Villa Cultural Festival in Cuidad Colón
Concerts by Son de Tikizia, Swing en 4, Symphony Band and more, 6 p.m.; March 21, 2 p.m., more fun activities; March 22, 9 a.m., oxcart parade and dance shows, Ciudad Colón. 

Tierra y Cosecha Festival
Dance, music and theater, 6 p.m., Cartago streets; March 21, 2 and 7 p.m., folklore shows, Technology Institute gymnasium, Cartago; March 22, 2 p.m., folk dances, Technology Institute gymnasium, Cartago.

Comedy Night
With Joe Rocha and Josh Filipowski, Friday and Saturday, 11 p.m., Lemon Zest restaurant, EL Jardín Plaza, 2nd floor, Jacó, Puntarenas, 2643-2591.

‘Las Bizarrías de Belisa'
By Lope de Vega, performed by the National Classical Theater Company of Spain, 8 p.m.; March 22, 5 p.m., National Theater. 

Poás Fair
As part of fundraising activities for schools destroyed by the Jan. 8 earthquake, includes “Live Painting,” in which recognized artists will be painting works there, 11 a.m., Poás, Alajuela.

Live From the Metropolitan Opera House
Opera shown on high-definition screen, Bellini's “La Sonnambula,” 11 a.m., Eugene O'Neill Theater, CCCN, Barrio Dent.

Summer at CENAC
Electronic music concert featuring David Charpentier, Javier Portila, Meli-O, Op8, Sula Kaska and Psydog, 6 p.m.-midnight. March 22, circus, 11 a.m.; puppet show, 1 and 3 p.m.; fantasy bullfight, 2 p.m.; surprise closing concert, 5 p.m., all at CENAC.

San José Horse Parade
Organized by the Municipality of San José for the city's patron saint day, leaving at 11 a.m. from La Sabana Park.

Bewitched Sunday
Including traditional games, music, mascaradas and salsa concert by Charlie Rivera and Son del Pueblo (2 p.m.), starts at 9 a.m., Escazú Park. 

Pato Barraza in Concert
Rock, pop, 10 p.m., Jazz Café, San Pedro, 2253-8933, www.jazzcafecostarica.com.

MANAGUA – After more than two years of public-awareness campaigns, political lobbying and frustrating legal battle, Nicaraguan human-rights activists are more hopeful than ever that the government's draconian ban on therapeutic abortions will be overturned by the Supreme Court in the coming weeks.

The Supreme Court on Feb. 19 announced that it was done hearing arguments and debate and is prepared to hand down its final ruling on last year's legal motion challenging the ban on life-saving abortions for women.

Sandinista and Liberal legislators outlawed therapeutic abortion Oct. 26, 2006, in a measure rights activists called a shameless electoral ploy by both parties to pander to the church vote on the eve of the presidential elections. The ban was then upheld the following year in the country's new Penal Code, which entered into force July 10, 2007.

The new law makes Nicaragua one of only five countries in the world to criminalize abortions to prevent childbirth that could kill the mother.

Rights leaders filed a bevy of legal challenges against the new Penal Code, arguing that it was in violation of women's rights to life, health and human dignity.

The issue also became the first major wedge between the government of Daniel Ortega and the European community, prompting several European countries to suspend or restructure their aid programs to Nicaragua.

The Nica Times has learned from inside sources that the Supreme Court is expected to finally hand down its ruling before breaking for Easter Holy Week recess on April 6. Rights leaders say new indications from the government suggest the ruling could go their way – a scenario that seemed impossible just several months ago.

Read an upcoming issue of The Nica Times print edition for the full story.

The global economy may be grinding to a halt, but investment from China continues to pour into Costa Rica.

Days after President Oscar Arias laid the first stone of the new, $83 million, China-financed National Stadium, the eastern power announced this week it would help finance a new science and technology park in Costa Rica. The park, the location of which has yet to be determined, will be modeled after a similar technology and development hub in Shanghai, China, which Arias visited in October 2007.

According to Competitiveness Minister Jorge Woodbridge, the aim of the project is to develop Costa Rica's potential in several fields of technology, industry and science.

The project aims to “improve the level of competitiveness in the country,” especially in areas of innovation and productivity, Woodbridge said.

While some reports have estimated the project will cost $65 million, the minister said such projections were premature.

“We don't have an exact cost yet because (the project) will be divided into five phases,” he said. “This first (phase) will have a cost of $20 million, and includes biotechnology, nanotechnology, information technology and mechatronics.”

Nanotechnology involves engineering at a molecular scale, while mechatronics refers to a combination of mechanical and electronics engineering.

Woodbridge added that the amount of China's investment is currently under negotiation, and the project would include financing and investment from Costa Rica's private sector as well. The project will also be a collaborative effort with the country's four public universities, the Technology Institute of Costa Rica, National University, University of Costa Rica and State University at a Distance.

Two locations, one in the eastern suburb of Curridabat and the other in Heredia, north of San José, are under consideration as potential sites for the park. Woodbridge said a time frame for development would be given once a location is selected.

MANAGUA – Nicaragua has deported a U.S. citizen wanted in his own country for having absconded to Central America with his three young children, according to the U.S. Embassy in Managua.

David Matusiewicz and his mother, Lenore Matusiewicz, had been wanted in the United States for more than a year for having abducted Laura, Leigh and Karen.

The arrest was a joint effort between security officials at the U.S. Embassy and Nicaraguan police, who tracked Matusiewicz, his mother and the girls to a home on the outskirts of the city of Masaya, 17 kilometers south of the capital.

U.S. diplomats made the necessary arrangements with Nicaraguan police and Immigration authorities to return the three girls to their mother, who has legal custody of them.

In the last 19 months, agents with the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service followed clues provided by the U.S. Marshals Service regarding the fugitives.

Matusiewicz was deported to the United States, where he is facing kidnapping and bank fraud charges, according to an embassy statement.