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Security Stepped Up Along Panama Border
By Amanda Roberson
Tico Times Staff
aroberson@ticotimes.net
Approximately 50 passengers on a bus traveling from the southern Caribbean coastal town of Puerto Viejo to San José Sunday stood in the sweltering sun for 30 minutes as police at a security checkpoint went through their bags and checked their identification.
This wasn't an isolated event, according to Limón police chief Luis Hernández. All travelers through the Caribbean province of Limón should expect their journeys to be delayed at least half an hour at these checkpoints, where stricter security measures have been implemented recently in an effort to crack down on unregistered weapons, contraband merchandise, drugs and illegal immigrants coming from Panama.
However, The Tico Times saw at least one bus pass through the checkpoint yesterday with police checking only passengers' identifications and not their luggage.
Limón's Public Security Ministry enforced these measures five weeks ago at its checkpoints in the southern Caribbean border town of Sixaola and in Tuva Creek, at the entrance to the Talamanca canton.
All buses traveling north from Sixaola, including those that pick up passengers in the tourist towns of Puerto Viejo and Cahuita, must stop at these checkpoints. Police also stop all private vehicles for officials to check the driver's and passengers' identification and inspect the contents of the trunk and glove compartment.
Hernández said these security efforts are paying off – authorities have seized 252 unregistered guns during a five-week period and have also confiscated drugs and caught people who entered the country illegally, mostly from Colombia, Panama and Ecuador, he said, though he did not know how many.
These checkpoints have always existed, but in the past they were not as effective, Hernández said.
“We had to have better control,” he said, adding that the Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ) and Transit Police are helping at the checkpoints, which operate 24 hours.
Limón police plan to continue this initiative as part of efforts to secure the Panama border region, he said. Police are also patrolling the Sixaola River, which divides the two countries, by boat to watch out for people entering Costa Rica illegally.
Organic Farmers Converge On EARTH University
More than 100 organic-produce farmers and researchers from around the country yesterday met at EARTH University in the Caribbean-slope town of Guácimo for the Fifth National Meeting of Farmers and Researchers of Organic Produce, according to a statement from the Production Ministry.
The goal of the encounter is to improve research into organic agriculture, exchange knowledge and discuss ways to overcome challenges organic products face in the market, the statement said.
Organic agriculture is grown using only natural fertilizers, without pollutants such as insecticides and chemical fertilizers, making it more nutritious, more flavorful and safer for consumers and farmers, the statement said. Additionally, growing organically helps the environment by protecting soil, water sources and the atmosphere.
Participants in the conference, which runs through Wednesday, will attend hands-on lectures on organic farming techniques and participate in roundtable discussions on topics such as entering local markets and obtaining credit.
“There is a large need to train and prepare farmers of organics so they have successful experiences that allow them to be more competitive,” said Heiner Castillo, director of EARTH University's Integral Organic Program. “We need to demonstrate that social and environmental factors should not be sacrificed in favor of commercial objectives.”
Costa Rica does not take full advantage of the high demand for organic produce from U.S., Japanese and other international markets, said Miguel Castro, manager of the Production Ministry's National Program for Organic Agriculture, according to the statement. One of the goals of the three-day conference is to boost the quantity of Costa Rican organic agriculture grown by training small farmers.
The event was organized by the Program for Organic Production Research and Technology Transfer, EARTH University, the Costa Rican Organic Agriculture Movement and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.
–Tico Times
Poll Finds Six out of Every 10 Nicaraguans Willing to Leave Country
Six out of every 10 Nicaraguans would be willing to leave Nicaragua and move to a foreign country, according to a poll conducted by the firm M & R Consultores published yesterday in the Nicaraguan daily La Prensa.
Of those polled, 60.6% said they would leave Nicaragua, 38.1% said they would not leave and 1.3% opted not to answer.
Additionally, 80.3% of those who said they would leave Nicaragua said they would do so to find work, while 9.2% said they would leave to study, 6% said they would leave to visit new places and 3.9% said they would leave to visit family members, the survey found.
Unemployment and poverty were the main reasons those polled gave for wanting to leave Nicaragua. Corruption, delinquency, high prices of public services and political problems were other reasons mentioned.
Statistics indicate that 43% of the Nicaraguan population lives in conditions of poverty, while 80% earn a daily income of $2 or less.
The study, which was carried out Aug. 4-10, polled 4,020 people all over the country and claims a 1.58% margin of error.
–ACAN-EFE
Puerto Rican Salsa Group Draws Audience of 10,000
Puerto Rican salsa musicians Víctor Manuelle, Gilberto Santa Rosa and Olga Tañón drew a crowd of 10,000 fans to their concert Sunday night despite heavy rain.
