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21 Apr 2006 |
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Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, April 21, 2006
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Plans Announced for
Arias' Inauguration
Organizers of the May 8 ceremony to inaugurate President-elect Oscar Arias announced plans for the day's events yesterday, including a list of international leaders who plan to attend.
(Click for more)
Environment Ministry
Suspends Earth Day Celebration
Saturday's Earth Day won't see much celebration in Costa Rica – the recent Poas Volcano eruption has forced the Ministry of the Environment and Energy (MINAE) to suspend its scheduled Earth Day, according to Olga Durán, environmental education chief of MINAE's Central Volcanic Range Conservation Area.
(Click for more)
Police Take Control of Caribbean Ports After This Week's Protests
Dozens of police offers took control of the Carribean ports of Limón and Moín Thursday, where workers have protested since Monday demanding better salaries.
(Click for more)
Record Exports in First
Quarter of This Year
In what the Foreign Trade Ministry (COMEX) called a “golden trimester,” Costa Rica exported $1.9 billion of goods in the first three months of this year, marking a 22% increase over the same period last year.
(Click for more)
International Poetry
Festival To Unite 16 Poets
The 5 th International Poetry Festival to be held in Costa Rica May 27-June 2 will bring together 16 foreign poets and a dozen Costa Rican poets.
(Click for more)
April 21
Today
Mexican Fokloric Dance Show
By the group Huehuetzin Mitotiani, 7 p.m., Ciudad Quesada Park; Cuidad Quesada, north-central Costa Rica. Also tomorrow, 7 p.m., Centro de Cultura Social, San Ramón, Alajuela, northwest of San José.
Saturday
Queen of England's Birthday Party
Benefits Costa Rican schools in need, costume party with myth and magic, prizes for best costume, 9 a.m., British Ambassador's Residence, Escazú, west of San José. Info: 258-2025.
Concert by the Big Band
7 p.m., Pérez Zeledón Cultural Complex, Pérez Zeledón, Southern Zone. Info: 771-6498.
Sunday
Play “And anzas de un Cómico Viajero”
A performance that includes comedy, wit and drama inspired by Marcelo Gaete and Sara Astica showing the struggles of actors and actresses, 8 p.m., Teatro de la Danza, Ca. 11, Av. 3/7, San José. Info: 257-5525.
Edited By Amanda Roberson
Tico Times Staff
aroberson@ticotimes.net
Plans Announced for Arias' Inauguration
By Amanda Roberson
Tico Times Staff
aroberson@ticotimes.net
Organizers of the May 8 ceremony to inaugurate President-elect Oscar Arias announced plans for the day's events yesterday, including a list of international leaders who plan to attend.
The Presidents of several Latin American countries have confirmed their presence in writing, including Mexico's Vicente Fox, Guatemala's Oscar Berger, Honduras' Manuel Zelaya, El Salvador's Elías Antonio Saca, Nicaragua's Enrique Bolaños, Panama's Martín Torrijos, Colombia's Alvaro Uribe, Venezuela's Hugo Chávez and Taiwán's Chen Shui-bian.
Additionally, the Prime Minister of the West Indies, Miguel Pourier, Spain 's Prince Felipe de Borbón, and U.S. First Lady Laura Bush have orally confirmed their attendance, according to Bruno Stagno, whom Arias has selected to be his Foreign Minister.
The winners of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 and 1993, Rigoberta Menchú and Lech Walesa, will also attend the inauguration, Stagno said, along with Enrique Iglesias, head of the Latin American-Iberian Secretariat, and José Luis Machinea, Secretary General of the Economic Commission for Latin American and the Caribbean (CEPAL).
Regarding the visit of the controversial Chávez, Stagno said organizers have extensive security measures in place.
“We've made all the necessary preparations to ensure order and security for all participants,” Stagno said, adding that 1,300 police will be stationed around the city May 7-8.
The inauguration ceremony will be held at the National Stadium in Sabana Park in western San José. Work is under way to spruce up the stadium with a fresh coat of paint and build a stage for the inauguration ceremony, said Inauguration Planning Committee President José Torres.
Arias will walk from his home in nearby Rohrmoser to the stadium, Torres said, and will then walk a lap around the track of the stadium to wave to the 15,000 expected guests who include foreign leaders, National Liberation Party (PLN) members, members of the press and representatives from civil society.
Streets surrounding the National Stadium will be closed to the public from 7 a.m. until the inauguration ceremony is over and everyone has cleared the area.
