Monday marks a possible end to a five-year ordeal for one of Costa Rica's leading families – a time during which a former president served a five-month prison sentence, a major political party bordered on disintegration and a trial with 150-witnesses lasted 11 months at a San José courthouse.

On Monday, former President Rafael Angel Calderón will know whether he will be absolved of corruption charges or found guilty, facing a fine of up to $89 million and 24 years in prison.

“This is a fundamental moment in Costa Rica's history,” said political analyst and former editor of the daily La Nación Eduardo Ulibarri. “While I don't want to embellish its significance, it can't be negated, either. It's been a dramatic and polarizing case, and the judges will have to present a decision.” 

Yet, the ruling goes deeper than a judgment between right and wrong. Riding on the back of the ruling are a slew of political interests – all deeply invested in one side or the other of the outcome.

For Calderón supporters, the trial strayed long ago from one aimed at finding justice and has turned into a political battlefield.

“This trial has had a high level of political content and, more than looking for the real and objective truth in the Caja-Fischel case, they've looked to hurt Calderón, as a political figure, and his party,” said Luis Fishman, president of the Social Christian Unity Party ( La Unidad ), Calderón's party (TT, July 24).

Following Calderón's arrest, Unity ceased to play a dominant political role, losing 14 seats in the Legislative Assembly in the 2006 elections.

As a result, the rival National Liberation Party added to its ranks, and smaller parties found themselves becoming a much more significant part of the political scene.

“It will be interesting to see what happens in February if Calderón gets a not guilty verdict,” said Mariela Castro, a social science professor at the University of Costa Rica.

Click here to read the full story, which was published in the Oct. 2 edition of The Tico Times.

Still in it: Czech player Jan Chramosta, in front, keeps the ball from Cost Rica's José Mena in Saturday's under-20 match in Egypt in which the Czech Republic beat Costa Rica 3-2. However, the young Ticos will still advance to the second round of the U-20 World Cup in Egypt.

Mohamed Messara | EFE

On the heels of a disappointing 3-2 loss to the Czech Republic, the Costa Rican under-20 team received good news: they were advancing to the second round of the U-20 World Cup in Egypt.

The Ticos, who finished third in Group E behind Brazil and the Czech Republic, sneaked into the final spot of the round of 16 due to goal differential. Both Costa Rica and the United States finished the first round with 3 points and a goal differential of -3. However, because the Ticos scored more goals than the U.S. – 5 to 4 – they earned the final berth into the second round.

“We really didn't think we could qualify,” said Ronald González, coach of the under-20 team, after learning the team was moving into the second round. “So I and the players are delighted to have made it through.”

The Ticos played their final first round game against the Czech Republic on Saturday evening in Alexandria, Egypt. In a see-saw match, the Costa Ricans fell behind early 1-0, then scored two goals to take a 2-1 lead early in the second half, only to allow two late goals to fall 3-2. Czech striker Jan Chramosta scored the winning goal, his second of the match, in the 86th minute.   

“We started off very strongly and should have made our domination count in the first few minutes,” González said. “We then came back into the game, but once again made things difficult for ourselves by conceding the last goal after 85 minutes.”

In their second round matchup, Costa Rica will play the host nation Egypt, in the capital city of Cairo, on Tuesday. Egypt, not known for a successful soccer tradition, won Group A. The Egyptians clinched the group with a 4-2 win over Italy in the third game of group play.   

The game will be played at 12 p.m. (C.R. time) on Tuesday in Cairo.

Three Costa Rican clinics have received certification that puts them on par with U.S. medical centers, a move that national competitiveness authorities hope will boost this country's profile as a prime destination for medical tourism.

Following a six-month review process, the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Facilities (AAAASF) has certified the private surgical and ambulatory center Clínica UNIBE, the dental clinic Dental Sonrisa Para Todos and plastic surgery specialists Cirugía Plástica Pino.

“The international accreditation of health services allows us to position ourselves among countries such as the United States, where patients are looking for certified qualified,” said Dr. Jorge Cortés, president of the Council for the International Promotion of Costa Rican Medicine (PROMED).

The vast majority of Costa Rica's medical tourists come from the United States, whose population in many cases lacks affordable health care. Many procedures here are as little as one-third the cost, or less.

Nearly 13 percent of the medical tourists who visit Costa Rica seek cosmetic surgery procedures, while another 35 percent come for dental work, according to a study by the Competitiveness Ministry. In the U.S., insurance companies are beginning to catch on, offering to chip in for travel packages to this Central American country.

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Officials from the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) unveiled Friday a hydroelectric power plant northwest of San José, which is set to generate electricity for some 12,000 households.

The El Encanto hydropower plant is located between the cantons of Puntarenas and Montes de Oro, on the banks of the Aranjuez and Veracruz river. The plant, the latest addition to the country's stock of renewable energy sources, has a capacity to generate an annual 41 million kilowatt hours.

The total cost of the project was $36 million, with financing provided by German bank KFW, according to a news release from the Costa Rican government.

“We're here today to demonstrate that our commitment to developing Costa Rica won't be just words,” said President Oscar Arias, who attended the opening of the plant. “A project whose construction began barely three years ago is being (opened) for the use of all Costa Ricans.”

Also present, Arias' brother and Presidency Minister Rodrigo Arias said the plant brings Costa Rica one step closer to energy independence. “We should be capable of reaching a national consensus in order to develop energy sovereignty, which would mean that in 20 years most of our vehicles, as well as our industrial sector, should run on non-fossil fuels,” the presidency minister said.

Hydropower presently feeds more than 80 percent of the country's electricity needs.

However, this year's dryer-than-normal rainy season has caused a decline in hydroelectric production by as much as 18 percent (TT, Sept. 25).