NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Former President Jose Maria Figueres returned from his self-imposed exile in Europe earlier this week to answer to political accusations lodged against him by opponents and former allies. A somber yet resolute Figueres essentially absolved himself from any wrongdoing in the infamous ICE-Alcatel case, in which he is thought to have been instrumental in diverting $900,000 to grease the palms of telecom executives who wished to get a slice of the wireless spectrum pie in Costa Rica.

A criminal investigation and subsequent trial cleared the former President and jailed Alcatel executives. Members of political fractions opposed to the ruling National Liberation party had been calling upon Figueres for years to return to the plenary and explain his involvement. When asked why he has remained in exile rather than explaining his actions, the former President mentioned that the political climate at the time his presence was requested was largely unfavorable.

National news coverage of the Figueres hearing gave media consumers a chance to learn about the different ideologies adopted and supported by different publications.  La Nacion presented different views and opinions on the matter, highlighting the fact that it the whole affair unfolded like a comedy of errors.  Online news daily TicoVision went straight to the heart of the matter, namely court documents that clearly show Alcatel execs in Costa Rica were intent on building powerful political connections in order to get a foothold in the lucrative Tico communications market.  Digital newspaper El Pais had extensive coverage that was mostly critical of the former President’s dubious performance before lawmakers, while Costa Rica Hoy reported on the cheerful reunion Figueres held with his former party allies, and the fact that social media netizens had a great time taking potshots at the hearing.  A Twitter user summed it up nicely:

The only thing that this hearing makes clear is the inadequacy of our legislators

A Tico Spring in the Making

Diario Extra reported on the rising state of social unrest with regard to the peaceful occupation of the Comptroller Office near La Sabana by farmers, and the call for a general strike launched by national labor union groups protesting the 5,000 colones monthly salary raise given to public employees in contrast with the 150,000 raise given to legislators.

The opinion piece in Diario Extra explained that Ticos have every right to be fed up with the status quo, and added that while it is unlikely that a Tico Spring or a movement like Occupy Wall Street could arise, an even worse scenario may unfold: abstention and apathy at the polls.  Costa Rica has always celebrated her general and municipal elections with high levels of participation, but this pride may subside in light of the current public discontent.

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NATIONAL NEWS

It’s been almost a year and a half since the Transit Law was introduced in the National Assembly, and it has been a thorny and contentious issue for all involved ever since.  The different transit regulatory agencies were very busy this week with even more proposed changes, gaffes and developments that did little to advance passing of the law, but signaled the deep interest that certain groups and the public at large have regarding the possible impact of the law on the country.

One of the most curious salvos was launched by Rodrigo Rivera, Vice Minister of Transportation (MOPT), and reported by Radio Reloj.  He issued a rush communique to legislators about his concerns regarding the proposed provisions to allow the use of vehicles with right-hand side steering columns, commonly seen traveling the roads of East Timor, Japan and  several members of the Commonwealth of Nations.  Its is important to note that the proposed law does not intend to change the flow of traffic from the right side to the left; it merely aims to increase the variety of imported vehicles.

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NATIONAL NEWS

The Office of President Laura Chinchilla has once again sided with the people.  On an official press release issued on Monday, January 30, Casa Presidencial issued a statement that echoes the sentiment against the Fiscal Reform plan that is being battled over in our National Assembly.  As reported in La Nacion, the communique stated that the Executive found that it is common to expect some degree of public uproar over tax reforms, even when in this case 70 percent of the taxes will be shouldered by the top 20 percent of Ticos in terms of income and wealth.

The Executive press release was issued a day after La Nacion published the results of a poll it commissioned to gauge the general sentiment towards the proposed amendments to taxation and revenue collection among the populace.  About 70 percent of the 1200 households polled had a good understanding of what the Fiscal Reform plan entails, and three out of four Ticos reject it.  It is estimated that the strong opposition emanates from the proposed one percent increase to the Value-Added Tax (known as IVA by its initials in Spanish).  IVA is currently 13% on a national level, and it is levied on a variety of goods and services.  Only about 15 percent of those surveyed believe that the Fiscal Reform plan will be sufficient to address the growing deficit.  The projected deficit for 2012 calls for 5.5 percent of Costa Rica’s GDP, but last year’s projection fell short thanks to improved revenue collection initiatives.

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Click here to view past News Week In Review articles.

