San José, Costa Rica -    Friday 22 October 2004

1.396 Daily Average Visits in September!

Former President Calderón Detained!

Former president Rafael Angel Calderón Fournier, is being escorted to jail following his interview with the Fiscalía early yesterday monring. Calderón is accused of corruption involving the multimillion dollar load from the government of Finland to the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS). [Foto: La Prensa Libre] Click for larger image!

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

What may have come as surprise to many, however, expected, former Costa Rican president Rafael Angel Calderón Fournier left his house in the early hours of yesterday morning to give declarations before the Fiscalía, following the declarations made by former Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS), Eliseo Vargas.

Two Former Presidents in Jail At The Same Time
Costa Rica is making history. Never in the history of Costa Rica, from the days of the Great Navigator himself, Christopher Columbus, in 1502, have Costa Ricans had to face such a situation and international humiliation.

Taiwan Admits Donating to Ex-President Rodríguez, report says
The Taiwan Embassy in Costa Rica has admitted donating $400,000 to a foundation related to scandal-hit former Costa Rican President Miguel Angel Rodríguez.

United Nation's Head Opposes Human Cloning Ban, U.S. and Costa Rica Firm
The head of the United Nations says he opposes a proposal to draft a treaty banning all forms of human cloning. Meanwhile, the United States and Costa Rica are standing firm in their resolve to fight for a complete ban rather than delay a vote for another year or allow a partial ban to pass.

Shortage of Hotel Rooms
The joy resulting from an increasing arrival of tourists in Costa Rica is marred by the threat of shortage in hotel rooms, both private and official sources agreed.

CNFL To Change More Than 7.000 Street Lamps
In an ambitious project, the Compañía Nacional de Fuerza y Luz (CNFL), announced that it will replace some 7.580 light bulbs in street lamps during the period of 2005-2006, at a cost of ¢320.000.000 colones per year.

Banco Elca Will Be Dissolved!
That is the news from the Consejo Nacional de Supervisión del Sistema Financiero (CONASSIF) who intervened the bank's operations on June 29, 2004. The head of the Superintendencia General de Entidades Financieras (SUGEF), Óscar Rodríguez, says the bank is not a viable operation and it is best to liquidate it completely.

Peru's supreme procuratorate sues Fujimori
Peru's top procurator on Thursday demanded a sentence of nine years and four months in jail and a fine of 15 million US dollars against ex-president Alberto Fujimori for complicity with his former aide and ex-spy chief Vladimiro Montesinos.

Landslide in Ecuador leaves 6 wounded, 8 missing
The Ecuadorian Red Cross on Thursday said a landslide near the capital on Wednesday afternoon left six workers injured and eight missing.

Colombian gov't lukewarm to integrating paramilitaries into army
The Colombian government was lukewarm on Thursday to a proposal that called for an integration of right-wing paramilitary fighters into the armed forces of the country.

Venezuela skyscraper reinforced after weekend fire
Work has started to reinforce a 56-story building in Caracas feared to be collapsing after a weekend fire, local press reported on Thursday.

International News from the New York Times
 

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ENERGY: Brazil Fights for Right to Produce Nuclear Fuel The publicity stirred up around the inspection of a Brazilian uranium enrichment plant is a "fabricated controversy" that could be aimed at hindering the national development of the nuclear power industry. This allegation, put forward by physicist Aquilino Senra Martínez, is based on his contention that the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) could monitor Brazil's production of nuclear fuel without visually inspecting all of the equipment involved in the process. At the moment, Brazil's refusal to allow inspectors access to certain equipment in the plant could prevent it from receiving the IAEA approval it needs to move forward with its nuclear power program.

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