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Another cause for concern….
Putin says Russia might help Chávez go nuclear
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says he is ready to consider helping Venezuela develop a nuclear energy program.
Putin made the comment Thursday as he met with visiting Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez outside Moscow. Earlier, the Kremlin said it would lend Venezuela $1 billion so the South American country can buy Russian military hardware.
There was no further explanation of Venezuela’s nuclear plans. The country has extensive petroleum reserves. But Chavez did say in 2005 that his scientists were trying to diversify energy production in the face of global warming. He said Venezuela was considering a nuclear option.
Argentina, Brazil and México each have two reactors used for generating power.
Nuclear projects by Venezuela are sure to raise concerns in Latin America and the United States because Chávez is rearming the country. Some reactors can produce enriched uranium that is vital to weaponry. Chávez himself is widely considered a major source of instability in the region.
Among his Russian purchases are modern fighter jets that could deliver bombs throughout northern South American and parts of Central America.
Chávez has been friendly with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president who is causing so much concern in the United States and Israel because of his country’s nuclear program. Ahmadinejad has visited Nicaragua and President Daniel Ortega there.Chávez is making his second trip to Russia in two months. The visit comes as a Russian naval squadron sails to Venezuela for joint military exercises. Earlier this month, two Venezuelan bombers conducted air patrol flights over neutral waters in the Caribbean.
Venezuela’s efforts to forge closer ties with Russia come as both countries criticize U.S. foreign policy.
Separately, Chávez is seeking to boost ties with China through increased oil sales to reduce his country’s dependence on the United States.
The Venezuelan leader Thursday said his country aims to increase oil exports to China to one million barrels a day within four years.
Venezuela currently sends China more than 300,000 barrels of crude oil a day.
Chávez, however, said his plan to increase oil shipments to China does not mean a cut in supplies to the United States. Before flying to Russia, Chávez visited China to meet with President Hu Jintao and sign deals on energy cooperation.
The best way to experience the country by road is to either hire a driver with a 4X4 or rent one yourself with a good map. A regular car cannot safely traverse many of the back roads. It is quite safe to travel throughout the country. The biggest danger is trying to drive in San Jose during rush hour. A rental 4X4 with taxes and mandatory insurance will cost $50-$90 per day depending on the class of vehicle.
And they have free press too? Chavez is dictatorial and has taken huge amounts of land from land owners and resditributed to the poor. Those land owners have left the country. It is not hard to have a high approval rating when you live in fear and the approval rating of the US Congress is lower than the president. Bottom line is there is a 80% disatisfaction with government in the US.
In 1983 Venezuela spent 7.4% of GDP on eduction, it is now less than 4% with a dramatic increase in GNP. Health care went from 14% to 6%. Critics of Chavez believe that he is autocratic and tyrannical. After his 1998 election Chavez helped rewrite the constitution and extended the length of his presidency. He also created a law that gave him supra-congressional authority – the ability to pass a law without congressional approval in certain circumstances. Using this power, he gave many jobs in the oil industry to his friends, regardless of their experience. He has also threatened to close down the privately owned press when reporters wrote stories critical of his actions and policies. Venezuela’s oil industry generates at least half of the government’s income. However, only a minority of Venezuelans have profited from the oil boom: more than 65 percent of the population live below the poverty line.
A once stable bastion of South America does not seem such a free country where one can pursue wealth with Chavez at the helm unless they are beholden to him.
I would agree with your view of Venezuela and US medeling in Central America, however, Venezuelas power is only possible because of oil. Fact is that their oil is very heavy Orinoco crude, which is low quality and very difficult to refine. It can only be refined in handful of refineries. The predominant refinery is Valero in the the US and the main refinery on Aruba. If history is a lesson, Chavez’s rule will be short lived. The wealthy in Venezuela departed long ago.
Cuba is a poor, desperate country with great beauty and people, but they produce nothing of great world market value other than sugar and cigars. The sugar market is depressed and their cigars are not allowed in the US. Their infrasructure remains as it was in the height of their prosperity, which was the 1950’s and 60’s. They even have two forms of currency, one for the residents, which is worthless and one for foreigners. Unfortunately, the US stance against Cuba is very outdated and a lot of companies have missed the opportunity to capitalize on their tourism market as has Canada and the EU.
I don’t think the prisoner comparison between US and China is fair. In the US we imprison people for possesion of small amounts of marijuana. Many states have 3 strikes laws for felonies, no matter how minor of a felony and imprison them for life. China executes immediately for many crimes, but we never hear about it.
In the US you only have to look to Florida and Hawaii. Any wood framing or subflooring is treated or insect resistant wood only such as cypress or redwood. Wood for finishes are tropical hardwoods. Elevated slabs seem to be the norm in CR for upper story floors. I would never even consider using any OSB or engineered wood products in CR…they will not hold up over time. They are very susceptible to moisture which will definitely result in mold. Molds need food (organic matter), warmth and moisture. The elimination of any one of these sources will prevent mold growth, but mositure and warmth in CR are very difficult to eliminate. Cementitious products (CMU,concrete, tile) do not contain organic matter, thus no food source and the reason they are so prevalent in tropical climates.
Can’t answer the Alpaca question, but in our experience the best map is the National Geographic Adventure map. It is two sided, quite detailed and accurate.
Not only is it a barbaric practice and extremely inhumane, but the impact to the ecosystem by systematically killing off an alpha predator creates a serious oceanic problem similar to the systematic extermination of wolves in North America. The reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone Park has dramatically increased the overall health of bison and elk, because the wolves are nature’s way of thinning out the weak and diseased. Sharks have the same function in the ocean.
All their work must come from wealthy Americans that think they are getting a great deal at 50% of what they are use to paying. No es una sorpresa. 75% of the US Congress are attorneys. Law is a multi-billion dollar business and tort reform is a pipe dream.
A comparison to the great depression is a bit off-base. See http://www.forbes.com/home/2008/09/18/no-great-depression-oped-cx_db_0918boudreaux.html
However, note the similarities between the “socailistic” ideas being promoted by some of our politicans.Roger’s book is the most valuable tool you can have to understand the Costa Rican legal system. It is logically organized, understndable and very easy to read. I agree with bandera on this this one. Absolutely only buy property in the name of an S.A.
I am not aware of any attorney that charges $275/hour in Costa Rica! If anyone is paying the going US rate for a run of the mill attorney, they either have money to burn or no common sense. My attorney is recommended by this site and the rate is more like $60-$75/hour depending on what the work is.
And Washington Mutual was one of the primary lenders for all those Miami condominiums. The country’s largest “thrift” bank is also staring into the abyss of bankruptcy. I for one terminated all my accounts with US banks and have gone to one of the largest non-profit credit unions where the depositers are owners, where I can get a home equity line of credit for 4.49% AND A VISA card for 6.99%. It was the proverbial “no-brainer”.
Any statistics on how much of the increase is public vs. private projects in all of the central valley cities you mention? Any stats for Liberia, San Isidro and Limon, which are not towns where tourism totally dominates the economy? It is becoming quite clear that the locally driven economy is in good shape, but the US/Europen tourism driven economies are in a period of market adjustment. I do not believe the coastal markets are recessive, just experiencing a reality adjustment from over inflated, speculative pricing. I believe, as does one of the more prominent experts on your site, that if the coastal areas experience another slow real estate high season there will be some coastal bargains (relatively speaking) next spring.
