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[MARIS61]

Court imposes six months preventive detention against suspect of raping an American tourist in Tortuguero
By
Rico- 15 August 2018
The Criminal Court of Pococí imposed on Tuesday night, six months of preventive prison against an individual named Chaves Castillo, arrested as a suspect of the crime of rape against an American in Tortuguero, confirmed the Public Ministry on Twitter.

The measure was issued at 7:55 p.m. by judge Ricardo Valverde, after a hearing of almost two hours.

The arrest of the 20-year-old suspect, a native of Nicaragua and who is captain of a vessel, occurred on Sunday night by Officers of the Operational Support Group (GAO) of the Ministry of Public Security (MSP).

According to the police report, the sexual attack occurred inside a boat, which apparently, once a turtle tour was over, he is alleged to have invited the woman to take a (private) boat ride, in which he took advantage of for the abuse.

The 10 minute boat ride was between the town of Tortuguero to the village of San Francisco.

The tourist, named Preston, identified the man as her aggressor, so the officers proceeded to stop him and then take him to the dock in Tortuguero.

At least 16 tourists died tragically while vacationing in Costa Rica in recent months
By
Rico
-
12 August 2018
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“We came to live a dream and we are living a nightmare from which we are never going to wake up”, described Miguel Ángel Escribano, the husband of Arancha Gutiérrez López – the Spanish woman murdered in Tortuguero last weekend – what his family is living after their dream holiday in Costa Rica ended in tragedy.

The case of Gutiérrez and Maria Trinidad Matus Tenorio, the 25-year-old Mexican woman killed on Sunday morning at Carmen Beach, in Santa Teresa de Cóbano, join other tragedies suffered by foreign tourists in the country since March 2017.

According to a count made by La Nación, 16 foreigners have died tragically, while enjoying their vacations on Costa Rican soil.

The last two cases occurred last weekend and provoked a series of government actions, given the concern about the impact that the events in the sector could have. Among these measures is the announcement made by the President Carlos Alvarado, to transfer US$1 million a year for the safety of visitors.

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According to figures from the Tourism Board, the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT), 2.9 million tourists entered the country in 2017, but the country’s goal is to reach 3.9 arrivals by 2021.

Canadian photographer murdered
Bruce McCallum died in March 2017 in Puerto Viejo, Limón, after being stabbed with the intention of stealing his camera.

McCallum, a Canadian, was in Costa Rica enjoying, along with other tourists, a sabbatical year that would take him to different parts of the world. He was a photographer and a professor of mathematics in Toronto.

On the day of the murder, the 51-year-old man was about to capture images of the sunrise in Puerto Viejo.

Plane tragedy
One of the most tragic cases was the crash of the Nature Air plane of December 31, 2017, in Nandayure, Guanacaste.

In the crash, 10 American tourists and two Ticos pilots died. The aircraft left the Juan Santamaría airport for Punta Islita to pick up the tourists on a charter flight. However, due to the winds, pilot Juan Manuel Retana decided to land in Tambor, waiting for the gusts to subside.

Once informed of an improvement in conditions, he resumed the flight plan to Islita. There he picked up the passengers and took off at 12:10 p.m.

A few minutes later the demise aircraft and its passengers and crew was reported.

Child dies in waterfall
In April, an eight-year-old Swiss boy died after disappearing in the Ecological Reserve La Catarata Río Fortuna, in San Carlos. The boy was on vacation with his parents and a brother.

The parents told the authorities that the child took off his shirt and then they did not see him anymore, so they reported his disappearance. The boy was found drowned hours later with a strong blow to the head.

In December of 2017, an elderly Swiss couple died when a tree fell on the cabin were they slept, in Puerto Viejo, Talamanca.

The foreigners were staying at a hotel on Chiquita Beach and the tragedy was caused by the strong winds that were sweeping much of the country at that time.

The deceased were Marie Louise Balmere and Rodolf Balmere, 70 years old. It was their first visit to the country.

Arancha Gutiérrez and María Trinidad Mathus
Arancha Gutiérrez and María Trinidad Mathus were murdered less than 24 hours apart, the first in Tortuguero (Limon) and the second in Santa Teresa de Cóbano (Puntarenas). The two women, Gutiérrez of Spanish nationality and Matus, Mexican, were on vacation in the country and died while enjoying the Costa Rican beaches.

Gutiérrez’s body was found on Saturday shortly after 8 a. m. in Tortuguero. The remains of the 30-year-old Spaniard lay on the beach in a 200-meter sandy strip that borders the Caribbean Sea on one side and the freshwater channels on the other.

A 33-year-old Nicaraguan man whom Gutiérrez met a day earlier, is the main suspect in the sexually motivated murder.

Despite the first suspicions, the man was released, without precautionary measures, but handed over to immigration police for being illegal in the country. “The detention is extended for 30 days as he is in the process of being deported, while the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) continues with the corresponding investigations since he is suspected of the murder of the Spanish tourist”, reported Migración in a press release.

The murder of the María Trinidad Mathus occurred on Sunday at 3 a. m. when she was with an English woman friend in Playa Carmen, in Santa Teresa de Cóbano, Puntarenas. The women were intercepted by two assailants and the 25-year- old Mathus was asphyxiated when one of the criminals submerged her in the sea.

