The Tico Times Online Daily Page

Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, March 19, 2003

THERE'S STILL SOME TIME LEFT. Foreign Minister Roberto Tovar is optimistic an alternative to a war in Iraq migght surface within the next 48 hours.
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Tico Times/AFP

Tovar: There's Still a Chance For Peace
Foreign Minister Roberto Tovar yesterday responded to the speech given Monday night by U.S. President George W. Bush, in which he issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Iraqi President Sadam Hussein to leave the country or face an invasion by U.S. troops. Tovar insisted that hope for peace must not be lost, and remains optimistic that a major breakthrough in the peace process could take place.
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Women's Affairs Minister to Give Petitions
to Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico Today
Women's Affairs Minister Esmeralda Britton is in Mexico today to meet with Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico and Central America Adenike Ebun Oyagbola. Britton will give Oyagbola a petition signed by more than 120,000 Costa Ricans urging the Northern Nigeria's Sharia Court 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.
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Direct Flights to C.R. from Spain, Germany
And Trinidad and Tobago Begin This Year
Tourism Minister Rubén Pacheco Tuesday announced a series of new flights to Costa Rica from Spain, Germany and Trinidad and Tobago which are likely to increase the number of tourists visiting the country by as many as 400,000 in 2004.
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March 19

Jazz Quartet in Concert
Tonight at 8 p.m. at the National Auditorium at the Children`s Museum, Ca.
4, Av. 9. Info: 256-3360, 222-7647.

Whiffenpoofs from Yale University in Concert
Good music lovers shouldn?t dare to miss today?s performance at 5:30 p.m.
at five-star Villa Caletas Hotel, 3 km. after Punta Leona, Puntarenas. Info:
637-0505, 257-3653.

Rock Concert
Suite Doble will once again delight its fans and the general public with
a presentation at 9 p.m., at Jazz Café, San Pedro. Info: 290-5818, 253-8933.

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Tovar: There's Still a Chance For Peace
By Fabián Borges
Tico Times Staff

Foreign Minister Roberto Tovar yesterday responded to the speech given Monday night by U.S. President George W. Bush, in which he issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Iraqi President Sadam Hussein to leave the country or face an invasion by U.S. troops. Tovar insisted that hope for peace must not be lost, and remains optimistic that a major breakthrough in the peace process could take place.

"In response to President Bush's speech, we as Costa Ricans continue to believe there's time left for peace. We hope the imminent threat of war does not become a reality," Tovar explained. "We believe there's still time left for peace."

"The next 48 hours don't only have to be a time of preparation for war," he added. "The threat of war could provide the peace process with a much-needed push."

The pressure that will be placed on the regime of Sadam Hussein during the next 48 hours could have two positive effects. First, there's a possibility the United Nations (UN) Security Council will make one last effort to find a diplomatic solution to war - exactly what Costa Rica has argued in favor of in recent months, he explained.

The second possibility is that the threat of war might cause the Iraqi government to agree to comply with previous UN resolutions -- fully opening itself to weapons inspectors and handing-over any weapons of mass destruction it may have.

"Costa Rica is in favor of waiting another 48 hours for peace," Tovar told reporters. "Costa Rica is in favor of peace, does not want war, and has not lost hope that peaceful resolution to this conflict is possible."

Tovar repeatedly dodged questions by reporters asking what Costa Rica's official position on the war would be if it took place. He reiterated that Costa Rica backs the UN resolutions ordering Iraq to disarm itself and grant weapons inspectors full access to whatever facilities they wish to inspect.

"Had Iraq initially complied with the resolutions, we wouldn't be in this situation," he explained.

However, he refused to explicitly address whether Iraq's failure to comply with the resolutions during the next 48 hours would be reason enough to merit an all-out war, or whether the Costa Rican government would approve of the war under those circumstances.

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Women's Affairs Minister to Give Petitions
to Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico Today
By Fabián Borges
Tico Times Staff

Women's Affairs Minister Esmeralda Britton is in Mexico today to meet with Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico and Central America Adenike Ebun Oyagbola. Britton will give Oyagbola a petition signed by more than 120,000 Costa Ricans urging the Northern Nigeria's Sharia Court 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.

