A Quick Return Trip To Costa Rica
Last weekend I went back up to Golfito, Costa Rica were I had spent eight months before moving to Panama. My friends, John and Sally, were hosting their annual 'Christmas in July' party at their Latitude Ocho Bar. It had been almost seven months since I had been to Golfito, and this trip was a shock.
Panama, as I have mentioned before, continues to be impacted very little by the on-going world-wide economic crises. Tourism figures are up, as is the GNP growth figures. Unemployment figures and inflation rates are holding steady. And the national bank, which never got involved in the 'funny money' financing business, is on track to report its second successive annual record profits. And, we are insulated from the fluctuations of the U.S. dollar because that is the Panamanian currency.
I had seen some of the impact of the economic crises when I was back in Wilmington, N.C., in May. But, nothing like what I observed in Golfito. Golfito was a ghost town!
I noticed the light traffic on the highway from the border to Golfito - especially light for a Friday afternoon. But, the main drag of Golfito was deserted. This is basically a one-street town, the highway runs along the bay through the five-mile length of town, and is usually clogged with cars, trucks, buses and hordes of taxis. Not this day.
I stayed at the Banana Bay Marina at about the midpoint in town, which is usually a beehive of activities. Luxury yachts visiting, fishing boats coming and going daily, and bar/restaurant patrons from the community normally keep the place buzzing. None of this was happening. For three mornings I 'wasted' about two hours daily eating breakfast, reading my book and enjoyed the beautiful views of the bay, in virtual isolation. No people, no boat traffic - nothing. And on Saturday evening about 6PM, I left the bar and walked over to my room to get cleaned up to go to Sally's party. This is the bar, by the way, that a couple of years ago, you couldn't find an empty seat on a Saturday night. When I came out of my room an hour later, the place was closed - the entire marina! The bar, the office, and the marina docking area were all closed. I had to get the only employee still there, the security guy to let me out.
I found out later that the other big luxury marina in town, Gaviotas, had closed and shuttered its bar and restaurant the week before. Question: How do you service the luxury boat traffic at your marina without a bar and restaurant? Obvious Answer: You don't! Ouch! Sign of the times.
The Big News in Costa Rica.
The leadership crises in Honduras is getting a lot of coverage in Costa Rica, partly due to the fact that the Costa Rican president is serving as the mediator trying to peacefully resolve the issues. President Oscar Arias' international credentials derive from some of his accomplishments in a previous tenure as the country's president (1986-1990). Arias was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his pivotal role in resolving an even bigger crises in the region resolving issues involving four different belligerent presidents from four countries, three of which were also in the middle of civil wars.
The reason I mention the 'Honduran Crises' is that to me it is stunning how different the press coverage of this situation is between the U.S. press and the press down here. It is as if the U.S. (and the world) press got in on this story late (which they did), and are overlooking the specifics and the facts of the case, or are choosing to overlook the facts in an effort to appease whomever.
This story 'hit the fan' in the U.S. press on June 28th when President Zelaya was arrested by the Honduran military and subsequently expelled from the country. The press throughout the world trumpeted the 'fact' that this was a military coup. For starters, the military did not remove the president and take over the government. Therefore, the military coup characterization is factually incorrect.
The military action was directed by the Supreme Court, which under their constitution, is the sole government agency authorized to issue such a directive. Failure to carry out a Supreme Court directive is, also per the constitution, a crime punishable under very specific laws. Note that the court's directive also had the concurrence of the nation's congress. Well, what is this all about?
President Zelaya decided to conduct a 'non-binding referendum' to determine the publics' opinion on him succeeded himself as president, the tactic used in recent years by his leftist dictator buddies' actions - Chavez (Venezuela), Morales (Bolivia), Ortega (Nicaragua), et. al. The problem is that the constitution says that only congress can amend the constitution, AND that initiatives to generate such reforms can only legally originate within that body.
Zelaya was advised by both the congress and the court that his initiative was illegal, and a direct violation of specific court legal directives. In response, he then proceeded to have the referendum 'ballots' printed, ironically printed in Venezuela. (I guess Chavez is the 'grand poo-bah' of printing as well) The court subsequently had the ballots impounded, and again chastised Zelaya.
Most of the free press coverage in Central America report that the 'real' coup attempt started three days before the 'military coup' reported in the rest of the world - a coup-like attempt by Zeyala. Zelaya, on June 25th, rounded up hundreds of his supporters at the Presidential Palace, loaded them on buses and they descended on the Hernan Air Force Base. He personally browbeat the military guards, and then his supporters with his active involvement, confiscated and hauled off the boxes of ballots.
At this juncture, both the court and the congress called for Zelaya's resignation, citing Article 239 of the constitution that states that "no person who has ever served as president can become president or vice president," and, more importantly, "anyone serving in the office who violates or proposes reforming the succession restrictions, or supports such a violation, either directly or indirectly, will immediately cease in their official capacity and be unable to hold any public office for a period of 10 years."
Note that the law specifically says 'immediately cease' and does not even mention impeachment proceedings or trial requirements. And yet Obama, the 'American Grand Appeaser', who could only muster a 'no comment' reaction to the calamity in Iran, is calling for Zelaya to be reinstated. Well I guess another country's democratic constitution doesn't make any difference if you run the risk of being dropped from Chavez's Book-Of-The-Month club. God, I wish someone else was down here trying to explain the Gospel According To Obama to these folks down here who have tried so hard for so many years to be unabashedly pro-American.
Red-Neck Ticos?
Last Friday night there was a live nationwide telecast of the annual rodeo in Gaunacaste, Costa Rica, up near the Nicaraguan border. The main event was the bull riding. You have probably seen a bull riding event, but let me tell you, there are a couple of differences in the Tico version of bull riding.
Yes, the bulls are still big, mean and not inclined to being ridden. But, the riders don't wear boots, pearl-buttoned shirts, Stetsons, and big beltbuckles. No, El Montadors, as they are called, most common uniform consists of flip-flops, T-shirts, and baseball caps. Well, except for the two guys who had spurs strapped on their bare feet.
But, the big difference was in the bull-riding ring itself. Yes, there was still a clown (payaso) contingent to distract the bull when the rider got thrown. But, they were joined in the ring by about a hundred dare-devil spectators. My God, I have never seen anything like it. It made that annual 'running of the bulls' thing in Spain, look like a stroll in the park. At least in that event all the traffic is going in the same direction. Imagine if the bulls were coming from both ends of the street. Or maybe a NASCAR race where part of the cars were going in the opposite direction.
After watching several of these rides (and consuming a few beers), a couple of other things struck me. I guess I became an expert? First off, when that bull comes out of the chute, suddenly presented with all those targets on his horizon, he really go berserk. I saw bulls do maneuvers and make moves I had never seen before. Still can't figure out how a two ton bull can go two directions at once.
Plus, all the bulls seem to have an additional innate talent. Regardless of how distracted they may seem to be by all the confusion, they know when that rider comes off. And, just as the traditional rodeo clowns sometimes have problems distracting the bull away from the fallen rider, adding an additional 100 antagonists to the equation does not seem to matter. That bull is not distracted by even those people slapping him on the side or pulling his tail, until he has run that S.O.B. who got him in this mess right through the fence rails. Aieee or Yee Haw, take your pick.
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