| ARCHIVE | Published
Monday, August 13, 2018 - First news
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Top court rules
against gay marriage ban
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 By A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Costa Rica’s top court
has ruled that a ban on same-sex
marriage is unconstitutional, a
decision seen as a win for gay
rights activists and welcomed by the
country’s new president.
The Supreme Court gave lawmakers up to 18 months to legalize gay marriage, which has long been opposed by the Roman Catholic Church and evangelical groups in the country. President Carlos Alvarado, who came to power earlier this year on a pro-gay rights platform, has publicly advocated same-sex marriage and vowed to implement the ruling. “Our commitment to full equality remains intact,” he tweeted Thursday. “We will continue to boost actions that guarantee no person will face discrimination for their sexual orientation or gender identity.” The decision follows a judgment issued in January by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the top rights body of the Americas and based in Costa Rica. It said its signatory member countries, including Costa Rica, must grant equal rights to same-sex couples, including the right to marry. “We know it’s going to be an 18-month struggle but the battle is already won,” Marco Castillo, a lawyer and head of the LBGT rights group Diversity Movement, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “It’s going to end with an equal marriage in Costa Rica.” The change is likely to face stiff opposition from conservative and evangelical lawmakers in Costa Rica, but Supreme Court Magistrate Fernando Castillo told reporters after the ruling that the ban on gay marriage would automatically cease to exist if parliament failed to change the law by the deadline.
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 A.M. Costa Rica
wire services
photo
The analysis was reported on Reuters
Many countries in mainly Catholic Latin America and the Caribbean ban same-sex marriage, but that is slowly changing. Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay have all dropped their opposition in recent years. “To those who are against this, we say live and let live,” said Castillo. “Many oppose for religious reasons, but the Bible says love your neighbor.” |
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Confirming driver’s
licenses
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By A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Ministry of Transport reports
that 5,287 driver’s licenses have been validated
from January to June by foreigners living in the
country.
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 Ministry of
Transport courtesy
photo
The people who needs this service
and living out of San Jose,
to manage this procedure at the , ministry office closest to the residence. This procedure allows the owner of the document to drive in Costa Rica the same type of vehicles that the foreign license authorizes, that is to say, the license will have the same characteristics in due date and other specifications as the foreign one. To complete this process are the original driver license must be a valid document and in good conditions. The applicant must present the basic medical test, a document showing a legal stay in Costa Rica, which can be the residence card or refugee card or work permit. all documents must be valid and in good conditions. The last requirement is to pay the cost of the service per ¢5,000. More information is in Spanish language at the ministry web page here |
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No lazing around |
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Remember back where you once
lived? You took a walk and found a patch of
moss 8 inches thick and spongy under your
shoes? So you did the most natural thing.
You took three steps, lay down on your back
and nearly fell asleep watching the blue sky
through dancing green leaves. Not here
though.
It’s not that we don’t have blue sky and green leaves. It’s not that we don’t have thick pads of moss under the trees. No, it’s just that your first step sent the spiders scurrying and your second step roused a sleep scorpion. And that third step? Fire ants. So, no lazing around in Costa Rica, no sir. And what have I been doing recently? I’ve been lazing around. It’s not my fault though. After the hip injury my doctor said something like “Whatever you have been doing – stop it!” Sadly, “whatever” included the veggie garden, weeding, bending, lifting, walking up and down the 47 steps to the bottom of the yard, stretching . . . you get the idea. Well, today I got a good look at what I now laughingly call “the veggie garden,” and I couldn’t find it. I know where it is, because there is a fence around it, but it looked exactly like every other patch of weeds (yes, we have patches of weeds). I could not believe how fast the weeds had grown when I wasn’t watching, but, since I really do have veggie seeds to plant, something had to be done. Weeds are insidious things – since they don’t have to produce anything for anyone else, they can just grow like . . . well, like weeds. Down here in C’Rica, people come along and use a weed whacker on them, but the true gardener knows that is not the answer. To get rid of a weed, you have to pull or dig it out by the roots, shake off the dirt (cussing at it helps), and take it away. And, it’s best to do all that before it goes to seed. By the time you realize it is flowering and about to set seeds, six other flowers have already sent seeds into the wind. It is enough to drive a gardener crazy.
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So now
something has to be done about the veggie garden.
Maybe tomorrow or when the rain stops. Wait, how about
I get my gardener to do it? That’s it! Then I can go
back to lazing around.
Plant Place for the Week  Victoria Torley photo
For those of you
who have followed the saga of building my
greenhouse, here is the finished product. Or maybe
just a few more tables. Right now, color and blooms
are being represented by dendrobium and phalaenopsis
orchids (thank you La Garita Central) while I wait
for the native orchids to flower but that shouldn’t
be long. If you want to come visit, just send me a
note. There is even a little area where we can sit –
until the orchids steal the space. If you have a
greenhouse you love, send me a picture. You may find
yourself in the column!
