Costa Rica Digest, Feb. 24

=========================================
Costa Rica News Digest
=========================================

A publication of Destiny Worldwide Net
http://www.destiny-worldwide.net

Also Visit the Costa Rica Page:
http://www.destiny-worldwide.net/costa-rica/

Subscribe:
Unsubscribe:
=========================================
TODAY'S CONTENTS
=========================================

*News Digest

=========================================
SPONSOR'S MESSAGE
=========================================
If you want to be successful in the years to
come, with the new technology of the internet,
you need to break free of the limitations that
bind the majority of people. ONe of the worst
problems individuals and businesses face today
are high taxes, unfair litigation, lack of
privacy in financial matters, etc.

You cannot be truly successful and free unless
you use all the tools at your disposal, which
includes being financially free, and learning
the ingredients to true success.

These secrets used to not be available to the
ordinary person. They were the guarded secrets
of the elite.

Destiny Worldwide is unique in that we not only give
you the education you need to succeed, but we also
give you access to cutting edge tools in many
different aspects.

From e-commerce to success in your career, regular
business, and handling your finances secure from
the many risks out there today, our constellation
of services gives you the advantages you need to
succeed.


Go to these websites to begin running down the road
to your successful future today!

http://www.destiny-worldwide.net

http://www.offshorearnings.com

You'll be glad you did!
=========================================
FEATURE ARTICLE
=========================================


=========================================
DISCUSSION
=========================================

Please send your discussion topics to



If you are not yet a member of this egroup,
you may either subscribe from your yahoogroups
members area, or subscribe by email by sending
a blank email to:



This group is for the distrubution of the Digest
as well as discussion on topics of interest to
those living or wanting to live in Costa Rica.

Enjoy!
=========================================
NEWS DIGEST
=========================================
*Postal Workers Threaten Strike

In what could almost be considered a joke, a prank, mailmen in Costa Rica
are

threatening strike action.

Mail carriers, post officer workers at the main post office in downtown San

José and districts stopped work for some time yesterday after what they feel

is a serious labour problem with the administration.

Even though it is almost to impossible to spot a mail carrier and the only

contact anyone has with postal workers is a visit to the post office, there

are thousands employed by Correos de Costa Rica and are threatening strike

action if the government doesn't address their issues.

According to Guido Fallas, of the Asociación Nacional de Empleados Públicos
y

Privados (ANEP), the problem is a change in the work hours. The

administration wants employees to now work a 48 hour week without a pay

increase, while workers want to keep their 40 hour work week that was

initiated in 1998.

Another complaint by workers is the amount paid to directors to attend

meetings. Each post office director received ¢88.000 colones (us$188.) while

directors at other public institutions, like the Instituto Costarricense de

Electricidad (ICE), receive only ¢18.000 colones (us$38.62).

Union leader, Geovanny López, added that since the post office began to be

administered by private hands, workers lost many of the benefits and

guarantees received by other public institution workers.

The workers want to be paid for the extra hours or will take action.


*Ministerio Público Considering Investigating Madam Clients

Now that the court has ruled against Sinaí Monge for "proxenetismo agravado"

and sentenced the Madam to eight years in jail, the Fiscalía de Delitos

Sexuales is analyzing the possibility of investigating the clients who used

the Madam's services.

According to the press court office the Ministerio Público - the state

accuser - is reviewing the evidence gather during the police investigation,

including some 6.000 hours of taped conversations, that led to the arrest of

Sinaí in October of 2003.

The client list has been kept secret and was never made part of the trial,

leading some to believe that it was a result of a deal made between the
Madam

and the prosecution, giving the Madam a lighter sentence for keeping her

mouth shut.

The client list is said to contain names of important people that could

include judges, prosecutors, members of the Organismo de Investigacioni

Judicial (OIJ) - the same police agency that gathered the information -

sports celebrities and prominent businessmen. And though the Sinaí provided

adult prostitutes to her clients, there could be a case or cases where some

"prominent" people could have partook the services of minors.

Investigators will be looking into some accusations that need to be cleared

up, mainly several calls made from telephones from the offices of the

Contraloría General de la República - the Comptroller's office - moments

before the raid on Sinaí's operation. The numbers that the calls were made

from were not related to the investigation.

Other allegations that the Ministerio Público is looking into is the

declaration by some of the minors that someone from the office of the
Sección

de Capturas of the OIJ made calls to Sinaí, the reasons of which are not

clear.

The work by investigators is to identify the names on the list to the taped

conversations and other evidence in the hands of the Fiscalía, which include

license plate numbers of cars believed to have been at the Sinaí home to
pick

up girls and photos from surveillances.

Rosalí Gil, head of the child welfare agency, Patronato Nacional de la

Infancia (PANI) is pressing the Fiscal General de la Republica, Franciso

Dall'Anese, to take a strong action against the "sexual abusers".

