The Tico Times Online Daily Page

Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, July 22, 2003

On Monday, Minister of Education Manuel Antonio Bolaños announced two new Ministry programs aimed at preventing child abuse in Costa Rica.
See story.
TT Photo / AFP

Minister Announces Programs
Amidst Classmate's Tears
The tear-streaked faces of classmates and teachers of Kattia Vanessa González showed the enormous strain of their first day back to school yesterday, since learning last Thursday of Kattia disappearance and murder, allegedly at the hands of neighbor and convicted rapist and murderer Jorge Sánchez.
(Click for more)

Costa Rica and Mexico
Strengthen Their Ties
Costa Rican and Mexican delegations Friday in San José concluded their sixth bilateral cooperation agenda meeting, agreeing to strengthen the ties of friendship and cooperation between both countries.
(Click for more)

July 22

Chamber Music Recital
Free concert by teachers and students of the University of Costa Rica's School of Music at 7 p.m., room 107 at the school. Info: 207-4271.

Postal Art Exhibit on Immigrants Rights
By artists from Europe, Asia, America who will show envelopes, stamps, handwriting, etc., through July 24, Museo Filatélico, Ca. 2, Av. 1/3, 2nd floor of central post office. Info: 253-1901, 326.

Shooting Nature
Register today to the class on Learning How to Take Photos of Nature with experts of the Organization for Tropical Studies (OET). The class is open to people of all ages and occupations. The group will leave Fri., July 25 at 6:30 a.m. and return July 27, 8 p.m. Info: 236-1713.

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Minister Announces Programs
Amidst Classmate's Tears
By Amanda Schoenberg
Tico Times Staff
aschoenberg@ticotimes.net

The tear-streaked faces of classmates and teachers of Kattia Vanessa González showed the enormous strain of their first day back to school yesterday, since learning last Thursday of Kattia disappearance and murder, allegedly at the hands of neighbor and convicted rapist and murderer Jorge Sánchez (TT July 11, 18).

On Monday, Minister of Education Manuel Antonio Bolaños visited the José María Castro Madriz elementary school in Barrio Córdoba, in the south east suburb of Zapote, where Kattia had been a student, to announce two new Ministry programs aimed at preventing child abuse in Costa Rica.

Despite the presence of children, Bolaños spoke with fervor to press and teachers gathered, inciting teachers to analyze potential abusive behaviors of friends, families, other educators and administrators, as part of a "Pro-action" program.

The program aims to further educate students within the classroom setting about abuse, as well as create training programs for parents and teachers to prevent and acknowledge the issue. Under the plan, teachers will incorporate sensitive information on abuse on a daily basis within their curriculum, and organize weekly activities focusing on issues such as peace, non-violence and sexual values. Educators also received a 14-point list of characteristics of potential abusers.

"We want educators to commit not only to students' education, but to their overall stability," said Bolaños.

The "Pro-complaint" program will strengthen the complaint-filing process, as well as establish networks within and among schools and the community. Bolaños also established an institutional commission for each school or school zone, which will be responsible for filing complaints and planning follow-up actions to possible abuse cases.

Bolaños said child abuse educational programs already exist, but have not been effective enough. He said the members of the institutional committees will report back directly to the Minister, with an initial progress report to be released Sept. 1.

Bolaños also announced the creation of a ¢17 million gymnasium in the Castro Madriz school in honor of Kattia.

Educational psychologist Karina Picado visited teacher María Leandra Espinoza's classroom Monday to work with the children. Although many began the day teary and confused, Picado played games and held up drawings which soon had the children hugging and comforting one another.

The special session was planned only for the first day back after the July vacation, but teachers will monitor class progress and notify Picado if further individual or group counseling is necessary.

English teacher Cecilia María Calvo called Kattia a sensitive girl who "needed a lot of love."

Calvo said teachers at the school already incorporate information on verbal and physical aggression and abuse into their lessons, and questioned the redundancy of adding new programs.

A distraught Espinoza, who will also receive psychological help from the Ministry of Education, said the children are often unable to identify risky adult behaviors. She said the best solution will be to talk to them daily about potential dangers, without frightening them further.

"They are all very scared, but they also have to be made to feel safe," said Espinoza, who was notified at home about Kattia's disappearance almost two weeks ago.

Kattia's mother Olga Juárez spoke to the children, urging them not to talk to strangers and warning them of the dangers of trusting adults who promise them gifts. Sánchez reportedly promised Kattia a rabbit to entice her into this home.

