Police Officials Sentenced For Drug Trafficking

Costa Rica Police Officials Sentenced For Drug Trafficking

Seven Costa Rican police officers have been sentenced to 22 years in prison for drug trafficking. Their convictions are more evidence of the increasing influence of criminal organizations on the very institutions in Costa Ricaresponsible for fighting trafficking.

The seven members of the Fuerza Pública (national police force) were convicted of international drug trafficking and embezzlement. Another Costa Rican national who was convicted as part of the same case was a member of the Coast Guard until just a year before his arrest.

These crimes were committed in collusion with a Colombian drug trafficking organization. The same organization is suspected of trafficking several major cocaine shipments seized by authorities, including one shipment of 1,441 kilos intercepted in July 2009, 382 kilos last August, and 700 kilos last September.

InSight Crime Analysis
Costa Rica is becoming more important to smuggling operations through Central America. Authorities in May 2011 noted that land routes through Costa Rica are increasingly important as drug trafficking organizations are forced to abandon air and sea routes through Panama due to a crackdown by authorities there. The head of the JudicialInvestigation Police (OIJ) warned last December that Costa Rica has gone from being a transit point for drug shipments to being a center of negotiation between Mexican and Colombian drug trafficking organizations.

Proof of increased smuggling operations point to this new reality of a greater criminal influence in the country. This past February, Costa Rican law enforcement seized a single shipment of two tons of cocaine, the largest bust in six years, from boats off the Pacific Coast. In the first four months of 2012, four tons of cocaine were seized at oneborder crossing, the same amount seized in all of the country in the last six months of 2011.

As InSight has reported, criminal organizations are building stronger relationships with security forces in Costa Rica. The amount of narcotics seized in the past year suggests that these organizations are getting more confident that these connections will facilitate large shipments and keep them from being intercepted. It is also very likely that there have been large single shipments like the one seized in February that have gone unnoticed byauthorities.

Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla correctly identified the problem in an interview late last year, saying, “This has to do with the institutions, and what [drug cartels] do is corrupt institutions to disrupt the legal system and the rule of law... I don’t remember in our whole history a menace like this menace from organized crime.”

 

IBM inaugurates its tech center supporting cloud computing

IBM inaugurated its new information technology center in Heredia Thursday. The company says it plans to invest $300 million in Costa Rica over the next 10 years. This new facility will support the firms cloud computing operations. The firm said it plans to hire about 1,000 persons by 2014. Cloud computing allows storage and applications for those working at home or in offices. The concept is considered to be more secure and cost effective. At the same time IBM announced a program for public and private universities. The goal is to improve instructions in the skills the company will need. The firm is offering access to its software in areas of online security, cloud computer, data storage and business analytics, it said.  The firm also will work with professors to develop their courses. The new facility is in Zona Franca América.

Group stole 200 miles of phone cable

Judicial officials claim that arrests of 17 suspects in 13 raids around the country put an end to a group of organized criminals that stole a total of ¢ 2 billion ($4.04 million) in phone cable from the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE). Prosecutors said the material was exported into the international market, and resulted in the loss of 200 miles of cable in 2011.

Costa Rica Pageant Crowns New Winner

Courtesy of Facebook

It was an exciting evening for Nazareth Cascante Madrigal who after all was said and done was crowned Miss Costa Rica 2012, destined to fill some important shoes with the end of reign for Miss Costa Rica 2011, Johanna Solano.

The event, held at Teletica’s studio, http://www.misscostarica.com saw the winner lead in all of the events during the pageant. It seemed that this 5’9″ beauty was destined to become the winner from the being. The annual event, now in its 59th year was filled with anticipation in terms of who would replaced the current reigning Miss Costa Rica, Johanna Solano whose reign took her to runner up in the Miss Universe 2011 pageant.

Miss Solano, Miss Costa Rica 2011, was a popular figure amongst the pageant circuit and around the world. Considered to be one of the hardest working beauty queens for Costa Rica, her focus included elder issues and social outreach programs. The new Miss Costa Rica 2012 will have to make her own mark on the position although it will be difficult for many to forget Solano’s contribution to the position.

Fastest mama sloth ever

The fastest moving mama with babe, sloth I have ever seen. This two toed sloth is moving fast down the barbed fence line next to the main road to La Fortuna, Costa Rica.

Surf Costa Rica.

Here is information on some of the more popular beaches to surf Costa Rica.

