Film: ‘Whale Rider'
A contemporary story of love, rejection and triumph as a young Maori girl fights to fulfill a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize. Directed by Niki Caro. Sala Garbo, 3, 5, 7 and 9 p.m. 

Theater in Cot
Noon and 5 p.m., Salón Parroquial, Cot, Cartago.

Music from Africa
By Radical Sonora and Baruque Congo, Nov. 23, 9 p.m., Jazz Café, San Pedro, www.jazzcafecostarica.com.

Anticipation built throughout the weekend in Costa Rica's Caribbean port of Limón for the arrival of the leaders of the Transat Jacques Vabre sailboat race, with the expectation that the race's first competitor will cross the finish line Monday morning.

On Saturday, Costa Rican President Oscar Arias arrived in Limón for the official inauguration of the finish-line festivities planned to receive the boats. Alongside members of the community and the directors of the Jacques Vabre committee, Arias cut the ceremonial ribbon to welcome the race, which will again finish in Limón in 2011, 2013 and 2015.

After a colorful welcoming party, featuring traditional Caribbean dances, local bands and other performances, Arias commented on the significance of the race to Limón, which is one of the poorer provinces in the country.

“Many times I have said that I am convinced that Limón is more than a poor province, it is an unnoticed province,” Arias said. “There isn't another region of the country that has better conditions to integrate itself with the world economy, has similar tourist potential or the invaluable resource of a population that has a majority of bilingual residents…. We have made the arrival of the regatta a true party, a carnival in support of (the region's) development that will encourage the sailboats to return.”

According to the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT), the port city of Limón expects to see income of more than €20 million from the investment and tourism generated by the race.

The regatta's six-year commitment is expected to help put wind in the sails of a major renovation project for Limón initiated by the Costa Rican government. In June, President Arias signed an $80 million investment agreement, with the money to be distributed for five primary purposes, including a restoration of cultural buildings, drainage and sanitation improvements, and enhancement of municipal functions, small business development and port modernization (TT, June 19).

Throughout next week Limón will host tourists from a number of countries, many of whom are expected to remain in Limón through Nov. 30.

As of Sunday afternoon, the crew of Safran was leading the 10 remaining Imoca class sailboats. Safran, which is manned by two French sailors, is trailed by Groupe Bel, which was about 80 miles behind as the boats glided through the Caribbean. In the Multi50 competition, made up of non-traditional multi-hulled boats, the crew of Crepes Whâou had a commanding lead over the three other remaining participants. Crepes Whâou lead its closest competitor by 1500 miles.

Costa Rica was thrust into a central role when the Honduran crisis began, but its climax might find this country's leader watching from the sidelines.

As the Honduran people prepare for presidential elections on Nov. 29, Costa Rican President Oscar Arias is getting ready for an international tour of the Middle East and Europe.

He'll spend part of Honduras' election day in the air, traveling from Jerusalem to Lisbon to participate in the 19th Ibero-American Summit. And while he'll be far from the Central American isthmus when the polls close Sunday, member of his cabinet expect Honduras to top the agenda of the following day's conference.

“Honduras will certainly be of interest,” said Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno, who will be traveling with the president. The conference will begin only “hours after the electoral process is concluded.”

Costa Rica has yet to take an official stance on whether it will recognize the results of the election.

Instead, leaders seem to be leaving the decision in the hands of the rest of the international community, saying there are “sufficient actors involved” to determine the best response. Originally, most countries – Costa Rica included – had said they would recognize the winner of the elections only if ousted President Manuel Zelaya was restored beforehand. However, the United States recently indicated a change in its policy by focusing more on keeping the elections fair than on pushing for Zelaya's reinstatement.

Even though President Arias will be watching the elections unfold from Europe, his participation early in the crisis will make his an important voice during the Ibero-American Summit.  

When Zelaya was ousted from his home country for an alleged violation of the constitution, he landed in Costa Rica – still in his pajamas.

He returned to Costa Rica weeks later to take part in a mediation process with the de facto government, facilitated by Arias. Despite the group's inability to successfully negotiate an agreement acceptable to both parties, Arias continued to be an important player in the crisis, sending envoys to Honduras or receiving the candidates in the upcoming presidential elections in San José.

Arias has come under criticism for his tour of Middle East and Europe, with some questioning the benefit to the nation of the outgoing president's travels.

“We are not an island,” Stagno said in rebuttal. “Throughout this administration, we have made an effort to break down barriers…. This is a continuation of that effort.”

Thousands against Ortega: Nicaraguans from different sectors of society – including former contras and disillusione d Sandinistas – fill the streets of the capital city of Managua to protest President Daniel Ortega. Later a pro-Ortega rally took place and violence ensued.

Tim Rogers | Nica Times

MANAGUA, Nicaragua – A day of protest that began peacefully late Saturday morning fell into violence in the afternoon, with clashes between pro- and anti-government marchers, as well as violence against passersby, that ended in the death of 42-year-old Rafael Anibal Ruiz and caused at least a dozen other injuries.

Ruiz was traveling in a truck from Managua toward the north-central coffee region of Jinotega, when protesters attacked him with rocks, the National Police said in a statement issued late afternoon Sunday. The police did not say whether Ruiz was participating in one of the rival protests or just passing through, but several news reports out of Managua said he was a follower of President Daniel Ortega. Ruiz died after being taken to Matagalpa Regional Hospital.

Apart from highway rock fights, a band of Sandinistas heading to the government's counter march Saturday afternoon attacked the headquarters of the opposition Liberal Constitutional Party (PLC) with mortars, breaking windows and causing damage to the building. Another group of Sandinistas fired mortars at the Channel 2 television station, while others attacked a caravan of Liberals returning home from their march.

The violence occurred despite the governing party's efforts to hold a demonstration its followers billed as “happiness and celebr ation.” By the time President Ortega took the stage in downtown Managua at 5 p.m. – with religious music playing and a giant sign advertising his government as Christian – more than 100,000 state employees and government supporters were in the street, many drinking beers despite a liquor ban that was supposed to be in force for the day.

Yet despite using the government's resources to mobilize its people and obliging state workers to attend, the Sandinistas weren't able to draw a much larger crowd than the diverse opposition.

Chanting “democracy yes, dictato rship no,” a floodtide of civil society and opposition political parties marched on the streets of Managua Saturday morning to show their repudiation of the government of President Daniel Ortega.

Alex Leff contributed to this report.

See the Nov. 27 print or digital edition of The Nica Times, a Nicaragua-based publication of The Tico Times, for more on this story.