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December
8, 2004
Ann
Harrison
The Ohio Recount: Reluctant Officials
and Few Rules
December
7, 2004
Patrick
Cockburn
Running Battles in Baghdad
Behrooz
Ghamari
Lost Muslim Voices of Dissent
Dave
Lindorff
American Fantasies: Psst! Hey Buddy,
Did You Hear How Well the War's Going?
Joshua
Frank
Dean at the DNC?
Richard
Oxman
Down with Dylan: the Insufferable Interview
Ray
McGovern
All Mosquitoes, No Swamp
John
Chuckman
The Invasion of Hallifax: The Imperial Wizard Visits Canada
James
Petras
Latin America: the Empire Changes Gears
Website
of the Day
ToxMap: Who's Poisoning You
December
6, 2004
Paul
Craig Roberts
Paranoia and Pre-emption: Is the
Bush Administration Certifiable?
December
4 / 6, 2004
Alexander
Cockburn
Politicize the CIA? You've Got to
be Kidding
Joe
Bageant
Dining with the Rhinos
Alan
Maass
Reporting from the Ground in Iraq: an Interview with Patrick
Cockburn
Brian
Cloughley
Democracy, Bush-style, in the Gulf
Laura
Carlsen
Latin America Shifts Left
Lenni
Brenner
Jefferson, Madison, Bush and Religion
Anna
Ioakimedes
Brazil's Haitian Mission: Doing God's Work or Washington's?
Uri
Avnery
Widow of Opportunity?
Fred
Gardner
Supreme Court Hears Medical Pot Case
Dave
Zirin
Steroids to Heaven
Jackie
Corr
Mining Camp Blues: the Red State Variation
Don
Fitz
Will Greens Abandon IRV?
Lucy
Herschel
"Art can be a Weapon of the Oppressed": an Interview
with Artist Anthony Papa
Richard
Oxman
No Angels in America: Bashing the Gay Play
Ron
Jacobs
Holiday Greeting Card
Poets'
Basement
Collins, Albert, LaMorticella
December
3, 2004
Dave
Lindorff
Lie Then Escalate
Ben
Tripp
Fun With Boycotts: How to Shop in a
Time of Crisis
Joe
Allen
Murder in El Salvador: the Assassination of Teamster Organizer
Gilberto Soto
Matthew
B. Riley
Human Rights Court Fails Lori Berenson
Meir
Shalev
In the End, It is the Violin that Wins
Bob
Wing
The White Elephant in the Room: Race and Election 2004
Christopher
Brauchli
When McCain Bit His Tongue
Sasan
Fayazmanesh
The EU, the US, Israel and Iran
December
2, 2004
Tito
Tricot
No Justice in Chile: I'm a Torture
Survivor in a Country Where Torturers Still Run Free
Behzad
Yaghmaian
The Murder of Theo Van Gogh and Muslim Migration
Dr.
Susan Block
Lana and Me: Meetings with Remarkable Apes
Frank
/ Chowkwanyun
Liberalism and Its Bounds
Lee
Sustar
Standoff in Ukraine: the Bad v. the Corrupt
Patrick
Cockburn
Another Grim Record in Iraq
Mark
Engler
Seattle at Five
Michael
Donnelly
Something Stinks in South Bend: the Firing of Tyrone Willingham
Nate
Collins
The Bay Area Mall on an Ohlone Burial Grounds
Saul
Landau
The Assassination of Danilo Anderson
December
1, 2004
Phillip
Cryan
Associated with Whom? Rightist Bias
in Wire Coverage of Colombia
Dave
Zirin
What's the Matter with "Leon"?:
Budweiser's Racist Commercial
Ghali
Hassan
Iraq's Health Care Under the Occupation:
200 Children Die Every Day
Donna
J. Volatile
Beware Western Nations Threatening "Democracy"
Patrick
Cockburn
How Saddam Tried to Arm the Insurgency
Nick
Meo
Chemical War Over Afghanistan
Mike
Ferner
The Battle of Toledo
Mokhiber
/ Weissman
Shame and Determination on Global AIDS Day: 40 Million and Rising
Kathy
Kelly
Looking the Other Way: the Real Crimes
of the UN in Iraq
November
30, 2004
Jennifer
Van Bergen
The Veil of Secrecy
Toni
Nelson Herrera
Meeting Kurtz: When Art is a Crime
Paul
Craig Roberts
The Bush Delusions: Successful at Incompetence
Patrick
Cockburn
The Insurgency Strikes Back: There Are No Safe Havens in Iraq
Chuck
Munson
WTO Protests Five Years Later: Seattle Weekly Trashes Anti-Globalization
Movement
Adam
Williams
Citizenship Sold: Back to Business in Indiana
Gregory
Elich
A Dangerous Turn in the US Plans for
North Korea
Website
of the Day
Read Lynne Cheney's Lesbian Novel Online!
