San José, Costa Rica - Tuesday 20 July 2004

1.415.265 Hits in June!

Updated every day by 8:00AM Central Standard Time

Costa Rican squatters and ex-banana workers rest on the patio of the Metropolitan Cathedral in San Jose. About 80 families have been living in the cathedral for the past two months after being evicted from land which was claimed by Standard Fruit Company near Bambuzal, Costa Rica. They are seeking government aid in obtaining titles to the parcels, which they had been working, in the ongoing land dispute. (AP Photo/Kent Gilbert) Click for larger image!

27.500 Denied Entry in the First Six Months of the Year
Marco Badilla, Director of Immigration, yesterday released a report that says some 27.500 foreigners were refused entry into Costa Rica when they tried to enter the country illegally.

Seniors Get Scammed
Fifty senior citizens find themselves at the short end of a vacation package.

Romeria to be Safe and Clean
In 12 days -  the "romeria a la Virgen de los Ángeles" to Cartago commences, when thousands will walk their way to the Basilica in Cartago, some from as far away a Liberia and other rural communities of Costa Rica, in the annual Pilgrimage.

It Was a Madhouse for GSM Lines!
Hundreds made long lines at all offices of ICE yesterday to get a GSM line, as ICE began selling off some 15.000 GSM lines that is says were a result of people not paying their bills and losing the line, while others switched back to the TDMA service.

Kerry Would Re-Negotiate the Central America Free Trade Agreement
John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic U.S. presidential nominee, is taking on American companies like Harken Energy and United Parcel Service with his plans to limit their rights under international trade agreements. Kerry, who repeated his pledge this month to review trade accords in his first 120 days as president, said he wanted to change treaties so that companies could not challenge environmental and health regulations.

High School Students Explore Rainforest
Seventeen Utah high school students recently had the opportunity of a lifetime to study the geology and natural environment of Costa Rica firsthand.  

News Briefs
This month, the Ministerio de Hacienda (Revenue Ministry) included some 33.000 retired teachers to it's pay systems called INTEGRA, however, some 11.000 have not received a colon, while others have seen a reduction in payments.
 

Sandinistas mark ouster of dictator Members of Nicaragua's Sandinista Front celebrated the glory days of their leftist movement on Monday, 25 years after guerrilla forces toppled dictator Anastasio Somoza. Bolivian press hails "yes" vote to weekend referendum Initial results showed Monday that Bolivians have overwhelmingly approved more state involvement in the country's natural gas industry. Mexico congratulates Bolivia on natural gas referendum Mexico on Monday congratulated the people and government of Bolivia for conducting a successful referendum on natural gas policy. Chile denies participation in trial against Pinochet in US The Chilean government has ruled out its participation in a possible trial in the United States against former dictator Augusto Pinochet, government spokesman Francisco Vidal said Monday. 3 Children Killed in Brazilian Mudslide A mudslide killed three children ages 1 to 4 when it overran their hillside shacks early Monday in a slum near Sao Paulo, Brazil's biggest city. International News from the New York Times

SPECIAL REPORTS The Impact of the Sandinistas on Nicaragua The Sandinista Revolution of 1979, in the nation of Nicaragua, is a controversial and thought-provoking revolution. In one year, Nicaraguans went from being ruled by a strict right-wing dictatorship to being controlled by left wing, idealistic revolutionaries. Which is the lesser of the two evils? Which, if any, was good for the nation and people of Nicaragua? These questions can only be answered by studying the Sandinista Revolution in close detail. The Sandinistas have undeniably had an enormous impact on their people, and in evaluating them, all aspects of their rule must be taken into account. TRAVEL Travel Stories... Rhythms of the Rainforest: Exploring Costa Rica The dense jungle surrounds us, pulsating with the sounds of roaring howler monkeys and chattering birds. Clambering after the agile, barefoot guide, my companion Cris and I clutch at the jagged rocks lining the dried riverbed, eager for any leverage up the steep, uneven slope. My hand reaches automatically for a large boulder, covered in gorgeous, emerald-green moss. "The snakes know you're coming before you ever see them," our guide Esteban warns, and I've obviously forgotten what I was told back at the tent camp. Don't touch before looking--don't assume. An hour later, we trod into the space of a deadly fer-de-lance viper, its brown coils blending perfectly with the river's edge.   THE TAKE: DOUBLE TAKE In an attempt to surpass an already extraordinary 97% literacy rate, the Costa Rican government now requires cattle to attend school. [Photo by Stephen Bauer]

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