Independence Torch Reaches Cartago
Once again, Costa Rica vibrated to the arrival of the Independence Day torch, with its final destination of the old city of Cartago, having left Guatemala several days ago. The torch represents Costa Rica's and Central America's independence from Spain 185 years ago.

On hand to receive the torch in the old city was president Oscar Arias, who was handed the torch from the boy scourts of Costa Rica at 8:20pm.

In contrast to last year, the rains came early and didn't dampen the celebrations.

Though the temperature in Cartago was cool, students from the Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR) heated things up, with a demonstration against the Tratado Libre de Comercio (TLC) - free trade agreement with the United States - which Costa Rica still has to ratify.

The students left the UCR hours earlier in a convoy of buses and surprised police, who had set up barricades to avoid a confrontation with the president, by arriving by an unplanned route and took advantage to make their voices heard as they jammed the main streets of Cartgao.

President Arias and his ministers, who formed a session of Consejo de Gobierno (session of cabinet), along with local municipal officials, continued with the official celebrations in front of the "Ruinas de la Vieja Metrópoli" (ruins of the old city), unaware of the protests only a few blocks away.