[dailyarchive/2004_11/exchange_rates.htm]
Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, November 18, 2004
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| ACTION! Costa Rican soccer players Alonso Solis and Leonardo González struggle for ball possession against Honduran Juan Manuel Carcamo on the swampy field in San Pedro Sula , Honduras . The teams tied, which kept Costa Rica in and knocked Honduras out of the running for the 2006 World Cup. |
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Ticos Tie Honduras, Advance to Final
World Cup Soccer Qualifying Round
It was a scoreless, nerve-wracking clash in Honduras for the right to advance to the final qualifying round for the 2006 World Cup, and the tie was in the Tico's favor.
(Click for more)
Ex-President Rodríguez
Criticizes Prosecutor's Office
Former Costa Rican President Miguel Angel Rodríguez, who is serving a preventive prison order while he is investigated for alleged corruption crimes, yesterday accused the Chief Prosecutor of staging a “circus” and managing his case through the media, in opposition to the principles of democracy.
(Click for more)
Exchanging Debt for Education
Key Proposal at Costa Rica n Summit
Latin America and Iberian leaders preparing to meet here this weekend are expected to back a proposal calling for cancellation of part of the foreign debt of Latin Ame rica n nations, which in turn will use the forgiven amount for educational programs.
(Click for more)
November 18
Mascarade
Dance with tunes of the cimarrona (traditional Costa Rican fair music) and the movements of the payasos (clowns) at 9 a.m. from Parque Central to the Children's Museum. Info: 258-4929.
X Central American Masters Athletics Championship
The competition starts today with the participation of 310 athletes, including men and women over 35, who will compete in groups according to age. The championship will finish on Saturday and will include track and field competitions as well as cross-country races tomorrow of 8 km and 11 km at La Sabana Park, in western San José .
Church Thanksgiving Luncheon
The International Baptist Church , across from Multiplaza in Escazú, is planning a “Celebration of Thanks” luncheon to be held in the church Fellowship Hall, Sunday. The traditional U.S. Thanksgiving Holiday meal will be at noon , after the regular morning worship service, which begins at 10 a.m. The luncheon will feature turkey and all the trimmings provided by the church, with side dishes, salads and desserts brought by the congregation. Info: church, 215-2117, or Pastor Dreesen, 821-359, or e-mail paul_dina@hotmail.com.
Edited By Rebecca Kimitch
Tico Times Staff
rkimitch@ticotimes.net
Ticos Tie Honduras, Advance to Final
World Cup Soccer Qualifying Round
By Robert Goodier
Tico Times Staff
rgoodier@ticotimes.net
It was a scoreless, nerve-wracking clash in Honduras for the right to advance to the final qualifying round for the 2006 World Cup, and the tie was in the Tico's favor.
The match was fiercely fought and undeniably dominated by the home team Honduras , with the Ticos taking only a handful of goal shots and giving up ball possession for much of the game. Rain earlier in the day had swamped patches of the field at General Francisco Morazán Stadium in San Pedro Sula . Players were soaked and the field became a soggy ball trap.
The Tico's head coach, the Colombian Jorge Luis Pinto, was ejected from the field in the 25th minute of the second half after a dispute with a referee. Though his absence frazzled spectators' nerves, the team ultimately skirted doom without him.
Costa Rica 's national team, La Selección Nacional or just “ La Sele ,” entered the match with more points than Honduras in their group in this qualifying round, which gave them the luxury of advancing to the last round and knocking out Honduras even with a 0-0 tie.
With this last match, the Ticos have rounded out a spectacular winning streak under the leadership of star forward Paulo Wanchope, who plays for Málaga, Spain, and new head coach Pinto. It was also sweet revenge for the embarrassment Honduras doled out when it pounded Costa Rica here on La Sele's home turf 5-2 in August (TT Daily Page, Aug. 20).
It was standing room only at sports bars around the Central Valley where fans on edge groaned and hissed their anxieties and wore out servers hauling trays of Pilsen and Imperial beer.
The pedestrian mall in downtown San José was cramped with fans watching on a towering outdoor screen, and it looked as if half the country wore official red jerseys or red shirts of any kind.
When the clock ran down shortly after the 49th minute of the second half, excited fans poured beer foam on each other, tossed firecrackers on the sidewalks, honked car horns and sang “olé, olé, olé, olé, Ticos, Ticos .”