According to the data collected, one of the subjects abused the Englishwoman by touching her private parts; she struggled with him, broke free and ran to ask for help.

The two men arrested, the first one surnamed Esquivel, who was captured, beaten and taken by residents to the local police station at 6:30 a. m. and the second surnamed Mendoza, apprehended in the center of Cóbano at 9:30 a. m.

Esquivel will spend three months of pretrial detention, while Mendoza was released, “due to the lack of sufficient evidence to prove his participation in the events,” the court said.

 

[MARIS61]

Some expat perspective

In Search of Nice Americans: First Impression of Costa Rica!
By
QCR Staff
-
10 August 2018
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Extracted from Geoff Steward’s entertaining travel book ‘In Search of Nice Americans‘, the following is his light hearted and very, very funny (The Telegraph) first impression of Costa Rica.

Trough my one half-open eye, I am taking in the new landscape and country. I have never been to Central America. The houses are roadside shacks made of whatever materials were to hand: some brick, some wood, some corrugated iron, some steel, some chicken wire, some Toyota suspension parts and shock absorbers, all fnished off with a splash of magenta or cyan or mustard or a combination of all three. We pass one such multicoloured patchwork shack with six dead fridges outside it. No doubt they will feature soon in the construction of some other properties and cars.

Each little village has little more than a church, a football pitch (field) and a Coca-Cola sign. Skeletal horses are wandering the streets and we nearly run over the dog off the front cover of J. M. Coetzee’s book Disgrace. It had the good sense to not be standing in a pothole, otherwise Seasick Steve would almost certainly have hit it.

The children here seem happy enough, though. Those who are over the age of ten are playing around on motorbikes and scooters. The younger ones are riding on the saddle-less frames of push-bikes twice their size. The wheels of one bike are bigger than the boy riding it. All the playful children are smiling, despite being deprived of internet connectivity or social media. They seem to be able to socialise without media, and they can even climb trees.

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Father Christmas gifted Joe and Mary a bike each, two years ago, and they have sat in the garage ever since. I asked Mary why she never rides her bike and she told me it was because she had lost the charger.

Some ex-friends of mine in London once bought a child like these, from Mexico. It was legitimate, not kidnap. They couldn’t have children due to faulty ovaries so went through a Jewish adoption agency specialising in Mexican children. They became better friends of mine during the adoption process; so much so that they asked me to be a referee. I had to be interviewed by a social worker to attest to them being good, non-childmurdering people. They bought their child from a young Mexican girl who was a drug addict. I never met the child because my friendship was no longer required once the adoption process was completed and the papers said that a partner in a law firm had validated their credentials. That is the type of superficiality with which I have slowly come to terms in London.

Despite the unsuspended cars, the deep potholes, the undernourished farm animals, the oversized bikes, the roadside fridges and the DIY accommodation, Costa Rica topped the Happy Planet Index rankings in 2016 (having previously come top in 2009 and 2012 as well). Even though its economy is based primarily on farms and hotels, its people have higher well-being scores than in the US and the UK, have a better ecological footprint, and live longer. It is smaller than Scotland but is home to the greatest density of species in the world (which is what brought me here, as Haywards Heath only has badgers and squirrels).

But perhaps Costa Rica’s master stroke in achieving happiness and contentment is that it abolished its army in 1949 and has since reallocated defence funds to be spent on education, health and pensions. It is a surprisingly simple idea, but unlikely to be tried in England despite the fact that the last time we were invaded was in 1066.

For anyone at a crossroads, contemplating a temporary or permanent career break, this affectionate travel romp is essential reading. Buy your copy here.

http://qcostarica.com/in-search-of-nice-americans-first-impression-of-costa-rica/

 

[MARIS61]

business
Murders in Paradise Threaten Costa Rica's Main Source of Income
By
Michael D McDonald
August 20, 2018, 3:00 AM PDT

• Security minister says country’s reputation has been damaged
• Costa Rica suffers from crime wave amid soaring spending gap

The death of two foreign visitors amid a growing crime wave has left Costa Rica fearing for the future of its tourism-dependent economy.

The reputation of the most-visited Central American country took a hit earlier in the month when two female foreign visitors were killed in the span of two days and a third was reportedly raped a week later. The crimes took place near the Tortuguero National Park, where a 31-year-old woman was found dead with strangle marks around her neck, and at El Carmen beach in Santa Teresa, a popular holiday spot on the pacific coast, where a 25-year-old woman was drowned when two men attacked her and a friend.

Murders in Costa Rica have been on the rise since 2012, with a record 603 people killed in 2017. Authorities are forecasting an even higher number this year.

“We are very worried, the situation we are witnessing is critical,” Tourism Minister Maria Amalia Revelo said after the crimes happened. “We’d all like more police, but we all know the government’s fiscal situation.”

Latest killings of foreigners took place at touristic hot spots El Carmen beach and Tortuguero National Park
With a ballooning spending gap, Costa Rica’s government relies on tourism as its main source of income. Its fiscal deficit is forecast to reach 7.5 percent of GDP next year, the widest in at least three decades. Interest payments are eating up more of the budget every year due to the government’s reliance on short-term debt. A tax reform aimed boosting revenues has stalled in Congress.