At the concert -- held at Ricardo Saprissa stadium in Tibás, north of San José -- fans danced under umbrellas, rain jackets and plastic bags, grooving to salsa beats and celebrating its theme, the official Mother's Day holiday yesterday.
Costa Rican singer Freddy Alvez opened up the show and was then joined by Víctor Manuelle, who sang his hit song “ Tú volverás ” at the crowd's request.
Later in the night, Gilberto Santa Rosa and Olga Tañón graced the stage, and the two sang “Happy Birthday” to Manuelle, who turned 44 Sunday.
The three Puerto Rican singers returned to their country today.
–ACAN-EFE
Fun on the Cheap: Pointers for Penny-Pinchers
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I am a bargain hunter. In restaurants I look at the prices before I look over the food. I shop the markets rather than the malls. And I always ask “¿Cuánto vale?” (“How much?”) before making my decision.
So I also search out events that are free or low-cost but seem interesting. One such event is the International Book Fair, which is held the last week in June. This year it was at Pedregal event center in San Antonio de Belén, west of San José. Yes, I know, the books are all in Spanish. But if you like books, you're also interested in what's available in Latin America. And if you can't read the books, you can always judge them by their covers. Besides, it only cost ¢500 ($1) to get in and looking around inside is free.
First bargain: everyone going in gets a free book and some bookmarks. I sometimes think I go for the bookmarks just to replace all the torn-off pieces of paper and covers of greeting cards that fill my books. A free book isn't so bad either.
Then there are also lots of other exhibits, such as stamps and coins and pre-Columbian figurines. The former displayed a slew of envelopes from days of yore when a name, a street and a country were all that was needed to send your letter winging to its destination. The coins and bills were a little depressing as they reminded you how much five colones used to buy. Now those colorful bills are seen only in antique displays and in the hands of peddlers who charge tourists considerably more than five colones for them.
For kids there were free balloons, and I saw a few grown-ups in the balloon line if that's your thing.
The book dealers and publishers were arranged in a huge circle around the hall so you couldn't miss any of them. Other things were easy to miss. I planned to meet a friend there and learned the next day that she had been walking in the same direction around the circle but at a different radius.
For those who aren't afraid to take on reading in Spanish, there were plenty of books. Casa de Revistas had the most tantalizing display on Da Vinci, Mary Magdalene and the Knights Templar, cashing in on the new popularity at ¢13,000 ($26) and more. Much too steep for us pinches (think of penny-pinchers), I moved on. The Bible Society had some children's books on Bible stories with cute illustrations and stickers. And cheap – probably keeping in mind the tale of Jesus and the money changers. With Christmas a mere six months away, I bought a bunch for the kids around my neighborhood, especially those who need to be reminded now and then of their catechism lessons.
Some of the booths were pass-bys – too technical or too limited in scope. But Oceano, which handles dictionaries, encyclopedias and computer equipment, is a good place to find Spanish-English aids or material for the student set.
There were booths for publishers from other Latin American countries, Nicaragua, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Colombia, giving an idea of the span of literature published in the region. The bookstores were there too, Lehmann, Universal and Internacional, offering 10 and 15% discounts on all books.
I headed for the booth of the State University at a Distance (UNED), whose selection is extensive, with lots of books on Costa Rica by local authors, and very reasonable. My kind of books. By buying two, I got a discount, a pen and a big paper shopping bag. My kind of shopping.
If books aren't your thing, they also have a food court.
At three o'clock the whistle blew announcing that the train waiting at the back door would soon depart for the Pacific station in San José, and it was all aboard for those going that way. I go to Alajuela, northwest of San José, but what the heck, I can take the train to San José and catch an express bus back, and it'll be just as fast as the stop-and-start bus to Alajuela.
The train charged a whopping ¢1,000 ($2) and wobbled all the way to San José, but it was fun, especially seeing a couple of the above-mentioned balloons fly out the window as the train paused over a bridge suspended half a kilometer over a river. Then the train wobbled through the western districts of La Carpio and Pavas, blowing the horn and stopping traffic, and all the passengers waved to the kids along the way, who waved back.
And that concluded my inexpensive excursion about which I had no complaints.
By checking through The Tico Times' Calendar section, you can find other events that are cheap and choice. Book presentations and inauguraciones (opening nights) of art shows are always free, give you an idea of what's happening culturally in Costa Rica and serve snacks.
Film festivals held at various cultural centers are also a good value, especially when they're free. Fairs, festivals, concerts and programs in the parks are other inexpensive ways to see the sights.
Chances are you'll see me there, too.
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