Costa Rican sportsbooks had favored Honduras and the odds were heavily against a draw, which means some lucky gamblers made some money.
With the addition of Costa Rica , four of the six teams advancing into the final round are determined – the United States , Guatemala and Mexico .
The two that remain to be seen will be from among five countries: Jamaica , Panama , El Salvador , Trinidad and San Vicente. Three of those six will qualify for the World Cup 2006 in Germany and one will play two additional matches against an Asian team for rights to play in the World Cup (TT Daily Page, Nov.17).
Ex-President Rodríguez
Criticizes Prosecutor's Office
Former Costa Rican President Miguel Angel Rodríguez, who is serving a preventive prison order while he is investigated for alleged corruption crimes, yesterday accused the Chief Prosecutor of staging a “circus” and managing his case through the media, in opposition to the principles of democracy.
“It is important to resolve this (the accusations against him) within the judicial strata – that judges take the corresponding decisions, and that each person stick to his business,” declared the ex-President (1998-2002) to a local radio station.
“I am not going to defend myself before the media, that would be contrary to the principles of democracy and I would incur in the same grave errors as the Chief Prosecutor's Office,” said Rodríguez, who was the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) until he resigned Oct. 15, after a month's service, amid allegations of corruption.
One of Rodríguez's closest collaborators, former Minister of Housing and Urbanization José Antonio Lobo, accused him of receiving illegal payments in connection with a government contract with the French telecommunications firm Alcatel in 2001.
The former President is also under investigation for an alleged $100,000 payment from the Spanish company Abengoa, which he allegedly received through its Costa Rican subsidiary.
Both European companies were given multimillion-dollar contracts during Rodríguez's administration.
After returning from Washington D.C. , Rodríguez was arrested at Juan Santamaría International Airport , handcuffed and transported to the Prosecutor's Office by judicial police.
A judge ordered six months of preventive detention for Rodríguez, who was initially under house arrest in a San José apartment, but was later transferred to a jail.
Besides offering declarations to the press yesterday, Rodríguez filed a formal complaint with the Supreme Court of Justice for a “grave legal violation.”
In a letter to the president of the court, Luis Paulino Mora, the former President accuses the Prosecutor's Office of violating the confidentiality of his case, to which only those involved should have access.
“This situation is especially grave because it demonstrates the ties that exist between the media and the Prosecutor's Office, which can manipulate public opinion and substitute or violate the correct process and the majesty of the judges,” Rodríguez states in his complaint.
– AFP
Exchanging Debt for Education
Key Proposal at Costa Rica n Summit
Latin America and Iberian leaders preparing to meet here this weekend are expected to back a proposal calling for cancellation of part of the foreign debt of Latin Ame rica n nations, which in turn will use the forgiven amount for educational programs.
The draft copy of the Declaration of San José, to which EFE had access, is to be signed at the end of the summit. It “welcomes” the proposal, which “will allow part of the resources resulting from this (debt cancellation) to be used on education programs.”
“Educate to progress” is the central theme of the summit to be held tomorrow and Saturday at the Hotel Herradura in Belén, northwest of San José . Heads of State and leaders from 21 countries, representing 600 million people, will discuss regional issues.
In the declaration, the leaders charge the new Madrid-based Office of Latin Ame rica n-Iberian Education “with coordinating the efforts of countries and participating organizations” in finalizing the details of the debt-for-education swap.
In addition, the leaders pledge to promote at different multilateral forums the evaluation and adoption of innovative means of funding education.
Costa Rica n President Abel Pacheco, the summit's host, has praised the exchange proposal and said it would be the “salvation” of this sector that is key to the economic and social development of Latin Ame rica .
In addition to leaders, the summit is expected to draw as many as 4,000 government officials and members of the press, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Presidents Fidel Castro of Cuba, Rica rdo Lagos of Chile, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, Alejandro Toledo of Peru and Jorge Sampaio of Portugal, as well as that country's prime minister, Pedro Santana, have said they will not be able to attend the annual summit, offering a variety of reasons.
Meanwhile, Argentinean President Nestor Kirchner has not yet said if he will attend.
Pacheco told EFE “it would be ideal if all the Presidents would come,” but added as long as they are “well represented” by other officials and “decisions are made together, the Latin Ame rica n-Iberian world will continue to progress.”
Lagos and Toledo will not be in San José because they will be at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, which is taking place in Chile at the same time.
–EFE
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