Damaged Image
Nearly three million tourists visited the Central American nation last year, roughly half from the U.S. and Canada, bringing $3.9 billion for the economy, according to the tourism chamber. Growth in tourist visits started to slow in 2017 as the number of American visitors declined for the first time since 2009.

“There has already been damage done to the country’s image,” Security minister Michael Soto said.

The government said it will use $4 million from the Costa Rica Tourism Institute to increase police presence in tourist areas, conduct more “mega-operations” to catch criminals attacking travelers and launch a mobile phone application for tourists that contains crime data on areas they plan to visit.

“These incidents infuriate us,” President Carlos Alvarado has said, promising “intense work” to reverse the situation.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...e-threaten-costa-rica-s-main-source-of-income

 

[MARIS61]

Protests in Costa Rica Turn Violent over Influx of Nicaraguan Immigrants
Last Updated: August 21, 2018 5:19 AM

• Cristina Caicedo Smit
• Gesell Tobias

Nicaraguans are detained by immigration police officers in San Jose, Costa Rica, Aug. 19, 2018.
COSTA RICA —
Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado has rejected demonstrations and violence aimed at an influx of Nicaraguans, who have fled to Costa Rica to escape the political crisis in their country.

In a speech Sunday, Alvarado said the majority of Nicaraguans seeking refuge in Costa Rica are "good people who are looking for job opportunities and different forms to contribute with the society." He said anyone who represents a risk to national security or breaks Costa Rican law would be promptly deported.

Protests in Costa Rica flared Saturday at La Merced Park in the capital, San Jose, where some Nicaraguan immigrants have been camping out.

To some Costa Ricans, it was a matter of taking back their park.

"I can't go to Nicaragua and stay in a park and say: 'this is my park.' We deserve respect," said Henry Tres Rios in Spanish.

Some of the demonstrations turned violent. Costa Rica's minister of public security later said that authorities arrested 38 Costa Ricans and six Nicaraguans, many of them with criminal records.

Costa Rica's government confirms that at least 23,000 Nicaraguans have applied for asylum since June, although some of these people had lived in Costa Rica for several years, making them ineligible to be considered refugees.

Many arrive in Costa Rica with nothing.

"Some of them arrive without clothes and money. They don't have family or friends where they can sleep at night or economic resources to help them," says Nohemí Pavón in Spanish. She is with the Coalition of Nicaraguans in Exile.

Organizations like SOSNicaragua have taken on the task of easing the burden of their fellow citizens who arrive in Costa Rica by raising money with special events.

"This is an event of solidarity with the people of Nicaragua. Different groups of Costa Rican artists are performing in support of Nicaraguans who are asking for asylum," Pavón described one.

SOSNicaragua also provides food to Nicaraguans who are in need.

"Please help us, we are living in violence because of President Daniel Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo," said Nicaraguan Coni Morales in Spanish.

But not everyone is convinced. A group that opposes the arrival of more Nicaraguan migrants has scheduled another protest this week.

Nicaraguans began demonstrating against Ortega in April after his government moved to cut back social security. When authorities cracked down, protests to demand Ortega's ouster spread.

Less than a week ago, Nicaragua's National Assembly approved a drastic cut to the national budget because of the economic impact of months of anti-government unrest.

More than 300 people have died and thousands of Nicaraguans have fled.

https://www.voanews.com/a/protests-...-influx-of-nicaraguan-immigrants/4536546.html

 

[Lanny]

So, next March or thereabout my wife and I are going to visit Costa Rica. Since it's got fairly primitive infrastructure and roads, high crime, and several very different environs in different parts of the country, we are going to go for 10 days with a tour group, probably Caravan Tours, to get an overview of the country and it's history.

We've never done this type of tour, and I'm wondering if anyone here has been on a group tour for an entire trip somewhere. Would love any input on tours in general and definitely any info from people who have spent time in Costa Rica.

From a few sources I have derived that tours can pretty much separate you from the local inhabitants to a large degree, except if and when you skip the activities for the day to do something on your own, which we plan on doing. I get the impression I will have to learn some Spanish to be able to converse with the locals on a shoot-the-shit level, so I have started checking out some free apps for that. We may stay a few days after the tour on our own.

Be careful. Scaredy cats live a long life.

 

[Lanny]

Protests in Costa Rica Turn Violent over Influx of Nicaraguan Immigrants
Last Updated: August 21, 2018 5:19 AM

• Cristina Caicedo Smit
• Gesell Tobias

Nicaraguans are detained by immigration police officers in San Jose, Costa Rica, Aug. 19, 2018.
COSTA RICA —
Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado has rejected demonstrations and violence aimed at an influx of Nicaraguans, who have fled to Costa Rica to escape the political crisis in their country.

In a speech Sunday, Alvarado said the majority of Nicaraguans seeking refuge in Costa Rica are "good people who are looking for job opportunities and different forms to contribute with the society." He said anyone who represents a risk to national security or breaks Costa Rican law would be promptly deported.

Protests in Costa Rica flared Saturday at La Merced Park in the capital, San Jose, where some Nicaraguan immigrants have been camping out.

To some Costa Ricans, it was a matter of taking back their park.

"I can't go to Nicaragua and stay in a park and say: 'this is my park.' We deserve respect," said Henry Tres Rios in Spanish.

