National Poetry Gathering
Presentation of the book “Casi todo es mío,” by Antonio Jiménez Paz (Spain), Sept. 30, 7 p.m., Centro Cultural Curridabat, 50 m. north of the Catholic Church. Oct. 1, 7 p.m., talk with poets Antonio Jiménez Paz (Spain) and Héctor Berenguer (Argentina), Centro Cultural Curridabat; poetry reading and talk by the same authors, Oct. 2, 7 p.m., Casa del Pueblo, Granadilla de Montes de Oca, 3 km. north of Taller Wabe; poetry reading and talk with poet Marina Azuela, Oct. 3, 7 p.m., Casa del Pueblo, Granadilla de Montes de Oca, 3 km. north of Taller Wabe. 

Limón Roots Black Culture Festival
School parades, 10 a.m., Episcopal Church, Siquirres, Limón. Info: 2253-2912, www.limonroots.net.

2009 International Sax Fest
With guest musicians Paquito D'Rivera (Cuba), Kenneth Tse (Hong Kong), Juan Alzate (Mexico), Alejandro Chiabrando (Argentina), Arturo Arango (Colombia), Aldo Salvent (C.R.), Javier Valerio (C.R.), Sonsax (C.R.), Sept. 30-Oct. 3, UCR Music School, San Pedro, and National Music Institute, San José, gala concerts at National Auditorium, Children's Museum, and National Theater. Info: www.saxfestcostarica.com.

By Chrissie Long
Tico Times Staff | clong@ticotimes.net

Costa Rica will receive an additional $1 million to improve its police force and prevent money laundering under the United States' Merida Initiative.

The allocation is in addition to the $4.3 million Costa Rica received earlier this year, and a small fraction of the $465 million handed to the region and Mexico as part of the overall plan.

“The United States understands Costa Rica,” said Janina del Vecchio, security minister, praising the additional allocation. “They understand that (preventing drug-trafficking) isn't just a fight on the seas, it's also a fight in the streets … and that this is a joint task.”

In the first phase of the initiative in 2008, the U.S. Congress approved a $465 million allocation to the region with the hope of stemming drug trafficking, trans-national crime and money laundering. But the division of the funds – $400 million going to Mexico and $65 million to Central America – drew sharp criticism from some government officials in Costa Rica, who said the lopsided allocation was leaving Central America vulnerable to drug cartels, especially in their country, which lacks an army.

Asked whether the additional $1 million was sufficient, Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno shook his head.

“In … fighting drug trafficking, no amount is sufficient,” Stagno said. “Drug cartels have many financial and human resources.”

“But,” he added, “it certainly helps…. We hope there is money for a higher allocation in the future.”

According to U.S. officials, Costa Rica should receive an additional $8.3 million next year (including humanitarian aid), which would increase security spending to at least $12 million, while Merida aid to Mexico is expected to decrease by $20 million.

“We know this is a concern of many citizens, and it's also a concern for us,” said Peter Brennan, chargé d'affaires at the U.S. Embassy. “Costa Rica is a country that needs more help in security,” he said. “The idea is to attack this in an integral way.”

The announcement comes on the heels of a study by polling company Unimer, which revealed Costa Ricans' No. 1 concern is security, with 25 percent of the population saying, “insecurity is the issue that most worries (them),” according to the daily La Nación, which commissioned the study.

Four years ago, only 2 percent of the population indicated security was their top concern.

See related story Fear of More Drugs in C.R.

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – Fewer than 100 protestors organized outside the Globo radio station Tuesday morning to protest the government's closure of the pro-Manuel Zelaya outlet Monday following an executive order limiting rights of free speech around the country.

José Luis Calix, a volunteer for the resistance movement, said the decision by de facto President Roberto Micheletti to close the station was a human rights violation.

"We no longer have the right to stay informed," Calix said.

Andrés Sierra, a fellow protestor, said the de facto government is only interested in silencing dissent instead of promoting dialogue that would end the conflict.

"The resistance media have been shut down, and the media that attack us have been allowed to continue," Sierra said.

Micheletti spokesman César Cáceres insisted outside the de facto president's house Tuesday that the decision to temporarily close Globo was not political, but aimed at preventing more violence from breaking out.

Globo's broadcasts were shut down following an on-air interview with Zelaya Monday in which he called for sympathizers around the country to descend on Tegucigalpa for "one final struggle." 

“Of all the protests leading up to this decree, not one of them was peaceful,” Cáceres said. “(The Resistance Front) tried to create a sense of terror among the population.”

The Honduran Congress has called on Micheletti to lift his executive order, a demand the de facto leader seems to be considering. According to Honduran daily La Tribuna, Micheletti promised to discuss the matter with the Supreme Court, the Supreme Elections Tribunal and presidential candidates in order to reach a decision on the decree.

The Public Service Company of Heredia (ESPH) has begun rationing water to its customers, less than a week after the national water authorities warned of water shortages in the Central Valley's future.

The rationing comes after the company noticed a 35 percent decrease in the flow of water from its aquifers. ESPH officials do not believe that the drop is due to the presence of El Niño, which has forced dry weather across the country this year, and said they are investigating the problem and hope to find a solution by Oct. 3.

Until workers determine the cause, however, residents of San Rafael, San Isidro and surrounding areas will have water shut-offs from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

During the next two months, meteorologists forecast that the Central Valley will receive 25 percent less rainfall than average.

Last week, officials from Costa Rican Water and Sewer Institute (AyA) said citizens must decrease the amount of water they consume everyday by 20 percent - 40 liters per person per day - for the next three months if country is to avoid water shortages and rations next summer (TT Daily News, Sept. 24).