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Colombian Jailed in Death
of Journalist
.A Colombian businessman, Jorge Castillo, was taken into custody December 24
on immigration violations, but a judge on Tuesday ordered him to spend a
year in preventive jail while officials investigate his role in the 2001
murder of journalist Parmenio Medina.
Journalist Parmenio Medina was fatally shot in his car on July 7, 2001.
Police say Castillo and a man named John Gutierrez were the intermediaries
between those who planned the killing and those who carried it out.
Gutierrez has been in prison for more than a year.
He recently told police that a priest, Minor de Jesus Calvo, and businessman
Omar Chaves ordered the killing. Those two were taken into custody and
ordered held for six months.
Both operated Radio Maria, which collected donations from Roman Catholic
faithful. Medina reported the two were stealing the donations instead of
using the money for social projects.
Costa Rica Grows
But Fiscal Deficit Still A Worry
By Mike Godfrey, Tax-News.com,
New York
Growth in Costa Rica this year is expected to reach 5.6%, the best
performance since 1999. Total exports grew 15% from $4.41 billion in 2002 to
$5.19 billion in 2003, including exports from duty-free production zones of
$3.08 billion, up 25% on last year.
Chip manufacturer Intel is a major contributor to this good export
performance, with a large, state-of-the-art plant which is set to receive a
further US$110m of investment after Intel decided to locate production of
next-generation chipsets in the country.
"This is a very positive and important decision for Intel Costa Rica that
reinforces the plant's strategic importance for the company," said Bill
Abraham, General Manager of Intel Costa Rica.
"The plant has shown great discipline in increasing productivity, while at
the same time managing to cut costs and maintaining an excellent safety
record."
The authorities however worry that the country's development is lop-sided.
"The economy's outcome in 2003 was interesting," said Francisco de Paula
Gutiérrez, Central Bank President. "I am satisfied, but not happy. It was a
year of significant growth. However, that growth did not distribute itself
evenly throughout the different sectors of the economy."
Business leaders argue that the recent wave of economic growth includes only
a small fraction of the country's businesses and that most companies -
nearly 95% - depend on the local market, which has not showed signs of
recovery.
However, a survey conducted by the National Statistics and Census Institute
(INEC) reported that Costa Rica's poverty rate dropped 2.1% during the last
year to 18.5% - its lowest level in nearly two decades. President Abel
Pacheco heralded the results, calling them proof that his campaign against
poverty was succeeding.
Inflation remained stable, but unemployment and the fiscal deficit continue
to be major sources of concern. General unemployment grew from 6.4% last
year to 6.7% this year.
The large fiscal deficit in Costa Rica is fuelling doubts over the country's
ability to service its debt. However, austerity measures at public
institutions and the Emergency Tax Plan approved by Congress last December
helped reduce the deficit from 5.4% of the country's gross domestic product
(GDP) last year to 4.3% this year.
Nonetheless international credit rating agencies Moody's and Standard and
Poor's lowered the country's ratings in April. The Central Bank's total
foreign currency reserves grew during the year, totaling $1.74 billion in
November. However, $200 million is needed in January to pay a series of
Brady foreign-debt relief bonds.
The government is proposing a Permanent Fiscal Reform Package, which will be
debated by Congress early next year. If approved, the plan would increase
government revenues and reduce the deficit to 2.65% of GDP. Finance Minister
Alberto Dent promises that additional revenue generated by the tax package
would be used to reduce the country's growing foreign debt.
Confused About the New "500" Coin? Don't
Be
As of Jan. 31, the old 500 colones
coin is officially off circulation and has no value, being replaced by the
new 500 colones coin that is slighly larger and has the "500" in large
lettering for easy identification.
The Central Bank had initially said that the old coin would lose it's value
on the 1st of January.
The chance over was due to confusion in that the old coin was close in size
to the 100 Colones coin. The old coin had a foto of the Central Bank
Building on one side and the Costa Rican crest on the other with the words
500 colones in small lettering, it was easy to confuse for the 100 colones
coin.
The Central Bank made the announcement last month and has asked that old
coin be dropped from the circulation and be returned to the Central Bank for
exchange.
In some shops over the Christmas period the old coin was not bein accepted.
In one local bar a sign was visibly posted that the old 500 coins would be
accepted under any circumstances.
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The above bills and coins
will all lose their value by March 1, 2004 |
1.200 Plates
Confiscated for Not Having 2004 Marchamo
December 31 was the last day to pay
the "marchamo", the right to circulate a vehicle on public roads. However,
many leave the annual chore to the last minute or wait until the new year,
believing there is a"grace" period.
Transit officials, however, have been busy at work and in the first 4 days
of the year have confiscated 1.200 license plates, leaving owners with their
cars on the side of the road.
The cost of the marchamo varies from the type, model and year of vehicle.
The cost can be as high a US$1.000 Dollars for a late model luxury vehicle.
Lines at local financial offices and INS insurance agents were long in the
last few days of the December, as officials reported that more 50% of all
vehicles did not have their marchamo paid as of December 22.
Once confiscated, owners of the plate must pay the marchamo and a fine of
15.000 Colones and any costs to have the vehicle towed from it's location.
Many drivers still are under the belief that the "old" custom of a 15 day
grace period is given. However, this year, with the recent release of
traffic death statistics and the recent passage of seat belt laws, Transit
officials are being firm in enforcing the traffic laws.
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Fidel Castro celebrates 45th anniversary of revolutionary triumph
Declaring that together they had written "an
unprecedented page of history," Fidel Castro gathered with several thousand
members of Cuba's political elite Saturday to celebrate the 45th anniversary
of the revolutionary triumph that brought him to power.
