Mi Casa, Tu Casa: Honduran President Manuel Zelaya (right) met with San José Mayor Johnny Araya Friday during his visit to Costa Rica to attend the launching of the “Peace with Nature” initiative. Araya symbolically handed him a key to the city of San José to show that Costa Rica is always available to Honduras for friendly support.

Matteo Quintavalle -- a stout and pudgy Italian millionaire and aspiring soccer mogul who is accused of fraud, conspiracy and illegal financial intermediation -- is nowhere to be found after a massive sweep and manhunt by authorities here Thursday.

Clown Convention
Workshops, competitions, public exhibitions, today through Friday, National Culture Center (CENAC), San José, Ave. 3/5, Calle 11/15. Info: 226-6697, guzguzcr@yahoo.es.

Workshop: How to Design a Computer Game
Kids 9-13, today through Wednesday, 9 a.m., Innova, Omar Dengo Foundation, San José, 300 m east, 75 m south of Casa Matute Gómez. Info: 527-6001, 527-6006.

By Dave Sherwood
Tico Times Staff | dsherwood@ticotimes.net

President Oscar Arias formally announced his “Peace with Nature” initiative Friday at a reception at INBioparque in Santo Domingo de Heredia, north of San José.

“All human beings are like brothers. We are part of a big family called humanity, and we live in this immense house we call earth. It is the only house we have,” he said.

The initiative is a concrete measure designed to help the country protect its natural resources and promote international cooperation on such issues as global warming and biodiversity preservation.

The bold initiative, which Arias said will have both national and international ramifications, was announced in front of a varied group, ranging from university professors to former environment ministers to Honduran President Manuel Zelaya.

“If I cut a tree in Costa Rica, that can cause draught in Africa...that is how it is in all of the world, we are all holding each other's hands,” Arias said.

The initiative establishes 12 commissions made up of experts, each assigned to a different environmental issue including energy, forests, water, waste removal and marine resources.

According to Pedro Léon, coordinator for the initiative, it is “a crusade to protect our environment, to turn back global warming, promote sustainable and renewable energy.”

Despite the hype surrounding “Peace with Nature,” some of the country's environmentalists, including Mauricio Alvarez, of the Costa Rican Federation for Environmental Conservation (FECON) balked at the initiative, calling it window dressing.

Floods caused by recent torrential rains have damaged more than 100 bridges in the Northern Zone and Caribbean, National Emergency Commission (CNE) Director Daniel Gallardo told the daily La Nación.

Eleven of these bridges have collapsed, 41 have “significant damages” that could render them impassable at any moment and 49 have a damaged part that requires repair.

At least ¢3 billion ($5.8 million) is needed to get these bridges back in shape, Gallardo said.

Cantons including Guácimo, Pococí, Siquirres and Matina, in the Caribbean, as well as the Northern Zone areas of Los Chiles and San Carlos and parts of Heredia, north of San José, are among those affected.

Floods have also damaged at least 1,000 homes, affecting an estimated 5,000 people, 200 of whom have been forced to abandon their homes to seek shelter.

Authorities are advising those living in areas that have experienced flooding to remain extra cautious as more heavy rains are likely during the coming months, the daily reported.

Gallardo also expressed worry over the affect this weather could have on the transport of agricultural goods such as banana, pineapple and ornamental plants.

-Tico Times

By Blake Schmidt
Tico Times Staff | bschmidt@ticotimes.net