Costa Rica / Latin America News Digest, 6/20/05

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Costa Rica News Digest
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*Thousands of Illegals Live in Fear of New Immigration Law

Many foreigners, especially Nicaraguans who come to Costa Rica looking
for a

better opportunity, are living the fear that soon, very soon, the
Polic=EDa de

Migraci=F3n - immigration police - will visit their place of work in
search of

illegals.

The immigration department estimates some 500.000 foreigners in Costa
of

which 1/3 are believed to be in the country illegally.

The fear is real as the new Ley de Migraci=F3n was approved in the first
round

of debate on June 7 and is expected to be pass on the second round.

Legislative Deputies are concerned about the constitutionality of the
new law

and thus have asked the Constitutional Court to comment before second
debate

begins.

The new law would give the immigration department the authority to
visit

places of employment and ask for documentation. The new law would also
make

it illegal for anyone to traffick in illegals, including giving
employment or

harbouring illegals.

Article 63 of the new immigration law states that anyone entering the
country

in an illegal manner cannot apply for legal status or be allowed to
remain

illegally, meaning they will be deported if detected.

Marco Badilla, immigration director, admits that it is not clear what
will

happen to all the illegals now in the country. Their future will be

determined as the law evolves and is put into practice.

Badilla added that there exists the possibility that the government may
make

some exceptions, like the amnesty program for Nicaraguans some years
back,

however, his department is not in agreement.

Critics say that the government is not taking into account the economic


contribution this group (illegals) make, providing menial labour that
Costa

Ricans don't want to do, like domestic work and in construction.

Nicaraguans mainly provide the coffee industry with a temporary labour
force,

such that the Instituto del Caf=E9 de Costa Rica (Icaf=E9) began last
year a

hotline for coffee producers to post their labour requirements which is


mainly filled by foreigners coming to Costa Rica illegally.

In addition, during the last crop season, the government passed a
regulation

that makes the movement of foreign labour (Nicaraguans) much easier and


without many restrictions. Nicaraguans who depend on the Costa Rican
coffee

crop can now move with much more freedom, providing the coffee industry
with

a vital source of labour.

Badilla defends his position assuring that the new law is only to form
a base

for immigration policies and not a persecution.

By the numbers
According to immigration data for the year 2004

Number of visitors refused entry: 46.552

Number of persons deported: 1.031

Number of refugees living in Costa Rica: 11.000

Number of foreigners in Costa Rican jails: 903

Number of foreign students: 45.900

Number of persons entering Costa Rica: 1.838.188

Number of persons leaving Costa Rica: 1.801.839


*Immigration In Action!

The Fuerza P=FAblica assisting the Polic=EDa Especial de Migraci=F3n
(immigration

police) descended on various beach communities in an operation to
detect and

detain illegals in Costa Rica.

In Jac=F3 beach, the operation included visits to bars, cantinas and
various

nightspots.

The operation began around 11pm and ran until 5am along with the
support of

the Polic=EDa de Transito who operates several roadblocks in the area,

including Esparsa (east of Puntarenas) and Orotina.

Transit officials checked cars going in and out of the area, while the
Fuerza

Publica assisted immigration officers in the various clubs and discos.

In total, officials say they interviewed 400 people of which 84 were

foreigners visiting the popular beach town. Of those 27 were found to
have

irregular migratory status.

Of the 27, 19 were Nicaraguans, 5 Colombians, 2 Argentines and one
American.


*Improved Economic Outlook

The international risk assessment agency Standard & Poor's improved its


economic outlook for Costa Rica.

The agency upgraded from "negative" to "stable" the ability of the
Government

of Costa Rica to honor its external debts.

This is the outcome of what the agency deems an improvement in the
fiscal

management during the last year, the likelihood of improved revenues,
and a

lower public deficit, mainly.

However, Standard & Poor's does not omit that Costa Rica remains
subject to

risks such as an elevated use of dollar in every day transactions and
the

regulation of the banking sector.

The Minister of Finance Federico Carrillo and the president of the
Central

Bank Francisco Gutierrez stated satisfaction at the news.

Carrillo pointed out that if the fiscal reform that the Government is

promoting is finally approved by the Legislative Assembly, it will be

possible to continue the capitalization of the Central Bank, therefore

lowering inflation, a step to modify the exchange rate, one of the
incentives

for the use of the dollar instead of the local currency.

Gutierrez pointed out that the news is excellent, since it will
eventually

enable the country to lower the interest rates, acting upon the
perception of

lower external risk.


*Heredia Festival This Week

Music, theatre, dance, closes, puppets, acrobats, artist and artisans
are all

on hand for the Festival Nacional de Las Artes in Heredia.