Wearing the olive-green dress uniform with gold- and red-trimmed epaulets
reserved only for special occasions, Castro addressed the group for about 45
minutes after a concert at the Karl Marx Theater.
Government Cabinet ministers, top Communist Party leaders and members of the
mass organizations — such as the Union of Young Communists — supporting the
power structure were invited to the event.
Castro, standing on the theater's stage before a carved mahogany podium,
told the formally dressed guests that the protagonists of the revolution
sought social justice, not fame.
"Our objective never was the search for glory," he said.
Nevertheless, they and their supporters went on to write "an unprecedented
page of history," he said.
Castro's speech was broadcast on state-run television and radio.
As the event began, television viewers were shown black-and-white film clips
of the early days of the revolution, when Castro was a triumphant
32-year-old rebel commander leading his men into the eastern city of
Santiago on Jan. 1, 1959.
Just hours before, then-President Fulgencio Batista fled the island for the
Dominican Republic.
Castro, 77, is the world's longest-ruling head of government — the only
socialist system in the Western Hemisphere. His leadership over this
Caribbean nation of 11.2 million people remains unchallenged.
Castro has ruled during the administrations of 10 different American
presidents, successfully defying their attempts to force him to change his
socialist system.
While supporters consider Castro the spiritual heir of Cuban independence
hero Jose Marti, his detractors criticize him for jailing opponents and
stifling dissent.
Saturday's event began with the island's national anthem, followed by a
modern dance rendition accompanied by Cuba's National Orchestra.
Also performing were Cuba's National Choir, a children's choir, a Spanish
dance troupe and vocalist Omara Portuondo of Buena Vista Social Club fame.
Colombian top rebel
leader captured in Ecuador
A senior leader of the leftist
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), who was captured ina hospital
in neighboring Ecuador, was brought to Colombia on Saturday, the military
said.
The military identified the detainee as Juvenal Palmera, alias Simon
Trinidad, one of the 15 members of the FARC leadership.
Trinidad was arrested late on Friday while he was being treated in the
Ecuadorian capital Quito for a flesh-eating insect-borne disease, the
Colombian military said.
"The capture of a top FARC official shows that terrorism will never prevail"
in Colombia, President Alvaro Uribe said after Trinidad's capture.
Uribe also predicted more setbacks for FARC, which he said would eventually
be eradicated in the country.
Trinidad is the highest-ranked member of FARC to be captured in four decades
of war with the government. He was one of FARC spokesmen in a failed peace
dialogue with the government from January 1999 to February 2002.
On board a Colombian army helicopter from Quito, Trinidad was handed over to
Colombian authorities in Colombia's border town of Ipiales.
Colombian Defense Minister Jorge Uribe said Trinidad will face trial for 30
charges that include murder, kidnapping, sedition and terrorism.
FARC is the largest rebel group in Colombia with 17,000 combatants. It is
considered as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European
Union and several Latin American countries.
Peru minister resigns
over nepotism charge
Peru's Labor Minister Jesus Alvarado
resigned on Saturday over nepotism charge.
Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo said in a statement that he had accepted
Jesus Alvarado's resignation, adding that he is now busily considering a
replacement.
Alvarado was under investigation over media allegations that he used his
power to get jobs for 15 family members, including his brothers and sons, in
state institutions.
Toledo said he would not draw a conclusion until the investigation ends.
Toledo forced Prime Minister Beatriz Merino to resign and reshuffled the
government last December. A run of scandals at the end of 2003 battered the
government's credibility and knocked Toledo's popularity rating down to just
11 percent.
Fujimori says he will
return to Peru in 2006
Disgraced Peruvian ex-President
Alberto Fujimori said Saturday he will return to Peru in 2006, calling
people to bury the political parties "that are taking the country to an
abyss."
"2004 is the year of Fujimorism and for people to take the reins of the
future," said Fujimori in a weekly radio speech, which was recorded in Japan
and delivered through a Lima station.
In November 2000, Fujimori fled Peru amid a political scandal that toppled
his 10-year regime (1990-2000).
Peru's justice department has accused him of homicide and kidnapping,
illegal enrichment, human rights violations and embezzlement.
In the radio program, the sacked leader said there is a big popular
mobilization to facilitate his return to power, although he is banned from
occupying public positions for 10 years.
"We cannot allow those politicians to keep on hurting the country," Fujimori
said, calling on his followers "to fight united and find a solution to the
collapse of the political system."
US to formally
launch handover of power to Iraq
The United States will formally
launch the handover of power to Iraq with the final game plan still not
fully in place, the Washington Post reported Sunday.
The United States begins the complicated political, economic and security
transfer with a general framework and a June 30 deadline for completion set
by an agreement reached on Nov. 15 between the US-led Coalition Provisional
Authority and the Iraqi Governing Council.
But critical details are still being negotiated between the Iraqis and US
administrator Paul Bremer, some of which could determine whether the new
Iraqi government is ultimately embraced by the majority of Iraq's 22 million
people,
Besides figuring out who will rule the oil-rich country in Saddam Hussein's
wake, Iraqis will have to deal with a host of other key questions over the
next two months, such as the form of the future government in Iraq, and the
role of Islam, and ethnic, tribal or religious groups in the country's
political life, the paper noted.
The deadline has been set on Feb. 28 for agreement on these and other basic
questions, to be codified in the recently renamed Transition Administration
Law, the precursor to a constitution.
The Iraqis will also have to determine in due course their relationship with
US troops, and therefore the United States, after the handover of power, The
Post said.
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