The Tico Times Online Daily Page

Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, February 27, 2004

JUST caught: 44-year-old Dean Faiello, who was sought in connection with the death of 34-year-old financial analyst Maria Cruz in the United States, was arrested yesterday by Immigration Police. See today's print edition or digital version of The Tico Times for more information.
Tico Times/Alex Roach

Pacheco Honored by U.S. Group
For Fight Against Cloning
President Abel Pacheco accepted a peace prize last night in New York City for his stance against abortion and cloning. The Kolbe Peace Prize was awarded to Pacheco by the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute for his work promoting what Pope John Paul II has come to call a "Culture of Life."
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Golfito Airport Partially Closed
For Runway Repairs
The airport in Golfito closed partially for runway repairs on Monday, and rumors abounded this week - even among employees of the Golfito airport - about when it would re-open and why it appears no work has been done so far.
(Click for more)

Fiscal Reform Deadline
Extended Until March 6
Legislators and the government have agreed to extend the final deadline for the completion of last-minute changes to the government's Permanent Fiscal Reform Package until March 6.
(Click for more)

February 27

Celebrating Afro-Cuban Traditions
Event includes tales, music, painting and dance, 8:30 p.m., Fri.-Sat., Feb. 27-28, Cuartel de la Boca del Monte, Av. 1, Ca. 19/21 in San José.

Democrats Abroad Lunch and Voter Registration Drive
Election extravaganza, music, cash bar, the film "Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War," presidential Straw Poll, buffet, 11 a.m., Sat., Feb. 28, Gran Hotel Costa Rica, Av. 2, in front of the National Theater in San José. Info: 249-1856, 494-6260.

Brazil Carnival
Carnival Fun Party, Sat., Feb. 28, 8 p.m., Radisson Europa Hotel in San José. Info: 222-5753.

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Pacheco Honored by U.S. Group
For Fight Against Cloning
By Rebecca Kimitch
rkimitch@ticotimes.net

President Abel Pacheco accepted a peace prize last night in New York City for his stance against abortion and cloning. The Kolbe Peace Prize was awarded to Pacheco by the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute for his work promoting what Pope John Paul II has come to call a "Culture of Life."

The Institute advocates family rights and values, particularly before the United Nations.

"It pleases me to accept this award, not only for the recognition of my personal commitment, but also for the recognition of the permanent commitment the people and government of Costa Rica have to the right to life, from the moment of conception to the last moment of death," Pacheco said. "The right to life is the first human right."

The death penalty and abortion are both illegal in Costa Rica.

Last year, Costa Rica proposed before the United Nations a resolution that would completely ban human cloning.

"Cloning, with the purpose of creating identical copies of human beings, or with the goal of doing scientific experiments, constitutes a serious affront against human dignity," Pacheco said.

The Costa Rican President said he is deeply worried about the recent news that Korean scientists have made human embryos and extracted stem cells. But the initiative in prohibiting human cloning worldwide has also gained ground in the past year, he added.

More than 65 countries are co-sponsoring Costa Rica's proposal to ban human cloning, and others are ready to vote in favor of it. The United States, Ecuador, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Fiji, the Philippines, Uganda and Norway have expressed support for the resolution, which will go before the U.N. General Assembly in September.

Pacheco is meeting with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan today at noon.

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Golfito Airport Partially Closed
For Runway Repairs
By Robert Goodier
rgoodier@ticotimes.net

The airport in Golfito closed partially for runway repairs on Monday, and rumors abounded this week - even among employees of the Golfito airport - about when it would re-open and why it appears no work has been done so far.

Jorge Murillo, project director for the department of aeronautic infrastructure, a division of the Ministry of Transportation, told The Tico Times the airstrip would re-open in approximately one month.

The airstrip will continue operating daily but only in the early morning. All incoming and outgoing flights will use the strip between 6-8 a.m. every day. After 8 a.m. flights will be redirected to Coto 47, near Ciudad Neily, or visitors can fly into Puerto Jiménez.

The airport near Ciudad Neily is 45 minutes away by car, a taxi ride that costs about ¢7000 ($16.50). Puerto Jiménez is on the Osa Peninsula on the other side of the Golfo Dulce from Golfito, and can be reached by speedboat or ferry.

Sansa has changed its flight schedule to accommodate the closure. One flight departs from San José at 6 a.m. and arrives before 7 a.m., and a flight leaves from Golfito to San José at 7 a.m. daily. Other flights now go to the airport near Ciudad Neily at 6 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 2:15 p.m. every day. Return flights depart at 7 a.m., 11:40 a.m., and 3:25 p.m. daily.

Nature Air has one flight daily to Golfito from Pavas, a western suburb of San José, departing at 6 a.m. and a return flight at 7:20 a.m. Its schedule has not been affected by the closure.

Though some visitors have complained about the inconvenience, Jorge González, representative of the Sierra Hotel in Golfito, said the closure has not really affected business.

One reason, he said, is because Ciudad Neily is not far away, so the same amount of visitors arrives by plane daily. The other reason is that not many people go to Golfito by plane in the first place, he said. Most of the people who fly are foreign tourists, he said, who do not make up the bulk of the city's newcomers.

González is one of those who have contributed to confusion about the length of the closure. He heard that it will be closed until late May, and Golfito Airport representative Victor Benavides said it will be closed for about that length of time as well.

Though the strip has been shut down since Monday, it looks as if no work has been done, according to Benavides. "The people are suffering," as they pay for taxi and other transportation to surrounding airports, he said, and "there are no machines here doing any work."

Murillo said that topographical studies began Monday and the equipment will arrive next week, "God willing."

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Fiscal Reform Deadline
Extended Until March 6

Legislators and the government have agreed to extend the final deadline for the completion of last-minute changes to the government's Permanent Fiscal Reform Package until March 6.

Last December, after 15 months of debate, a mixed commission that included representatives from every legislative faction, business chambers and other groups unveiled what was believed to be the final version of the tax plan. The government adopted the plan and submitted it back to the Legislative Assembly as a bill on Jan. 19 (TT, Dec. 5, 2003).

A nine-member legislative commission was created Feb. 5 to study the tax plan so it could be voted on. The commission was given until yesterday to make last-minute changes (TT, Feb. 13).

Commission members, in particular Federico Malavassi (TT, Feb. 20) of the Libertarian Movement and Humberto Arce of the Patriotic Bloc, issued several motions to reform the tax plan. When yesterday's deadline arrived, there was still much work to do, they said.

On Wednesday, while in Mexico during a 12-day, four-country tour, President Abel Pacheco (TT, Daily Feb. 21) said he agreed to give the commission one more week to study and modify the tax plan.

However, Pacheco made clear the new deadline would be final. The final deadline for the approval of the plan by April 30 would continue to stand, he said.

If the tax plan is not approved by then, the government will move ahead with "Plan B" - a ¢72 billion ($171.4 million, roughly 1% of the country's gross domestic product) cut to the budgets of 15 different government ministries and several social programs.

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Wednesday October 26, 2005