Palmares Fiestas
Features a horse exhibit, Jan. 21, 7 p.m. Info: www.fiestaspalmares.com.

The Central Pacific Women's Group Meeting
The Central Pacific Women's Group will hold its first meeting of the year, including a talk by Roberto Hernández, an agent of the National Insurance Institute (INS), Jan. 21, 9-11 a.m., at Balcón del Mar in Jacó. For more information, contact Norma Kahn at kahnnk@gmail.com.

Rock concert
By Libelula, Jan. 21, 9 p.m., Jazz Café, Escazú. Info: 2288-4740, www.jazzcafecostarica.com.

Face painting workshop
Learning eight different designs and two techniques with sponges and cream, Jan. 21, 5 p.m., Public Library, Heredia. Info: 8890-2378.

Scientists who visited the Turrialba volcano on Tuesday detected a new gas seeping out of the mountain that indicates magmatic activity.

Researchers from the Center for Atomic, Nuclear, and Molecular Science Research (CICANUM), based at the University of Costa Rica, discovered that helium at a concentration of 20 parts per million have begun to ooze out of the land mass. The most helium ever measured at Turrialba was 30 ppm.

Jorge Andrés Díaz, a physicist with CICANUM told the daily La Nación that the gas “only presents itself when there is new magmatic degasification.” Similar samples taken in September 2009 contained no helium.

A report released by the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (OVSICORI), based at National University, on Wednesday said the gas' presence supports the possibility of a “magmatic intrusion,” which means molten rock would slowly ascend into the earth's crust beneath the volcano.

OVSICORI volcanologists, however, fell short of predicting lava flows outside of the volcano as a result of the latest revelations.

Díaz was out of the office on Wednesday but an assistant told The Tico Times that he had passed the information regarding the presence of helium to the National Emergency Commission (CNE). Press officials from the commission said Wednesday afternoon they need more time to analyze the new studies before determining if more evacuations will be necessary.

Tuesday's samples also evidenced an increase in sulfur dioxide leaking out of the Turrialba volcano, located about 40 kilometers northeast of San José. Experts were hesitant about discussing health risks the gases pose to nearby communities without knowing more about their quantity and concentration.

Two weeks before the presidential elections, the Citizen Action Party (PAC) announced it has been forced to suspend advertising due to lack of funds.

The left-leaning party, which came within 2 percentage points of winning the presidency in 2006, blamed the Banco de Costa Rica (BCR) for withholding ₡ 1 billion (about $1.8million) in bonds.

According to a statement from the PAC, the money is not being released because of the party's poor performance the polls. PAC candidate Ottón Solís has not shown more than a 15 percent level of support in the polls since the campaign began.

“This is serious,” said Sergio Alfaro, a PAC legislator. “The banks are weakening Costa Rican democracy. The message they are sending to the people is that in Costa Rica, whoever presents the money presents the presidents, and those who pay for the polls can present the presidents.”

Campaigns are financed in part by private donations, but also by public money. The funds coming from government coffers are retroactively paid and depend on the results of the election. The number of votes a candidate receives on Election Day, Feb. 7 determines how much money his or her campaign is reimbursed.

Political parties can take out “party bonds” in the form of loans, which they can exchange for government bonds following the election. Yet, banks may decide not to front the party bonds if they suspect poor showings on Election Day.

The PAC claims that because it does not represent the interests of big business it has more difficulty raising private funds than other parties, and therefore depends more heavily on public financing.

“Our funding comes from political debt … but even if we lose access to that money, we have people full of desire to fight for their country,” said Solís' campaign manager, Francisco Molina. “Our election results are achieved by our people and our work and not from (money).”

As of Monday, PAC had already withdrawn its advertisements from television channels 4, 6, 7 and 11 as well as select radio stations.

In an attempt to reduce drunk driving, Costa Rica's National Insurance Institute (INS) has added a clause to three automobile insurance policies to provide policy holders a ride home in the event they have overindulged. All a driver has to do is call.

Known as the “Designated Driver and Designated Taxi” benefit, INS offers all insured automobile members under polices A, C, D and G a phone number to call if they feel unable to operate a vehicle due to alcohol consumption. When a call is made to the INS number 800-800-8001, a designated driver or taxi will arrive to take the insured motorist to his or her desired destination. The service is free of charge under the policy and is offered 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.

But the designated driver service carries limitations. According to INS, policy owners with automobiles that are up to 6 years old can call upon a designated driver as many as three times per year. Policy owners with 6- to 20-year-old automobiles are permitted only one designated driver per year. The benefit does not apply to cars over 20 years old that weigh over 5,000 kilograms, are used for something other than personal or personal-business use or have a capacity over 15 people.

INS also indicated that the designated driver or taxi must be coordinated at least two hours before pick-up and will transport the insured member only to his or her requested destination, with no stops or change of address permitted.  

INS also emphasized that the benefit should not be perceived as “condoning the conduct” of drivers under the influence, but as a method of prevention and social responsibility to decrease the possibility of accidents and deaths caused by drivers under the effects of alcohol.