NATIONAL NEWS

Coinciding with the Socialist International Council meeting in San Jose this week, a few political events that are sure to stoke the fire in the next General Elections were propelled by local news media outlets, offering a glimpse at the growing political divide and how the media is playing an influential role.  Several key figures in international politics were in attendance as President Laura Chinchilla hosted the meeting.  Chinchilla’s party, National Liberation (known as PLN by its Spanish acronym) is a member coalition of the Socialist International Council.  Some of those in attendance included George Papandreou, the former Prime Minister of Greece who was forced to resign his post in the midst of economic turmoil in his Mediterranean nation.  Our President delivered a speech in which she stressed the importance of sustainable development and the use of government expenditures to favor the improvement of living conditions.

Meanwhile, Diario Extra commissioned CID-Gallup to conduct a poll among Ticos regarding their opinion of President Chinchilla’s performance.  The poll revealed that 8 out of 10 people surveyed feel that Costa Rica is not following the right course under the current leadership.  The report from Gallup included strong remarks such as:  “It seems that the people are losing faith” in our President.  La Nacion further scrutinized the poll data, reporting that President Chinchilla has scored lower in confidence among her people than any other president in the last 30 years.  Still, 66 percent of the 218,000 Ticos polled believe that education has improved in the last two years, and 58 percent think that she is doing a great job in foreign relations.

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NATIONAL NEWS

Legislative efforts in the United States to curb digital piracy and establish stringent copyright measures on the Internet were extensively reported by several news media outlets, including La Nacion and The Costa Rica Star. After a full day of online protests against the SOPA and PIPA bills conducted by influential Internet properties such as Wikipedia, Google and WordPress, law enforcement authorities from the United States shut down file storage and sharing site MegaUpload and carried out arrest warrants for the company’s principals around the world. The police action was followed by hacker attacks on American and French government websites; a backlash that may have prompted the postponement of the bill. La Nacion hosted an online chat on the matter and reported on the far-reaching effects that such legislation could have for Tico Internet users, and further announced a conference of legal specialists that will take place on January 24^th to study the matter in detail. The Costa Rican Chamber of Information Technology and Communications will host the event, as well as powerful law firm Arias y Munoz.

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NATIONAL NEWS

An unexplained sound heard over darkened skies between Monday, January 9th at midnight and the early morning hours of Tuesday, January 10th lit up the social media networks and set off a chain of inquiry among researchers of paranormal phenomena. The buzzing or humming noise varied in intensity across the country, from Perez Zeledon to Turrialba, and from the Central Valley to Nicoya. Some witnesses reported to Diario Extra that the sound was accompanied by a strange reddish glow in the sky. The OVSICORI (seismic and volcanic) and IMN (meteorology) centers did not readily offer an explanation, although OVSICORI director Jaime Segura later commented that supersonic aircraft could have been the cause of the strange sound, a hypothesis which falls flat when considering the uneven noise frequency.

Online UFO research journals covered the event, and digital news daily El Pais mentioned that although the Turrialba volcano has been acting up recently, the volcanic activity cannot be linked to the sound. Other theories that have been associated and bounced around social media circles include the United States High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program, the Mayan calendar doomsday and even the call of Cthulhu.

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This is the first edition of our ongoing coverage of all of the top local news here in Costa Rica. Each weekend we will be summarizing the most important news from around Costa Rica during the last week prior. In an attempt to ensure you get all of the top news in a format that is easy to digest and understand.

The Week in Review: January 1st to January 6th, first week of the New Year.

NATIONAL NEWS

The General Elections may be two years away, but political candidates are already formulating strategies and jockeying for position within their own parties, according to digital news daily El Pais. While Rodrigo Arias Sanchez, brother of Nobel Laureate and former President Oscar Arias threw his hat in the ring to represent powerhouse political mainstay Partido Liberacion Nacional on the same day that President Laura Chinchilla assumed office, he is hardly alone in the race. The Mayor of San Jose, Johnny Araya Monge has launched an exploratory committee to look into his potential candidacy.

The Mayor is currently riding a wave of strong popular support due to his commitment to urban security and cool initiatives like the Peace Parade, which has adorned downtown with colorful doves, and the statue of John Lennon casually sitting on a park bench in front of La Soledad church. The dapper and charismatic Mayor has prompted some political analysts to nickname him Giuliani Arayaî in reference to the legendary former Mayor of New York City; an appropriate sobriquet except that Araya may have a stronger chance at the polls. Another possible candidate is the colorful Antonio Alvarez Desanti, a digerati politician who knows a thing or two about the power of online social networking among Ticos. His acquisition of the online news daily Costa Rica Hoy has been criticized as a way to launch a propaganda vehicle for Partido Liberacion Nacional, but it has nonetheless become a strong player in the burgeoning field of digital news media.

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