The Northern Pacific Coast provides the best, most reliable waves from December to April when strong offshore winds combine with the ideal swell directions. Beginners can enjoy riding the waves at Tamarindo, while other good breaks include Witches Rock, Playa Negra and Playa Grande.

Tamarindo provides the ideal location for those looking to do a variety of activities. Aside from surfing there are many activities on offer, including snorkeling, scuba diving, river kayaking and sailing. Besides, you can also enjoy jungle river cruises or watch the giant leatherback turtles which come here to nest between October and March. Tamarindo Beach is easy to reach with daily flights and buses leaving from San José.

The Caribbean Coast is ideal for surfers traveling from November to March. Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, offers crystal-clear blue waters and Costa Rica’s heaviest and best wave: Salsa Brava.

Suitable for only the very experienced, this reef break is extremely popular with locals, expats and tourists alike, so expect crowds throughout the week. The nearby beach break at Playa Cocles and reef break at Punta Uva offer suitable, reliable and exciting breaks for less experienced surfers. Getting to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is relatively easy. Take a bus or shared shuttle from San José or fly to nearby Limón.

The quiet Southern Pacific Coast offers the most reliable waves for those traveling between May and November. Few tourists travel to this part of Costa Rica making it ideal for those with their own equipment and looking for a relaxing trip.

The easy going, small surf town of Domincal has a beautiful beach stretching for one and a half kilometers. It has right and left breaks suitable for surfers of all abilities and with many accommodation options, it makes for the perfect holiday location.

Cabo Matapolo is another option. Surrounded by jungle, it is often described as one of the most beautiful, untouched places left in Costa Rica, with wildlife everywhere you look: monkeys, anteaters and scarlet macaws. There are lodges but no shops or services.

Unless traveling by collective taxi from Jiménez, a 4*4 is needed – the last 12 miles of road is unpaved with a series of deep cracks to cross. The journey is worth it though, with two world-class breaks in the area as well as Pan Dulce for beginners.

Antifumado law (No Smoking Law)

Although it took effect yesterday antifumado law, the Government has not yet defined how to make the corresponding payment of fines imposed.

Roberto Castro, Surveillance Directorate of the Ministry of Health, said the security forces are empowered to make parts for disrespecting citizens antifumado law, but still no where to pay.

"The General Law on Control of Harmful Effects Snuff and Health in effect since already, the places where smoking is not clearly established, but we have three months to regulate issues concerning the collection of fines," said Castro.

Places. Determined Anti-smoking law that banned smoking sites include bus stops and taxis, restaurants, bars, workplaces and telephone booths.

Castro explained that the regulation is advanced and will be public consultation within a month, but the details do not prevent from and can enforce the law.

"The issue of payment of the penalty is delayed by the internal procedure to see how it applies, the most important part is educating people," Castro added.

Although Health spokesman said yesterday that police can arrest any citizen who is smoking in a bus stop and apply a fine, Juan José Andrade, director of the security forces said they expect the regulations to comply with smoking ban

"With the regulations will establish protocols for implementing the law. When ready the statute, act, "said Andrade.

On this, Castro said that Andrade is wrong and invited him to read the transient II of the Act in question, which specifies that this has already come into force.

"The implementation of the rules has nothing to do with the law is enforced. The police have to appropriate sanctions, "he said Castro.

New posters. The Ministry of Health turned to commercial instructions to remove old labels and smoking areas changed by the new poster: "No smoking, snuff-free environment."

People can download this poster and the text of the law antifumado on the website of the Ministry of Health:www.ministeriodesalud.go.cr.

Exteriorized Castro that the intention is to educate the public about the harmful effects of snuff. For this reason, the proposed works in the information must have the packs of cigarettes to raise awareness.

One alternative is that both sides of the packs have images that expose the harmful effects of snuff.

Failure to comply with the law carries penalties antifumado with fines ranging from 10% of basic salary of a clerk of the Judiciary Category 1 (¢ 360,600) to the closure of premises, including workplaces.

Expats would see the new tax law in its many forms

President Laura Chinchilla is quick to point out that her proposed tax plan only represents a 1 percent increase over the existing sales tax. What she is counting on, however, is the wider applicability of the proposal, which becomes a value-added tax.

The proposal contains some surprises and is weighted heavily toward low-income earners. 

