Rain And Strong Winds Maintain
Red Alert
If the rain and flood of last
weekend wasn't enough, this
weekend there was more rain and
though the flooding was not as
severe or caused more damage,
the real danger now is mud
slides.
The mountains and hills are full
of water that cause mud slides
at any time, putting lives in
danger.
National Emergency Commission
says it is still housing about
2.500 in temporary shelters as
aid stated pouring in from all
over the country. Food and
clothing, in white bags with the
Red Cross symbol were being
delivered to those affected,
using a helicopter to get to the
most of remote areas.
President Abel Pacheco went on
national television tonight to
thank all those who contributed
and have give all to the effort.
He made the commitment to begin
a program of rebuilding the area
and once and for all to do it
right.
The President, who is originally
from the Limón area, said that
each year "Limonenses" live the
tragedy that has been going on
for decades. It's now time to
put an end to it and urged
members of the Legislative
Assembly to quickly pass the
current Tax Reforms so that the
necessary funds can get to those
who most need it.
President Pacheco also took the
time to point out some of the
progress his government has made
in the last couple of years,
like building dykes along river
banks and building new housing
on posts, houses that weathered
the floods as the images showed.
Meanwhile the cold front that
has invaded the entire country
is expected to continue for
three days more. In the
Caribbean coast, the winds bring
along rain and more rain, while
in San José there is a mixture
of clouds and sunshine with cold
winds. The Guanacaste coast
though not greatly affected by
the rain and the cold winds, the
temperature is a few degrees
cooler than normal.
The areas of Talamanca, Sixaola
and El Valle de la Estrella,
areas most affected by the rains
and floods of this past week are
still maintaining a "red" alert.
Lawyers To Invade Costa Rica
More
than 150 lawyers are expected to
descend on Costa Rica between
the 3rd and 6th of February for
a world meeting of Notaries. The
event is being organized by the
Colegio de Abogados and the
Instituto Costarricense de
Derecho Notarial.
The event will see the
installation of the Italian
professor Giancarlo Laurini as
head of the notaries, replacing
Mexican Francisco Arias.
Choosing Costa Rica as the place
for this annual event is a
privielge, according to the
Antonio Jiménez Carmiol, who is
head of the organizing
committee. "The event confirms
our image in the world for
security, peace and beauty",
Carmiol said.
The Unión Internacional de
Notariado Latino, founded in
Argentina in 1948, unites 60
countries that orginate from a
judicial system based on the
"Roman Rights" with it's mission
to unite the notaries of the
world.
In Costa Rica there are more
than 14.000 lawyers registered
with the Colegio de Abogados.
Former President Figueres'
Brother Quits Party
The political game is
underway. Yesterday, with the
folding of the Partido
Liberación Nacional (PLN),
Mariano Figueres, the brother of
former president José Maria
Figueres Olsen and son of José
Figueres Ferrer - "Don Pepe" -
he left the party.
The decision to leave the part
were many, though he cited that
the most important for him was
that the party had no direction
and lost it's soul, passing the
torch to the "Aristas" -
supports of Oscar Arias - which
will take the party down.
Along with Mariano, Luis
Guillermo Solís, former
secretary general of the PLN
also resigned from the party,
saying that he doesn't share the
long term ideology of the party.
Asked about his brother, José
Maria, Mariano only said that he
is currently in Switzerland.
José Maria Figueres, who was
president of Costa Rica from
1994 to 1998, has refused to
come back to Costa Rica to
answer the questions of a
Legislative Commission into his
role in the ICE-Alcatel scandal.
Figueres admitted to being paid
us$906.000 dollars as a
consulting fee from Alcatel,
under a contract by his former
presidential aide, Roberto
Hidalgo.
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Transit Police With Heavy Hand
At Palmares Festival
The
Transit Police has made good on
it's promise to use a heavy hand
against drinking and driving at
the Palmares Festival that began
last Wednesday and ends on
January 24.
In the first five days of the
Festival, Policía de Tránsito -
Transit Police - has confiscated
37 vehicles from the hands of
drivers who insisted on driving
after drinking. During the
entire 2004 Festival, police
confiscated 44 cars, meaning
drinking and driving is up,
according to a Transit Police
official.
Transit Police have the right to
confiscate the vehicle if the
driver has more tha 0.1
mililiter per 100 mililiter
parts in the blood or about
three Costa Rican beers.
Juan Carlos Corella, regional
chief of the Transit Police says
that his department is
maintaining a zero tolerance to
drinking and driving. More than
40 officers are on post during
the day and 120 at night, that
patrol all the roads in and out
of the Festival.
In addition, Transit Police have
five fixed check points, that
every driver has to go through
without exception. The fine for
being under the influence of
alcohol is ¢20.000 colones and
the retention of the vehicle,
which as anyone who has had to
get a vehicle back from Transito,
can be a nightmare in itself.
That fact alone should deter
many drivers from drinking and
driving.
The Palmares Festival is perhaps
the best of all the festivals in
the Central Valley, second only
to the Puntarenas Festival that
is in February. For more
information on the Palmares
Festival visit:
http://www.fiestaspalmares.com/
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