Costa Rican Government Reacts To Ensure Tourist Safety
Following last week's killing of an assailant by a group of tourists in Limón, the number of lesser publicized attacks of tourists and the cancellation of arrivals by the cruiseliners, the Costa Rican government announced yesterday tougher security measures at both the Caribbean and Pacifica ports.

Tourism Minister Carlos Ricardo Benavides, accompanied by Public Security Minister Fernando Berrocal and other government officials, announced yesterday more police in and around the ports.

Additional police patrol cars will sent to the port towns and minister Berrocal said that the police presence will be doubled in co-ordination with the arrival of the cruise ships.

Berrocal said that police officials from other detachment will be sent to the Limón, Caldera and Puntarenas in conjunction with the arrival of a cruise ship, ensuring that tourists getting off the ships can enjoy their visit in safety.

Officials also plan to install security cameras around the port cities and have police to keep a closer eye on vehicles carrying tourists.

Last week, three armed assailants held up a bus ferrying about a dozen tourists from a docked cruise ship to a beach. One of the tourists believed to be a retired member of the U.S. military put one of the attackers in a headlock, breaking his collarbone, officials said.

The would-be assailant, Warner Segura, 20, was later declared dead, apparently from asphyxiation.

Police did not press charges, and the unidentified American tourist was allowed to return to his cruise ship to finish his vacation.

A spokeswoman for Costa Rica's Tourism Ministry, Marcela Villalobos, said that between October and February some 40 cruise ships dropped off a total of 85,000 tourists in Limón and a similar amount visited the ports of Puntareans and Caldera.

Tourism is Costa Rica's biggest source of income, generating us$1.6 billion last year.