Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, September 24, 2002

COLONIAL CHARM: Granada, Nicaragua offers old-world appeal. Don't miss special Nicaragua supplement in Friday's TT print edition!
TT photo/ Tim Rogers

Mudslide Destroys 20 Homes in San José Neighborhood
A Sunday night mudslide caused by heavy rains last weekend destroyed 20 houses and left 100 people homeless in the southern San José neighborhood of Linda Vista, according to AFP wire reports. No one was reported killed.
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September 24

Business Seminar
International Executive Consultant Jim Davidson, who has worked for Intel, Nasa and the U.S. Defense Dept. is offering seminar today and on Oct. 1 at the Business Center, AMCHAM, 273-3379.

Spiritual Training
For those interested in finding inner peace, clarity, capacity for love and self-realization, register today to heal your life, find spiritual solutions to marital difficulties and achieve your highest goals, October 4 and 11. Info: 234-6221.

Spiritual Gathering
A day of meditation, labyrinth-walking, engaging in spiritual discussion and metting new friends. Featuring Robert Shubow, who will talk on Conquering the obstacles to love and peace. Register today for the event, which begins Sept. 29 at 11 a.m., at the Sauye Peace Centre in Birri, Heredia. Info: 234-6221.

Films For kids
Centro de Cine invites all tots to get ready for the Christopher Columbus Day with the movies "Tras la Huella de Colón" and "The Little Captain." At 10 a.m., at Sala Gómez Miravalles, Centro de Cine, Av. 9, Ca. 11, San José, 222-9329, and tomorrow at 1 p.m., at Casa de la Cultura, Limón, 256-4933.

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Northern Border Debate Continues
By Tim Rogers
Tico Times Staff

The debate over a northern border marker that was allegedly placed too far inside Costa Rican territory 100 years ago continued to stir nationalistic passions this week during a Monday afternoon round table discussion on Costa Rica-Nicaraguan border issues, hosted at the University of Costa Rica.

Determined that border marker "13-A" in the agricultural border town Mexico de Upala was erroneously placed 3.5 miles too far south in 1905, unknowing giving Nicaragua a large piece of Costa Rican territory, a group of Tico patriots is demanding that the government resolve the century-old problem and reclaim the lost land (TT, July 26).

The group's persistence has thus far succeeded in suspending a demolition order for Mexico de Upala (which the government originally claimed was illegal because it was on state-protected borderland); however, the issue of the misplaced border marker has not yet been resolved.

Ombudsman José Manuel Echandi this week said that the Defensoria de los Habitantes is currently studying the border problem and will make recommendations at an unspecified future date. The Attorney General's Office, meanwhile, remains divided on the legal issue.

According to Mexico de Upala native and activist Dr. Augusto Rodríguez, he has convinced several of the government attorneys that the border is wrong, but others maintain that the disputed marker is not in violation of the border specifications spelled out in the 1858 Cañas-Jerez Treaty.

Rodríguez continues to blast the Costa Rican government for diverting attention away from the allegedly misplaced marker by creating other border squabbles with Nicaragua.

"The government is focusing on the Rio San Juan and maritime territories where no one lives," he said yesterday. "Meanwhile, the people of Mexico de Upala were ordered off their land without being offered any form of government compensation."

Rodríguez and a group of people determined to fix the border problem - including former President Rodrígo Carazo - presented the Ministry of Justice several weeks ago with a large file of paperwork supporting their claims.

However, the government has not yet made an official ruling on the alleged misplaced border marker.

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C.R. to Host Central American Summit

Presidents and government leaders from all seven Central American countries will meet here Thursday to discuss the isthmus's recent famine, corruption, forming a regional power grid, reforming the Central American Integration Bank and drafting a free-trade agree with the U.S.

The meeting, which is extraordinary session of the Central American Integration System (SICA), will be attended by President Abel Pacheco, Salvadoran President Franciso Flores, Nicaraguan President Enrique Bolaños, Honduran President Ricardo Maduro, Guatemalan Vice-President Juan Francisco Reyes, Belizean Vice-Prime Minister John Briceño and Panamanian Second-Vice-President Dominador Kaiser Bazán, according to a casa presidencial press release.

Costa Rica has been criticized by its Central American neighbors for undermining SICA by preventing political integration among the member countries, arguing that wide development gaps between the countries would make it unfeasible.

However, President Pacheco has stuck to his guns, claiming that political integration will not be on the agenda Thursday.

"There are situations on which it is absurd to act on alone," Pacheco said. "[For example] trying to prevent dengue [in one Central American country] does not work if neighboring countries don't do the same.

"It is important to talk about integration in this sense, but I will not talk about political integration," he stressed.

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Mudslide Destroys 20 Homes in San José Neighborhood

A Sunday night mudslide caused by heavy rains last weekend destroyed 20 houses and left 100 people homeless in the southern San José neighborhood of Linda Vista, according to AFP wire reports. No one was reported killed.

The National Emergency Commission reportedly warned residents of the impoverished neighborhood that they were living in a high-risk area, but the community did not leave.

The evacuated people have been moved to temporary shelters, where they are receiving government aid.
Sunday night's mudslide was the second in less than one month. An Aug. 31 mudslide in the Atlantic-slope community of Orosí destroyed 13 homes and buried seven people in 50 feet of mud (TT, Sept. 6).

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