Germán Viales grumbled something under his breath Tuesday afternoon as thunder warned him of the rain that would soon dampen his table of lottery tickets if he didn't move.

He picked up his portable table from the cobblestone walkway outside the San José Courthouse and moved it under the cover of the cement awning outside the headquarters of the Judicial Investigation Police.

“Very bad. There's no one to sell to. No one's out,” Viales said of the rainy season, which is approaching in the Central Valley.

Except a man selling umbrellas, the streets were soon clear of people, as most went inside or huddled under the awning.

After a year characterized by torrential storms and unusually heavy rainfall – in 2008, the country recorded more rain than it had in over six decades – the National Meteorological Institute (IMN) is predicting a relatively normal rainy season for the upcoming months.

But in Costa Rica, normal still means wet.

See the new Online Feature Story for the full report.

Blaming hackers: First lady Rosario Murillo is blaming hackers for a government press release circulated last weekend accusing the Catholic Church of corruption.

Tim Rogers | Nica Times

MANAGUA, Nicaragua – The administration of President Daniel Ortega is blaming “rightwing” computer hackers for a polemical government press release sent out last week accusing the Catholic Church of corruption and representing a “powerful political party” in opposition to the ruling Sandinistas.

The controversial press release, a typewritten report titled “The Relationship with the Church,” was allegedly written by presidential aide Orlando Núñez and addressed to first lady Rosario Murillo, head of government communication. It was allegedly based on an interview Núñez conducted with Father Gregorio Raya, a Spanish priest in Juigalpa, who said the Catholic Church is worried about the Sandinista government's growing power and a return to the hostile church-state relations of the 1980s.

The report was apparently written as a private memo to Murillo, indicated by the signoff, “hugs, Orlando ” – not exactly government protocol for official releases. But nevertheless, it was e-mailed to all the press from the administration's official e-mail address, NicaraguaTriunfa, on April 30 along with the customary letter of introduction signed by Murillo on official Pueblo President administration letterhead.

The release of the memo caused an immediate stir. Father Raya immediately denied having ever given an interview to Núñez and the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua held a press conference May 4 to demand an explanation from the government.

“This document should be considered for what it is, the product of an imaginative mind without any base, far from the truth and from reality,” the Episcopal Conference said in a statement. The Catholic bishops said they were “open to forgiving,” but demanded a clarification from the government.

The clarification came Tuesday afternoon – five days after the memo was leaked – in the form of a fiery e-mail from Murillo, sent from the same NicaraguaTriunfa address. In her response, the first lady blasted unidentified rightwing hackers for allegedly breaking into her e-mail account and trying to stir up trouble.

Murillo warned the alleged perpetrators that “hacking is a crime” and accused them of “playing with fire.” Catholic Church leaders had not responded to Murillo's explanation at press time.

See upcoming issues of The Nica Times for more on this story.

The number of probable H1N1 flu cases in Costa Rica has risen to seven, with one already confirmed, health authorities said.

“It's better to call them ‘probable',” Health Minister María Luisa Avila told a roomful of reporters Tuesday morning, indicating that her ministry would rather play the numbers game cautiously. So far, 369 cases have been discarded.

Largely absent from local headlines over the past few days, the so-called swine flu has given the impression it was nearing its end point.

Yet, health officials here continue to work at full tilt to contain and identify the cases that have surfaced in Costa Rica.

While the country is only claiming one confirmed case, dozens of other “suspected” cases emerged over the weekend.

On Friday, the Health Ministry reported 180 suspected cases. Five days later, officials raised the number of suspected cases to 425.

Plastering health advisory material to the insides of buses, to bulletin boards in churches and near coffee machines in work places, health officials are working to raise awareness and, at the same time, encouraging residents to practice sanitary measures to stop the virus from spreading.

Bus drivers are wiping down their vehicles to lower the risk of infection. Massive educational initiatives are being implemented at local schools.

Each visitor entering the country is required to fill out a health form in which they indicate all potential symptoms.

But the World Health Organization (WHO) continues to advise against closed borders or restrictions to regular travel. The organization is encouraging sick travelers to delay trips and others who are developing symptoms to seek medical attention.

According to numbers released by WHO on Tuesday, laboratory testing confirmed 822 cases in Mexico and 403 in the United States. The Associated Press reported late afternoon Tuesday that 33-year-old Texas schoolteacher died from the virus, the second flu-related death occurring in the United States following the death of a Mexico City boy who had been visiting relatives in Texas last week.  Tuesday's fatality, combined with Mexico's death toll, raises the number to 31 reported deaths in North America.

Poetry for peace: Guatemalan poet Rosa Chávez will participate in the festival.

Photo courtesy of RedCultura.com

When organizers of the eighth annual International Poetry Festival in Costa Rica began brainstorming for a theme, they did not have to look far, unfortunately. With violence escalating around the world and at home – particularly after the murder of Costa Rican journalist and poet Julio Acuña last July – they decided to dedicate the festival to peace.

“We are worried about violence. In last year's festival, we created the Manifesto for Peace; however, with the death of our dearly remembered friend, Julio Acuña, we want to make our position against violence more apparent,” Paola Valverde, general coordinator of the festival, said in a statement.

Featuring 17 poets from 14 countries, the May 8 to 18 festival will take place in San José and eight other locations throughout the country. Poetry readings, lectures and meet-and-greets with the poets are among the many activities planned, beginning with an opening ceremony in San José's Plaza de la Democracia May 8 at 7 p.m.

Outside of San José, the festival will launch with a welcome dinner May 12 at the chamber of commerce in the Caribbean port city of Limón.

“Limón has been a province abandoned by most of the governments of this country,” Valverde said. “If we want to decentralize poetry and fight against violence, we have to build a channel to this province, beginning with bringing the festival to the area.”

Books featuring collected works of the 17 invited poets will be on sale for ¢1,500 ($2.70) in an effort to make poetry more accessible, organizers said. To that end, the festival will also feature events at prisons, orphanages and homes for the elderly to reach out to communities not usually well versed in poetry.

For a program of events, see the Calendar pages, or visit www.redcultura.com for more information.