Some of the demonstrations turned violent. Costa Rica's minister of public security later said that authorities arrested 38 Costa Ricans and six Nicaraguans, many of them with criminal records.

Costa Rica's government confirms that at least 23,000 Nicaraguans have applied for asylum since June, although some of these people had lived in Costa Rica for several years, making them ineligible to be considered refugees.

Many arrive in Costa Rica with nothing.

"Some of them arrive without clothes and money. They don't have family or friends where they can sleep at night or economic resources to help them," says Nohemí Pavón in Spanish. She is with the Coalition of Nicaraguans in Exile.

Organizations like SOSNicaragua have taken on the task of easing the burden of their fellow citizens who arrive in Costa Rica by raising money with special events.

"This is an event of solidarity with the people of Nicaragua. Different groups of Costa Rican artists are performing in support of Nicaraguans who are asking for asylum," Pavón described one.

SOSNicaragua also provides food to Nicaraguans who are in need.

"Please help us, we are living in violence because of President Daniel Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo," said Nicaraguan Coni Morales in Spanish.

But not everyone is convinced. A group that opposes the arrival of more Nicaraguan migrants has scheduled another protest this week.

Nicaraguans began demonstrating against Ortega in April after his government moved to cut back social security. When authorities cracked down, protests to demand Ortega's ouster spread.

Less than a week ago, Nicaragua's National Assembly approved a drastic cut to the national budget because of the economic impact of months of anti-government unrest.

More than 300 people have died and thousands of Nicaraguans have fled.

https://www.voanews.com/a/protests-...-influx-of-nicaraguan-immigrants/4536546.html

I'd be more afraid of the dinosaurs such as T-Rex. Don't use the public toilets near the electrified fence.

 

[MARIS61]

US Congressmen put under the magnifier the owner of Costa Rica’s Repretel
by Today News 2 days ago
United States politicians put under the microscope Mexican businessman Remigio Ángel González, who owns the Albavisión network, of which Repretel Costa Rica is part, for his alleged involvement in corruption and crime in Guatemala.

A group of Republican and Democratic congressmen from the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US House of Representatives asked the government of President Donald Trump that the State and Treasury departments evaluate whether Gonzalez and five other people with businesses extended through Central America meet the criteria for accountability under the Magnitsky Act.


This law allows the US government to impose sanctions against citizens around the world who have been accused of alleged human rights abuses or acts of corruption in their own countries of origin.

In Costa Rica, Albavisión operates television channels 2, 4, 6 and 11, as well as eleven radio frequencies, including Monumental and Momentos Reloj.

In Guatemala, González controls four television stations – El Super Canal, Televisiete, Teleonce and Trecevisión, attaining a monopoly of commercial television channels.

In Nicaragua, as of May 2018, all the stations he owns, operates or advises in Nicaragua have sons and daughters of Nicaraguan dictator Daniel Ortega running them. González also owns 5 television stations in his native Mexico.

A 2001 study of González’ media properties in Guatemala and Nicaragua found that they had a tendency to squeeze out voices opposed to the government, and concluded that “Gonzalez’s ownership practices create an atmosphere that undercuts the development of democracy.”

The Mexican born González, who maintains a conservative political stance, but keeps a low profile and cooperate with host country governments, has lived in Miami since 1987.

 

[UncleCliffy'sDaddy]

So.....it begs the question. Just why in hell do you want to visit one of these “shithole” countries? You want to keep their citizens out of our country but you want to go down and gawk at these same godforsaken folks, while taking advantage of their poor economy? Sweet. And so Real American........

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Maris seems more like a cruise guy.

https://freedomalliance.org/freedom-cruise/

 

[CupWizier]

https://freedomalliance.org/freedom-cruise/

Ah, so refreshing that you used a link rather than a 60 paragraph novel like one particular poster likes to do. I think a rule needs to be made for the size of a post and links should be encouraged rather than complete articles that take up a whole page if not more.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Ah, so refreshing that you used a link rather than a 60 paragraph novel like one particular poster likes to do. I think a rule needs to be made for the size of a post and links should be encouraged rather than complete articles that take up a whole page if not more.

I post entire articles if they're behind paywalls like that NY Times and WAPO.

 

[CupWizier]

I post entire articles if they're behind paywalls like that NY Times and WAPO.

I know. I just feel it would be a much cleaner forum if links were provided rather than whole articles. If I don;t want to read the article I don't have to keep scrolling. I'd venture a guess that the majority would appreciate links over complete articles pasted and taking up enormous amount of space.

 

[Shaboid]

I know. I just feel it would be a much cleaner forum if links were provided rather than whole articles. If I don;t want to read the article I don't have to keep scrolling. I'd venture a guess that the majority would appreciate links over complete articles pasted and taking up enormous amount of space.

Although I don't always agree with the character known as @MARIS61 and his views, you are pulling a Trump here, bud. Sure, disagree with Fox News. He can post whatever he wants though. The internet IS an enormous amount of space. Let the dude speak his mind and take up this "space". Call him out on his stance and make a good argument, not just that "his posts are too long".

"Cleaner forum" LOL feel free to venture more guesses based on my response above. Can't wait.

 

[CupWizier]

Although I don't always agree with the character known as @MARIS61 and his views, you are pulling a Trump here, bud. Sure, disagree with Fox News. He can post whatever he wants though. The internet IS an enormous amount of space. Let the dude speak his mind and take up this "space". Call him out on his stance and make a good argument, not just that "his posts are too long".

