San José, Costa Rica - Wednesday 01 September 2004

1.234 Daily Average. Visits in August! Up 10%

Updated every day by 8:00AM Central Standard Time

Amidst the political and social crisis that took over Costa Rica for the past week, Revenue Minister, Alberto Dent, at a press conference announced his resignation following the government in giving to protestor demands for an increase in the salaries of public employees. Click for larger image!

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

Costa Rica in Crisis
The Crisis is Over. So, Who Won?
For ten days Costa Rica was mired in strikes, protests and blockades that tried to paralyze the country. Many were affected by the actions of those who wanted to force the government to make changes.

Revenue Minister Resigns
Ministro de Hacienda (Revenue Minister), Alberto Dent, resigned on Tuesday, expressing unhappiness about a new salary increase for government workers that followed days of protests.

Airport May Not Be Ready for High Tourism Season
The study says that the airport has the same capacity of the "old" airport when in 1994 it received 1.2 million tourists.

Costa Rican-Born Woman in Spotlight at Republican Convention
Carmen Bermudez of Tucson became a U.S. citizen in 1991. On Tuesday night, the successful, 60-year-old, Costa Rica-born businesswoman led the Pledge of Allegiance at the Republican National Convention.

UN Chooses Costa Rican Human Rights Expert
A Costa Rican professor and adviser with a long record of advocating for the protection of human rights has been selected by the United Nations to serve as the world body's Special Rapporteur on the right to education.

Immigration Details Foreign Workers
Immigration officials made two sweeps through Brasilito and Tamarindo this past week, detaining seven foreign nationals who they said were working illegally in the country.

NEWS BRIEFS
Former Ministro de Economía, Industria y Comercio, Tomás Dueñas, was yesterday named Costa Rica Ambassador to the United States.

Did you Know?
In 1987, Oscar Arias was awarded with the Nobel peace prize for his successful efforts to intermediate in the internal strife affecting much of Central America.

7 killed in violent demonstration in Guatemala
At least seven people were killed and 30 others injured on Tuesday in clashes between protesters and police in Guatemala, Interior Minister Carlos Vielmann said.

Salvadorean troops begin returning home from Iraq
 A total of 155 of the second contingent of 374 Salvadorean troops returned home on Tuesday after completing a six-month mission in Iraq, said reports from the Central American country's capital San Salvador.

6 injured, 48 detained in Argentine clash
At least six Argentine protesters were injured and 48 people, including 18 women, were detained in the clash with police over the visit of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Rodrigo Rato, Argentine police said Tuesday.

International News from the New York Times
 

Are Latin America and the Caribbean ready to meet the health challenges of the coming senior boom? On October 14, 2003, the world's oldest person died. Elizabeth "Ma Pampo" Israel was born on the Caribbean island of Dominica in 1875, before telephones or light existed. At 128, Ma Pampo had a weak voice and had all but lost her eyesight, but she still loved visitors. For much of her life, she had worked in the sugarcane fields, and until her death she rose every morning at 5 a.m. to pray.  Authorities say her longevity owed much to the tranquility of Dominica , the world's "centenarian capital," with more than 20 men and women over age 100 among its 70,000 inhabitants.

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