A Slap in the Face, Jailed
Presidents Receive Pensions
In the year 1988, legislators
created the law that guaranteed
former presidents "una vida
digna" - a dignified life -
after leaving the presidential
chair.
The regulation allows former
presidents a "pension for life"
of ¢1.229.518 colones (us$2.700)
per month plus specified
expenses that could easily top
the ¢2.000.000 colones
(us$4.400) per month.
The pension is adjusted
periodically, tied to
adjustments made to legislative
deputy salaries.
So, with the law, that most
Costa Ricans were not aware of,
former presidents Miguel Angel
Rodríguez (1998-2004)and Rafael
Angel Calderón (1990-1994), who
are currently in the La Reforma
prison in preventive detention
accused of corruption, are
collecting a monthly paycheck.
When the law was conceived, no
one would have 'thunk' that a
former president would have or
could have been accused of any
wrongoing as is the current case
and thus no provision was made
in the law that would see the
pension taken away under any
circumstance.
"The right to receive the
pension is untouchable and
cannot be lost in any way",
expressed Rodrigo Alberto
Carazo, a legislative deputy
with the Partido Acción
Ciudadana (PAC).
Calderón is linked to the
Fischel-Caja scandal, where he
is accused of receiving part of
the us$9 million dollar
commission paid on the us$39
million dollar loan from the
government of Finland to the
Caja Costarricense de Seguro
Social.
Rodríguez, for his part, is tied
to the ICE-Alcatel scandal,
where his former Minister and
friend, José Antonio Lobo, told
the Fiscalía that the former
president received part of a
payment made to him from the
Acatel contract to install
400.000 GSM telephone lines
while Rodríguez was president.
Rodríguez is also being
investigated for receiving a
multimillion dollar payment from
the government of Taiwan and
linked to receiving payment on
the underground electrification
contract for San José while in
office.
The pensions paid to Calderón
and Rodriguez, as well as other
former presidents, including
José María Figueres Olsen, who
is refusing to return to Costa
Rica to answer questions over
his role in receiving us$900.000
from Alcatel for consulting
fees, are for life and will be
continued to be paid to them
even if they are found guilty.
For their part, former
presidential candidate and
legislative deputy, José Miguel
Corrales del Partido Liberación
(PLN) and legislative deputy,
Federico Malavassi del
Movimiento Libertario (ML), are
pleading for a change in the
law, however, any changes will
not be retroactive.
Closed Helmets Out; Identifying
Vests In For Motorcyclists
The
Ministerio de Obras Públicas y
Transportes (MOPT) has backed
down on a law that was supposed
to have come into effect
yesterday (Sunday) that would
prohibit "closed" helmets worn
by motorcyclists.
MOPT chief, Randall Quirós, sent
a notice to all Transit officers
not to enforce the law that
would have seen motorcyclists
fined ¢5.000 colones (us$11) for
wearing a closed helmet.
However, the MOPT has decided to
replace the regulation with one
that will see all motorcyclists
wear a vest with the plate
number clearly identified on the
back. The regulation is prepared
and is waiting publication in
the official newspaper "La
Gaceta".
The concept is to easily
identify the motorcyclist in the
commission of a crime, the
original reason for the
prohibition of the closed
helmet. Motorcycles are used in
the commission of many crimes,
including as a getaway vehicle
in bank robberies and several
murders, where the rider comes
up to his victim and then speeds
off.
ARCOS Network Suffers Two Fiber
Cuts
The
Americas Region Caribbean
Optical-ring System (ARCOS)
suffered two separate undersea
fiber cuts within days of each
other, affecting services to
seven Latin American countries.
New World Network, the principal
owner of ARCOS, said services to
Belize, Nicaragua, Panama and
Colombia have already been
restored.
Emergency repair crews continue
working around-the-clock to
fully restore services over the
ARCOS network to Guatemala,
Honduras, and Costa Rica.
ARCOS is one two undersea cables
that connects Costa Rica to the
world. Both, the MAYA1 cable
that runs a slightly different
route than the ARCOS provide
telecommunications - both
telephone and internet -
connecting in Florida, U.S.
"This is the first time in our
company's history that we have
experienced nearly simultaneous
cuts on the same ring," said
Fred Wiener, president and CEO
of New World Network.
"Our system is designed for
automatic protection and
restoration against a single
cut, and the system performed
perfectly following the initial
fiber fault."
The first of the two unrelated
cable cuts occurred Nov. 11 in
an undersea fiber cable between
Cancun, Mexico, and Miami,
Florida, in the United States.
The cut occurred in relatively
shallow waters about 12 km east
of Cancun.
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Holiday Season Shopping Underway
Holiday shopping in Costa Rica
is in full swing, with today
getting a boost as government
employees get their "aguinaldo"
- their Christmas bonus.
The malls and shopping centres
were brimming over the weekend
with shoppers looking for the
perfect Christmas gift and/or
taking advantage of the many
special promotions and pricing
at just about every retailer,
all bidding to get a cut of the
pie.
Multiplaza in Escazú and many
other malls have extended their
hours, closing at 9pm every
night, including Sundays.
Hipermas, the giant multi
department retailer was filled
to capacity, with every cashier
busy ringing up sales.
Traffic around the rotundas on
the south side of San José - the
circular roadway that moves
traffic from multiple
intersections - was heavy,
requiring Transit officials at
key point to move traffic along.
Traditionally, Costa Ricans
begin their holiday shopping in
October as many retailers
announce their holiday "lay
away" plans. But, it is the
first week in December, when the
aguinaldo is in their hands,
that the season really kicks
off.
The rush is expected to continue
right up to December 24.
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