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Government Gets Tough on
Taxis "Piratas"
The government and taxi drivers yesterday declared war on the informal taxis
or "piratas". Ministro de Obras Públicas y Transportes (MOPT), Javier
Chaves, met yesterday with officials of the ARESEP - the body that regular
public services and prices, accompanied by dozens of taxi drivers to sign an
agreement between the MOPT and ARESEP that would put in place two
regulations that would prohibit "piratas".
The agreement calls for a fine of between ¢600.000 colones and ¢1.200.000
colones for anyone who is providing "public" taxi services without the
proper taxi plates. As well, the car used in the service will be
confiscated.
Taxi drivers have been pressing both entities for some time to stop the "piratas"
who are bent on continuing to provide services. So, the battle between the
two groups - 'taxista' and 'piratas' - continues.
In remote areas, piratas perform a valuable and needy service. In remote
areas it's almost impossible to get a 'red' or legal taxi as many drivers
refuse to enter mountainous or desolate areas. This is the argument used by
a group of piaratas.
Legal taxis are red with a yellow triangle with the taxi plate number and
the area of service it provides. In San José the new taxi plates start with
the letters TSJ and will include the yellow triangle the words San José or
Area Metropolitana (AM).
Legal taxis use are required to a "maria" or taxi meter except for fares to
points outside of their normal coverage, to which they then refer to an
established rate schedule and is required to advise passengers of the fare.
Costa Rica Qualifies
for Olympic Soccer
GUADALAJARA, Mexico - Costa Rica qualified for the Athens Olympics on
Tuesday, getting goals by Jose Luis Lopez and Alvaro Saborio to beat
Honduras 2-0.
The United States played Mexico later in the evening for the other soccer
berth in Athens from the North and Central America and Caribbean region.
Costa Rica had not qualified for an Olympics in soccer since 1984.
Honduras pressed the attack for most of the game, showing greater speed,
smarter ball control, more creative assaults on goal and a stifling defense.
But Honduran goalkeeper Donis Escobar muffed what appeared a routine stop on
a 30-yard free kick by Lopez, letting it slip through his legs at 21 minutes
Saborio added a goal for Costa Rica at 77 minutes, slicing home a rebound
from just beyond the penalty area.
Costa Rican goalkeeper Adrian de Lemos tipped away several shots, notably a
dangerous header by Emil Martinez at 71 minutes.
Challenge Tour Gets
Underway in Panama
The 2004 European Challenge Tour gets underway this week at the Panama
Masters 2004, where the race for the top 15 places on the Rankings begins
under the Central American sunshine at the Summit Golf & Resort in Panama
City.
The event signals the start of the ‘Central American Swing’ – a three-legged
tour of the region, that also embraces the Costa Rica Open, and the
Telefonica Centro America Guatemala Open.
All three tournaments are jointly sanctioned with the Tour de Las Americas,
and highlight the Challenge Tour’s continued commitment to offering its
Members a truly global golfing experience.
The ‘Central American Swing’ was introduced to the Schedule last year, and
its success ensured that the Challenge Tour returns to the region 12 months
on.
In 2003, two out of the three tournament winners in Central America
(Sebastian Fernandez and James Hepworth) went on to finish in the top 15 of
the Rankings, highlighting the advantage of a quick start in the race to The
European Tour International Schedule.
This season, the Challenge Tour regulars are hoping for a similarly fast
beginning at the Panama Masters 2004, and not many players will be hungrier
for success than Sion Bebb.
The Welshman, who finished sixth in the opening Central American event of
the season last year – the Costa Rica Open, presented by Credomatic
Mastercard – is looking to improve upon his 18th place finish on the 2003
Rankings by adding a tournament victory or two to his already impressive
Challenge Tour CV.
Bebb, who added a further five top ten finishes to generate winnings of
€51,389 last season, is hoping for another profitable trip to Central
America after a long, cold winter in Cardiff that has offered little
opportunity for practice and preparation.
He said: “I’m really looking forward to the season getting underway, and I
think part of that is down to the fact I haven’t been able to do much since
the Omega Hong Kong Open in December due to the terrible British weather –
especially in Cardiff!
“I’ve been to the range a fair bit, and had a few lessons with Terry Hanson,
but to be able to get out to Panama and practice properly for three days
will be brilliant. If I can get three days of good practice in there, then
I’ll be ready for the tournament.
“It does take a little while to acclimatise to different conditions and
courses, but you have got to get used to it and it is the same for everyone
– every player plays in differing conditions and the key is to adapt to it.
