European Film Festival
"Tierra" (Spain), Monday, 7 p.m.; "Formidable," Tuesday, 7 p.m., at Veritas University, Zapote.

Aerial dance
With Fred Deb and Jacques Bertrand of France, starting Sept. 21, CENAC. Info: 2222-2937.

Kingo Lovers in concert
Reggae Roots, Sept. 21, 9 p.m., Jazz Café, San Pedro. Info: 2253-8933.

Costa Rican President Oscar Arias has expressed dismay over the United States' move to extend its nearly 50-year-old trade embargo against Cuba one more year.

“I have not been in agreement with this embargo for some time,” Arias said on Friday, days before he heads to New York City to participate in a climate change forum and nuclear arms debate. 

Just as the region was coming closer to reconciling a nearly half-century standoff with Cuba, U.S. President Barack Obama extended sanctions against the island last week.

While Obama gave indications in April that Washington is moving to bridge relations with Cuba – including allowing Cuban Americans to travel and send remittances to their homeland – he issued a memorandum Sept. 14 stating his intention to pursue the “continuation for one year of the exercise” with respect to Cuba, citing the “the national interest of the United States.” The Trading With the Enemy Act against Cuba, which was originally signed in 1963, was scheduled to expire Sept. 14, 2009.

“It's not a new position, but it's not the most appropriate one,” said Arias, who became one of the latest leaders in the region to renew diplomatic ties with Cuba in March. He said isolation has locked Cuba in the past: “It's always been used as an excuse for Cuba not to realize a change.”

Within the last year, Cuba gradually has become more accepted in the region as the Organization of American States offered the island membership and more countries renewed diplomatic ties (including El Salvador and Costa Rica), leaving the United States as the only country that has yet to normalize relations.

Easing away from the rest of the region's policy of maintaining pressure on Honduras, Panama's top diplomat has said his government will recognize whomever is voted into Honduras' presidency in the November elections.

"We see the democratic elections as a departure from the current situation, as long as they are held in a transparent manner and they are part of the national dialog," said Juan Carlos Varela, Panama's vice president and foreign minister.

The Panmanian vote of confidence for Honduras' upcoming elections came as a departure from firm stances held by the international community. In a recent announcement to slash millions in aid to Honduras, the U.S. State Department said that it will not recognize the result of the Honduran elections slated for November as long as the terms included in a Costa Rica-brokered accord are not met (TT Daily News, Sept. 4).

Among its primary, and most contentious, points, the San José Agreement – drafted by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias after four days of intense negotiations in his home – calls for an amnesty and reinstatement of deposed President Manuel Zelaya. Only one of the country's leading presidential candidates, César Ham, of the Democratic Unification Party, has said he would support the terms of the San José Agreement if elected (TT Daily News, Sept. 17).

In a televised interview Sunday with "Al Punto," a program on Hispanic TV channel Univision, U.S. President Barack Obama avoided saying whether his administration would flatly refuse to recognize the elected leader after Honduras' Nov. 29 vote. However, he reiterated that Arias' proposal will bring legitimacy to the elections.

The government of recently elected Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli, a conservative, has offered to work as a mediator in the Honduran crisis, which has resulted in a standoff following Zelaya's June 28 ouster. Martinelli's administration remains in contact with Honduras' de facto President Roberto Micheletti.

Martinelli, who took office July 1, is due to leave Monday with his foreign minister and other members of his cabinet for New York to participate in the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly from Sept. 23 to 30.

Varela added that "several countries" – without specifying – have felt "that in some way they see the elections as an exit from the current crisis" in Honduras, and that Panama will convey its backing of the final election results in meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and Chile's Michelle Bachelet, among other top officials.

Costa Rican fighters snatched all three international mixed martial arts (MMA) titles that were up for grabs in stunning style at Fite Nite's Night of Champions on Saturday at the Villa Olímpica in the southern San José district of Desamparados.

Of the event's 13 fights, which included boxing and MMA – a full contact combat sport that allows a variety of martial arts and other fighting techniques – the final three gave six Latin American fighters a shot at hoisting the prized gold Fite Nite belt above their head and wearing it proudly out of the ring.

In the first of the night's championship fights, Costa Rica's Ludwing Salazar squared off against Elton Brown from Panama in the 170 pound weight class. Brown dominated the first round with strong upper-body clinches and ferocious fist assaults.

But in round two, Salazar kept the Panamanian on the defensive. The Tico forced Brown into a corner and delivered several knockout blows until the referee called the match. Salazar sealed the welterweight title and set the pace for the remaining two championship fights.

Alejandro Villalobos of Costa Rica and Mattias Vásquez of Chile represented the 145 pound weight class in the second of the night's championship fights.

Vázquez controlled much of the fight with vicious punches, but was unable to deliver the knock out as Villalobos got tied up in the ropes and fell out of the ring.

Both returned to the center of the ring, but this time it was Villalobos on the attack. The Tico pulled Vázquez to the ground and punched his way to a second round victory and a Fite Nite featherweight championship.

But it was Costa Rican and crowd favorite Alejandro “Mandarina” Solano, who boasts an impressive 13-4 record, who sealed the clean championship sweep for Costa Rica.

Against Argentine fighter Fernando “Pitbull” Martínez, Solano never let up. In the second exchange of punches, Solano forced Martínez from one side of the ring to the other until the Argentine was caught against the ropes. Solano kept striking until the referee stopped the match, securing a lightweight title for himself and his country.

“I love this sport,” Solano said at the end of the match. “I appreciate all the fighters for doing what they do, but it feels great to represent Costa Rica with this belt.”