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Embrujarte
With more than 110 national and international artists showing and selling their works, including sculptures, oils, watercolors, photographies, etc., April 23-25, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Avenida Escazú, east side of CIMA Hospital.

III Guitar Festival
April 23-24, 7 p.m.; April 25, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Roberto Sasso Auditorium, Veritas University, Zapote.

Conference “Ways to Longevity – Costa Rica's Case
April 23, 3 p.m., Auditorium, Nursing School, University of Costa Rica (UCR). Info: 2511-3050.

Film Show “El bosque de luto”
April 23, 6 p.m., Auditorium Roberto Murillo, 2nd floor School of Modern Languages, UCR. Info: 2511-8378.

Luz de Luna Festival
Including cimarronas and concerts by IMAI groups, April 23-25, 6:30 p.m., IMAI, Santa Ana.

Dance Show “La ZoNa con danza urbana”
April 23-24, 8 p.m.; April 25, 5 p.m., Teatro de la Danza, CENAC. Info: 8842-2475, danzgel@hotmail.com

Luz de Luna Festival
Including cimarronas and concerts by IMAI groups, April 23-25, 6:30 p.m., IMAI, Santa Ana.

Dance Show “La ZoNa con danza urbana”
April 23-24, 8 p.m.; April 25, 5 p.m., Teatro de la Danza, CENAC, 8842-2475, danzgel@hotmail.com

Innauguration of the New Techonology Room
With lots of activities, April 23-25, Children's Museum, north end of Ca. 4. Info: 2258-4929, www.museocr.com. 

Free Party for all Women Called María Rodríguez
Participants attend the activity with a companion and must show their ID and sign a document authorizing the organizers to take photographs and videos of them during the party, which will include cimarronas (typical C.R. music), mascarades, food, storytelling show, marimbas, April 22-23, 3-7 p.m. Reservations at 2253-0939.

Concert by Mr. Jones and his band
American rock n' roll, April 24, 9:30 p.m., Latino Rock, Barrio La California, Routh side of La Primavera Gas Station. Info: 2222-4719.

CATIE Fair
Including food tasting with typical dishes from different countries, activities for children, tours, and concerts by Pimienta Negra and Tico Jazz bands, April 24, noon-8 p.m. and April 25, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., CATIE, Turrialba.

Play “Los Locos de Valencia”
Written by Lope de Vega, April 23-24, 8 p.m.; April 25, 5 p.m., Spanish Cultural Center.

Sphere Festival
Including activities for children, workshops, conferences, cultural shows, April 24-25, Palmar Sur Park, Osa Peninsula, Puntarenas.

Play “Unkita y el Zorro”
By puppet Group El Pez Soñador (Argentina), April 24, 10 a.m., Spanish Cultural Center. 

Sports Day
Competitions, demonstrations, sales, April 25, La Sabana Park, San José. 

Labor Day Horse Parade
With ranchero music by Charro Edgar Alvarado, April 25, noon, leaving and finishing at Picacho Restaurant, Paraíso, Cartago.

American Blues & Rock
By The Blind Pig Blues Band, April 25, 4-7 p.m., J.R. Ribs, 1 km. west of Paco Shopping Center, old road to Santa Ana.

“Sol y Arena” Long Distance Race
10 km., 4 p.m., along Puntarenas Beach, leaving from the Hospital, finish line at former “El Caracol,” Paseo de los Turistas.

“Incredible Race” for Dogs and Owners
Adult dogs of more than 7 kilos, 6 km.; adult dogs less than 7 kl, 3 km.; family hike (open to every dog and breads), 3 km., April 25, 8 a.m., La Sabana, León Cortés Statue, registration at Servimas (Hipermás). Funds to benefit the Canine Unit of the Red Cross.

Costa Rica celebrated the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on Thursday with a variety of events exemplifying the country's environmental commitment.

Kicking off the celebration was a panel discussion at the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) on renewable energy that included leaders in the field. Among the topics discussed was the country's push for carbon neutrality in 2021, solar energy, efficient use of water and the push for Costa Rica to obtain 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources.

“Some countries in Europe obtain only 10 to 15 percent of their energy from renewable sources. But here, 90 percent of our energy is renewable energy,” said Teófilo de la Torre, who will be the environment and energy minister in the upcoming government of Laura Chinchilla. “Our goal is to have 100 percent of energy come from renewable sources, (and) reaching that goal will require contributions from everyone across the environmental sector”.

