The Tico Times Online Daily Page

Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, November 5, 2003

ANOTHER of PANI's efforts: A billboard in Alajuela denouncing child sexual exploitation.
AFP/Teresita Chavarria

PANI Pledges to Strengthen
Child Protection Councils
Child Welfare Minister Rosalía Gil yesterday announced plans to extend the Child Welfare Office's local child-protection council program to all of the country's 81 municipalities.
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U.S. Federal Probe
of WWASP Requested
U.S. Representative George Millar, Senior Democrat on the Committee on Education and the Workforce, sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft yesterday requesting a federal investigation into allegations of abuse by the WorldWide Association of Specialty Programs (WWASP).
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Tourism Sector Bounces Back
The number of foreigners who visited Costa Rica during the first five months of this year increased 6.1% compared to last year, Tourism Minister Rodrigo Castro announced yesterday.
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November 5

World Premiere
Fans of the Matrix are invited to attend the World Premiere of "Matrix Revolutions" at the following theaters: Magaly and Colonial (1:30, 4, 6:30, 9 p.m.); Omni (1:30, 4:10, 6:45, 9:20 p.m.); Plaza Mayor (2, 4:30, 7, 9:20 p.m.); San Pedro, Internacional and Cariari (10 a.m., 12:20, 2:40, 5, 7:20, 9:45 p.m.); Paraíso, San Carlos and Liberia (1:30, 4, 6:30 p.m.). Info: 221-6272.

Gala Dinner
Dinner will benefit Cedes Don Bosco, which supports the education of impoverished children, including recitals with Wood Duo and the Classic Orchestra and raffles. Begins at 7 p.m. at the Camino Real Intercontinental Hotel in Escazú. Info: 222-2932.

Concert
Oscar Espinoza will perform the songs of his CD as soloist, 7 p.m. at the Alliance Française, Av. 7, Ca. 5 in San José. Info: 222-2283.

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PANI Pledges to Strengthen
Child Protection Councils
By Fabián Borges
fborges@ticotimes.net

Child Welfare Minister Rosalía Gil yesterday announced plans to extend the Child Welfare Office's local child-protection council program to all of the country's 81 municipalities.

The program, started in 1993, is based on the idea that local residents are the ones who know the most about the specific problems and threats children face in their communities. Participating municipalities create local councils formed by members of the Child Welfare Office (PANI), municipal officials, educators, concerned parents and teenagers.

Each council is in charge of identifying local threats to child safety and coming up with practical ways to combat them. The councils meet regularly and, with assistance and funding from PANI, develop their own initiatives to improve child safety in the area.

"Before starting each project, the local council identifies a problem and attempts to find out exactly what causes it," Gil explained. "Work on the plan begins with a clear objective followed by concrete plans and a budget. After the projects are put into effect, they are evaluated by PANI. Each project's impact is measured to see if it can be improved or put into practice in other communities."

The councils are now operating in 40 communities. Gil says she is committed to making sure the number grows in the coming years until it reaches each of the country's 81 municipalities.

The councils received funds totaling ¢48.3 million ($117,000) in 2003, which were used to generate 52 initiatives centered around broad goals such as strengthening family values, preventing physical and sexual abuse inside and outside the home, teaching responsible parenting skills, helping to develop greater tolerance toward homosexuals and immigrants, enjoying life and preventing drug abuse.

Gil estimated that the programs have helped more than 2,600 families, 4,000 educators and 5,200 children and teenagers.

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U.S. Federal Probe of WWASP Requested
By Tim Rogers
trogers@ticotimes.net

U.S. Representative George Millar, Senior Democrat on the Committee on Education and the Workforce, sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft yesterday requesting a federal investigation into allegations of abuse by the WorldWide Association of Specialty Programs (WWASP).

One of Rep. Millar's congressional aids had told The Tico Times in September that the U.S. lawmaker was preparing to request a federal probe following the closure of Costa Rica's WWASP-affiliated Dundee Ranch Academy and allegations of abuse at other WWASP facilities in the United States, Jamaica and Mexico (TT, Sept. 12).

WWASP is the umbrella organization under which Dundee Ranch Academy, a behavior-modification program for troubled teens, operated here, before being closed last May following government interventions to investigate allegations of rights abuse (TT, May 23).

"I am requesting, in my capacity as Senior Democratic Member, that you initiate a formal investigation into allegations of child abuse, human rights violations, fraudulent and deceptive advertising, fraud and unjust enrichment under the Internal Revenue Code, and violations of other Federal civil or criminal laws by [WWASP] and its founders," reads the congressman's letter to Ashcroft.

Dundee Ranch was one of 11 WWASP programs in the United States and abroad. An estimated 2,200 children were enrolled in the residential programs, including 200 in Dundee Ranch.

"There have been serious allegations that hundreds of children have been mistreated or neglected and that their legal rights have been regularly flaunted. There are also hundreds of parents who assert that they were drawn into the program by misleading advertising. We believe that the Department of Justice should investigate whether federal laws concerning child abuse and neglect, interstate commerce or unfair or deceptive advertising have been broken by WWASPS or those operating these facilities," the letter reads.

The letter to Ashcroft mentions that "Dundee Ranch was closed after Costa Rican authorities charged the facility with violating children's civil rights," and quotes testimony of abuse by former Dundee Ranch director Amberley Knight, who first told The Tico Times last March that the academy "is poorly managed, takes financial advantage of parents in crisis, and puts teens in physical and emotional risk " (TT, March 14).

The letter concludes by asking Ashcroft to "please provide by Nov. 17, 2003, a written report on steps you have taken to initiate an investigation of all allegations."

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Tourism Sector Bounces Back
By Fabián Borges
fborges@ticotimes.net

The number of foreigners who visited Costa Rica during the first five months of this year increased 6.1% compared to last year, Tourism Minister Rodrigo Castro announced yesterday.

The increase in the number of visitors is a sign of better times ahead for the country's tourism sector, which has struggled to recover following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, the U.S.-led war in Iraq and the recent Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic, Castro said.

More than half of the visitors (64%) came to the country from North America. The rest came from Europe (17%), South America (8%), Central America (7%) and other regions (4%), according to statistics released by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT).

Between January and May, 310,441 North Americans and Europeans visited the country, compared to 279,532 last year and 300,001 in 2001.

The number of European visitors increased by 17.4% during that period. The number of French and Italian visitors increased by 36% and 21.3%, respectively.

"This causes us great satisfaction," Castro said. "It shows us the steps taken by the ICT to promote and advertise the country in foreign markets, and specifically the European ones, have succeeded. The government's policies on tourism have been the right ones. We expect the growth trend to continue during the remainder of this year."

Castro cited the government's efforts to attract more international flights to the country's two main airports as crucial steps that have made the increase in tourism possible.

During the last 18 months, 70 regular commercial flights to Costa Rica have been added.

On Monday, German airline Condor became the newest company to begin flights to Costa Rica. The airline offers regular service from Frankfurt to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Orlando. During the first five months of the year, the number of German tourists grew 11% as more than 10,000 Germans visited the country.

Costa Rica also recently was named the top Latin American tourism destination by U.S. tourism magazine Recommend.

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