210 Years! For Monteverde Massacre
The Tribunales de Puntarenas yesterday sentenced, Erlyn Hurtado, to 210 years prison for the "massacre" in Monteverde on 08 March 2005. However, Hurtado will only have to serve five decades of the sentence as stipulated in the Código Penal de Costa Rica (Costa Rican Penal Code).

Hurtado, 25 years of age, was sentenced for murder and extortion, among other charges, when he and two of his brothers stormed the Banco Nacional branch in the small tourist community of Monteverde, in the province of Puntarenas, in a failed bank robbery attempt. Two of the Hurtado brothers died in the attempt, being shot by security and police outside the branch.

The justices also absolved the Banco Nacional, the Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS), the state and the Seguridad Delta company, of any civil responsibility, which means the families of the victims will not receive the ¢1.5 billion colones (us$2.9 million dollars) indemnity they had asked the court for their loss and pain.

During the failed bank robbery, Herlyn Hurtado took 32 people - bank employees and customers - hostage. Six of hostages were murdered and one police office shot dead during a police attempt to storm the bank. The terror lasted 28 hours before Herlyn decided to give himself up to police. S

In addition to the nine dead - seven hostages and two of the bank robbers - seventeen others were injured.