The Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) yesterday announced it has begun installing a fiber-optic network “from sea to sea” to provide high-speed Internet technology, according to a statement posted on the institute’s Web site.

The project, called “ Frontera a Frontera ” (“Border to Border”), consists of a fiber-optic network that transmits information through dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) and allows for rapid transmission of video, voice and data files.

“This network being built is of great importance to the country because it will increase optic connection through the main points of the national telecommunications network,” said ICE project director Gabriel Víquez, adding that the project aims to meet the growing technology needs of Costa Rica’s business sector.

ICE expects the project to be complete during the first three months of next year; so far, workers have laid 40% of the fiber-optic network, which will expand from the northern border town of Peñas Blancas to Paso Canoas, in the Southern Zone, and from the Caribbean port of Limón to the central Pacific city of Quepos.

It includes five main “rings” in the north, north-central, San José, south- central and southern regions of the country through which users can access this technology.

The Israeli company ECI Telecom is carrying out the project, and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) is financing $32.5 million. ICE is providing the remaining $26.7 million for a total investment of $59 million.

-Tico Times

http://www.ticotimes.net/dailyarchive/2007_02/022807.htm

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said yesterday in Caracas that he is postponing the closure of an aluminum plant in Costa Rica while he re-evaluates his decision, reports Costa Rica’s leading daily, La Nacion, today.

The paper said he plans to send a commission to Costa Rica to investigate the plant, which employs 400 in the small town of Esparza northwest of the capital. Chavez had last week given orders to cease shipments of raw material to the Esparza facility, pending opening a new plant in another country, thought to be Nicaragua. The shipments are resuming, he said.

A great deal of speculation has circulated here about Chavez’s motivation for the closure, including that the threatened move was in retribution for strong criticism by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias directed at the Venezuelan president’s policies. It is also known that Chavez wishes to strengthen his ties with other socialist leaders, including President Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua.

By Tico Times Staffeditorial@ticotimes.netSporting flags, banners, buttons and even pig disguises, thousands came out to march against the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA) yesterday in downtown San José. Though the march was one of the largest in recent memory, drawing tens of thousands to the Legislative Assembly, the event was overwhelmingly peaceful.

Shouts of “ No al TLC, No al TLC ” (“No to CAFTA, No to CAFTA”) rang out intermittently as protestors made their way from La Sabana Park, on the western edge of the city, down Paseo Colón and Avenida Segunda to the Legislative Assembly, where the controversial trade pact will soon be discussed on the legislature’s main floor.

The colorful crowd was made up of union members, students, teachers, environmentalists and others, some of whom traveled from outside San José to march under the hot summer sun.

Former presidential candidate and leader of the Citizen Action Party (PAC), Ottón Solís, led a group of PAC politicians and party faithfuls, including the party’s president Epsy Campbell, a former legislator, and one of its most outspoken legislators Alberto Salom.

“This march is organized to influence the Legislative Assembly process; it has been called together on these terms, so it seemed appropriate to us to be here,” Solís told The Tico Times. He explained his absence during previous CAFTA protests by saying “sometimes marches have been called to substitute the Legislative Assembly process.”

Jugglers, dancers and music entertained the crowds, and speakers on a makeshift platform in front of the assembly included legislators José Merino, of the Broad Front, and Elizabeth Fonseca, of PAC, who expressed their joy in seeing so many Ticos speaking out against CAFTA in a peaceful manner.

by Rod Hughes from press reports

President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez said yesterday that he is closing a Venezuela-owned aluminum plant in the Costa Rican town of Esparza for “geopolitical, economic and technical” reasons, denying that he is making the move out of anger at critical statements made by President Oscar Arias of Costa Rica.
The Costa Rican president has distanced himself from Chavez since the former’s inauguration last May. The Costa Rican government expressed doubt that Chavez is giving his real reasons for the plant closing, claiming that Alunasa is a profitable concern. Chavez did admit to having been stung by some of Arias’s criticisms.
The plant closure would throw 400 employees out of work in the small town in which it is located.
Chavez has been taking special pains to court countries with socialist governments such as that of President Daniel Ortega in Costa Rica’s northern neighbor, Nicaragua. Some observers here speculate that he might relocate the plant in Nicaragua.

Kurt Bernard did it again.
For the second time in a week he brought glory upon himself by making a saving goal that led to victory in international soccer match. Only a few days ago his goal, with five minutes to go, tied the game between a tough Panama team and the Costa Rican All Stars in the quest for the UNCAF Cup, leading to a penalty shootout victory, 4-2.

Yesterday, his goal was the only one in a CONCACAF tourney game with the determined Houston Dynamos. The irrepressable Bernard had early on missed a penalty shot and one local sportswriter accused him of “all but sending an e-mail to the opposing goalie” as he fussed around in preparation in front of the goal. The penalty was blocked. But, undaunted, he went on to send the ball where he wanted it, later in the game. That proved to be the deciding 1-0 factor.

The CONCACAF regional tourey includes the best league teams in North and Central America and the Caribbean.

