by Rod Hughes

As we reported last week (see blog 1615) the Costa Rican foreign ministry continues to push for calm in the dispute between Colombia and Ecuador over the Colombian air strike in Ecuadoran territory against the Marxist FARC guerrillas that killed 24 of the insurgents, including their number two commander, Raul Reyes.

Supremely aware of Costa Rica’s image as peacemaker, its current membership in the UN Security Council and his own Nobel Peace Prize, President Oscar Arias bent the ears of Colombian president Alvaro Uribe and Ecuadoran chief executive Rafael Correa to calm the troubled waters. His foreign minister, Bruno Stagno did likewise with his counterparts from the two countries.

Meanwhile, the Organization of American States passed a resolution calling Colombia’s air attack a violation of territory but not specifically condemning Colombia as Correa requested. Meanwhile, Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez weighed into the dispute, sending his troops to the border. The Costa Rican stance on Venezuela’s move was echoed, in less diplomatic terms, by a surprisingly blunt editorial in last Fridays edition of The Tico Times, headlined “Butt Out, Hugo.”

Uribe, in his turn, has announced intentions to sue Chavez in the International Court at The Hague for allegedly financing FARC with $300 million of his petro-dollars. FARC has been at war with Colombia for four decades but has in the recent years resorted to terrorist tactics and narcotics traffic.

Editor’s note: Although no direct connection exists with the dispute and this country, we will continue to report on the diplomatic crisis, if only that the news executives in the U.S. media have decided, in their infinite wisdom, that this is not news. The fact that it offers a supreme opportunity for leftist factions throughout Latin America to cause mischief seems to have escaped them, as well as the danger for more violence.

by Rod Hughes

“I submit only to Costa Rican judges and not to some Mexican politician,” Costa Rica’s head prosecutor Francisco Dall’Anese saltily responded to recent criticism by the ex-head of Mexico’s National Action Party (PAN) Manuel Espino. The Mexican politico leveled a harsh attack against Dall’Anese’s prosecution of former presidents Rafael Angel Calderon and Miguel Angel Rodriguez.

The two ex-presidents are accused of what would be termed in other countries “influence peddling” in the granting of contracts with government agencies. The accusations against the two chief executives focused media attention on the country throughout the world.

“In these cases there were manipulated, irregular procedures with political intentions and…managed by someone,” said Espino, adding mysteriously, “I don’t want to say who I suspect.” He added his vote of confidence to Calderon and Rodriguez, implicated in the Social Security-Fischel and the ICE-Alcatel scandals, respectively.

Espino, now president of the Christian Democrat Organization of America, will be in the country next Friday to participate in a conference on the future of Cuba.

by Rod Hughes

A sweeping crime bill has entered the traffic jam behind the still-to-be-approved laws relating to CAFTA. The bill includes government confiscation of large fortunes that appear suddenly in bank accounts here and cannot be explained by their owners.

The bill also would impose more regulation on firearms and allow neighborhood security points on dead end streets, subject to municipal approval. The bill was drafted by four heavyweights in Costa Rica’s police pantheon: Vice President Laura Chinchilla (herself one-time chief of Public Security), crusading Attorney General (fiscal general in Spanish) Francisco Dall’Anese, current Minister of Public Security Fernando Berrocal and OIJ director Jorge Rojas, the equivalent of FBI director.

Both Dall’Anese and Rojas last year told the Supreme Court (which elects both) that they have set their sights on organized crime. Money laundering, a basic organized crime tactic, is the target of the “sudden fortune” article of the bill. It would give law enforcement a powerful tool but will be closely examined by the Legilsative Assemby for possible constitutional issues when the bill finally sees the light of day.

Dall’Anese said, “Everywhere in the world people must explain where their money comes from and if they don’t, they lose it.” But Chinchilla admitted that this unprecedented invasion of privacy among individuals and companies would “raise a cry to the heavens.” On the other hand, some sectors will fight hard to retain this provision. The Costa Rican Institute on Drugs received 280 tips about dubious operations last year alone.

The bill would set up a pool of information accessible to all branches of police, A private citizen would only be able to own one firearm and anyone previously involved in domestic violence or in an ongoing judicial process could not register or carry a gun. (Even under the old law, between January, 2006, and June, 2007, police confiscated 3,700 illegal firearms, many owned by private security firms whose guards-for-hire were issued unregistered arms.

This country is, of course, a “bridge” for international cocaine traffic and police have been effective both on land and at sea with causing large losses to international drug traffickers during the past year. But that is not the only organized crime that worries law enforcement here. Armed carjacking along with a lively business in stolen vehicles has become more frequent. And many criminals have tried to tuck away their ill-gotten gains in the nation’s banks, although Costa Rica has always been more forthcoming to foreign investigators than many Caribbean islands.

February 19, 2008.

All the books said that the Ticos had no sense of time. Well, I figured that meant fashionably late, or perhaps the part about saying they will go tomorrow or next week, then deciding they can’t but seeing no need to tell you. I’m beginning to understand more, now. “A Tico watch has no hands”, they say, but it goes deeper than that. I can’t post very often because everything takes so long to happen. For example, I have to buy the transformer. Okay. The engineers were here on the Friday of the previous post, and said Cynthia, at the ICE office in Judas would have the authority to give me a list of companies that sell transformers. Well, it wasn’t that easy. It’s now the 12th of March. My transformer has finally made it to Barranca, where ICE will pick it up and mount it on my pole. First, Carlos, the builder has to sign the contract, because the power to the house is in his name, because I need a residency card, which I might get this Friday because I’m going to try immigration in Puntarenas with my lawyer again, because they changed the law, and a passport is no longer enough to get service.
A visit with my lawyer on Monday, confirmed that I could get the power in my corporation name, although that would complicate the process at this time. Also, that the title for my house is still in process, in fact, I had to pay another $100 to put it in the paper for a month, to allow people to contest it and get the final stamp from a judge. My new motor in my car must be registered, but not before the safety, as I was told, rather with a form I get when I do the safety. The lawyer will also call ARCR, who has been ignoring my email requests for either an appointment for Linda’s identity card, or at least the last letter I need from immigration to get Julian, the lawyer here, to do it.
In short, yes, I’m busy every day, but nothing is happening.