|
Free
Trade Agreement Debate Heating Up
A poll done by the firm UNIMER published in the daily Spanish
newspaper La Nacion, shows that 84% of those polled will not support any
demonstrations against the TLC - Free Trade Agreement - signed with the
United States.
The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) unions say they will
continue their protests against the TLC>
The poll also tells that 64% of the respondents are in the positive that the
Legislative Assembly ratify the agreement.
Fabio Chaves, head of the union ASDEICE, says that "the poll results are
totally manipulated. It is unbelievable that the public opinion has changed
that much in one year".
Sergio Saborío, leader of the workers' union at the ICE, tells La Nacion
that "this is all product of a millionare campaign by the government."
"One has to understand that in life there are those in favour and those
against...", assured Alberto Trejos, Minister of External Commerce.
In May the legislative deputies will begin analyzing the document that was
signed in January by the Pacheco government with the United States. The
deputies are divided on the issue of the Free Trade Agreement.
Ruth Montoya, legislative deputy representing the Partido Acción Ciudadana
(PAC), says "they (supporters) are painting the TLC as a solution to all the
problems. Costa Ricans are being duped."
Woman Fugitive Caught
A 20 year old woman was captured in the town of Grecia, west of
San José, for having murdered her infant child. The Organismo de
Investigación Judicial (OIJ) reports they captured the woman Wednesday
morning.
Grettel Quesada Hernández, was found guilty on October
23, 2000 for the murder of her two month old daughter Melina Maria. She
had been at large ever since, evading capture for more than 3 years.
The murder took place on August 25, 1998. The woman claimed the infant
fell from her bed, however, evidence showed that the baby had received a
hard blow to the head.
At the trial the domestic employed by Hernández gave testimony to the
contrary, assuring the judges that Hernández had been the little girl. |
 |
Hernández was handed over by police officials to the Tribunal Penal de
Alajuela, the same court that sentenced her, from where she will be sent to
the Centro de Atención Institucional El Buen Pastor, a prison for women.
Clinica Bíblica
Begins Expansion
The Hospital Clinica Bíblica, has started construction of it's new medical
tower on the south side of it's principal building in downtown San José.
The Biblica hospital had been under pressure to abandon the city core,
however, the addition reconfirms it's commitment to stay put.
Clinica Bíblica is a major provider of medical care to many foreigners and
nationals alike, providing services in English and Spanish. Many doctors at
the Bíblica have studied in the U.S. The Bíblica is open 24 hours to provide
emergency medical care.
Construction is expected to continue for 24 months.
Costa Rica
Champs Beat MLS Champs
Erick Scott, Froylan Ledezma and Luis Diego Arnaez all scored
Wednesday night as Costa Rica's Alajuelense routed Major League Soccer's San
Jose (California) Earthquakes 3-0 in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
The second leg is in San Jose, California, on March 24.
After several near-misses, Scott headed in the first goal in the 10th
minute. He set up the second score three minutes later, feeding a long cross
to Ledezma, who outran two defenders and pushed the ball past goalkeeper Pat
Onstad.
Alajuelense, the defending champion of Costa Rica's first division, used a
swarming defense to neutralize San Jose's top scoring threat, Landon
Donovan. Defender Jeff Agoos was confined to the bench because of injuries
sustained during Tuesday's practice.
Arnaez stretched the lead to three goals on a penalty shot in the 62nd
minute.
Pérez Roque Rejects Report on Situation in Cuba
Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Pérez Roque has reiterated that his country
rejects the report presented on human rights in Cuba presented in Geneva.
The document, made public by the High Commissioner’s representative,
Christine Chanel, has been distributed among the delegations attending this
session of the Human Rights Commission.
Pérez Roque said that Cuba does not accept being charged in such an
arbitrary, politicized and discriminatory way in the HRC, nor does it
tolerate the fact that the Third World nations are always the focus of the
commission’s statements.
Later during his speech, Pérez Roque commented that Costa Rica will possibly
present the U.S. resolution condemning Cuba, and noted that Costa Rica is
one of the countries that does not vote against Israeli violations of the
rights of the Palestinian people.
Regarding the position of the European Union, the Cuban minister questioned
the "hypocrisy and double standards" of this bloc, which is incapable of
confronting White House manipulations to discredit Cuba. He also asked
whether the EU would present an initiative against human rights violations
at the Guantánamo Naval Base, where the United States is illegally holding
hundreds of people seized during the war on Afghanistan.
The Cuban delegation also denounced the inclusion of well-known terrorist
Luis Zuñiga Rey in the U.S. delegation. Cuba’s permanent representative to
Geneva, Iván Mora, delivered a letter to Australian Mike Smith, current
president of the HRC, urging Zuñiga’s immediate withdrawal.
"We have asked for an enforcement of the rules to prevent the consummation
of such a flagrant violation of the ethics, credibility and practice of this
commission," Pérez Roque stated.
Cuba, Zimbabwe and Syria all responded to statements by the Swedish Foreign
Minister Laila Freivalds, who criticized the situation of human rights in
those countries. On behalf of Cuba, Rodolfo Reyes observed that a racist
hatred of the Third World in that Nordic country was once again making
itself felt in the HRC.
Coffee
Prices May Rise, Group Warns
World coffee prices may extend recent gains as Latin American farmers
struggle to cover their costs, lowering production and reducing exports, the
International Coffee Organization said yesterday.
"You can see the impact of low prices on husbandry of plantations,
particularly in Costa Rica and Guatemala," said Denis Seudieu, chief
economist at the London-based organization. Lower production could cause
some countries to limit exports, tightening world supply, he said.
Coffee-producing nations got about $5.5 billion for their beans last year,
less than half what they made in the late 1980s, after prices slumped to a
30-year low.
