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I didn’t mean to scare you–although retaliation is possible, it’s really not likely. My concern about speaking with neighbors is more that this will cause the family to move and leave the girls unprotected. Also because you might be surprised how some people rationalize this type of thing. During one of my research trips into the Corcovado area, I stopped near Palmar Sur to interview some locals about the local gold miners that had lived within Corcovado National Park. This area is so remote that the week I was there, they were getting some basic utilities installed. Somehow, a school rep ended up telling me about a 9 yr old little girl that had no shame and prostituted herself to German tourists that came into town before heading to the Park. I thought I was going to be sick, my daughter was only 2 years younger at the time and I couldn’t believe how this woman was reasoning this scenario out. Why couldn’t she grasp that the little was being prostituted by her family was beyond me. As much as I tried, she would not tell me the name nor where the family lived and I couldn’t help this little girl, this will haunt me as long as I live…Take heart, you have an opportunity to help them.
Hi Fortunecookie,
Unfortunately, this has been known to happen, especially in the more remote regions of the country, but it’s NOT common practice there. Like Scott said, Costa Rican families are very close knit and even the extended family members are part of each other’s everyday lives. Please make sure this is not a young teenage girl being rebellious while her parents make a living doing something you’re not privy to because this would only add to their heartache. If you’re sure she’s being prostituted, then please do denounce it because no little girl ever dreams of becoming a prostitute and the younger sister is at risk. If the girl you speak of is working the streets, then this young girl has probably already been sexually abused within the home so the younger sister may already be a victim, even if she’s too young to be sent “out.” It’s all very disturbing and a reality a few foreigners come looking for in CR. Although prostitution is legal in CR, childhood prostitution is NOT legal and NEITHER is pimping someone out…Err on the side of the children if you truly think they’re victims and don’t discuss it with your neighbors, contact PANI & the police directly…
UpeCity, You’re too funny! I’m sure there are gay cowboys in those areas, but all of those miners looked at us as if they hadn’t seen a woman in years (main reason I refused to stay ;-). There was a crazy truck ride on “la cuesta de la resbalosa” (the slippery hill which is red soapy mud all the way from Jimenez to Carate)which scared the dickens out of us when the truck slid and ended up driving on two side wheels–if that counts :-). Costa Rica living is about wonderful adventures and I have had an amazing time there. It’s really no wonder I love that place as much as I do. One day I’ll tell you about my swamp & crocodile adventures among others…Have a great night and I may just write that book! When I do, I’ll keep you in mind as an agent…(LOL) Be well and keep your song writing juices going! Buenas Noches, Rebeca
You’re absolutely right, only in Latin America could this Cuban/American kid get a chance to meet a president and much less five! Remember that I said I didn’t like some of them so I will recap how I met them and try not to get myself sued nor killed. 1) I met Don Rodrigo Carazo while I was staying at his sister-in-law’s house in Playa Chiquita, Limon. I swam in the ocean and spoke with him, his wife & son. 2) I met Monge’s family while helping the Golfito community and his gave me a ride back to SJ (that 8 hour drive is brutal),3,4,5) I used to go to Contravia (a San Pedro bar) to listen to GREAT live music from some of the best musicians CR has produced (people from Editus, Manuel Monestel…) with Alicia Fournier and when her father passed away and she asked me and my friend to come to his funeral. Her father had been very respected & loved in CR, especially in the area of Communications. Every newspaper, radio & TV program was covering this funeral. 3) Then Pres. Calderon came with his wife, this was his family, and he sat among us without any fanfare. I was impressed by his humbleness and we spoke. 4) Mr. Miguel A. Rodriguez was not humble at all and was giving political interviews inside the church, not only was his posturing annoying, but later a homeless woman had managed to get into the church and was asking for money. She pulled on his jacket a few times and when he could no longer ignore her, he proceeded to shove her off and I proceed to very quietly remind him to have respect for the grieving family and the woman he had just manhandled. 5) I first heard of Mr. Figueres (son not the father) when I joined a group of people from UCR who were investigating a gold scam perpetrated on some Canadians & some people said that the Figueres family had been involved. Also, they said that he had an unstable family member causing trouble in La Zona Sur (by Corcovado National Park). We took a small plane and landed on Carate to meet with Manuel X who had been a policeman in the area at the time of the scam, he gave the details of his story, showed us his collection of guns and introduced his bodyguard, he offered us lodging, but I was not about to stay at a miner’s camp with no locks on the doors and sleep with a friend and a male student in the same bed so Manuel carried me on his back and over the river and we walked to Corcovado Lodge. Manuel was later found dead with manure in his mouth after the presidential elections. When I saw Figueres at funeral, he was also giving interviews and he was a family friend so he should have known better! He came over and stretched his hand to greet me and I told him I would rather shake hands with a terciopelo. His wife gave me a very inquisitive look, years later when she left him, I realized why. I really can’t expand anymore in a public forum…but most Costa Ricans are much nicer than some of these ex-presidents…
