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17 Nov 2005 |
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Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, November 17, 2005
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Thousands Expected At
Anti-CAFTA March Today
After some fine-tuning and fortifying, the movement against the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA) is coming back to the streets today in a show of force that organizers say is the beginning of a new era of anti-CAFTA resistance.
(Click for more)
Gov't, Media Accused of
Abusing Protesters' Rights
The Costa Rican Human Rights Commission (CODEHU) accused the government and media outlets yesterday of violating the human rights of people who are against the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA).
(Click for more)
Costa Rican Fugitive
Arrested in Canada
International Police (INTERPOL) in Ottawa, Canada, arrested a Costa Rican fugitive sentenced here to an eight-year prison sentence for the abuse of a 10-year-old girl.
(Click for more)
Alleged Drug Smugglers Serving
Preventive Prison Sentences
After their arrest with 240 kilograms of cocaine packed in cinder-block-sized packages wrapped in plastic in the back of their Suzuki, three men were handed six-month preventive prison sentences while investigators prepare the state's case against them.
(Click for more)
Correction: Yesterday's Daily Page incorrectly reported the amount needed to repair Costa Rica 's damaged roads. The correct amount is $57 million.
The Tico Times regrets the error.
November 17
Special Concert
The National Symphony Orchestra (OSN) will performance the repertoire it took to Japan on an international tour, tomorrow at 8 p.m. at the National Theater. In September, the orchestra traveled to Japan to celebrate the 70 th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. It offered four concerts directed by Costa Rican resident from Japan Chosei Komatsu, and will feature guests pianist Jack Sagot and soprano Ivette Rojas. Info: 240-0333.
Art Auction
Organized by Watercolor Association to start a scholarship program for new artists, tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Eugene O'Neill Theater, C.R.-North American Cultural Center. Info: 207-7554.
National Theater Festival
Features tonight “ La Empresa Perdona un Momento de Locura,” at 8 p.m. at the Teatro 1887, CENAC, Av. 3/5, Ca. 11/15. Info: 221-2154.
Edited By Rebecca Kimitch
Tico Times Staff
rkimitch@ticotimes.net
Thousands Expected At
Anti-CAFTA March Today
By Leland Baxter-Neal
Tico Times Staff
lbaxter@ticotimes.net
After some fine-tuning and fortifying, the movement against the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA) is coming back to the streets today in a show of force that organizers say is the beginning of a new era of anti-CAFTA resistance.
“We are expecting good participation tomorrow,” said Albino Vargas, Secretary General of the National Association of Public and Private Employers (ANEP) and principal organizer of the protest. “This is the first event after fine-tuning the coordination between the social networks, of which there are many.”
Workers' unions, teachers' unions, university groups and other anti-CAFTA groups are scheduled to join ANEP in the Parque Central, in downtown San José, and march to the Legislative Assembly. The protest comes as a response to President Abel Pacheco's decision on Oct. 21 to finally send CAFTA to the Legislative Assembly for discussion and a final vote (TT, Oct 28).
“For us, we would have liked (the protest) sooner, but we needed to unite the sectors' forces,“ said Fabio Chaves, union leader for the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) and another organizer of the protest.
ICE, which manages the nation's electricity, has a monopoly over telecommunications in Costa Rica that would be opened up to competition gradually under CAFTA. Chaves said that in a matter of three years, 50% of the services now provided by ICE would be in the hands of international, private companies.
“These services in private hands takes away the possibility of ICE being able to give basic services at cost, and it would cause energy prices to rise by 200-300%,” Chaves told The Tico Times.
“We know that we are not going to defeat CAFTA tomorrow,” Chaves said. “This is the first great showing of force that we are going to make to send a message to the country: the forces against CAFTA are strong and that in Costa Rica, CAFTA will not be passed.”
Chaves said that 7,000 ICE workers would be participating and that he expects a total showing of 25,000 protestors.
Gov't, Media Accused of
Abusing Protesters' Rights
The Costa Rican Human Rights Commission (CODEHU) accused the government and media outlets yesterday of violating the human rights of people who are against the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA).
Ana Cecilia Jiménez, CODEHU president, said her organization has reports that the Security Ministry keeps “parallel files” of some student leaders who organize CAFTA opposition movements.
According to Jiménez, Costa Rican police filmed University of Costa Rica (UCR) students when they held meetings at the student center, a violation of their right to the “privacy of image,” since it is not a public space.
CODEHU and the UCR student federation will call for a meeting with Security Minister Rogelio Ramos to inform him of their concern.
The “parallel files” would be illegal, since, if they exist, they would contain private information about people who have not been accused of a crime, Jiménez said.
She added that Costa Rican authorities should allow for an “ample and open debate” about CAFTA and that the government should defend the students' right to organize.
She was also concerned about the presumed censorship that some media have applied to anti-CAFTA campaigns in an “attempt to violate the right to information and freedom of expression.”
“The problem is that they are showing the people only one side of the information,” she said. “They don't know the negative consequences that CAFTA will bring as an opening for (the international) telecommunications and insurance industries… the population is in danger.”
Costa Rican Fugitive
Arrested in Canada
International Police (INTERPOL) in Ottawa, Canada, arrested a Costa Rican fugitive sentenced here to an eight-year prison sentence for the abuse of a 10-year-old girl.
Andrés Sibaja, 37, was convicted for the crime, which occurred in 1999, escaped, and was sought with an international arrest warrant issued in 2001. He was caught Saturday in Ottawa, INTERPOL in Costa Rica reported yesterday. He entered Canada in 2000 overland by way of Central America and the United States.
Police had found clues of his whereabouts in Ontario in November 2003, but he disappeared shortly afterwards. Immigration authorities detained him last week when he apparently tried to legalize his immigration status. Costa Ricans do not need visas to enter Canada, but they must be clear of criminal charges.
He is now awaiting extradition to Costa Rica.
Alleged Drug Smugglers Serving
Preventive Prison Sentences
After their arrest with 240 kilograms of cocaine packed in cinder-block-sized packages wrapped in plastic in the back of their Suzuki, three men were handed six-month preventive prison sentences while investigators prepare the state's case against them.
They were arrested Tuesday in the Southern Zone town of Pérez Zeledón and sentenced yesterday, the Judicial Branch press office announced.
Two, whose last names are Rojas and Fuentes, are Costa Rican; the third, Ramírez, is Colombian.
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