November
29, 2004
Dave
Lindorff
Blowback in Ukraine: The Hand of
the CIA?
Omar
Barghouti
"The Pianist" of Palestine:
Roadblock Concerto at Gunpoint
Mike
Whitney
The US Media and Fallujah: How to
Market a Siege
Uri
Avnery
The Abu Mazen Style: "Give Me
Some Credit!"
Matt
Vidal
Globalization and Economic Inequality: a Look at the Numbers
Patrick
Cockburn
An Interview with Iraq's Foreign
Minister
Alan
Farago
Sex Change and Salvation: God, Girly Men and Endocrine Disrupters
Justin
Huggler
Bhopal 20 Years Later
Antony
Loewenstein
How Australia Reported Arafat's Death and Legacy
Gary
Leupp
Ukraine: Poll Results Aren't the Real
Issue
Website
of the Day
Mosul: Images from a Kill Zone
November
27 / 28, 2004
Peter
Linebaugh
Torture & Neo-Liberalism with
Sycorax in Iraq
Alexander
Cockburn
What Happened to O'Reilly's Loofa?
Fred
Gardner
Ashcroft v. Raich: Medical Marijuana and the Supreme Court
Kathy
Kelly
What We Can Control
Diane
Christian
The Other Cheek: "Empire Doesn't Analyze, It Acts"
Gary
Leupp
One More Neocon Target: South (Yes, South) Korea
Lenni
Brenner
Equality and Rights of Return: Jefferson Instructs the New York
Times
Ron
Jacobs
Death Squads and Iraq's Elections: the Mysterious Murders of
the AMS Clerics
Joshua
Frank
An Interview with Kevin Zeese on Nader, Kerry and the ABB Crowd
Toni
Solo
The Murder of Danilo Anderson
Saul
Landau
Fallujah, the 21st Century Guernica
JoAnn
Wypijewski
Matthew Shepard Case 6 Years Later: Why Hate Crimes Laws are
No Cure for Homophobia
Justin
Taylor
Empire's Lawless Opportunities
Amos
Harel
The Case of Captain R.
Walter
A. Davis
Tabloid Justice
Stephen
Hendricks
God's Kind of Men
Poets'
Basement
Albert, LaMorticella and Ford
November
26, 2004
Peter
Feng
Gavin Newsom: Man or Machine?
Greg
Moses
It's the White Vote, Stupid
Liaquat
Ali Khan
The Devil's Work: Bush's Minority Appointments
Michael
Mandel / Gail Davidson
Why Bush Should Be Banned from Canada: a Memo to the Ministry
of Immigration
Dave
Lindorff
Nation of Sheep, Turkey of an Election: Urkrainians Show the
Way
Gary
Corseri
When Black Friday Comes...
Paul
Craig Roberts
Whatever Happened to Conservatives?
Website
of the Day
Iraq Pipeline Watch
November
25, 2004
Willliam
Loren Katz
Giving Thanks to Whom?: "Thanks
to God We Sent 600 Heathen Souls to Hell Today"
Mitchel
Cohen
Why I Hate Thanksgiving
Mike
Ferner
An Uncommon Mom
November
24, 2004
Gila
Svirsky
License to Kill: the Example of Violence
is Set by the State
Winslow
T. Wheeler
The
Other Mess in Congress
Christopher
Brauchli
The Company He Keeps: the Syndicate of Tom Delay
Dave
Lindorff
Double Standards on Exit Polls: Hypocrisy Sans Irony
Ron
Jacobs
The Occupation of Iraq is the Root of t he Problem
Ken
Sengupta
Witnesses: War Crimes in Fallujah
Diana
Barahona
The Final Holocaust or Why I Voted for Ralph Nader
John
L. Hess
Safire the Shameless
Jason
Leopold
Did Harvard Hire (Another) War Criminal?
