News Briefs

Thalito Zepeda, is seeing to much war movies! and Mr. Thompson don't know nothing about electricity!
Nicaragua is a country that during many decades, has being under dictator, democracy and revolution and so on!
Many nationals are going out of country, many of them in the USA; place, where all problems come to us. But we are survivors, hard working people. In the last millenia, Managua city has had two earthqueaks; wars, and many more problems; but we are here, working again, and against adversaty. No other nation can survive a lot of problems like we have, and still we are here, fighting back.
Nicaragua, with all this kind of troubles, have far less crime than Costa Rica; where political corruption is hided inside goverment. This is a pain in the neck of CR, that is still a Third World Country! Just like us. But, now. we are going back, our economy is moving, and near River San Juan. We know that Ortega, is looking for a long term presidency; this is our problem! But soberanity, concern us all. So..be carefull, in this matter.
In USA, are about a million national's that need good hotels, good restaurants and wonderfull views, like San Juan river. They will come to national land to enjoy it! Costarrican can come too!
I tell you this: If were Nicaragua, the suppose invaded country, that invasor could be right now running far away!
Read History..please!
Have a nice night!

Jeffery Thompson, where did you get the nonsensical idea that Costa Rica provides free electricity for Nicaragua? That's a new one. Is this why Costa Rica just raised the price of electricity for Costa Ricans by 30% - because they're giving it away to Nicaragua?

No - I didn't think so.

I suspected this sort of thing would be Chinchilla's next tactic in her covert war to suppress Nicaragua's development of tourism on the San Juan.

Is she going to put out arrest warrants for anyone who undertakes the dredging operation?

What a hypocrite! Claiming to be peaceful while planning the next false flag war-by-proxy against Nicaragua. And continuing the propaganda that Costa Rica is a peaceful country, with no army - what nonsense! "Police" armed with machine guns and M16s to stop a dredging boat? If it walks, talks and acts like an army, calling it something else doesn't change the fact that CR has armed forces equipped and trained by the US and Israeli military. Have Costa Ricans conveniently forgotten that they hosted the CIA-created and paid mercenary Contras from bases in Costa Rica?

Diplomacy, my eye! The International Court of Justice has already settled the issue, so now she seeks to try the case in the court of public opinion. Of course the OAS and the US are pretending neutrality. They haven't anything legitimate to complain about regarding Nicaragua's defense of the island that has been Nicaragua for hundreds of years.

Apparently, she wants to make up her losses in tourism dollars with payoffs from the Pentagon. If she can't win honestly, she'll resort to underhanded phony issues to delay or sabotage Nicaragua's legitimate use of the San Juan.

Thalito Zepeda, let's hope the US keeps it's nose out of it this time. There was never an "invasion" although Chinchilla tried very hard to make Costa Ricans believe there was. The whole google maps insanity was another lie; it never happened. It was just part of the campaign to smear and belittle Nicaragua.

Chavez and Ortega may indeed threaten the US's hegemony in Latin America - so what? The US has no legal or moral right to determine the course of events in every country on earth. It is now owned and run by mulitnational corporations. Democracy is dead in the US since Bush stole the election and stacked the Supreme Court in his favor. The fascistic Homeland Security now rules the country. It's time for the US to mind its own business and stop sending in the CIA to assassinate and/or undermine the legitimately chosen leaders of countries that have the legal and moral right to determine their own priorities. If they choose to stop enriching the multinational companies that have pillaged Latin America for centuries - more power to them.

Hondurans are still fighting and dying to try to get their country back from the military coup that deprived them of their leader and substituted one picked by foreign financial interests who spread a compaign of lies just as Chinchilla is doing now.

The OAS is a US puppet and it has no jurisdiction over border disputes. Chinchilla knew this, yet she made a big public relations event out of trying to get them side with her. So, now it's on to the UN - another public relations event to try to draw out the resolution on this non-invasion and non-event.

In the meantime: the chant goes up: "environmental damage"! CR dredged the Colorado river and pushed sediment into the San Juan, piled sediment on the banks of the river and did what dredging inevitably does - some environmental damage. But when CR does it, it's just business as usual. When Nicaragua does it, it's an international event! I guess Costa Rican sediment doesn't stink.

