C.R. to Eliminate Colombian Visas
BOGOTA (AFP) -- Less than a year after implementing strict new visa requirements for Colombians coming to Costa Rica, Foreign Minister Roberto Tovar yesterday announced the Costa Rican government will eliminate the new visas, and substitute them with special one-year entry permits.
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Nigerian Letter Campaign
Kicks Off Women's Week
President Abel Pacheco and his ministers signed a petition yesterday urging the Nigerian High Court of Appeals to pardon Amina Lawal, the 31-year-old divorcee sentenced to death by stoning for giving birth to a child out of wedlock last year. The signature campaign was announced last Thursday as a last diplomatic effort to save Lawal's life (TT Daily Page, Feb. 28).
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C.A. Literature Celebrated
In celebration of Central America's literary contributions to the world, the XI International Congress of Central American Literature begins today, featuring 150 writers, literary critics and researchers from all over the isthmus.
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XI Central American Literature Congress

7 p.m., at the National Theater, Av. 2, Ca. 3-5. Info: 277-3919.

Health Fair
Including sports demonstration, food tasting. Runs through March 9, at Multiplaza, Escazú. Info: 253-5518.

Tango Seminar
By Oscar Salabery, from 6-8 p.m., at Kinesis Dance Academy, Alajuela. Info: 440-0852.

C.R. to Eliminate Colombian Visas

BOGOTA (AFP) -- Less than a year after implementing strict new visa requirements for Colombians coming to Costa Rica, Foreign Minister Roberto Tovar yesterday announced the Costa Rican government will eliminate the new visas, and substitute them with special one-year entry permits.

Tovar, who was in Bogota this week to meet with his Colombian counterpart Carolina Barco, made the announcement after concluding the two-day talks, which focused on the joint effort to lobby the European Commission to continue offering the two countries tariff-free exports on non-traditional products (TT Daily Page, Mar. 4).

"It doesn't make sense that Colombians have to go through all of the visa requirements month after month to enter Costa Rica," Tovar said.

The Foreign Minister said the Costa Rican government will issue the new tourist visas to Colombians through the government's Embassy in Bogota. The special travel permits will be good for "one, two or three years," depending on what the government decides, Tovar said, adding that the process needs to be streamlined.

"We are going to try to be much more flexible in the application process," he said. "We want [Colombian] businessmen, students, academics to feel comfortable [in Costa Rica]."

The short-lived Colombian visa program was implemented April 15, 2002, due to growing security concerns following the collapse of the South American peace talks.

Meanwhile, a group of Colombian refugees living here claim that they have been receiving death threats from Colombian paramilitary and guerrilla contractors whom have infiltrated Costa Rica. The government has thus far found the claims to be unmerited (TT, Feb. 7).

During its year in existence, the Colombian visa program attracted 20,000 applicants, according to government statistics. Slightly more than 8% of visa applicants were rejected.

According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, more than 7,200 Colombian refugees are currently living in Costa Rica.

Lawal with daughter Wasila AFP/TT

Nigerian Letter Campaign
Kicks Off Women's Week
By Fabián Borges
Tico Times Staff

President Abel Pacheco and his ministers signed a petition yesterday urging the Nigerian High Court of Appeals to pardon Amina Lawal, the 31-year-old divorcee sentenced to death by stoning for giving birth to a child out of wedlock last year. The signature campaign was announced last Thursday as a last diplomatic effort to save Lawal's life (TT Daily Page, Feb. 28).

Several human-rights groups, including Amnesty International, have demanded Lawal be pardoned. The Sharia High Court of Appeals in Katsina, Nigeria, is scheduled to rule on the case March 25.

Pacheco and Women's Affairs Minister Esmeralda Britton have already sent letters to top Nigerian officials requesting Lawal be pardoned. In October, Pacheco offered Lawal and her baby daughter asylum in Costa Rica (TT Daily Page, Oct. 16, 2002).

"We understand there are differences between Christian and Muslim faiths," Britton explained. "However, we're appealing to the common values shared by all religions and asking the court to show mercy, compassion and forgiveness. We're asking that they spare this woman's life and stop her baby daughter and two sons from a previous marriage from becoming orphans."

During the week leading up to the International Day of the Woman, March 8, Pacheco and Britton urged all Costa Ricans to do their part to save Lawal's life by signing copies of the petition available at each of the country's municipalities and at all public institutions.

The more people who sign the petition, the greater impact and influence it will have on Nigerian officials once it is sent on March 17, Pacheco said.

Britton also announced a series of activities that will be held this week to honor International Women's Day on Saturday. The Nigerian petition will be made available for signing at each event.

Today there will be a special screening of the film "Frida" at 9 a.m. at Cine Magaly (Ca. 23, Av. Ctrl. 1). The film will be followed by a round-table discussion featuring several influential Costa Rican women.

The recipients of this year's Angela Acuña Braun Award will be announced Friday morning at the National Women's Gallery. The award is given each year to men and women in the media who portray women free of traditional stereotypes.

A conference on the effects of Free-Trade Agreements on Women's Lives will be held Friday at 3 p.m. the auditorium of the University of Costa Rica's Social Sciences Faculty.

Citizen Action Party congresswoman Epsy Campbell, Head of the Chamber of Exporters Doris Osterflof and Costa Rican trade representative in Central America-U.S. Free-trade Agreement (CAFTA) negotiations, Anabel Gonzalez, will be among the panelists.