Dream Turns Into Nightmare
No less than 80 complaints filed at the Costa Rican consulate in Montreal
about people who lured Ticos into traveling to Canada on false promises of
jobs, set authorities in motion.
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It's not official, but the rainy
season is here. Yesterday was
the second day in a row and
third day this week, more than
the whole summer, that the
Central Valley was inundated
with rain in the early
afternoon. The rainy season
officially begins mid-may. This
year it is commencing early. |
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Yamileth González García, with
more than 35 years as a history
teacher, becomes the first
woman to head the Universidad de
Costa Rica (UCR). She will take
office on May 19. |
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Montreal and Toronto are the leading ports of entry for Costa Ricans who, in
the last two years, have vainly sought the "Canadian dream" and have gone
through a true nightmare.
According to the Costa Rican Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Canadian
authorities, most of the immigrants are misled by false expectations on jobs
and high salaries, promised by at least four offices or people who operate
in Costa Rica.
Upon arrival in Canada, the Ticos are advised to use the word "refuge";
however, Canadian authorities have granted the status of refugees to only
seven of some 2,000 Costa Ricans who have applied for it in recent years.
The Costa Rican consul in Montreal, Leonardo Urbina, said that the worst
part of it is that most of these people are poor, have invested almost all
they had to travel to Canada, are deported, and return home with less than
they originally had.
Several Costa Ricans who have returned admitted that they were fooled by
people here, sold everything they had, and have now been forced to return
empty handed.
U.S. Supports Rodriguez
The United States announced that it will vote in favor of former Costa Rican
President Miguel Angel Rodriguez for Secretary General of the Organization
of American States (OAS).
Now Rodriguez has the support of 32 of the 34 OAS nations.
El Salvador and Nicaragua are the only state members needed for a consensus
election, which will be staged at the OAS Assembly General in Quito,
Ecuador, next June.
It's all in the Name
A report by the Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN) who is responsible to
approve and keep a register of all public buildings and areas, says that
many public buildings do not have their legal name registered as it is
prescribed by the law - Ley de creación de la Comisión Nacional de
Nomenclatura - which has been in effect since 1965.
Some of the more well known public buildings that don't have their name
officially registered are the hospital Calderón Guardia and the San José
municipal offices. The hospital Guardia, according to IGN, was never
registered by the Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social (CCSS).
In the case of San José's municipal offices, it is named the José Figueres
Ferrer building, named after former president José Figueres Ferrer. The IGN
says it cannot be officially named as such as it is within 20 Kilometers of
a public school by that name and is within the minimum distance as
prescribed by law.
Other well known public buildings with non-official names are the building
housing the Ministry of Labour and the Instituto de Vivienda y Urbanismo (INVU).
Also, according to the IGN report, San Rafael is the most common name for a
town, district or city in Costa Rica. There are 61 San Rafael's throughout
the national territory. The province with the most San Rafael's are the
provinces of San José with 17, Alajuela (15) and Puntarenas (10).
The second most common name repeated is San Juan. There are 41 San Juan's,
mainly in the province of Alajuela, leading with 10.
Other repeated names are San Antonio with 39, Santa Rosa (31), San Isidro
(30), San Miguel (30), San Martín (24), San José (22), San Francisco (22),
San Luis (21), San Pedro (20), Santa Cecilia (18), San Gerardo (17) y San
Vicente (16).
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G-7 countries express optimism about global economy
The Group of Seven (G-7) industrial countries said on Saturday that
global economic prospects are favorable although risks to the world economic
recovery remain.
In a joint statement released after a two-day meeting of financial leaders of
the G-7 countries, they expressed optimism about the global economy, saying
overall prospects have improved despite worries about rising oil prices and
violence in the Middle East.
The Group of Seven consists of major industrial countries -- the United States,
Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Canada.
Discussing the global economy, the G-7 said in the statement that "prospects are
favorable, and although risks remain, such as energy prices" and the overall
balance of risks to the outlook has improved.
Meanwhile, the G-7 nations papered over differences they have over how best to
promote stronger economic growth and stressed there is the need for "additional
pro-growth reform" in the areas of taxes and labor markets.
On the matter of currency rates, the G-7 finance officials repeated the language
they adopted at their last meeting held in Boca Raton, Florida, late last year,
saying that "excessive volatility and disorderly movements" in exchange rates
was not desirable but that in some cases "more flexibility" is needed.
The G-7 countries also called on other nations to support the effort to reduce
the foreign debt burdens being carried by Afghanistan and Iraq.
They said they stood ready to provide financial assistance to the Middle East,
hoping that efforts to improve the prospect for jobs will help to stabilize what
is now a deteriorating security situation.
The G-7 meeting, attended by finance ministers and central bank governors of the
seven industrial countries, is held before the spring meeting of the
International Monetary Fund and the world Bank which began on Saturday.
Chile, China to
strengthen ties
Chilean President Ricardo Lagos Escobar met with visiting Chinese
Vice Premier Hui Liangyu on further developing equal and mutually beneficial
relations.
Lagos highly praised China's achievements in reforms and economic development,
describing China as an important power in promoting global economic growth.
Lagos said that the Chilean government thinks highly of the relations with China
and is willing to deepen bilateral cooperation.
Hui Liangyu said that Chile is the first country in Latin America that
established diplomatic ties with China, and bilateral relations have developed
smoothly in recent years.
Hui also praised Chile's one-China policy and its preparation for this year's
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum meeting. Chile is the first South
American country to host the APEC event.
The Chinese vice premier also met with Chilean Foreign Minister Soledad Alvear
on Friday, and declared later that China and Chile will soon launch a
feasibility study on a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two nations.
The Chinese vice premier arrived in Chile on Thursday for a three-day visit.
Honduran
Native Owes New Leg to South Carolina Prosthetist
Manuel Antonio Vazquez maintained a stony-faced silence as Anderson, South
Carolina, prosthetist Jeff Sprinkle strapped a state-of-the-art titanium leg to
his upper left thigh, where his natural leg was severed by a train two years ago
as he tried to escape Mexican immigration officers.
It was a happy occasion, and North Carolina mission worker Cynthia Mackey used
her digital camera to snap photos to send to the stout, 37-year-old Honduran
native’s wife and six children. But Mr. Vazquez’ face betrayed worry, as if he
had initiated an expensive, time-consuming aid effort on his behalf that did not
seem to be working out.
The old leg, made of heavy wood and plastic, bent at the knee manually. A lock
held it straight, but Mr. Vazquez had to slide the lock’s handle at the knee and
bend the leg with his hand to sit down. The new leg is light titanium with a
pneumatic knee that intelligently resists bending for walking and standing, but
releases automatically for sitting.
Mr. Sprinkle has donated the leg, valued with labor at between $13,000 and
$14,000, to Mr. Vazquez. He is applying for reimbursement from Easter Seals, but
will absorb the cost if they turn him down.
Mr. Vazquez, an undocumented worker, has worked at a South Carolina
manufacturing plant for the last six months, but feared losing his walking
ability and his job if his leg fell apart, as it was threatening to do. And
since it was made in Guatemala when what was left of his leg was still a little
swollen, it also no longer fit properly and was causing pain, Ms. Mackey said.
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