Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, January 15,  2003

PACHECO TO THE RESCUE: President announces EU lobby effort. photo/AFP

C.R. Lobbies EU to Maintain Trade Privileges
President Abel Pacheco and acting Chancellor Marco Vinicio Vargas announced yesterday the government is launching a diplomatic initiative aimed at convincing leaders of the European Union (EU) to reject a proposal to impose tariffs on non-traditional Tico exports, such as fruits, flowers and ornamental plants.
(Click for more)

Human Rights Watch Releases Annual Report
Costa Rica got almost no mention in this year's annual Human Rights Watch Report, which was released yesterday and gave a blistering review of rights abuses by the United States.
(Click for more)

Pacheco Calls for ICE Budget Cuts
President Abel Pacheco yesterday proposed a $142 million budget cut in 2003 for the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE).
Click for more).

Music Classes for Kids
Academia de Música Bach offers classes on violin, viola, cello, piano, flaute, guitar, voice techniques and music appreciation for kids 2-5. The school is 100 m. east, 15 m. north of San Pedro Church. Info: 281-2332.

Horse Riding Classes
For children, minimum age 5. Registration is Jan. 17-24 at Centro Ecuestre del Sol, Santa Ana. Info: 203-1380, 282-1070.

Palmares Fiestas
Don’t miss them! Thurs., Jan. 16, noon, Tope (horse parade); Fri., Jan. 17, 6 p.m., Festival de Cumbias; 7 p.m., Bull Fights; Fri., Jan. 18, 9 a.m., Mountain Bike VIII Tournament; 7 p.m., XI Ranchero Festival; Sun., Jan. 19, noon, International Concert by Dominican Pedro Conga, Timbaleo and Brillanticos; 5 p.m., Bull Fights; Mon., Jan. 20, 7 p.m., Bull Fights; Tues., Jan. 21, 4 p.m., VII Children Festival; Wed., Jan. 22, 6:30 p.m., Cheerleaders; Thurs., Jan. 23, 7 p.m., I Horse Exhibit; Fri., Jan. 24, 5:30 p.m., Carnival; Sat., Jan. 25, 9 a.m., Basketball Championship; 3 p.m., VI Long Dinstance Race (13.5 km.), 6 p.m., Bull Fights; Sun., Jan. 26, noon, International Concert, Huey Dumbar, Magic One and Charly Cruz; 4 p.m., Riding Horse and bull Championship.

C.R. Lobbies EU to Maintain Trade Privileges
By Fabián Borges
Tico Times Staff

President Abel Pacheco and acting Chancellor Marco Vinicio Vargas announced yesterday the government is launching a diplomatic initiative aimed at convincing leaders of the European Union (EU) to reject a proposal to impose tariffs on non-traditional Tico exports, such as fruits, flowers and ornamental plants.

To aid developing nations and help increase their exports, the EU applies a Generalized System of Preference (GSP) policy, which allows them to enter Europe free of tariffs.

The products on each exporting country's GSP list are evaluated every two years to see if they still meet the requirements for tax exemptions. If exports reach a certain volume, the product "graduates" from the program and becomes subject to regular tariffs.

New tariffs of 10 - 20% on non-traditional exports -- such as pineapples, melons, flowers, ferns, and other plants -- are likely to raise market prices, making the Tico exports less competitive with products from other countries.

"It's important to take into account the social impact that the new tariffs could have," Vargas explained. "We're talking about products that generate nearly $400 million in annual export revenues, and employ nearly 35,000 people."

Pacheco sent a letter Monday to EU leaders, urging them to reject the tariff proposal. Costa Rican ambassadors to EU member countries presented the letters directly to the respective heads of state.

"The companies that would be affected by the measure are located mostly in areas with lower social indicators than the rest of the country; among them the province of Limón, which, in recent years, has suffered from several natural disasters," Pacheco wrote in the letter.

"These products have replaced traditional export crops such as coffee, which in recent years have suffered from low prices and lack of demand. These products employ a great number of people, mostly women and Nicaraguan immigrants."

In the coming days, Costa Rican diplomat José Joaquín Chaverri will travel to Portugal, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, and Denmark and Ambassador to Germany Bernd Niehaus will travel to Austria to try to garner support. Foreign Commerce Minister Alberto Trejos will travel later in the week to Greece, Belgium, Netherlands, and Spain to do the same.

Pacheco spoke with Spanish President José María Aznar, who promised to do everything in his power to help Costa Rica. Pacheco also talked to former Costa Rican Presidents Oscar Arias (1986-1990) and Miguel Angel Rodríguez (1998-2002), asking them to use their contacts and influence to convince European leaders to reject the tariffs. The country has also requested help from Nicaraguan and Colombian diplomats.

"It's unfair, as soon as the bird begins to fly out of the nest, they clip its wings," Pacheco told reporters. "You can't help countries overcome underdevelopment by punishing them when they begin to succeed. Costa Rica has worked hard to make a name for itself in European markets while protecting the environment, respecting social and labor laws and honoring international agreements."

The European Parliament will vote in the coming weeks for the third time on the measure to remove the export privileges. The measure was rejected during the first two votes.

Human Rights Watch Releases Annual Report

Costa Rica got almost no mention in this year's annual Human Rights Watch Report, which was released yesterday and gave a blistering review of rights abuses by the United States.

The 558-page report, highlighting the rights condition in 58 countries -- including 11 in the Americas -- noted that global support for the war on terrorism is diminishing, partly because the United States too often neglects human rights in its conduct of the war.

"The United States is far from the worst human-rights abuser. But Washington has so much power today that when it flouts human-rights standards, it damages the human-rights cause worldwide," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch.

Internationally, the report stated, the war against terror has provided an excuse for other Western countries to slacken their support for human rights.

Of the Latin American countries, the report painted a grim picture of rights problems in Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, Haiti, Cuba and Guatemala.

Costa Rica, which prides itself on its strong rights record, received almost no mention, for good or bad.

The report can be found at www.hrw.org

Pacheco Calls for ICE Budget Cuts

President Abel Pacheco yesterday proposed a $142 million budget cut in 2003 for the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE).

As part of his austerity measures, Pacheco said he wants ICE to cut out the $143 million of "superfluous money" the autonomous institution currently has budgeted for this year for "executive travel and entertainment."

ICE executives, meanwhile, deny charges of superfluous money, and claim that reducing the state institute's budget this year will hamper current projects and result in massive layoffs.
-AFP
Read Friday's TT print edition for more on ICE