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Dengue down: This cleanup last month in Liberia, in Costa Rica's northwestern Guanacaste province, was part of an ongoing community project in different parts of the country to bin bottles and other objects that collect water and create a haven for mosquitoes in the nationwide fight against dengue, a mosquito-borne disease. Perhaps the cleaning has helped. Cases of dengue have dropped 65% from last year (1,281 people infected as of mid-March compared with 3,707 in March 2007). |
Photo courtesy of Terra Nostra |
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| Berrocal: No list of Costa Rican politicos linked to FARC |
Tensions escalated yesterday over speculations on the alleged connection between Costa Rican politicians and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). |
| See More... |
| Foreign drug 'mules' busted in Costa Rica |
The number of drug-trafficking “mules” being foiled at the country's airports has spiked in recent months. A mule is slang for a person who trafficks drugs on their person, often in their stomachs or rectums, as they cross borders. |
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| Costa Rican president's popularity reaches new high |
President Oscar Arias is more popular now than at any other point during his term, according to the polling firm Unimer. |
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Saprissa to face Houston Dynamo in big soccer cup semis |
Having beaten Mexican side Atlante in the quarterfinals last Thursday, the leading club in Costa Rican Soccer, Deportivo Saprissa, is set to face Houston Dynamo of the United States in the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. |
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Beware of Treacherous
False Friends |
We call them “false friends.” No, they are not those friendly Costa Ricans who so happily give you all the wrong directions when you are trying to find a place. They are words that look and sound like words in English, but mean something quite different in another language. They are words that can make you say the wrong thing and even make you look silly. Try complaining about the preservativos in processed food, and you'll see what I mean.
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Berrocal: No list of Costa Rican
politicos linked to FARC |
By Alex Leff
Tico Times Staff | aleff@ticotimes.net |
Tensions escalated yesterday over speculations on the alleged connection between Costa Rican politicians and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
President Oscar Arias urged the public security minister, Fernando Berrocal, to clarify his remarks that alluded to a tip-of-the-iceberg scenario after a March 14 police raid on a home in Barva de Heredia, north of San José.
The raid uncovered a safe box holding $480,000 belonging to FARC. The tip-off was allegedly an e-mail sent between high rebel commanders found on a laptop after Colombia attacked a base just beyond its border with Ecuador, which killed the FARC's No. 2 in command, Raúl Reyes, and at least 20 of his soldiers.
“Many things are going to come out” of those laptops, Berrocal said. “The relations don't only go with the mafia organized to distribute drugs, but with some political sectors of this country that have lost a sense of reality.”
Yesterday, speaking in the central Pacific town of Puntarenas, Arias called on Berrocal to elaborate.
“He (Berrocal) had better give an explanation,” the president said according to the daily La Nación. “If he has (names), he should give them. But if not, well…”
The push from Arias, which followed similar statements by the chief prosecutor, Francisco Dall'Anese, obviously struck a nerve.
Yesterday afternoon a letter emerged from Berrocal addressed to the president's brother and presidency minister, Rodrigo Arias, in which Berrocal seemed to retract his statement.
After scrutinizing his comments, the letter said, “from my words it cannot be deduced, since I didn't say it, that there is an official list of politicians linked to drug-trafficking and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.”
He went on to clarify his statement, saying, “What I said in my speech is that FARC and drug-trafficking are one and the same. I also said that whoever does not understand this truth understands nothing about the grave and dangerous process of narcotics infiltration and its ramifications in Costa Rica.” |
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| Foreign drug 'mules' busted in Costa Rica |
By Nick Wilkinson
Tico Times Staff | nwilkinson@ticotimes.net |
The number of drug-trafficking “mules” being foiled at the country's airports has spiked in recent months. A mule is slang for a person who trafficks drugs on their person, often in their stomachs or rectums, as they cross borders.
Most were foiled by their own bodies rather than by any action the police took. Hamilton Keller, a 22-year-old U.S. citizen on his way to Miami, nearly died March 13 after 65 wrapped cocaine pellets began to explode in his stomach. He had to have them surgically removed from his stomach and throat after Drug Control Police arrested him.
