September 25, 2007

Speaking Out: Argentine Adolfo Pérez, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1980 for his defense of human rights, is visiting Costa Rica this week. Yesterday, he gave a press conference during which he urged Costa Ricans to vote against the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA), which will be held to a popular referendum Oct. 7.

Bringing Home the Bacon (and Eggs): Community members in the northwestern beach town of Ostional yesterday collected olive ridley sea turtle eggs, as they do every year during the arribada, or arrival, of these female turtles. Through a unique program, members of the community take a portion of eggs each arribada and commercialize them. In turn, they care for the beaches and the turtles.

Jeffrey Arguedas | ACAN-EFE

Heavy Rains Cause Damage Around Costa Rica

Luxury Office Park to Go Up in Costa Rica

Legislator Sánchez Resigns from Two Commissions

By Gillian Gillers
Tico Times Staff | ggillers@ticotimes.net

National Liberation Party (PLN) legislator Fernando Sánchez resigned yesterday from two legislative commissions over a controversial memo he wrote to President Oscar Arias. Sánchez was president of the two commissions – the Electoral Reform Commission and the Commission on the Development Bank Law.

The memo, co-written by Second Vice-President Kevin Casas, suggested questionable and potentially illegal tactics in the government's campaign for the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA). On Saturday, Casas announced his resignation from his posts as Vice-President and Planning Minister.

Liberation faction head Mayí Antillón said the party was “satisfied” that Sánchez was taking this “important” step. The fraction must now choose a new legislator to serve on the commissions, which must elect new presidents.

“Let's now turn the page and leave this memorandum behind,” she said. “We must close this chapter and focus on what is really important – the 15 days we have to put CAFTA in its proper light.”

The country is nearly evenly divided between pro- and anti-CAFTA voters, according to a poll conducted by Unimer and published yesterday by the daily La Nación. Conducted the week of Sept. 12, the poll found that 49.1% of respondents said they would vote for CAFTA and 46.3% would vote against the treaty.

“We have seen the results of the poll,” said Presidency Minister Rodrigo Arias, who is the President's brother. “I think in politics you have to be realistic, and the memorandum has had a negative impact on pro-CAFTA sentiment.”

Heavy Rains Cause Landslide in
Southern Zone Damage Around Costa Rica

Heavy rains Saturday caused a landslide in the Southern Zone community of Las Vegas de Laurel de Corredores, according to a statement from the National Emergency Commission (CNE), which Sunday flew over this area to assess damages.

The loose Loose ground dirt thr e eatened to crush the homes of seven indigenous families in the communities of Las Vegas and Santa Rosa and blocked Río Vaca, causing water to accumulate, according to a statement from the commission.

The CNE has asked t T he Mixed Institute for Social Aid (IMAS) has been asked for help relocating th ese families em to higher ground away from the riverbed.

The commission yesterday lifted alerts around the country in light of after the storm that passed over hit Costa Rica during the weekend moving on blew over. Its heavy rains left structural damage in the northwestern Guanacaste province and left 623 people evacuated to shelters there.

The Central Valley areas cantons of Desamparados, Aserrí and Alajuelita were also hit hard by floods, which forced several families to seek shelter. in these areas.

The commission estimates a total 556 houses were affected damaged by bad weather over the weekend in the se three cantons cantons of Aserrí, Alajuelita and Desamparados alone, 66 of which were destroyed completely, the statement said.

-Tico Times

Medina Case Wrapping Up

Costa Rican prosecutor Guiselle Rivera yesterday asked requested a 5 1 2 -year prison sentence for a priest and a businessman accused of being involved in orchestrating the murder of Colombian-born journalist Parmenio Medina in Costa Rica in 2001.

During her final arguments, Rivera said priest Minor Calvo and businessman Omar Chávez committed conspiracy, fraud and first-degree murder, and that these crimes should earn him them each 51 years in prison prison.

Medina, a Colombian-born Costa Rican journalist, produced a series of investigative reports on the now-defunct, but then-widely popular, Catholic radio station Radio Maria exposing a series of financial irregularities (TT, Jan. 9, 2004). Medina received repeated death threats as a result of his

reports, and was shot three times in the head and torso at point blank as he arrived home July 7, 2001 ( TT, July 13, 2001).

The trial in this case began at the end of 2005 and is expected to enter the concluding stages this week.

Seve r n other men are accused in the case, and the prosecutor requested prison sentences for all of them. The defense must now give its closing arguments in this trial, which began at the end of 2005 and is expected to wrap up in the next few weeks.

In Medina 's last radio show, he discussed “La Patada” show was about suspicious movement of funds from the financial activity at the Catholic radio station Radio María, which was run by Calvo and bought with the help of Chávez.

