by Rod Hughes

Earthquakes and a late awakening of citizens to the worth of their national monuments have claimed many historic buildings in this country. This is why far fewer historic structures remain standing here than in many Latin American countries. But one worth a visit is the police commissary in Cartago.

Unfortunately, the original building, built during the administration of Chief of State Braulio Carrillo (1835-42) was nearly destroyed by the 1910 earthquake that brought down in ruins so much of the old capital. But the replacement is worth seeing, built in neo-colonial style with a low, square tower, painted white with darker detailing. It is fronted by gardens worth the visit on their own merit.

A movement is afoot now to build a new police headquarters. But instead of condemning the old structure to the wrecking crews as would have been done up until the 1970s, many would like the building converted into an ethnic museum.

by Rod Hughes

Holy Steinbrenner! Do you suppose that changing the field marshal of a sports club really helps a team? Maybe so…

San Carlos, playing on their home grass in Ciudad Quesada and sporting a new head coach, Juan Carlos Arguedas, dumped a lackluster Cartago yesterday 2-1. Carlos Hernandez, sports writer for La Nacion, seems to think that players do better in their first game under a new coach.

It was only 12 minutes into the match when fancy footwork by Luis Pena allowed Enoc Perez to score. Some 12 minutes later, an error by Cartago goalie Donny Grant allowed a goal by Edder Munguio for 2-1. In fact, all through the first half San Carlos played with a creativity and verve the side has not shown all season.

In the second half they forgot all they had learned in the first, but fornuately for them Cartago was soon playing with 19 men after Andreas Sanabria was sent off with too many yellow warnings. As it was, Cartago’s Minor Diaz sent a corner kick from Esteban Bolanos through the arc. After that, San Carlos fans began urging the clock to run faster.

by Rod Hughes

A Uminer poll commissioned by the leading daily newspaper, La Nación, shows the “yes” vote for the Central american Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) with a razor-thin lead in the run-up to the Oct. 7 referendum vote. But, taking into account normal error in the survey, it is a virtual tie.

Last minute maneuvering has trotted out endorsements for and against CAFTA, some of them of dubious value. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton said he backed Costa Rica’s joining the trade pact, although he admitted he had not studied the text “enough to win a dabate” on it. “The U.S. must make it easy” to open up markets for its friends to sell in U.S. markets, he said.

Perhaps the least effective was the visit of Sen. Bernie Sanders and Congressman Michael Michaud at the invitation of CAFTA opponent Ottón Solís. Both U.S. politicians have voted against both CAFTA on Capitol Hill as well as expressing opposition to extending the Caribbean Basin Initiative of which Costa Rica receives trade benefits. Their opposition is based upon their fear that CAFTA will export U.S. jobs, exactly what pro-CAFTA voters want here.

Tomás Dueñas, Costa Rican ambassador to the U.S, commented acidly, “These two gentlemen who came here, by their own record, show they don’t have any interest in developing trade, don’t have any interest in creating jobs, nor in developing the region.” The ambassador also expressed doubts that the U.S. would renegotiate the treaty and even if it happened, experience with renegotiation of Peru, Panama and Colombia indicates that the result would be more of a disadvantage to Costa Rica.

Not only U.S. endorsements are featured. One pro-CAFTA poster contains a photo of Costa Rica’s favorite son, Dr. Franklin Chang and a far-left politician named Merino. Chang, U.S. astronaut and a physicist, notes, the caption under the photo, has come out in support of the treaty. Merino is a communist, notes the other caption, and is a deadly foe of CAFTA. The poster asks whose advice the reader will take.

Not very thoughtly, but an effective piece of propaganda.

Amid all the gloom and doom predictions by both sides of the divisive issue, the leading English-language weekly The Tico Times presented in this week’s issue an editorial with a different take on all the sturm und drang: The referendum is only about a trade pact, for heaven’s sake, and will hardly be the panacea or the disaster depending on a si or no vote, the editorial writer said. Instead of focusing all their attention on the vote, the politicians should get on with such tasks as fixing potholes, cutting red tape and such, the writer added.

Today’s La Nacion notes that some 120 Web sites feature cartoons and humor regarding the issue, so all is not so deadly serious. Only a few of the Web pages feature humor that will offend either side, showing that not only The Tico Times is trying to keep some perspective on the issue.

And President Oscar Arias called for Ticos of both sides to keep calm and be kind to one another during the debate and the voting that culminates it.

Note: We would like to apologize for the tardiness of this report, written much earlier but delayed by technical problems.

by Rod Hughes

Puntarenas fans are grieving because they thought their soccer team could. Coming fresh from a good shellacking of Saprissa in Costa Rica’s first Division Sunday, they were all but certain they could get past Saprissa and move on in the UNCAF soccer tourney.

But it was not to happen, partly because the three forward system, old fashioned as it seemed, had worked well with Saprissa last Sunday. But in the first half, it did not work at all. Late in the first half Sapriss’s Alonso Solís drew first blood with the help of Gabriel Badilla. Puntarenas did not tie until minute 69 on a shot by Eduardo GomezAt minute 83, despite revived second half play by the port city, Saprissa’s Armando Alonso, assisted by Jairo Arrieta (who had replaced Alejandro Alpizar only three minutes earlier) drove in the deciding goal. It was 2-1, Saprissa’s ticket to the semifinals.

Saprissa has its eye on the championship and a slot at the World Cup for soccer clubs, but it seemed a long way away when they struggled against a revived Puntarenas offense.

by Rod Hughes

So half of the UNCAF soccer tournament semifinals will be fought out on Costa Rican soil, since Alajuela got by Real España of Honduras on goal kicks, 5-4 after ending regulations play in a 2-2 tie. The first semifinal game will be in Tibas’s Ricardo Saprissa Stadium Oct. 23, followed by the windup at Alajuela Oct. 31. the winner will play the winner of the Municpal vs. Motagua series in the finals.

In the kind of shootout that ended the latest game, one goalie is the hero and one the goat. In this case, Alajuela’s Wardy Alfaro wears the laurels. Briefly, scoring went like this: Real España’s Everaldo Ferreira drew first blood on a pass by Elder Valladares only to find it evened up by Victor Nuñez. Roy Mayrie put Alajuela ahead on Nuñez’s pass but forward Melvin Valladares tied it.

This left it up to Alfaro who blocked a penalty kick by Jose Carlos Díaz. The warriors from La Liga, as Alajuela is called in its official title, did not miss at all.

This means that the traditional rivals will square off in a two-game series that is sure to pack the stands, a classico of classicos. You can be certain that Saprissa is going to keep an eye on Alajuela’s Victor El mambo Nuñez who lead UNCAF with three goals. Saprissa midfielder Walter Centeno has two in the tourney.