Editor's note: Victoria
Torley, gardener columnist,
can be reached at victoriatorley1@gmail.com
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Spanish police arrive to investigate murder |
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By A.M. Costa
Rica staff
Two Spanish police
officers specialized in homicides
arrived in the country Sunday to
collaborate in the investigation of
the murder of Arantxa Gutiérrez
López, the Spanish tourist murdered
last Saturday in Tortuguero
National Park.
The investigators are normally assigned to the Central Unit of Specialized and Violent Crime, according to the Spain newspaper El Mundo. Relatives, friends and acquaintances of the victim attended her funeral Saturday in her hometown of Alicante in southeast Spain. The funeral was held in the strictest privacy. Afterwards her body, which had been repatriated, was cremated. Gutiérrez, 31, died Aug. 4 in Tortuguero, a remote area of the Caribbean Costa Rica known for its natural wealth. She apparently was suffocated after a sexual attack. Albin Díaz, an undocumented Nicaraguan, 33, is a suspect in the murder. The court that analyzed the request for preventive detention filed by the Costa Rican Prosecutor's Office did not find enough evidence for preventative detention and has left the man in the custody of immigration, where he will be detained for a month waiting for the judicial proceeding against him to move forward.
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 A.M. Costa Rica wire
services photo
Arantxa Gutiérrez, 31, died Aug. 4 in Tortuguero, a remote area of the Caribbean Costa Rica known for its natural wealth. If it does not, he will be deported.
The Prosecutor's Office appealed the decision and the judicial authorities expect DNA results to have more evidence. |
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My thoughts on 'I was thinking' letter |
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Dear A.M. Costa
Rica readers:
I was thinking: If there was no collusion between a political party and the Russians in the 2016 campaign, why not just let the investigation go on to come to that conclusion instead of trying to sabotage the investigation? I was thinking: During several years after the housing crash in 2007, it was not possible to get loans from U.S. financial institutions for construction. That being the case, from whom did a large U.S. real estate company get loans to continue building hotels and golf courses overseas? I was thinking: Selling condos in large buildings to foreigners would be a good way to facilitate money laundering. I was thinking: If a politician refused to release tax returns, the public would not know that said politician had not paid taxes since 2005. I was thinking: If someone claimed to be a genius, he/she would probably be proud to release their IQ score and their college transcripts. He/she would also most likely be able to spell correctly, be able to compose a sentence that was grammatically correct, and have more than 10 adjectives in their vocabulary. I was thinking: If a politician was a true patriot, he/she would not likely have had five deferments during the Vietnam War especially with one deferment being for a bone spur for which he could not remember on which foot the bone spur occurred. I was thinking: If a person was against protecting the environment and wanted to remove all regulations for the protection and enhancement of the environment, he/she should change the name of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the Environmental Destruction Agency (EDA). I was thinking: If the U.S and South Korean military exercises were cancelled because they were too expensive, why would a military parade on Veteran’s day be ordered when it will cost the U.S. taxpayer about the same amount as the canceled military exercise which would have been beneficial to the U.S. military’s operational experience. I was thinking: If someone claimed to know more than the generals about fighting ISIS, it is not conceivable that he/she would not know about the Kurds involvement in the fighting against ISIS. I was thinking: If someone was opposed to immigrants entering the U.S.A., he/she would not likely marry immigrants. |
 A.M. Costa Rica wire
services photo
I was thinking: Do
those who are opposed to allowing immigration into the
U.S. know that that the U.S. astronaut who holds the
record for the number of times in space, has a Ph.D.
in plasma physics from MIT, and has put the U.S. in
the lead in the field of plasma propulsion is an
immigrant from Costa Rica?
I was thinking: If a politician proposed to “clean the swamp” in Washington, D.C., he/she would not appointment “swamp people” to their Cabinet and/or staff. I was thinking: A person with an extreme narcissistic mental condition will not apologize, will always attack everyone who is critical of their actions, and will always be concerned about how something relates to them rather than the country or others. I was thinking: It is obvious that an ignoramus cannot recognize another ignoramus, so it is not a surprise that an ignoramus would vote for an ignoramus. Armond T. Joyce,
Llorente de Tibas Editor’s note: The views or opinions expressed by the author are the sole and exclusive responsibility of the sender and do not necessarily represent the opinion of A.M. Costa Rica. Therefore, the newspaper does not accept liability for reader's opinion letter content. |
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| House - Apartments For Rent (paid category) |
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Furnished
House Inside Gated Property
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wonderful nature. 2 bedrooms, 1 bath on private property
close to town. $650.00 Includes Electric, Internet,
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American owner lives on site, quiet, secure.
