Latin Pro Surf contest
Through Sunday, in front of Best Western, Jacó.

Read-a-thon
All proceeds go toward school supplies for children in Guanacaste, 8:15-9:15 a.m., Country Day School, Guanacaste, info: 8391-8282, 2653-8533. 

Used car fair
Through Sunday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Polidiportivo, Santo Domingo, Heredia.

Charity dance
To benefit Magdala Homes for Elders and disabled children, 6:30 p.m., Mexico Institute.

Danceworks performance
“Super Heroes, Mini Heroes,” to raise money to help the New Borns Unit of the Children's Hospital, Friday through Sunday, 8 p.m., Melico Salazar Theater.

Argentine Film Festival
“El ultimo bandoneón,” Friday; “El Resultado del amor,” Saturday; “El Fondo del mar,” Sunday, all at 7 p.m., Sala Garbo, Avenida 2, Calle 28, info: 2222-1034.

Play in English: ‘Love Letters'
Romantic comedy in English by the Little Theatre Group, Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2:30 p.m., Laurence Olivier Theater, Avenida 4, Calle 28, next to Sala Garbo, 8355-1623, www.littletheatregroup.org.

Teletón
Concerts by Chenoa and José Luis Rodríguez “El Puma,” goal is to raise ¢450 million to buy equipment and supplies for the Children's Hospital burn unit, 9 p.m. Friday through midnight Saturday, Palacio de los Deportes, Heredia, donations can be made to Banco Nacional account 123452030-2, by text message to 2030 (¢1,000), 2035 (¢5,000), 2039 (¢9,000) or buying stickers at Megasuper stores. 

Son de Tikizia in concert
Salsa, 10 p.m., Jazz Café, San Pedro, info: 2253-8933, www.jazzcafecostarica.com.

Tatiana Gómez in concert
Pop, jazz, 10 p.m., Jazz Café, Escazú, info: 2288-4740, www.jazzcafecostarica.com.

Son del Pueblo and Son Urbano in concert
Salsa, 9:30 p.m., El Observatorio, opposite Cine Magaly, Barrio La California, San José, info: 2223-0725.

Spaghetti with Santa
Lunch to benefit abandoned and disabled children, with live music by Harmony Roads, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Big Mike's, Escazú, Urbanización Los Anonos, info: 8877-8992.

Tico Tamal Fiesta
San José Municipality to give out 1,000 tamales to people, with cultural shows, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Avenida Central, in front of Banco Central.

3rd Rock en el Farolito Festival
Dedicated to Tico rock band Evolución, performances by Mabí (Panama), Filtro Medusa (Panama), Paspak (El Salvador), Perrozompopo (Nicaragua) and more, 1-10 p.m., Morazán Park, San José, for more info e-mail moralab2003@yahoo.co.uk.

Celebrating 60th anniversary of abolition of the army
Talks, art exhibits, concert by Voces Quartto incanto, 4 p.m., José Figuerres Ferrer Cultural Center.

Peña Cultural
Arts, dance, plays, concerts, food, 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Giratablas Theater, Los Yoses, 2253-6001.

‘Especial 80s' music night
Hosted by Magaly Gutiérrez and Allan Aguilar, 9:30 p.m., El Observatorio, opposite Cine Magaly, Barrio La California, San José, info: 2223-0725.

Bernardo Quesada in concert
Trova, 10 p.m., Jazz Café, Escazú, info: 2288-4740, www.jazzcafecostarica.com.

Las Tortugas in concert
Classic rock, 10 p.m., Jazz Café, San Pedro, info: 2253-8933, www.jazzcafecostarica.com.

Costa Rican International Marathon
Featuring Kenya's Olympic silver medalist Catherine Ndereba, 42 km., three laps, starts at noon, leaving from the former National Stadium (La Sabana), Rohrmoser Boulevard, Paseo Colón, Avenida 2, Parque Central, Legislative Assembly Building (returning point). Also, wheelchairs (leaving at 11:30 a.m.), 21 km., roller skating and a family walk (4 km).

Circus and more
Cultural festival featuring circus show, music, comedy, 10:30 a.m.-1p.m., Gold Museum amphitheater, Plaza de la Cultura, San José.