“It seems the young Hamilton was trying to travel to the United States and, minutes before leaving, he started to convulse inside the plane, at which time Drug Control Police agents stationed at the airport were informed,” a court press release states. “He was promptly transferred to a hospital.”
Keller joins at least three other mules – another American, an Italian and a Spaniard –whose plans fell apart at the Juan Santamaría airport in Alajuela, northwest of San José city, in the last few months.
Police busted Chercocles, a Spaniard, on March 19 with 2.5 kilograms of cocaine hidden in tuna cans, Fiedrick, a 44-year-old U.S. citizen, on March 6 with 111 cocaine pellets in his stomach and Madonía, an Italian who vomited 77 cocaine pellets, on Feb. 19. Fiedrick was also hospitalized after convulsing and vomiting.
They have all been ordered to three months of preventive prison and are facing up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Public Security Ministry spokesman Jesus Ureña said the tactic of wrapping drugs in cut-off fingers from latex gloves, swallowing them, and then defecating them later in their country of arrival is a relatively common practice.
“We've seen the trend for about 14 years,” he said. “Normally, they're trafficking networks. But these ones we're seeing are poorly trained, so we suspect they're doing it on their own behalf without a network behind them.” |
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| Costa Rican president's popularity reaches new high |
By Gillian Gillers
Tico Times Staff | ggillers@ticotimes.net |
President Oscar Arias is more popular now than at any other point during his term, according to the polling firm Unimer.
Some 50% of respondents said Arias is doing a “good” or “very good” job, while 14% called his performance “bad” or “very bad.”
The figures, first reported yesterday by the daily La Nación, are based on 1,200 interviews conducted throughout the country March 8-15.
Of the last five presidents, Arias has the highest midterm approval rating. The runner-up is Rafael Angel Calderón (1990-94), with 38% approval.
Arias, who took office in May 2006, saw his popularity reach a low point in September 2007, when he had 42% approval and 20% disapproval. He drew fire then for pushing the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA), which was passed by referendum in October.
Approval ratings for Arias' cabinet have also increased from a low point in September. Some 36% of respondents said the cabinet was doing a “good” or “very good” job, while 22% percent said it was doing a “bad” or “very bad” job.
Still, most Costa Ricans said the government is not helping everyone equally. Some 67% said the government favors certain sectors, up from 59% in August.
People also have become more worried about safety and drugs. Some 20% of respondents said crime and violence were the country's biggest problems, up from 11% in August. Some 12% said Costa Rica's thorniest challenge was drug addiction, up from 6% in August.
Nearly a quarter of respondents were most worried about the high cost of living. Some 28% said they had trouble satisfying their basic needs. That figure has not changed since August. |
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Saprissa to face Houston
Dynamo in big soccer cup semis |
By Rob Bartlett
Tico Times Staff | editorial@ticotimes.net |
Having beaten Mexican side Atlante in the quarterfinals last Thursday, the leading club in Costa Rican Soccer, Deportivo Saprissa, is set to face Houston Dynamo of the United States in the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup.
The first leg of the tie will be held at the Robertson Stadium in Houston at 9 p.m. on April 2. The return leg will be held at the Ricardo Saprissa Stadium in Tibás, north of San José, at 8 p.m. on April 9.
Saprissa were defeated 2-1 by Atlante in the first leg of the quarterfinals in Cancún, Mexico, on March 13. However, “El Monstruo Morado,” as Saprissa is known, produced a fine performance in front of 23,000 home fans in the second leg, winning 3-0 thanks to an Armando Alonso strike, sandwiched between two own-goals by Atlante players Arturo Muñoz and Gerardo Castillo.
For their part, Houston Dynamo, following a goal-less draw in the first leg of their tie against Municipal of Guatemala on March 12, beat that team 3-1 a week later, with all goals coming in the second half.
The other semifinal will be between two-time winners of the competition, Pachuca of Mexico and D.C. United of the United States.
Saprissa will be gunning for their fourth title, having won the competition in 1993, 1995 and 2005. The winner of the competition will be invited to the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup. |
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Beware of Treacherous False Friends |
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We call them “false friends.” No, they are not those friendly Costa Ricans who so happily give you all the wrong directions when you are trying to find a place. They are words that look and sound like words in English, but mean something quite different in another language. They are words that can make you say the wrong thing and even make you look silly. Try complaining about the preservativos in processed food, and you'll see what I mean.
