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Costa Rica was the first country in the world to formally abolish its military. This is a great source of pride for its people and those that have chosen to call Costa Rica their home.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former two-term Costa Rica President Oscar Arias continues his efforts in urging other nations to abandon their own militaries as he accurately points to the enormous amounts of money these countries spend on armed forces while their citizens suffer in poverty, go hungry, lack adequate healthcare and go without proper education.
Meanwhile, Costa Rica is in a paradox itself with an ever escalating crime and violence problem associated with the smuggling activities of regional drug gangs and cartels.
In stark contrast to Dr. Arias? worldwide agenda, his successor and current President Laura Chinchilla along with the Legislative Assembly voted nearly unanimously to expanded a previous ?Joint Patrol? counter-narcotics maritime agreement with the United States allowing the U.S. armed forces full Costa Rica in-country access through the end of 2010 to help fight drug trafficking.
On the eve of the first U.S. ship docking in a Costa Rica port, Presidenta Chinchilla admitted that this small country with no military does not have the resources to effectively patrol its own waters while calling on the United States to offer an anti-drug aid program just for Central America ? in addition to money already provided through the Mérida Initiative where a bulk of the anti-narcotics funding goes to Mexico and only a small amount is provided to other countries within the Central American drug trafficking corridor.
Humanitarian - My Butt
The news of the U.S. military being given access to Costa Rica was less than palatable to many and the backlash went viral ? especially on the Internet.
Opposition from within Costa Rica?s own government went public followed by an immediate legal challenge of the legislative decision to the Costa Rica Supreme Court.
Organizations formally condemned the decision. Peace groups and students protested; albeit in far fewer numbers than they had promised. Expat foreigners that had relocated or were considering moving to Costa Rica after being sold on this being a country of peace were rethinking their decisions out-loud. And those that propagate conspiracy theories were having the dreaded times of their lives.
The end result was a Costa Rica government that felt compelled to respond in attempts to tamp down the tide of discontent.
President Chinchilla?s administration assured the public that Costa Rica would be in charge of any anti-drug operations. That only the U.S. Coast Guard would assist as needed on a case-by-case basis ? and that any United States Navy or Marines operations would be limited to humanitarian efforts such as healthcare, infrastructure projects, disaster relief (if necessary), etc., etc.
These statements were deemed disingenuous by those opposed to the plan and humorous to those in favor of whatever it will take to stem the tide of drug related criminal activity.
There?s A BIG War Ship in Costa Rica!
On August 20th, 2010 the first of an approved 46 United States military ships docked in Puerto Limón, the largest port on Costa Rica?s Caribbean coast.
The Costa Rica government announced the USS Iwo Jima?s arrival with great fanfare as proof that humanitarian aid had in-fact been delivered in the form of a military vessel. Pundits were put on notice that the Chinchilla administration had been completely truthful that the war on drugs was not turning into a foreign armed forces operation.
But such statements only angered anti-military pundits. What exactly is ?humanitarian? about a hulking battleship?! The USS Iwo Jima is a WAR ship ? not a PEACE ship!
Critics say the facts speak for themselves and the real story is easy to ascertain in part due to the free-flow of Internet information.
FACTS:
The USS Iwo Jima is a U.S. Wasp-class amphibious assault ship designed to land fighting forces on hostile shores by air and sea.The ship is the largest vessel of its type in the world with a sea level ?well? deck for launching smaller landing craft and a flight deck that hosts an air group of helicopters and Harrier ground-attack jet aircraft.
Here?s some more factual statistics listing the USS Iwo Jima?s standard mission complements:
104 officers, 1,004 enlisted Navy personnel along with a 1,894 Marine detachment,
Additionally, the Iwo Jima is capable of being a ?Harrier Carrier? of up to 20 Harrier attack jet aircraft during full military operations.
Not exactly the ?The Love Boat?, is it Señora Presidenta?!
Operation Continuing Promise 2010
Admittedly conspiracies can be darn interesting! But sometimes the entire facts are worth exploring for those interested in the REAL story ? minus the spin.
Like many United States Navy Ships, the USS Iwo Jima can be put into service for many different purposes.
The U.S. Department of Defense keeps its equipment and personnel in a state of constant readiness by way of training and humanitarian exercises because thankfully there is not always a military conflict requiring all of its resources.
The USS Iwo Jima is a Norfolk, Virginia based U.S. Navy ship currently on deployment as part of ?Continuing Promise 2010?, an annual humanitarian mission under the directed operations of the U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM).
So what is ?Continuing Promise?? It sounds promising! Humanitarian missions are always good ? right? Or is this just another trick to __insert conspiracy theory here__?!
Costa Rica Blogger Investigates
?REAL, Honest, Unbiased Information on ALL Things Costa Rica?. That?s our tag line here at Costa Rica Blogger and we?re sticking by it as we approach our 3rd anniversary:
On Sunday, August 22, 2010 at 04:00 hours we began our recon mission of the U.S. Navy?s USS Iwo Jima Wasp-class amphibious assault ship anchored in the Costa Rica Caribbean port town of Limón. Based on our intelligence, below radar ground transport was deemed the best approach. We diligently made our way through the Depresión de la Palma pass of the Cordillera Central volcanic mountain range; then on through the tropical flatlands of Limón Province under-cover of ample banana agriculture plantations. Once we arrived near Puerto Limón, we disengaged from our vehicle and continued on foot. Camera in hand and a pretty Costa Rica girl to talk us past port security, we made our way to the ship to discover what was really happening on the ground.
? ?Mission Impossible theme music fades?
O.K., so we were really just going to the beach for some sun and swimming. But with all the news, opinions and flat out catastrophic scenarios being thrown around - we also had to check out what the fury was all about while in the neighborhood.
Approximately 1 kilometer due West of the USS Iwo Jima at the Limón public sports complex (Polideportivo de Limón) people had gathered since the early hours in the morning for entrance into the facility ... and they weren't looking for a pick-up game of fútbol.
There were 3 orderly lines that ranged in age from elderly to babies. As time passed, the lines grew longer with the sun and humidity growing more intense.
