The Tico Times Online Daily Page

Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, June 24, 2003

THE GOOD BOOK: Harry Potter sold off Costa Rican bookshelves in two days.
TT/Julio Lainez

NEWS FLASH!!
POSTED 4:45 p.m.

Chicago native Roy Taylor, president of The Vault Holding Firm, shot and killed himself Tuesday afternoon during a police raid on his downtown offices. Taylor, 58, was being investigated for allegedly defrauding one of his partners out of $3 million.
Read tomorrow's Tico Times Daily Page for full story.

Heroin Cartel Busted
Two Colombian men accused of heading an international heroin cartel involving Honduran deputy César Augusto Díaz were arrested yesterday for possession of drugs in their apartment in Moravia, northeast of San José, according to Costa Rican authorities.
(Click for more)

125 New Cops Take to Streets
In an effort to professionalize the country's police force, the National Police Academy yesterday graduated 125 new officers from its six-month Basic Training Course, according to a Security Ministry press release.
(Click for more)

June 24

Video Festival
"Las Torres de Babel" at 5:30 p.m. at the Contemporary Art and Design Museum, Ca. 15, Av. 3. Info: 257-7202.

Final Week for Art Show
Nina Bebout invites everyone to see her paintings, on display through June 30 at the National Gallery, Children’s Museum, Ca. 4, Av. 9. Info: 258-4929, ext. 122.

Good Night for Sax
Sonsax will delight the public tonight with a varied repertoire including music from the tropical to the classic and from jazz to rock at 9:30 p.m., at Jazz Café, San Pedro. Info: 253-8933, only 2-6 p.m. or at jazz_cafe@racsa.co.cr.

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Heroin Cartel Busted
By Tim Rogers
trogers@ticotimes.net

Rogelio Ramos
AFP/TT

Two Colombian men accused of heading an international heroin cartel involving Honduran deputy César Augusto Díaz were arrested yesterday for possession of drugs in their apartment in Moravia, northeast of San José, according to Costa Rican authorities.

Colombian nationals Armando Delgado and Arlington Vásquez, under the observation of Costa Rican Drug Control Police since last month, were reportedly seen in Moravia giving a package to the Honduran congressman last Friday, Security Minister Rogelio Ramos told The Tico Times yesterday.

Díaz was arrested later that night in southern Nicaragua, after fleeing Costa Rican border police who were ordered by Ramos to search the Honduran congressman's car. Nicaraguan police discovered seven kilograms of heroin in his car that were reportedly given to him by the Colombians in Costa Rica (TT Daily Page, June 23).

The Central American Parliament (PARLACEN) deputy left three men behind at the Peñas Blancas border crossing during his escape into Nicaragua. Two Asians were detained by Costa Rican police and released due to lack of evidence, while another Honduran suspect has been given a three-month preventive prison sentence, Ramos said.

Díaz was accused yesterday of international drug trafficking by Nicaraguan Prosecutor Francisco Villanueva, according to AFP wire reports. César González, Honduran Ambassador to Nicaragua, said yesterday that his government will request that Díaz be extradited to Honduras to face charges there.

"Díaz cannot be tried in Nicaragua because he is [provided immunity] as a deputy of PARLACEN," González said on Nicaraguan radio.

Ramos said the two Colombians entered Costa Rica last February and May. Police reportedly found 4 kilograms of heroin in their apartment.

According to the Security Minister, no other members of the heroin cartel are thought to be operating here.

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125 New Cops Take to Streets

PACHECO and Ramos hand out diplomas to new cops.
AFP/file foto

In an effort to professionalize the country's police force, the National Police Academy yesterday graduated 125 new officers from its six-month Basic Training Course, according to a Security Ministry press release.

President Abel Pacheco, Security Minister Rogelio Ramos and Police Commissioner Walter Navarro were on hand to hand out the diplomas.

Since the Academy was founded in 1995, 3,161 officers -- including 404 women -- have graduated from the program, totaling 30% of the country's police force, according to the Security Ministry.

The Basic Training Course gives officers training in citizen security, intervention techniques, crowd control, criminology, basic education, professional ethics, anti-drug tactics, first aid, self defense, police policy and tactics to respond to domestic abuse.

Currently 151 students are enrolled in the program and another 237 cadets are scheduled to enter the Academy July 1.

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'Pottermania' Sweeps L.A.

MONTEVIDEO (AFP) -- J.K. Rowling's fifth installment in her wildly popular Harry Potter series, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," is shattering book-sales records in Latin America, even though the book is still available only in English.

In Costa Rica, bookstore chain Librería Internacional reportedly sold out of its 1,000 copies of the children's book in less than 48 hours, since the book went on sale Friday night. More than 300 people showed up for the midnight "magic party" in the Librería Internacional's downtown San José store.

In Brazil, English-language bookstore chain Livraria Cultura reportedly sold out of its 3,000 copies by Sunday afternoon, while Mexican chain American Bookstore has sold 80% of its first shipment of the new 768-page Harry Potter adventure.

In Argentina and Venezuela, the bookstores reportedly underestimated the magic lure of Harry Potter, and under-ordered. Bookstore owners in Buenos Aires are already waiting for the next shipment of books, while in Venezuela -- which sold out the first day -- bookstores have already taken 300 reservations for the next shipment.

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