Will the Obama administration ever start standing up to the Latin axis of caudillos? Nicaragua invaded Costa Rica last month -- yet the State Department is all but AWOL.
State is taking a carefully worded, almost neutral stand in the dispute between Costa Rica -- our ally, and the world's most pacifist country -- and Nicaragua, a key player in Hugo Chavez's group of Latin strongmen.
Last month, Nicaragua sent troops into a jungle area at the mouth of the San Juan River, which has long been determined by mediators to be on Costa Rica's side of the border. The excuse for the invasion: Google Maps recently showed the area as part of Nicaragua.
The Internet says it's ours! Daniel Ortega defending the Nicaraguan incursion into Costa Rica.
Costa Rica, as its President Laura Chinchilla Miranda noted in a Nov. 3 address to the nation as the dispute begun, is "a peace-loving country -- and this is what distinguishes us the most, among nations in the world." The country has long chosen to have no army and to rely solely on diplomacy to solve disputes.
So Miranda appealed to the Organization of American States for help. Last Friday, the OAS voted to punt. And Washington agrees: State Department spokeswoman Viriginia Staab told me yesterday that "we encourage both sides immediately to distance any armed military and civilian security forces from the disputed area and avoid provocative rhetoric and actions."
Costa Rica's deputy UN ambassador, Saul Weisleder, told me Washington's low-key support of his country is meant to avoid riling the region's anti-Yanqui-imperialist hotheads while other countries do the heavy lifting. But, really -- "Both sides"? "Armed forces"? "Provocation"? Again, Costa Rica has no military -- it merely sent some policemen in to stare at the troops occupying its soil.
Indeed, State should be doing more, if only because Google was relying on State Department data when it mislabeled the land in question.
To be fair, Staab tells me State had warned Google that the database was "unsuitable for users of Google Earth who zoom in to view large-scale images." But the Nicaraguans somehow missed the nuance. Their troops remain in the area, citing Google.
Nor is the "even-handed" OAS approach working. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega says he'll leave the OAS if it presses the matter. If that happens, his sugar daddy, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, is likely to bolt, too.
Ortega hopes to use his tough stance to drum up domestic support for a third presidential term. In fact, his victory in next year's election is predetermined if the OAS can't send election observers, as it now plans.
Never mind that Nicaragua's constitution limits a president to two consecutive terms in office. Ortega can use the government's hold over institutions and the press to erase that -- just as Chavez did in becoming Venezuelan president for life. Last year, Manuel Zelaya tried to pull the same trick in Honduras -- and Argentina's Cristina Kirchner is mulling a similar campaign now. (Her husband's recent death removed the option of further tag-team end-running of the term limit.)
Washington has failed to take a strong stand against such violations of democratic principles. The Obama administration actually took Zelaya's side last year against Hondurans -- who nonetheless fought for their constitution (and won).
The Obama crowd needs to stop flinching every time the caudillos exploit the old Yanqui go home rallying cry.
Chavez, Ortega and the rest threaten their neighbors and America's global interests. Most recently, Chavez bought from Russia the S-300 anti-aircraft missiles that Moscow had promised not to deliver to Iran -- and it's a safe bet he'll soon deliver the materiel to the mullahs.
It's time to reverse course. America must clearly side with its ally Costa Rica against Ortega's aggression. Beyond the border dispute, such a stance would signal that American hemispheric leadership is back.
And unlike Costa Rica, we can back up our diplomatic prowess with force, if need be. beavni@gmail.com

I certainly applaud Costa Rica on its pacifist stance on a lot of issues but in the ongoing situation a different approach should be taken. How can Costa Rica continue to provide electricity (free I might add) to Nicaragua and accept what is occurring as if nothing is happening. The Costa Rican people are being taken as weak in light of the country not having a standing Army. Do you honestly believe that a arrrest warrant on this guy will be taken seriously? What a waste of effort in my opinion when Costa Rica has a untalked about weapon, electricity!! Take a stance Laura and get Nicaragua's attention. If cutting off electricity doesn't work----pick up every illegal Nicaraguan in Costa Rica that you can find and deport them and see how Oretega can explain that to his people. Please, Costa Rica, get real on this!! An arrest warrant is a waste of time and isn't worth the paper it's written on!! Take real and meaningful action!!

Well Mr.Prosecutor while you are have an arrest warrant out for the old Comandente 0, please call PANI the child wealfare department and ask them to also put a hold on him for the collection of back childsupport on his son (little Minus zero) the love child victem of the Sandanista-Contra wars. The Comandente spread some seed in Barra while he was hiding down in Costa Rica during the war. The Comandente forgot to send for poor LIttle Minus 0 and his momma who patiently await his return for them after the war was over. Maybe this little conflict can facilitate a happy family reunion just in time for the Christmas season. Maybe the current Mrs. 0 can finally meet her step-son. That would indeed be a happy ending to this unfortunate incident....

It's important that militaristic rhetoric be lowered on both sides if a peaceful resolution is to be found. Avoid rattling sabers. Avoid knee jerk reactions to politically motivated aggressive verbiage. If war breaks out between the countries Costa Rica will have many coming to its defense. But this has to be avoided as everyone loses in such a conflict. Only the weapons salesmen win out. I can't imagine the people of either nation wanting another Contra-like War.

If things do not improve, economic sanctions is the way to go. This is also painful for both sides but far less painful than outright war, which would include economic privation.

Costa Rica is taking the right course by not being lured into a direct conflict. Pulling back its police force from the disputed area sets the right example. It is going through the slower but in the long run more effective diplomatic channels. Nicaragua is now in opposition to not just Costa Rica but the OAS. The UN is a next step and The Hague may also weigh in eventually. This is a centuries old dispute that is periodically brought up.

Calling for the arrest of Edén Pastora, who might deserve it, is not of much value and might bring Nicaraguans to his defense who might otherwise not care much for him. Hopefully Nicaragua will just fully retire him as he has zero skills in diplomacy.

Nicaragua, which was successfully trying to improve tourism to its country, including US tourists, has undermined this effort. The specter of war conflicts has been raised and alienates tourists just seeking an enjoyable and wholesome vacation. To a lesser extent it hurts Costa Rican tourism.

Everyone's chant should be "Deescalate, demilitarize, lower the rhetoric!" And of course, engage in ongoing peaceful dialogue including third party arbitrators.

What I can read of the banner in the earlier photo of the Nicaragua demonstrators says "Yes to Peace!" and "Yes to Binational Dialogue!" Let's join the Nicaraguan people in saying "yes" to that also.