Inside the sports complex was an international crew of military personnel from the United States Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marines, U.S. Army, The Netherlands, Canada, Columbia, Paraguay and other countries ? along with the civilian U.S. Public Health Service and supplies or services from many other non-governmental organizations such as Project C.U.R.E. ? all brought to Costa Rica aboard the USS Iwo Jima.
In talking with on on-site troops, they were deployed on a four month mission of the Americas ? and yes, it was ?humanitarian?!
The USS Iwo Jima?s first stop had been the island nation of Haiti that is still recovering from their catastrophic January 2010 earthquake. Then it was on to South America?s Columbia before coming to Central America and Costa Rica for their current 10 day operation.
The team of medical doctors, nurses, ophthalmologists, optometrists, x-ray technicians, pharmacists, lab technicians, dentists, dental assistants, interpreters and even veterinarians were staged throughout the complex to treat any condition that walked through the gate.
Onsite services included: general medical attention and condition diagnosis, pre-surgical evaluations, eye exams, women?s exams, infant exams, x-rays, lab work, dental work and distribution of medicines.
Some will ask with extreme skepticism, why are such medical services needed in Costa Rica?
Surely this must be part of a bait-and-switch scheme. Why are all these troops in Costa Rica on such a ?humanitarian? medical mission when Costa Rica is highly touted as having excellent health care?!
Well, here are some more REAL facts. Costa Rica has two medical systems; a social medical system and a private medical system.
All residents of Costa Rica are members of the social healthcare system (Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social ? CCSS). This system is adequate for most purposes, but heavily burdened. Wait times for appointments to see a specialist or receive an MRI in non-emergency situations can be 12 months. Non-critical surgeries can take years.
A person of means can buy private health insurance or simply pay out-of-pocket for excellent private health care at a fraction of the costs found in other countries such as the United States.
The Costa Ricans seeking medical services by the international crew of the USS Iwo Jima were most certainly not people that could afford to pay for private health care ? and for many, waiting was no longer a requirement with such services being generously provided.
And it wasn?t just individuals that lined up for services; Costa Rica?s own national healthcare system (Caja) had patients ready for surgical treatment on-board the USS Iwo Jima with its complete hospital and operating rooms.
A U.S. Marine sergeant advised Costa Rica Blogger that many hernia and eye surgeries had been completed on the USS Iwo Jima on Saturday, August 21st and more were expected in the coming days after pre-surgical examinations were completed. When asked why these operations had not been completed by the Costa Rica Caja, he replied ?they were either too complicated or they didn?t have the capacity?.
So there you have it, one U.S. WAR ship delivering its punch to the peaceful people of Costa Rica. Up to 45 more ships to go.
Costa Rica Invasion Alert
No report on such matters would be complete without some juicy inside information. And our investigation did turn-up one such incident.
THE Costa Rica Blogger has it on good authority there will be a limited occupation of Costa Rica in the next several days ? a 10 man squad are up for shore leave and they do plan on spending some time in Puerto Viejo ? they?ve already been given good intel regarding the local hotspots and are looking forward to their stay .
Next Stops
After pulling-up anchor from Costa Rica, the USS Iwo Jima is scheduled to bring these same services to:
Puerto Barrios, Guatemala,
Bluefields, Nicaragua,
Chiriquí Grande, Panama,
Georgetown, Guyana, and
Paramaribo, Suriname
*Note to Daniel Ortega - some of the online conspiracies have the U.S. government putting themselves in position to take out your Nicaraguan Sandinista government (or Hugo Chavez over in Venezuela). But the reality may just be some much needed health care for your people while maybe a few marines slip out the "well" deck to chase down some drug runners.
Government officials from both Costa Rica and Panama confirmed the capture of the fugitives going by the names of William ?Wild Bill? Adolfo Córtez Reese and his wifeJane Seana Córtez.
The American couple wanted for multiple murders in Panama that had fled to Costa Rica were detained within the San Juan River territorial waters of Nicaragua.
According to police reports, the couple stayed at a little cabin the night before along the Sarapiquí River in Northern Costa Rica. They were driving the gray Nissan SUV highlighted in this article (below).
In the morning they got up and hired a boat to take them up the Sarapiquí River towards the border with Nicaragua. The owner of the cabins where they stayed recognized them as the fugitives seen on the news and notified authorities.
Upstream the couple ran into a Costa Rican national police (Fuerza Publica) checkpoint intended to stop them. William Córtez, who is approximately 280 pounds and six feet tall; grabbed their boatman, threw him into the river and took the helm . He then proceeded to speed away making it as far as the ?mouth? of the Sarapiquí River, when a heavily armed Nicaraguan Army patrol boat gave chase on the San Juan River between the borders of Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Eventually overtaken by the faster and more powerful Nicaraguan Army vessel, big bad ?Wild Bill? was ordered to stop and gave up without a struggle. So much for ?blaze of glory? theories, eh?
The detained couple were taken to a nearby Nicaraguan Army outpost and later transferred to the custody of Nicaraguan immigration for entering that country illegally. The pair identified themselves as Dutch citizens with passports from the Netherlands. Nicaraguan immigration will review the legitimacy of these documents and handle any diplomatic requests by Panama or other countries for criminal extradition.
The Investigation Begins
"William and Jane Córtez" it turns out are really U.S. citizens named William Dathan Holbert and Laura Michelle Reese with the distinction of being an America's Most Wanted couple from back in 2006.
William Dathan Holbert (aka: William ?Wild Bill? Adolfo Córtez-Reese)
Laura Michelle Reese (aka: Jane Seana Córtez)
The Modus Operandi or "MO" of this couple appears to have been locating real estate being offered for sale through the Internet, killing the owner, telling everyone they "paid cash" and later cashing-out and selling the property to someone else.
Local business practices of asset ownership via corporations with legal transfers regularly taking place third-hand played right into this scheme. Add remote locations involving non-native victims in a foreign country separated from their nearest family and friends by thousands of miles and you have a perfect criminal storm - until a concerned resident like Don Winner of Panama-Guide.com gets involved.
