The Tico Times Online Daily Page

EAT UP: Chefs line up for biggest buffet in world, yesterday in the Hotel Herradura. Options thrilled food fans of all ages and belt sizes.
TT/Photo Shoshana Ora Cohen.

Show ’n Sell Newcomers Meeting
Don’t forget tomorrow's bazaar and craft fair, open to the public. From 9 a.m.-noon, Club Cubano, at Guachipelín, Escazú. Call Pat Bless 228-8726.

Puppet Show
Argentine Vivana Rovosinski presents "The Legend of Saint George and the Dragon," tomorrow and Nov. 10 and 17. At 2 p.m., in the Café Britt Theater, Barva, Heredia. Info: 260-2748.

11 Graders Bachillerato Tests Preparation
Children’s Museum today starts giving classes to prepared students for their Ministry’s tests in Spanish, Math, Science, Social Studies, English, French. At 2:30-4:30 p.m. Info: 258-4929, ext. 125.

Pacheco Asks Rodríguez for Economic Advice

In a move that has critics saying "I told you so," President Abel Pacheco this weekend asked former President Miguel Angel Rodríguez (1998-2002) to evaluate his economic team and offer advice about the country's economic situation.

The request for help came just two days after Pacheco fired outspoken Justice Minister José Miguel Villalobos -- a decision that many think was influenced by a small neoliberal party element lead by Rodríguez (TT, Nov. 1).

"I asked [Rodríguez] to sit down with me and my economic team next January to analyze Costa Rica's economy point by point," Pacheco said.

Rodríguez accepted the offer, thanked the President for the vote of confidence, and assured that he would dedicate the time necessary to go over economic policy with Pacheco's Cabinet. In the meantime, the former President urged, Congress must approve the emergency fiscal plan to guarantee the government has the income it needs to run the country.

In the long term, Rodríguez stressed, Costa Rica needs to adopt measures to ensure that the upper-middle class and wealthy "pay a much higher proportion of taxes."

The former President is considered the architect of the disastrous Combo ICE project -- a failed effort to open the Costa Rican Electricity Institute to private investment in 2000. The privatization attempt was met by two weeks of nationwide protests that paralyzed the country and forced the government to pull the plug on the project.

Since leaving office last May, Rodríguez has continued to draw heat for last-minute concessions he granted to oil, mining and prison management firms.

Lawmakers consulted last week by The Tico Times warned that Pacheco might lose credibility and popular support if he starts to align with the neoliberal leftovers from the Rodríguez administration (TT, Nov. 1).

Police Detain Murder Suspect

The Judicial Investigative Police's (OIJ) special Immediate Intervention squat team raided a home in Calle Blancos, Goicoechea, Friday morning and arrested the man authorities believe is behind last month's murders of Argentinean music teacher Daniela Castro and Canadian language teacher Bradley Michael Whipple, reported the daily La Nación.

The suspect, identified by the last name Fonseca, is thought to be the leader of a three-member gang. Police, however, were unable to locate the other two suspects.

Fonseca, 26, reportedly did prison time for other unspecified crimes before being let out less than two months ago.

"This gang is not professional criminals, but they are nevertheless very dangerous," said an OIJ investigator. "They would go out at night looking for victims to rob. They operated mostly in the areas of Calle Blancos, Guadalupe, downtown San José and Coronado."

Castro was shot to death Oct. 12 around 9 p.m. in Montes de Oca, San Pedro. According to witnesses, she was jumped by three men driving a Hyundai and was shot in the head when she refused to hand over her purse.

Whipple, a 26-year-old English teacher, was killed Oct. 22 around 1:30 a.m. during a mugging near the Plaza Heredia shopping mall in Heredia. He was reportedly shot three times after resisting multiple assailants (TT, Oct. 25).

Heredia's Soccer Goalie Found Dead

Soccer fans and those who don't follow the sport joined in mourning this weekend, following news Friday afternoon that Heredia's goalie and member of the National Soccer Team, Léster Morgan, was found dead in an apartment with one bullet wound to his head.

Morgan, 26, reportedly left five suicide letters to friends and family, explaining that he could not deal with the pressure of paying his four child-support payments, which totaled some 80 % of his salary, according to the daily La Prensa Libre. Morgan reportedly was under additional stress due to his car getting stolen and a knee injury that kept him off the soccer field.

The goalie's seven-year career in the Primer Soccer Division was plagued by injuries. Morgan's latest injury was a torn meniscus, for which he had undergone surgery last month and reportedly was upbeat about his recovery chances.

Morgan was buried Saturday in his hometown of Santa Cruz, Guanacaste.