Chinchilla presents economic ideas to Chamber of Commerce

In her first appearance at the Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce since being elected president of the nation on Feb. 7, Laura Chinchilla and her economic team presented their ideas for this and coming years.

Though some sectors of the economy have begun to show signs of recovery in recent months, Chinchilla and company assured listeners that the seeds of stability must be planted first.

“Costa Rica finds itself, surprisingly, in a good position after a type of crisis that we had never experienced, and I think that, thanks to the action taken by the government of President Oscar Arias and thanks to the steps that we have taken in the financial system, we didn't see a dramatic reduction in the gross domestic product (GDP),” said Luis Liberman, Chinchilla's second vice president and a former general manager of Scotiabank. “However, we did see the unemployment rate grow by almost 4 percent. That is not acceptable. So, in our case, we are looking at the things that we need to do to establish the levels of growth necessary for people both young and old to find work and reactivate the economy.”

Liberman explained that, in order to reactivate economic growth, a Chinchilla administration will center economic efforts on three central themes: generating public investment, housing, and the development of small projects within communities and municipalities. Due to a decrease in investment in the country – both foreign and local – several sectors of the country, such as construction, experienced significant drops in production in 2009. Lieberman explained that while foreign direct investment is expected to remain steady, it would be the investment of local businesses and municipalities that boosts production in the ailing sectors.

“We need to promote a series of projects at the local and municipal levels,” he said. “Local projects are much easier than big projects and, more than that, local projects create jobs for local workers while developing the city. We hope that funds will be contributed to these projects in the short term and that this will lead to longer-term development.”

Chinchilla concluded by reiterating that economic opportunity exists in the environment sector, as further development of environmentally sustainable practices are expected to generate more jobs in the upcoming years. Throughout her campaign, Chinchilla mentioned the creation of “green” jobs through improving environmental practices as an aid to increase employment.

“Two of the biggest treasures of this country are the intelligence of the people and the wealth and beauty of the environment,” she said. “And, because of that, we must keep generating wealth by continuing to develop the great opportunity that the creation of a sustainable environment presents.”

Source:ticotimes.net/

Chinchilla Inauguration To Take Place In The Sabana Park

The Parque Metropolitano La Sabana on the west side of San José will be the site of the transfer of power ceremonies on May 8th, when Costa Rica ushers in the first woman president, Laura Chinchilla.

The decision was announced on Thursday by the Adrían Chinchilla and Silvia Arias, who headed the panel organizing the event.

Arias, daughter of president Oscar Arias, said the park was chosen as it is place that allows the maximum number of Costa Ricans to take part in the historic event.

The park is also represents "authentic value" for Costa Ricans.

The Sabana Park, by way of the old Estadio Nacional (national stadium) has been the venue for many a presidential inauguration since 1949.

The panel considered holding the ceremony in the new stadium that is under construction, but concluded that the construction is not advanced enough for such an event and the large number of people expected to attend.

Source:insidecostarica.com/

Next Security Minister Says He Will Be Tough On Crime

The future ministro de Seguridad, José María Tijerino, promises more police in the streets and more resources for security and the "professionalism" of police officers once he takes office on May 8th.

Appointed on Tuesday by Laura Chinchilla, Tijerino, a former Fiscal General (top prosecutor) between 1990 and 1995, promises to get tough on crime and is hopeful that the new legislative assembly will support his reforms.

Asked where he would get the financing, Tijerino said he would ask for financial help by governemts who are friends, like the United States and Canada.

Tijerino assures that the problem of insecurity that has swept the country is a reality and not just a perception.

Joining Tijerino in the fight agaisnt crime will be Jorge Chavarría, who has been named vice-ministro de Seguridad and Mario Zamora, the current director of immigration, moving to the post of vice-ministro de Gobernación.

Tijerino takes over the job from Janian Del Vecchio, who took over from , who quit amid controversy when he got tough on drug traffickers.

Source:insidecostarica.com/

Arias Presents Chinchilla To Latin American & Caribbean Leaders

With pride and honour, Costa Rican president, Oscar Arias, presented president-elect Laura Chinchilla to the Latin American and Caribbean Unity summit in Mexico.

