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ICE transfers ¢44 billion colones to the government
The Costa Rican Institute of Electricity (ICE) annually transfers to the central government ¢44.455 million colones.

This was the sum presented yesterday by ICE management, during an appearance before a Legislative commission, which is studying the way to strengthen that institution.

Arming Balma, administrative sub-manager ICE, indicated that at the moment the organization is facing a very difficult financial situation, reason why he alleges that it's due to the delays of the approval by he Central bank for the bond emission. 

The same bond emission that was at the heart of the 21 day strike a couple of months back,

He maintains for ICE to be able to count on financial credit by a bank, it must go through a long process that can take up to 13 months, because it first must be reviewed, be analyzed and approved by the Consejo Directivo (Directive Council), then approved by the Ministerio de Planificación (Ministry of Planning), later by Tesorería Nacional (National Treasury), then approved by the Central bank, after that by the Autoridad Presupuestaria (Budgetary Authority), and lastly the loan contract must be signed by the Contraloría General de la República (Comptrollers Office).

Nicaraguan President to Visit Costa Rica
The president of Nicaragua, Enrique Bolaños, will visitCosta Rica the 22 and 23 of July. This was confirmed yesterday President, Abel Pacheco, after participating in anniversary 75 of the creation of the Ministerio de Trabajo (Ministry of Work).

According to chancellor, Tovar Robert, subjects to be discussed during the visit, will be a bilateral agenda on migratory policies, tourist plans and border socioeconomic development.

Taxi Licenses at Risk
Taxi owners could have their licenses taken away if they are found to be involved in promoting sexual prostitution or have been part of a kidnapping that involves children or adolescents.

A proposal by the Ministry of Transport, the body that regulates taxi plate licenses,  has received a request from the Ministra de la Niñez y la Adolescencia y president of Patronato Nacional de la Infancia (PANI).

The request is to take licenses from those taxi owners or drivers who are found guilty in a court of law to have promoted or facilitated in any way sexual prostitution or situations where the taxi was knowingly used in the process of a kidnapping when minors are involved.

Latin American countries oppose US pressure over ICC 
Latin American countries reacted with anger or indifference to a US decision to suspend military aid to countries which refused to grant immunity to Americans fromthe International Criminal Court (ICC). 

In Colombia, lawmakers saw the possibility of the US freezing its assistance to combat drug trafficking and terrorism as an act of aggression. 

Senate Vice President Dario Martinez on Wednesday expressed his discontent with the US attempt to exempt its servicemen from the ICC. 

Colombia's Lower House Representative Armando Benedetti saw the decision of the United States severe damage to the morale of the troops combating terrorist groups in Colombia. 

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, on the other hand, was confident that Washington would not ultimately cut off military aid to his war-torn country. 

He said on Wednesday that the Colombian government "has to remain in dialogue with the United States." 

The United States Tuesday announced to suspend more than 47 million US dollars in military assistance to 35 countries for not signing agreements to give immunity to US troops from the International Criminal Court. 

Colombia, as the third largest recipient of US military assistance after Israel and Egypt, insists that a 1962 agreement, renewed in 2000, already protects US citizens from the ICC. 

Over the past three years, Colombia has received more than 2 billion US dollars in aid through Plan Colombia. 

Besides Colombia, Latin American countries affected by Washington's decision were Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. 

Costa Rican Foreign Minister Roberto Tovar said Wednesday that his country is one of the promoters and founders of ICC and defenders of human rights. An agreement that goes against the principles of human rights cannot be signed. 

Spokeswoman of the US embassy in Costa Rica, Marcia Bosshart, confirmed that the joint anti-narcotics program and the establishment of a hemispheric justice academy in Costa Rican territory will not be affected by this announcement. 

In Brasilia, officials shrugged off the US move, saying that USmilitary aid was "not significant," and that Brazil has no intention of signing a bilateral agreement granting US citizens ICC immunity, a foreign ministry statement said. 

A top official at Ecuador's Foreign Ministry, Roberto Ponce, told the press that US military aid "comes from the unilateral will of the US government, and that government has every right to suspend it at any moment." 

In Peru, Luis Santamaria, head of the Foreign Affairs Committeeof the Congress, described the US move as not positive while congressman and former foreign minister Luis Gonzales Posada saw it as a case of "diplomatic imperialism." 

US officials said Washington would continue to press these nations to sign bilateral immunity deals so that the assistance could be restored. 

Washington, which doesn't recognize the authority of the ICC, has been busy forging bilateral accords on its citizens' immunity from the ICC. 

Article 98 of the Treaty of Rome, which created the ICC, allows countries to make bilateral arrangements to exempt each other's citizens from being extradited for prosecution by the ICC.