Jeffrey
St. Clair
The Mark of McCain: the Senator Most Likely to Start a Nuclear
War
Map
of the Day
Now and Then: 2004 v. 1860
November
23, 2004
Forrest
Hylton
Bush and Uribe at the Beach
November
22, 2004
Dave
Zirin
Fight Night in the NBA: Selective Outrage
in Detroit
Paul
Craig Roberts
On to Iran: We Won't Get Fooled Again?
Michael
Mandel / Gail Davidson
Why Bush Should be Banned from Canada
Kathie
Helmkamp
Our Son: a Marine Who Won't Kill
Ken
Sengupta
The Triangle of Death: "This is Now the Most Dangerous Place
in Iraq"
Mike
Whitney
Greenspan's Hammer
Roger
Burbach
Why They Hate Bush in Chile
Website
of the Day
Fed Up with Government Lies and Corporate Spin?
November
20 / 21, 2004
Alexander
Cockburn
The Poisoned Chalice
Todd
May
Religion, the Election and the Politics of Fear
Abbas
Ahmed Ibrahim
The Horrors of Fallujah: a First-Hand Account
Kevin
Zeese
Mishandling Nader
Landau
/ Hassen
After Arafat
Tom
Barry
The Vulcans Consolidate Power: The Rise of Stephen Hadley
Fred
Gardner
Pot Shots: Ask Dr. Todd
Justin
E.H. Smith
Triumph of the Will: the Sequel
Carl
Estabrook
Where We Are Now
Gary
Leupp
Imperial History-Making vs. Reality-Based Thought: a Dialogue
Dave
Lindorff
Apocalypse Soon
Jenna
Michelle Liut
Plans Colombia and Patriota: Wanton Wastes of Money, Manpower
and Lives
Mickey
Z.
The Granma Moses of Radical Writing: an Interview with William
Blum
Greg
Moses
The Same Old Struggle Against Imperial America
Sharon
Smith
Abortion Rights and the Election: What Now?
Ron
Jacobs
Sandwiches and Car Bombs
Ben
Tripp
Raising d'Etre: Finding Money in Hollywood These Days
Richard
Oxman
Basketbrawl Two Pointer: Iraq Rules!
Gilad
Atzmon
Politics and Jazz
Poets'
Basement
LaMorticella, Albert, Ford, & Anon.
Website
of the Day
Voice of the Forest
Hot Stories
Alexander Cockburn
Behold,
the Head of a Neo-Con!
Subcomandante
Marcos
The
Death Train of the WTO
Norman Finkelstein
Hitchens
as Model Apostate
Steve Niva
Israel's
Assassination Policy: the Trigger for Suicide Bombings?
Dardagan,
Slobodo and Williams
CounterPunch Exclusive:
20,000 Wounded Iraqi Civilians
Steve
J.B.
Prison Bitch
Sheldon
Rampton and John Stauber
True Lies: the Use of Propaganda
in the Iraq War
Wendell
Berry
Small Destructions Add Up
CounterPunch
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WMD: Who Said What When
Cindy
Corrie
A Mother's Day Talk: the Daughter
I Can't Hear From
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The
Erosion of the American Dream
Francis Boyle
Impeach
Bush: A Draft Resolution
Click
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December 8, 2004
Paradise Lost
Costa
Rica Falls Victim to Corruption and Clientelism
By
EMILY ALVES and MICHAEL JOHNSON
OOn October 8, former Costa Rican president
Miguel Angel Rodríguez resigned as Secretary-General of
the Organization of American States (OAS) just three weeks after
he had been installed in his new post. He stepped down after
allegations surfaced accusing him of fraud while serving as Costa
Rica's president. Rodríguez's downfall has sent shockwaves
throughout the hemisphere, particularly in his native land, where
an alarming trend of past corruption and scandal among the nation's
top officials has become evident in the last few months, although,
in reality, widespread corruption has been infecting the country
for years.