The exact wording of the tax still is under discussion in the legislature, which may give initial approval this week or next. From what has been published so far, these appear to be the potential impacts on expats living here:

• The tax proposal levies an assessment for the first time on home rentals. A $1,500-a-month rental would generate a tax of $210. Any property with a monthly 

rent of less than about $1,430 would be exempt from the tax, which is keyed to the value of two base salaries, now 721,200 colons. • When an expat goes to an automatic teller, the tax will be collected on the commission the local bank charges for the transaction. If the commission is $3.50,

the tax will be 49 cents. Banks also will have to charge the 14 percent tax on safety deposit box rentals.

• Monthly electrical and water bills with usage more than a minimal amount also will be taxed.

• The tax proposal will add from about 8 to 11.46 percent to the cost of a new home, according to the Cámera Costarricense de Construcción. The proposed law does exempt for 18 months certain architectural and survey services and construction work.

• The transfer tax on the sale of a home worth more than 50 million colons (about $100,000) would be increased to 3 percent from the current 1.5 percent.

• The importation of a shipping container would not appear to be subject to the tax, but exporting a container, perhaps with furniture and personal possessions, would incur a tax.

• A $50 visit to a private physician would generate a

tax of $7. Ditto for a visit to a dentist. Foreigners who visit Costa Rica specifically for some form of medical, dental, cosmetic or other treatment, also face a tax assessment that may be in mid three figures. • Plumbers, carpenters and others who are on contract also will be obliged to assess a 14 percent tax

unless they are salaried. In that case, their company collects the tax.

• Anyone who works on a contract instead of for a fee will have to collect and remit a 14 percent tax on their services. For expats, that does not mean a household gardener because that service is specifically exempted from the tax as one of 267 such items. Real estate broker services are included specifically in the proposed law.

• To avoid persons ducking the services tax by hiring professionals in other countries, offshore work also will be taxed at 20 percent, according to the proposal. 

This proposal might be litigated because it seems to be counter to The Central American Free Trade Treaty which encourages offshore services. 


• What the government calls a luxury vehicle, 
anything worth more than about $38,000, is subject to 

a 50 percent additional cost each year when the owner pays the road tax. If the owner would normally pay 1 million colons in annual tax, the amount is increased to 1.5 million colons, about $3,000. In addition there is a half percent increase to 3 percent in the vehicle

transfer tax and additional costs to import a vehicle.

• The proposed law levies a 2 percent tax on private school tuition more than 110,000 colons (about $218) a month.

• There are 32 different colegios or professional groups in Costa Rica. They range from lawyers and physicians and surgeons to the more obscure Colegio de Profesionales en Ciencias Económicas and Colegio de Profesionales en Nutrición. Services by members of each will be subject to the new value-added tax for professionals. Some, like members of the Colegio de Optometristas, already pay some tax in the frames and lenses they sell. But they would be subject to a value-added tax on their services.

The colegios made pitches to the legislative committee studying the tax plan. Many approved of some form of taxation. Other representatives stressed the value of better collection methods of the current taxes. Odontologists said that the 14 percent value-added tax on their services would diminish the number of Costa Ricans who seek dental help. Only 23 percent are serviced by the Caja Costarricesne de Seguro Social, said a representative, who avowed that nine out of 10 Costa Ricans have some periodontal problems.

• Expats working here via Internet would seem to be obligated to collect the 14 percent tax on their work unless they were salaried or could show that they are covered by an exportation exemption. This is one of 
the big areas of tax evasion among expats. They are now supposed to pay income tax, although many do not, and there is no paper trail the Costa Rican government can follow to verify their income. The proposed law makes an assumption that anyone living here for a time, Costa Rican or foreigner, has some source of income.

Many perpetual tourists, whether they work for a foreign firm via the internet or just for their own accounts frequently evade income taxes. There is nothing in the proposed law that shows the government is aware of the loss of tax money.

• Individuals who earn less than 685,000 colons (about $1,360) a month will not have to pay income tax under the proposal. Those who earn 4 million or more  a month face a 20 percent tax. The tax rate is increased for corporations although there are breaks for registered small and medium firms.

• The positive news is that more than 200 basic products, mostly foods, will be exempted from the tax as will organic agricultural products for the next 10 years.

• Public transportation also is not subject to any sales tax, although indirectly the tax will affect future rate increases.

• Also free of tax will be the exchange of foreign currency to and from colons. And lottery winners will not be taxed. Casino services will be.