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.

President Abel Pacheco and Britton have sent numerous letters to top Nigerian officials requesting Lawal be pardoned. In October, Pacheco offered Lawal and her baby daughter asylum in Costa Rica. The signature campaign was announced on Feb. 27 as a last diplomatic effort to save Lawal's life. (TT Daily Page, Oct 16, Feb 28, March 5, 2002).

"Our goal is for the petitions to touch the souls and the hearts of the members of the Sharia High Court in Northern Nigeria," Foreign Minister Roberto Tovar explained.

"Hopefully, they will base themselves on mercy, forgiveness and compassion -- principles shared by both Christians and Muslims -- and will pardon her, sparing her three children from being left without a mother."

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Direct Flights to C.R. from Spain, Germany
And Trinidad and Tobago Begin This Year
By Fabián Borges
Tico Times Staff

Tourism Minister Rubén Pacheco Tuesday announced a series of new flights to Costa Rica from Spain, Germany and Trinidad and Tobago which are likely to increase the number of tourists visiting the country by as many as 400,000 in 2004.

As of May 3, Spanish Airline Iberia, which currently offers daily service from Madrid to San José via Miami, will add an additional six flights a week -- doubling the frequency with which the airline travels to Costa Rica from Spain.

On Jan. 4, 2004, Iberia will begin offering direct non-stop flights from Madrid to San José, increasing the number of plane seats to Costa Rica available each week by 1,000.

"Also, BWIA (British West Indias Airways) of Trinidad and Tobago, which has direct flights from the capital city of Port of Spain to the English cities of London and Manchester, will begin flying into the country on April 10," he explained.

German airline Condor will begin will begin offering direct flights from Frankfort on Nov. 2 and negotiations are under way with two Italian airlines that could offer direct service from Milan.

"This allows us to tap into an alternate tourism market that, combined with the 21 flights that arrive from North America each week, will allow us to increase the number of passengers that arrive in the country in 2004 by as much as 400,000," Pacheco explained. "This is a wonderful development opportunity for our country's tourism sector."

Pacheco believes branching out to Europe to be the right thing to do, given the current international situation.

"We're expanding our possibility of attracting European tourists," he added. "It's possible there will be a drop in the number of tourists from U.S. in the coming months."

"However, the current international situation offers great opportunities for Costa Rica and other countries that offer peace and security," he explained. "These elements will prove attractive to tourists from both Europe and North America."

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C.R. Grants Venezuelan Union
Leader Territorial Asylum

The Foreign Ministry on Monday granted territorial asylum to Carlos Ortega, the Venezuelan union leader who last month started the 63-day general strike against the government of Hugo Chavez. As a result of the decision, he will be able to flee his home country, where he is a wanted man, and seek refuge in Costa Rica.

Considered a fugitive from Venezuelan law, Ortega has been inside the Costa Rican Embassy since last Thursday, when he went in claiming that his life was in danger. He was granted political asylum on Friday, but it remained unclear whether he has requested territorial asylum in Costa Rica. (TT Daily Page, Mar. 17)

"In accordance to the country's tradition of granting asylum for humanitarian reasons, the government has granted territorial asylum to Mr. Carlos Alfonso Ortega," Foreign Minister Roberto Tovar announced in a press release.

The government of President Hugo Chávez has been informed of the measure and is being asked to allow him to safely leave the country, the press release stated.

On Monday, Costa Rican Ambassador in Caracas Ricardo Lizano informed the press that Ortega had requested territorial asylum in Costa Rica shortly after entering the embassy on Thursday.

"When he (Ortega) first spoke to us, he requested territorial asylum," the Ambassador explained. "I am not aware of any type of request issued since then."

Ortega has been on the run from Venezuelan justice officials since the middle of February, when he was charged with five counts of organizing an illegal work stoppage.

-AFP

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