Luxury Office Park to Go Up in Costa Rica

A new $35 million luxury office park is scheduled to be built in Costa Rica and be ready for companies to move into by September 2008.

The developer Portafolio Inmobiliario recently announced it will build El Cedral Corporate Center, a 21,300 square meter complex with three five-floor buildings with five floors each with ample parking space i i n the western suburb of Escazú.

Sylvene Campos, marketing director of Portafolio Inmobiliario said plans are in the works to incorporate modern architecture, ample parking space, ample green space with and wireless Internet connection throughout the office park.

“We're revolutionizing the concept of an office. The companies that move into this corporate center will live a work experience in a natural environment with the best technology,” she said.

-ACAN-EFE

Avocado: The Aphrodisiacal Pear

When the conquistadors first gazed upon this pear-shaped fruit, they did not expect to find such an amazing new discovery. A regular in the diet of the Aztecs, Toltecs and Olmecs, Persea americana, the avocado, has been consumed by humans for thousands of years.

Native to Mexico and Central and South America, the Spanish word aguacate comes from the Aztec ahuacuatl, literally meaning “the tree of testicles.” No doubt the name derived from the way the fruit of the tree hangs in pairs, reminding those ancient peoples of the human male anatomy.

Spanish and British shipmen embraced the fruit as a gift sent from the heavens to satiate their longing for the flavor of butter. By the time Cortés entered Tenochtitlán in Mexico, avocado was present in a number of dishes served in the Aztec imperial court, such as the ahuaca-mulli sauce of mashed avocados, onions and fresh cilantro. It is interesting to note that today's humble guacamole was originally a delicacy served in hopes of increasing the male libido.

The conquistadors discovered that avocado seed yields a milky liquid that becomes red when exposed to air. They found that this reddish-brown, or even blackish, indelible liquid could be used as ink; some documents written in this ink are still in existence today. The English living in Jamaica called avocado “alligator pear” for its slightly bumpy skin.

New-World Delicacy: Loaded with “good” fat, avocado is a highly versatile ingredient in tropical cuisine. Pictured here, grilled avocado with curried pejibaye.

Marco González | Tico Times

Throughout the centuries, the popularity of the avocado kept spreading, until the fruit became massively grown in the early 1900s in the southern United States. California postman Rudolf Hass discovered the avocado that bears his name in 1926. His original tree is still growing in La Habra Heights, California. Little did he know that his name would be used for the most popular avocado variety in the world today.

Although the avocado is high in fat, 60% of it is monounsaturated or “good” fat, 20% is polyunsaturated and only 20% is saturated. The edible portion of a nine-ounce Hass avocado yields about one ounce of fat. Nutritionally, the avocado leads all other fruits in beta-carotene content and exceeds even the banana in potassium content.

While other fruits gain sugar as they ripen, the avocado's sugar content decreases as it matures. Avocados are rich in B vitamins, especially niacin, as well as calcium, iron and potassium. In fact, avocados contain more protein, potassium, magnesium, folic acid, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, pantothenic acid, vitamin E and vitamin K per ounce than any other fruit.

Though the avocado is calorie-dense (one half-cup of pureed flesh contains 204 calories), it packs a protein content of 2.4 grams, with 3.1 grams of fiber and only 8 grams of carbohydrates in a half-cup serving. Though it has numerous nutritional benefits, avocados should be eaten in moderation because of their high fat content.

Recently, avocados have been recognized as a good source of two beneficial compounds: beta-sitosterol and glutathione. Beta-sitosterol is a widely prescribed anti-cholesterol compound that interferes with cholesterol absorption, thus promoting lower cholesterol levels. Glutathione is made up of three amino acids, glutamic acid, cysteine and glycine, which function as antioxidants, therefore improving blood circulation.

Gastronomically speaking, the avocado has transcended all borders to be absorbed by numerous types of cuisines, from its original Mexican table magic to new approaches in French, Italian and even Asian cooking. In many restaurants, it is not uncommon to find dishes ranging from pasta with creamy avocado sauces to tempura-battered avocado.

In Costa Rica, the green-skinned variety (known as “ Florida ” avocado) is most common. Some farmers have begun to cultivate “Hass” varieties with decent results, since Ticos do enjoy the taste of Mexican and Californian cuisine. In typical Tico cuisine, the avocado can be found in salads, accompanying casados or ceviches, or in the quintessential avocado dip, guacamole. Similar in style to its Mexican counterpart, Costa Rican guacamole may include chopped tomatoes and is usually not too spicy.

Few fruits can be so versatile in the savory kitchen as the avocado. Don't be afraid of breaking the rules and using avocado in unorthodox ways; your palate will thank you for experimenting with this exquisite tropical delicacy.

Today's recipe: grilled avocado with curried pejibaye (peach palm) ¡Buen provecho!