"There is a little girl in heaven, and her name is Kattia," said Juárez. "These are difficult moments, but we have to be strong."

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Costa Rica and Mexico
Strengthen Their Ties
By Fabián Borges
fborges@ticotimes.net

Costa Rican and Mexican delegations Friday in San José concluded their sixth bilateral cooperation agenda meeting, agreeing to strengthen the ties of friendship and cooperation between both countries.

During the three-day meeting, six special commissions discussed a wide range of cooperation initiatives pertaining to political and diplomatic relations, commercial and financial reforms, scientific and technological assistance, and joint initiatives to fight drug-trafficking and drug-addiction.

Both delegations agreed on the importance of improving diplomatic relations between Central America and Mexico by opening a network of joint Central American consulates throughout Mexico. As a first step towards accomplishing this goal, Mexico offered funds to open a regional consulate in the southern province of Veracruz.

The participants committed themselves to moving forward with Mexican President Vicente Fox's controversial Plan Puebla-Panamá regional integration initiative, which seeks to connect the region's road networks, electrical systems and telecommunications services.

Issues such as drug and illegal weapons trafficking, terrorism, corruption, environmental protection, regional migration, and the fight against delinquency and poverty were also discussed.

The Economic, Financial and Commercial Affairs Commission evaluated the results of the first eight years of the Free-Trade Agreement between Costa Rica and Mexico as well as potential export and investment opportunities that will open up for both countries as tariff-barriers are further reduced during in the coming years.

"The treaty's results have been overwhelmingly positive," Acting Foreign Minister Marco Vinicio Vargas announced. "Over the last eight years, Costa Rican exports to Mexico have increased 512%, while imports from Mexico have increased 222%."

During 2002, Costa Rica's trade deficit with Mexico dropped significantly as exports grew to $115 million and imports dropped 3.4% to $369 million, he said.

"Investment between both countries has also increased significantly," he added. "Mexican investment in Costa Rica between 1995 and 2002 totaled $321.6 million, making Mexico the country's second largest source of direct foreign investment. To keep investment increasing, the delegations agreed on the need to implement measures that will guarantee greater security for investments between both countries."

Both delegations agreed on the need for officials from both countries to begin exchanging fiscal information to eliminate the possibility that a company may pay income taxes in both countries.

The economic cooperation initiatives included an economic assistance, specialized training and support package for Costa Rican small and medium business interested starting to export to Mexico.

"The Mexican market has a demand for many of the products that small Costa Rican companies offer," María de Lourdes Dieck, Assistant Secretary of Foreign Relations explained. "It's a matter of connecting producers and buyers. The assistance will help do just that."

The Scientific and Technical Cooperation and Education and Cultural Exchange Commissions approved 71 cooperation initiatives. Costa Rica agreed to increase the number of scholarships it offers Mexican students.

Both countries agreed to improve communication and increase information sharing between their respective police forces to combat money laundering and the trafficking of drugs, weapons and people.

"We have come to the end of a very successful dialogue," Dieck told reporters. "Bilateral relations between Mexico and Costa Rica are in the middle of a process of consolidation. We have expanded our cooperation relations en route to a shared destiny of peace, democracy and political, economic, social, and cultural development."

These issues will be taken up again when President Abel Pacheco travels to Mexico on an official state visit at the end of this year or at the beginning of next year.

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Public Sector Unions Order
Work Stoppage for Today

Several public sector unions are organizing a work stoppage today to protest the 3.5% salary increase the government approved last week for all public employees, which is below the 4.34% inflation registered during the first half of the year.

"The stoppage pretends to express our disdain for the 3.5% salary increase that was approved for all public employees," Albino Vargas, Secretary General of the National Association of Public and Private Employees (ANEP) explained. "This is the first time in nearly five administrations that a public-sector raise was approved without the approval of the public-sector salaries commission. The decision was completely unilateral."

Vargas believes the salary hike should "as a minimum" be 6.46%, given the first semester's inflation and the recently approved increase in electricity rates.

He announced workers at various hospitals, the Costa Rican Electricity and Telecom Institute (ICE), various ministries and public institutions would participate in the strike, to force the government to "revise" its decision.

The National Educators' Association (ANDE) has pronounced itself in favor of the work stoppage, but has chosen not to participate to avoid further jeopardizing teachers' year-end bonuses. Gilda González, President of the National Secondary School Educators' Association (APSE) was not aware of the stoppage.

-AFP

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