<strong>by Rod Hughes</strong>
Costa Rica’s economic condition, which looked so rosy last year, got some bad news today. Recently released figures show a widening trade deficit for the first three months of this year. In fact, in the 12-month period ending in March, the deficit rose to nearly 1.8 billion over […]
by Rod Hughes
In the three years that the interurban train has been functioning, the number of passengers using it has tripled, reported the daily La Nacion today. The passenger service revived the moribund Costa Rican railway system and provided reasonably fast, low cost transportation desperately needed by such commuters as […]
<strong>by Rod Hughes</strong>
Commerce officials for the U.S. government have given the approval to changes in the copyright law currently under consideration by the Legislative Assembly. The bill would give stiff fines and even jail time to those who falsify products and pass off works of art or literature as their […]
<strong>by Rod Hughes</strong>
More and more English teachers have abandoned public schools for more lucrative work in private enterprise at exactly the period in history when Costa Rica is suffering from a labor shortage of English-speakers. So reports <em>La Nacion</em>, Costa Rica’s leading Spanish language newspaper today, adding that even more […]
by Rod Hughes
Exports of root crops to the United States, such as manioc root (yuca) destined for ethnic Latin consumption, are encountering problems of uncertain quality and volatile prices at their destination, according to the National Production Council. Some pumpkin types of crops also are experiencing the same woes.
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by Rod Hughes
In a perfect example of the right hand not knowing the doings of the left one, the national power and light company (CNFL) invested $4 million to buy land for the construction of a dam ruled not feasible by its parent company, the Costa ican Electrical Institute […]
by Rod Hughes
The Central Bank dumped dollars on the money market for the second time in two weeks to try to halt the artificial rise of the U.S. dollar in the exchange of colones. The colon reached ¢527.85 per dollar yesterday, an all-time record. The colon rollercoaster is blamed on […]
<strong>by Rod Hughes</strong>
The Episcopal Conference of Costa Rica’s Catholic Church sent illegally obtained funds to Panama to escape the eyes of the government financial watchdogs, revealed the daily <em>La Nación</em> Thursday, in yet another article in a series that surely will win prizes for investigative reporting. Each new revellation of […]
by Rod Hughes
Alajuela’s Catholic bishop, Angel San Casimiro, lauded the Spanish-language newspaper La Nacion for uncovering allegedly illegal financial maneuverings with the use of its bank accounts. (See previous newsblog) Bishop San Casimiro continues to insist that the Episcopal Conference of eight bishops was unaware of any irregularities in the […]
by Rod Hughes
The Catholic Church’s Episcopal Conference has been accused of shady financial dealings by the financial watchdog agency, Sugef. Sugef general superintendent Oscar Rodríguez told the courts that his agency’s investigation has turned up evidence of “illegal financial intermediation,” the daily La Nación reported Thursday. The conference […]
