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| San José, Costa Rica, Friday Dec. 15, 2006, Vol. 6, No. 249 | |||||||||
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| Costa Rica Expertise Ltd http://crexpertise.com E-mail info@crexpertise.com Tel:506-256-8585 Fax:506-256-7575 |
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as operator of pot farm By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Investigators arrested a 65-year-old U.S. citizen Wednesday and said he ran a hydroponic marijuana-growing operation on property in Tronadora de Tilarán Guanacaste. The man who was named by police as the accused, Nick Charles D'amico, maintained four trucking containers for the production of the illegal substance: one for production, one for growing, another for drying and packaging, and the final area for storage, said the Judicial Investigating Organization. Most of the confiscated plants measured approximately 1.4 meters (4.5 feet) in height and were carried away with lights, planters, fans, seed, plant stems, an electric controller and other high-tech materials from the setup. Also found was ammunition for a .357-caliber magnum revolver in the man's home, agents said. The containers were separate from the house and surrounded with a fence. The accused was not at his home in Tronadora de Tilarán when investigators arrived. Fuerza Pública officers arrested him on the highway about 5:30 p.m. as he traveled though la Sierra de Abangares Police were tipped off after a drop in his monthly electric bill, said a Judicial Investigating Organization release. Someone tampered with the electric meter on the D'amico property to bypass it, investigators said experts from the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad told them. At one point the electric bill was 600,000 a month, some $1,150, but then it dipped, they said.
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Are
you considering doing business with a burglar alarm company?
If so, you should contact me first for my opinion prometheousthegreek@gmail.com |
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on our real estate page HERE! |
| A.M. Costa Rica third newspage |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Friday, Dec. 15, 2006, Vol. 6, No. 249 | |||||||||
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 A.M. Costa Rica photos/Saray
Ramírez Vindas
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| There is
a little creativity in Christmas at Hospital la Católica in
Guadalupe. Instead of a traditional tree, staffers have constructed two
with a metal framework |
and potted poinsettias. Each tree, in both the front and back lobbies, are about 11 feet tall (3.5 meters). Interior is at right. Each plant has its own pot. |
| Not yet into the Cristmas spirit, thoughts
turn to slang |
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| Another Christmas
season is
upon us, bearing down with a relentless energy that seems to get more
manic in the city each year. In some barrios road rage is vying
with Christmas cheer to take control. I dread to think how many
new cars will be under the tree for new drivers this year. If I am already sounding like a Christmas Grinch, it is because so far my December window shopping seems to be confined to looking at the colorful ads in the newspapers as I sit in hospital beds. So far, the highlight of my month is having the cast removed from my arm and beginning the eye-crossingly painful physical therapy. I have found the definition of torture. I also found, between the pages of a magazine someone gave me, some sheets of paper with Tico slang words or idioms. Spanish speaking countries don’t speak the same Spanish, and certainly don’t have the same slang. Learning the slang of different languages seemed to be the big past time at the International House when students first arrived. Of course, some words slipped in without the accurate definitions and I learned not to raise my eyebrows during a pleasant little conversation with a prim and proper Japanese student when suddenly with the same innocent face she uttered a raunchy word more appropriate for a brothel. This too is to forewarn you that I can only hope that these are the real definitions. They look pretty innocent to me – more like helpful idioms. [Editor's note: They're correct.] Que perez – how boring! Chusma – trashy people ¡Que cascara! – a man with no morals ¡Que bruto! – a man with bad manners Mocoso – a brat |
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| Environmental
impact of blaze becomes No. 1 concern |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Now that a spectacular chemical fire in Moín has been controlled, officials are trying to see if the area is on the verge of an environmental disaster. At the very least, the water supply had been affected. At least 30 percent of the water for the Limón area has been lost due to chemical pollution of the source. An estimated 20,000 persons are being supplied by tanker trucks, according to the Comisión Nacional de Prevención de Riesgos y Atención de Emergencias. Officials from the company, Químicos Holanda de Costa Rica S.A., were in Limón Thursday and promised to help in the cleanup, said the commission. A major concern is the fallout from the heavy toxic smoke that fed on hundreds of tons of volatile chemicals. As those who were evacated because of the fire returned home, commission officials were urging them to wash down their |
homes and clothes to eliminate any
chemical
residue. The environmental survey planned for the next few days will include agricultural land within a 10-mile radius of the plant. Some chemicals are believed to have leaked into nearby inlets resulting in the deaths of fish. The bulk of the liquid chemicals were various types of hydrocarbons, and much did not burn fully. Meanwhile the Instituto Nacional de Seguros and the Cuerpo de Bomberos was conducting an investigation of the cause of the fire. Surprisingly, the remains of soldering equipment was found near the origin of the blaze. Químicos Holanda said Thursday that contrary to early reports, none of its employees was missing. However, one, Giovanni Hernández Montoya, died at Hospital México. Two other burned workers are in critical condition in Hosptial San Juan de Dios. |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Friday, Dec. 15, 2006, Vol. 6, No. 249 | |||||||||
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| An analysis on the news Despite elections, continuity is the rule in Latin America |
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By the A.M. Costas Rica wire services
