "developing smoothly."

China is Cuba's third largest trading partner, and Kong says the two sides will talk about boosting trade between their two nations, which he says now totals only about $420 million a year.

But the collapse of the Soviet State cost Cuba the subsidies that had been propping up its economy, which has been hurt by a decades-long embargo by the nearby United States. Increased trade with the fast-growing economy here could help get Cuba's limping economy going again.

Castro, with his bushy beard and wearing his distinctive green military-style uniform and cap, showed both his age and his political skills on his airport arrival here. 

The 76-year-old revolutionary leader stepped carefully down the gangway of his airliner, leaning on the railing and his aids. But he then took considerable time to shake hands warmly with the many waiting officials here before taking off in a motorcade.

Castro's Asian trip earlier took him to Vietnam and may include a stop in Japan before he returns to Havana.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Scientists of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are using satellite data to monitor the long-term effects of heat-caused stress on the world's coral reefs.

According to a release Tuesday, the administration is now providing an information product called Degree Heating Weeks that uses satellite-derived data to continuously monitor the cumulative thermal stress of several coral reefs, including Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Galapagos, the Bahamas and others.

For example, if the current temperature of a reef site is two degrees Celsius above the maximum expected summertime temperature or one degree for a period of two weeks, the site would receive a rating of 2DHWs, and so on. The extent and acuteness of thermal stress, key predictors of coral bleaching, contribute to coral reef degradation worldwide.

Alan Strong, coordinator of Coral Reef Watch at the administration’s Satellite and Information Services, said: "Coral reef managers and stakeholders will now have up-to-date, accurate and reliable information on the status of their reefs and may be able to take active measures to prevent further damage if their site has a high DHW rating."

U.S. immigration service
overhaul looms 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service will become the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services Saturday, moving from its current organizational home in the Department of Justice to the newly created Department of Homeland Security.

Michael Garcia, the service’s acting commissioner, is promising immigrants that the transition will be as "seamless and smooth as possible," according to a release Wednesday.

The agency is conducting a public relations campaign to inform its constituency of the changes and what they'll mean. The release says all forms and documents previously issued remain valid, offices remain in the same locations, and correspondence should be sent to the same addresses.

The new bureau will take over the immigration benefit services currently performed by the outgoing service. Service law enforcement functions will be taken over by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection will handle border inspection procedures.

Chavez fueled ‘climate of
tension’ in Venezuela

Recent "belligerent rhetoric" by President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela has contributed to a "climate of tension" that does not auger well in the search for a peaceful solution to the political standoff in the country, says Roger Noriega, U.S. Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States.

In remarks Wednesday to a meeting of the organization’s Permanent Council, Noriega said the United States "strongly condemns" the bombings Tuesday in Caracas of the Spanish Agency for Technical Cooperation and the Colombian Consulate. Noriega said the United States hopes that an "expeditious and thorough investigation into the bombings will be conducted and that those responsible will be held accountable."

Noriega said that pamphlets found at the scene of these bombings "echoed some of the heated rhetoric of Venezuelan government officials from the previous days."

"This very fact," Noriega said, "reinforces why it is important that all sides in the Venezuelan dispute respect a non-violence agreement,” signed Feb. 19 by the government of Venezuela and opposition negotiators. That agreement, Noriega said, represents an important step toward improving Venezuela's "troubled political climate."

The U.S. official expressed concern over intemperate comments by Chavez, who on Sunday sharply criticized Spain, Colombia, and the United States, and admonished all countries in the Western Hemisphere to "stop meddling" in Venezuela's internal affairs, as well as telling Cesar Gaviria, organization secretary general, that he was "out of line" for his efforts to bring about a dialogue between the government and the political opposition.

Human trafficking
on increase, says official 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Since passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, the U.S. Justice Department has more than doubled the number of prosecutions and convictions in human trafficking cases over a comparable period prior to passage of the law.

John Ashcroft, U.S. attorney general, described the heightened prosecutorial initiative Tuesday, saying, "The Department of Justice remains firmly committed to ensuring criminals who engage in human trafficking are aggressively investigated, swiftly prosecuted, and severely punished."

Ashcroft spoke during a Feb. 23 to 26 conference on sex trafficking cosponsored by the Department of State and a coalition of nongovernmental organizations battling this modern day form of slavery.

Trafficking cases have been initiated in 46 U.S. states and all U.S. territories, the attorney general said, and many of those cases have links to criminal rings in a variety of nations.

"Trafficking is a transnational criminal enterprise. It recognizes neither boundaries nor borders," Ashcroft said. "Profits from trafficking feed into the coffers of organized crime. Trafficking is fueled by other criminal activities such as document fraud, money laundering and migrant smuggling."

Argentina oversees
another day of riots

BUENOS, ARIES, Argentina — Police and protesters clashed for a second day in a row here Wednesday. No serious injuries were reported, but tension remains high in the Argentine capital. The unrest comes at a time when President Eduardo Duhalde is preparing to hand over the reins of the presidency to his successor. 

Police used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd of several hundred protesters who had gathered in front of a federal courthouse to express their support for four left-wing activists on trial for inciting violence in the city eight years ago.

