ICE Post
Strike
The strike was settled last week and by today,
Monday, it is expected that ICE will return to
normal as all employees are back to work.
On Friday, lines were long at most ICE offices and
nerves frazzled as not all employees were at their
post, as customers who have been waiting for weeks
demanded service.
Some were there to simply pay they telephone bills
on the fear that their service would be cut at any
time now that the strike was over. Others, having
waiting all these days and weeks, were there to
subscribe for new telephone service. While others,
wanted to have their new cellular phones connected
and/or remedy problems with their service as
telephones were lost.
The strike was not about wages or work conditions,
so it is not expected that ICE workers will show any
contempt to customers or provide a lesser
service.
Teacher's Strike
Continues: Day 8
• Government
and Teachers look for a solution as soon as today
The government, still
without an Education Minister and no candidate in
the wings, is hoping to bring the teacher's strike.
Over the weekend and continuing today, the teacher's
unions and members of the government are holding
talks to find a solution.
Like in the ICE strike, outside interests like the
Catholic church have joined in on the talks, in the
hopes to bring a fresh perspective and able to bring
the two sides closer together.
Union leaders are holding strong to their position
and are looking to the government to give in to all
their demands; at the heart of the strike is the
government's failure to pay teacher salaries and the
issue with their pensions.
For today, Monday, the classrooms will continue
empty.
Immigration to
continue its 'operatives' this week
Following
a decision the week earlier by the
Constitutional Court, immigration officials,
joined by members of other police forces like
the La Fuerza Publica, OIJ, drug enforcement
officers and on occasion Interpol, will be in
full force in San José.
Last week, immigration officials detained more
than 10 foreigners in the Limon area. who have
been or are awaiting deportation and about 90
persons where questioned as to the legal
migratory status in the San José area over the
weekend.
In the Guanacaste region, the main beach area
for many foreigners 62 persons were being
investigated for immigration irregularities, of
which 3 will be deported. In Puntarenas 15
Nicaraguans are being held pending deportation.
Yesterday, on our trip from the Peñas Blancas,
the border crossing point from Nicaragua to
Costa Rica, the bus were rode in was boarded by
police at 4 different points on the stretch
between the border and Liberia, where everyone's
documents were checked.
Two women, they appeared to be Nicaraguan
nationals were escorted off the bus on what
seems to have been a problem with their
documents.
This strong show of force comes after several
months where immigration officials were not able
to detain and deport anyone solely on
immigration irregularities. As such, immigration
officials has suspended all of their
'operatives' and dealt only with cases where the
person was wanted in Costa Rica or their country
of origin.
As a reminder, North American and European
visitors to Costa Rica can stay up to 90 days on
a visitors visa, after which they need to either
leave the country or visit the immigration
office for an extention.
It is recommended that one carry at all times
their passport or a copy of the passport that
clearly shows the entry stamp and present it to
an immigration official is asked.
An person found to be in violation of the
immigration rules can be detained and possibly
deported.
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