William and Laura are reported to have been in Costa Rica at least as early as mid-2005, and maybe before. They came to Panama approximately mid-November 2007. So - where were they during their first run through Costa Rica? Where did they stay? Where did they live? Did they murder any of the dozens of people missing during their time spent in Costa Rica? Time to start checking!
The Assistant Attorney General of Panama, Angel Calderon, confirmed there are a total of seven missing persons in Bocas del Toro; four foreigners and three Panamanians. Panama will be requesting the extradition of these two individuals from Nicaragua.
The back story & an IMPORTANT Lesson to area Foreign National Business and Land Owners:
Manhunt on for Murder Suspects of Ex-pat and Foreign National Victims
Friday, July 23 2010
In April 2003, Michael Watson Brown and his wife Manchittha Nankratoke "Nan" Brown purchased more than 18 hectares - about 45 acres - located in the area known as Cauchero, Bocas del Toro province, Panama. They purchased this large parcel of coastal property using their company "Latitude 9.10 Inc.".
Two years later in April 2005, Panama's Ministry of Agricultural Development issued resolution number DAL-030-ADM-2005 in favor of Michael Watson Brown and his wife Manchittha Nankratoke de Brown which certified them as agricultural producers. This document indicates the Brown family intended to grow pineapple, papaya, mango, oranges, avocado, plantain,and passion fruit on their land. These people have been missing for about three years.
"Hi I am the daughter of Mike Brown. Daddy was living in Panama with my brother Watson Brown and my stepmother Nam. They too went missing with him 3 years ago. I have not been able to contact the Panama police. Do you have any more information on what happened or are you able to give me some information on how to contact the Panama police department?? Thank you in advance."
Who Took Over the Property
On 2 May 2008 documents were filed in the Panamanian Public Registry making William "Wild Bill" Adolfo Córtez (pictured above) the new Director, President, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Panamanian corporation "Latitude 9.10 Inc.". His wife Jane Seana Córtez was named as a Director of the company. These legal documents allowed Bill and Jane Córtez to take over the property being as it was owned by the corporation they now controlled.
Bodies Discovered
On 20 July 2010 after tips to police, the bodies of Cheryl Lynn Hughes and Bo Icelar were discovered on this same parcel of land. Cher Hughes disappeared in March 2010. She ran a backpacker hostel that Cortez later operated. Bo Icelar vanished in December 2009 after Córtez supposedly purchased his tourism business. Law enforcement officials in the Republic of Panama have made a positive identification of Bo Icelar's body using dental records provided from the United States and Cher Hughes remains were identified by her husband. Reportedly both victims were murdered with gunshots to the head.
"Mike Brown", the original owner of the land 'occupied' by William Córtez, and his family where preliminarily identified as:
Michael Watson Brown, a citizen of the Netherlands, holder of passport number NB0865469. Married, from the Dutch Antilles, resident of Street 4A, Community of Aguacate, area of Tierra Oscura, province of Bocas del Toro.
Manchittha Nankratoke "Nan" Brown, a citizen of the Netherlands, holder of passport number M18119733, Michael's wife.
Watson Brown, Michael's son.
Relatives of Mike Brown have been looking for them for more than three years, but they likely didn't file an official missing persons complaint with Panamanian officials because "Mike Brown" was actually a man named Michael Francis Salem who has been running from law enforcement officials in Florida for almost 30 years.
A detective in Florida spotted the alias of "Michael Watson Brown" during coverage of this Central American story and recognized him as the man who has been wanted in Florida for almost three decades for drug trafficking and the kidnapping of two police officers during a successful escape from custody.
Mr. Salem was a U.S. citizen originally from Pennsylvania before he relocated while on the run to the Caribbean tocontinue his career as a drug trafficker. That's where he picked up hisfake Dutch passport allowing him to travel Internationally.
Now that the activities of "Wild Bill" and Jane Córtez have come to light, extended members of the "Brown" (Salem) family are concerned they are no longer on the run but instead victims of murderers with their own set of fake Dutch passports [seems to be a trend].
According to sources, about two weeks ago Bill Córtez contacted someone in Costa Rica because he wanted to buy a car. The person drove the car down to the area of the border between Panama and Costa Rica. Bill Córtez crossed the border illegally, without going through Immigration checkpoints. They went into a lawyer's office in Costa Rica and legal ownership of the vehicle was transferred. He paid with an envelop full of cash and left. Authorities in Costa Rica have been alerted and are now actively searching for him there was well.
New Alias
"Wild Bill" Córtez reportedly used the name "Josef Eiser" to purchase the vehicle, meaning he may have had some identification and travel documents issued in this name as well.
INTERPOL Red Alert Issued
Panama's Attorney General Giuseppe Bonissi issued a "Red Alert" and asked INTERPOL for assistance in locating William "Wild Bill" Adolfo Córtez Reese and his wife Jane Seana Córtez. Preliminary information indicates this pair might have left a trail of dozens of murder victims in multiple countries including Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica and Panama.
Sunday, July 25 2010
The Mountains of Turrialba, Costa Rica
Costa Rica national police (Fuerza Publica) and Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) acting on information fugitives "Wild Bill" and Jane Córtez entered the Republic of Costa Rica through Paso Canoas and rented a cabin in a town in the "Cartaginés" region off an ad on Craigslist, set-up roadblocks at various points in the Cartago Province aimed at arresting the suspects. However, media reports may have alerted the couple to the police response.
Monday, July 26 2010
Captured!
Government officials from both Costa Rica and Panama have confirmed the capture of the fugitives William ?Wild Bill? Adolfo Córtez Reese and his wife Jane Seana Cortez.
The couple, who the police were looking for in the area of Santa Cruz in Turrialba, Costa Rica were detained in the territorial waters of the San Juan River in Nicaragua.
According to police reports, the couple stayed at a little cabin the previous night along the Sarapiquí River. They were driving the gray Nissan highlighted in this article.
