Posts Tagged ‘Costa Rica’
Costa Rica’s Supreme Court Blocks Entry of U.S. Military (Temporarily)
4:23 pm By Maegan La Mala · Costa Rica|Drugs|Latin America|military|military interventions · 4 Comments
13 Aug 2010
Costa Rica hasn’t had an army since the 1940′s after a violent civil war, but the US is trying to change that by bringing it’s own military presence inside the Central American country best known to most people as being a popular adventure tourism destination.
From Narco News:
On July 1, Costa Rica’s unicameral Legislative Assembly, with 31 votes out of 57, approved the US Embassy’s request to open the country to 46 US warships, 7,000 US soldiers, 200 helicopters and two aircraft carriers. This permission was granted through at least Dec. 31 of this year, officially justified by the necessity of fighting drug-traffickers, providing humanitarian services and providing a place for US ships to dock and refuel. While most reports have put a Dec. 31 expiration date on the agreement, the Nicaraguan media last week reported that Costa Rican Foreign Minister Rene Castro, in a meeting with Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Samuel Santos, said that the agreement is for five years.
Want Happiness? Move to Costa Rica
7:31 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Costa Rica|Environment|Health|Latin America|society · 2 Comments
7 Jul 2009
Contrary to what the writers of South Park would have you think, Costa Rica is a paradise on earth. At least that’s that’s what a new poll by a UK environmental institute has shown: Costa Rica ranks as not only one of the most environmentally friendly countries, but also as the world’s happiest:
The New Economics Foundation looked at 143 countries that are home to 99 percent of the world’s population and devised an equation that weighed life expectancy and people’s happiness against their environmental impact.By that formula, Costa Rica is the happiest, greenest country in the world, just ahead of the Dominican Republic.
85% of Costa Ricans say they are happy with their lives.
In contrast, the United States came in at 114, and Britain at 74. Speaking of the UK, the BBC’s Mark Easton says he has an idea as to why the richest countries come out last. Quite interesting.
What is it about Latin America and happiness anyway?
Via / AFP
Image via mikebaird on Flickr
Costa Rica steamed over South Park episode
5:30 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Controversia|Costa Rica|TV · 13 Comments
21 Feb 2007
Costa Rican government officials don’t think South Park is one bit funny. Why? Because a recent episode places the characters in the Carribean country declaring, among other things, that it smells…”like ass”:
The main characters, a group of children, are on a trip to San San José, capital of the Central American country, aboard a bus from which a teacher shows them the city.The woman explains that Costa Rica is a third world country, as the children observe through the windows prostitutes, shantytowns and trash, and they complain of the smell “of ass” that they detect in an unidentified government building.
Government officials are not amused. According to Spain’s 20 Minutos, Costa Rica’s Tourism Minister, Carlos Benavides, put it like this:
“We should look at it as the trash that it is. It’s a program of that nature on a network designed for people with a lowly upbringing and bad customs.
Via / 20 Minutos
Jolie to Colombian refugees: “The world hasn’t forgotten you”
1:06 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Activism|Celebrities|Colombia|Costa Rica · Comments Off
27 Dec 2006
Angelina Jolie and her bf Brad Pitt spent the holidays in Costa Rica, visiting some displaced Colombian refugees and handing out gifts in the name of the U.N.:
Dressed in white and sporting a bright blue UNHCR baseball cap, Jolie called for more awareness of the plight of refugees around the world.“It is especially shocking that such a tragedy can go on, year after year, with the rest of the world paying so little attention to it,” she said in the Costa Rican capital San Jose, according to the U.N. agency.
The Central American country is home to an estimated 10,000 Colombian refugees.
“My Christmas message to Colombian refugees and to the millions of displaced people in Colombia is that the world has not totally forgotten them,” Jolie said.
Whether these celeb visits are just good PR for the stars or actual humanitarian work is up for debate, but if anything it’s good that the media eyes that are constantly following Angie and Brad are also — at least momentarily — focused on the plight of these refugees.
Via / Yahoo! News
Image Boris Heger/UNHCR/Handout/Reuters
U.S. To Costa Rica : No Take Backs!
9:19 am By Maegan La Mala · Costa Rica|Politics · Comments Off
28 Jun 2006
Costa Rica wants to change its mind about supporting the war in Iraq but the United States isn’t having it. The government originally was one of the “Coalition of Willing”, but as popular sentiment towards the war has soured in the Central American nation, the government officially changed its position. Costa Rica took it all the way to the Supreme Court which ruled in favor of taking the nation’s name off the war supporters roster. According to Yahoo! News:
While the U.S. government removed the Central American nation from the list of the so-called “coalition of the willing” in 2004, it still appears in archive documents and on related Internet Web sites that haven’t been updated.
The reason the U.S. hasn’t taken Costa Rica’s name off in those areas? Those documents are part of the historical record. Maybe next time Costa Rica and hopefully other nations will think before throwing their weight behind U.S. military moves.
Via / Yahoo! News
The Copa Mundial Officially Kicks Off
9 Jun 2006
It’s on! A short time ago the 2006 FIFA World Cup was officially opened. German uber-model Claudia Schiffer and futbol legend Pele opened the Mundial carrying the golden World Cup. This was follwed by a parade of the countries who have won World Cups into the Munich stadium. A catchy musical performance followed featuring German singer Herbert Gronemeyer and African duo Amadou & Mariam.
Now we are officially into the first game of the Copa Mundial with Costa Rica facing the home country team of Germany. Not even 18 minutes into the first half, we have Germany ahead 2-1. Germany scored a golaso within the first three minutes. If what I’m watching now is any indication, this is going to be an amazing Copa Mundial. I need to go grab a beer. This is good.
Keep track of what’s going on with the Copa at the official FIFA World Cup Website.
Hola!
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