Costa Rica News - May 06, 2006

Colombia's Uribe Prepared to Meet with Chávez in Costa Rica

The Colombian President said again Thursday that he expects to meet with his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chávez to delve into bilateral issues following Venezuela's withdrawal from the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) and a number of mutual charges.

The meeting could be held Monday in San José on the occasion of the inauguration of Costa Rican President Oscar Arias.

"Every time I've got the chance, I look forward to talking to the presidents of fellow nations. It is good to have this chance in Costa Rica, to review numbers and concepts, to engage in a sound, permanent and constructive dialogue," Uribe told reporters.

A new difference emerged when President Chávez put the blame on Colombia for finishing off CAN due to the execution of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States, AP quoted.

Venezuela left CAN to protest the FTA entered into by Colombia and Peru with the United States. Ecuador, the other CAN member, is pursuing also a similar agreement

Global Crossing to Extend Core Network to Costa Rica

Global Crossing announced plans to extend its Pan American Crossing (PAC) system, which runs along the west coast of Central America from Panama to Los Angeles.

The project requires additional governmental approval, and construction is expected to be complete as early as fourth quarter 2007.

As part of the cable landing agreement, Global Crossing also announced that it will donate an STM1 to the Costa Rican academic sector, the largest donation of its kind in the history of the country.

Costa Rica's Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), the state-run entity responsible for the nation's telecommunications, and the national Internet Service Provider Radiografica Costarricense, also agreed to purchase 24 STM-1 Private Lines, the equivalent of 3.732 Gbps of bandwidth, from Global Crossing. One STM-1 is equivalent to 155.52 Mbps.

Global Crossing also recently announced it will be making upgrades to its Mid-Atlantic Crossing (MAC) system, which connects North America to Latin America through the Caribbean.

Costa Rica Celebrated in Memphis

Residents of Tennessee don't have to go far get a taste of Costa Rica this year, as the "Memphis in May" celebrations honour Costa Rica this year.

Each year, Memphis honors a different foreign country with its monthlong Memphis in May International Festival, focusing on music, art, food and multicultural fun through a stacked and varied schedule.

For the 30th anniversary event in 2006, Costa Rica is the country being honoured, and throughout May, visitors can sample an array of Costa Rican cultural color.

Among them: The Memphis Botanic Garden offers visitors a chance to spy some Costa Rican wildlife with the "Experience the Butterflies of Costa Rica" exhibit, and the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art offers a peek at works in its "Memphis in May Celebrates Costa Rica" exhibition, on loan from the Museo de Arte Costarricense.

Costa Rican sounds figure prominently too, including singer-songwriter Luis Angel Castro's stop at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music on May 12.

Tourists Chip In

Every tourist visiting Tamarindo Beach, on the Costa Rica Northwest Pacific, is donating us$1 per night spent there in order to promote the protection of the environment in the area.

Through the "$1 for Nature" campaign, several projects have been developed already, and more are on the way.

Stavros Theoharis, a visitor from New York, said that $1 per night is highly reasonable to protect the natural beauties of Tamarindo Beach.

Last year, tourists donated $15,000, sources of the organization said.

Costa Rica Real Estate Condo Resales
Nativa Premiun Resort in the Central Pacific