¡No a La Corrupción!
Thousands yesterday took to the streets to protest against government corruption and in particular the acts of key individuals, like former presidents Rafael Angel Calderón, Miguel Angel Rodríguez and current Comptroller, Alex Solís. Many other public functionaries and businessmen have been accused of corruption and paybacks in the ICE-Alcatel and Fischecl-Caja scandals.

Today's Stories: ¡No a La Corrupción! Miguel Angel Rodríguez Says He Will Be In Costa Rica Friday Costa Rica Targeted for Child Sex Tourism Canadian Charter Flights to Costa Rica President Pacheco had to be escorted to his car  by his security team as the crowd turns on him.

Franciso Dall'Anese is embraced by the crowd for his work in exposing corruption and taking a strong hand against two former presidents, among others. The Fischel store downtown had to be closed following protestors throwing rocks through windows and marring the outside of the building.

The former president of the Caja (Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social), Eliso Vargas, is in prenvetive detention, as is the president of the Corporación Fischel, Walter Reiche Fischel. Many other public functionaries are either behind bars or under house arrest and/or cannot leave Costa Rica, as is the case for former president Calderón.

President Pacheco joined the crowds on Avenida Segunda in front of the Banco Popular but was quickly escorted to his car by his security team as the crowds turned nasty with insults and demanding answers to hard questions.

Pacheco did not make his planned speak at the Plaza de la Democracia, preferring to head back to Casa Presidencial, where in a live television interview he said he did not feel angry at the insults. "They called me corrupt. I don't mind because I know I am not corrupt", Pacheco said before the cameras.

Solís was forced off the podium by an angry crowd as he attempted to make his speech. Solís is being investigated for forging his brother's name, past presidential candidate, Otton Solís, on legal documents and for providing high cost loans to Costa Ricans to illegally travelling to the U.S.

Solís was appointed Contralor General de la Republica earlier this year and has been a problem for the government and legislators following the news of his acts.

In contrast, Fiscal General, Francisco Dall'Anese - the chief prosecutor who has been at the head of the latest scandals - was applauded and welcomed by the crowds. They shook his hand and treated as a president would, was he walked among the people.

The protest was peaceful. However several young men took out their anger and frustrations against on the offices and main store of the Fischel located in front of the Correos de Costa Rica, where rocks were thrown through windows, graffiti spayed on the walls and paint covered the Fischel signs.

The store was closed, the steel curtains lowered, to protect the employees and customers inside, while police restored order in a short time.

Finally the rain took over the downtown area, as a downpour around 2pm, removed the remaining protestors who had already left from the light rain and dark clouds looming overhead.

Some of the protestors pointed out the rising inflation for this year, which according to official figures, hit 9.52% in September, the rate that the Banco Central had predicted for the entire year.

Union leaders also took the opportunity to let the public know that they will be demanding a 10.32% salary increase for the first half of 2005.

PRESIDENTIAL SCANDAL
Miguel Angel Rodríguez Says He Will Be In Costa Rica Friday
Former president, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, told channel 6 news "Noticias Repretel" from his office in Washington, that he plans to be in Costa Rica on Friday.

Rodríguez said, "I will in Costa Rica on Friday and will talk to the prosecutors and place myself at the order of the law."

Rodríguez told Repretel that the international warrant was unnecessary because "I will be there on Friday'"

The international warrant means that Rodríguez needs to come back by Friday to avoid being arrested and escorted back to Costa Rica in the custody of police.

Rodríguez is being accused for taking a payment from the French company, Alcatel, for winning the "prize" - a us$149 million dollar contract to install 400.000 GSM cellular lines in Costa Rica. The money was part of the us$2.4 million dollars paid by Alcatel to the wife of Rodríguez's former minister, José Antonio Lobo Solera, who 'sang' to prosecutors.

And if Rodríguez's problems weren't bad enough, a report in the daily Spanish newspaper La Nación, says that the Ministerio Público is investigating a payment of at lest us$400.000 by the government of Taiwan to a private bank account held by Miguel Ángel Rodríguez in Panama. The payment is believed to have been made while he was in the presidential office.