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| Real Estate For Sale (paid category) |
Jaco Oceanfront
Furnished Condo
 Jaco Oceanfront Condo in excellent condition, completely furnished, with air conditioning, hot water, private parking, equipped gym, large pool and garden area, and 24 hour security. Contains: large bedroom, bath with shower, living/dining area combined with kitchen, equipped with new refrigerator, TV, furniture and cooking equipment. Granite table and counter tops. Continuous cross-current ocean breezes. Located at the south end of Jaco on quiet extensive beach away from noise, traffic and city tourism. Monthly maintenance of $221 includes water, security, cable/internet and pool and garden maintenance. Asking price: $145,000. Contact numbers: (506) 8820-9768 or
(506) 2240-2240.
Code: 9380- 090118
Colinas
Del Sol
Fenced Gated Parcels  Fenced Gated Parcels for Sale
* Colinas del Sol is a fenced and gated project in a
quiet area. * There are 88 clear titled parcels. *
Mountain areas with great views.* Gently sloping level areas ideal for hobby farms, gardening, fruit trees. * Quiet place to get away from the busy city and beach crowds. * All lots have gravel roads to them, water and electricity at each. * Parcels are 5,000 sq. meters or larger, starting at only $50,000 USD * Located in Libertad, Guanacaste, northwest Pacific area of Costa Rica. * 20 minutes to the Liberia International Airport * 15 minutes to the Pacific Beaches * 10 minutes to Medical Facilities * 25 minutes to the Liberia Hospital * 5 minutes to Vista Ridge Golf Club. In Costa Rica, Jeffrey Sandi Murray: jsandimurray@colinasdelsolcr.com In the USA and Canada contact Jim Day: jimday50@aol.com or USA call +517-484-3675 For more information: www.colinasdelsolcr.com Code: 9342-090318 |
 Vista Verde Del Mar (Green View of the Sea) * 4.4 hectares / 10.91 acres. * All roads on property are complete on solid, original ground... no "fill" areas. * Four private 2+ acre parcels available within a ten acre property. * 12 minutes to the Quepos airport or Quepos Hospital. * 17 minutes to the new Marina Pez Vela in Quepos. * Unsurpassed 360 degree vistas of ocean and mountains. * All legal work to convey clean / clear / legal title is complete. * NO PRE-SALE glitches, ready to build on ! * Price to sell $299,000 Brokers Protected. Contact: Mike Michael email: mikemichael@bellsouth.net U.S.A. phone: 770-310-1351 More information Click Here Code: 9350-050419
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Business For Sale
(paid category) |
Versatile 2 Floors Building
in La Sabana  Completely
remodeled building. 14 areas for residence and/or
offices, call center, upscale storage. Transportation
within 50 meters, commuter train, buses and taxis. In
La Sabana, San Jose. School, park, gymnasium, tennis
club and National soccer stadium walking distance.
24-hour security, many restaurants, clubs and social
facilities nearby. Approximately 323 meter
construction.
Asking $295,000.
Contact Jim HolleyE-Mail: jimmy6902001@yahoo.com Local CR phone: (506) 8912-5651 Code:9333-072318
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Three
Cabins in La Fortuna
San Carlos  In La
Fortuna San Carlos. Price $145,000 USD
Three
cabins for sale fully furnished with AC, hot water,
micro waves, refrigerators, flat screen TV. three
years old.Lot is 22 meters by 49 meters. fenced and
gated with private drive.Fish and shrimp pond on
property with several tropical plants as well as
several fruit trees.Room for more new construction
house or cabins. This property is in the country but
close to Fortuna central.Cabins advertised on AirBnB.
Good income property.
Call Harry +(506) 8682-9219 Email: lagringo2003@yahoo.com Code:9344-081518
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U.S. citizen arrested on false papers allegation |
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By A.M. Costa Rica staff
The
border police at Guaycará,
Golfito, near the border
with Panama, arrested a
U.S. citizen named Lewis
Friday on the allegation
that he was carrying a
fake DIMEX.
The DIMEX is a migratory identity document for foreigners legally established in the country. The document that Lewis presented had a DIMEX number that belonged to a minor, who in 2006 traveled to Costa Rica with his father, a scientist and who had done an internship in the country, according to officials. The minor’s DIMEX was canceled in 2008 when the holder of that document left the country. When border police noticed the problem with the document, they said detained the man. |
 Border police
courtesy
photo
Lewis
was arrested on suspicion of
using false identity
use and sent to the Golfito District Attorney's Office. |
U.S. Income
Tax Services 