In the morning they hired a boat to take them up the river towards the border with Nicaragua. The owner of the cabins where they stayed recognized them as the fugitives in the news and notified authorities.
Upstream the couple ran into a Costa Rican national police (Fuerza Publica) checkpoint intended to stop them. "Wild Bill? who is 280 pounds and six feet tall grabbed the boat man and threw him into the river, took the helm and accelerated in an attempt to speed away. They made it as far as the ?mouth? of the Sarapiquí River when a Nicaraguan Army patrol boat armed with machine guns gave chase on the San Juan River between the borders of Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Eventually overtaken by the faster and more powerful Nicaraguan Army vessel, big bad ?Wild Bill? Córtez gave up without a struggle. So much for ?blaze of glory? theories, eh?
Kudos to Don Winner from Panama-Guide.com for ALL his outstanding work ... you got these guys Don!
Costa Rica doesn?t ?officially? have an army ? but apparently it will be home to one for the rest of 2010.
A flotilla of 46 United States Navy warships capable of carrying 200 helicopters, along with 10 Harrier vertical take-off and landing fighter jets, and 7,000 combat ready marines available for land based operations is on its way to this Central American country with no standing army.
On July 1, 2010 the Costa Rica Legislative Assembly voted 31-8 to grant the U.S. military full in-country access through the end of 2010 to help fight drug trafficking.
As of this writing the new administration of President Laura Chinchilla -- who was previously Costa Rica?s Vice-President, Justice Minister and Minister of Public Security -- has not commented in great detail as to what the U.S. troops will be trying to accomplish with their new right of entry other than to say there will be a combination of anti-drug and humanitarian operations.
This type of deal is a growing trend in Latin American countries.
Columbia has for the last decade been increasing its commitment to full-time anti-narcotic U.S. support.
In September 2009, ten years after the last U.S. troops had ?officially? left Panama soil due to the canal treaties, the United States entered into a new agreement to open 2 new U.S. military bases on their Pacific coast in exchange for $7 million to fight organized crime associated with illicit drugs.
April 2009 Honduras opened a new Navy base near the border of Nicaragua with $2 million from the U.S. and most recently announced July 10, 2010 another new military base will be constructed on the Caribbean with U.S. funding to help fight drug trafficking.
The Switzerland of Central America
As for Costa Rica, it has prided itself as the first country in the world to formally abolish military forces while being known for its stability in a region where other countries often struggle both politically and economically.
And although Costa Rica continues to earn high rankings both regionally and worldwide in areas of health care, education, public safety and equality; the geographic location that makes it so uniquely beautiful is also causing some major security concerns ? often from outside sources.
Illicit drug producers from South America seeking paths of least resistance have found running shipments of cocaine along un-enforced or under-patrolled shorelines, air and land routes of sovereign Central American nations very effective in getting shipments through to their North American customers.
The spread of these drug-trafficking cartels has affected all of the Americas in terms of increased violent crime. In Costa Rica, the murder rate nearly doubled between 2004 and 2008 with mostly foreign drug gangs being attributed to a majority of this increase.
During the 2009-2010 presidential campaign ?security? consistently polled as the number one concern of the Costa Rica people. Then candidate Laura Chinchilla ran on a platform of being tough on crime proposing the hiring of more police, professionalizing the various law enforcement agencies with improved training and increased salaries, and eradicating corruption throughout all levels of government. In one of her first acts, then President-elect Chinchilla created the first Costa Rica anti-drug czar as part of her incoming cabinet.
Show Me the Money
But it takes money to fight a war on drugs, gangs, violence and corruption.
With a large debt burden due to previous president Oscar Arias? borrowing heavily to insulate Costa Rica from a worldwide recession, tourism revenues being down due to reduced discretionary spending by potential travelers and the fruition of aggressive free-trade agreements that exchanged immediate import tariff income for supposed longer-term benefits ? Costa Rica finds itself cash-strapped for even the most necessary of infrastructure improvements, let alone another country?s ?war on drugs?.
In 1999 a U.S.-Costa Rica Counter-Narcotics Maritime Agreement or ?Joint Patrol? accord began the alliance between the two countries in anti-drug enforcement efforts. As part of the arrangement the U.S. donated a retiring Coast Guard ship to the Costa Rica Ministry of Security toward formally establishing the Costa Rica Coast Guard in the year 2000.
Since then both the U.S. Coast Guard and Costa Rica Coast Guard (Guardacostas de Costa Rica) have been publicly working together to patrol Costa Rica waters and airways. Pacific and Caribbean international waters off the coast of Costa Rica have less formally been under the supervision of the United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM).
Operational funds for the various Costa Rica law enforcement agencies involved in fighting drug trafficking and its associated organized crime come from a variety of sources, with the largest contributor being the United States via direct funding for Costa Rica?s Public Security Ministry (Ministerio Seguridad Pública ? MSP) who in-turn reallocates funds as needed to its divisions of Coast Guard, Drug Control Police (Policía de Control de Drogas - PCD) and National Public Police (Fuerza Pública ). Other funds provided to the Costa Rica Judiciary (Poder Judicial) are allocated to investigate drug related crimes by the Judicial Investigation Organization (Organismo de Investigación Judicial ? OIJ) and prosecute alleged criminals within the judicial system.
Annual, semi-annual and special need requests for additional monies are made by Costa Rica to the U.S. for continued and increased police narcotics interdiction activities. Although regular requests are made openly, it would be naive to think all resources asked for and received are a matter of public record.
Fact, Conspiracy, or Just Plain B!tching
News of this very public vote by the Costa Rica legislature to invite the United States military into its territory was a bomb unto itself for many, prompting viral Internet coverage and even an anti-military rally or "Gran Manifestación contra la Presencia Militar en Costa Rica" in front of the former San José military fortress (Cuartel Bellavista) that is now the National Museum (Museo Nacional de Costa Rica).
Even though Costa Rica?s own democratically elected government from the president on down chose this course of action by an almost unanimous vote, the citizens and foreign residents had a lot to say and constitutional court challenges are more than likely to follow.
