Thursday, May 2, 2013
In preparation of the visit of U.S. President Barack Obama to Costa Rica tomorrow, U.S. Black Hawk helicopters become familiar with the San Jose skyline and streets below. They will be stationed at the Tobias Bolanos, “Pavas”, Airport during his stay.
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President Laura Chinchilla stepped into office at a time when more than 50,000 people suffer from extreme poverty, when unemployment is at a 20-year high and when the gap between the wealthy and the poor is continually expanding.
Her plan is to coordinate existing aid so that money no longer arrived in a community in pieces. Too often, she said, a family in poverty would receive a scholarship for a child or money for food, but assistance didn’t come in a way that would really give them that boost to land in the middle class.
She began by creating a Poverty Ministry and directing it to help 26 of the country’s poorest communities draft their own plan for poverty alleviation. Chinchilla’s eventual goal is to lift 20,000 families out of poverty before she leaves office in 2014.
Here, The Tico Times selected three of the 26 communities to take a “before shot,” in the hope of revisiting them in four years to see the “after.”
Central Pacific’s Parrita Shows ‘A Different Kind of Poverty’
The Central Pacific town of Parrita does not appear to be bleeding poverty like so many communities on the government’s poverty watch list. The homes are well cared for, the streets are clean, and the sight of palm trees and the smell of the ocean make it hard to see it as anything other than a sleepy tropical haven.
It’s what you don’t see that’s put Parrita on the government’s list for an overhaul during the next four years.
León XIII: Finding a Cure for Urban Poverty
In recent years, León XIII has been the poster child for poverty in Costa Rica.
For many Costa Ricans, it’s the capital of crime, drugs and extreme poverty. Its name is synonymous with conflict and marginalization. And, although it’s been pumped with aid money and been the beneficiary of the anti-poverty initiatives of several administrations, it continues to live up to its reputation.
Poverty in Buenos Aires: No Short-Term Fix The Southern Zone town of Buenos Aires, just off the Inter-American Highway, has always struggled to become more than just a rest stop for travelers heading south to Panama. A farming community near indigenous land, Buenos Aires’ dependence on subsistence agriculture has kept many of its residents living in poverty.
The Costa Rican daily La Nación just unrolled a user-friendly guide to the municipal elections on Dec. 5. They have brief bios on each mayoral candidate, a map of the races and voter comments.
Check it out here (only in Spanish.)
Leave it to a few creative Ticos to dream up what would have happened if the Chilean mining incident had taken place in Costa Rica. Environmental protests, government apathy, bureaucracy and a pura vida mentality are only a few factors that might have affected rescue efforts.
Cars are allowed to enter Costa Rica for a period up to 90 days without paying taxes or additional fines. In order to renew the tourist status for the car, the vehicle must remain outside of the country for a period of 90 days.
If the car is brought through customs by a person from a country that is not granted 90-day visas (such as Nicaragua or Venezuela), the car is only allowed to stay in the country for the duration of the foreigner’s legal stay.
There are exceptions to these rules. For more information or help with documentation, Nassar Attorneys At Law can help (2257-2929.)
Costa Rica's new Planning Minister Laura Alfaro speaks with The Tico Times.
Laura Alfaro didn’t enter Costa Rica’s presidential cabinet the traditional way. Instead of working her way up the rungs of a political party or a government bureaucracy, she was plucked from the halls of academia.
She left her post as a professor at the Harvard Business School in May to become the youngest member of President Laura Chinchilla’s cabinet, taking the reins of the Planning Ministry at a controversial time. Before he left office, former president Oscar Arias signed a law that would transfer 10 percent of the government’s budget to municipalities. It’s falling to her to see it through, which means that she will have to work to downsize the central government.
In an interview with The Tico Times, she spoke about decentralization efforts, efficiency measures and her personal shift from academia to government. The full interview is online at ticotimes.net. Excerpts follow.
TT: Why did you decide to leave your position at Harvard for this post?
LA: I am generalizing, but I don’t think that people from Costa Rica leave (the country) thinking that they will never return. I finished a degree at University of Costa Rica and I was lucky enough (more…)
Reporter Felicity Lawrence put together an exposé on Costa Rica’s pineapple farms, beginning in the supermarkets in England and tracing it through the fields of Central America.
