Suspense Continues Between Arias And Ortega
The ceremony began with Daniel Ortega embracing Hugo Chávez. The same embrace was extended to three other invited guests, but when it came to the only suit and tie in the ceremony in Managua, Oscar Arias only got a handshake.

That was the scene during the inauguration of Ortega on January 10.

One month later, Costa Rica is the only Central American country that has yet to be visited by Nicaragua's president, Daniel Ortega since he won the elections last November.

Costa Rica is a major trading partner for Nicaragua and a destination for thousands of Nicaraguans who come looking for work and a better life.

Costa Rica and Nicaragua, despite their dispute over the navigational rights of the Rio San Juan, which is currently before the international court, need each other in many ways.

There is much doubt over the future of cordial relations between the countries, especially when Arias last week described as "difficult" the possibility to forgive Nicaragua's debt with Costa Rica and was quick to respond to Ortega's allusion of the military aspect of the Costa Rica's Fuerza Pública (police).

Government officials are cautious to talk about what type of relations can be expected between the two countries, while political experts signal of a bilateral need that the ideological differences result innocuous in the face of the wide economic investment - that is conservately estimated at us$700 million dollars - between its people..

Nicaraguan authorities are also reserved on the subject.

Daniel Ortega will not give interviews and his foreign minister, Samuel Santos, has yet to give any as well. Both Santos and his Costa Rican counterpart, Bruno Stagno, are expected to meet while both men are in Guatemala this coming week.

Rodrigo Carreras, Costa Rican ambassador to Nicaragua, said that the foreign ministries have to work together, otherwise the level of disinformation will continue to grow.

Doubt still continues over Nicaragua's claim before the Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH) - Interamerican Human Rights Commission - over the murder of Ariel Silva and the death of Natividad Canda, who was mauled by two pitbulls in front of the police.

However, the business sector, is minimizing the diverging bilateral ideology.

Gustavo Molina of the Cámara de Comercio Nicaragüense Costarricense (Cadeconic) said "that their attitude is optomistic and that the business world if on a different path, different from the ideology and of those subjects".