As a matter of fact, Costa Rica abolished its military in 1949 with constitutional Article 12:
English translation: "Military forces may only be organized under a continental agreement or for the national defense; in either case, they shall always be subordinate to the civil power: they may not deliberate or make statements or representations individually or collectively.?
But does this prohibit the elected representatives of the Costa Rican people from entering into agreements with foreign militaries for defense or support of internal security problems? Probably not. The 1999 to present U.S.-Costa Rica ?Joint Agreement? is standing proof that such security force treaties will most likely withstand a court challenge whether it is in its current form or a modified version after court review.
Conspiracies are only theories until they come true ? especially when history teaches us that governmental decisions too often are not made in the best interests of the public as a whole. That said, some of the conspiracy theories floating around this ?military invasion? are fairly interesting:
Costa Rica is re-instituting their military to keep out Rush Limbaugh. [aka: The OxyContin Theory]
The U.S. in maintaining the appearance of combating the flow of drugs is actually protecting established CIA drug trade routes by cracking-down on competing freelance operations that don?t pay the expected cuts or protection fees.
The electricity went out again at Jurassic Park. [aka: The Jurassic Park was Really Filmed in Costa Rica Theory]
The U.S. is borrowing money from China to fund military operations. China is an ally of North Korea and bedfellows with Russia, Iran, Cuba and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. China is attempting to influence Central American countries with financial advantages like Costa Rica?s 200 free police cars and new National Stadium. The U.S. has a large military presence sitting in the Pacific looking at China. Do the math. [aka: The ?Renminbi? or ?Yuan? Theory]
The ever imperialistic United States is putting itself in a position to take over countries throughout the Americas one-by-one using anti-drug trafficking as an excuse for military bases and troops.
They're gonna nuke the gulf oil spill so they?re moving all the ships South. As for the coastal population, they?re gonna study the effects. Nothing to worry about.
NATO has ordered the forces relocated away from the Gulf of Mexico for fear the BP oil disaster is about to rupture the fracture zone between the North American and Caribbean plates potentially unleashing a catastrophic methane earthquake/tsunami. [aka: The Big Fart Theory]
The U.S. is either getting ready to invade Venezuela to remove Hugo Chavez from power or just make him ?behave? while an Iran offensive is launched.
After conducting its successful coup d?état in Honduras against President Manuel Zelaya, the Obama administration is now bent on ousting Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Costa Rican Vice President Luis Lieberman, a noted Zionist, has arranged for Israeli special forces to participate in operations directed against the Sandinista government of Nicaragua.
Costa Rica President Laura Chinchilla was heard saying the influx of Marines is to ?provide a boost to lagging sex tourism" in this country where prostitution is legal. [aka: The U.S. Economic Stimulus Package Theory]
Or one could go with a theory much less fun but a little more rational:
?There is not going to be any convoy of 46 warships. There will be small groups of 4 to 5 ships rotating through the area on both coasts for a month or two at a time. They will do training and drug intervention while they are down there. As one group rotates down another group will return to the U.S. With the water of the northern Gulf of Mexico restricted due to the oil spill they cannot train there. There are a number of small cargo and fishing boats down there that never seem to transport enough cargo or even carry fishing gear but always have the money to pay for fuel. The DEA has agents in every port down there and have been watching these ships for years. That is the target.? ?ANNED
As for points of view, these too are subjective.
With Cost Rica promoting itself as a peaceful, green paradise to tourists and investors ? a large U.S. military presence can send the wrong signals to potential vacationers and those that relocated or are considering making the move to a country that is supposedly conflict free.
While some are comforted in knowing their beach is protected by the occasional Navy or Coast Guard ship manned by highly trained personnel. Others get sick to their stomachs if a boat in the distance resembles anything other than a Carnival Cruise ship.
Business owners benefiting from several thousand sailors and marines on shore leave might not have the same opinion as a yoga/raw food retreat that doesn?t appreciate the new low flying helicopter interruptions.
Some peace activists that feel "where there is an army, there is violence" will never like this situation.
But please keep this in mind regardless of any opinion on U.S. political policy or Costa Rica?s decision to allow U.S. military forces within its territory; those in uniform are part of a brave, volunteer, highly trained force that unselfishly go anyplace in the world where they are needed ? whether it is for disaster responses, humanitarian missions or conflict resolutions.
These men and women deserve respect and will hopefully find Costa Rica a hospitable destination during their deployment.
Costa Rica is a naturally beautiful land packed with diverse micro-climates such as; mountains, cloud forests, rain forests, dry forests, tropical jungles, raging rivers, hot springs, caves, beaches, oceans, islands and much, much more.
There are not many other places on Earth where the awe-inspiring experience of standing at the edge of an active volcano can be further enhanced by the magnificent view of two different oceans.
Where the Mountains Meet the Sea
Within a short distance the Costa Rica climate can change substantially, which is yet another reason to love this country. People can decide where to live based on their personal weather preferences - while still being geographically close to other environments offering uniquely different characteristics.
Example: If a person loves year-round Spring-like weather and fresh breezes, they can choose from one of the many areas of Costa Rica offering cooler temperatures such as a beautiful mountain vista at a moderate altitude. Others who enjoy warmer temperatures, ocean views and water activities can choose from one of many diverse Pacific or Caribbean areas in which to reside. Additional weather considerations may be annual rainfall and humidity of one area versus another. Other preferential choices within these two examples might include quiet remote areas versus being close to more populated towns and cities for shopping, services, medical facilities, etc., etc., etc.
With all these choices, probably the best part when it comes to Costa Rica locations is that none are mutually exclusive. Due to the country's small size, persons living in the mountains regularly enjoy the beaches. Conversely, those that live within beach communities regularly explore the mountains. The four corners of Costa Rica are all a relatively short and scenic drive from each other.
Where the Mold Meets the Fabric
From mountains to mold ... not much of a segue there! But it is a related and relevant topic here in Costa Rica.
Central America is dense and green with foliage due to warm temperatures and ample rain, two ingredients that also naturally produce mold and other related organisms.