You’re absolutely right, only in Latin America could this Cuban/American kid get a chance to meet a president and much less five! Remember that I said I didn’t like some of them so I will recap how I met them and try not to get myself sued nor killed. 1) I met Don Rodrigo Carazo while I was staying at his sister-in-law’s house in Playa Chiquita, Limon. I swam in the ocean and spoke with him, his wife & son. 2) I met Monge’s family while helping the Golfito community and his gave me a ride back to SJ (that 8 hour drive is brutal),3,4,5) I used to go to Contravia (a San Pedro bar) to listen to GREAT live music from some of the best musicians CR has produced (people from Editus, Manuel Monestel…) with Alicia Fournier and when her father passed away and she asked me and my friend to come to his funeral. Her father had been very respected & loved in CR, especially in the area of Communications. Every newspaper, radio & TV program was covering this funeral. 3) Then Pres. Calderon came with his wife, this was his family, and he sat among us without any fanfare. I was impressed by his humbleness and we spoke. 4) Mr. Miguel A. Rodriguez was not humble at all and was giving political interviews inside the church, not only was his posturing annoying, but later a homeless woman had managed to get into the church and was asking for money. She pulled on his jacket a few times and when he could no longer ignore her, he proceeded to shove her off and I proceed to very quietly remind him to have respect for the grieving family and the woman he had just manhandled. 5) I first heard of Mr. Figueres (son not the father) when I joined a group of people from UCR who were investigating a gold scam perpetrated on some Canadians & some people said that the Figueres family had been involved. Also, they said that he had an unstable family member causing trouble in La Zona Sur (by Corcovado National Park). We took a small plane and landed on Carate to meet with Manuel X who had been a policeman in the area at the time of the scam, he gave the details of his story, showed us his collection of guns and introduced his bodyguard, he offered us lodging, but I was not about to stay at a miner’s camp with no locks on the doors and sleep with a friend and a male student in the same bed so Manuel carried me on his back and over the river and we walked to Corcovado Lodge. Manuel was later found dead with manure in his mouth after the presidential elections. When I saw Figueres at funeral, he was also giving interviews and he was a family friend so he should have known better! He came over and stretched his hand to greet me and I told him I would rather shake hands with a terciopelo. His wife gave me a very inquisitive look, years later when she left him, I realized why. I really can’t expand anymore in a public forum…but most Costa Ricans are much nicer than some of these ex-presidents…
It was an earnest compliment because it’s always been a poet’s sensitivity that allows him or her to pen and dare to feel what most would hush for lack of timing, social or current political propriety. Costa Rica has long been one of my muses and who knows if Scott knew he would be providing such a muse for this audience, but he certainly has…. 🙂
I agree, there will be repercussions…I’ve personally met 5 Costa Rican presidents and their families, some are currently more popular than others (and some I really dislike), but I can tell you that Carazo stood up to the IMF & World Bank when they demanded that he give up his education & healthcare programs–and the repercussions arrived at every grocery store. Inflation was so bad that the price of products went up every single day. Nonetheless, Costa Rica made it to become a better country, including economically, than before…The best way to predict future behavior in a person is by analyzing his past behavior–I will transfer that to this country I love so much and hope for the best….
“A real patriot does not serve his country on his knees bowing to an emperor…”
UpeCity, you have the heart of a poet and haven’t they been the ones to shed light on issues that most of us are trying to look away from, when we desperately need to stare them in the face? Have hope, I will hold onto mine because I believe that the wonderful cultures (not a typo there are various cultures there) of Costa Rica who can be so wonderful, have a history of rising up and making ALL listen when they are pinned against a wall. Pura Vida, Rebeca.
The problem is that it’s not just Arias—this link was sent to me by my niece that works at Intel and her husband at HP:
The coercion has been intense and as much as I love much of what the US stands for, I HATE that it never plays by the rules it expects for itself! They have always been bullies in this hemisphere–the proof of this is endless. I’m sure there will be some repercussions, if they opt out, but I’m hoping the US Congress will have the courage to stand up to Bush now that new elections are looming and our Pres has lost so much support. I’m not counting on their integrity, just that it’s a lot easier to jump off a sinking ship—Whatever the consequences; they will be worth it if Costa Rica retains her sovereignty and the possibility for ALL TICOS/AS to have a better future—which can only be beneficial to any expat living there.
