San José, Costa Rica -   Monday 30 August 2004

1.116 Unique Visitors Daily Average in July!  What's This? 

Updated every day by 8:00AM Central Standard Time

Sweeping the sidewalk in front of the Legislative Assembly, ready for today's round of protests and manifestations. Click for larger image!

Inside Nicaragua! A new weekly feature published on Sundays, featuring a summary  of current news and events in Nicaragua.

Costa Rica in Crisis
What to Expect Today
The weekend was calm. There were no protests, road blocks or marches. Generally, life was "normal" for Saturday and Sunday. However, Union leaders and Truckers are promising something "big" for today, as the fight with the government continues.

Aristas Claim Victory
Supporters of Oscar Arias claim to be winners in the district elections of the Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN) that took placed countrywide.

Fire Claims Couple
A couple burned to death shortly after midnight last night, when fire totally consumed their luxurious home in San Isidro de Herediav

Minister is Pushing for Child Pornography Laws
During the first half of this year, the Ministerio Público investigated and brought to trial 64 persons for sexual exploitation of minors. Of the 64, 37 were found guilty and sentenced, several up to 45 years in prison.

Did you Know?
That since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred Costa Rica's democratic development.

As Apparel Quotas End, Nicaragua Hopes to Gain
With quotas on most of the world's apparel trade set to end Jan. 1, a nation long overlooked for clothing production is gaining favor: Nicaragua.

Mexicans rally to support mayor
Tens of thousands of Mexicans marched Sunday to support Mexico City mayor who faces legal challenges that could knock him out of the 2006 presidential elections.

Chavez vows to toughen measures on unused lands
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez pledged Sunday to enforce an agriculture law that allows the government to tax and expropriate idle land and give it to poor peasants. 

International News from the New York Times
 

From War-Torn to Wonderland Jeff Sanders, 46, was a Type-A Washington policy wonk, feverishly working for the Office of Management and Budget and later the Senate before landing a job in the private health care industry. But last year the father of two small children did something radical about his long work hours: He quit and moved his family to this pretty Honduran island. Now Sanders is surrounded not only by sand and surf but also by more people like him as Honduras and other Central American countries once embroiled in war have become hot markets for affordable beachfront property.

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