Smug Costa Rica has long been
considered, perhaps quixotically, to be a model for the Western
Hemisphere regarding its peaceful demilitarization, an extensive
and efficient social service net, low levels of violence and
exceptionally high literacy rates. As such, Cost Rica was thought
to be far above the bribery and rampant corruption that have
plagued its more venal neighbors. Yet the recent release of credible
evidence that four presidents, as well as numerous high ranking
administrators, have been involved in money laundering has done
immense damage to this perception. If the litany of scandals
continues, many believe that Costa Rica will run the risk of
mortally damaging its squeaky-clean reputation and perhaps endanger
some of its democratic institutions, not to mention the rapidly
degrading image of the region in general. Former Guatemalan President
Alfonso Portillo and former Honduran President Rafael Callejas
both have been recently investigated for corruption. Additionally,
former Guatemalan Vice President Francisco Reyes is currently
imprisoned on corruption charges. Regional leaders are also surely
keeping an eye on the developing crisis in Ecuador, where President
Lucio Gutiérrez's cabinet is rapidly dissolving as he
faces possible dismissal for the alleged misappropriation of
campaign funds. Finally, former Salvadorian President Francisco
Flores-a candidate for the top post in the OAS-has been accused,
but not yet charged, with fraud involving two banks (CREDISA
and CREDICLUB), money laundering and defaulting funds from the
National Administration of Aqueducts and Sewers-not small allegations
against a would-be hemispheric leader.
Telecommunications
Fraud
Meanwhile, allegations of corruption
against Rodríguez first materialized last June during
his confirmation as OAS Secretariat. Suspicions arose when José
Antonio Lobo- Rodríguez's protégé and a
former director of the state electrical company, Instituto
Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE)-was arrested in connection
with a bribery scheme involving the French telecommunications
company Alcatel. In an effort to improve Costa Rica's cellular
phone capabilities, contract bids were issued during Rodríguez's
term to a number of international telecommunications firms. Two
firms in particular, Alcatel of France and Nokia of Finland,
vied for this lucrative deal, with Alcatel eventually prevailing.
However, in early 2004, details surfaced that Alcatel officials
had been awarded the contract after successfully bribing Lobo
with a $2.4 million "prize". Lobo, now under house
arrest, claims that he only accepted the sum after being advised
to do so by Rodríguez. According to Lobo, Rodríguez
not only encouraged the transaction, but also demanded that 60
percent of it be deposited into a Washington bank account under
his wife's name; he allowed Lobo to keep the remaining 40 percent.
Alcatel has a history of attempting
to influence Costa Rican politicians. Connections going back
to José María Figueres, another former president,
forced him to step down from his position as second-in-command
of the World Economic Forum in Geneva on October 29. His resignation
came after accusations arose of a $900,000 bribe he received
from the corporation during his years of public service in Costa
Rica.
Alcatel supposedly had invested
$800,000 in companies linked to Hernan Bravo, director of the
ICE from 1998 through 2004. In return, Bravo saw to it that the
company was awarded two more large contracts to develop cell
phone lines, the most recent contract reportedly being worth
$149 million. In a rather ironic twist, current Costa Rican President
Abel Pacheco, the most vocal critic of Rodríguez during
his abbreviated stint as OAS Secretary General, has yet to explain
the undeclared $100,000 donation to his presidential campaign
by Alcatel. In all, authorities believe that Alcatel has paid
a total of $4.4 million to various Costa Rican officials, resulting
in its being assigned a near monopoly of telecommunication services
in the country.
Taiwan Connection
Perhaps the most prevalent
of the current corruption charges swirling through Costa Rica
involves Taiwan, a nation that has always had a very amicable,
if well-greased relationship with this and other Central American
and Caribbean countries (the smaller the better, as long as they
have a vote in the OAS and UN). Rodríguez's personal Panamanian-based
investment company, Denisse, received two payments of $500,000
from the Friendship Company, which has strong ties to the Taiwanese
government. In addition, as president, Rodríguez received
$200,000 from Taiwan on two separate occasions-in 2001 from the
Taiwanese foreign minister and again in 2002 from its embassy
in San José. Last June, Rodríguez was questioned
about several mysterious donations of up to $500,000 to his political
party, the Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC), from companies
with Taiwanese connections.
The Taiwanese government also
has invested more than $4.8 million in Costa Rica, supposedly
for development and tourism. These funds, however, actually went
into 34 foreign ministry employees' paychecks rather than being
invested in the Costa Rican economy. Because of its diplomatic
isolation brought on by Beijing's aggressive foreign policy,
Taiwanese officials chronically find it advisable to buy influence
throughout the Caribbean basin by bribing venal local leaders
and entering into sweetheart contracts with their officials,
with the hope of bringing about diplomatic recognition of national
sovereignty for the island.