"Cleaner forum" LOL feel free to venture more guesses based on my response above. Can't wait.

I am not even remotely suggesting censoring or preventing anyone from posting what they want. I'm suggesting using a link rather than the whole article so that posters don't have to scroll through all the drivel. Maybe you like scrolling through page after page of stuff you aren't interested in. I don't and I bet 90% of his posts go unread or maybe only the first couple of paragraphs. Anyway, it was just a suggestion.

 

[Shaboid]

I am not even remotely suggesting censoring or preventing anyone from posting what they want. I'm suggesting using a link rather than the whole article so that posters don't have to scroll through all the drivel. Maybe you like scrolling through page after page of stuff you aren't interested in. I don't and I bet 90% of his posts go unread or maybe only the first couple of paragraphs. Anyway, it was just a suggestion.

Awesome suggestion. I do scroll through a lot of it. It just isn't something difficult that would make me complain about it though. Live and let live. It comes across as you not liking the long paragraphs that he posts. I would bet 90% of your complaints get scrolled through. Another thing niether of us could prove.

 

[CupWizier]

Awesome suggestion. I do scroll through a lot of it. It just isn't something difficult that would make me complain about it though. Live and let live. It comes across as you not liking the long paragraphs that he posts. I would bet 90% of your complaints get scrolled through. Another thing niether of us could prove.

If you really just want to argue, can you find a better subject that we can argue about. Like I said, it was just a SUGGESTION. Making it into some sort of serious offense seems a bit petty unless that was your intentions. Enjoy Labor Day.

 

[Lanny]

Although I don't always agree with the character known as @MARIS61 and his views, you are pulling a Trump here, bud. Sure, disagree with Fox News. He can post whatever he wants though. The internet IS an enormous amount of space. Let the dude speak his mind and take up this "space". Call him out on his stance and make a good argument, not just that "his posts are too long".

"Cleaner forum" LOL feel free to venture more guesses based on my response above. Can't wait.

His posts would be more easy to read and consequently more effective if they were shorter and had all the wording replaced with links, in my opinion. Therefor, I'm going to conclude that cup was basically right other than the presentation of his point could have been made better.

Feedback needs to be acceptable for it to have any desired effect. This is a good reminder for me.

 

[MARIS61]

In the small world department...

I just sold a cabin upriver from my place (sight unseen by email and phone) to an American minister who has been living in San Jose, CR the last 2 years. His Costa Rican wife ( a school principal) whom he met on the internet sees my listing online, he calls me and asks if his friend Greg P. can check it out for him.

Greg P. is a flipper client of mine.

Turns out Greg P. goes to CR quite often. Met the buyer yesterday at the cabin. Now I have 2 more good sources for info.

 

[Lanny]

Awesome suggestion. I do scroll through a lot of it. It just isn't something difficult that would make me complain about it though. Live and let live. It comes across as you not liking the long paragraphs that he posts. I would bet 90% of your complaints get scrolled through. Another thing niether of us could prove.

While I don't think it's a big deal, I too find it mildly irritating to wind up scrolling through a virtual book. If it weren't for this sub thread I'd never bring it up.

 

[MARIS61]

Violence towards women especially and violence in general have escalated enormously due to the collapsing socialist countries which surround Costa Rica, the massive influx of drug cartels and "refugees", and the lack of an army or major police force to deal with it all.

Rapes and murders of women tourists have become commonplace.

Costa Ricans arrest resort guard in death of Florida woman
By TAMARA LUSH | Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – A security guard at a Costa Rica Airbnb rental villa was arrested in the death of a Florida woman who was remembered by friends as an avid world traveler and "happy soul," authorities said Wednesday.

Carla Stefaniak of Hallandale Beach, Florida, went to the Central American country to celebrate her 36th birthday but never boarded her Nov. 28 return flight after messaging friends that it was "pretty sketchy" at her resort. That prompted her family to raise the alarm with Costa Rican authorities.

Officials later found a partially buried body in woods near the Villa le Mas complex and identified it using fingerprints, the country's Judicial Investigation Department said. Stefaniak's family members also traveled to there to help with identification.

Security guard Bismark Espinosa Martinez, 32, was arrested in the slaying after he contradicted himself in statements to police, the department said Wednesday. Investigators said blood was found in his nearby apartment.

"What happened to Carla is just unimaginable," friend Bugra Demirel of Tallahassee said in a telephone interview. He said Carla was a "happy soul" who made everyone laugh and had a large social media presence.

Espinosa Martinez, a Nicaraguan immigrant, was working as a security guard at the complex despite lacking the proper documents to be in Costa Rica, department officials said at a news conference in San Jose. He is believed to have lived in Costa Rica since June.

Airbnb removed Villa le Mas — a compound with seven vacation apartments — from its site and said Wednesday that it had reached out to family members to offer condolences. Villa Le Mas's attorney, Federico Jenkins, said the owners are cooperating with the authorities in the investigation.

Stefaniak, who was an insurance agent, loved to travel and post photos on Instagram. Her trips included visits to Iceland, Switzerland and Mexico, all documented on social media.

For her birthday, she and her sister-in-law decided to visit Costa Rica for a short trip.

