Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, February 20,  2004

TRAVELING man: President Abel Pacheco leaves tomorrow on a 12-day trip that will take him to four countries. Pacheco said the trip is an investment that will benefit the country - not an unnecessary expense as some legislative deputies have described it. Tico Times/Julio Laínez

Get The Tico Times Daily News Updates automatically every morning (Monday-Friday) in your e-mail. Just give us your e-mail address below.

Return To Top Of Page

President Pacheco Begins
12-Day World Journey
By Fabián Borges
fborges@ticotimes.net

President Abel Pacheco tomorrow will begin a 12-day trip that will take him to Colombia, Mexico, New York and Spain.

"This trip is no vacation," Pacheco said. "It's not fun for a 70-year-old man with bad eyesight. I'm going to represent the country. The trip is important for the country. Every time I leave the country, I come back with presents."

Pacheco will start his trip in Cartagena, Colombia, where he will meet with Colombians who have invested in Costa Rica, dine with the local mayor, receive the honorary title of "Adopted Son of Cartagena" and tour Costa Rican firm Durman Esquivel's pipe-manufacturing plant there.

The President will then take some time off to meet with distant relatives from Cartagena on Sunday.

On Monday, he will travel to the Colombian capital of Bogotá to meet with President Alvaro Uribe. The leaders plan to discuss a wide range of issues including police and maritime cooperation, trade and immigration.

After Bogotá, Pacheco will travel to Mexico to participate in a Puebla-Panama Plan regional integration summit with Mexican President Vicente Fox and the presidents of Central America. Next, he will travel to New York to receive the Kolbe Prize for Peace. After receiving the prize, Pacheco will take two days off.

"During this trip, there will be two days without an agenda," Pacheco explained. "It would be difficult for me to return from New York and leave for Spain two days later. For that reason, I'll take a vacation during which I will not receive salary or be refunded for travel expenses. I've always said, those who don't work don't get paid."

To finish his trip, Pacheco will travel to Spain to be present when that country joins the Central American Economic Integration (BCIE).

"This is very important," Pacheco explained. "Spain joining BCIE will mean a great deal of economic aid for the region."

During the trip, Pacheco will "say goodbye" to Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar, who is scheduled to step down from his post later this year after eight years as head of the government.

Pacheco will also visit a joint Central American tourism promotion office run by Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica and attempt to convince Spanish leaders to propose a free-trade agreement between European Union and Central America.

The Libertarian Movement legislative faction criticized Pacheco for wasting taxpayer funds on the trip. In response, Pacheco stressed the importance of the trip and promised Cost Ricans he would exercise great austerity during the trip.

"I will travel with my wife Leila, a press attaché and a protocol advisor. It's a small entourage," he said. "When Costa Ricans are paying the bill, we always stay at humble hotels - members of the press that have traveled with me can attest to that.

"In any case, canceling the trip won't solve the country's fiscal problems," he argued. "The fiscal reform [the government's proposed Permanent Fiscal Reform Package] (TT, Dec. 5, 2003; Feb. 15) is the real solution."

While Pacheco is out of the country, Vice-President Lineth Saborío will serve as acting president.

Read today's print edition or Digital PDF version for the full story on President Pacheco's squabbles with the Libertarians over the proposed tax plan.