The Tico Times Online Daily Page

Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, June 3, 2003

GOLDEN BOOT: Cartago ace Claudio Ciccia netted one goal on Sunday to finish with 41 goals on the season -- one shy of the single-season record of 42, set in 1967. He took home the "golden boot" honors after the game (TT Daily Page, May 30).
Photo by Carlos González/Al Dia

Arias Blasts ICE Strike
Former President, Nobel Peace Laureate and 2006 presidential hopeful Oscar Arias last weekend broke his long silence on the 19-day-old strike by the workers of the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE), calling the work stoppage unnecessary and urging the public employees to return to their jobs.
(Click for more)

Missing Dundee Student Found
Former Dundee Ranch Academy student Cody Crawford, a 16-year-old from Oregon, is back in the care of his mother this week, following an incredible 10-day adventure that began when he escaped from the now-closed behavior modification program May 20.
(Click for more)

All Public Teachers Now on Strike, Fischel to Resign
As all of Costa Rica's teachers' unions -- totaling 60,000 public-school educators -- announced an indefinite strike yesterday in protest of continued salary irregularities, Education Minister Astrid Fishchel reportedly will hand in her resignation today.
(Click for more)

June 3

II French Film Series
Don’t miss this festival, at Outlet Mall, San Pedro, showing today "Ma Petite Entreprise." Info: 222-2283.

Gabriel García Márquez
Check out the life of the highlighted writer through this photo exhibit, which is open until June 14 at the Castle of the Children’s Museum, Ca. 4, Av. 9. Info: 258-4929, ext. 122.

Contemporary Dance for Beginners and Intermediate
Register today and become and expert dancer. Registration end on June 13, Culture Office of the Vice-Rectory Building, U.C.R. campus. Info: 207-4271, 207-4373.

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Arias Blasts ICE Strike

Oscar Arias
AFP/TT

Former President, Nobel Peace Laureate and 2006 presidential hopeful Oscar Arias last weekend broke his long silence on the 19-day-old strike by the workers of the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE), calling the work stoppage unnecessary and urging the public employees to return to their jobs.

The ICE work stoppage began May 16 and workers promised to remain on strike until the government authorized $100 million in bonds. Although the administration of President Abel Pacheco conceded on the bond issue last week, ICE said it was going to remain on strike in protest of the government's "neoliberal polices" (TT, May 16, 23, 30; TT Daily Page, June 2).

ICE workers, joined by teachers' unions and other public-sector employees who called for a general strike yesterday, are planning a massive march on the capital tomorrow morning.

Arias acknowledged ICE's contributions to the country's development, noting that the state monopoly has "generated the respect and love of the Costa Rican people" for bringing "electricity and progress to each corner of the country."

Arias also addressed public concerns that he would attempt to privatize ICE in the event he is elected President again: The Costa Rican public does not want ICE privatized, he said, "and that's how it will be."

However, the former President added, ICE is wrong to demand a public debt increase of $100 million without specifying exactly what the money would be used for. Other public institutions, such as the Ministry of Education, cannot make such demands of the Central Government, he noted.

Arias criticized the strike as being unjustified, and called on all ICE employees to go back to work.

"All strikes are detrimental to our political maturity and are an act of violence that is justified only in extreme circumstances," Arias said in a press release. "I don't believe that such circumstances exist in this case."

Arias concluded by calling on all involved parties to return to the negotiating table with a spirit of constructiveness and tolerance, and with the idea that "neither side has a monopoly on the truth or on patriotism."

Don't miss Friday's TT print edition for complete strike coverage.

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Missing Dundee Student Found
By Tim Rogers
trogers@ticotimes.net

SAFE AND SOUND: Cody, with his sister and mother, visit yesterday with Isaac, the Costa Rican man who took the Dundee student off the streets.
TT/Julio Lainez

Former Dundee Ranch Academy student Cody Crawford, a 16-year-old from Oregon, is back in the care of his mother this week, following an incredible 10-day adventure that began when he escaped from the now-closed behavior modification program May 20.

Crawford left Dundee Ranch under the care Child Welfare (PANI) authorities during the May 20 government intervention, which sparked rioting, vandalism and the escape of 35 students (TT, May 23, 30).

Although the U.S. Embassy said all the students were accounted for two days after the breakout, Crawford -- unbeknownst to either U.S. or Costa Rican authorities -- was lost on the streets of Costa Rica with no clothes, money, food or Spanish. The PANI informed the the Judicial Investigative Police (OIJ) that Crawford was missing May 21, and police issued a missing-persons notice last Friday -- nine days later.

But Crawford did not want to be found. And if it had not been for the goodwill of a Costa Rican family who took him in off the streets, he might have been killed, his relieved mother told The Tico Times during an exclusive interview yesterday.

Don't Miss Friday's TT print edition for complete story.

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All Public Teachers Now on Strike, Fischel to Resign

As all of Costa Rica's teachers' unions -- totaling 60,000 public-school educators -- announced an indefinite strike yesterday in protest of continued salary irregularities, Education Minister Astrid Fishchel reportedly will hand in her resignation today.

Fischel expected resignation follows on the heels of last week's resignations of President Abel Pacheco's two closest advisors, Finance Minister Jorge Walter Bolaños and Presidency Minister Rina Contreras. Since the Pacheco administration took office on May 1, 2002, six of his original 20 ministers have resigned or been fired (TT Daily Page, May 28).

The new strikers are joining the two largest teachers' unions, which have been on strike since May 16 (TT, May 16,23, 30). Fischel's earlier assurance that all the payment problems would be worked out by the first June pay period, apparently was not sufficient to convince the remaining educators to continue working (TT, May 30).

"This strike is in defense of public education," said Gilda González, president of the Secondary Teachers Union.

The teachers are planning to join forces with striking ICE employees and other public-sector workers for a massive march on San José on Wednesday.

Don't miss Friday's TT print edition for complete coverage.

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