As with her other journeys, Stefaniak posted photos on her Instagram. On Nov. 23, she posted a photo of her looking at the ocean that said, "Future resident of Costa Rica." Two days later, her last Instagram picture featured her in a turquoise bathing suit, lying near a pool with tropical plants in the background. "I'm going to miss the place," she wrote.

On Nov. 27 — her birthday — Stefaniak's sister-in-law returned home; the two women had booked different return flights on different days. Stefaniak reserved an Airbnb about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the airport in San Jose for her final night in the country. Language wasn't an issue; Stefaniak was born in Venezuela, then moved to Tampa in 2000 with her family and finally settled in South Florida.

After her sister-in-law left, an Uber driver took her on a tour of San Jose, then dropped her off at the Airbnb around 5 p.m. on Nov. 27.

Demirel said she texted a friend that it was "raining crazy" and the power was out. She added that it was "pretty sketchy here" and included a picture of the Airbnb.

"Everything she did she always shared with friends and that's when we knew definitely something was up as soon as we lost contact with her," Demirel said.

After Stefaniak failed to board her Nov. 28 flight to Florida, the family discovered a troubling detail: she had checked in for her flight on the 26th. The family alerted Costa Rican authorities and launched a social media campaign to find her.

Then came a break: the hotel guard said he'd last seen Stefaniak at 5 a.m. on Nov. 28 and helped her put her bags into a taxi. But then he changed his story, according to Costa Rican media, and authorities scrutinized the details more. The family wondered why she would have taken a car to the airport at 5 a.m. when her flight was in the afternoon.

On Tuesday, a body was found half-buried and covered in plastic in a wooded area about 1,000 feet (305 meters) from the hotel. It was Stefaniak.

An autopsy revealed that Stefaniak suffered a blunt force wound to the head and cuts on the neck and arms.

On Wednesday, her family worked to bring her body home so they could make funeral arrangements.

"It's too much for us," her father, Carlos Stefaniak, told ABC Action News in Tampa from Costa Rica. He showed a photo of his four children — Carla and her sister, and their two brothers. "That's my team. They are incomplete."

Demirel wondered if the culprit planned to harm Stefaniak from the moment she booked the reservation because her profile photo shows she's "beautiful" and she noted in her reservation that she was traveling alone.

Airbnb encourages users to post their photos as an "important way for hosts and guests to learn about each other."

"I want people to know these things happen," he said. "Girls traveling alone make decisions to stay at places. We want them to be aware of their surroundings. But it is hard to have fun and have your guard up at the same time."

___

Reporter Javier Cordoba in San Jose, Costa Rica, contributed to this report.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/costa-ricans-arrest-resort-guard-in-death-of-florida-woman

 

[Lanny]

I know. I just feel it would be a much cleaner forum if links were provided rather than whole articles. If I don;t want to read the article I don't have to keep scrolling. I'd venture a guess that the majority would appreciate links over complete articles pasted and taking up enormous amount of space.

The only exception is when you have to pay to read the article from the source, in that case I think quoting the article if perfectly acceptable.

 

[MARIS61]

Airbnb sued in killing of Florida woman in Costa Rica rental villa
By Robert Gearty | Fox News

Airbnb is being sued by the family of a Florida woman who was sexually attacked and killed in a rental villa in Costa Rica she booked through the house-sharing service.

Police said Carla Stefaniak was murdered on her 36th birthday Nov. 28 by a Nicaraguan immigrant working as a security guard at the resort where she was staying.

The lawsuit filed in Tampa Dec. 20 seeks damages for negligence, Fox 13 Tampa reported. The resort is also named as a defendant. Stefaniak’s two brothers brought the lawsuit.

"The security guard was not even legally authorized to be in Costa Rica; he was in the county illegally,” their attorney Jack Gordon told the station. “He certainly wasn't properly licensed as a security guard. He wasn't even llegally authorized to be employed. Yet he was provided with his own apartment directly next to where Carla was staying."

"Our hearts are broken for Carla’s family, friends, and loved ones," Airbnb said in a statement, according to Fox 13. “We reached out to provide support to them during this unimaginably difficult time. We have also been in contact with Costa Rican and American law enforcement authorities, and we are standing by to support their investigation, as justice must be served quickly.”

Airbnb also said that the resort has been removed from its platform.

The resort did not respond to a request for comment.

Earlier this month, investigators said Stefaniak died of blunt force trauma to the head and had also been stabbed several times in the neck.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/airbnb-sued-in-killing-of-florida-woman-in-costa-rica-rental-villa

 

[CupWizier]

The only exception is when you have to pay to read the article from the source, in that case I think quoting the article if perfectly acceptable.

I agree lanny as SPD pointed out that is when he posts long articles so that those that don't have access can read it. Makes perfect sense in that case and appreciated.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Wow, Maris announces that he's going to Costa Rica and immediately the country goes to shit.

@MARIS61, how about a nice vacation to Russia?

 

[barfo]

Wow, Maris announces that he's going to Costa Rica and immediately the country goes to shit.

@MARIS61, how about a nice vacation to Russia?

