Was Morales a DEA Asset?
- Details
- Category: The Nation
- Published on Friday, May 24 2013 03:42
- Written by Rod Hughes
- Hits: 17
Curiouser and curiouser. President Laura Chinchilla must feel like Alice in Wonderland. Every time the name Gabriel Morales pops up, the affair of her trip to Peru gets more bizarre.
The convoluted story got even more twisted Tuesday when the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo reported that Morales, the alleged owner of the private jet that whisked the President to Peru, (see previous articles: ) was used by the U.S. anti-drug agency DEA to obtain information.
New Bacteria in Hospitals Here?
- Details
- Category: The Nation
- Published on Friday, May 24 2013 03:21
- Written by Rod Hughes
- Hits: 11
Hospital authorities here are beginning to suspect that the Clostridium difficile bacteria that has been assaulting patients in local hospitals here — especially San Juan de Dios Hospital — may be a new strain.
Samples sent to the University of Costa Rica’s Microbiology Laboratory have been coming back negative, which has moved UCR to use its contacts in Canada to detect the sometimes fatal strain (See previous articles.)
Hernandez Wins Nod -- No Coalition
- Details
- Category: The Nation
- Published on Thursday, May 23 2013 02:37
- Written by Rod Hughes
- Hits: 14
Analysis -- The Social Christian Unity party, by choosing in their convention, Dr. Rodolfo Hernandez as Presidential candidate, has effectively put a stop to all the talk about a coalition of opposition to de facto National Liberation candidate, San Jose mayorJohnny Arraya.
It appears that the dogfight for the 2014 elections will be voters selecting a lesser of evils among a bewildering variety of parties and their candidates.
Bacteria Victims Old, Weakened
- Details
- Category: The Nation
- Published on Thursday, May 23 2013 01:21
- Written by Rod Hughes
- Hits: 14
The latest victims of the killer bacteria Clostridium difficile appear to be weakened by age, other infirmities and generally poor resistance to infection. (Hospital Mobilizes Against "Superbacteria")
The three deaths this month in a spiking of the disease were two women and a man, all aged over 60, being treated for other illnesses at two hospitals. Physicians said that the intestinal bacteria in the latest outbreak is of a somewhat less aggressive strain than a 2009 onset of the super bacteria.
It's Official: Chinese Chief to Visit
- Details
- Category: The Nation
- Published on Wednesday, May 22 2013 01:57
- Written by Rod Hughes
- Hits: 19
Costa Rica will roll out the red carpet again, hosting President Xi Jinpin of China, this country's second biggest trading partner, between June 2-4. The visit follows President Barack Obama's visit early this month.
The news that a Cabinet meeting had had invited Xi came last week. The announcement that he had accepted was made on President Chinchilla's Twitter page.
Controversial Jet Owner Breaks Silence
- Details
- Category: The Nation
- Published on Wednesday, May 22 2013 01:51
- Written by Rod Hughes
- Hits: 47
Controversial Colombian owner of THX Energy, the corporation that owned the private jet on which President Laura Chinchilla made her now notorious trip to Peru, has at last broken his silence. (President Gets Flak about Jet)
Not unexpectedly, he denies any ties with accused drug trafficker Juan Carlos (Chupeta) Ramirez and claims that Chinchilla's own office asked the loan of the plane for the trip.
Fischel-Caja Finns Freed on Appeal
- Details
- Category: The Nation
- Published on Tuesday, May 21 2013 02:19
- Written by Rod Hughes
- Hits: 28
Three Finnish businessmen accused of bribing Costa Rican officials have been freed by an appeals court in Helsinki, part of the foreign element of the Caja-Fischel case.
They are three directors of the Instrumentarium Medko Medical firm who were accused of using fraud and bribes to obtain $39.5 million to sell the Social Security health care system (Caja) medical equipment in 2001.
