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27 Apr 2006 |
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Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, April 27, 2006
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Foreign Minister Assures
San Juan River Case is Ready
Outgoing Minister of Foreign Relations yesterday, Roberto Tovar assured the country yesterday that Costa Rica is ready to submit its arguments before the International Court of Justice, seated in The Hague, the Netherlands, in the San Juan River dispute with Nicaragua.
(Click for more)
Woman Killed by San José 's Train
Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ) are investigating the case of a woman killed by San José 's train Tuesday, OIJ spokeswoman Viviana Fonseca told The Tico Times yesterday.
(Click for more)
Sala IV Declares Domestic
Violence Law Unconstitutional
The Constitutional Chamber of the Costa Rican Supreme Court (Sala IV) ruled April 21 that a controversial domestic violence bill, which was approved in the first debate of Congress March 20 (TT, March 24), is unconstitutional because of procedural violations, according to a statement from the Judicial Branch, marking the fifth time the bill has been approved by Congress then ruled unconstitutional by the Sala IV.
(Click for more)
Salvadoran Expert
Studies Poás Volcano
Rodolfo Olmas, an engineer from the University of El Salvador (UES) spent a week in Costa Rica earlier this month analyzing Poás Volcano, which erupted numerous times March 24 (TT, April 7), according to a statement from the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (OVSICORI), based at Universidad Nacional (UNA).
(Click for more)
April 27
Dance Master Class
Celebrating International Dance Day, 5 p.m., José Figueres Ferrer Cultural Center, San Ramón, northwest of San José.
Course on Wilderness First Responder (WFR)
Registration for International Certification by WFR June 13-21, Pocosol Biological Station, Peñas Blancas de San Ramón. Info: e-mail gisrodriguez@acmcr.org.
Photo Exhibit
Photo show “¡Esas maravillosas abejas!” (Those Wonderful Bees!) by the Tropical Bees Research Center, opens today at 5 p.m. and runs through July, Galería Lola Fernández, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, north of San José. Info: 277-3464.
Edited By Amanda Roberson
Tico Times Staff
aroberson@ticotimes.net
Foreign Minister Assures
San Juan River Case is Ready
By Leland Baxter-Neal
Tico Times Staff
lbaxter@ticotimes.net
Outgoing Minister of Foreign Relations yesterday, Roberto Tovar assured the country yesterday that Costa Rica is ready to submit its arguments before the International Court of Justice, seated in The Hague, the Netherlands, in the San Juan River dispute with Nicaragua.
The San Juan River separates Costa Rica from Nicaragua along the eastern half of the border and is Nicaraguan territory; however, Costa Rica has navigational rights. The dispute centers on differing interpretations of what those navigational rights entail based on treaties signed by both countries in the late 1800s (TT, Nov. 11, 2005).
Costa Rica turned to the International Court of Justice in The Hague on Sept. 28, 2005, after the two countries failed to come to an agreement following years of negotiations (TT, Sept. 30, 2005).
Tovar explained that Costa Rica 's arguments, which must first be submitted in written form, are ready, but the country will wait until its Aug. 29 deadline to turn them in and spend more time fine tuning the case.
Nicaragua has another nine months after Costa Rica submits its case to respond. Costa Rica has a chance to reply, then oral hearings on the matter will begin. Sergio Ugalde, coordinator of the Foreign Ministry's foreign law committee, told The Tico Times he believed the case would be resolved in approximately four years.
Tovar also said he expected the total cost of the proceedings to Costa Rica to be $1.3-1.4 million, significantly less than the figures of $15-20 million originally reported.
Tovar declined to comment on the details of the dispute between the two countries. Costa Rica has argued that its armed police should have free navigation of the river (which Nicaragua has prohibited), since tourism is included under Costa Rica 's right to travel the river for “commercial purposes.”
Woman Killed by San José 's Train
By Amanda Roberson
Tico Times Staff
aroberson@ticotimes.net
Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ) are investigating the case of a woman killed by San José 's train Tuesday, OIJ spokeswoman Viviana Fonseca told The Tico Times yesterday.
Ana López, 45, was hit and killed by the train Tuesday in Sabana Sur, west of San José, according to Red Cross spokeswoman Noemi Coto.
Red Cross officials received a call that the train had hit López shortly after 10 a.m., and, upon arriving to the scene, discovered that she was killed instantaneously and dragged several meters down the tracks.
López, a mother of seven, was crossing the tracks with an umbrella in hand against the morning rain when she was struck by the train, witnesses told the daily La Nación.
Costa Rican Railroad Institute (INCOFER) President Miguel Carabaguíaz told the daily the cargo train was heading toward Alajuela, northwest of San José.
“The train sounded its horn three times. It was going 30 kilometers per hour. A train can't stop on the spot like a car -- it weighs 60 tons and stops a few meters later,” Carabaguíaz said.
The victim was on her way to work at the nearby Conoco computer distributor from her home in Pavas, on the other side of the train tracks.
Her death is the first since the urban train was relaunched in October 2005.
Sala IV Declares Domestic
Violence Law Unconstitutional
The Constitutional Chamber of the Costa Rican Supreme Court (Sala IV) ruled April 21 that a controversial domestic violence bill, which was approved in the first debate of Congress March 20 (TT, March 24), is unconstitutional because of procedural violations, according to a statement from the Judicial Branch, marking the fifth time the bill has been approved by Congress then ruled unconstitutional by the Sala IV.
The bill punishes spouses or partners that force a woman to have sex against her will with 15-18 years in prison and those who kill their wives with 20-35 years in prison.
Additionally, men who offend, insult or ridicule a woman may go to prison for six months to two years, while those who threaten women could face up to four years in prison.
Much of the disagreement surrounding the bill and comprising the consultations filed before the Sala IV stems from the fact that it applies only to women, which some opponents say is unfair (TT, March 24).
The proposed law must be analyzed by the new Congress which begins session May 1; these legislators will decide whether to amend it, leave it as is or throw it out.
-ACAN-EFE
Salvadoran Expert Studies Poás Volcano
Rodolfo Olmas, an engineer from the University of El Salvador (UES) spent a week in Costa Rica earlier this month analyzing Poás Volcano, which erupted numerous times March 24 (TT, April 7), according to a statement from the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (OVSICORI), based at Universidad Nacional (UNA).
Working with Costa Rican scientists, Olmas used a specialized instrument that, connected to a laptop computer, measures emissions of sulfur dioxide, a gas released by magma below a volcano's surface that is important in gauging potential eruptions.
From April 4-9, scientists measured an average of 80-140 tons of sulfur dioxide per day, relatively low compared to other periods of extreme activity throughout history, when Poás has emitted 400-800 tons of the sulfur dioxide daily, according to the statement.
This research provided Costa Rican scientist with “asset of data very valuable to be able to better interpret what happened in the recent crisis,” the statement said.
-Tico Times