Well built homes constructed of steel reinforced concrete, ceramic tile floors, and other mildew resistant materials can cut down on many of the bigger problems associated with airborne moisture. But clothing, bedding, mattresses, sofas and other furnishings can be a regular aggravation to those with a sensitive sense of smell for musty odors.
How to Naturally Rid Clothes of Odors
Costa Rica is supposed to be all about nature, so naturally Costa Rica Blogger would like to present a few solutions to assist in removing that musty smell without the use of potentially toxic chemicals or expensive treatments.
Hang clothes in a confined area, such as a closet, with the rinds of a few lemons on a plate. The rinds will work as a sponge to absorb the odor. The process takes up to a week and depending on the severity of the smell, the rinds might have to be replaced with fresh ones halfway through the treatment.
Air out garments in direct sunlight on a sunny day. The ultraviolet light will kill the bacteria, but beware ? sun also can cause bright colors to fade, especially here near the equator.
Take advantage of the natural ozone created on one of Costa Rica's many stormy days. Hang clothes outside where they won't get wet. Whenever there's electrical discharge from lightning, that's the best time to deodorize anything.
Wash clothes in non-chemical biological (plant based enzyme) cold water detergent and rinse once. Add a cup of white vinegar to the final rinse cycle.
As for the musty smelling sofa or mattress ... if choosing the 'natural ozone' method we cannot advocate in good conscience using them to recline on while enjoying the Costa Rica lightning show. If there is an inclination to use either during an electrical storm, perhaps the direct sunlight solution would be a safer form of deodorization.
DISCLAIMER:This is Costa Rica.The only constant here regarding rules and regulations is they change without notice and/or reason.Always verify information is up-to-date for the day you are using it and even then, you will only know for sure the information is good once the process is successfully completed.In other words, please don?t blame the messenger for sharing what worked for them ? as it may turn out to be completely different for you; the next day, the next week or the next month.
The division of MOPT responsible for all things road safety is Consejo de Securidad Vial. Most commonly referred to as COSEVI , this agency is Costa Rica?s 'department of motor vehicles' or DMV.
The main COSEVI facility where all foreigners must get their driver?s license is located in La Uruca, northwest of downtown San José.
Obtaining a Costa Rica driver?s license as a foreigner with proof of a license from most first-world countries (ie: the United States, Canada, England, Germany, France, etc.) does not require a written or driving test.To put it bluntly, Costa Rica recognizes if a person still has a valid driver?s license from countries with strictly enforced driving laws ? there is no need to check this person?s understanding of how to drive like a responsible member of the human species.
A foreigner?s first Costa Rica driver?s license will be issued for a time period of two years.The second driver?s license issued upon renewal and repeating this same process, will be for a period of about five years (depending on the expiration date).
However, all license applicants regardless of nationality must obtain a Costa Rica medical certificate declaring they have no physical or mental limiting conditions.The new law even requires a blood draw and laboratory test.
Most any local private doctor will be more than happy to complete this document on the applicants behalf with total costs being around ¢15.000 ($29 USD).However, it is not necessary to go out of your way to find a doctor ? the COSEVI facility is literally surrounded by medical clinics (clínicas médicas) there for the sole purpose of getting that necessary piece of paper into your hand as quickly as possible - quickness isn't often associated with anything Costa Rican, but competition breeds efficiency even in Latin America .
The above map shows a close-up view of the COSEVI office, along with where to park (for FREE), several of the medical clinics, the Banco Nacional where you can pay your fees, etc.
Price to Drive
The fee for a Costa Rica driver?s license most recently was ¢10.700 ($21 USD) for a passenger vehicle. Costs for additional licenses such as motorcycle, ATV, truck, heavy equipment will add to the overall bill.
This fee(s) can be paid at most any full-service Banco Nacional (BN) branch. It is highly recommended that this be done on an off-day (ie: Tuesday-Thursday) during an off-peak time (ie: 9-11am, 1-3pm) at a bank facility in a quieter location than the Banco Nacional located next-door to COSEVI ? otherwise the line out the bank door can take several hours to get through while all the people in-front of you pay the single teller their multiple traffic fines [NO, there is no separate line for license fee only customers that have obeyed the laws and not accumulated any unpaid traffic fines - that would make too much sense].
Bend Over & Cough
The medical certificate or ?Certificado Médico para Licencias de Conducir? required to obtain a Costa Rica driver?s license is a one-page document with allot of make-sense questions that must be completed by the doctor or physician?s assistant. The idea is that a driver should be physically and mentally fit enough to drive a vehicle.
Personal medical history is to be discussed and documented with emphasis on potentially problematic conditions such as: diabetes, epilepsy, fainting, depression, anxiety, etc.
A physical exam is to be conducted and documented again with emphasis on potentially problematic conditions such as: vision, hearing, breathing, heart, blood pressure, reflexes, flexibility, nervous disorders, muscular and skeletal systems, etc.
Laboratory work includes a blood draw to determine blood type as well as a number of other health conditions that may be discovered by a basic testing process.
Real Exam vs. Real Quick
As a reminder, we are still talking Costa Rica here.So the following should not come as a complete surprise for those familiar with this country.
Going to a legitimate medical doctor for a COSEVI required driver?s license medical certificate is advised ? after all, who doesn?t want to ensure they are healthy.Inadvertent early medical condition detection is built-in to this process for the low price of approximately ¢15.000 ($29 USD).
Here?s just one of many ?medical? facilities surrounding the COSEVI offices:
This is not an endorsement of the services provided at this facility located about 100 meters west of COSEVI.
But one thing is for sure ? they pretty much got you covered as a one-stop shop:
see a doctor,
get your blood lab work done,
learn how to drive by a Costa Rica instructor (oxymoron?!),
have a little lunch,
surf the Internet, and
get your car washed while you wait for your documents.
On the other end of the medical certificate services spectrum (assuming the above actually does perform legit medical exams and laboratory tests) is a place that literally has no name:
Like a one-stall quick-lube, this quick-stop medical shop is appropriately located in a garage around the corner and down the hill from COSEVI.