Arias, a former President (1986-1990) and Nobel Peace Prize winner, will replace Abel Pacheco as President and serve a four-year term.
Environment Ministry Suspends Earth Day Celebration
By María Gabriela Díaz
Tico Times Staff
mgdiaz@ticotimes.net
Saturday's Earth Day won't see much celebration in Costa Rica – the recent Poas Volcano eruption has forced the Ministry of the Environment and Energy (MINAE) to suspend its scheduled Earth Day, according to Olga Durán, environmental education chief of MINAE's Central Volcanic Range Conservation Area.
Despite celebrating Earth Day every year since 1998, MINAE had to cancel this year's activities at Poás Volcano National Park, in the province of Alajuela, after the volcano erupted 16 times on March 24 and the park was closed for a week (TT, April 7).
However, Earth Day was celebrated earlier this week, and at least one event is planned for today.
Universidad Nacional (UNA) held an Earth Day fair on Thursday at its campus in the northern province of Heredia.
Activities at the celebration, which ran from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., included a children's painting workshop and stands selling goat milk products made by UNA students, including cheese and flavored yogurt, and a conference about the environmental impact of the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA).
The nonprofit environmental organization Neotrópica has planned a reforestation activity today at the Río Damas basin, south of San José, according to a statement from the organization.
The activity, which is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m., will be preceded by a conference on water conservation by hydrologist Hernán Solís in the neighboring community of Patarrá.
Police Take Control of Caribbean
Ports After This Week's Protests
Dozens of police offers took control of the Carribean ports of Limón and Moín Thursday, where workers have protested since Monday demanding better salaries.
The government made the decision to enter the ports to avoid losing exported goods. This week, 300 workers have protested using “ tortuguismo, ” or doing a minimal amount of work as slowly as possible.
According to estimates from the Atlantic Port Authority (JAPDEVA), if the protest continued, exporters would risk losing more than $19.7 million in goods, especially fruits and other perishables.
JAPDEVA solicited police intervention Thursday, and police arrived at the ports a few hours later, according to Public Security Minister Rogelio Ramos. Workers did not resist police entering the ports.
Negotiations between the government and JAPDEVA's union concluded yesterday as Labor Minister Fernando Trejos and Minister of Public Works and Transport Randall Quirós met with JAPDEVA representatives and striking workers.
JAPDEVA unionists are demanding salary increases of more than $1.7 million annually and the annulment of a resolution by the Public Services Regulatory Authority (ARESEP) to maintain additional port tariffs.
-ACAN-EFE
Record Exports in First Quarter of This Year
In what the Foreign Trade Ministry (COMEX) called a “golden trimester,” Costa Rica exported $1.9 billion of goods in the first three months of this year, marking a 22% increase over the same period last year.
The trimester marks the most growth in the last four years, according to a statement from COMEX.
Pineapple, electronic parts, bananas and medicines were the main exports.
COMEX attributed the successful quarter to a strong harvest for the agricultural sector and the exporting of electric and modular circuits from the industrial sector.
Products fabricated in free-trade zones showed the most growth this quarter, including cables, electric conductors, fine bakery products, sound-amplifying electric equipment and aluminum sheets, the statement said.
-Tico Times
International Poetry Festival To Unite 16 Poets
The 5 th International Poetry Festival to be held in Costa Rica May 27-June 2 will bring together 16 foreign poets and a dozen Costa Rican poets.
The Costa Rican House of Poetry Association reported in a statement yesterday that the festival will be held in different areas in the country to promote “the country's taste for poetry” and “the interaction between international and national poets.”
Twelve Latin American poets have been invited to the festival: Ernesto Cardenal and Bosco Centeno, from Nicaragua; Raól Zurita, from Chile; Thiago de Mello, from Brazil; Nancy Morejón, from Cuba; Héctor Rodas, from Guatemala, and Ernesto Lumbrereas and Guadalupe Elizalde, from Mexico.
Antonio Ramírez and Nelida González, from Puerto Rico; Vicente Muleiro, from Argentina and Claribel Alegría, from El Salvador will also attend, along with Rodolfo Hasler, from Spain and Ron Riddell, from New Zealand.
The festival will feature exhibits and poetry readings, and Universidad Nacional, in Heredia, north of San José, will present an honorary doctoraral degree to Nicaraguan poet Ernesto Cardenal.
Activities are scheduled to take place in San José; Heredia, north of San José; and in the Caribbean port city of Limón.
-ACAN-EFE