Daily Edition: Vol. VIII, No. 35 - San José, Costa Rica, September 18, 2002

Residency Procedures Explained
For foreigners living in Costa Rica on tourist visas who had hoped to apply for residency here, life just got a lot more complicated.

According to Immigration Director Marco Badilla, the old practice of applying for residency in-country has been abolished, in accordance with the law. Foreigners seeking to "get legal," will now have to leave the country to do so (TT, Aug. 30).
(Click for more)

US, Central America to Begin Free-Trade Negotiations in January
SAN SALVADOR (AFP) - The U.S. and Central America expect to launch negotiations on the much-anticipated free-trade deal in January, if not sooner, a Salvadoran government official announced yesterday.
(Click for more)

Heineken Buys 25% of Costa Rican Beer Company
For a price tag of $230 million, Dutch beer giant Heineken International yesterday finalized a deal to purchase 25 percent of Costa Rican beer bottlers and distributors, Florida Ice and Farm, according to a company spokesman.

The European beer company's relationship with Florida Ice and Farm dates back 15 years, and several years ago it authorized the Costa Rican monopoly to produce Heineken beer.
(Click for more)

Former President Figueres
Making International Headlines
Former President José María Figueres (1994-1998) has been making international headlines in recent weeks, taking part in a wide-range of international conferences and summits.

Figueres was present at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa two weeks ago. He took part in a parallel summit organized by the World Conservation Union entitled "Work Institutions and Networks for the Future".
(Click for more)

September 18

Canadian Club of Costa Rica Luncheon Meeting
Don’t miss it! At noon at the Canadian-owned Restaurante Solera in San Pedro. All Canadians and friends welcome. For reservations, call Rita 249-3556 or Elsa 228-1250

Vigil for Peace in the Middle East
Including music, prayers and meditation. At 6 to 9 p.m., at Friends Peace Center, Ca. 15, Av. 6 bis, San José. Info: 233-6168.

IX International Guitar Festival
Starting today at 8 p.m., with the presentation of Spanish Jorge Cardoso and Rafael Andujar. At the National Theater, Av. 2, Ca. 3-5, San José. Info: 236-0914.

Multimedia Demonstration and Conference on the Odissi Dance
Roxana Avila and David Korish will talk and show videos and slides of this ancient Indian dance performed by the legendary Sanjukta Panigrahi, who was considered one of the best performers of this dance before her death in 1997. At 7 p.m., at the Spanish Cultural Center, Av. 13, Ca. 31. Info: 257-2919.

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Residency Procedures Explained

For foreigners living in Costa Rica on tourist visas who had hoped to apply for residency here, life just got a lot more complicated.

According to Immigration Director Marco Badilla, the old practice of applying for residency in-country has been abolished, in accordance with the law. Foreigners seeking to "get legal," will now have to leave the country to do so (TT, Aug. 30).

Meanwhile, the Association of Residents of Costa Rica and independent lawyers and paralegals who made their living helping foreign tourists apply for residency here are crying foul, and have filed a flurry of legal injunctions to try to reverse the decision.

They challenge Immigration's reversal of policy and question whether it will affect pensionados and rentistas, who traditionally play by different rules when it comes to applying for residency.
For the lawyers whose business it is to know and explain residency requirements to others, the decisions and announcements made this week by Immigration have left their heads spinning.
Yet despite the confusion and contention by foreigners and lawyers, Immigration chief Badilla insists the new residency policy is quite straightforward, and legal.

Get the whole story in Friday's TT print edition, in which Badilla explains the of newly-implemented residency procedures

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US, Central America to Begin Free-Trade Negotiations in January

SAN SALVADOR (AFP) - The U.S. and Central America expect to launch negotiations on the much-anticipated free-trade deal in January, if not sooner, a Salvadoran government official announced yesterday.

"[The U.S.] is ready to formally begin taking the steps they need to in Congress," Salvadoran Deputy Economy Minister Eduardo Ayala said Tuesday, following a meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick in Washington, D.C.

Ayala said Zoellick will meet with a Salvadoran congressional committee Thursday to inform it of the U.S. administration's intention to negotiate a free trade deal with all of Central America.

Although Costa Rica had hoped to sign a bilateral free-trade accord with the U.S., the decision to move forward with the regional trade pact is being hailed by Central American leaders.

The trade agreement is seen as precursor to the Free-Trade Area of the Americas, a hemispheric free-trade pact that is scheduled to be implemented by the end of 2005.

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Heineken Buys 25% of Costa Rican Beer Company

For a price tag of $230 million, Dutch beer giant Heineken International yesterday finalized a deal to purchase 25 percent of Costa Rican beer bottlers and distributors, Florida Ice and Farm, according to a company spokesman.

The European beer company's relationship with Florida Ice and Farm dates back 15 years, and several years ago it authorized the Costa Rican monopoly to produce Heineken beer.

Heineken also reportedly picked up an undisclosed amount of stock in the Nicaraguan beer company Cervecera Centroamericana.

Florida Ice and Farm is the company responsible for bottling and distributing Costa Rican suds such as Imperial, Pilsen, Bavaria, Heineken, Rock Ice, Kaiser, the fruit drink Tropical and Maxi Malta.
-(AFP)
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Former President Figueres
Making International Headlines

Former President José María Figueres (1994-1998) has been making international headlines in recent weeks, taking part in a wide-range of international conferences and summits.

Figueres was present at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa two weeks ago. He took part in a parallel summit organized by the World Conservation Union entitled "Work Institutions and Networks for the Future".

Last week, Figueres joined former U.S. President Bill Clinton as one of the coordinators of the 2002 World Youth Employment Summit in Alexandria, Egypt. The event's goal was to identify and develop viable employment opportunities for the world's youth.

In Alexandria, Figueres gave a series of lectures on topics such as "The Role of Information and Communication Technology in Promoting Youth Employment", "Building a Responsible Culture to Promote Social and Economic Development" and "The Private Sector's Role in Promoting Youth Employment".

Since leaving office, Figueres has worked for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

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