This is your bare-bones, get the required piece of paper and on with the rest of your Costa Rica driver?s license process.A quick reading of the eye chart, a couple verbal questions, ¢15.000 ($29 USD) cash, a signature, a knowing handshake and you?re on your way.
Ask Before You Smile
Once you have everything you need, it?s time to go get that Costa Rica driver?s license.
Final Checklist:
Banco Nacional COSEVI paid license fee receipt (factura COSEVI licencia).
Medical certificate (Certificado Médico para Licencias de Conducir).
Existing valid foreign or Costa Rica driver?s license.
Valid identification - passport or Costa Rica cédula.
patience
Like many things Costa Rica, knowing where it is located and how to getthere is most of the battle.
Although there are many parking guys on the main road along the front of the main COSEVI building trying to lure potential visitors into their paid parking situations ? COSEVI does offers FREE parking behind its multiple building campus (see second detailed satellite map above).
The access road is approximately 200 meters west of the main COSEVI building.It is a south-bound only dead-end street that sits directly across from the Yamaha and Great Wall Motors businesses on the north side of the main road.The drive is approximately 400 meters through an industrial area, with the guarded COSEVI entrance on the left (see map #2 above).
This parking lot will leave you as close as possible to the actual driver?s license issuing building ? so if paying money for a long walk isn't your thing, this is the best place to park.
A guard posted outside the door that leads into the driver?s license issuing office will check all those seeking to enter for required paperwork.If everything is in order the applicant will be given a number and nobody else is permitted to enter the building other than the applicant with the number.Then it?s a matter of sitting in the waiting area until a COSEVI agent calls your number.
IMPORTANT: Pay attention to the verbal calling-out of numbers and be prepared to jump into the appropriate cubicle as soon as your number is called.The COSEVI agents don?t wait very long before calling the next number in order to keep things moving ? which overall is a good thing in a society where lines and wait times can be lengthy.
The COSEVI representative will then check the provided documents and if everything is in order, enter the applicants information in the computer ? then the applicant will be instructed to sit in a different row of chairs that leads to the always flattering driver?s license picture.
When obtaining my first Costa Rica driver?s license picture, I was admonished by a clearly unhappy government employee:?do not smile?.This time around I was lucky enough to have a different COSEVI agent that seemed to have a much better attitude.
I told him the story of his co-worker advising me 2 years previously that ?Costa Rican?s don?t smile because they are not happy?.This COSEVI employee laughed and gave me complete permission to smile ? he then proceeded to take several pictures as I smiled several times.
After the driver?s license picture is taken and the applicant?s index finger-print is successfully scanned, the Costa Rica driver?s license will be delivered hot off the press within a couple minutes (assuming the equipment is working properly).
Ironically enough, the picture I ended-up getting for my second Costa Rica driver?s license was also without a smile. The COSEVI agent must have captured me between smiles, leaving me to wonder; was the grumpy agent two years previous correct? Now that I've lived in Costa Rica do I no longer smile because I am not happy? Nah ... I'm smiling right now ... so the jokes still on him .
Smiling or not for your official picture, once issued with a shiny new Costa Rica driver?s license every citizen, resident and visitor is legally off to the demolition derby otherwise known as Costa Rica driving where I can guarantee you will have your share of coarse words, profane gestures and dirty looks to share with others that have no respect for the rule of law or common decency.
Be Careful Out There y Pura Traffico!
FYI:Costa Rica citizens can now renew their driver?s licenses at certain Banco Nacional branches.As of this writing this same service is not available to residents or visitors.Hopefully this will change sometime in the not too distant future.
Among the so-called industrialized nations of the world, there is one common thread that makes for a supposedly civilized society.
The DMV
It goes by many names and most everybody knows where the local office is for their appropriately titled agency:
Department of Motorized Vehicles (DMV)
Division of Motorized Vehicles (DMV)
Department of Transportation
Department of Public Safety
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
Secretary of State - Vehicle and Driver Services Department
Driver Services Directorate
Ministry of Transportation
Public Insurance Corporation
Registry of Motor Vehicles
Motor Registration Division
Société de l'assurance Automobile
Departamento Nacional de Trânsito (DENATRAN)
Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA)
Within the many layers of Costa Rica bureaucracy overlapping each other's jurisdictional responsibilities (causing too many government agencies to assume no responsibility at all), the traffic enforcement division of Costa Rica?s Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes (MOPT ? Ministry of Transportation and Public Works) is the agency firmly in-charge of all things motor vehicles. The division of MOPT responsible for all things road safety is Consejo de Securidad Vial (COSEVI)
Consejo de Securidad Vial, most commonly referred to as COSEVI is Costa Rica?s DMV.
Often confused by foreigners with Consejo Nacional de Vialidad (CONAVI), the MOPT division charged with road construction and maintenance; COSEVI is where motor vehicle operators obtain their license plates (placas), driver?s licenses (licencias de conductores), supposedly abide by enforced traffic laws via the Traffic Police (Policía de Tránsito) and pay for traffic violations (infracciones de tránsito).
New Traffic Law
In the recent past, Costa Rica traffic enforcement has been a joke. Not the butt of jokes, but a joke in itself.
COSEVI has been an ineffective, inefficient branch of government due to the most part because it had no real laws or sanctions to enforce. The worst of traffic offenses in other countries such as driving while intoxicated or reckless driving, had no substantial penalties here. The roadways of Costa Rica more resembled a NASCAR track than the streets of a civilized society.
Soaring traffic related property damage, personal injury and death rates caused the Costa Rica government to finally take serious action.
In 2009 new and sweeping traffic reform was passed by the Costa Rica Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa ) and quickly signed into law by an enthusiastic President Óscar Arias Sánchez.
For the first time in history Costa Rica laws got serious about; drunk driving, reckless driving, drag racing, driving without a valid driver?s license, requiring babies to be in car seats (as opposed to climbing all over the dashboard while their parent weaved dangerously through traffic at high speeds), requiring every passenger to be in seat belts, etc., etc., etc.