De la Torre went on to explain that limiting the use of oil for electricity, maximizing the energy-producing potential of wind and “large amounts of imagination” will be needed to reach the goal of 100 percent renewable energy. He also said that the anticipated financing needed –from both public and private sources – to reach that mark is estimated at $8 billion.

The panel also included Pedro León, coordinator of the Peace with Nature Initiative; Mike Forrest, general manager of Intel Costa Rica; Saul Kiersezenson, president of Clean Tech Cluster; Rodrigo Gamez, the president of INBIO; and Anne Andrew, the U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica.

A number of schools throughout the country were also honored on Earth Day for their environmental commitment. More than 300 elementary and high schools were awarded an “Ecological Blue Flag” for their efforts to protect the environment during the year. The flags were presented to the schools by the Education Ministry and the Costa Rican Electricity Institute.

Earth Day's largest demonstration was held outside of the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court (Sala IV), where hundreds of protestors rallied to protest the Las Crucitas open-pit gold mine (see related story).

“The fight for conservation, clean energy and carbon neutrality is one that will require effort over the next decade,” León said. “It's going to take all of us.”

The roughly one thousand protesters that gathered outside the Supreme Court on Thursday represented more than a frustrated crowd of oppositionists.

The piles of people who's “hearts say no” to the Crucitas gold mine are an informed group of resisters who see more harm than good in opening up northern Costa Rica to gold extraction.

Their arguments against the mine are both legal and scientific. They draw on failed mining experiences from the past and questionable presidential tactics that allowed the project in Crucitas to advance.

They criticize the environmental drawbacks of the mine, such as deforestation and toxic water and air contamination.

But beneath the charges of environmental impacts ignored and debatable legalities that the mine's opponents hurl at the state, many of the mine's opponents just don't see the reasoning behind the 21st century gold rush. They can't find justification for Costa Rica's poor to work extracting a mineral that the world's rich demand.

That the Crucitas project has been declared to be of “public interest” makes no sense to them.

“We don't see how this can possibly be a priority,” said 24-year-old Cristina Mora. “Who needs this gold, and why? We live fine without it. It's not the development model we need or want in Costa Rica.”

Mora's doubts were shared by most of Thursday's demonstrators, who crammed the streets that surround the Costa Rican Supreme Court to reaffirm their position: No to mining.

Just one week ago, the constitutional chamber (Sala IV) of that very court ruled that Crucitas had met all the requirements necessary in order to be considered constitutional and that a Canadian-based mining company may continue with all phases of the project.

In spite of the decision, the “no to the mine” movement is not deterred. The group appears as strong as it was nearly 18 months ago, when the first complaint against Crucitas entered the Sala IV.

On Thursday, university students and teachers, environmental and human rights groups rallied for support. Impassioned shouts of “leave it in the ground” and fervent chants of “Get out, get out” echoed for blocks.

A 6-foot-long banner held by four University of Costa Rica students swayed in the breeze. “We can live without gold, but we can't live without water,” it read.

The movement's leaders have charted a new course and are now fighting the mine's legality in the administrative courts, a battle that promises to be as heated as Thursday's rally.

With marchers ready to carry on, a young brunette grabbed the microphone.

“We say together, in a native choir, no to the open pit gold mine.”

See the April 23 print or digital edition of the The Tico Times for more on the Crucitas gold mine.

Purdy Motor of Costa Rica announced a recall this week of the 2010 Land Cruiser Prado Premium sports utility vehicle (SUV). A total of 79 clients are being contacted to bring back their vehicle for an upgrade on the car's stability control system.

The recall is part of an international recall by the Toyota Motor Corp. on 21,000 Land Cruiser Prado and 13,000 Lexux GX 460 SUVs. The motor vehicle giant has suspended all sales of the Prado.

Luis Mastroeni, marketing manager at Purdy Motor, said the dealership first started selling the vehicle in October 2009. Due to a problem with the stability control system, the vehicle could slide sideways at high speeds, specifically during turns, Maestroni said.

The recall will allow Toyota dealerships to update the stability control system to avoid losses of traction or slippage. The upgrade will be arriving from Toyota factories in May.