The 20-minute video touches on the harmful health effects of the chemicals, the poverty wages of the workers and the sustainability of the industry here.
It’s a must see for Costa Rican news junkies.
A few weeks back, The Tico Times came out with a full edition about the burgeoning drug problem in the country. We analyzed the effects on the community and on government programs, we spoke to drug addicts and explored a town that’s taking the brunt of the flow northward.
Our edition was published one day after Costa Rica was named a drug-trafficking capital (one of 20 countries to make the United States’ list), only confirming what Costa Ricans have been feeling for years.
The issue includes:
Costa Rica in Search of a Drug Policy - A rejection of past practices in responding to the drug flow and the call for new ideas.
In San José, Crack Problem ‘Never Changes’ – Exclusive interviews with the city’s crack addicts.
Public Health System Grapples with Drug Users - Costa Rica officials respond to the problem of addiction.
Remote Barra del Colorado Feeds the Open Veins of Costa Rica’s Drug Trade - How an out-of-the-way beach town has been overtaken by drugs and drug traffickers.
The full print edition in digital form can be purchased for $2 on The Tico Times Web site.
Forty-two-year-old Cameron MacKay assumed the helm of the Canadian embassy in September, replacing outgoing ambassador Neil Reeder.
With a long history in trade negotiation, he arrives at a quintessential time to help with the conclusion of the joint agreement with the Central American Four (Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua) and in the revision of the trade agreement with Costa Rica.
Cameron MacKay, Canada's ambassador to Costa Rica, looks forward to continuing positive bilateral relations with the country.
Here are some excerpts of the interview. The full article can be accessed at ticotimes.net.
How are you settling in?
I think Costa Rica is fantastic. It was my top pick for a post. I am thrilled to be here. I had traveled here before for business about a year and a half ago and my wife had been here 20 years ago as a tourist. We were both really keen to come and, so far, it has met all our expectations.
What is the greatest misconception abroad of Canada and Canadians?
I think very few non-Canadians really appreciate how diverse Canada is. It’s not just all snow and ice. Starting with the geography, we have everything from temperate rainforest, to vast prairie and forests, to the arctic, to deserts.
It’s a country of immigrants, so we have people from all over the world. (more…)
Rock Royalty: Jon Bon Jovi plays to an audience of 20,000 screaming fans during his concert last Sunday at Ricardo Saprissa Stadium in Tibás, north of San José. The legendary hard rocker from the U.S. state of New Jersey stomped, twisted and thrust his way through a two-hour set that fused the lustful, the sentimental and the disgruntled, as part of the group’s 2010-2011 The Circle Tour. From the sinful sounds of “Bad Medicine” to the blue-collar overtones of “Livin’ on a Prayer,” fans bellowed out the lyrics as Bon Jovi twirled his black Takamine acoustic guitar. The group inspired with classics such as “Wanted Dead or Alive” and “Faith,” and rolled out new hits like “Work for the Working Man” and “We Weren’t Born to Follow” from its most recent album, “The Circle.” After a 120-minute, high-octane performance, the rock stars eased into the finale. Tears streamed and mascara ran as the group closed with the potent words of its cherished love ballad, “Always.”
Photo by Ronald Reyes
(caption by Mike)
President Laura Chinchilla presented to the Council of the Americas on Monday, in a speech meant to draw interest in investing in her country.
The discourse is full of valuable financial information about the country:
- Since 2000, Costa Rica’s GDP has increased three-fold, foreign direct investment has multiplied 3.3 times, and exports have more than doubled.
- The country exports 4000 different products to more than 135 countries.
- Costa Rica will soon have 42 trade partners, with which it will coordinate 87 percent of exports and 77 percent of imports.
- Costa Rica ranks number 3 in recipient of foreign direct investment per capita in Latin America.
Here is Chinchilla’s full speech.
With the local cell phone monopoly now offering prepaid phones, the process of getting a cell line in Costa Rica has never been easier.
There’s no more waiting in line at a local ICE (Costa Rican Electricity Institute) or the need to present a cédula, a national ID or residency card. Now, you can walk into any of these cell phone locations with an unblocked GSM phone, and walk out 20 minutes later with a phone line. Most locations ask for two copies of your passport or cédula.
See the story here.
Check out the Sept. 17 edition of The Tico Times for more.
