The Tico Times Online Daily Page

Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, February 10, 2003

EAT UP: Poachers threaten Costa Rica's Caiman population.
TT/Tim Rogers

February 10

Salvation Army’s Valentine Lunch
Tues., Feb. 11, 11:30 a.m., Hotel Villa Tournón, Barrio Tournón. Benefits will be used to finance the rehabilitation programs for alcoholic and drug addicted teens. Donations are welcome at Banco Nacional de Costa Rica account #170366-9. To register for lunch or for more information on the club, contact Shirley Amack, 235-7292.

San Carlos Fair
Including, concert, food, rodeo competitions, Feb. 7-17, in La Fortuna, San Carlos. Info: 479-8078.

Puntarenas Fiestas
Mon., Feb. 10, 9 a.m., Art Exhibit, 8:30 Kareoke Contest; Tues., Feb. 11, 8:30 p.m., Karahoke Contest; Wed., Feb. 12, 4 p.m., Comparsa Parade; Thurs., Feb. 13, 8 p.m., Open Air Dancing Night; Fri., Feb. 14, 8 p.m., Concert by Marfil, 9 p.m., La Makina Concert; Sat., Feb. 15, noon, Cumbia Concert, 4 p.m., Carnival.

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Debate Heats Over Pregnant Girl

The debate over the wellbeing of the 9-year-old pregnant girl under observation in San José's Hospital Mexico heated up last Friday, as doctors reaffirmed the young mother-to-be will not be able to have an abortion under Costa Rican law.

The daughter of Nicaraguan coffee pickers, the girl -- dubbed "Rosa" by doctors to protect her identity -- is 12-weeks pregnant following an alleged rape by a 20-year-old campesino in the Caribbean-slope community of Turrialba (TT Daily Page, Feb. 3).

"The law prohibits abortion, and it wouldn't be prudent in this case," explained pediatrician Henry Troper.

The Costa Rican Episcopal Conference recently issued a press release on the matter, claiming: "You cannot kill a baby, even if it is to save the life of the mother."

Psychiatrists working with Rosa say the young girl is not aware what happened to her, and warn that she could be traumatized as a result of her young pregnancy.

"She doesn't understand what happened or is happening to her body," explained Eliseo Vargas, President of the Costa Rican Social Security System (Caja). "She is going to need special psychiatric attention in coming months."

Rosa's parents claim they want to take their daughter back to Nicaragua following the amount of press coverage the story has gotten here, and the Nicaraguan Network of Women against Violence has reportedly denounced Costa Rican authorities for detaining the young girl for immigration reasons.

There is also growing doubt about the supposed rape. Rosa's parents have insisted that "no one is to blame" for their daughter's pregnancy, and the alleged rape suspect has claimed his innocence and asked for DNA tests to prove it.

While hundreds of Costa Rican women travel to Miami each year to have abortions, some 30 girls under the age of 13 and more than 500 teenagers under 17 give birth annually, according to the Caja.
-AFP

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C.A. Presidents to Discuss Colombia

Presidents of the six Central American countries will meet tomorrow with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe in Panama City to discuss the escalating violence in Colombia and its affects on Central America, reported AFP.

Panama, which shares an extensive jungle border with Colombia, has thousands of elite police officers patrolling the frontier to prevent the incursion of paramilitary and guerrilla forces as well as drug traffickers.

Three weeks ago, a group of 50 paramilitary fighters crossed into the Panamanian border towns Paya, Púcuro and Boca de Cupe, burning homes and killing four indigenous leaders.

A group of Colombian refugees here in Costa Rica also claims paramilitary and guerrilla agents from Colombia have infiltrated Costa Rica. Tico authorities, however, claim there is no evidence to support the claim (TT, Feb. 7).

To help control the civil war from spilling north over its frontier, the Colombian government two weeks ago opened 45 new police posts along the Panamanian border.

Tomorrow's Presidents' meeting will focus on security issues as well as anti-weapons and drug trafficking efforts.

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Difficulty Controlling Caiman
Poaching In Northern Border

The recent slaughter of more than 100 caiman crocodiles in a protected area near the northern border town of Upala has demonstrated to local environment officials in Nicaragua and Costa Rica the extent of the uphill battle they are facing in their efforts protect the endangered species from poachers.

Officials in both countries admit that the lack of personnel and insufficient funding makes it practically impossible to crack down on the underground and extremely profitable caiman-skin trade (TT Daily Page, Jan. 22).

Poachers are currently the biggest threat to the survival of caimans and have caused the crocodile population in the wetlands south of Lake Nicaragua to become virtually extinct, prompting the illegal hunters to cross into Costa Rica.

Poachers enter the country through the Caño Negro River and then smuggle the caiman skins into Nicaragua hidden in fishing boats passing through the port of San Carlos, reported the daily La Nación. The caimans are then taken to the Nicaraguan cities of Granada and Masaya, where artisans use them to make shoes, wallets, belts, and other items.

Costa Rica cracked down on the illegal trade here by prohibiting the sale and export of articles made from endangered species.

Environment Ministry officials from both countries admit it's difficult to stop the poachers.

Nicaragua only has four park rangers patrolling the entire borderland protected area. The situation is not much better in Costa Rica, where each ranger is responsible for patrolling 60,000 hectares.

"None of the three vehicles we have works, and we don't even have a boat to patrol the river," said Randall Herrera, head of the Environment Ministry's (MINAE) Upala office. "We have to ask the local police for help to conduct investigations."

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