‘Navidad Mágica: Los Angeles y la Fuga de Navidad'
Laus Deo Choir, Dec. 7, 6 p.m., east side of National Gymnasium, La Sabana Park.

Christmas Fair
Jewelry, crafts and more, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Las Arcadas Shopping Center, Plaza de la Cultura, in front of National Theater.

Octavia in concert
Pop, jazz, bossa nova, 10 p.m., Jazz Café, San Pedro, info: 2253-8933, www.jazzcafecostarica.com.

Some government agencies and private institutions in Costa Rica are taking measures to reduce thefts and muggings that are common around the holiday season.

Banco Nacional and Bancrédito announced this week that all of their ATM locations around the country would be closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. starting today.

Banco de Costa Rica began the same measure on Wednesday.

“We asked our clients to organize themselves to make their withdrawals during the day time… during a time where their physical safety would not be compromised,” said Manrique Chacón, strategy commercial director for Banco Nacional.

Banco de Costa Rica said in a press release that night-time ATM operations represent only 7 to 8 percent of transactions.

For the most part, these three banks have taken the security measure due to the common practice of “paseo millonario,” or “millionaire ride,” a term for the random kidnappings of people around holiday season where assailants take their victims to various ATM locations and take all of their money.

In many cases, female victims are often sexually assaulted, said Rándal Picado, vice director for the Public Security Ministry.

The ministry has also increased its police presence in key commercial and financial areas around the country. The Aguinaldo Operative has been in place since Monday, deploying hundreds of officers to safeguard residents collecting or using their aguinaldo, the year-end holiday bonus.

Picado advises citizens not to accept assistance with their ATM transactions, not to carry large amounts of money, and not to get distracted while using cell phones in the street.

In addition, the ministry is warning citizens against an e-mail scam regarding muggings around ATMs around the nation, where victims are instructed to mark their personal identification numbers (PIN) backward in order to notify police officers.

The information on this e-mail is completely false, Picado said in a press release.

See today's print edition of The Tico Times for more on the end-year bonus given to employees, the aguinaldo.

President Oscar Arias' administration will push for a Constituent Assembly to change Costa Rica's nearly 60-year-old Constitution and alter the interplay between the branches of government.

Calling the country “ungovernable,” Presidency Minister Rodrigo Arias said Wednesday that local government should wield more authority and the Executive Branch should have more power vis-a-vis the Legislative Assembly.

The Legislative Assembly can make minor changes to the 1949 Constitution with support of a two-thirds majority. But substantial reforms can be made only by a Constituent Assembly, which can be convened either by the Legislative Assembly or through a national referendum.

Marvin Carvajal, a law professor at the University of Costa Rica (UCR), worries that a Constitution overhaul could erode social guarantees that have helped Costa Rica achieve greater social progress than its neighbors. He also fears that the assembly members might weaken provisions that have kept government abuses in check.

“Furthermore,” Carvajal said, “if politicians haven't been able to agree in the Legislative Assembly and other forums, what makes you think they can reach accords in a Constituent Assembly?”

Nicaragua's opposition politicians say they're not yet giving up on a bid to redo the Nov. 9 elections they claim were rigged by the ruling Sandinista party after a vote in Congress yesterday fell three votes short of a quorum.

Opposition legislators say they will launch a campaign to “convince” swing voters in Congress – namely six Liberal Nicaragua Alliance (ALN) legislators – to back their bid to annul the elections amid allegations of electoral fraud.

The opposition needs 47 of 90 votes to annul the election results and set up a revote next year. But President Daniel Ortega has said he opposes any attempt to annul the elections as unconstitutional and even signed a decree blocking the opposition's proposal.

Independent legislator Jamileth Bonilla, an ex-Liberal who tends to vote along her former party line, said she will support the proposal and will help lead a push to convince other swing voters like herself that the Nov. 9 elections must be annulled. The National Assembly is set to vote on the issue again on Tuesday.

“We've lacked the tact to convince ALN legislators,” Bonilla said, adding “that's the job we have to do now.”

Bonilla added that if the ruling Sandinista party gets away with rigging the Nov. 9 mayoral elections as alleged, there's no reason President Daniel Ortega won't try to do the same in an attempt to seek reelection.

Visit www.nicatimes.net for more news from Nicaragua.