San José, Costa Rica -    Sunday 24 October 2004

1.396 Daily Average Visits in September!

What do they think of their Costa Rica today? One can only wonder what would go through the minds of Costa Ricans of the past, seeing for two of it's former presidents in detention at the same time, for corruption. Click for larger image!

insidenicaragua A new weekly feature published on Sundays, featuring a summary  of current news and events in Nicaragua.

From Leader to Common Criminal Born into politics, Rafael Angel Calderón is the first former president of Costa Rica to spend time in jail, where he will be for the next nine months in preventive detention during the Fiscalía's investigative phase.

Calderón With Properties and Stock in the U.S.
Former Costa Rican president Rafael Ángel Calderón, once a respected and liked leader, is now sitting in a prison cell in La Reforma penetentiary as he waits out the results of the investigation for corruption for which he is being accused.

Rodríguez On 24 Hour Watch
As of last Friday, the Fuerza Pública has begun a 24 hour watch on the apartment of former president Miguel Angel Rodríguez, who is under house arrest for his accepting monies from Alcatel and the government of Taiwan.

Immigration Detains Eight Ilegals
Seven women and a man, carrying altered Taiwanese passports, were detained by the Policía de Migración (immigration police) in a downtown San José hotel, where they were waiting to complete their plans for their final destination, the United States.

Driven by Hunger
Costa Rican authorities are going an extra mile to stem the arrival of illegal immigrants from Nicaragua, which has grown recently.

U.S. & Costa Rica Pushing a U.N. Ban on All Human Cloning
The Bush administration is spearheading a campaign at the United Nations for a global treaty banning embryonic stem cell research and all forms of human cloning.

Canadian Woman Heads to Costa Rica to Serve as Missionary
Lu Ellyn Dallas said she's looking forward to the challenge of traveling to Costa Rica in January as part of a Methodist missionary trip to help construct a church in a tropical rain forest.

insidenicaragua
OAS considers being Nicaragua mediator
Nicaraguan President Enrique Bolaños and the Organization of American States are considering convening a national dialogue to try to resolve a political crisis triggered by an impeachment request against Bolaños.

Taiwan's aid to Nicaragua to continues, MOFA reports
Taiwan will continue to give aid to Nicaragua, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, in response to media reports that Nicaraguan President Enrique Bolaños had expressed concern over the issue.

Nicaragua leader accuses Sandinistas of coup plot
Nicaragua's president on Monday (October 18) accused opposition leaders, including the former head of the revolutionary Sandinista government, of plotting a coup to force him from office.

Moscoso decides against suing two local legislators
Former Panamanian President Mireya Elisa Moscoso Rodriguez has told the Republic of China's envoy to Panama that she has decided not to sue three Taiwanese for libel.

Autonomy is at risk, OAS rights panel says
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has issued an unusual statement condemning a restructuring of the Organization of American States as detrimental to the commission's political autonomy.

Colombia to extradite rebel leader to US
The Colombian government is prepared to extradite guerrilla leader Ricardo Palmera to the United States in a move that could intensify internal strife, the El Espectador weekly magazine reported Saturday.

Peru, Colombia sign cooperation agreements
Peru and Colombia have ratified their good relations as strategic partners by signing a series of agreements, local news agency Andina reported Saturday.

International News from the New York Times
 

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SPECIAL REPORTS: Brazil’s Gun Buy-Back Program: Will it Work? Marcelo Itagiba’s office is immaculate. His desk is a fine piece of furniture, built of beautiful wood and adorned with intricately designed carvings. Two cell phones, three land lines, and a radio surround his organized work space. One phone or another rings every few minutes, some attended, others not. He speaks fast and to the point, and does not repeat himself. This is a man who measures his time not in money, but in lives. Itagiba is the Sub-Secretary of Public Security for the state of Rio de Janeiro, and, principally, the city of Rio de Janeiro . It is one of the most violent cities in the world, where 80,000 people died of firearm-related deaths between 1999 and 2003; where nearly every other day an innocent bystander is killed by a stray bullet misfired by kids not yet old enough to vote or join the military. The urban guerrilla war that rages around the drug trade here has reached unprecedented levels of violence and brutality.

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