The letter sent to Dall'Anese by Gil points out that "it would be unjust if

only the proxenetas (pimps) were condemned." Gil has vowed to seek those

minors who were affected so that they can make charges against them. "I hope

it is not tool late to charge these people. If they are known they have a

social burden to consider, either way, they must face justice", added Gil.

Article 159 and 160 of the Penal Code clearly sets out a jail term for
anyone

who has sexual relations - oral, anal or vaginal - with a minor, that is to

say anyone under the age of 18, and either sex gender. The law also makes it

clear that vaginal or anal penetration by a finger or fingers or one or more

objects is also punishable under the code.

The law is clear on the penalties in a case involving a minor:

1. Four to ten years prison if the minor is under the age of 12

2. Three to eight years prison if the minor is over 12 and under 15 years of

age

3. Two to six years if the minor is over 15 and under 18 years of age.

The penalty is more severe when the abuser is an uncle, aunt, brother,

sister, mother, father, tutor or guardian.


*ICE Announces High Speed Internet for June

June is the month that the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) has

promised to provide high speed internet service to more than 100.000

subscribers.

Internet Avanzada (IA) as it is known here, has cost ICE us$48 million

dollars and three years to set up.

ICE has currently 15.000 IA customers mainly in the San José area, which
were

part of the work to set up and test the network and in less than four months

it will make available the other 85.000 connections.

Internest Avanzada is the same as ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line)

used in North America that allows the use of the telephone line to connect
to

the World Wide Web. ADSL customers can be connected to the internet 24/7 and

do not need to share the telephone line similar to the ISDN and will have a

fixed monthly cost without incurring per minute charges.

ICE plans to offer 128/64 access for us$28 per month. A similar connection
by

way of cable modem by Amnet and RACSA costs us$35. Higher speeds of up to

512/128 have been announced but no prices have been set as yet.


*Canadian Opthamologist, Give Free Eye Exams

A group of 34 opthamologists from Canada are in Costa Rica to give eye
exams

and perform surgery free of charge to residents of Moravia and San José.

The Canadian company LensCrafters began the service about two weeks ago,

oraganized by the Lions Club of Costa Rica.

More than 41.000 pairs of eye glasses will be donated to those attending the

free clinics that will close next Friday.

Humberto Ortiz, of the Lions Club in Guadalupe, Goicoechea, said that some

3.000 people are attended to daily ar the Universidad Católica, starting
each

day at 7:30am.


Earthquake in Turrialba shakes but doesn't break

An earthquake jolted the residents of Turrialba Wednesday afternoon. The

quake registered at a magnitude of 4 and was felt throughout the immediate

area surrounding Turrialba.

According to a release made by the Observatorio Vulcanológico y Sismológico

de Costa Rica, the quake did not result in any fatalities and did not cause

any physical damage.

The statement said that the quake's epicenter was 30 kilometers (19 miles)
to

the southeast of Turrialba.


*Orchestra from U.S. plans series of concerts here

The Symphonic Orchestra from the University of Northern Iowa will be
visiting

Costa Rica next month. Several free concerts are planned during the

orchestra's stay.

The orchestra is made up of 60 musicians, students and professors from the

university which is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The orchestra will be

directed by Rebecca Burkhardt. The concerts will also include national

musicians from the Escuela de Artes Musicales from the University of Costa

Rica.

The visit has been organized by the Centro Cultural Costarricense

Norteamericano as part of the project, "Promising artists of the 21st

Century," which aims to bring talented youngters to Costa Rica from the

prestigious universities of the United States. The concerts will take place

on the following dates.

.. Sunday, March 13, 6 p.m - Templo Parroquial La Inmaculada. Heredia

.. Monday, March 14, 6 p.m. - San Ramon, Templo Parroquial

..Tuesday, March 15, 7 p.m. - Viola & Piano, Escuela de Artes Musicales Costa

Rica.

.. Tuesday, March 15, 3.30 p.m. - Jazz Concert, Instituto Tecnologico de
Costa

Rica.

.. Wednesday, March 16, 8 p.m. - Gala Concert, Teatro Eugene O'Neill, Centro

Cultural Costarricense- Norteamericano, Barrio Dent.

.. Friday, March 18, 7 p.m.- Puntarenas, Casa de la Cultura

.. Saturday, March 19, 7 p.m. - Puntarenas, Casa de la Cultura.


Two artists featured at cultural center

An art exhibition featuring two American artists is being held next month.
It

will run from next Tuesday to March 16 and has been organized by the Centro

Cultural Costarricense. It will be at the Galeria Sophia Wanamaker in San

Pedro.

The artist David Chiarappa is a resident of Guanacaste and will be
exhibiting

his work at the gallery. He creates furniture pieces out of driftwood that
he

collects from the sea and rivers of Costa Rica. He will be exhibiting12

pieces that include sculptures from bronze and glass.

Hilda Green from New York will be exhibiting her compositions of waterfalls.

She closely studies the movement of water in her pieces, Green has a masters

degree in education in arts from Hunter College, New York City. She has

received several prizes including a Fullbright fellowship award,