The demonstrators some wielding wooden batons and wearing masks threw rocks and smashed car windows in the area. One television journalist was hit in the eye with a rubber bullet while covering the violence. No other injuries were reported and police made no arrests.

The violence comes a day after police raided an abandoned building in the city's historic district, where squatters had taken up residence. Some had been there for as many as 15 years. 

Some of the building's occupants had threatened to blow it up with kerosene gas if police entered. The raid caused chaos on the city streets for hours Tuesday. In all, more than 15 people were injured and more than 50 arrested.

This week's violence is the worst since June 26, 2002, when two men died after thousands of unemployed workers sparred with police next to one of the city's main access bridges. Several hundred protesters gathered on the same bridge Wednesday to commemorate the eight-month anniversary of the deaths.

Even more protesters were gathering in front of the Argentine presidential palace Wednesday evening to condemn what they call police repression and to demand the government do more to help the country solve its worst economic crisis in history.

Despite recent signs of recovery, South America's second largest economy remains mired in recession and unemployment still lingers between 15 and 20 percent. 

Campaign season is now well underway, as Argentines will go to the polls on April 27 to pick a new president. No front-runner has yet emerged from the pack.

MIAMI, Fla. — A trial has begun in the south of the state that aims to hold Cuban President Fidel Castro accountable for the 1996 shoot down of unarmed civilian planes over the Florida Straits. 

It has been seven years since Cuban MIG fighter jets shot down two small planes operated by the Miami-based Cuban exile group, Brothers to the Rescue, killing four people.

Wednesday, appearing in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale, Brothers to the Rescue leader Jose Basulto said the incident continues to haunt him and has been a source of great personal suffering. Basulto spoke with reporters after testifying in court.

"Very emotional. It was a rehashing of what happened that day [of the shoot down]. This had to do with my own feelings, and I think they came out," he said. 

Basulto is seeking a multi-million dollar award against Castro, who has admitted to ordering the shoot down in the interests of Cuba's national defense.

Acting on Basulto's behalf is the U.S. legal advocacy group, Judicial Watch. Larry Klayman, the organization's chairman, says the goal of the lawsuit is twofold. 

"Our intent is not just to get justice for Mr. Basulto, but to punish the Cuban government and Fidel Castro, who is a master terrorist. Castro and Cuba are not immune from the U.S. legal system because they are on the State Department's terrorist watch list. And under our law, private citizens can proceed against terrorist nations and against terrorists," he said. 

No one representing the Cuban government has appeared to contest the lawsuit. But for years, Cuba accused Brothers to the Rescue of violating its airspace while searching the Florida Straits for rafters fleeing the island.

Relatives of those killed in the shoot down incident won a separate lawsuit against Cuba and collected compensation from Cuban assets frozen in the United States.

Bush unveils new 
ambassador to Haiti

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The White House says President George Bush has chosen career diplomat James Foley to be ambassador to Haiti. Officials made the announcement Tuesday. Foley currently serves as the State Department's deputy chief of mission in Geneva, Switzerland. 

Earlier in his career, Mr. Foley served as deputy director of the NATO secretary-general's private office in Brussels, Belgium. Foley also has served as a consular officer and political officer in the Philippines. 

The nomination must now be approved by the U.S. Senate.
 

Professional Directory A.M. Costa Rica's professional directory is where business people who wish to reach the English-speaking community may invite responses. If you are interested in being represented here, please contact the editor. Psychiatrists Dr. Luis Carlos Sancho Torres   bilingual psychiatrist (UCR) • consulting • depression  • schizophrenia  • psychiatric disability VA Affairs • evaluations for gun permits   • bipolar disorders • addictions  • methadone Available 24-hour a day children and adults office: 233-7782 beeper: 233-3333 lucasancho@yahoo.com Lawyers INVESTMENT RECOVERY CENTER Learn how to best protect your interests in the Villalobos case. Explore your options at http://www.irccr.net Also, we invite you to join one of the most active discussion groups on the case.  Find out what people who care are saying. Join at irccr-subscribe@yahoogroups.com 232-8/16/03 Law Offices of Lic. A.A. Hernandez Mussio Attorney, Notary Public, Official Translator English and Spanish Specializing in Criminal  and Corporate Law Practice e-mail: legalxpt@racsa.co.cr www.forovial.com  Cell: 365-3088                                            San Jose, Costa Rica 132-5/29/03 KEARNEY-LAWSON & Asoc.       Lic. Gregory Kearney Lawson, attorney at law Villalobos and Savings Unlimited Collections *Investments  *Corporations  *Real Estate Sales in Costa Rica *Tax Shelters  *Immigration *Intellectual Property     *Business procedures *Family and Labor Law     *Locate People *Private Investigations        Ph/Fax: 221-9462, 394-7007 gkearney_lawson@hotmail.com attorneykearney@yahoo.com Real estate agents MARGARET SOHN  of Carico 15 years Costa Rican real estate experience Member of the Costa Rican Real Estate Association, Lic. #1000  Member, Costa Rican-American Chamber of Commerce margaret@caricohenderson.com www.realtorcostarica.com (506) 232-5016 home   (506) 233-8057 office  (506) 382-7399 cell  229-8/9/03 Investments Investigators Empresa de Investigadores Internacionales S.A. Telephone (506) 280-5217  FAX (506) 280-5120 P.O. Box 297-2100 Costa Rica Cédula Juridica #3-101-097681-32 investigators@prodigy.net johnniechaverri@policeone.com 112-5/18/03 Web Design Personalized Web Design •Hosting •Promotion •Logo Design Prices so reasonable they will astound you Call for a quote:  220-4602 www.alegria-webdesign.com We have over 12 years international experience 214-7/14/03