Remember those more than 2,000 cell phone lines that were supposedly on sale at outlets authorized by the national phone company, ICE? Well, following up its own story Wednesday, the daily newspaper al Dia says they are all gone.

ICE (a Spanish acronymn for Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad) had retained the majority of the lines to sell from their own offices. All told, more than 8,000 lines were sold in less than 24 hours. The overwhelming demand for new lines continues, seemingly insatiable in Costa Rica.

By Rod Hughes from news reports

At least 17 Legislative Assembly deputies are backing a bill to grant several hotel concessions in the mostly uninhabited Gulf of Nicoya islands but some critics worry that lack of water, sewage treatment and trash disposal may result in chaos and failure, reported Costa Rica’s leading daily, La Nacion.

The Gulf is bounded on the west by the Nicoya Peninsula and on the east by the country’s coastline including the port city of Puntarenas. One of the small islands that dot the Gulf, Tortugas Island, is already popular with tourists, visited by an average of 150 excursionists per day during the high season. It is a idllic place, white sand beach giving way to palm trees and a dry forest inland on the hills rising in the middle of the isle as if designed by a Hollywood set artist as a tropical paradise. It serves several carefully selected one-day excursion boats including, for decades, the prestigious Calypso Cruises.

But the influx is carefully controlled and the permits to use the island to land tourists is subject to cancellation. Solid trash (plastic containers, wrappers, and uneaten food) is carefully collected by the tour boats and carried back on the return voyage to Puntarenas, while restrooms are of the portable variety used on construction sites so sewage also leaves the island. The daily paper estimates that, if a hotel were built there, the isle could only support a 20-room hostelry due to lack of potable water.

For now, the pelicans and other shore birds are mostly free of human noise and interference with only excursion and fishing boats to disturb their wheeling.

By Blake Schmidt
Tico Times Staff | bschmidt@ticotimes.net

Government officials yesterday expressed concern over the potential closure of a Venezuelan state-owned aluminum plant in Costa Rica they say would be the result of political differences between President Oscar Arias and Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.

The closure of CVG Aluminios Nacionales S.A. (Alunasa) – which appears likely after the company stopped ordering prime materials for production and began making layoffs yesterday – could further freeze already icy diplomatic relations between two nations whose leaders are on opposite sides of an ideological rift in Latin America.

The future of the plant, which employs about 400 people in the Pacific-slope town of Esparza, was called into question after Arias criticized Chávez for usurping power and “negating democracy” in an interview that aired on Radio Columbia earlier this month.

In a letter last week to Arias, Alunasa workers said Chávez may have decided to close the plant due to Arias’ comments, though Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno said the government couldn’t confirm this since there is little communication between the two governments.

In attempts to find a resolution, Presidency Minister Rodrigo Arias met yesterday with Foreign Trade Minister Marco Vinicio Ruiz, Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno, Labor Minister Francisco Morales, Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC) legislator Bienvenido Venegas and representatives of the company.

“We don’t know if they’re going to close operations, or if they want to move part of the plant or something else,” Arias told reporters at a press conference in the Casa Presidencial Monday.

Meanwhile, Alunasa employees sent a letter to Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez asking the socialist president to reconsider.

Of 6,000 GSM cell phones being sold by the phone company ICE, only 2,200 remain unsold and those are available only at authorized outlets, reported the daily Al Dia today.

The phones retained by ICE, the government monopoly phone company, sold out in a rush, according to al Dia staff writers Erick Bonilla and Yensy Aguilar. The phones are Erickson and have excellent coverage, according to ICE spokesman Geovanni Bonilla.

But, reported the newspaper, plenty of complaints were heard from purchasers from the company’s offices about long lines and slow service. Costa Rica is one of the “talkiest” countries in Latin America with thousands of cell phones in use and customers all but stampeding to buy new ones.

In another article in the same edition, ICE executive president Pedro Pablo Quiros told the paper that he is not at all concerned about competition if, as many desire, the communications market is thrown open to free enterprise. However, it appears that the ICE employees’ union is not so confident the company can go head-to-head with private firms and will join a huge demonstration planned by groups opposing ratification of the Central American Free Trade Agreement with the United States, a pact that would open the communications market.

CUSCATLAN, EL SALVADOR–In a cliff-hanger, the Costa Rican All-Stars came from behind to tie Panama 1-1, then went on to win the UNCAF regional soccer cup. Following Panama’s regular game goal after 35 minutes of play, the red, white and blue warriors trailed until Kurt Bernard booted one into the goal with only five minutes of regular play left.

Then the spotlight shifted to goaltender Jose Francisco Porras who stopped the first two of Panama’s attempts during the penalty shootout. The Ticos made their penalty shots like clockwork: Walter Centeno, Rolando Fonseca, Carlos Hernanez and finally Michael Barrantes to put the cap on it for a 4-2 final in penalty shots.

 Ironically, the victory marked one of student over mentor–Panama was coached by former Costa Rican technical director Alexander Guimaraes who had led th All-Stars into two World Cups. The Ticos were coached by Hernan Medford, once a star under “Guima” as his former coach is affectionately called in Costa Rica.

Panama played extremely well and the Ticos were battling uphill during the entire game–right up to the heart-stopping final goal.