Corruption And
Crime, Costa
Rica's National
Sport
By John Holtz*
I think that
rather saying
“…the national
sport of Costa
Rica is making
love,” National
Geographic would
now call the
national sports
of Costa Rica
corruption and
crime. Certainly
not so much as
in Mexico where
it is a rare day
when people
survive,
wherever they
live, but enough
that it raises
eyebrows among
internationals
and those of us
who walk the
streets to buy
groceries.
We should have
pretty much
figured all this
was coming when
the former
president and
patriarch to the
Second Republic,
President Jose (Pepe)
Figures
(1948–1949,
1953–1958, and
1970–1974) got
his hands caught
in the cookie
jar circa 1959
and simply said,
“It was money to
buy candy,
nothing more.”
Back then the
country
collectively
chuckled because
after all it was
don Pepe. A
charismatic,
true national
hero and
international
icon even
according to
Time Magazine.
Since then the
chuckling has
stopped as we
have three
contemporary
presidents on
the hot seat for
corruption.
The newest is
former president
Angel Rodriguez
(1998-2002) on
trial, stripped
of his
Organization of
American States
director’s seat
and accused of
accepting bribes
from the French
telecom company,
Alcatel. His
alleged share
$800,000. Not
much money by US
standards nor
Bernie Madoff
standards but
plenty for Costa
Rica and our
small nation
with a small
population and
even smaller
budget.
Just a few
months ago,
another former
president,
Rafael Angel
Calderon (1990
-1994) after a
lengthy trial,
was found guilty
of corruption
and accepting
bribes to
purchase useless
medical
equipment from
Finland on
behalf of our
national
hospitals who
said they did
not want it.
With just a ton
of “chutzpah”,
while on trial
Calderon
actually
attempted to run
for the office
of president ,
again. (Maybe
the second time
he could do
better for
himself?)
Calderon was
sentenced to 5
years in prison
but is walking
the streets
waiting for an
appeal.
Shortly before
Calderon and
Rodriguez, Maria
Jose Figures
(1994 -1998),
the son of Costa
Rica’s most
patriotic hero
President don
Pepe Figures was
elected to the
throne. As luck
would have it,
shortly after
ending his term
in office he
decided to skip
town, resign
from the World
Economic Forum (WEF)
and live the
good life in
Switzerland.
The newspapers
call it
relocation, but
usually we see
it as self
imposed exile
cheating the
heavy gavel of
justice before
it falls on his
semi-bald head.
Also, the name
Alcatel again
comes up in the
conversation.
So we know that
Costa Rica
corruption goes
all the way to
the top. This
seems to be the
one time the
trickle down
theory did take
effect as the US
Republicans
claimed it
would, if given
the chance.
There are now
eleven city
mayors either
under official
investigation,
relieved of duty
or being
prepared to
stand trial. And
these are not
all cities in
the jungle or
mountains with
names you can’t
pronounce.
As recently as
on April 22,
2010, two lower
ranking members
of immigration
got themselves
arrested for
issuing counter
fit work permits
and residency
cards sold to
Americans and
Canadians
costing roughly
$3,000 to $4,000
each. The scam
had been going
on for roughly
two years.
With the all new
and improved
traffic laws
debated since
the year 2008,
the established
fines are so
expensive they
can eat up an
entire month’s
salary of the
average worker.
Three traffic
cops have
already received
their Christmas
bonuses but were
then busted for
bribes since the
law was enacted
on March 1,
2010. Only God
knows how many
more have walked
away with $40,
$50 or $100
better off.
320 kilos of
pure cocaine was
proudly
confiscated,
photographed,
published and
locked up
tightly in a
jail cell over
night to be
transported in
the morning.
Yet, by the
dawn’s early
light there it
was: GONE . As a
crack “CSI Las
Vegas”
investigator
would say would
say, “My, my who
could have had
access?”
The police of
course! And,
they were dumb
enough to use
some of that
coke money to
buy luxury cars
that only the
hundreds of drug
dealers
themselves could
afford. Oh, and
they paid cash.
Who robbed those
eight houses in
upper class
Escazu and
Rohrmoser? Nine
police officers,
that’ who.
After 10 city
police officers
were arrested
and released
while waiting
trial, according
to the police
commander of San
Jose proper, he
estimates, in
his own words,
20% to 25% of
his officers to
be on the take
to sell
protection
and/or are
accepting bribes
to look the
other way.
However, the
cases have gone
cold.
So this is
mostly low end
or petty stuff.
But it is ever
growing as well
as becoming more
dangerous.
Hell, if the
presidents and
staff can do it,
why not everyone
else, right?
“Yes,” we do
have armed and
dangerous gangs
who have shown
signs of not
respecting
territory, life
or injury if it
means stealing
one more damn
cellular phone.
In an upscale
restaurant,
Antonio Lehmann
was shot and
killed over just
that. A lousy
ICE cellular
phone.
We are amateurs
and nothing at
all like El
Salvador or
Guatemala where
the only
difference
between gang
members and
police is target
practice. But
that could very
well be the next
chapter for
Costa Rica along
with armed
militia who will
protect their
own.
The police earn
$600 perhaps
$700 a month in
a country were
the display of
wealth is
excessive. (I do
tell every
hummer and Volvo
owner I know
that they are
owned by the
Chinese now.)
The immigration
officer, even
less salary,
maybe $450 to
$500 per month
and must have a
hard time to
resist $3,000 in
cash. A minister
of some well
know department
of the
government,
appointed
directly by the
president is
damn lucky to
receive
$4,000/month
plus perks and
benefits. Far
less than
her/his income
earned in
private life.
Then we have the
ever slow,
getting slower
bureaucracy, the
one that
requires at 2
years to obtain
real estate
development
permits, or even
if you have 100%
all your
immigration
documents in
order, stamped
and translated
you will wait
more than one
year to obtain a
2 year only
permanent
residency and
the list goes on
with expensive
delays until you
are ready to
emotionally
explode or as a
business person
you simply
cannot afford to
wait any longer
based on the
future value of
money.
So, why not pay
a little more to
an underpaid
bureaucrat who
will take the
bribe to move
things faster?
(Using a lawyer,
of course.) This
is probably the
most common of
all bribes and
the most
socially
acceptable since
I think each of
us, at one time
or another, wish
we could just
pay someone
rather than
stand in endless
lines answering
endless
questions that
were just asked
in the line
before. An open
invitation to
solicit a pay
off and end the
agony.
Why do we write
and complain and
why don’t we
just pack our
bags and go
home?
Well 40% of the
foreign settlers
do go back
within two years
taking their
money with them.
Those who stay
feel that we
should try and
make a
difference
because this is
our home. When
it comes to
safety and
corruption,
everyone,
foreign or
national needs
to demand
better. We
cannot fall into
the deep abyss
of Mexico, El
Salvador,
Guatemala and
Honduras no
matter how
tempting. We
very much need
to stop it now.
*John Holtz is the Executive Director of
theCenter for
the Studies of
Modern
Management
www.modernmanagement.org and can
be reached at:
[email protected].
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