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27 Oct 2005

Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, October 23, 2003

STRIKE THREE: Panamanian pitcher Leinin Picota hurls his country to a 5-0 victory against the Nicaragua in yesterday's World Championship of Baseball quarterfinals in Cuba.
AFP/TT

Colombian 'Drug Mule'
Busted at Airport
Police at the Juan Santamaría International Airport yesterday arrested a 40-year-old Colombian man who police say was attempting to depart the country for Spain with 767 grams of cocaine inside his stomach, the Security Ministry said in a press release.
(Click for more)

October 23

Chamber Music Concert
Enjoy clarinet and saxophone music at 7 p.m. at the Juan Santamaría Museum in Alajuela. Info: 441-4775.

Chinese Film Festival
Tonight see the movie Buscando Amor (2001) by Wong Kar-Wai. After the show, philosopher Bellinegri Aguilar will comment on the film, which deals with the story of two married couples. One day Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan discovered that their spouses are unfaithful and so they begin a revenge that turns into a deep relationship. Film begins at 6 p.m. at the Calderón Guardia Museum in Barrio Escalante, 100 m. east, 125 m. north of the Santa Teresita Church. Entrance is free. Info: 255-1218, 222-6392.

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
Tonight is the last scheduled performance of this comic all-male ballet company, 8 p.m. at the Melico Salazar Theater, Av. 2, Ca. Ctrl./0 in San José. Info: 223-1960.

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Costa Rica's Exports Rise 25% in 2003

Costa Rica has exported $3.9 billion worth of goods during the first nine months of 2003, about 25% more than the same time period last year, the Central Bank reported yesterday.

During 2003, Costa Rica's trade deficit has decreased for the first time in years, dropping from $118.5 million to $114.3 million.

The increase in exports can be explained by an increase in imports by the United States, which buys 52% of Costa Rica's exports. Costa Rica also increased its exports to markets in Europe and Asia, according to the Central Bank.

Exports reportedly have increased in all sectors: fishing exports climbed from $105.36 million $111.25 million; agriculture from $805.45 million to $886.85 million; industrial exports from $317.95 million to $331.81 million; and manufactured goods from $2.2 billion to $2.8 billion.

The country's principal exporter, microchip giant Intel, reportedly nearly doubled its exports during the first nine months of the year, from $555 million to $1 billion. The company has announced an additional investment of $100 million in Costa Rica to expand its production capacities here.
-AFP

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Country Satisfied with CAFTA Round

Costa Rican head trade negotiator Anabel González yesterday said she was satisfied with the progress made thus far in the eighth round of negotiations for the Central America Free-Trade Agreement with the United States, held this week in Houston, Texas.

González noted that trade negotiators have made important progress on chapters pertaining to labor and industry.

However, according to AFP wire reports from Houston, trade negotiators yesterday were unable to make any advances on agriculture - one of the most sensitive remaining issues.

On the topic of sugar, for example, the United States has offered only to import 15,000 metric tons of Central American sugar, whereas the region wants to export 150,000 tons.

"[The U.S. agricultural offers] are bad because they don't correspond to our interests or expectations," said Nicaraguan trade negotiator Carlos Sequeira, according to AFP.

Read Friday's TT print edition for complete coverage of this week's CAFTA negotiations

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Colombian 'Drug Mule' Busted at Airport

Police at the Juan Santamaría International Airport yesterday arrested a 40-year-old Colombian man who police say was attempting to depart the country for Spain with 767 grams of cocaine inside his stomach, the Security Ministry said in a press release.

The suspect, identified by the last name Sepúlveda, was given a medical exam after police noted "suspicious behavior" and apparent signs of an abnormal health condition, according to the ministry release.

Upon inspection, Sepúlveda was found to have 59 plastic packets of cocaine inside his stomach.

Sepúlveda was the second "drug mule" in less than a week to be arrested at the airport trying to smuggle cocaine to Spain. A 24-year-old Spaniard was busted last Thursday night with 6 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside the lining of his suitcase (TT, Daily Page Oct. 20).

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