The Tico Times Online Daily Page

Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, May 26, 2004

ON HIS WAY: President Abel Pacheco will be in Mexico tomorrow through Sunday to take part in the Third European Union-Latin America Summit. He will return to Costa Rica Monday night after taking part in swearing-in ceremony of Salvadoran President-elect Antonio “Tony” Saca.
Tico Times/Julio Laínez

Pacheco Has ‘Great Expectations’
For European Union-Latin America Summit
President Abel Pacheco will travel to Guadalajara, Mexico, tomorrow to take part in the Third European Union-Latin America Summit.
(Click for more)

German Company
Promotes Sex Ed
With half of all pregnancies in Latin America unplanned, and 25% ending in abortion, family planning may not necessarily be a household phrase in the region.
(Click for more)

May 26

Piano and Rain Forest
Piano recital by Manuel Obregón and images by José Cortés, performing at 8 p.m., at the National Theater, Av. 2, Ca. 3/5. Info: 221-1329, 221-5103.

Artisan Fair
Visit the II International Artisans Fair “Joining Cultures,” at the Former Aduana Building (Ca. 23 in San José), with the participation of more than 150 Costa Rican and Central American artisans, dance, music, workshops for children, parades and a concert by Los Hicsos. The event opens at 10 a.m. and entrance is free. Info: 221-2154.

Collective Show by Nine Artists from France
Featuring sculptures, photography, engravings and more at Galería Alternativa, Pavas. Info: 232-8500, 232-8614.

Return To Top Of Page

Pacheco Has ‘Great Expectations’
For European Union-Latin America Summit
By Fabián Borges
fborges@ticotimes.net

President Abel Pacheco will travel to Guadalajara, Mexico, tomorrow to take part in the Third European Union-Latin America Summit.

Leaders of 58 Latin American and European countries will be in Guadalajara Friday and Saturday to take part in the summit. Among the issues to be discussed are commercial relations between Europe and Latin America, reaching consensus over reforming the United Nations and how to achieve greater social cohesion in Latin American countries.

Yesterday, Pacheco received a letter from Mexican President Vicente Fox inviting him to be one of the speakers at the summit’s table on social cohesion. The ideal of social cohesion requires that societies integrate and grant a voice to all constituent groups, whether defined by region, income, ethnicity, gender or age. Achieving social cohesion has long been one of the main goals of the European Union (EU).

At the social cohesion table, Pacheco will be joined by Fox, President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia and recently elected Spanish Primer Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, according to Pacheco.

Pacheco attributed the invitation to his administration’s record on opening spaces for different social actors to participate in the decision making process. Since taking office, the doors of Casa Presidencial have been open to all groups, he said.

Representatives of Central America (minus Costa Rica) and the Andean countries are expected to request to begin separate free-trade negotiations with the EU starting in January 2005. Costa Rican officials, while in favor of eventually negotiating a trade agreement with Europe, have said that such an important decision should not be rushed.

Last year, the EU and Central America agreed to strengthen their diplomatic and economic ties and discussed the possibility of negotiating a preferential trade agreement between both regions (TT, Oct. 17, 2003). In the past, the Europeans have said negotiation of such agreements would not be considered until the end of the current round – the Doha Development Round – of World Trade Organization (WTO) multilateral trade negotiations.

The EU has negotiated trade agreements with Mexico and Chile and is in negotiations with the Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR), composed of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Other than that, Pacheco said, Costa Rica’s position at the summit will be the usual. The country will continue to champion the importance of protecting human rights and life.

Pacheco will stay in Mexico until Monday, when he will travel to the Salvadoran capital of San Salvador to take part in the swearing-in ceremony of President-elect Antonio “Tony” Saca.

To save taxpayer funds, Pacheco will travel to Mexico in Colombian President Uribe’s private plane. His daughter Elsa Marta Pacheco, who lives in Mexico, will represent the First Lady during the summit.

The Costa Rican government will not cover her travel expenses. In fact, Pacheco used his own money to buy her a plane ticket from her home in Mexico City to Guadalajara, the President said.

To make sure there are no misunderstandings, Pacheco showed his receipt from her ticket to reporters during his weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday.

Return To Top Of Page

German Company
Promotes Sex Ed
By Rebecca Kimitch
rkimitch@ticotimes.net

With half of all pregnancies in Latin America unplanned, and 25% ending in abortion, family planning may not necessarily be a household phrase in the region.

A German pharmaceutical company believes that should change, and yesterday, company officials announced how they have started promoting reproductive health and family planning in Costa Rica.

Schering company is giving workshops in schools and offices to educate young women and men about responsible sex, various types of birth control, sexually transmitted diseases and the importance of seeing gynecologists annually.

“Women never think of going to the gynecologist when they have problems, instead they just ask friends and end up self-medicating,” said Adriana Márquez, Central American coordinator for Schering’s new campaign, “Caring for Yourself is Loving Yourself.”

More than 50% of women in Latin America do not visit the gynecologist at least once a year, as is recommended by doctors, according to Schering, which specializes in products for women’s health such as hormone replacement therapy and birth control.

Nor do women in Costa Rica visit the doctor for problems like irregular bleeding, premenstrual syndrome, vaginal infections and problems with birth control, according to Schering officials.

Because of this, and the alarming rates in unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases in the region, Schering officials decided to bring their program to high schools, universities, businesses, community centers and high-risk areas, they said.

They launched their Central American campaign in San José earlier this year.

Despite statistics that teenage pregnancies account for one in five pregnancies, Schering has had problems bringing their workshops directly to public high schools.

“The Ministry of Education has not exactly opened the door for us to talk directly to students,” said Christian Naumann, Schering’s Central America general manager.

Instead, Schering doctors and nurses have trained public school teachers and administrators, who can then incorporate the information into their ministry-approved sex-education lessons.

“But we haven’t given up hope that we will be able to talk directly to kids in the future,” Naumann said.

Schering is also working with the Ministry of Public Health and the Social Security System (Caja) in its campaign. Company representatives have already offered their information to nurses in number of areas, particularly in the San José neighborhoods of Hatillo, Goicoechea, Desamparados, San Francisco, León XIII and La Carpio.

Schering is offering its workshops to any business or organization that is interested. They have also launched a new free health line for questions about reproductive health and birth control, (800) 506-5555.

The announcement of the program comes just in time for Women’s Health Day May 28.

Return To Top Of Page

Father, Son Detained
For Alleged Drug Sales

Anti-drug officials on Monday detained a father and his son for allegedly selling marijuana from their home in Paraíso de Cartago, the Public Security Ministry announced.

When Drug Control Police (PCD) agents raided their home about 20 kilometers southeast of San José, they discovered 74 marijuana cigarettes, or “joints,” ¢146,650 in cash and a Rossi .22 caliber firearm.

The father is a 38-year-old man identified by police as having a last name of Alvarado. Police did not identify his 17-year-old son because he is a minor. Alvarado was remitted to the control of the Penal Judge of Cartago, while his son was placed under the control of Juvenile Penal Judge of that city.

Both will be accused of trafficking and selling drugs, police said.

Return To Top Of Page

Wednesday October 26, 2005