For the second year in a row, Costa Rica will be posting in the red, with a projected 5.3 percent deficit for the 2011 fiscal year. President Laura Chinchilla’s administration said it’s a temporary situation until the economy recovers, but she’s being accused of poor fiscal management.
Want to know how the budget is broken up? See our graph here. Or click on the ministry below to see the proposed budget in more depth (Only in Spanish).
The 5 o’clock flyover of three military helicopters last Sunday afternoon was a bit of surprise to people in the Central Valley, who are not accustomed to seeing military equipment in this armyless country. The helicopters belong to the United States Navy’s USS Iwo Jima, which is docked at the Caribbean port town of Limón on a humanitarian aid mission.
According to the U.S. Embassy, the helicopters were training local agencies in disaster preparedness and were also transporting sailors and marines to the San José airport for emergency leave.
Photo by Francesco Vicenzi
Chrissie Long | Tico Times Staff
You wouldn’t expect it coming from the country with one of the longest life expectancies and with easy access to tropical fruits and vegetables, but Costa Rica is dealing with a fat problem.
Today, 60 percent of women between the ages of 24 and 45 are overweight, as compared to only 2 percent in 1982. Their mothers – those between 45 and 64 – suffer an incidence of obesity 128 times greater than in 1982, according to the Costa Rican Health Ministry.
Yet, the greatest concern for nutrition experts is the weight increase among children.
Twenty-one percent of kids aged 5 to 12 are overweight now as opposed to 15 percent in 1996.
Costa Rica blames its growing waistlines on outside influences: (more…)
The 70-year-old Womens Club of Costa Rica has inaugurated a new subgroup targeting professional women. The group will have its first official meeting Sat. Aug. 21, 2010 at King’s Garden Restaurant, above Mas X Menos in Sabana Este. Reservations may be made by emailing pwn.wccr@gmail.com or at this Web site.
The guest speaker is an executive business coach with over 20 years of industry experience and will speak on the topic of personal development and how to build strategies to assist women in creating a brand for themselves and business.
PWN has been developed specifically for women of all nationalities to encourage personal and professional development through networking with other professional women and to develop programs to contribute to all women in Costa Rica. PWN is an English-speaking group but beginner level English is welcome.
Who: The Professional Women’s Network (PWN) of The Women’s Club of Costa Rica (WCCR)
What: Branding: Yourself and Business, Guest speaker, Nevine Kashmiri
When: August 21, 2010 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Where: King’s Garden Restaurant, above Mas X Menos, Sabana Este, across from Crowne Plaza Hotel
Price: 1,000 colones, first time guest free
Fines under Costa Rica’s new traffic law Costa Rica has a new traffic law with fines that might make you think twice about renting a car.
Beginning March 1, transportation authorities unrolled the law with fines as high as $571 for driving in excess of 120kph or $428 for using a cell phone while driving. Though legislators are working to rewrite the law, as they believe the fines are too high, it will take a while before a new system is introduced.
The Transport Ministry has provided us with a list of the new fines, which can also be found on their website (only in Spanish).
It is possible to contest a ticket, for which you must present evidence (photos, video, a testimony) to make your case. You can contact the following offices, called Unidades de Impugnación: San José (Tel: 2522-0619), Puntarenas (Tel: 2010-0639), Liberia (Tel: 2665-6291), San Ramón (Tel: 2445-5985), Osa (Tel: 2788-8511), Pérez Zeledón (Tel: 2771-7748), Alajuela (Tel: 2441-7411), Guápiles (Tel: 2710-6994).
To complement this week’s story Turning Tico: On the Path to Citizenship, we are including the requirements to become a Costa Rican citizen for our readers on The Tico Times blog.
We found that there is a gray area regarding the requirement that you renounce your citizenship of your native country.
While the first bullet point of the written request requires applicants to renounce prior citizenships, you don’t actually need to do this, said Rodrigo Fallas, head of the Civil Office of the TSE.
You can simply submit a letter that you have renounced prior citizenships, but you don’t need to go to your embassy and formerly do so, he said.
Requirements for Citizenship Through Length of Residence
- A completed official form requesting citizenship. (Access it here: Letter for Time in the Country)
- Proof of age and of nationality by means of a certified color photocopy of your passport and birth certificate. If the birth certificate is not in Spanish, (more…)
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