Shelter from the Storm: Children played yesterday at a community center in San Antonio de Santa Ana, west of San José, where about 140 people are staying at a temporary shelter set up by the National Emergency Commission after a flood washed out their homes.

Foreign direct investment in Costa Rica shot up 71% in 2006, according to a study released yesterday by the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Free Film Screening
“A la Media Noche,” directed by Mariana Rondón and Marite Ugás, from Venezuela, 7 p.m., Sala Calle 15, San José, Ave. 2, Calles 13/15.

Piano Concert/Release of New CD
With pianist Scarlett Brebion Kelemen, 7:30 p.m., TEOR/éTica, Barrio Amón, San José. Reservations: 233-4881, 233-8775.

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

Costa Rica won a hard-fought seat on the U.N. Security Council yesterday, beating out the Dominican Republic for a coveted two-year position. The Dominican Republic withdrew its candidacy after snagging just 70 votes to Costa Rica's 119 in a second round of voting.

“I'm really happy,” said President Oscar Arias. “We can push for peace with a lot of authority.”

Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno said Costa Rica will use its new post to promote human rights, Security Council reform, nuclear non-proliferation and reductions in military spending. Such an agenda could face resistance within the 15-member Council, Stagno admitted.

“We are going to brush up against some vested interests,” he said. “But that's part of diplomacy.”

Stagno campaigned tirelessly for the seat. He visited some 12 African countries in early September and met with more than 70 foreign ministers in New York in recent weeks, according to Miguel Díaz, press officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This will be Costa Rica's third seat on the Council, following stints in 1974-1975 and 1997-1998. The Security Council is the only U.N. body whose decisions can be binding.    

The relentless rains plaguing Costa Rica this month have moved to the northwestern Guanacaste province, where about 800 people remained in shelters yesterday after being preventively evacuated from their homes.

The National Emergency Commission (CNE) Monday placed Guanacaste under a red alert when the Nosara and Tempisque rivers overflowed, flooding communities including Filadelfia, Carrillo, Nandayure, Hojancha, Santa Cruz, Liberia, Nosara and Nicoya.

The CNE opened 14 shelters in Guanacaste, and shelters also remain open in Santa Ana, west of San José; Atenas, northwest of San José; and the central Pacific towns of Parrita and Tárcoles. A total of 1,367 people have been evacuated from their homes by the CNE and are staying in these shelters.

A red alert remains in effect for Guanacaste as well as Parrita, while the rest of the country is under a yellow alert except the Caribbean, where the alert remains at the green, preventive level.

Those who want to help flood victims can make donations to the CNE to following bank accounts: Banco de Costa Rica account numbers 118281-1 in dollars and 91100-3 in colones or Banco Nacional account number 911-8 in colones.

Non-perishable food items, personal hygiene items and other goods can be donated to the Red Cross.

-Tico Times

Foreign direct investment in Costa Rica shot up 71% in 2006, according to a study released yesterday by the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Known as the World Investment Report 2007, the study found that foreigners directly invested $1.469 billion in Costa Rica last year.

That puts Costa Rica in fourth place in the region as far as per-capita foreign direct investment, behind Panama, Chile and Uruguay.

The United States remains Costa Rica's main investor, with 47% of foreign direct investment coming from there. Another 23% came from Canada and 5% from Colombia.

The report says the increase in investment in Costa Rica is “partly due to a large sale in the financial sector and partly to rising foreign direct investment in tourism.”

Foreign direct investment in Costa Rica has grown by leaps and bounds since 2004, when it reached $617.3 million and was growing by single digits.