Rafael Sequeira Garza, a manager for the Rodríguez companies made this revelation to prosecutors on Monday. Authorities suspect that up to us$1 million dollars was paid by the Taiwanese government to Rodríguez.

This revelation is not part of the original investigation into Rodríguez, that led to the resignation of Rodríguez as Secretary General of the Organization of American Stats (OAS) and the issuing of the international warrant against him to ensure his return to Costa Rica following his stepping down at the OAS on Friday, October 15.

Taiwan has a population of 23 million and is considered by China as a rebel province and thus it is vital to maintain an alliance of friendly diplomats around the world.
 

Costa Rica Targeted for Child Sex Tourism
U.S. government agencies and a nongovernmental organization have expanded their fight against child sex tourism beyond the United States to include Costa Rica and Thailand, U.S. and NGO officials said Tuesday.

Next year, World Vision, one of the largest NGOs working on issues affecting children, expects Brazil and Mexico to join its Child Sex Tourism Project initiative, the project's director, Joseph Mettimano, said at a news conference.

The U.S State Department's Office of Trafficking in Persons and the Homeland Security Department's U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (USICE) joined World Vision earlier this year to back the initiative.

"The project has two primary goals," Mettimano said. "The first is to deter U.S. citizens from participating in child sex tourism."

The second is to "assist USICE and local law enforcement by helping to identify Americans who are committing this crime overseas and in some cases actually providing information to aid the investigations and prosecutions," he said.

The project began earlier this year, focusing on the United States and Cambodia.

In an effort to deter U.S. child sex predators and make them aware of the harsh consequences, the project has launched a media campaign with large billboards in major destination cities such as Phnom Penh that read, "Abuse a child in this country, go to jail in yours."

The project also involves pop-up ads on sex tourism websites, in tourist brochures and on CNN International playing in departure airports.

World Vision has been negotiating with commercial airlines for TV ads to be aired during flights to Asia or Latin America.

Since the mid-1990s, it has been a federal crime for a U.S. citizen to sexually exploit a minor in a foreign country.

The passage of the Protect Act in 2003 enhanced the power of government agencies to pursue offenders aggressively. In some cases, prison terms run as long as 30 years.

An estimated two million children are abused worldwide by the commercial sex trade every year, Mettimano said. An estimated 25 percent of sex tourists are Americans.

Child sex tourists include those who engage in sexual exploitation during legitimate travel including business trips and those who regularly travel abroad for the purpose of child sexual exploitation, or pedophiles.

Developing countries are particularly vulnerable to child sex tourism because of the availability of children, weak local law enforcement and the ability for the perpetrator to remain anonymous.
 

Canadian Charter Flights to Costa Rica
Air Canada, Canada's national airline, beginning December will offer direct service between Toronto and Liberia's Daniel Oduber International airport.

While not a "schedule" service, Air Canada will operate flights every Saturday throught the "high" season - November to May - starting with the first arrival on December 18.

According to the airline, Air Canada, will not be selling seats directly to the public, the charters are an important step for the airline and has been looking at Liberia for the last six months as a destination point.

Charter service between Costa Rica and Toronto has been available during the high season for many years, operated by small charter services. Since Air Canada starting making direct 'scheduled' flight into Costa Rica - three times a week between Pearson International (Toronto) and Juan Santamaria (San José) airports - it has been eyeing the charter business closely.

The airline will operate an Airbus A319 with a capacity of 120 passengers.

Sunwing Vacations of Toronto will also kick off the charter season with their first flight on December 19 from Toronto to Liberia. The company will offer 7 and 14 day packages starting at us$499.

Sunswing will can accommodate 216 passengers on each flight that will be on Sundays. The flight arrives around 2pm with new tourists and leaves an hour later with those making their way home.

According to figures released by the Cámara de Turismo Guanacasteca y la Cámara Nacional de Turismo (Canatur), visitors to Liberia stay an average of 8 days and spend an average of us$2.457 dollars.