Macbeth Madness: England's TNT theater group is performing Shakespeare's Macbeth tomorrow and Saturday at 8 p.m. at the National Theater; call 221-9417 for more information.

The Foreign Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER) yesterday signed a cooperation agreement with the Brazilian-Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce to stimulate more trade and investment between the two countries.

Illusion Magic Fest
With renowned magicians Enric Magoo, Tina Lenert and Fernando Keops, today through Sunday, 8 p.m., also at 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Variedades Theater, San José. Info: www.mundoticket.com, 207-2025.

Johnny Dread in Concert
Reggae, 9 p.m., El Observatorio, Barrio La California, across from Cine Magaly.

By Gillian Gillers
Tico Times Staff | ggillers@ticotimes.net

Second Vice-President Kevin Casas yesterday stepped down as Planning Minister during an investigation into whether the government misused public funds in its campaign for the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA).

Casas suggested campaign tactics that would constitute an abuse of state money in a recently leaked memo to President Oscar Arias and his brother, Presidency Minister Rodrigo Arias. The letter was co-written by National Liberation Party (PLN) legislator Fernando Sánchez, who has not resigned any of his positions in the assembly.

Rodrigo Arias, who announced the news at a press conference yesterday after the President's weekly Cabinet meeting, said Casas “wanted to leave the ministry so that (the investigation) could be carried out in the broadest, clearest, and surest form,” adding that “the President and I have thanked don Kevin for his decision.”

The Supreme Elections Tribunal (TSE) asked the Planning Ministry's Internal Auditing Office to open the investigation Monday, a few days after the weekly University of Costa Rica (UCR) newspaper published the contents of the memo.

Vice-Minister of Planning Vega Barrantes yesterday took over as Interim Planning Minister. Rodrigo Arias and Tribunal President Luis Antonio Sobrado said they did not know how long the investigation would last or when Casas would return to his post.

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

Costa Rica can't breathe a sigh of relief yet – more stormy weather could be headed this way, officials from the National Emergency Commission (CNE) and the National Meteorological Institute (IMN) reported yesterday.

The eighth tropical depression so far this season is whirling around near the Lesser Antilles islands and could move west toward Costa Rica during the next couple of days, said IMN meteorologist Gustavo Murillo.

It could also gain strength and grow from a tropical depression to a tropical storm, indirectly affecting Costa Rica with heavy rains.

Tropical storm Humberto is also brewing and looking to hit the Gulf Coast of the U.S. states of Texas and Louisiana. However, it's unlikely this storm could head far enough south to affect Costa Rica, Murillo said.

The National Emergency Commission is keeping its eye on these storms and will alert Costa Ricans of potentially hazardous weather, said CNE spokesman Reynaldo Carballo.

Earlier this week, heavy rains caused landslides around Costa Rica.

The Foreign Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER) yesterday signed a cooperation agreement with the Brazilian-Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce to stimulate more trade and investment between the two countries.

The agreement calls for exhibitions of products and services, seminars, conferences, business meetings and bilateral commercial missions.

Costa Rica exports about $20 million yearly to Brazil, mostly in medicines, cardboard boxes and parts for airplanes and helicopters, the statement said.

Imports from this South American country total about $393 million per year in iron products, vehicles, textiles and iron and copper wires.

Business owners from Brazil are among those participating this week in the 4 th Commercial Buyers Mission, during which importers from 30 countries are checking out products from 220 Costa Rican exporters.

Brazilian importers have shown interest in importing plastics and construction products from Costa Rica.