I get the feeling that Maris is trying hard to talk his wife out of the trip. "Maybe we can visit Nebraska instead, honey"

barfo

 

[MARIS61]

I get the feeling that Maris is trying hard to talk his wife out of the trip. "Maybe we can visit Nebraska instead, honey"

barfo

As with most of your posts, nothing could be further from the truth. I'm stoked to observe this historic political moment in Costa Rica and learn what I can firsthand of the effects it is having on this 3rd world country.

Meanwhile, they emulate Obama's approach to funding education.

Costa Rica finances 73% of its public education with indebtedness

Enrollment in the last 10 years has fallen, yet the education budget almost quadrupled and the number of teachers increased, says the report by the Comptroller's Office.

By Rico 28 December 2018

The payment of teacher salaries, the operation of the school lunch program, scholarships, improvements in educational infrastructure and the transfers to the public universities in their majority were financed through indebtedness during 2018.

Enrollment in the last 10 years has fallen, yet the education budget almost quadrupled and the number of teachers increased, says the report by the Comptroller’s Office.

A recent report from the Contraloría General de la República (CGR) – Comptroller General – reveals that the Government allocated the equivalent to 7.7% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to the Ministerio de Educacion Publica (MEP) – Ministry of Public Education.

Of that amount, 26.3% was financed with current income, that is, through tax collection. The remaining 73.7% was with debt, mainly through government bonds.

The details were contained in one of the three reports issued by the CGR on problems that, in its opinion, should be addressed to provide a true solution to the country’s fiscal crisis.

Carlos Morales, technical assistant of the Financial Administration Department of the Comptroller General’s Office, explained that getting into debt is not a problem in itself.

The problem, according to Morales, is when indebtedness corresponds to expenditure items that grow inertially, for example, education associated with a macroeconomic variable (such as GDP) and not the fulfillment of objectives.

“(The indebtedness) can put us in a situation of little financial sustainability,” the official explained.

“The Ministerio de Hacienda (Ministry of Finance) has difficulties in the placement of bonds, and it is to be hoped that with the tax reform, consumer confidence in this type of bonds will return,” he said.

When the Treasury has problems placing bonds in the market, another problem arises: it must increasingly offer higher interest rates and shorter terms to attract investors.

Such difficulties to sell bonds have already caused the Treasury to delay the transfer of resources to the MEP for the school canteens and for scholarships, for example.

Another problem pointed out in the CGR report is the quality of education. The Comptroller’s Office criticized the MEP that, beyond complying with the percentage of 8% of GDP established in the Constitution for public education, the State should also consider variables such as “demographic change and the quality and efficiency with which such public funds are executed.”

The report points out the drop in school enrollment, falling from 513,805 to 443,2091 between 2007 and 2017. However, in the same period, the MEP budget almost quadrupled, and the number of teachers increased.

The decline, the report concludes, is expect to continue as a result of the decline in the fertility rate, supported by the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC) estimate that people from 0 to 14 years will go from representing 22.2% of the total population of the country in 2018 to 20.5% in 2025.

Although there are fewer and fewer children, the Comptroller’s Office estimates that if the current trend in the allocation of money continues, the MEP budget would double by 2030.

“These data show the urgent need for a thorough and detailed review of public education spending, and it is necessary to assess the relevance of each of the expenses in terms of efficiency and quality, and considering both the demographic dynamics and the situation and perspectives of public finances,” says the report.

http://qcostarica.com/costa-rica-finances-73-of-its-public-education-with-indebtedness/

 

[MARIS61]

Hotel where Stefaniak was killed hired another illegal Nica

By
Rico 14 December 2018

The hotel Le Mas, the hotel where the American/Venezuelan tourist Carla Stefaniak was killed, has been again been found hiring another Nicaraguan migrant, illegal in the country, as a security guard.

Steven Madden, deputy director of the immigration police, confirmed that during an operation carried out at the hotel’s facilities to identify more people, they found the illegal guarding the entrance to the hotel that was shut down by the municipality of Escazu for operating without a license.

“In this place, the person who is the case of the front gate is a citizen of Nicaraguan nationality with the surname Molina. Once the immigration systems is consulted, it is found he does not register any regular entry to the country. Also, the passport does not have any stamp that proves his legal entry,” said Madden.

The attorneys for Stefaniak’s family, Josep Rivera and David Hernández, were surprised to learn of the recidivism of Le Mas by hiring illegals.

“Arriving here we found out and managed to observe a vehicle of the immigration police and we are informed that the guard who was here at the hotel was arrested.

They tell us that he is detained because he is a person who has problems of immigration status in the country, this draws our attention because he is not the other foreigner who was arrested and who worked here, but he is a different person who is also illegal, it seems that they (illegals) are still used for the care of this property,” said Hernández.

The half-buried body of Carla Stefaniak was found on Monday, December 3, some 200 meters from the Le Mas after reported missing on November 28.

The hotel security guard, Bismark Espinoza Martínez, was arrested the arrested the same Monday night and is currently in preventive detention (remand) while the Organismo de Investigacion Judicial (OIJ) continues to investigate the case.

Authorities say Martinez, the only suspect in the murder of tourist, arrived in Costa Rica in June and was illegal at the time of the arrest.

http://qcostarica.com/hotel-where-stefaniak-was-killed-hired-another-illegal-nica/

 

[Lanny]

As with most of your posts, nothing could be further from the truth. I'm stoked to observe this historic political moment in Costa Rica and learn what I can firsthand of the effects it is having on this 3rd world country.