All week, different activities are being planned in different places
and

times so that everyone can enjoy the festivities.

The Festival is geared to all ages and background and promises to
entertain.

Each night at 9:30 there will be a free live concert at the Parque de

Heredia.



*"Godfather of Costa Rican poker players" competes in the World Series
of
Poker
Humberto Brenes, the godfather of Costa Rican poker, member of the
"Costa

Rica Connection" and one of professional poker's most beloved players
is

taking on the world's best in The World Series of Poker (WSOP), the
largest

poker tournament in the world.

es.sportsbook.com, the Spanish edition of the largest sportsbook on the


planet is currently offering odds on Brenes and all of the top
professional

and celebrity players in the tournament.

Brenes sits currently at 1250-1 odds, with favorites Daniel Negreanu
and Phil

Ivey both at 300-1. Hollywood stars such as Ben Affleck (2500-1) and Ed


Norton (7500-1), both very accomplished players on the celebrity tour,
are

considered long shots for the title according to es.sportsbook.com
fans.

Brenes learned how to play poker from his father at age 7 and began
playing

poker tournaments a decade ago after a successful career playing
baccarat and

craps tournaments throughout the Bahamas.

Brenes, who maintains homes in Costa Rica and Miami Lakes, Florida,
runs a

number of successful businesses in Costa Rica including a construction

company. Brenes has won two world poker championships.

Poker is now one of North America's largest pastimes - both online and

face-to-face - and continues to grow in popularity as more tournaments
are

created. The WSOP Championship Event takes place July 7 to 15 at the
Rio All

Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

"We expect that Humberto will be a huge draw for Latin fans, adding to
an

already gigantic audience for this event," said Tony Delgado, Marketing


Director es.sportsbook.com.

"Poker lovers who don't have a seat at the table have plenty of
opportunity

on es.sportsbook.com to get involved with wagers on their favorite
players."



* China, Costa Rica Draw 2-2

China and Costa Rica drew 2-2 in the first of two "friendlies" to be
played

in China.

Sunday's game was China's first international match on home turf since
the

national team was reorganized this year under new manager Zhu Guanghu.

China scored first through midfielder Zhang Yaokun in the 28th minute.

Costa Rica made it 1-1 12 minutes into the second half with a header
from

Mauricio Solis, who had been set up by teammate Brian Ruiz. Costa Rica
then

took the lead with a free-kick by Ronald Gomez in the 75th minute.

Chinese defender Sun Xiang made it 2-2 with a shot in the 80th minute.

A second friendly is scheduled to be played in the southern city of
Guangzhou

on Wednesday.

China is struggling to recover after its elimination from the World Cup
in

qualifying rounds last November.

Zhu was appointed in March and is the first Chinese manager to lead the
team

in a decade.


*OAS chief warns of crisis in Nicaragua after failed mission
The newly elected chief of the Organization of American States (OAS)
warned

of a crisis in Nicaragua Sunday at the end of his four-day political

mediation mission in the Central American country.

OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza, who was last month elected
to the

post, said he had "genuine reasons for concern, although society
continues to

function."

Warning of "a profound political division" which could develop into a
crisis,

he appealed to Nicaraguan politicians to make concessions to avoid it.

"It is necessary to make concessions," Insulza stressed, vowing to
continue

the mediation.

The former Chilean interior minister has tried unsuccessfully to bridge


differences between Nicaraguan President Enrique Bola=F1os and the
opposition

parties over constitutional reforms, which Bola=F1os sees as steps to
cripple

his powers.

The OAS chief, who arrived in Managua Wednesday, reportedly proposed
that

Bola=F1os accept a more powerful legislature in exchange for peace with
the two

parties -- the leftist Sandinista National Liberation Front and the

right-wing Constitutional Liberal Party.

Bola=F1os, who has repeatedly sought OAS help to ease a crisis, rejected
the

offer which he views as against the "basic democratic principles."

The president instead proposed Saturday that a national referendum be
held

during the next general election in 2006 on the forms recently approved
by

the opposition-led Congress, according to presidential aide Ernesto
Leal.

The referendum option has been sent to the two parties, said Leal.

"What I can say is that it is important to listen to the voice of
people," he

told reporters after a meeting between Insulza and Bola=F1os.

The political discord erupted late last year when the National Assembly


revised the constitution, stipulating that Congress has the final say
over

the appointment of Cabinet members and ambassadors accredited to
foreign

countries. The powers are traditionally held by the president.

Bola=F1os and his government have rejected the reforms, citing a ruling
by the

Central American Court of Justice which deemed Nicaragua's
constitutional

reforms inapplicable, saying they limit the power of the executive
branch in

appointing ministers and diplomats.

The tension escalated last week when Congress designated new directors
in the

public services sector like telecommunications to replace those named
by

Bola=F1os.