Latin America has seen 12 presidential contests in the last 13 months. Despite the installation of five new leaders, many analysts argue 2006 was more a year of continuity than change in the region. Since November of last year, nearly 500 million Latin Americans have had their say in a presidential contest. And with a few notable exceptions, voters chose the incumbent, like Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, or those who had previously held the post. Peter Hakim is head of the Inter-American Dialogue organization. "Twelve elections: seven of them were won by men who had held the office before," he noted. "Three were re-elected, and four had been president at an earlier period." Hakim says that new presidents in Mexico and Chile come from the same parties as their predecessors. Perhaps the most radical transition came in Bolivia last December, where self-proclaimed socialist Evo Morales was swept into power. Nicaragua and Ecuador also elected leftist candidates, but Hakim notes that both have spoken in more moderate terms since entering office. Above all, he says, democracy is alive and well in Latin America. "These were elections that were all very competitive. Many of them were won by small percentages. Very participatory. High turn-outs in election after election," he added. In only one case, Mexico, was there a contested transfer of power. But Hakim says that in several nations, such as Peru, radical populists were defeated by small margins. This, he says, points to a simmering undercurrent of discontent that the region's leadership would do well to pay attention to. Recent years have seen several left-of-center governments come to power in Latin America, a trend that continued in 2006 with notable exceptions in Colombia and Mexico. In some cases, relations with the United States have cooled to varying degrees. Guatemala's ambassador in Washington, Guillermo Castillo, says the agenda that had been promoted by hemispheric leaders has failed to address people's basic needs. "Most of the focus has been on trade and not on the other issues," he said. "We thought that democratization meant development. And when you have a large percentage of your population that is poor, without food on the table, they question the system. If we do not put this issue in the agenda between Latin America and the U.S., we are not going to advance this agenda." Philip French, the State Department's Office of Andean Affairs director, does not disagree. He says the United States and Latin America often "talk past each other" when |
it comes to
promoting the common good. He says what the United States views
as
landmark trade pacts often seem distant to the reality perceived by
ordinary people. "When we talk about macro-economics in Peru, that is fine," he said. "But most of the people there are living in the micro-world where they still do not have enough to eat. And so we are looking at ways to bring those two worlds together in a pragmatic way." French adds that the United States is ready to engage any democratically elected government in the region, regardless of ideology. But the Inter-American Dialogue's Michael Shifter says relations have soured due to a variety of factors ranging from the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq to the ongoing immigration debate in the United States. He says those relations can be repaired, but that Washington must adjust to a new reality in Latin America. "Things can get better with a different administration," he said. "I think we have gone through a very rough period. At the same time, I think there is a fundamental change that any new administration will face. Latin America is growing up, has more options internationally. It is no longer the backyard of the United States. And I think no matter what administration comes in office, it is going to have to deal with that adjustment." For many Latin American nations, however, the United States remains an indispensable and much-valued partner, according to Honduras' ambassador in Washington, Roberto Flores-Bermudez. "The U.S. definitely represents the biggest market in the world, and the most convenient one for a country like Honduras and other Central American countries," he noted. "We are right across the Gulf of Mexico. The capital of my country is closer to Washington than is San Francisco. So for us it [the United States] is a highly important market, and we are looking with optimism to make the best out of CAFTA." 2005 saw the ratification of CAFTA, the Central America Free Trade Agreement with the United States. Over the last year, the Bush administration has signed bilateral trade pacts with Peru and Colombia. What might 2007 have in store for the hemisphere? The Inter-American Dialogue's Hakim says news from Cuba could dominate. "Clearly, the transition is under way. The chances that Fidel Castro will ever occupy the presidency again look very slim right now," he said. "His death will bring about some changes. We just do not know what the interplay of forces are within the leadership group, and how that plays out." Hakim says new Cuban leadership could force a re-examination of long-standing U.S. policy. |
| Chiquita
says that the financial trend still is positive despite weather problems |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Chiquita Brands International Inc., an international corporation with major holdings in Costa Rica, posted its interim price and volume report for this year's fourth quarter. Chiquita currently has three divisions operating in Costa Rica which are all related to its banana production, the commodity for which they are best known. Bananas account for 21 percent of Costa Rica's total yearly export. Income for Chiquita's banana production continued its positive trend, although at a more moderate rate, the report said. Banana volume sold in the region was moderate, as the company recovered from weather-related disruptions that hurt the supply since late 2005, it said. |
Banana prices in the company's core
European markets improved from the
third quarter, as the negative impact from hot summer weather and
excess supply subsided, according to the interim report. However, the
company said that pricing remained down compared to previous years,
primarily due to the European Union's regulatory changes, which have
resulted in an increase in industry volume and price competition. Cincinnati, Ohio,-based Chiquita employs approximately 6,330 people in Costa Rica and injects an estimated $200 million dollars into the national economy. Company divisions located here include Compañía Bananera Atlantica, Lida. located in Sarapiqúi, Guápiles, Siquirres, and Limón; Compañia Mundimar, S.A., located in Guácimo, Limón; and Polymer de Costa Rica, S.A, a plastic factory with two locations in San José. |
| Turner
Broadcasting expands its holdings of Latin American television channels |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a company of Time Warner, has arrived at a $253 millon agreement with the Claxson Interactive Group Inc. to acquire seven pay television channels that are currently operating in Latin America, and that will now be operated by TBS Latin America, the company said. The announcement was made by Phil I. Kent, president and CEO of TBS, Inc., and Roberto Vivo-Chaneton, president and CEO of Claxson. The channels included in the purchase are Fashion TV, HTV, Infinito, I.Sat, MuchMusic, Retro and Space. It is estimated that the |
networks reach a combined 51 million
people throughout Latin America. Other Turner Broadcasting Inc. stations in the area include CNN International, TNT, the Cartoon Network, CNN in Spanish, Boomerang and TCM Classic Hollywood. The transaction with Claxson will give Turner Broadcasting 13 wholly owned TV networks and 10 other represented networks. As part of the recent negociations, they will also receive the representation rights for other Claxon television channels, as well as some third-party owned property. |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Friday, Dec. 15, 2006, Vol. 6, No. 249 | ||||||
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