Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, August 15,  2003

Police Confiscate Mortars in San José
Responding to an early morning 911 call, police in downtown San José yesterday confiscated two M-60 mortars that were reportedly found in a parking lot between Avenidas 22 and 24, according to a Security Ministry press release.
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Mothers Day Concert
Three popular ballad singers from Latin America, Marco Antonio Solís, Pablo Montero, and Marco Antonio Muñiz are serenading mothers tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the Ricardo Saprissa soccer stadium in Tibás. The tickets are sold at Más X Menos supermarkets. Info: 243-7100 ex. 105, 154

Flamingo Art Festival
Organized by Stephanie Lombardo and Jenny Nelson this weekend. On Saturday the fiesta is 9 a.m.-7 p.m. and on Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Part of the benefits will go to the Pet Care Project. Info: 654-4195, 654-4672.

Any Friend of Percy D’Angelino
The Little Theatre Group presents this hilarious play by J. Milligan, a stranger claiming to be a friend of a friend mysteriously shows up, Sat., Aug., 16, 7 p.m., with the Jungle Players, Si Como No Hotel, Manuel Antonio. Reservations, 643-3194.

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Colombian Woman's Death
Remains Unanswered
By Amanda Schoenberg
aschoenberg@ticotimes.net

Questions concerning the death of Colombian immigrant Alexandra Pulgarin, 26, found dead in her home in Southern San José Monday morning, remained unanswered yesterday, as police continued to rule out suspects and determine a motive for the brutal murder.

Pulgarín was killed early Monday morning by a fatal blow to the head and found nude in her home in Barrio Guell by friends who had been watching her children overnight, according to a spokesman from the Criminal Justice Office. There were no signs of forced entry, nothing was missing from her home and police found several open beer cans, suggesting that Pulgarín knew her assailant and may have had friends at her home the night of her death.

Pulgarín, who arrived in Costa Rica one and a half years ago from her native Medellín, Colombia, lived with her children, Jonathan, 11, and Juan Diego, 8, and her female partner, an English teacher who moved from the United States to live with her. Pulgarín had lived in the apartment since December; her children arrived from Colombia less than two months ago.

Homicide police were interrogating Pulgarín's friends and co-workers at the Meliá Cariari Hotel, where she worked at night in the casino. Meliá Cariari casino manager Erick Vasquez would not comment on the case.

Her former partner is one of several people under investigation. Although the sensationalist daily Diario Extra splashed the headline "Gringa killed Colombian Lover" on their front page Tuesday, police have not officially established her as a suspect.

According to a friend of the couple who preferred to remain nameless, Pulgarín ended the relationship two weeks before her murder. The friend described the relationship as a "great love affair," which ended over gossip that Pulgarín was going out with someone else.

A friend speculated that the jealous girlfriend of another woman who hoped to begin a relationship with Pulgarín and had been rejected, might have been responsible for the crime.

"She escaped Colombia because of the violence, but she found it here," said her friend.
Other possible motives for the murder, including the victim's fears about violence by Colombian paramilitary operatives remained unanswered. Although a Wednesday report in the daily Al Día mentioned this possibility, the OIJ press office said this had not yet been confirmed.

According to the Child Welfare (PANI) press office, an institutional representative delivered Pulgarín's two children to her mother in Medellín on Wednesday. Child Welfare services in Colombia will now assume responsibility for the children's welfare.

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Radio, University Negotiations
Shrouded in Silence
By Amanda Schoenberg
aschoenberg@ticotimes.net

RFPI's James Latham

After a meeting between Radio for Peace International (RFPI) and the University for Peace (UPeace) this week, both sides remained tight-lipped about discussions concerning RFPI's fate on UPeace property in Cuidad Colón, 25 kilometers west of San José.

According to the Radio for Peace Web site, (www.rfpi.org), the two peace organizations will continue meeting until Oct. 31 or until an agreement is finalized. RFPI has used the university's land rent-free since 1987, after an invitation by former Costa Rican President and UPeace founder Rodrigo Carazo.

"Neither side will release a public communication until agreement is reached or the agreed conversation period ends . . .We will bring you more information as soon as we are able to do so," stated the RFPI message.

Radio for Peace CEO James Latham said the shortwave station is looking positively at the opportunity for discussion with University authorities. He said the proposed 76-day silence was a mutual decision, albeit one requested by UPeace.

Latham claimed he could not describe the content of the meeting between the two entities, but said RFPI will remain on the property at least throughout the end of discussions. UPeace lawyers Luis Alberto Varela and Ingrid Fournier and Vice-Rector
Franz Van Haren also attended the meeting.

The University for Peace attempted to evict the station on July 21, initially padlocking gates and giving RFPI two weeks to relocate from the property. A previous eviction attempt by UPeace in April 2002, which gave RFPI 90 days to leave the property, was discontinued. (TT, July 25; Aug. 1,8).

Despite a letter from Varela stating that the eviction attempt came from a University council resolution, Sonia Picado, director of the Inter-Institutional Human Rights Court in San José, said she received information about the case at her request only two weeks ago. Until then, she had not been aware of any legal action. Picado expressed regret that the relations between the two institutions had come to this point.

Attempts by The Tico Times to contact other international members of the council were unsuccessful.

Some RFPI listeners expressed their discontent with the decision to keep communication closed on messages posted on another Web site, www.saverfpi.org.

"Since when is secrecy a vital ingredient in conflict resolution? I don't like the smell of this arrangement," listener Charlie Wilkinson wrote on the site.