Gasoline Up This Morning
Did you fill up yesterday? If not, today, it will cost you ¢180 colones (us$0.38) more to fill up a 45 litre tank with super gasoline.

Bankers With the Best Pay, Second to Soccer Coach
The Spanish language newspaper Al Día says in a list of the best paid in Costa Rica, the coach of the Selección Nacional de Fútbol, Alexandre Guimaraes, who earns ¢8.1 million colones (us$17.100) a month, takes first place.

New Ruling Allows Bank Credit for Refugees in Costa Rica
For two years, Ricardo Angel tried to get a bank loan to start up his furniture workshop, but was told that as a Colombian refugee in Costa Rica, he lacked the necessary residence identity card to qualify.

Mango: A Fruit With A Future
The Costa Rican mango continues to sweeten the palates of Europeans and Americans alike, as the exportation of the fruit grew 40% in 2004.

New Website Offers Online Bargains
As of today, Costa Ricans have a new option to shop over the internet.



LATIN AMERICA

South American, Arab FMs discuss cooperation before summit
Foreign ministers from South American and Arab countries gathered here Monday to make final preparations for a South American-Arab summit slated for Tuesday and Wednesday, while a business seminar opened in an effort to boost trade ties between the two regions.

Brasilia In Summit Mode
The South American-Arabian Summit totally dominates Brasilia, with the beginning on Monday of a bi-regional business seminar with 1,250 assistants, and a meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers of the 34 participating countries.

Foreign Investment on the Rise in Venezuela
Despite attempts by the opposition to present a blight picture of the Venezuelan economy, foreign investments increased by 220 percent in January-April, 2005, compared to the same period last year.

President of Guatemala to Seek Better CAFTA Deal in US
The President of Guatemala, Oscar Berger, began a 6-day visit to the US to lobby Washington in relation to the Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), along with his Central American and Dominican Republic counterparts.

Cuban Film Star to Present Documentary in Havana
The most sought-after Cuban contemporary actor Jorge Perugorria will present the documentary “Iré Habana” here in late May, Cuban Film Institute sources confirmed


SPECIAL REPORTS

ARTS WEEKLY/LITERATURE-VENEZUELA:
One Million Quixotes
Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have been lining up around the country for a free copy of what is considered the all-time greatest work of literature in the Spanish language, ”Don Quixote” by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, on the 400th anniversary of its first publication.