International Writers Conference
March 25-28, Cartago, San José and Alajuela, 2257-0470.

Reggae Film Festival
“Rebel Music,” March 25, 6 p.m., Contemporary Art and Design Museum, CENAC.

Feria de la Mascarada Barva 2009
Including rides, food and souvenir sales, cultural shows, cimarronas and mascarades, through March 29, Barva, Heredia.

The beaches of Sámara Sur, Hermosa de Jacó, Curú and Quesera were awarded the coveted Ecological Blue Flag for the first time on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, four others – Hermosa de Carrillo, Coco Norte, Punta Uvita and Piñuela – failed to meet the standards of the Water and Sewage Institute (AyA), which cost them the honor of recognition at the awards ceremony. The awards were based on evaluations conducted by AyA in 2008.

The beaches of Manuel Antonio National Park regained a place on the list after the popular park's reputation was soiled by polluted water last month.

Also re-capturing the flag were Arenilla, Manzanillo, Ocotal and Pelada beaches, which were defrocked last year along with three others when AyA discovered that their waters were too contaminated for swimming.

Tamarindo, a popular hotspot in the northwestern Guanacaste province, remained off the list despite its residents' efforts – including public recycling campaigns and anti-dengue sweeps – to clean up.

The Costa Rica Blue Flag program was initiated in 1996, and is not directly related to the internationally recognized Blue Flag eco-label.

President Oscar Arias this week has affirmed his commitment against oil exploration in Costa Rica.

Speaking in front of the Legislative Assembly Monday afternoon to promote a bill regarding rural aqueducts, the president took the opportunity to quell speculation that Costa Rica would open its land and sea up for oil exploration.

“We have to make a colossal effort to replace thermal energy with renewable sources,” Arias told lawmakers. “That is why we have stimulated investment in solar, wind, geothermal and biomass energy, and that is also why we will continue with our commitment to not permit oil exploration in our territory.”

The statement comes after years of speculation regarding Arias' intentions toward oil exploration in the country.

In 2007, Costa Rica signed an agreement with the Chinese National Oil & Gas Exploration and Development Corporation (CNODC) to expand the state-owned refinery in Moín, north of the Caribbean port city of Limón, an agreement that left the door open for CNODC to explore for oil off Costa Rica's Caribbean coast (TT, Dec. 14, 2007).

The year before, Arias announced that the Brazilian oil company Petrobras might study the possibility of petroleum exploration off the country's coasts (TT, June 2, 2006).

Neither proposal moved very far, and Arias said yesterday that he never made any final agreement to explore with either group, according to the daily La Republica.

Oil exploration has been on hold in Costa Rica since 2002, when then-President Abel Pacheco issued an executive decree banning oil exploration and certain kinds of mining. Upon taking office in 2006, however, Arias acknowledged to The Tico Times that he intended to ignore the decree, reopening the possibility of oil exploration in Costa Rican waters.

Non-smoking: This image of an electric train is what transport authorities envision for a future railway to take commuters back and forth between San José and Heredia in 22 minutes.

Photo courtesy of MOPT

In less than five years, San José residents could be riding an express-electric train to Heredia, the provincial capital north of San José, in 22 minutes flat thanks to a Public Works and Transport Ministry (MOPT) project whose characteristics were disclosed Tuesday.

The project, dubbed TREM, for Electric Metropolitan Train, will transport approximately 47 million passengers over a one-year-period and carry an estimated price tag of $345 million.

“We are finally talking about the modernization of public transport in Costa Rica,” said Karla González, minister of the Public Works and Transport Ministry (MOPT).

The electric train initiative is distinct from the project to rehabilitate the existing San José-Heredia railway for diesel-fuelled trains recently purchased from Spain, which could be up and running in a few weeks (TT, March 20).

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is providing $100 million for the future electric project, González said.

Accordingly, the company responsible for the concession will have to invest around $245 million in private funds over a period of 35 years.

“The donation from IDB will make this project more attractive to those companies interested in bidding for this project,” González said on Tuesday.

Over the last six months, Engevix, a Brazilian company, undertook a feasibility study that looked at passenger demand for the Heredia-San José and San José-Heredia routes, the electricity system and environmental viability, among other factors.

The first phase of the study also concluded that the country will save around $88.7 million a year. In addition, the research estimated a train fare of ¢400 (U.S. $0.75) for the San José-Heredia route.

The tender process will take place during the second half of 2009, and MOPT hopes to award the project during the first six months of 2010.

This Friday at 10 a.m. at least six interested companies, hailing from countries including Canada, China and Czech Republic will attend the first informational meeting regarding the concession at the Hotel Crown Coribicí, located in La Sabana.