A la Mode: Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan.

Photo courtesy of Autódromo La Guácima

Whenever Prince performed in concert, he would insist on having a physician in the dressing room ready to inject him with a vitamin B12 shot. Iggy Pop once requested the backstage presence of seven dwarves and broccoli – which he hates – purely so he could throw it in the bin. It must, therefore, have come as somewhat of a relief to the organizers of the Costa Rican leg of Depeche Mode's world tour to receive a fairly sensible request list from the '80s electro-pop group.

With the band wanting nothing more outlandish than a couple of British newspapers, two tables with dark tablecloths and some wooden hangers for their clothes, it is reassuring to know that they will be here for the music and the music alone.

Regarded as one of the most successful and influential bands to have emerged from the '80s, Depeche Mode will play Oct. 8 at the racetrack in La Guácima de Alajuela, northwest of San José, before heading down to South America to finish the Latin American leg of its worldwide tour.

One of the first acts to establish a musical identity based completely around the use of synthesizers, they started life as a bouncy dance-pop four-piece, releasing the hit “Just Can't Get Enough” before gradually developing a darker, more dramatic sound – exemplified in the smash hit “Personal Jesus” – that ultimately rewarded them with more than 75 million album sales worldwide.

While the band's name may literally mean “fast fashion,” sales of its European chart-topping album “Sounds of the Universe,” released earlier this year, would suggest it is anything but.

Tickets for the concert may be purchased at select Servimás outlets, Bansbach stores, online at or by phone at 2206-7770. Prices range from ¢20,000 to ¢60,000 ($34 to $103).

Honduras this week joined Nicaragua as the second country in Central America to lose U.S. development funding from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), following a decision Wednesday by the MCC's board of directors.

The MCC's board said in a statement from Washington, D.C., “given recent events in Honduras that are inconsistent with a commitment to democratic governance, MCC will terminate two planned activities in the transportation sector totaling approximately $11 million from its Compact with Honduras.”

As a result of the meeting, MCC reported that it will also put on hold approximately $4 million of its contribution for work on a Central American road project it funds along with the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI). 

MCC said it will keep up activities already under contract and will “continue to monitor the situation in Honduras in close coordination with the State Department and other U.S. government agencies.”

“Today's board meeting is a reminder that MCC funds are earned and not automatic,” said acting CEO Darius Mans.  “Good governance and accountability are at the heart of our poverty reduction programs, and governments that are inconsistent in these areas jeopardize not only MCC funding, but also the long-term impact that good policies can have on growth in their local economies.”

In broader terms, the MCC cancelation of $11 million to Honduras is only a fraction of its $215 million, five-year compact awarded to the country in 2005. The majority of that aid has already been contracted or spent on transportation and rural development projects. The main project was the CA-5 highway, an 83 kilometer, $88 million project.

In June, the MCC cut $64 million in development aid to Nicaragua over concerns about the country's democracy following the wide allegations of electoral fraud last year.

With the suspension of aid to Honduras and Nicaragua, the MCC has prematurely ended both its programs in “low income” Latin American countries. The MCC still has programs in Colombia and El Salvador, considered “lower-middle income countries.”

Costa Rican President Oscar Arias will join the ranks of 25 other heads of state, including U.S. President Barack Obama, on Sept. 22 for a climate change summit at the United Nations in New York City, the Costa Rican representative to the United Nations confirmed Thursday.

In addition to participating in round table discussions about each country's role in climate change negotiations, the U.N. Secretariat selected Arias as one of seven heads of state to address the summit with a short speech.

Jairo Hernández, deputy permanent representative for Costa Rica to the U.N., said Arias will speak as the global leader of developing countries.

“Middle-income countries are called upon to play an important role since the main emissions problem is caused by developed countries,” Hernández said. “These emissions will have limits that will have to be accounted for by what developing countries do.”

Hernández noted that Latin America represents a large portion of the world's developing nations and Arias will fight for a global approach to solving the problem.

On his speech agenda are points such as reducing gases, reforestation, increasing energy efficiency and better agriculture practices.

Hernández said the meeting is “an important step” toward the negotiations to take place in the U.N.'s Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this December.

Arias will join President Hu Jintao of China and U.S. President Barack Obama in a nuclear arms debate Sept. 24, after the climate change summit concludes.

The dream start to 2010 World Cup qualifying is appears headed for a nightmare finish for the Costa Rican soccer team. In the past week, the Ticos fell from first to fourth place in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) region of 2010 World Cup qualifying, and with only two games remaining in the qualifying round, Costa Rica's World Cup hopes are diminishing with each game.

On Saturday night, La Sele – the nickname for the Costa Rican national team – was dismantled by Mexico, losing 3-0 on their home turf at Ricardo Saprissa Stadium. Prior to the game, Costa Rica was in first place in the CONCACAF standings with 12 points. However, wins by the U.S., Honduras and Mexico dropped Costa Rica to a tie in third place with Mexico.

Wednesday, things went from bad to worse. Much worse. The Ticos traveled to play El Salvador, which was tied for last place in the group with five points. In the 90th minute of the game, Salvadoran forward Rudis Corrales broke free and poked a left footed shot past goalkeeper Ricardo González to give El Salvador a 1-0 win. The loss, the third in a row for the Ticos, puts them in fourth place, one point behind Honduras, three behind Mexico and four behind the group leader U.S.

“It's hard to understand how the team went from being in such an exceptional position to where are now,” Costa Rican coach Rodrigo Kenton said after the game. “We had the opportunities to win 1-0 but we didn't take them and El Salvador did. We are now in a difficult situation. A very difficult situation.”

In the CONCACAF region, the top three finishers in the group qualify for the World Cup. The fourth place finisher plays a two-game, home-and-home series with the fifth place team in the CONMEBOL South American qualifying group. As of Friday, perennial world soccer power Argentina was in fifth place in the CONMEBOL group.

Though things look bleak for Costa Rica, they are far from being eliminated. The Ticos have two remaining games, one at home against last place Trinidad and Tobago on Oct. 10, and a final game in the U.S. on Oct. 14. With the top four teams still very close together, hope of finishing in the top three is not lost. But, after being outscored 8-0 in their last three matches, it's tough to think the Ticos are going to be able to stop the ship to South Africa from sinking.