Like the subjunctive and irregular verbs, we must deal with their reality, no matter how much we want to argue with them, no matter how perverse they may seem.
Let's take a look at a sampling of these contrary critters in Costa Rican Spanish:
A preservativo is a condom, also known as a condón. If you want to talk about food preservatives, you have to say preservante.
If you want to discuss current events, you do not want to use the word corriente, which means “common” or “ordinary.” To make matters worse, the word for “current” (in the sense of time, not water), actual, is another false friend. So if you want to say “actual,” you'd best use verdadero. And since actualmente means “currently,” if you want to say “actually,” you must use an expression such as de veras, en realidad, de verdad or verdaderamente.
Decepcionar means “to disappoint,” and, by the same token, a decepción is a “disappointment.” If you want to say “to deceive,” it's engañar, while “deceit” and “deception” are engaño, and “deceitful” is engañoso.
If you are excited about something, it is not a good idea to say that you are excitado or excitada, which carries the sexual connotation of “aroused.” You are, instead, emocionado or emocionada. Likewise, don't describe last night's dance as excitante (unless it was), when what you really mean is emocionante.
Be careful about getting into a discusión. It's an argument, in the sense of a fight.
Familiar is connected with the meaning of “family.” A better word for something “familiar” is conocido.
Rentar means “to yield a profit.” Similarly, the most common meaning of rentable is “profitable.” “To rent” is alquilar, and, strangely, el alquiler is “the rent.”
Vicioso means “depraved” or “full of vices.” A vicious dog is a perro bravo.
Afección refers to a disease or some other sort of medical condition. The word for “affection” is cariño.
Don't go thinking your friend's 14-year-old is a genius because he goes to el colegio. In Costa Rica, a colegio is usually a high school, although once in a while it is used as a general term for “school.” “College” in Spanish is la universidad, whether it contains a graduate school or not.
Even the names of the high school grades are confusing. With the exception of some special programs, students graduate after completing 11th grade, but since they have an extra grade at the elementary level, they complete just as many grades. Usually, however, everybody starts counting again when students come out of sixth grade and begin el colegio. Thus, seventh grade is primero, eighth grade is segundo, ninth grade is tercero, 10th grade is cuarto and 11th grade is quinto.
High school and college degrees are called títulos (a word that is another can of worms). At the end of their last year of high school, Costa Ricans take a test to obtain their bachillerato degree. We traditionally translate this word as “baccalaureate,” rather than “bachelor.” A four- or five-year college degree is a licenciatura, and the recipient of this degree is a licenciado or licenciada.
If you tell a Spanish speaker that Texas is largo, he will think it looks like Chile. Largo means “long” in English. “Large” is grande.
Be careful with this one! While in English a violator may simply be someone who drives too fast, in Spanish a violador is a rapist. Violar means “to rape.”
And don't go thinking that if your Tico friend comments on how sano you are, he is surprised you are not crazy. Sano means “healthy.” “Sane” is cuerdo or sensato.
If you are sensible, you are not “sensible”; you are “sensitive.” If you tell someone he is sensitivo, you will be telling him, to his great confusion, that he is capable of using his five senses. “Sensible” may be sensato, cuerdo, razonable or de buen sentido.
“Library” in Spanish is biblioteca. A librería is technically a “bookstore,” which seems to be neither here nor there in Costa Rica, where librerías typically sell school supplies.
Someone who asks for your firma is not trying to take over your business. He only wants your signature. A “business firm” is an empresa, compañía or casa comercial.
If somebody wants to know if you asiste a clases, he's not asking if you are teacher's little helper. Asistir (a) in Spanish means “to attend.” “To assist” is ayudar.
Éxito means “success.” An “exit” in Spanish is a salida. To add insult to injury, the word suceso means “event.”
You had better not go around telling people you are embarazado or embarazada, unless you are pregnant. What you can say if you're embarrassed is “Estoy avergonzado” or “Tengo vergüenza.”
These are, as I said, only a sampling of false friends. But hey, did you know that there are fickle friends as well as false friends?
Stay tuned.
kategalante@yahoo.com
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