San José, Costa Rica - Friday 03 September 2004

1.234 Daily Average. Visits in August! Up 10%

Updated every day by 8:00AM Central Standard Time

Garbage piles up in many "barrios" in western San José following Municipal workers joining the protests on last Monday. Workers returned to work on Tuesday, but have not been able to clear the back log of refuse on all the side streets. Click for larger image!

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Central Bank President to Stay
Following last week's disturbances and what many feel the government's caving in to the protestors demands, by giving public employees and additional 0.05% pay increase, we saw the resignations of Revenue Minister, Alberto Dent, on Tuesday, and Ronulfo Jiménez, economic coordinator on Wednesday.

Shell to Sell Gasoline with Additives
In an attempt to lure more customers to it's pumps and perhaps give a little more value to high cost of gasoline in Costa Rica, Shell has announced that it's gasoline will have additives that improve engine performance, while eliminating engine corrosion, cleaning the valves and injectors.

Costa Rican Coffee Big Hit in China
Traditionally, China has been a "tea" country. However, coffee is now coming to fashion in China and producers are taking the opportunity to explore the Oriental market.

Tico Doctor Charged in the U.S.
Doctor Jorge Martinez, a citizen of Costa Rica, who got his medical degree in Mexico, set up his medical practice in the Cleveland, Ohio, area doctor is behind bars Thursday, charged with pushing narcotics and ripping off the federal government.

Second in Democratic Development
Costa Rica places second in democratic development in Latin America, according to a study by the German Konrad Adenauer Foundation that took in 18 nations in the region.

Limited Access to the Internet
In spite of the programs and efforts made by the Omar Dengo Foundation - which promotes the use of computers in schools - and the Ministry of Education, only 27 percent of the students in public schools have access to the Internet, according to official estimates.

FIFA WORLD CUP:
Costa Rica has tough trip ahead
Costa Rica will be haunted by memories of a stadium disaster and crowd hostility as the team visits Guatemala for Sunday's CONCACAF zone World Cup qualifier.

Inflation Up
According to information put out by the Nacional de Estadística y Censo (INEC), the inflation rate for the first eight months of this year was 8.68%, up from 5.6% in 2003 and 6.6% in 2002, for the same period.

Did you Know?
In 1982, Costa Rica signed an agreement with Panama to join two adjacent protected areas, one in each nation, to form the first transfrontier park known as the La Amistad Biosphere Reserve.

Ex-boxing champ accused of rape, arrest warrant issued in Nicaragua
An arrest warrant for rape has been issued against Nicaragua's former WBA welterweight world champion Ricardo Mayorga.

Colombia seizes half ton of explosives from rebels
Colombian security officials have seized half a ton of explosives belonging to the rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the Administrative Department of Security (DAS) said on Thursday.

Argentina acquits suspects in 1994 bombing of Jewish center
An Argentine court on Thursday acquitted five men of charges of being accessories to the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center, the biggest terrorist attack on Argentine soil, which claimed 85 lives.

Venezuelan opposition wants dialogue with govt on "electoral fraud"
The Democratic Coordination (CD) of Venezuela proposed a dialogue on Thursday with the government on launching an investigation into alleged electoral fraud during the Aug. 15 referendum.

International News from the New York Times
 

DEVELOPMENT-CUBA: Sugarcane's New Promise Cuba is stepping up efforts to make use of sugarcane derivatives for such things as medications and plastics at a time when the island's sugar industry is undergoing restructuring due to the low sugar prices on the international market. Cuban scientists are saying that sugarcane is a raw material with as much potential as petroleum. The conversion policy for this sector, launched two years ago, includes a push for utilisation of sugarcane derivatives in the food, chemical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Local experts are unanimous in touting ''alternative'' uses for sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum): to make sweets and alcohol, medicines, animal feed, resins, preservatives, plastics and manufactured products like paper or furniture.

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