Third Mesoamerican Writing and Culture Conference
Today and tomorrow, 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Mexico Institute, Los Yoses. Info: 2283-3033, ext. 143, http://mesoamerica.ucr.ac.cr.

Little Theatre Group open house
6:30 p.m., Laurence Olivier Theater, next to Sala Garbo, Avenida 2, Calle 28. Info: 8355-1623.

Ninth International Baroque Music Festival
Grupo Crisol and Barroco Jazz, performing works by Vivaldi, Marcello, 7:30 p.m., Hotel Villa Los Candiles, Santa Ana.

Mundoloco concerts
Moonlight Dub, 10 p.m., Jazz Café, San Pedro; Fabio Avelino and Batuque Congo, Brazilian, 10 p.m., Jazz Café, Escazú. Info: http://jazzcafecostarica.com.

Some relief at the pump is coming this week after a Costa Rica regulator approved a reduction of gasoline prices.

Set to take effect Wednesday at midnight, the prices are to drop to ¢ 687 (U.S. $1.23) per liter for super, ¢ 665 ($1.17) for regular and ¢ 609 ($1.09) for diesel, according to a press release from the Public Services Regulatory Authority (ARESEP).

The latest slash comes as a correction to price increases after Hurricane Ike in mid-September, and “will benefit consumers and not affect the finances of (National Oil Refinery) RECOPE,” the press release said.

RECOPE had requested a lesser price reduction of ¢24 per liter for super, below ARESEP's approved ¢35 decrease.

A Costa Rican lawmaker drove into and killed a cyclist late Saturday in Cariari de Pococí, in the Caribbean province of Limón.

Libertarian Movement party member Ovidio Agüero was driving his sister's Toyota Land Cruiser when, at 2:15 a.m., he hit 25-year-old banana picker Víctor Mauricio Arroyo, the daily La Nación reported.

Agüero, who reportedly was driving while intoxicated, might not face charges, according to the daily, because of Costa Rica's political immunity law.

Police have arrested two men in the murder of White House Hotel casino dealer Yerlin Marín.

One subject, whose last name is Mora, was arrested when he went to the Public Security Ministry's San José offices on Friday afternoon to sign parole documents in a separate charge against him of armed robbery, according to the daily La Nación.

The second suspect, Mena, was arrested a few hours later at a house where he was hiding.

Marín was shot early Tuesday after the men forced her, along with Angie Peraza and Marín's sister, Arelis – all dealers at the casino in the southwestern San José suburb of Escazú – into their car. Peraza and Arelis were also each shot twice, but both survived.

Police found several weapons and fake uniforms from National Police and Drug Control Police units at the house of Mora's girlfriend, reported La Nación.

In searches on Friday, police also found the cell phone of Pamela Chaves, who was killed along with Rolando Orozco two months ago in the western San José district of Pavas, and the two men are now being investigated for those murders as well.

Both detainees are from Villa Esperanza in Pavas.

Late Friday evening, police also found the car the men supposedly drove the women around in at the house of relatives of Mora in Puntarenas, on the Pacific Coast. Mora told police his car had broken down while he was in the area.

Mora and Mena have been given six months of preventive prison while their case is heard. They are charged with murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, armed robbery and rape.

Mora's girlfriend, whose name has not been released, was also arrested and charged with receiving stolen goods and has been given two months of preventive prison.