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Leaders of two mob "families"  with  organized crime operations in New York, were arrested by the FBI, accused of operating illegal gambling houses in Costa Rica, among other charges. Complete story.

ICE will Distribute GSM Technology Starting Monday
Starting next Monday December 16 the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE in Spanish) will start selling 400,000 new GSM technology cell phone lines. It was also announced, earlier this week, that the 450,000 current TDMA cell phone line users will receive new services such as text messaging. Along with the new GSM lines, 50,000 new TDMA technology lines -currently used in every cell phone line in the country- will also be made available. TDMA lines can be used in the Americas starting January 2003 and are better for traveling in the U.S. since that country utilizes that technology principally. Users can send text messages in Costa Rica -and abroad in the medium term- with TDMA technology, but cannot connect to the Internet, even though the line can be used as a modem. Meanwhile, GSM lines will have better national coverage, can allow clients to use the phone abroad, send text messages, and connect to the Internet.

Costa Rican Unemployment Rises to 6.8%
Unemployment in Costa Rica grew 0.7% in the first nine months of 2002 compared with a similar period of 2001, it was revealed Tuesday at the most recent International Labor Organization conference in Peru. Unemployment is currently at 6.8%, the highest rate since 1985, when it reached 7.2%. This means that out of the 1,695,018 Costa Ricans that make up the country's economically active population, 115,261 currently do not have a stable job. According to Enrique Bru, the Costa Rican case is a reflection of the current economic situation in the U.S. and lowering tourism income brought about after the September 11 terrorist attacks.

EU asks for Secure Laws Before Signing Trade Agreement
Costa Rica and all of the Central American nations must strive to insure transparent and stable trade regulations before the European Union begins possible free trade negotiations with the isthmus, it was revealed Monday. Transparent, simple, and efficient customs offices, stable and foreseeable taxes, and a possible environmental clause are among attributes that would have to be agreed on before beginning negotiations, according to the EU's Director of Free Trade Agreements, Karl Falkenberg. Falkenberg -in Costa Rica to meet with Central American vice ministers for integration earlier this week- stated the EU would only negotiate with Central America multilaterally as a whole, while adding that no decision has been reached in Europe to define the rate levied on Latin American bananas exported to the EU.

Cabinet Shake Up
Former Banco Anglo executives Juan Antonio Robles and Enrique Robles reached an agreement with the Costa Rican state and were acquitted -after time served- of several charges from the BAC case through an executive decree, despite complaints by the Costa Rican Attorney General's Office. President Abel Pacheco later admitted he had made a mistake and had been ill advised by Farid Beirute and Planificaton Minister Danilo Chaverri. It was later revealed that Chaverri -upset at Pacheco's public statements- sent a resignation letter to the president, becoming the administration's third minister to leave his post so far.