Car Thefts to Order
A report by the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) reveals that between January an September this year there have been 735 "bajonazos" - robbery at gunpoint - in San José, that involve drivers who had to give up their cars to gangs of thieves.

Today's Stories: Car Thefts to Order Rodríguez in Houston, OAS Confirms Protests Against Corruption Tomorrow

Best of Friends? Both former presidents, Rafael Angel Calderón (left) and Miguel Angel Rodríguez (right) are accused of accepting payoffs from companies doing business with the government while they were in office.

During the same period, another 1.027 vehicles were stolen from public roads and parking lots in the Metropolitan area.

Authorities believe that the robberies are mainly for order, of gangs that are contracted to steal a particular type, model and year of car. Police say that a stolen car goes for about ¢400.000 colones (less than one thousand dollars) that are then either stripped for parts or are cloned.

The Nissan Sentra topped the list of most stolen vehicles for September, with 20, while the Hyundai Elantra came in second at 19 vehicles stolen, then the Hyundai Excel (18), the Honda Civic (9) and the Toyota Corolla (7).

What has police worried is the increase in violence used during the robberies.

Gangs searching for a specific vehicle have been known to remove an entire family from the vehicle, at gunpoint and death treats, leaving them stranded at the side of road. In some cases involving taxi drivers, the drivers have been stripped naked and left at the side of the road, to avoid an immediate call to other taxi drivers for help.

According to police statistics, 95% of the "bajonazos" happen as the person is arriving home. The balance of the occurrences are of taxis who pick up fares whose sole intent is robbing the vehicle and owners of cars who put them up for sale and allow a potential buyer to "road test" the vehicle.

Police say that it is rare that a "bajonazo" occurs at a traffic light, rather, the confidence level is high when a person gets home or is in familiar surroundings. Thieves take advantage of the letting down of the guard.

Mall parking lots are also a great shopping market for car thieves. The mall offers a variety of vehicle makes and models and car thieves don't have to look far to fill their shopping list.

According to police records, Multiplaza has seen 28 cars missing from their parking lots this year, the Hospital México parking lot lost 10, and the PriceSmart lot in Zapote has lost 7.

Plaza Cariari in Heredia and American Mall in Alajuela have lost a total of 27 cars between the two malls.
 

Rodríguez in Houston, OAS Confirms
Yesterday we reported that the whereabouts of former Costa Rican president, Miguel Angel Rodríguez, were unknown following his resignation as Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS).

However, the press secretary at the OAS, Lucrecia Baracat, informs that the Miguel Angel is in Houston, with his daughter who recently had surgery and will be back in Washington soon, though no exact date was given.

Since today is a holiday in the U.S., Miguel Angel is expected to be at his office on Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest.

In the meantime, Costa Rican officials are playing the waiting game. An international warrant for Miguel Angel went out Friday afternoon, soon after his announcement of his resignation from the OAS.

Frnaciso Dall'Anese, chief prosecutor, said that Miguel Angel has two options, "he can come back voluntarily or by force."

Friday, rumours were circulating that Rodríguez was looking for a save haven to refuge himself. Venezuela was one country that was rumoured to have offered Rodríguez political asylum. The Dominican Republic was also mentioned as a possible destination.

Costa Rican president Abel Pacheco has been silent since Miguel Angel's announcement. Pacheco said on Friday that he won't hesitate to ask the United States to expel him (Rodríguez) when his immunity ends on October 15.
 

Protests Against Corruption Tomorrow
Tomorrow will be a day of protest in Costa Rica, as the streets of downtown San José will be filled with University students, who will be dressed in patriotic colours, promoting a peaceful and massive protest against corruption in the country.

The protest begins around 9am in Parque La Merced, the westerly limit of Avenida Segunda, and will continue along the Avenida Segunda, to the Monumento Nacional, in front of the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones.

Following the march, protest organizers are expected to deliver a proposal to the three branches of power - Executive (the government, the Judicial (courts) and the Legislative - to create a national day dedicated to the "Honesty and Equality".

The day of protest is to bring awareness to one and all of the corruption that has engulfed the country, both in the private and public sectors.

The Movimiento Cívico Nacional (MCN) had planned a day of blockades for today (Monday) similar to that of a short time back, however, decided to suspend that action to unite themsevles with the University students tomorrow.

The MCN is still firm demanding changes to the vehicular inspection process and Riteve, the company awarded the exclusive contract.

All public employees will be given time off work between 9am and noon to assist in the protests.