Rain Drops are Falling: Prepared pedestrians are toting umbrellas now that the rainy season is fully under way. This walker waits to cross the highway in Escazú, west of San José.

Those with creative flair and access to a computer can put their talent to a cause by participating in a contest to design the logo for an upcoming campaign to protect Isla del Coco, a national park located 365 miles west of the central Pacific port of Puntarenas.

“Periferias al Centro” Film Festival
“Caminos a Koktebel” ( Russia , 2003), tonight; “El Hombre sin Pasado,” (Finland, Germany, France, 2002), May 29, both at 6:30 p.m.; Contemporary Art and Design Museum, National Culture Center (CENAC), San José, Ave. 3/5, Calle 11/15. Info: 221-2154.

Concert by Sasha Campbell
7 p.m., Spanish Cultural Center, Barrio Escalante, San José, 200 m. north, 200 m. east of the Santa Teresita Church. Info: 257-2919.

Youth Symphony Orchestra Concert
Gala show to begin concert season, with performances of works by Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Rossini and more, 8 p.m., National Theater, ¢1,500 (about $3). Info: 240-0333.

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

In a “historic” drug bust Sunday night at Daniel Oduber International Airport in the northwestern Guanacaste capital of Liberia, six people were arrested for allegedly carrying 35.6 kilograms of cocaine in their luggage, according to a statement from the Public Security Ministry released yesterday.

This is the first time six people have allegedly worked together as “mules” to traffic drugs aboard a plane, said Public Security Ministry spokesman Jesús Ureña. It also marks the largest quantity of cocaine confiscated at once at a Costa Rican airport.

Those arrested were identified as two Jamaican women with the last names Buchanan, 57, and Gayle, 27, as well as two Canadian women identified as Laurens, 46, and Warburton, 26. Two Canadian men identified as Attzsgevon, 20, and Dwayne, 24, were also arrested.

These six were scheduled to fly to Toronto, Canada. Anti-drug authorities discovered the cocaine hidden in compartments of their 11 suitcases while inspecting them, Ureña said.

They are being held at a Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ) detention center in Liberia and face international drug-trafficking charges before the Prosecutor's Office there.

Costa Ricans spent more than $157.7 million on private health-care services during the first four months of 2006, mostly on medicine and dental appointments, according to the results of a national study by the Costa Rican Nutrition and Health Research Institute (INCIENSA) released yesterday.

The institute's Patricia Allen explained at a press conference that 75% of Costa Ricans surveyed said they bought medicine in pharmacies during this time period.

The purchase of medicine represented the greatest expense for Costa Ricans (more than $42.82 million), followed by dental appointments, on which 26.4% of families surveyed spent about $36.9 million.

Medical appointments also represented a significant expense for families at $31.4 million between January and April of 2006.

Additionally, Costa Ricans spent more than $24.75 million on the purchase and rental of medical equipment and $4.86 million on lab exams.

Public Health Minister María Luisa Avila said these are only part of the results of the survey, which will serve as a tool for analysis and research into health care in Costa Rica.

-ACAN-EFE

Those with creative flair and access to a computer can put their talent to a cause by participating in a contest to design the logo for an upcoming campaign to protect Isla del Coco, a national park located 365 miles west of the central Pacific port of Puntarenas.

The logo will appear on the Internet and TV, in brochures and in bus terminals, according to a statement from nonprofits organizing the campaign including MarViva and Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the U.N. Development Programme (UNDP).

The campaign, to be launched in August, seeks to create greater citizen awareness of the Isla del Coco National Park and a desire to protect it.

Citizens are encouraged to demand “effective legislation with clear sanctions and real commitments to the control and vigilance of the island,” the statement said.

The end goal is for Isla del Coco to become a model for other protected marine areas in Costa Rica. Additionally, these organizations are raising funds to purchase a boat for investigation in this national park. Each user who contributes ¢2,000 (about $4) via the contest's Web site will be eligible to win a scuba diving trip to Isla del Coco.

Entries for the logo contest will be accepted through June 6, and the winner will be announced June 8 during a ceremony at the Culture Plaza in San José. For more information on design requirements and to submit your logo, visit http://navegalo.com/tuislacoco/index.htm.