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Autor: Writer

~ 30/10/06

Victor Urbina Thursday became the sixth of eight fugitives who escaped from La Reforma prison Oct. 9 to be found by police, the daily La Nación reported.

Urbina, who was sentenced to 27 years in jail for rape and aggravated robbery, showed up at the Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ) office in Tres Ríos, east of San José, Thursday, accompanied by his mother and two brothers.

He told officials he didn’t want to run from the police anymore, so he was turning himself in, Ronald Zúñiga, of the OIJ, told the daily.

Four of the other escaped convicts were captured last week and one was killed during a shootout with police at a house in Guácimo, on the Caribbean slope (TT, Oct. 27). Officials identified the convict who died at the scene as Freddy García. Johel Guillermo Araya, Alberto Martínez and Johnny Rodríguez were also arrested. Additionally, Roberto Clark was arrested last week during the Caribbean city of Limón’s Carnival festivities.

Urbina’s arrest leaves two of the eight prisoners who used escaped from the Alajuela prison Oct. 9 still at large.

-Tico Times

Autor: Writer

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The government is expected to announce a sweeping improvement plan for the Provincia de Limón today, just a few days after the latest dock strike there ended.

The government said Friday that the dock strike in Limón is over. The accord was reached early Friday. The government dropped its demand that strikers must be punished and agreed to make a $900,000 payment long overdue strikers.

President Óscar Arias Sánchez said in San José that he was pleased with the agreement and promised to sit down with not only dock workers but all sectors of the society in the Provincia de Limón to discuss plans.

Friday morning the Amsterdam, a cruise ship of the Holland American Line, reached Limón with 1,300 passengers from Panamá. No problems were reported. A Carnival cruise ship skipped Limón Wednesday because of the strike, inflicting significant economic loss to those involved with tourism.

The president also said Friday he envisions a $350 million megaport on the Caribbean coast but he said everyone knows the government does not have the money to set up this kind of operation. Then Casa Presidencial announced a meeting for today to discuss Limón redevelopment.

Union dock workers oppose the idea of the government leasing the docks at Limón and Moín as a concession to a private firm, But Arias said they might change their mind when they understand the plans.

The plan for redevelopment, which is supposed to be set out in detail today is expected to include the megaport and significant investments all along the coast. The multi-nation Plan Puebla Panamá calls for a major highway to link Nicaragua with Panamá along the Caribbean coast.