Protest Against the TLC
More than 250 union organizers met yesterday at the Teatro Melico Salazar with a purpose to reaffirm their commitment to the fight against the Tratado de Libre Comercio (TLC) - Free Trade Agreement - with the United States.

Woman Arrested For Not Paying Child Support
In an unusual twist of events, a woman identified only by her first name, Zahira, decided to turn to police when her "better half" assaulted her with a machete to the head. She arrived at the Commandanica de Heredia - the Heredia police station - to file charges against the man and she herself was detained.

IMF Foresees Lower Growth
The growth of Central American economy will be 0.3 percent less this year as compared to 2004, according to estimates by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Exporters Face Container Shortage
The ever-increasing demand in Iraq and China lowered the availability of containers in Costa Rica, whose exporters - particularly those of fresh produce - have suffered delays in their shipments abroad.

Flesh-Eating Bananas from Costa Rica!
Killer bananas from Costa Rica infected with necrotizing fasciitis, the deadly 'flesh-eating disease'? Don't panic, it's an Internet hoax

BWIA Cuts Flights To/From Costa Rica
In an effort to streamline its operations pursuant to an announcement made by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago on April 7, BWIA West Indies Airways Limited will discontinue service to/from Costa Rica, Curacao and the Dominican Republic effective April 20, 2005, BWIA announced yesterday in a press release.

LATIN AMERICA

Nicaragua to present candidate for OAS' top post
Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Norman Caldera said his country might propose its former foreign minister Ernesto Leal as the candidate for the post of secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), the local press on Thursday quoted official sources as saying.

Cuba calls for human rights probe into Guantanamo prison
Cuba on Thursday called for an independent probe into the plight of the terror suspects held at the US base at Guantanamo Bay.

Cuban communist party leader to visit China
Raul Castro Ruz, second secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba will pay an official visit to China soon, according to an official of the Communist Party of China (CPC), who did not give the specific date.

Chile defends military presence in Haiti
Defense Minister Jaime Ravinet said Thursday that Chile's military presence in Haiti is of a humanitarian nature and not out of self-interest.


SPECIAL REPORTS

BRAZIL:
Landless Farmers, Indigenous Peoples Unite in Fight for Land
Landless campesinos and indigenous people promise to shake up Brazil throughout the rest of April and the first weeks of May, with a tent city in the capital, occupations of unproductive land throughout the country, and a march on the capital.