San José, Costa Rica -   Friday 17 September 2004

1.234 Daily Average. Visits in August! Up 10%

Updated every day by 8:00AM Central Standard Time

Father's rights campaigner Jason Hatch, dressed as Batman, waves to crowds as he protests on a ledge to the right hand side of the main balcony of the Buckingham Palace in London, Sept. 13, Jason Hatch, 33, entered the grounds of British Queen's residence Buckingham Palace and gained access to a balcony Monday afternoon, campaigning for greater custody rights for divorced or separated fathers. [Foto: Xinhua] Click for larger image!

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

More Discoveries in the Fischel-Caja Scandal
As the investigation into the Fischel-Caja scandal continues, it add more names to the list as the investigators follow the trail of the money.

Bolaños Gives Back the Money
A report in the daily Spanish newspaper La Nacion, tells that former legislative deputy and former director of the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS), Gerardo Bolaños, who is also a partner in the law firm of  former president Rafael Angel Calderón, gave back to the Ministerio Público a deposit certificate in the amount of ¢28.4 million colones.

Arias Foundation Returns Donation
The Fundación Arias para la Paz y el Progreso Humano yesterday announced that it returend $8.000 Dollars to the Corporación Fischel, monies the pharmaceutical firm had donated to the group for a program called "Escuela Segura, Comunidad Segura".

State Turns Back on Victims
Ivette left her home when she was 14, and shortly after she fell prey to drugs and to sexual exploiters.

Empty Pews
The Catholic bishops of Costa Rica appointed a commission that is to draft plans to stem the increasing desertion in the ranks of the faithful.

Mario Lauge New Canadian Ambassador to Costa Rica
Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin's former communications director has landed a plum post as ambassador to Costa Rica -- and the Opposition doesn't like it.

A Guerilla Meeting with the UN Media
After a last-minute decision to avoid confrontation with UN officials, the UN press corps proceeded with a videoconference with Chen Shui-bian, President of the Republic of China, at a nearby hotel, where Chen said that exclusion from the UN was unjust and dangerous for the region

Did you Know?
In the 1950's the most popular (and only) tour in Costa Rica was the “One day tour to Irazu Volcano and National Theater”.

OPINION:
Scandals Plague Costa Rica
President Abel Pacheco has tapped several low-profile junior officials to fill the gaping holes in his Cabinet left when his entire economic team walked out amid political turmoil.
 

Panama's new leader to strengthen diplomatic ties at UN summit
Panamanian President Martin Torrijos will take the chance of attending the 59th session of UN General Assembly to strengthen ties with other countries in his first appearance in the world forum.

Panama to compete for FTAA headquarters
The Panamanian government will launch a new "diplomatic offensive" to compete for the headquarters of the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), local press said Thursday.

El Salvador criticizes Spain for troops withdrawal from Iraq
The withdrawal of Spanish troops from Iraq "is an evidence of inconsistency with (Spain's) national doctrine," Salvadorian Defense Minister General Otto Romero said Thursday.

Colombia denounces rebels' possible obtaining of Venezuelan identities
Colombian Defense Minister Jorge Alberto Uribe said Thursday that members of illegal armed groups operating in the border areas with Venezuela could have obtained Venezuelan identity cards. 

International News from the New York Times
 

ELECTIONS-U.S.: Latin America Has Had Enough of Bush ”No More Bush”: it has become a slogan echoed with increasing frequency, on signs and banners carried by protesters and painted on walls throughout Latin America. Today, with the U.S. presidential election drawing near, this sentiment has come to be shared by the majority of the region's politicians, intellectuals, and even heads of state. Since Bush took office in 2001, the proportion of people with negative opinions towards the United States in Latin America and the Caribbean has doubled, according to surveys carried out by Latinobarometro, a Chile-based firm. An international poll conducted by GlobeScan of Toronto, Canada and the University of Maryland in the United States revealed that 42.5 percent of those surveyed in nine Latin American countries would like to see Democratic Party candidate John Kerry win the Nov. 2 election, while only 19 percent support the re-election of Bush, a Republican.

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