Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, April 21,  2003

Cuba Blasts C.R.
Following the UN Commission on Human Rights's approval of a resolution last Thursday asking Cuba to allow a UN rights investigator to visit the island and compile a human rights report, the government of Fidel Castro lashed out at Costa Rica and the other Latin American sponsors of the measure.
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45 Die During Semana Santa
Despite warnings and national campaigns to promote a safe Semana Santa (Holy Week), 45 people --12 more than last year -- died during last week's vacation festivities, according to the Red Cross.
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La Liga Loses First Quarter-Final to Mexicans
For Costa Rican soccer fans, nothing is worse than losing to Mexico. Just ask all the Ligistas.
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Health Classes For the Public
First Aids, classes Mon.-Fri., 6:30-8:45 p.m., April 28-May 9. CPR, Sat.-Sun., 9 a.m.-4 p.m., May 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 24-25. Registration starts today at Programa de Tecnología en Salud, west side of School of Modern Languages, University of Costa Rica campus. Info: 207-3385.

Quixote Reading
Call today and reserve your space to attend this reading by Amalia Chaverri, PhD in Literature and Viceminister of Culture and writer Luis Chaves, tomorrow at 2:45 p.m., at the Spanish Cultural Center, Av.13, Ca. 31. Info: 257-2919.

Cuba Blasts C.R.
By Tim Rogers
And AFP wire reports

Following the UN Commission on Human Rights's approval of a resolution last Thursday asking Cuba to allow a UN rights investigator to visit the island and compile a human rights report, the government of Fidel Castro lashed out at Costa Rica and the other Latin American sponsors of the measure.

The day after the controversial resolution passed by a vote of 24-20, the Cuban government's official daily newspaper Granma accused Costa Rica, Peru and Uruguay as being "miserable Latin American puppets," while also reprimanding Mexico, Chile and Nicaragua.

Costa Rica was one of four Latin American countries to propose the original resolution at this year's annual meeting of the 53-nation UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. The resolution was later co-sponsored by 20 additional countries.

Responding to the unfolding rights concerns last week in Cuba -- Castro's government sentenced 75 dissidents to 28 years in prison for being "U.S. mercenaries" and executed three men who attempted to hijack a ferry to the U.S. -- the Costa Rican delegation last week filed a motion to amend the original resolution.

The proposed amendment, co-sponsored by Peru and Uruguay, expressed concern about the recent arrests and called on Cuba to immediately release the jailed dissidents. Costa Rica felt the amendment was necessary because the original draft did not have any language to reflect the current situation in Cuba.

Cuba responded to the proposed new draft by claiming it too wanted to add an amendment criticizing the U.S.' 40-year-old embargo and accusing the U.S. of conducting terrorist activity on the U.S-controlled parts of the island. Cuba proposed its amendment on the day the island was celebrating the 42nd Anniversary of squelching the Bay of Pigs invasion.

After a heated last-minute debate, the human-rights panel shot down both proposed amendments; Costa Rica's amendment was rejected by 31 votes, while Cuba's was rejected by 26 votes.

Yet despite the Commission's rejection of the toughened version of the resolution, Costa Rican Foreign Minister Roberto Tovar called the approval of the original resolution is a "success," adding that the Tico proposal prompted important dialogue on the rights situation in Cuba.

"We are satisfied that we were able to raise our voice in a debate on the seriousness of what is happening in Cuba," Tovar said in a ministry press release. "Costa Rica can not remain quiet in light of the recent wave of repression suffered by hundreds of Cubans; victims of the recent jailings and summary executions."

45 Die During Semana Santa
By Tim Rogers
trogers@ticotimes.net

Despite warnings and national campaigns to promote a safe Semana Santa (Holy Week), 45 people --12 more than last year -- died during last week's vacation festivities, according to the Red Cross.

Unlike past years when highway deaths have topped the list of Semana Santa deaths, the leading cause of death this year was drownings, with 17, according to Red Cross information assistant Diego Barrannachea.

Most of the drownings -- including one of a 27-year-old U.S. citizen identified as Margot Osari -- occurred off the Pacific beaches of Puntarenas and Guanacaste.

The second leading cause of death was highway accidents, which claimed 13 lives -- including five yesterday -- as of 5:30 p.m. Easter Sunday.

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La Liga Loses First Quarter-Final to Mexicans

THE MAN EVERYONE LOVES TO HATE: Blanco breaks away from Liga defender AFP/TT

For Costa Rican soccer fans, nothing is worse than losing to Mexico. Just ask all the Ligistas.

Giving its tens of thousands of die-hard fans a bitter pill to swallow during Holy Week, Costa Rican soccer powerhouse Liga Deportiva Alajuelense -- known as "La Liga"-- lost to Mexican giant América 4-0 in last Wednesday's first half of the quarter-finals for the Concacaf's Tournament of Champions.

The Tico squad, unaccustomed to playing at the high-altitude, oxygen-deprived Aztec Stadium in Mexico City, tired quickly in the first half, and fell apart in the second half, allowing four goals in the last 40 minutes of play.

Adding insult to injury, the wildly unpopular Mexican striker Cuauhtemoc Blanco netted the final goal of the match off a penalty kick in the 88th minute of the game.

The second quarter final match between La Liga and America will be played this Wednesday in the Ticos' home field at Alejandro Morera Soto Stadium in Alajuela, 20 kilometers north of San José.
-AFP

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