Although death and taxes are inevitable, the proposed law will not levy a tax on coffins.

A detailed summary and the text of the law isHERE! 

BUSES will rise to ¢ 1,250 about $2.50 US

Within a month the rates of many bus routes will increase significantly, as there will be places that the rise would be up to ¢ 1,250, which adds to the wave of hikes to come in the short term.

Bob Dylan is coming May 5

Singer Bob Dylan confirmed on its website. The presentation will take place in Costa Rica on May 5, at the Palacio de los Deportes. The price of tickets and date of sale are not yet defined and will be announced in the coming days. Be sold through the site www.specialticket.net. 

Ticos crowd 4S stores for Apple's iPhone

The countdown is over. As expected, dozens of people waited anxiously for several hours, to Kölbi stores, Claro and Movistar, opened its doors at midnight to first acquire the latest model of Apple, the iPhone 4S.

ICE shops were quite attendance, despite the unusual hour.In San Pedro, near midnight, about 150 ticos waiting to buy the new phone. In Multiplaza Escazú, at the same time, there were approximately 80 people, which amounts to the store at Plaza Real Kölbi, Alajuela. Different case was in the store on Paseo Colón course, where there were fewer than ten people for sale from 12 am Meanwhile, at the local awaited Second Avenue Movistar cell by about 15 people.

The store in Mulitplaza Kölbi Esazú, sold its first iPhone 4S, white at 12:10 am today to Cindy Hidalgo, who queued for hours ifs. "I'm too excited and could not wait until tomorrow to buy it," said Hidalgo. Those who lined up outside branches of Kölbi, claimed that ICE offers the best pricing packages.

"ICE is all they have best prices and I do not trade it for the world," said Adrian Zamora, who was at the shop in San Pedro. Moreover, Thomas Ferrara, who waited to open the doors of Movistar, argued that the store plans are more comfortable and the products are of better quality. Buyers also lined up at branches course. For Erick Ostaszynski, the new phone in the store is "a gift".

The 4S has a more powerful processor, and the new operating system i0S 5, an 8-megapixel upgraded camera, storage and the icloud Nueba with new voice recognition system known as Siri.

Another advantage offered by the new Apple cell phone is that users will not have to worry about being charged the phone frequently, as this consumes little battery.

Those wishing to Acquire the new phone, the common requirements in the various telephone companies are reporting to an original salary and employer's copy of the order, automatic debit membership (PAR) credit card the monthly contracted plan and a record card Credit.

Fresh bread and cookies from Hanna's home in El Castillo, Costa Rica

 Hannah is a local artist here in El Castillo, Costa Rica. What a great place to live.

'Tis the season to duck the municipal inspector

Deck the halls with boughs of holly and don't forget the chain saw. For it is the season to do all those construction jobs while municipal inspectors are on vacation.

This is the season to whack down that tree in the wrong place or put a quick addition on the home.

Municipal inspections are spotty at best, but this week in residential areas all over the country, homeowners are doing those jobs without benefit of municipal permits.

According to one set of instructions for what is called minor jobs, municipalities require permits for even painting a home. Also needed are permits for doing sidewalk reconstruction and rebuilding portons or those metal fences that protect most homes.

The permits even are required for construction of private mausoleums in cemeteries.

For even the most minor work some nine documents are required and special insurance is required after the permit is issued. So what is clear is why residents sidestep the law when the inspector is away.

Most municipalities this week are open for payment of bills or other indoor work. Meanwhile, outside, workers are feverishly mixing concrete, digging drain lines and chopping down trees.

Heaven help the homeowner who wants to do major work legally, such as add a carport. That requires far more additional paperwork, including disclosure of from where the money is coming to do the job.

So in keeping with the Costa Rican tradition that it is better to seek forgiveness than permission, the Christmas holidays and Holy Week are not vacation times for day laborers who mix the concrete, repair the roof or install a new porton.

The only danger is if an unhappy neighbor filed a complaint with the municipality when inspectors are again on the job. Still most understand that there is a big gap between the law and practice. They are likely to overlook the indiscretion if the work is done correctly.

Highway expansion will create delays in Peñas Blancas

Work to expand the access road to four lanes at the border crossing of Peñas Blancas will begin next week, and is expected to cause delays while the $1 million construction project continues. Work is expected to be complete during the first half of the year and will eventually reduce backups of 7 kilometers that often appear at the border.