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COSTA RICA |
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Festival de la Luz Full Of Magic and
Illusion
Magic, happiness and illusion is how last
nights Festival de Luz was described by the
almost one million who came out in person to
see the biggest show of the year and
millions more watching from home on their
television sets.
The evening, shortly after 6pm, started with
a simultaneous fireworks spectacular that
illuminated the city of San José from the
Sabana park on the west to the Plaza de la
Democracia on the east.
Perhaps the most spectacular was in the
downtown core itself, where fireworks from
the Parque Central, Banco de Costa Rica and
atop the Banco Nacional, the tallest
building in Costa Rica, all going off at the
same time.
Back at the Sabana, Johnny Araya, took to
the podium to kick off the 14th annual
festival.
People lined up all along Paseo Colón and
Avenida Segunda, braving the chilly San José
night air, to see the seven floats, marching
bands, cheerleaders and scores of street
entertainers keeping the crowd alive.
From the television stands of Repretel
(channel 6) and Teletica (channel 7),
personalities like Eduardo Aguirre, who just
Saturday morning returned from Argentina
where he took second place in the finals of
the Latin American Idol contest, belted out
some of his almost famous tunes, while
Teletica was filled with politicians.
Well almost.
Teletica took the opportunity, in between
the floats, to satirize the political
parties and their leaders. In one scenario a
man mimicking doña Laura calling Rodrigo
Arias on the phone, getting abruptly hung up
on. Or a couple of guys covering up their
private parts with only a cardboard box with
the words "Movimiento Libertario".
The pair were mocking the antics of the ML
campaign strategy that "ticos" have to go in
the streets "chingos" (naked" due to the
Arias policies, which are supported by his
competitor, Laura Chinchilla. A third
person, also clad in a box, was there to
mock the mockers, saying he was not there to
support the party, but had been a victim of
a crime, leaving him with nothing, again
mocking the ML campaign.
The satire ended with an interview of
Fishman supporters, who were nowhere to be
found, a focus on a campaign of a
presidential candidate without support. A
closing statement to the satire said "we
heard there is one supporter for Fishman in
El Salvador".
Without a question and notwithstanding the
critics, the 2009 edition of the Festival de
la Luz was a success.
In the words of mayor Araya, work has
already begun on the 2010 edition - the 15th
- which will be perhaps the biggest of all
festivals. |
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