Weekly review

The safest country

According to the Index of Latin American Security, by FTI Consulting Ibero-America for Latin Business Chronicle, based in Miami, Florida, Costa Rica is the safest place for multi-national business and firms. Even though Chile and Uruguay show at the same level as Costa Rica, Chronicle chief editor Joachim Bamrud said that the Central American nation tops the list. Last year, Chile was first, which shows Costa Rica has improved. The Vice-President of Costa Rica Laura Chinchilla pointed out that this is a very positive signal for anyone planning to invest here. She added that efforts to continue improving will not slacken at any time.

Second in tourism

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Costa Rica is the second best tourist destination in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to a survey by the World Economic Forum (WEF), which evaluated 130 nations. The Central American nation is 44th globally, but in the region it is surpassed only by Barbados, which places 29th. Among others, Costa Rica is followed by Puerto Rico (46th), Brazil (49th), Panama (50th), Chile (51st), Mexico (55th), and Jamaica (57th). The WEF pointed out Costa Rica’s natural features, the large area protected, and its outstanding biodiversity among its top assets.

Arias criticizes EU

The President of Costa Rica Dr. Oscar Arias criticized what he defined as the hypocrisy of the European Union, because it talks of free trade while subsidizing its farmers. The Peace Nobel Award did so in a meeting with his Central American peers in San Jose, where they discussed a free trade agreement with the EU. Daniel Ortega (Nicaragua), Manuel Zelaya (Honduras), Antonio Saca (El Salvador), and Alvaro Colom (Guatemala) agreed with Dr. Arias and said that there are unified criteria and empathy in the region regarding the agreement with the European Union. In the meeting, the Presidents also agreed on establishing a common credit fund to help lower poverty in Central America. They will meet again in El Salvador next month.

Another volcano

In the virgin tropical forest in the vicinity of San Carlos –northern Costa Rica– scientists found a dormant volcano. Called El Porvenir, it is permanently covered by clouds, but infrared pictures taken by a NASA plane in 2005 revealed its presence. With an elevation of 2,300 meters, the crater is 200 meters in diameter and 60 meters deep. Historically, there was no information about the huge crater nor were there reports of any volcanic activity in the area. A team of scientists had to walk for eight hours to reach the crater. Geologist Wilfredo Rojas explained that, using NASA images, they were studying two faults located in the area, when they noticed a huge hole or crater. This prompted their expedition and the confirmation of the dormant volcano.

8-digit phones

As of this March 20th, all telephones in Costa Rica will have eight digits. The adjustment is a simple one for everybody, sources at the Power and Telecommunications Institution (ICE in Spanish) explained, since it will consist basically in adding a “2” before the number of all home and business telephones, and adding an “8” before the number of all cellular phones. ICE sources pointed out that this step improves communications with networks around the world.

Improvement of mankind

The wish and the need to seek options for the improvement of mankind, to lessen poverty and famine, and to increase natural resources were among the reasons for 600 people from all over the world to gather in Costa Rica. U.S. renowned spiritual activist Marianne Williamson remarked that poverty in the world is not new for anyone, that the actual novelty would be for people to genuinely making an effort to stem it.

Child death rate

The National Statistics and Census Bureau (INEC in Spanish) disclosed that there was a slight increase in the child death rate, which went from 9.71 to 10.05 per 1,000 born. Respiratory and cardiac malfunctions are to blame for most of the deaths (44 percent), followed by pre-maturity and fetal growth (23.3 percent). There were 73,144 births in Costa Rica last year, and life expectancy is 79 years, 76 for men and 81.6 for women. At the end of 2007, the overall population of Costa Rica was 4.4 million, the sources added.