San José, Costa Rica - Monday 13 September 2004

1.234 Daily Average. Visits in August! Up 10%

Updated every day by 8:00AM Central Standard Time

Young men carry the Central American independence torch during their arrival for the IX Central American student games in Managua, Nicaragua, Sunday, Sept. 12, 2004. he torch is run through Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Panama and Nicaragua, celebrating the region's independence in 1821. [Foto: AP Photo/Esteban Felix] Click for larger image!

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

Costa Rica To Hold Presidency of the International Criminal Court
Bruno Stagno Ugarte, Costa Rican ambassador to the United Nations, will be presiding over the next year's session of the International Criminal Court.

Gasoline Prices to Increase Tomorrow
Tonight at the stroke of midnight, gasoline prices will increase a whopping 7% or ¢23 colones for a litre of super gasoline.

Independence Torch Arrives Today
Following more than 2.500 kilometers of travel through Central America, today the Antorcha de Independencia - Independence Torch - is expected to come to Costa Rica.

Costa Rica Church Sacrifices to Send Missionaries
Today's missionaries are just as likely to be Nigerians or Costa Ricans as they are to be Americans or Europeans.  

Did you Know?
It took a national effort against American filibuster William Walker to change Costa Rica’s view of their own nationality and their relationship with the rest of the world.

UNICEF and Casa Alianza signed an inter-institutional agreement in Panama
UNICEF and Covenant House Latin America (Casa Alianza) have reaffirmed their opposition to the use of repression as a valid mechanism to address youth violence during a signing of an inter-institutional agreement to help children and adolescents who are victims of violence in Latin America.

Over 200 arrested in violence on Pinochet coup anniversary in Chile
As many as 205 people were arrested in overnight unrest Saturday on the anniversary of the 1973 coup that led Augusto Pinochet to power.

38 people killed in Bolivia's traffic accident
The Bolivian police announced Sunday that at lease 38 people were killed and 25 wounded in a serious traffic accident Saturday in the south of the country, said reports from the Bolivian administrative capital of La Paz.

Mercosur, EU hope to meet trade deadline
The South American trade bloc Mercosur and the European Union said after a ministerial meeting Sunday they hope to conclude stalled talks about free-trade agreement on time.

International News from the New York Times
 

Costa Rica in 1856: Defeating William Walker While Creating a National Identity. Costa Rica stands out in Latin America for its emphasis on education, conservation and social welfare instead of war or revolution. The country quietly gained its independence from Spain in 1821, and the Costa Ricans didn’t even know about the declaration until a month after Spain announced it. After gaining independence they briefly joined as part of Mexico until 1826, then became part of the Central American Federation, and in 1848 the country declared itself independent. While there were some internal problems, like a short civil war over the country’s annexation to Mexico, changing the forms of government, and moving the capital city, the history of Costa Rica has been relatively quiet in comparison to the other countries of Central America.

With GSM and the Lowest Cost to Rent a Cellular Telephone in Costa Rica!

Retirement/Relocation Tours for the Non-rich! I am the ONLY Retirement, Relocation Guide in Costa Rica without a hidden agenda. I will show you many of the best areas for value of climate, land, amenities, and building costs. I will introduce you to honest, value, people who will share with you the actual costs of real estate & homes built for people like you. You can then compare these to any of the other "DEALS" promoted by the many other "Tours" Please visit: www.costaricaretireonss.com and contact my References. George Lundquist, Retirement, Relocation Columnist for: www.insidecostarica.com and www.welovecostarica.com