“I did well in Central America last year – especially in Costa Rica – and it
would be nice to get off to a good start in terms of the Rankings and
getting some money on the board after Panama.”
The Summit Golf & Resort is a championship golf course near Panama City. The
par 72, 6626 yard terrain has a long history. Originally opened in the
1930's for Americans working in the Panama Canal Zone, the course has been
completely renovated by Jeffrey Myers with to create a championship course
of the highest calibre.
The course is strategically located on the east bank of the Panama Canal,
with the Panama Canal Railway, a 143 year old trans-continental railroad,
running alongside the golf course.
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Renowned Nicaraguan Correspondent Assassinated
Famous Nicaraguan correspondent Carlos Jose Guadamuz died Tuesday
after an assassin fired five gunshots at him in a parking lot in Managua.
Guadamuz was killed when he just stepped out of his car and was heading for
the building of TV 23, a TV station with which he worked as an announcer.
His colleagues tried to get him to a hospital. But he died on the way.
The president's office condemned the killing in a news report, saying that
President Enrique Bolaños has urged the interior ministry to capture and
convict the assassin as soon as possible.
Some journalist organizations and the left-wing Sandinista National
Liberation Front also condemned the assassination.
Guadamuz was a war correspondent in the 1970s, and headed the official
"Voice of Nicaragua", a radio station established by Sandinista after it
toppled in 1979 the then dictatorship in power.
He then worked with a private radio station in the early 1990s after
Sandinista lost general elections.
Guadamuz has sharply criticized Sandinista top leaders in his program.
UNESCO Condemns Murder of Colombian Reporter
The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
on Tuesday condemned the assassination of Colombian reporter Oscar Alberto
Polanco last week in southwestern Colombia.
UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura condemned, in a statement, the
murder of Colombian reporter Oscar Alberto Polanco on Feb. 4, and urged the
Colombian authorities to chase and convict the assassins "of this heinous
crime."
According to the statement released by the UN cultural body, Polanco was
assassinated by two gunmen in Cartago, southwestern Colombia. He was the
news director of the local Canal Noticias Cartago TV channel, where he
presented a daily program. He was also in charge of a program called News
From the Direction, commenting on different issues of domestic politics and
often criticizing the authorities.
"The freedom to be critical is a fundamental human right recognized by the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights," said Matsuura.
Last year, the Colombian government promised to probe into the crimes
against journalists after five Colombian reporters were murdered, about 60
were kidnapped, threatened or attacked and over20 were forced to flee their
hometowns.
"The authorities' efforts are appreciated as Colombia remains one of the
most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, "Matsuura said.
Kidnappers of former Colombian presidential candidate arrested
Colombian police said on Tuesday that they have captured two
members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) involved in the
kidnapping of former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt in 2002.
Colombia's secret police, or the Security Administrative Department, said in
a statement that Augusto Hurtado and Natividad Villa, two suspected FARC
regional leaders, were arrested along with 28 other rebels on Jan. 4 in
Caqueta, a town 350 km southwest of the capital.
Hurtado is accused of erecting roadblocks outside Caqueta, where both
Betancourt and the then vice presidential candidate Claras Rojas were
abducted when they were heading for peace talks between former President
Andres Pastrana (1998-2002) and FARC.
Villa is considered responsible for hiding the kidnapped candidates in an
apartment in San Isidro near Caqueta.
FARC, the oldest and largest rebel group in the country, is holding
Betancourt and 60 other politicians, soldiers and policemen in an attempt to
swap the hostages for its 500 imprisoned combatants.
Colombia has been ravaged by a four-decade civil war, which pits government
troops, leftist guerrillas and far-right paramilitary against one another.
More than 3,500 people, mostly civilians, are killed every year.
Ban on US beef
imports causes shortage in Mexico
A partial shortage of beef has been reported in Mexico after the
country banned imports of US beef last December, when a case of mad cow
disease was detected inthe state of Washington, an official said Tuesday.
Luis Villamar, director of Pork and Poultry Promotion for the Agricultural
Ministry, said the ban on bovine products caused a partial shortage. He also
said they have not reached an agreement with any other nations to address
the shortfall.
He said they are holding talks to cover the shortage with New Zealand,
Australia, Chile and Uruguay, but there is still no final accord.
The ban on US beef has cut the import of beef by 2,000 tons a day. A severe
lack of beef has occurred in markets like the ones in Mexico City as the
meat price has doubled.
Javier Trujillo, director of National Service for Food Health, Innocuousness
and Quality, said Mexico will be ready to resume importation of its bovine
products only when the United States "fulfills the certification it
offered".
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