La Negrita Now Protected By Armour
Six hundred kilos of armour is being used to protect the patron saint of Costa Rica, La Virgen de Los Ángeles or La Negrita, is it often to referred.

The Colombian company Blinbcorp, specialists in armouring passenger cars and bank armoured cars, was chosen to protect the Virgen, who will now be fully protected from theft. The work began on Tuesday and will take a few days to complete.

"We have to install the armoured protection frame piece by piece before we can install the glass protector. This is the first time we have done this type of work, we are accustomed to working with vehicles and installing bullet proof glass doors and windows on buildings, but this is the first time working on an altar", said Oscar Zumbado, sales manager for Blindcorp in Costa Rica.

While the work is being carried out, the Virgen is under the watchful eyes of the Fuerza Pública (police) officials.

The cost is about us$13.000 dollars which is from individual donations following a call by Ministro de Seguridad, Rogelio Ramos, who was uneasy with the protection given to La Negrita. He and Jorge Rojas, director of the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ), considered that the patron saint was vulnerable to thieves and found it necessary to change the situation.

"I am a devout of the Negrita and I felt that, being the patron saint of Costa Rica, she deserved more protection", said Ramos.

For Basilica priest, Jorge Eddie Solórzano, the armouring will now prodive the Virgen with the maximum protection, reminding that an attempt was made last year, when antisocial tried to the break into the church Basilica, with the motive to steal La Negrita, the priest said.

"We are happy with the work that is being carried out and that La Negrita and the altar is secure", said Solórzano, who added that the faithful have been supportive of the armouring.