Escazú
Oversaturated
Multiplaza Escazú, way back in 1993, was the
first of it's kind and paved the way for Mall shopping in Costa Rica.
Located west of San José, consumers in Costa
Rica quickly caught on to the concept of doing all their shopping, have
lunch and take in a movie all in one location
A car was indispensable to get there, however, being located in an affluent
area with most having a vehicle, that was not a problem.
The success of Multiplaza Escazú created a wave of construction of
commercial centres and strip malls. Today, according to Jorge Díaz, manager
for Grupo Roble, the owners of Multiplaza Escazú, Escazú has become
saturated.
Stores are empty, others are offering bargain basement prices in an effort
to liquidate merchandise and for rent signs are tales of an oversupply of
commercial space that doesn't have a market.
Diaz explains that the falling trend began back in 2002 when other areas
quickly caught on to the idea of commercial strips and malls, primarily the
East side of San José, where the market is not only for the affluent, but
consumers from all economic levels can shop in a mall environment.
In the past year, Grupo Roble recently opened Multiplaza Este and Terramall
in San Franciso de Tres Rios opened it's door. With Mall San Pedro, that
brings the number to three for major malls in the East, which cater to
different sectors of the market.
Terramall for example is located in a lower economic neighbourhood, while
Mulitplaza Este is catering more to an affluent market segment.
The concept of Mall shopping is now spreading outside of the San José area
with a new mall under construction in Heredia, while Alajuela's Mall
International has been open for several years.
Consumers no longer have to go to Escazú for their 'mall' experience, take
in the latest in movie entertainment or food court dining. Now, their
choices include Mall Multiplaza del Este, Terramall - the two new comers -
in addition to Mall San Pedro, American Oulet Mall, Plaza Cristal and
Plaza del Sol.
While places like Plaza Escazú, El Bulevar , Plaza San Rafaelm Plaza Los
Laureles, Plaza Colonial , Plaza Country and Multiplaza Escazú - all located
in Escazú - see store closings regularly and a decline in revenues for the
owners of the commercial centres.
Tica
Family Detained in Canada
La Nacion, the Spanish daily newspaper,
relates in today's edition the story of the Rodríguez Elizondo family -
three men and two women - who were detained in Canada for two months for
being illegals.
The family was housed in a centre named "Celebrity" between January 23 and
March 15, when they were returned to Costa Rica when they withdrew their
claim for refugee status. The family could only see each other twice a day
during their stay.
In Costa Rica, the family related their ordeal to a La Nacion reporter,
where they told of how, though the Celebrity appears to be a hotel, it is in
a fact a prison with guards and security cameras watching them all of the
time.
At the centre, the Rodríguez Elizondo, who are from San Ramon, west of San
José, met other Ticos who had come to Canada with a dream for a better life.
The family said that during their two month stay, another 11 Costa Rican
women were welcomed to the centre, with at least 20 Costa Ricans there at
all times.
In the Rodríguez Elizondo family case, the first to arrive in Toronto was
the father, back in August 2002m enthusiastic with the promise of work and
high salaries. Things didn't go well at first, however, his luch changed and
he dared to claim refugee status, calling on his wife and children to come
to Canada.
The family sold their house in Costa Rica, which paid for the airfare for
all of them. Now reunited in Canada, they began a small construction company
and soon had purchased tools, equipment and the little business became
prosperous.
The dream turned to nightmare when, in January of 2004, one of the Rodríguez
Elizondo children were detained by authorities for not having reported a
change of address on their application. The family claims that the detention
was a set up brought about by a false lawyer the family was using.
While in detention, the family was told that it would some months to clear
up the problem and with no assurances that their refugee claim would be
approved, decided to return to Costa Rica.
Given the large number of Costa Ricans who entered Canada as a tourist but
later decided to stay, Canada has changed it's policy regarding Costa Rican
national who enter as tourists and they claim refuge.
Refugee status is an immigration status that allows a person to remain in a
country while the case of persecution in their home country is investigated.
Normally, refugee status is given to a person who is persecuted in their
home country because of race, nationality, religion or sexual orientation.
Though there is no need for a visa for Costa Ricans to enter Canada as
tourists, immigration officials at entry points as filter for those
attempting to enter, submitting many to interrogations and being denied
entry.
According to Marco Badilla, Costa Rica's immigration director, Costa Ricans
have been closely monitored by Canadian officials when they arrive in
Canada, for more than two years now. All Ticos are under the watchfull eye
of immigration officials at border points and if they cannot convinced that
the primary purpose of the visit is for tourism and they will leave at the
end of their stay, Ticos will be refused entry and send back to Costa Rica.
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Venezuela's Chavez Warns U.S. to Stop 'Intervening'
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez threatened to stop selling oil to
the United States if Washington doesn't stop "intervening in Venezuela's
domestic affairs."
"In (President) Bush's case, he should cease the madness of directly intervening
Venezuela's internal affairs. That would spark a conflict here, and it would be
absurd to continue selling oil to them," Chavez told the Italian newspaper
Liberazione in comments published Sunday by Venezuela's state news agency,
Venpres.
Chavez did not specify what he meant by "directly intervening." In the past, he
has accused the United States of being behind a failed April 2002 coup against
him and of sponsoring current efforts to overthrow his leftist government.
Washington repeatedly denies the claims.
Chavez previously threatened to stop selling oil to the United States only if it
invaded or blockaded Venezuela.
Venezuela, the world's fifth biggest oil exporter, provides about 15 percent of
U.S. oil imports, and the United States is the biggest importer of Venezuelan
oil. Relations are strained in part over Chavez's close ties with Cuban
President Fidel Castro.
Die-Hard Peru
Shining Path Rebel Issues Ultimatum
A man claiming to be the highest-ranking leader of Peru's Shining
Path rebel group still at large said in an interview broadcast on Sunday that
the armed struggle was "regrettably" beginning again.
Artemio, as the rebel leader is known, told RPP radio in an interview that took
place in an undisclosed jungle location in recent days that he was giving the
government 60 days "to come up with a response in the search for a political
solution."
RPP, one of Peru's most respected news organizations, did not say how it could
prove Artemio's identity. Several months ago, British television station Channel
Four also interviewed a man it said was Artemio, outlining a similar message.
The rebel did not specify what his demands were or what would happen after that
date if he were not satisfied.
But he said it was "regrettable" that the government was unwilling to negotiate
and "absurd" to think he and his followers would lay down their arms and
surrender.
"Regrettably, we are already facing a return to armed actions ... in the pursuit
of a political solution to the internal conflict," Artemio added.
Shining Path, whose pro-communist offensive in the 1980s and 1990s turned it
into one of Latin America's bloodiest insurgencies, blamed for more than half
the 69,000 victims of Peru's rebel wars, remains on Washington's list of terror
organizations. But it has been largely dormant since the 1992 capture of its
leader, Abimael Guzman.
Officials say there are now only a few hundred Shining Path die-hards still
holed up in jungle and Andean areas.
Shining Path rebels have carried out sporadic attacks on security forces in
recent years. They also planted a car bomb in Lima two years ago that killed 10,
and kidnapped 71 gas pipeline workers last year.
Artemio told RPP the government of President Alejandro Toledo had shown only
"generalized repression, captures and murders of our comrades, political
persecution ... so we're giving the government 60 days to come up with a
response in the search for a political solution."
Benedicto Jimenez, one of the anti-terrorism police officers credited with
snaring Guzman, said Artemio's demands were "a sad spectacle" and he had no
option but to surrender.
Interior Minister Fernando Rospigliosi said the government was on alert and
would respond "drastically and swiftly."
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