Dear Simondg,
You sound like a charming person, even if a few extra lbs have crept up on you. Heck, I’m not a size 2 anymore, but I think that a 5/6 is not so bad either ;-). Although I do have family in UK, I have never been there and really can’t speak about how the healthcare system works work in England, but I have lived a total of 9 years in Costa Rica and do know that system (warts and all). If you think that access to healthcare doesn’t make a difference in for people’s quality of life, then take a ride to San Vito in Costa Rica (side note: they have really good Italian pizza there because of their Italian heritage) and watch how the indigenous people of Panama ride the bus for hours (sometimes days), without much clothing, sometimes barefoot to access Costa Rica’s healthcare for their sick children. Why? Because under current Costa Rican law, ALL children will be cared for and in Panama, these kids would die. Yes, the system could be better and maybe a mix of social & private healthcare can work, but access to healthcare is vital for a population’s quality of life. What good is anything else if your health is so poor that you can’t enjoy it and worse when you know that your health could be better IF you could only afford it? People from the countryside and many city dwellers could not afford private healthcare in CR. What private doctor is going to work for FREE? Even with Costa Rica’s socialized medicine, the people of Suretka (Upper Talamanca) didn’t get a clinic until fairly recently and it isn’t even open everyday. A real bummer if you get bitten by a terciopelo out there (which is fairly common in these communities) or God forbid you have cancer and need treatment unexpectedly–Costa Rica does not have a homogenous population, there are various groups that would be devastated if their access to healthcare was lost. I for one will be eternally grateful for the excellent care my 4 yr old daughter received at the Children’s Hosp. As the ambulance brought her in, no one was asking me for her insurance or if I could pay, the first order of business was to treat her. The money was handled separately because her health & life was what mattered. When I had to have surgery in 2001, I paid a private doctor and a private room in a State hospital because they happened to have the best medical technology required for my case. You can’t throw out the ‘kid with the bathwater’–healthcare should be modified in CR & most certainly in the US to keep up with current demands, but I’ll take the CR system for CR any day over the rape we get here in the US over this issue. Your redbaron, aka, Rebeca
A lot of my friends have responded regarding Sen. Brown’s speech. This Costa Rican, San Jose lawyer, just explained it most colorfully and I wanted to share it with you:
“Hola Rebeca
Un placer oír estas noticias.
La mayoría del país esta contra el TLC, y Arias esta desesperado, al igual que sus lamebotas.”For those that still have some difficulties in Spanish, he feels that most of the country is against this agreement (TLC=CAFTA) and that Arias and his bootlicking (expression similar to “kiss a…”) cronies are desperate. Let’s just hope he’s right….
I sure hope it doesn’t come to that, but I’m grateful for the video link that I’ve now sent to all of the people I know in CR. I’ve already received feedback and some Costa Ricans are actually quite confused with all the propaganda & scare tactics going on in favor of CAFTA. Thankfully, most people associated with public universities, labor, environment, utilities (ministries & NGOs) are against it. I certainly hope that this nightmare doesn’t become Costa Rica’s newest reality.
Thanks Scott–It would be wonderful if that video was seen by as many Costa Ricans as possible before this week’s vote! Is this YouTube video being discussed in the news media there? I sure hope that Costa Ricans think long and hard about how this will affect them.
Dear Simondg,
I agree, the bleeding of labor out of the US being sent abroad is a huge, especially for the manufacturing field. Will this not also be a factor for CR? Although highly trained labor will probably continue to have Intel type of businesses (well, until another country can provide cheaper labor), what will happen to the rest of the population? What will happen to the economic disparities already there? I did think that your remark about GM workers was harsh both times. I’m sure some will be careless; however, people in the US HAVE to WORRY about health insurance. In NJ, a single person pays over $4,000/yr and family can pay over $12,000/year for basic health (no dental, no vision care) just in case someone becomes seriously ill. A huge majority of people go bankrupt in the US do to a health crisis. Health insurance in Costa Rica is now affordable and the public healthcare system although overburdened, keeps that population healthy, with wonderful life expectancies and low childhood mortality rates—What do you think will happen to that and is a different type of telephone bill worth so much national and personal damage?
Simon, I’m not an economist, but I have observed the US and other countries and I see NO way for CAFTA to benefit Costa Rica as a whole since these agreements haven’t typically helped the general public nor the environment (among other areas) anywhere they’ve taken hold–they benefit the largest of corporations. This is one time I don’t think CR will be exceptional. Ticos will take a beating, so will their environment and their indices of health and education will plummet. That said, I wanted to ask you–Do you really think that taking care of the health services for their employees is what’s put GM in a precarious economic situation? How about the amazing increasing gap between executives and their workers’ compensation? This type of gap has been skyrocketing since the 80’s–I seem to remember a tall actor who was playing the role of a lifetime then & even had an economic term named after him… The fact is that the gap between the average executive compensation package and the average worker has been over 500 to 1 since 2000. Even now when the US has serious economic concerns, CEO earnings have risen 16% this year alone (last year it was ‘only’ around 9% according to executivedisclosure.com). Case in point, as much as I may like some of what Rupert Murdoch does, he makes $25,683,694/year not really the average workers salary! Hard to imagine…Okay, so GM executives only make a bit over a MILLION dollars each which is certainly not at the top of the corporate heap, but I would dare say that executive pay, throught the last decades, has not helped take GM out of its economic woes! Of course, let’s not even go to the land of illegal compensation into the land of “let’s play who can be a bigger thief” we’ve seen unfold (God knows how much is still to be discovered) which tends to create an economic mess. Isn’t it time to stop blaming the little guy for corporate problems. Why actually want that type of situations to be transplanted to a wonderful country like Costa Rica? I even wonder just how good natured Ticos will continue to be once CAFTA steals the PURA VIDA right out of their smiles…I can give you a glimpse, look up what has happened in the last 10 when they’ve tried to privatize ICE, it hasn’t been pretty…and Ticos are some of the least confrontational people I know! In spite of all of the legislative corruption, it will not be the first nor the last time that Ticos have stood up to reverse agreements mobilized thru some legislative corruption. I believe they will come thru again.