Fraudulent
"Plan Finland"
Another piece of chilling evidence
has emerged to the embarrassment of former Costa Rican President
Rafael Angel Calderón. Project Finland began as a component
of a $39.5 million loan promised to Costa Rica by the Finnish
government. The deal was intended to subsidize Costa Rica's state-run
Social Security System, Caja, by improving its medical technology.
Apparently, Calderón received a large sum laundered through
the Costa Rican pharmaceutical company, Corporación Fischel,
whose funds originated from Project Finland. The Project Finland
arrangement in turn was agreed to by Helsinki on the condition
that the Central American country would purchase at least 50
percent of its medical equipment needs from Finland. Eliseo Vargas,
the Caja executive who had pushed for Plan Finland in 2001, was
arrested on October 3, 2004 for attempting to interfere with
a government investigation. Meanwhile, Calderón, who previously
was thought to have stood aloof from the Finnish deal while serving
as president from 1990-1994, is now being investigated for his
illicit receipt of $440,500. Though Calderón has admitted
to having received the aforementioned funds, he sheepishly argues
that the money was legitimately earned by him, comparing his
revenues to that of a fortunate stockholder, rather than a defalcating
head of state.
What Next?
These incidents have caused
Costa Rica to suffer a plummet in its international prestige,
as well as in its own self-image. In fact, serious talks about
corruption go back to at least the middle of the 1970s, featuring
the National Liberation Party (PLN) presidency and its leader,
President Daniel Oduber. Perhaps most telling is the country's
significant decline on the Transparency International Corruption
Perception Index (TICPI). While Costa Rica was ranked 22 in the
world in 1997, it was ranked 41 as of Oct 21, 2004, still a relatively
generous mark in light of the spate of recent allegations against
the nation's highest officials. Humiliating reports such as this
may partially help explain Costa Ricans' resolve to see that
those responsible for such scandals are suitably punished, for
failure to do so would further trash the country's already savaged
reputation. On October 12, thousands of indignant ticos
marched in a peaceful demonstration in San José to protest
the current sordid state of political affairs in the country.
Costa Rica's Congress also has taken action to ensure that scandals
like these do not continue to escalate. Anti-corruption legislation
recently has been passed and signed into law by President Pacheco.
There is even discussion of additional legislation that would
ban any country participating in such unscrupulous under-the-table
deals from trading with Costa Rica for the next ten years. Taiwan
would be a central focus for such a measure because of its extensive
role in money laundering and for purchasing diplomatic influence
in order to neutralize Beijing.
Costa Rica is currently one
of only 26 countries that recognize Taiwan's autonomy from China,
but now there is a demand by many in the political opposition
that all relations with Taipei be severed. Officials involved
in these crimes cannot expect immunity, as exemplified by the
swift action taken against two of its former presidents. Rodríguez
was forced to return to Costa Rica after his disgraceful OAS
exit, where he was summarily arrested and jailed on October 29
and is awaiting trial within the next six months. Calderón
was also jailed at the end of October, but a judge has reduced
his initial nine month sentence to two months and he can expect
to be released on December 22. Perhaps such rapid punishment
caused Figueres, who initially had promised to return to the
country by December 1, to send a 15-page letter to the Costa
Rican Congress on November 30, declaring his intention to remain
in Geneva. His refusal to return indicates that the retribution
process may be much slower than Costa Ricans would like.
Considering the initial shock
that swept through the hemisphere in response to the continuing
revelations surrounding malfeasance in office in Costa Rica,
one could assume that an urgent message of alarm is being recorded
there, as well as elsewhere in the region. Costa Rica, which
has always thrived on its putative democratic bona fides, is
now being seen as not particularly different from the other transgressor
nations, but instead as a chronic victim of massive corruption.
If the country's ill-regarded judiciary and lackadaisical legislature
can be used to effectively eradicate the systemic dishonesty
from its current political system, Costa Rica may yet be able
to offer a possible example to its neighbors of how to redress
crooked governance.
Emily Alves and Michael Johnson are Research
Associates at the Council on Hemispheric
Affairs.
Additional research provided
by Alex Sanchez, COHA Research Fellow.
Weekend Edition
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|