Poverty On The Increase
According to a study by the
Hogares de Propósitos Múltiples
del Instituto Nacional de
Estadísticas y Censos (INEC),
42.000 Costa Rican families were
added to the "poverty" list.
The census study took several
months to compile the data
collected between 5 July and 4
August of this year, which
reveals that 21.7% of families
live in poverty, of which 5.6%
live in "extreme" poverty.
That means that 42.000 more
families were poorer this year
(2004) than last year, when the
poverty indicator reached 18.5%.
The numbers translate to 298.680
households - representing
873.301 persons - that are
living in poverty in Costa Rica.
Of those, 204.000 people are
living in extreme poor
conditions that don't count with
the basic necessities, this
according to Elizabeth Solano,
co-ordinator for the study.
The study also reveals that the
highest indicator of poverty is
in the urban areas, where an
increase was detected, that went
from 15.4% last year to 19.9%
this year. In rural areas the
increase was smaller, going from
23.1% last year to 26% this
year.
The increase in poverty was seen
in all regions except the
Central Pacific region, that
includes Puntarenas. The hardest
hit areas is the Brunca region,
where a 7 percentage points
increase was registered.
The Pacheco government, whose
priority has been to fight
poverty, criticized the
methodology used in the study.
The INEC however says that the
study was carried out using the
same methods as in the past
years.
According to INEC the "canasta
basica" (basic food basket)
increased by 16%, while general
incomes only rose by 12%. The
Canasta Basica includes 45
staple items that, in theory,
are able to meet the basic daily
requirements of an individual.
Last year, in contrast, general
income rose by 10%, while the
Canasta Basica only increased by
6%.
Health Ministry Will Distribute
600.000 Condoms
The
Ministerio de Salud (Health
Ministry) has made a purchase of
600.000 condoms that it will
distribute free of charge in the
coming year in it's battle to
reduce AIDS in the country.
Health Minister, Rocio Sáenz
Madrigal, said that this coming
year, her ministry will launch a
massive campaign directed all
sectors of society, with
emphasis on women, adolescents
and those in the prison system.
In Costa Rica the first cases of
AIDS were registered in 1983. To
date 2.546 cases have been
reported. Statistics show
increase in the number of AIDS
cases was reported each year up
to 1999 when a drop was seen.
Those affected the most are
between 20 and 49 years of age
of which 87.4%.
In the last nine years, the
Health Ministry has been keeping
records by province and shows
that the majority of cases
reported are in San José,
followed by Alajuela, Heredia,
Cartago, Puntarenas, Límon and
Guanacaste.
According to the Caja
Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS),
they believe that about 12.000
persons are HIV positive in
Costa Rica, and is investing
some us$4 million dollars each
year in medication and treatment
for AIDS victims.
Rodríguez Is Hurt; Calderón
Uses Internet For His Message
Former president,
Miguel Angel Rodríguez, who is
preventive detention for six
months for his part in the
ICE-Alcatel scandal and for
receiving monies from the
government of Taiwan while in
office, accused current
president Abel Pacheco for
"condemning" him before his day
in court.
Rodríguez in an interview with
local channel 11 news, said he
is "profoundly hurt" that
Pacheco would take the sides of
the Judicial system, that placed
in handcuffs and made a circus
of his arrival in Costa Rica.
"I find it hurtful that there is
no respect for the division of
powers", were the words of the
former president.
Rodríguez added that he sees
Pacheco as wanting to "earn
points" by "mounting the wave of
public opinion" that has judged
and condemned him already.
Rodríguez and Pacheco belong to
the same political party, the
Partido Unidad Socialcristiana (PUSC).
Pacheco followed Rodríguez in
the presidential chair in the
2002 elections, that broke
traditions of alternating power
with the Partido Liberación
Nacional (PLN).
Rodríguez said in the interview,
that he voluntarily gave up his
position as Secretary General at
the Organization of the American
States (OAS) and that he
voluntarily came back to Costa
Rica and he is the only one of
the accused in jail. "I am
worried about a Fiscal
(prosecutor) who bargains with
others accused and allows them
to stay in their homes while I
am in jail. It appears there is
no equal treatment" Rodríguez
said.
Rodríguez's comments were
directed mainly at his former
friend and ex-minister in his
administration, José Antonio
Lobo, whose testimony was key to
the detention and imprisonment
of Rodríguez.
Lobo is under house arrest for
his role in accepting us$2.4
million dollars from the French
telecommunications firm Alcatel,
and then distributing a share to
Rodríguez.
Meanwhile, former president
Rafael Angel Calderón, who is
expected to be out of preventive
detention in about 25 days
(December 22), is using the
internet to offer his supporters
best wishes and a thank you.
His website
http://www.amigosderafaelangel.org/ArchivoMensajes.htm
talks about "No to lynching and
no to the violation of citizen
rights". The website has fotos
of Calderón and his family and
his message for solidarity. The
website includes letters of
support from friends, who feel
that the former president has
been wrongly accused.
Calderón is also using the
internet by sending emails to
his mailing list to get his
message across to his "dear
friends".
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Fifteen Universities Not
Authorized
Costa Rica has 50 private
universities and 75 campuses
that are authorized to function,
however, it has been discovered
that 15 others don't, which
could mean that degrees from
those unlicensed universities
may be worthless.
For years private universities
have been operating in Costa
Rica, however, it is only
recently that the Ministerio de
Educación (Education Ministry)
has the statistics.
According to Education numbers,
the 50 universities have 46.000
students enrolled. Each year
between 13.000 and 15.000
students graduate, mostly in
business administration,
education, psychology, law and
medicine.
Those students graduating from
the 15 unnamed universities,
Education officials say their
degrees have no validity and may
be practicing in the field
illegally in cases such as law
and medicine.
On their website, the Education
Ministry lists only private
educational centres who are
authorized by the Ministerio de
Educación Pública and recommend
parents and students to contact
the Ministry if they have doubts
if the school they are attending
is not registered.
Exodus and Return
With
24-hour operations at the ports
of arrival and border crossings,
as well as more control at
"blind" spots used by illegal
immigrants, mainly in the border
with Nicaragua, the Costa Rican
Immigration Service is making
efforts to cope with the usual
crisis it faces every December
and January.
This is so because thousands of
Nicaraguans travel to their
homeland for Christmas and New
Year, and try to come back after
their vacation, even though a
large number of them are
illegally working in Costa Rica.
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