Aug 28, 2008

Shooting the world: A museumgoer passes by two winning photographs in the World Press Photo contest, whose show opens at 7 p.m. at the Contemporary Art and Design Museum in San José.

Ronald R eyes / Tico Times

Back from Beijing: Olympic runner Nery Brenes, taekwondo athlete Kristopher Moitland and race walker Allan Segura speak to the press yesterday in San José. See tomorrow's Olympic wrap-up in The Tico Times.

Laura Sánchez / Tico Times

San José's Contemporary Art and Design Museum is showcasing the images voted best international press photos of 2007.

In the World Press Photo collection, moments of war, sports, the environment and wildlife, and a portrait of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin are among the images that permeate some 185 pictures, chosen to be the best of the year in 10 categories.

This year's winner is a Sept. 16 shot by U.K. photographer Tim Hetherington for the magazine Vanity Fair of a U.S. soldier resting at a bunker in Korengal Valley, Afghanistan.

It is only the second time Costa Rica will host the transnational exhibit – showing in more than 100 cities worldwide – after almost a decade.

World Press Photos is a highly prestigious contest organized annually by a Holland-based nonprofit group, whose mission, as stated on its Web site, is “ to encourage high professional standards in photojournalism and to promote a free and unrestricted exchange of information.”

This time judges examined the work of more than 5,000 photographers from 125 countries, according to the Dutch Embassy in Costa Rica.

The exhibit, at Avenida 3 between Calle 15 and 17, runs through Sept. 18.

Accompanied by a representative of the U.S. Embassy in Managua, Brooklyn-born rapper George “Ritmo” Martinez and DJ Smash toured some of the more depressed barrios in Nicaragua this week in an attempt to inspire at-risk youth by channeling their creative talents through hip-hop.

The “cultural ambassadors,” as a U.S. embassy called them, visited León, Rivas and Managua this week, where they discovered that the U.S.-born art form is well-received among young Nicaraguans.

Martinez said Nicaraguan culture has a “different type of feel” than other Central American countries.

“There's a sense of optimism, hopefulness here that's not in other places. Most people have some sort of connection to this culture of hip hop.  It's hip hop al estilo nicaragüense,” he said.

He lauded Nicaraguan police efforts to work with at-risk youth to offer them alternatives, instead of just enforcing laws as in other Central American countries. He said anti-gang efforts here have been very successful for that reason.

“For the most part police were open and took seriously the idea that they can make a difference with young people working in these communities. That's a different police culture than I've seen in other Latin American countries,” said Martinez, a New York native whose mother is Honduran and whose father is Puerto Rican.

Martinez was the first U.S. hip-hop artist to be elected to public office, as ombudsman of his community in New York. He's also a professor of political science at Pace University.

“Our grand message was that by using the power of hip hop and creativity young people can actually improve their future with some things they already have like graffiti, for example. The difference between vandalism and having a small biz is where you put your graffiti,” he said.

Read more on this story in an upcoming edition of The Nica Times, an eight page publication of The Tico Times.

Costa Rica Tourism Police arrested three Colombians they suspect of targeting tourists. As usual here, the suspects were set free the next day by a judge.

Authorities arrested three men – last names Quintana, Correa and Pinzón – Sunday near the Caribbean Bus station in San José after the suspects allegedly robbed some tourists by using the “ pinchonazo” method. Pinchonazo consists of puncturing a car's tires while it is parked, waiting for the driver to drive away, then robbing the occupants when the driver pulls over.

“The alleged gang of ‘tourist-assaulters' fled in a Nissan Sentra after the robbery but tourism authorities hindered their escape,” states a Public Security Ministry press release.

All three suspects, two of them refugees and another arrested for the same crime in April (TT, April 18), have already been released by a criminal judge. Under Costa Rican law, police can hold suspects for only 24 hours before a judge orders preventive prison, other precautionary measures or unconditional freedom.

“Of course they've already been freed,” Tourism Police Chief Katia Chavarría said. “Every day, we're chasing the same criminals around over and over again. We're hoping the laws will be changed.”

Chavarría said all three suspects have been arrested on multiple occasions for the same crime.

An omnibus crime bill has been at the Legislative Assembly since March but still hasn't made it out of committee.

CIMA Hospital in southwest San José suburb of Escazú is the first private clinic to receive national accreditation from the Health Ministry.

Dr. Rafael Salazar said the accreditation, a pilot project by the Health Ministry to have a certification similar to the Joint Commission International (JCI), means CIMA operates at the highest national standards. Salazar is the head of the Health Ministry's Health Services Administration.

The JCI is a nonprofit organization that certifies hospitals in the United States. Salazar acknowledged that JCI standards are still significantly higher than the Health Ministry.

CIMA also received two certificates of recognition from the JCI for good standards. CIMA, as well as the Católica Hospital in Guadalupe in San José, are seeking accreditation from the JCI.

Fewer than 300 hospitals in the world outside the United States hold a JCI certification. The organization began granting the certification abroad in 1999.