In response, the president ordered police to block the designees from
taking

office.


*MERCOSUR Summit Opens in Paraguay

The MERCOSUR Summit opens Monday in Asunci=F3n, Paraguay, to debate an
array of

regional issues, in particular how to strengthen integration and the

inclusion of Venezuela as a full member.

The 28th plenary meeting of the Southern Common Market, top MERCOSUR

political body, finalized on Sunday the agenda for the Summit of Heads
of

States.

On Saturday, MERCOSUR foreign ministers looked into the agenda the
presidents

will debate, whose main issue is the signing of the Structural Converge
Fund

to fight poverty, which had been approved in the Brazilian city of Ouro
Preto

in 2004.

They will also sign a letter of rights for MERCOSUR citizens to develop


education and solve infrastructure problems, as well as create a
network of

gas and electric pipelines linking South American nations.

With this summit, Paraguay will hand over the pro tempore presidency to


Uruguay, which during the next six months will boost social integration
under

the slogan "We are MERCOSUR."

Besides Paraguay=B4s President Nicanor Duarte and Uruguay=B4s Tabare
Vazquez, the

high level meeting will be attended by Chile=B4s Head of State Ricardo
Lagos,

Ecuador=B4s Alfredo Palacio, Colombia=B4s Alvaro Uribe and Venezuela=B4s
Hugo

Chavez.

Venezuela will complete in Asunci=F3n all the requirements to join
MERCOSUR as

full member by signing the Protocol of Ushuaia, in effect since 1998,
and the

Presidential Statement on Democratic Commitment.


*Venezuelan Military Confirms Plot to Assassinate Hugo Chavez

Venezuelan officers confirmed Sunday the existence of a plot to
assassinate

President Hugo Chavez, that=B4s why the site of the parade for the
anniversary

of the Battle of Carabobo on June 24 has been changed.

Defense minister, General in Chief Jorge Luis Garc=EDa Carneiro, and
Army

Commander, Division General Raul Baduel, told media that the evidence

recommended not to expose Chavez to unnecessary danger.

This time, the annual parade will not be staged in the traditional site
of

the decisive battle for national independence, but at the military
compound

of Fuerte Tiuna in Caracas, probably with the presence of the head of
State.

Div. Gral. Baduel stressed that so far President Chavez has underlined
his

desire to preside over the parade.

He told mass media the event on Army=B4s Day will have the participation
of the

Army=B4s Air Command and a representation of land units.

Venezuelan authorities have ruled the involvement of active military in
the

assassination plot, which is attributed to individuals residing abroad,


mainly ex military linked to the failed coup of 2002 and internal
opposition

groups.

For his part, Defense Minister Garc=EDa Carneiro said Chavez will attend
public

celebration for Independence Day next July 5th, though under strict
security

measures.

He added that the president will not ride on a convertible car as it
was

scheduled in the parade for the occasion and his presence in the main

platform will be short.

"We=B4ll step up measures because he risks too much and fears nothing.
We have

to hold him up," the high ranking officer pointed out.

Garc=EDa Carneiro explained that "worrying reports" combine with the US

government=B4s recent failure at the Organization of American States and


augmented accusations against Venezuela to reinforce the likelihood of
an

assassination plot.



* South Summit Rejects US Blockade of Cuba

The Group of 77 plus China expressed strong rejection of the US
blockade

against Cuba in the meeting=B4s final declaration approved Thursday,
Granma

daily highlights Friday.

The final text also pronounced for respect of the UN Charter=B4s
principles, in

defense of multilateralism and against terrorism.

At the end of the meeting, the leaders of the Group, plus China, agreed


higher efforts must be made to revive and improve collaboration among

developing nations, as those links complement South-North relations.

Meanwhile, meeting participants noted the role of South-South
cooperation in

a multilateral context is seen as a continuous, vital process for
developing

countries to face emerging challenges.


*Embassy red-lines Centro El Pueblo

The U.S. Embassy has ruled the Centro Comercial El Pueblo to be off
-limits

to its employees because of a wild shooting incident that killed a
guard.

The embassy passed its decision along to the public via its Web site.

The Centro Comercial El Pueblo is located in Barrio Tournon in the
north

central part of San Jos=E9 and is a popular nightspot with a handful of
bars

that offer dancing. The center also is where a number of souvenir
stores are

located.

The shooting took place about 3:30 a.m. June 10. Two groups of
individuals

were ordered out of the center because they had been fighting. One man
pulled

a machine pistol from his vehicle and sprayed the buildings. The dead
man was

Ricardo Richard Campbell, 44, who worked for a private firm. He was
killed as

he hustled customers in the Ebony 56 bar to safety.




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