"I have the honour to present to you, the first woman president of the Republic of Costa Rica, whose integrity, honesty and courage make her worth of office. I am pleased and honoured and I am very proud to introduce to you Mrs. Laura Chinchilla", said president Arias to his counterparts of the region, streeing the role of women in society and politics of the new millennium.

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The Latin and Caribbean summit is being held in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, where over 30 Latin American and Caribbean leaders are taking part in their support to strengthen Latin American and Caribbean integration.

The leaders and officials present in the two-day summit will debate a wide agenda but the priority is for a greater unity. Top on the agenda is the forming of a new expanded organization that would include all those present.

This will be the first act outside of Costa Rica of president-elect Chinchilla since wining the presidential elections on February 7.

Source:insidecostarica.com/

Costa Rica Elects First Female President

Have you ever been in an historic event that people all over the U.S. were talking about? Well of course you have. Remember when Obama became our first African American president and he was talked about on the news, myspace, facebook, and even twitter? Well, in Cost Rica the people have voted for their first woman president!

On Sunday, January 7th, 2010, it was announced that Laura Chinchilla (an activist) won 46.8% of the votes and would become the first female president. Although she is not the first female president in South America, it will still become a part in history! Laura’s opponent, Otton Solis, unfortunately only won 22.46% of the votes, and he says that he is happy for Laura and wonders what she has to bring the new future.
Laura Chinchilla was born in Desamparados, Costa Rica, and is the eldest of four siblings. She has studied political science at the University of Costa Rica. Then she attended Georgetown receiving a master's degree in public policy. Not to mention, after two years of serving as vice minister of public security, she became first woman to become minister of public security.

Source:my.hsj.org/

At least six dead after floods trigger mudslides in Peru

(NECN/CANAL 7) - At least six people have died after rains pounded the Cusco region in Peru, causing deadly mudslides, police said.

Police officials said the downpours caused a mudslide on Sunday near the village of Cochahuasi in the district of Taray. Calca police said five adults from one family and one girl had perished.
However a government official who traveled to the affected area to deliver humanitarian aid said the number of casualties was seven.

There was no explanation for the discrepancy.

The government official also said there were 20 people missing.

The official said 70 percent of the houses had been destroyed in the village of two-thousand inhabitants.

The village is located in the so called Sacred Valley of the Incas.

Heavy rains have persisted this year in south east Peru.

At the end of January this year, rivers in the Cusco region destroyed the tourist rail track that transports tourists to the legendary Machu Picchu.

The Inca citadel will remain closed until April when the train service is expected to be repaired and back in service.

Machu Picchu, the main touristic attraction of Peru, is located 500 kilometers (310 miles) southeast of the capital, Lima.

Source:necn.com/

Costa Rica latest stop for Mexican drug gangs

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (Reuters) - Mexican drug gangs are increasingly using Costa Rica as a pick-up point for South American cocaine headed north and the problem is likely to get worse, President Oscar Arias said on Monday.

World

Costa Rican police have seized close to 93 tonnes of cocaine between 2006 and 2009, nearly twice the amount the Central American country captured in the previous decade, according to Interior Ministry data.

"We are punished by our geography," Arias said, citing the growing trafficking activity as a major public security issue.

"I believe the United States has to make a much bigger effort to spend more in cutting down on (cocaine) consumption," he told a news conference.

Costa Rica sits halfway between the cocaine-producing Andes and Mexico, whose powerful cartels earn some $40 billion a year smuggling the drug to the United States and other developed countries.

Traffickers traditionally moved cocaine through Central America by plane or boat. They now are well implanted in Guatemala and also are using storage bases in Costa Rica, a nation long known as a haven of stability in a region blighted by street gangs and poverty.

"They're storing it here," said Public Security Minister Janina del Vecchio. "Now, they don't even have intermediaries but instead have Colombians here who leave the drug and the Mexican (cartels) pick it up."

Mexico is in the grip of a brutal escalation in drug gang violence that has killed more than 16,000 people since President Felipe Calderon launched an army-led drug war at the end of 2006.

The crackdown is one of the reasons driving traffickers into Central America as they haul in cocaine from Colombia and rival producers such as Peru and Bolivia.

Costa Rica's economy depends heavily on tourism dollars from visitors drawn to its virgin forests and surfing beaches.

Source:reuters.com/