Costa Rica’s “New International Airport” – Real estate company uses our heavily edited article without permission.

On their Trazzure.com company website, Bernadett Maxwell and her associate Larry Pohorlic feature “five premier developments in the Central and South regions of Costa Rica.”

They add that you can “Enjoy an inviting living environment with the convenience of a new International Airport” but fail to mention that A: This airport has not been built yet and B: Costa Rica has not even approved a budget to build this “new International Airport.”

Some people might brush this off as a simple omission, an honest mistake and no doubt we’ve made a few little innocent mistakes of our own amongst the 1,700+ articles on this site, but it gets more interesting because one of our VIP Members sent me the January 10-13th, 2008 newspaper advertisement that Trazzure published in a Canadian newspaper which also talks of: “… a new international airport slated for 2010.”

Then one of our VIP Members emailed me the email exchange that he had with “Bernadett” with the email address of bwielinga@shaw.ca from Trazzure who stated that: “There was an article mid July about President Arias visiting Palmar Sur to announce that construction of the airport could begin.”

And in another email “Bernadett” from Trazzure included the link to a website that states “New hospitals, roads, and an international airport are being built just north of Golfito.

She then emailed him an information fact sheet entitled “news-new-airport.pdf” that was emailed to him by “Bernadett” which you can see below:

This is an interesting cut and paste job with the La Nacion headlines, a column of the local English language newspaper the Tico Times inserted on the right hand side and another article taken from a popular Costa Rica website – WeLoveCostaRica.com – underneath.

Now using our articles without permission is against the law, as anyone can see in our Terms which says: “Unauthorized use of or copying of our content, trademarks, and other proprietary material can subject you to civil or even criminal liability…” But for the most part, I am delighted to give permission to people to use our content as long as they play nice and ask first.

But here’s where I have a serious problem because the biggest portion of their ‘news’ sheet was taken from my article where someone has deliberately cut out the last and most important part of my article.

The Trazzure “news-new-airport.pdf” information sheet finishes up with: “The second stage of this new airport is supposedly when they would extend the runway to 2,900 meters (9,512 feet) which is the sort of runway length required by Boeing 737 type planes carrying 110-215 passengers.”

Now is it just my imagination? Or does that sound quite positive?

Be patient with me for a moment more and please read the section inserted below which is the part that someone has deliberately cut out from their version of the article written by Scott Oliver:

“The Costa Rican aviation authorities don’t seem to be ashamed to admit that they have no idea of the costs associated with building the first stage, with the smaller runway and terminal, never mind the second stage which would probably cost US$100 million + in trying to build an ‘international’ airport capable of allowing the world’s largest jets to land.

Some might say this is a chronic case of putting the oxcart in front of the horse.

So we would suggest that even though the mosquito infested mangrove swamp-view salesmen out there will continue touting the fact that the value of your land will increase dramatically because of the new ‘international’ airport, hopefully this article and the others you will find here will keep you asking questions.”

Does that sound as positive now that you have read the complete article?

Perhaps I am being too sensitive but when we get regular emails from people telling me that they have plonked down $50,000 for a plot of land they have never ever visited ‘somewhere’ and they’re expecting to sell it for $500,000 in five years later because their salesperson ‘somewhere’ working for one of a dozen different ‘developers’ (whom they’ve never met) said the “new international airport” is being “built now”, it gets a little tiring…

In another one of my other articles about “Costa Rica’s New International Airport to be Built in the Sierpe Valley – Maybe… I wrote that: “In Costa Rica where some road projects have been discussed for 20 years. The planning for a new international airport will likely take a very long time and I honestly don’t think we’ll see a new international airport in the Southern zone for at least 25 years – if then”

I wonder why they also neglected to include that sentence…

14th February 2008 – Update:

On the 14th February 2008 Karla González, Minister of Transportation, said in the radio program “Enfoques” at Eco News, at approximately 8:15 a.m., that they are still in the analysis process for the southern coast airport.[custom_script adID=155]

The feasibility analysis includes many aspects, including compliance of site with international OACI standards and the legal and financial structure to be used, which could be in the form of a concession to a private party. Either way requires a lot of work before an order to begin construction could be given. (The order to initiate the construction of the road to Caldera took over 30 years!)

It is my understanding that this year’s government budget does not include such construction, and as such the President, even if he wants that to happen, could not commit to actions not contemplated in the budget, as that would be illegal.

Also, this week, Viviana Martin, Under-Secretary of Transportation, said in the same program, speaking about the problems with Alterra, that the CETAC (Consejo Técnico de Aviación Civil) had a surplus of around $50 million dollars to be invested in the finalization of the construction of the Juan Santamaria Airport (it needs about $40 million to finalize the project) if the government was to kick out Alterra.

This means that the Costa Rican government has a much bigger problem with the main airport – the Juan Santamaria airport, before even thinking about committing resources to a new airport.

16th February 2008 – Update:

The following email was sent ‘For The Attention Of Bernadett Maxwell & Larry Pohorlic’ on Feb 16, 2008 8:39 PM:

“Please note that we need your written assurance by email by the end of the day Monday 17th February 2008 that you (or whoever is using your email address) will immediately stop using any of my website materials at www.WeLoveCostaRica.com without my express written permission as per our Terms and Conditions which are crystal clear for anyone to see, and that you will cease and desist immediately from emailing potential real estate buyers the incomplete and therefore very misleading article (attached) written by me – Scott Oliver – that you have been emailing to people.

I am cc’ing my attorneys Lic. Roger Petersen and Lic. Jose Rafael Fernandez on this email so that they have a copy of this email.

I am thankful to report that we did receive an email of apology from Bernadett Maxwell and consider this matter with Trazzure resolved.

[custom_script adID=97]

Written by Scott Oliver, author of How To Buy Costa Rica Real Estate Without Losing Your Camisa and Costa Rica’s Guide To Making Money Offshore.

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.