NEW YORK, N.Y. — This week marks the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the structure of DNA, the microscopic data every cell contains, and upon which all life on earth is based. This city is commemorating the anniversary with a six-part exhibition celebrating the often-overlooked partnership between art and science. James Watson, who made the discovery with Francis Crick, was on hand to view the sculptures, photographs, and paintings his research inspired. 

This is the "sound" of DNA, emanating from a meter-high, three-dimensional sculpture depicting the human body's "genetic environment". The piece, called "Telomeres Project on Imminent Immortality" is part of the "DNAge: Genomic Issues, Art and Science" exhibition. 

The work's creator, Ellen Sandor, sounds more like a scientist than an artist when she talks about the piece. The sculpture, she said, depicts "telomeres," which are found at the end of the chromosome strand. "Telomeres may hold the key to dramatically increased human lifespan. If we are able to control which groups of cells are immortal, and which are not, by turning on and off the regenerating telomerase enzyme, then we would have the power to neutralize cancer, revive the immune system of AIDS victims and, in the least, reduce suffering and save countless lives," Ms. Sandor said. 

Ms. Sandor's work is based on the double helix, the twisted ladder-like structure of DNA revealed by Watson and Crick in February of 1953, at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island, New York. The men received the Nobel Prize for their discovery nine years later. 

Only trillionths of a centimeter in size, the double helix contains an organism's complete genetic information. If one could unravel a strip of DNA, it would reach almost 200 centimeters in length. 

Watson said illustrating the extraordinary discovery was one of the first problems. "I am a terrible artist. I can not draw. Francis cannot draw. Francis and I have no artistic talent at all," he said. 

Watson said artists quickly became interested in his discovery. He said legendary surrealist Salvador Dali told him that the structure "convinced him of the existence of God", to which Watson replied, "To me, it proves the opposite." 

Since then, notes exhibition co-curator, Marvin Heiferman, artists have, in increasing numbers, sought to address DNA and the scientific breakthroughs to which its discovery has given birth. He said that commemorating a scientific discovery with an art exhibition makes perfect sense. 

"Artists give us images that we can look at, that allow us to think about things that can be very difficult to approach with just words alone. They 

are very difficult ideas, and the science community often has great difficulty speaking to the lay community. Artists who can come up with images that allow people to think about these provocative ideas are serving a very important function," Heiferman said. 

Kevin Clarke, one of the artists featured in the exhibition, goes further. He said artists assist scientists in the discovery process. "The deepest questions that are confronting us right now are not about the atom bomb, but about this kind of micro world within us. Artists have their own way of not only visualizing it, but bringing a new understanding also to the scientists," Clarke said. 

Clarke worked with scientists in the late 1980s to develop the first DNA sequencing procedure. The experiments used his blood. He said his "need to make a certain kind of artwork inspired them to develop a certain kind of science". 

Today, modern science presents us with the possibility of not only detecting disease predisposition in human embryos, but preventing disease altogether. Scientists are looking at ways to breed pigs with human cells to harvest organs for transplant. Others look to breed fruits and vegetables that contain disease-fighting agents. 

There is a "darker" side of DNA, however, raising issues in the world of politics, ethics, and religion. How far should science go with genetic engineering? 

Watson says he and Crick had no idea of the "Pandora's box" they were opening. "We did not dare dream that we would find anything that interesting, or simple. What a relief for me. You know, I did not have to be smart to understand it." 

"Genomic Issues: Art and Science" is part of the month-long "DNAge" festival of exhibitions and cultural events organized by several New York organizations, including the International Center of Photography, the New York Public Library, and the New York Academy of Sciences. 

This newspaper seeks the prompt return of two men who ran high-interest investment operations that have gone out of business.

Luis Enrique Villalobos Camacho, 62, was associated with Ofinter S.A., a money exchange house, and with his own private investment business that had about $1 billion in other people’s money on the books.

Villalobos closed his business Oct. 14 and vanished.

Louis Milanes operated Savings Unlimited and several casinos in San José. He left the country with other members of his firm the weekend of Nov. 23. He may have as much as $260 million in his possession. Both operations catered to North Americans.

Villalobos and Milanes are the subjects of international arrest warrants.  Associates of both men have been jailed.

A.M. Costa Rica has posted a $500 reward for information leading to the detention of either man with the hopes that others will make similar pledges. The newspaper believes that investors only will see some of their money when the two men are in custody.

Milanes has few supporters in San José. On the other hand, as the letters frequently on this page show, Villalobos still has supporters who believe that he will reappear and settle his debts. They believe he is in hiding because of a predatory Costa Rican government.