HIS Lucky Day: Traffic police officer Luis Chávez, 52, got lucky yesterday when he ran into President Oscar Arias at the Carlos Durán Clinic in San José, where Arias was getting a flu shot. Chávez was photographed by the daily La República in 1987 when Arias, then serving his first term as President, handed him the keys to one of the new cars purchased for Traffic Police. Chávez had carried around a copy of the paper for six years hoping to get Arias' autograph.

The World Economic Forum yesterday named Costa Rica's Second Vice-President Kevin Casas one of this year's most distinguished world leaders under age 40, according to a statement from Casa Presidencial.

By Amanda Roberson
Tico Times Staff | aroberson@ticotimes.net

A boat carrying two metric tons of cocaine was confiscated by police yesterday in Pacific waters and brought to the Pacific port city of Puntarenas, according to Public Security Ministry spokesman Luis Diego Sancho. Three Costa Ricans aboard the ship identified by the last names Manzanares, Manegas and Vellegas were arrested and face charges before the Prosecutor's Office.

The boat was headed from Costa Rica to the United States and was discovered in Salvadoran waters in a joint effort by the U.S. Coast Guard and Costa Rican Coast Guard, Sancho said.

Officials yesterday towed it to shore, while the three detainees arrived in a separate boat. Meanwhile, a “sample” of its cocaine cargo was brought to Costa Rica. Police are still negotiating where the rest will be delivered, Sancho said.

“No more drugs fit in our warehouse,” Public Security Minister Fernando Berrocal told Channel 7 TV News from Puntarenas yesterday. Yesterday's bust makes a total of 23 metric tons of cocaine confiscated by Costa Rican authorities during the past seven months.

By Leland Baxter-Neal
Tico Times Staff | lbaxter@ticotimes.net

Family members and friends yesterday searched for Ronald Perugini, 26, a missing U.S. man who arrived in Costa Rica last week and could be dangerous.

Perugini, who suffers from schizophrenia and could become violent without medication, arrived at the Daniel Oduber Intern ational Airport, in the northwestern Guanacaste city of Liberia, with camping gear, $15,000-16,000 cash and enough medication for two days, according to close friend Chad Concolino.

“We're really worried. There's no saying what he might do if he gets in a weird situation,” Concolino said.

Perugini, from Orange County, California, is 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighs 220 lbs and has brown hair and green eyes. His credit card records show he was in Liberia on Saturday. Anyone with information about his whereabouts can contact Concolino at 863-2924 or by e-mail at info@idiscovercostarica.com.

The World Economic Forum yesterday named Costa Rica's Second Vice-President Kevin Casas one of this year's most distinguished world leaders under age 40, according to a statement from Casa Presidencial.

Casas was chosen among 4,000 other candidates from all over the world by the forum's selection committee, made up of 34 international leaders and presided over by the Queen of Jordan.

Casas and the other top 250 leaders will participate in the Forum of Young Global Leaders, created by World Economic Forum director Klaus Schwab. During a meeting Sept. 4-6 in Dalian, China, these young achievers will have a chance to get to know each other and collaborate on projects.

Casas is one of three Central Americans selected for Young Global Leaders since the World Economic Forum began this initiative in 2005. Salvadoran President Elías Antonio Saca was chosen last year, and Honduran Legislative Vice-President Mary Elizabeth Flores was selected alongside Casas this year.

Casas called the nomination “an honor, not just on a personal level, but also for Costa Rica.”

“Without doubt, the work I'm able to do with the Young Global Leaders will serve to position Costa Rica as a key country in solving various world problems,” he said.

-Tico Times