Ox Carts Added To List of Treasures
Costa Rican ox cart traditions, pre-Hispanic theater from Nicaragua and Brazilian samba were among the seven intangible treasures from Latin America selected Friday by the U.N. cultural body.

UNESCO head Koichiro Matsuura, who announced the list, said he was glad to see traditions from developing countries on the list, which included 43 arts, rituals, festivals and other ceremonies from around the world.

''Despite the vitality and the strength of these cultural expressions,'' he said at UNESCO's Paris headquarters, ``they are many that need urgent and immediate safeguarding.''

Cultural traditions are chosen based upon their risk of disappearing, as well as their cultural value and importance to their communities.

In Costa Rica, officials welcomed the inclusion of the country's ox cart traditions.

Decorated with brightly colored swirls and figures, the carts have long been a symbol of Costa Rica, even though their use has declined.

''Fifty years ago, the carts were used for everything, but not now,'' said 72-year-old Fido Rodríguez, who organizes a cart parade each year.

Carlos Chaverri still produces the carts in Sarchi, 25 miles northeast of San José. He says there is still demand for the simple, wooden vehicles, which have become popular with arts and crafts collectors in the United States, Europe and even Japan.

''People like the sound of the wheels,'' he said. ``They say it's like music.''

The carts were originally used to transport coffee during colonial times.

''In many areas, they still use them because there are many regions that aren't designed for machines,'' Rodríguez said. ``It's cheap, they don't have to build roads, and it doesn't erode the soil.''