Originally slated to take effect September 23, 2009, the new traffic law or ?las Reformas a la Nueva Ley de Tránsito? were postponed until March 1, 2010 to reportedly allow the legislature time to re-review the included penalties due to strong public opposition - some fines increased as much as 4,000% over previous amounts.
The Costa Rica government then spent the next five months heavily involved in a general election that included the choosing of a new president and members of the legislature. Needless to say, no changes to the new traffic law where ever made prior to its new effective date.
The evening of February 28, 2010 was an extremely busy sales night for Costa Rica retailers. Drivers loaded-up with new transit law requirements such as: child car safety seats, child booster seats, road safety kits, car fire extinguishers, first aid kits, etc., etc.
The lines were long and the costs where non-negotiable being as retailers had an extremely advantageous supply vs. demand situation due to last-minute shoppers in need of items priced far below what the fines would be if caught without them. A truly new and effective law compliance concept for Costa Rica!
On March 1, 2010 Costa Rica?s Nueva Ley de Tránsito became the law ? much to the delight and surprise of many that backed true traffic reform.
Yet despite a 2 year legislative process, a 5 month delay in implementation and the final week?s worth of intense newspaper and television coverage ? including store print and television ads enticing motorists to buy the new required traffic law supplies ? many drivers complained they were unaware of the new laws when Tránsito Police actually showed-up in-force to enforce them.
As Costa Rica traffic police set-up road-side safety checkpoints; drivers that were obviously in some sort of violation would come to a screeching stop in the middle of the road, perform dangerous u-turns in the middle of traffic and drive back from where they came.
As but one example: An older man driving an SUV did an abrupt stop in the middle of the road when he spotted the traffic police pulling over cars ahead of him. Other vehicles on the roadway in both directions had to come to a complete stop as this driver completed a five-point turn-around as a little girl of about kindergarten age, sitting in the front passenger seat in her school uniform without a seat belt innocently looked out the window. The man drove in the opposite direction a few hundred meters, parked his vehicle behind a small homebuilder supply lot (ferreteria), walked back to the roadway with the little girl and her tiny backpack then waived-down a taxi for an assumed ride onto the girl?s school.
Apparently this driver was aware of the new laws ? but like many old habits, his were hard to change.
In the first five days of the new traffic laws it was reported that Costa Rican drivers accumulated ¢200 million colones ($369,000 USD) in fines.
One driver accumulated more than ¢800.000 colones ($1,476) in fines for multiple tickets during a single traffic stop. The driver did not have his drivers license; his vehicle did not have the required 2010 vehicle tax sticker (Marchamo) or up to date annual vehicle inspection sticker (Riteve). In addition to the fines, the vehicle's license plates were confiscated so that it could no longer be driven. Prior to the new law, a driver in such a situation would more than likely received only a single citation for a fine of about ¢20.000 ($37 USD) and allowed to drive off.
It was no wonder why Costa Rica drivers in the past paid no attention to the laws and the traffic police didn?t bother to enforce them.
In addition to much needed monies from the traffic violations flowing into government coffers for road repairs and other social infrastructure projects, the roadways became noticeably much less congested within several days.
Once illegal drivers with their illegal vehicles realized the new law and its enforcement were for real ? they began staying off the streets.
Even some motorcycle riders started wearing the new required reflective vests, stopped driving with 3 & 4 people on a single ?moto? & stayed within their own lanes of traffic; as opposed to driving between cars, passing on the right and using oncoming lanes of traffic as their own personal express lanes.
The main COSEVI drivers licensing office in La Uruca, San Joséat one point had to extend its hours from 7am to 7pm daily to handle the crush of people deciding it would be a good idea to finally have a valid driver?s license once the fine shot-up to ¢277.000 ($444 USD) for not having one.
An older gentleman standing in the COSEVI license line was interviewed by a local television station where the guy stated he had not had a driver?s license in about 40 years, but now he couldn?t afford to take the chance of driving without one.
Nothing is Forever ? and Some Things Never Get a Chance
Reminder: This IS Costa Rica. And as of this writing, the new Costa Rica traffic law is still officially being re-reviewed by the legislature, challenged in court and it?s anybody?s guess as to where the car crash paint-transfers will finally end.
Protesters have marched on the Costa Rica Legislative Assembly to keep the new law as currently written. They accurately point out all the positives realized as a direct result of the new tough sanctions.
Pressure from major employers that need their employees to keep their driving privileges as well as other politically connected groups have influenced lawmakers to strongly consider the elimination of the new license point system that could result in license suspensions or even permanent revocations. Other re-revisions being considered include an increase in the blood-alcohol level threshold for drunk driving and downward revisions of many financial penalties.
So once again, everybody is waiting; traffic enforcement of the new law has dropped off, drivers immediately respond to less enforcement by taking more chances and those that do get caught are hoping the re-written or court challenged law will reduce if not eliminate their incurred penalties for existing violations.
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Approximately 1 kilometer due West of the USS Iwo Jima at the Limón public sports complex (Polideportivo de Limón) people had gathered since the early hours in the morning for entrance into the facility ... and they weren't looking for a pick-up game of fútbol.
THE Costa Rica Blogger has it on good authority there will be a limited occupation of Costa Rica in the next several days ? a 10 man squad are up for shore leave and they do plan on spending some time in Puerto Viejo ? they?ve already been given good intel regarding the local hotspots and are looking forward to their stay 
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Government officials from both Costa Rica and Panama confirmed the capture of the fugitives going by the names of William ?Wild Bill? Adolfo 
Manhunt on for Murder Suspects of Ex-pat and Foreign National Victims
Government officials from both Costa Rica and Panama have confirmed the capture of the fugitives William ?Wild Bill? Adolfo Córtez Reese and his wife Jane Seana Cortez.
A flotilla of 46 United States Navy warships capable of carrying 200 helicopters, along with 10 Harrier vertical take-off and landing fighter jets, and 7,000 combat ready marines available for land based operations is on its way to this Central American country with no standing army.
In 1999 a 
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