The Tico Times Online Daily Page

Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, October 8, 2003

MISPLACED PROTEST: A dozen protestors gathered in the viewing room of the Legislative Assembly yesterday to demonstrate against the project to establish a U.S. International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in Costa Rica. Protestors were expecting the ILEA project to enter the first round of Congressional debate yesterday, but the project is still in Commission. Pictured is Foreign Trade Minister Alberto Trejos who was discussing the role that ICE will play in the free-trade negotiations with the U.S.
TT/Julio Lainez

C.R. Slips to New Low
on Corruption Index
Costa Rica got its annual corruption-perception report card from Transparency International yesterday, and received a failing grade of 4.3 out of 10 for a world ranking of 50 out of 133 participating countries.
(Click for more)

New Anti-Poverty Chief Named
Labor Vice-Minister Fernando Trejos was named Executive President of the Mixed Institute for Social Aid (IMAS) yesterday, less than a day after Silvia Lara resigned from the post.
(Click for more)

Conference Against
Sexual Exploitation Held Here
Sixty legal specialists and technical experts from throughout the region met in San José yesterday for a three-day conference aimed at improving and homogenizing Central American legislation to protect children from sexual exploitation, and punishing those responsible.
(Click for more)

October 8

The incredible Wild-Card BOSTON RED SOX battle the New York Yankees in Game One of the ALCS, tonight at 6 p.m. Costa Rica time on FOX TV.

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C.R. Slips to New Low on Corruption Index
By Jamie McEvoy
Tico Times Staff

Donate Blood to Help Save a Life

Gisela Baardse, business manager of Humboldt School, is in critical condition and in need of Type O Negative blood. We invite people who has blood type O NEGATIVE to go to San Juan de Dios Hospital to donate blood for Gisela Baardse, or contact Stefani Glass at theGerman Embassy at 232-5533.

Costa Rica got its annual corruption-perception report card from Transparency International yesterday, and received a failing grade of 4.3 out of 10 for a world ranking of 50 out of 133 participating countries.

"The country did not pass the test," said Mario Carazo, vice-president of Transparency International Costa Rica. "In any activity judged by a grade of 1 to 10, anything under 5 is a failing grade."

Transparency International is the world's largest anti-corruption organization. Each year the organization compiles a Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which polls business leaders, academics and risk analysts about the perceived levels of government corruption and ranks countries accordingly.

In 1998, Costa Rica received its best marks ever, with a score of 5.6 and a world ranking of 27. However, the country has steadily declined in the index during the last five years. In 2001 and 2002, Costa Rica ranked 40 (score 4.5), but reached an all-time low this year at 50th place, tied with Greece and South Korea.

Among Latin American countries, Costa Rica ranked 4th behind Cuba, which entered the index for the first time this year. Chile is perceived to be the least-corrupt country in Latin America with a score of 7.4, while Paraguay is at the bottom of the list with a score of 1.6.

Carazo attributes Costa Rica's dip in the Index to campaign-finance scandals, a lack of access to public information, inadequate press freedom laws, misuse of public funds and public misapprehension about pending free-trade agreements.

Carazo claims that some government initiatives to fight corruption have been incomplete.

For example, he explained, three years ago Transparency International presented a bill aimed at preventing public employees from getting illicitly rich off their government posts. The project was approved during the first debate in plenary session, but has since been forgotten in the shuffle of bills in Congress, Carazo said.

Finland topped this year's index for the fourth straight year with a score of 9.7, and Bangladesh finished in the basement for the second straight year. The United States ranked 18 (with a score of 7.5), down from number 16 last year.

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New Anti-Poverty Chief Named
By Fabián Borges
fborges@ticotimes.net

Labor Vice-Minister Fernando Trejos was named Executive President of the Mixed Institute for Social Aid (IMAS) yesterday, less than a day after Silvia Lara resigned from the post.

In her resignation letter, Lara criticized the government for not doing enough to fight poverty. IMAS is the government institute charged with coordinating and directing the National Plan to Combat Poverty. Lara was the 18th member of President Abel Pacheco's government to leave office since May 2002 (TT Daily Page, Oct. 7)

Lara said she would continue to serve as IMAS President until Nov. 6, or until a suitable replacement was found. Pacheco wasted no time in nominating Trejos for the position.

"When dealing with a sensitive issue such as poverty, we can't afford to lose a day," Pacheco said during yesterday's weekly Cabinet meeting. "We love the poor and we hate poverty. We will not back down in the fight against poverty. I am convinced Fernando Trejos will help us in that battle."

Trejos, 46, has a degree in law from the University of Costa Rica. During the Presidency of Rafael Angel Calderón (1990-1994) he served as President of the National Production Council (CNP). In addition to his duties as Vice-Minister, he currently serves on the government's Labor Laws, Occupation Safety and Opportunities for the Elderly councils.

His top priority as IMAS President will be to create new job opportunities for underprivileged Costa Ricans, he said.

"I'm convinced the fight against poverty in this country must be accompanied by the creation of new job opportunities that will increase families' incomes," he said. "Other actions, such as improvements in health and housing, help, but don't address the root of the problem. My goal as IMAS President will be to create more and better job opportunities, particularly for single-mothers, young people, people from rural areas, and the handicapped."

Jeremías Vargas, who up until yesterday served as Director of the National Pensions Office, will now serve as Labor Vice-Minister.

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Conference Against Sexual Exploitation Held Here

Sixty legal specialists and technical experts from throughout the region met in San José yesterday for a three-day conference aimed at improving and homogenizing Central American legislation to protect children from sexual exploitation, and punishing those responsible.

The conference is being hosted by the International Labor Organization (ILO), which says its studies of sexual exploitation of children in Central America during the last three years have revealed deficiencies in the various countries' legislation protecting children.

"The ILO recognizes the necessity to support countries' development of proper legislation to sanction unscrupulous people who use children for sex," said Gerardina González, director of the ILO's Sub-regional office in San José. "With technology and organized crime continuing to develop, we have learned that it is necessary to strengthen criminal legislation to close existing gaps."

Guest of honor Vitit Muntarbhorn, the former UN advisor on child prostitution and pornography, is participating in the conference along with representatives from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and the Dominican Republic.

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