The Tico Times Online Daily Page

Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, March 04, 2003

THERE'S NO SEX IN VIOLENCE: Play reading in San José delivers convincing anti-war message.
TT/ Scott Brennan

Play Reminds Us to Make Love, Not War
Was this a direct appeal to First Lady of the U.S. Laura Bush?
(Click for more)

Excommunicate Me, Por Favor
As a show of solidarity with the Nicaraguans who were allegedly excommunicated from the Catholic Church for their involvement in a Feb. 20 abortion performed on nine-year-old rape victim identified as "Rosa," more than 26,000 people from around the world have signed an Internet petition asking the Catholic Church to excommunicate them too (TT, Feb. 28).
(Click for more)

C.R., Colombia Discuss Terrorism, Trade
Costa Rican Foreign Minister Roberto Tovar met yesterday with his Colombian counterpart Carolina Barco and Colombian Foreign Trade Minister Jorge Humberto Botero to coordinate the two countries' efforts to fight terrorism and develop a joint strategy to lobby the European Commission to not drop them from its preferential export program.
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March 04

Four-Week Intensive Course in Peace Journalism and Progressive Radio Media
Organized by Radio For Peace International at their studios in El Rodeo. The course includes practical production skills, independent and alternative media theory, context and practice, optional Spanish-language component and field-trips to human rights organizations in Costa Rica. For information, session dates and to reserve a place, contact info@rfpi.org or call 249-1821.

Cooking Classes
With chef Isabel Campabadal on March 4, 6, 11, 13 at 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Info: 224-5803, 384-0286.

Chamber Music
By Ekaterina Shatskava (piano), Francisco Piedra (piano), Eddie Mora (violin and viola), at 7 p.m., sala 107, School of Music, University of Costa Rica. Info: 207-4271.

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Play Reminds Us to Make Love, Not War
By Isabel deBertodano
Tico Times Staff

Was this a direct appeal to First Lady of the U.S. Laura Bush?

Readings from "Lysistrata," an ancient Greek comedy by Aristaophanes about a group of women who unite to end war by withholding sex from their husbands, took place in San José and around the world yesterday in opposition to a war in Iraq.

The play is set during the Peloponnesian War, which ended peacefully when the men decided to try diplomacy so as to win back their conjugal rights.

The play was performed in 56 countries as well as in all 50 of the United States.

In Costa Rica the reading was presented in Spanish in the Plaza de la Democracia in San José and in English in Ciudad Colón. Well-known actress Haydeé de Lev played the part of Lysistrata in the San José performance, which was attended by more than 100 people.

"I was passing by and stopped to listen," said Alicia Gómez, a resident of San José. "I thought the play was funny and I am very surprised that it is over 2000 years old. It is certainly still relevant today, although I hope that women have more than just sexual power nowadays."

Following the play, local rock group Ghandi played late into the evening.

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Teachers Announce Work Stoppage
In Protest of Salary Irregularities

Primary and secondary school teachers announced Saturday they will conduct partial work stoppages tomorrow and Thursday as an effort to pressure the Ministry of Education to resolve a series of salary problems from last month.

Claiming that thousands of teachers received only a fraction of their salaries last month due to an apparent glitch in the ministry's computer system, teachers' unions said they will teach only partial school days Wednesday and Thursday.

The announcement came just a month after teachers and Ministry resolved salary disputes surrounding the 200-day school year proposal (TT, Jan. 24, 31, Feb. 14).

"Although the situation of teachers' salaries has improved, problems still exist, and that is why we decided to adopt a series of measures to pressure the [government]," said Gilda González, president of the Secondary School Teachers Association. "The situation is serious, and the only people affected are teachers."

Union leaders warn that if the problem is not completely resolved by March 12, when the next paychecks are issued, teachers could announce a general strike.

According to the teachers' group, some 7,000 to 10,000 teachers received less than their full pay last month.

Eduardo Rojas of the National Educators' Association said the planned work stoppages are justified, because the teachers "weren't paid enough last month to support their families."

Meanwhile, teachers from the country's technical schools are planing to march on the Ministry of Education on Friday to protest the scheduled closure of the vocational institutions.
-AFP

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Excommunicate Me, Por Favor
By Tim Rogers
trogers@ticotimes.net

As a show of solidarity with the Nicaraguans who were allegedly excommunicated from the Catholic Church for their involvement in a Feb. 20 abortion performed on nine-year-old rape victim identified as "Rosa," more than 26,000 people from around the world have signed an Internet petition asking the Catholic Church to excommunicate them too (TT, Feb. 28).

With the slogan "I Too Want to be Excommunicated," a self-described "militant feminist" group in Spain called Red Feminista stared the Internet campaign last Thursday, and reportedly collected 15,000 signatures in the first day alone.

The signature campaign will reportedly be presented to the Vatican and the archbishops of Nicaragua and Spain when the organizers decide it is over.

The international outcry over the plight of Rosa continues to grow, as the young victim remains out of the public's eye in recuperation with her family.

Rosa -- a name invented by Tico doctors to protect the minor's identity -- was raped in the Costa Rican Caribbean slope town of Turrialba and taken back to Nicaragua when doctors here told the family the young girl could not have an abortion in Costa Rica (TT, Feb. 21).

The Nicaraguan Prosecutor's Office, meanwhile, announced yesterday that it would not pursue legal action against the victim's family or the doctors in the private clinic who performed the abortion, after the government investigation determined the procedure was not performed illegally, AFP reported.

For more on the excommunication campaign, check out www.redfeminista.org.

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C.R., Colombia Discuss Terrorism, Trade

Roberto Tovar
AFP/TT

Costa Rican Foreign Minister Roberto Tovar met yesterday with his Colombian counterpart Carolina Barco and Colombian Foreign Trade Minister Jorge Humberto Botero to coordinate the two countries' efforts to fight terrorism and develop a joint strategy to lobby the European Commission to not drop them from its preferential export program.

Both Costa Rica and Colombia were scheduled to "graduate" from the EU's list of "Generalized Preference System" (GSP) countries -- a program that allowed qualified developing to export non-traditional products, such as fruits, ornamental plants and flowers, tariff-free. A Costa Rican diplomatic mission to several EU member countries last month managed to break consensus on its earlier position, and postponed the decision to this week (TT, Jan. 31).

During yesterday's meeting, both Foreign Ministers reiterated their country's position that they should not be dropped from the list, and stressed the negative economic impact such a decision would have on the region.

The two governments also discussed ways to implement the Feb. 11 Declaration of Panama, an anti-terrorism declaration signed by Central America and Colombia.

"It is necessary to find ways to make this verbal declaration against terrorism a reality," said Costa Rican Ambassador to Colombia, Melvin Sáenz.

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