The International Coffee Organization has urged the World Trade Organization
to reduce trade barriers for poorer countries, many of which depend on
commodities such as coffee, to help diversify agricultural output.
Coffee futures in London have gained 12 percent since reaching a one-year
low in November amid expectations of a smaller Brazilian harvest.
Lower prices have cut farmers' spending on fertilizers in Brazil, which
grows about a third of the world's coffee.
Brazil's National Coffee Council has said exports were down 35 percent in
February from the same period last year, the ICO said.
"In fact, the reduction of production in a number of countries imposes
constraints on the choice between exports, local industry requirements and
the need to maintain working stocks," the coffee group said in an e-mailed
copy of its monthly report.
Global coffee production in the agricultural year ending 2004 will fall 15
percent from the previous year to 101.3 million bags, according to the
coffee organization's report.
The organization trimmed its 2004 forecast from 101.5 million bags predicted
in its last monthly report because of lower expectations for production from
Central America.
It expects the region to produce 16,480 million bags, down from last month's
forecast of 17,093 million bags.
Lower prices for coffee have hurt farmers in Latin America more than rivals
in African-producing countries because they have higher land and labor
costs, Seudieu said.
Coffee for May delivery slipped $11, or 1.5 percent, to $744 a metric ton on
the London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange.
Coffee futures in New York yesterday reached the highest price in three
years, extending this year's rally to 20 percent.
|
|
Brazilian president hopes for closer ties with Spain's new leader
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed his hope
for closer ties with Spain once its Prime Minister-elect, Jose Luis
Rodriguez Zapatero, is sworn in by the end of April.
"I am sure that under his direction Spain will know how to overcome this
bitter moment and advance on the road for peace and development," the
Brazilian president said in a letter to Zapatero following his Sunday's
victory shadowed by the deadly train bombings in Madrid last Thursday, which
killed 201 people and wounded more than 1,400 others.
"I am equally sure that the strategic approach carried out last year by
Brazil and Spain will gain further width and depth during his
administration," Lula said, alluding to the commitment he signed last year
with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar on a bilateral strategic
alliance.
In the letter the Brazilian president also expressed his country's pain and
grief over the bombing attacks in Spain, and condemnation against terrorism.
Colombian guerrilla group blames Madrid bombings on Aznar
Colombia's rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), on
Wednesday blamed the terror attacks that hit Spain's capital of Madrid last
week on the perpetrators and the Spanish government of outgoing Prime
Minister Jose Maria Aznar.
The ELN said in a statement that Aznar's government dragged Spain "into an
illegitimate war of robbery against a sovereign state, against the will of
the United Nations and against the feelings of Iraqi people."
The Colombian insurgents regretted Madrid blasts and described them as
"indiscriminate actions of uncontrollable effects."
Spain suffered the worst terror attacks in its history last Thursday when a
string of train bombings killed 201 people and wounded 1,450 others in
Madrid.
"This is a response to the crimes that you caused in the world, and
specifically in Iraq and Afghanistan, and there will be more if God wills
it," a purported spokesman for al-Qaida in Europe said in a claim of
responsibility.
The ELN welcomed the announcement by the future Spanish leader, Jose Luis
Rodriguez Zapatero, on the withdrawal of Spanish troops from Iraq if, by
June 30, the UN had not taken over control of the situation in Iraq.
Zapatero's Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) defeated the ruling conservative
Popular Party (PP) in Sunday's general elections,
The guerrilla group also hailed Zapatero's pledge to adopt a new policy
toward Latin America and to work for peace, while criticizing Aznar's
government for its involvement in the Colombian conflict.
The 5,000-strong ELN is the second largest guerrilla in Colombia after the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), that has 18,000 combatants.
Colombia has been ravaged by a four-decade civil war, the longest in Latin
America, in which government forces, leftist guerrillas and far-right
paramilitaries fight one another.
Panama,
Miami race for FTAA headquarters
Panama City and Miami are conducting a keen competition for
becoming the headquarters of the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA),
as tension rises between members supporting Miami and those backing Panama
City.
Panamanian Deputy Foreign Minister Roxana Castrellon confirmed Wednesday
that a Miami delegation led by Carlos Coob, head of the office in charge of
the US city's candidacy, will pay a visit to relevant installations in
Panama City.
Official sources said Coob was willing to inspect the ATLAPA Conventions
Center, which was picked to be the permanent headquarters of the FTAA if
Panama becomes the host city.
ATLAPA is the most important convention center in Panama and Central
America. This 8-acre complex, borders the Pacific Ocean and offers a maximum
events capacity of 10,500 persons. It is easily accessible from Tocumen
International Airport and only minutes away from major hotels and the
International Banking Center.
The ATLAPA Convention Center combines the artistic richness of the
Panamanian culture with the modern technology of the 20th century.
The visit by the Miami delegation is scheduled to last 5 hours. Its agenda
also includes a tour of the Panamanian Caesar Park hotel, where FTAA's
temporal secretariat operated between 2001 and2003.
No meeting was planned between the Miami officials and the Panamanian FTAA
promoters, Castrellon said, adding that the Panamanian side would make close
contacts with the delegation in order to provide them with all necessary
information.
According to the Panamanian press, only months ago Miami disparaged its best
opponents, namely Atlanta and Panama City, andnoted Panama had a high
criminal rate and was a money laundering heaven.
President of the Panamanian Pro FTAA Committee Carlos Ernesto Gonzalvez
indicated that Miami's proposal had no concrete points while the Panamanian
one has several.
He added that traveling to the United States to negotiate the FTAA affairs
could become a custom and migration problem for most Latin American nations.
Gonzalvez also stressed that the United States' visa regime and strict
migratory measures exclude nobody and that Miami, like other US cities, has
high living expenses.
|
