RSSCOHA revisits its interview of Ottón Solís. Arias – revered by some, but an object of disdain by more than a few. After four years under the leadership of Oscar Arias, Costa Ricans will vote for a new president this Sunday, February 7th. In October 2008, Laura Chinchilla resigned as Vice Presid[...]
Archive for the ‘Costa Rica’ Category
January 26th, 2010 - 12:05 pm § in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Free Trade, Front Page, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Obama, Reports, Uncategorized, Venezuela
¿Cambio? The Obama Administration in Latin America: A Disappointing Year in Perspective
In a memorandum written as Barack Obama assumed office in January 2009, COHA’s Research Fellows Guy Hursthouse and Tomás Ayuso considered widespread Latin American expectations of a dramatic shift in approach from Washington under the new president, and outlined an agenda for change aimed at [...]
Carbon Controversies in Costa Rica
Does the Model Central American Country Live Up to its Big Green Reputation, Particularly When It Comes to Climate Control? Everyone needs something to believe in, and for many Latin American progressives, that something for years has been Costa Rica. The country has long been cited as a beacon of p[...]
Michael O’McCarthy interviews Costa Rican Presidential Candidate Ottón Solís
With a constitution lending itself to the development of a complete social democracy and with its notable lack of a standing military force, Costa Rica is unique among Latin American nations. After a very narrow victory over Ottón Solís in 2006, the country has been governed by Óscar Árias of th[...]
Earthquake Exposes Fault Lines In Costa Rican Governance
About six months ago, on January 9, 2009, Costa Rica experienced one of the greatest natural disasters to have ever hit it. The 6.2 magnitude earthquake that struck 20 miles north of capital San José caused more than 30 casualties, displaced 2,200, and affected more than 120,000 people in all. In h[...]
China Courts Costa Rica; Expands its Presence in Washington’s Backyard
- Costa Rica severs ties with Taiwan, but will Beijing get its money’s worth? - Beijing inundates Latin America with its diplomatic presence. - Talks in early phases over a bilateral free trade agreement between Costa Rica and China. - China’s signing bonus results in the start of construction o[...]
November 17th, 2008 - 11:05 am § in Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Front Page, Honduras, Nicaragua, Press Releases
Dealing with a Bad Deal: Two Years of DR-CAFTA in Central America
Critics argue that for over a decade, the United States has been striving to create commercial inroads into Latin America by way of bilateral free trade agreements that benefit U.S. economic interests to the detriment of those of Latin America. A recent example of this trend was the passage of the D[...]
The Big China and Taiwan Tussle: Dollar Diplomacy Returns to Latin America
On August 19th, 2008, Taiwan’s new president Ma Ying-Jeou concluded his first trip to Latin America, one of the most important geopolitical regions in the world for his island nation. The purpose of the trip was to attend the inaugurations of Dominican Republic president, Leonel Fernandéz, and hi[...]
Costa Rica’s Arias Surprises No One by Turning his Back on the Dalai Lama
Costa Rica’s President Oscar Arias once again has turned his back on an existing relationship and the obligations that went with it. He has done this in favor of a new one that is more self-serving to the nation as well as possibly his own self-interests. This pattern conforms to the spirit of[...]
July 25th, 2008 - 10:45 am § in Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba, Front Page, Mexico, Press Releases, Venezuela
China’s Claim in Latin America: So Far, a Partner not a Threat
By light years, Washington traditionally has held the upper hand when it comes to foreign influence on Latin America. Its hemispheric power-advantage rests on decades of security, trade, investment, and ideological connections. However, the era of globalization is now tearing down many of the worl[...]