Meanwhile, they emulate Obama's approach to funding education.

Costa Rica finances 73% of its public education with indebtedness

Enrollment in the last 10 years has fallen, yet the education budget almost quadrupled and the number of teachers increased, says the report by the Comptroller's Office.

By Rico 28 December 2018

The payment of teacher salaries, the operation of the school lunch program, scholarships, improvements in educational infrastructure and the transfers to the public universities in their majority were financed through indebtedness during 2018.

Enrollment in the last 10 years has fallen, yet the education budget almost quadrupled and the number of teachers increased, says the report by the Comptroller’s Office.

A recent report from the Contraloría General de la República (CGR) – Comptroller General – reveals that the Government allocated the equivalent to 7.7% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to the Ministerio de Educacion Publica (MEP) – Ministry of Public Education.

Of that amount, 26.3% was financed with current income, that is, through tax collection. The remaining 73.7% was with debt, mainly through government bonds.

The details were contained in one of the three reports issued by the CGR on problems that, in its opinion, should be addressed to provide a true solution to the country’s fiscal crisis.

Carlos Morales, technical assistant of the Financial Administration Department of the Comptroller General’s Office, explained that getting into debt is not a problem in itself.

The problem, according to Morales, is when indebtedness corresponds to expenditure items that grow inertially, for example, education associated with a macroeconomic variable (such as GDP) and not the fulfillment of objectives.

“(The indebtedness) can put us in a situation of little financial sustainability,” the official explained.

“The Ministerio de Hacienda (Ministry of Finance) has difficulties in the placement of bonds, and it is to be hoped that with the tax reform, consumer confidence in this type of bonds will return,” he said.

When the Treasury has problems placing bonds in the market, another problem arises: it must increasingly offer higher interest rates and shorter terms to attract investors.

Such difficulties to sell bonds have already caused the Treasury to delay the transfer of resources to the MEP for the school canteens and for scholarships, for example.

Another problem pointed out in the CGR report is the quality of education. The Comptroller’s Office criticized the MEP that, beyond complying with the percentage of 8% of GDP established in the Constitution for public education, the State should also consider variables such as “demographic change and the quality and efficiency with which such public funds are executed.”

The report points out the drop in school enrollment, falling from 513,805 to 443,2091 between 2007 and 2017. However, in the same period, the MEP budget almost quadrupled, and the number of teachers increased.

The decline, the report concludes, is expect to continue as a result of the decline in the fertility rate, supported by the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC) estimate that people from 0 to 14 years will go from representing 22.2% of the total population of the country in 2018 to 20.5% in 2025.

Although there are fewer and fewer children, the Comptroller’s Office estimates that if the current trend in the allocation of money continues, the MEP budget would double by 2030.

“These data show the urgent need for a thorough and detailed review of public education spending, and it is necessary to assess the relevance of each of the expenses in terms of efficiency and quality, and considering both the demographic dynamics and the situation and perspectives of public finances,” says the report.

http://qcostarica.com/costa-rica-finances-73-of-its-public-education-with-indebtedness/

Are you saying that we shouldn't fund public education and that somehow we would coast along with Americans still filling highly technical jobs?

 

[Lanny]

Hotel where Stefaniak was killed hired another illegal Nica

By
Rico 14 December 2018

The hotel Le Mas, the hotel where the American/Venezuelan tourist Carla Stefaniak was killed, has been again been found hiring another Nicaraguan migrant, illegal in the country, as a security guard.

Steven Madden, deputy director of the immigration police, confirmed that during an operation carried out at the hotel’s facilities to identify more people, they found the illegal guarding the entrance to the hotel that was shut down by the municipality of Escazu for operating without a license.

“In this place, the person who is the case of the front gate is a citizen of Nicaraguan nationality with the surname Molina. Once the immigration systems is consulted, it is found he does not register any regular entry to the country. Also, the passport does not have any stamp that proves his legal entry,” said Madden.

The attorneys for Stefaniak’s family, Josep Rivera and David Hernández, were surprised to learn of the recidivism of Le Mas by hiring illegals.

“Arriving here we found out and managed to observe a vehicle of the immigration police and we are informed that the guard who was here at the hotel was arrested.

They tell us that he is detained because he is a person who has problems of immigration status in the country, this draws our attention because he is not the other foreigner who was arrested and who worked here, but he is a different person who is also illegal, it seems that they (illegals) are still used for the care of this property,” said Hernández.

The half-buried body of Carla Stefaniak was found on Monday, December 3, some 200 meters from the Le Mas after reported missing on November 28.

The hotel security guard, Bismark Espinoza Martínez, was arrested the arrested the same Monday night and is currently in preventive detention (remand) while the Organismo de Investigacion Judicial (OIJ) continues to investigate the case.

Authorities say Martinez, the only suspect in the murder of tourist, arrived in Costa Rica in June and was illegal at the time of the arrest.

http://qcostarica.com/hotel-where-stefaniak-was-killed-hired-another-illegal-nica/

I would say, let's start with our President hiring undocumented workers.

 

[MARIS61]

Are you saying that we shouldn't fund public education and that somehow we would coast along with Americans still filling highly technical jobs?

Just for once, please read the article first so you can make an informed comment on the subject it is about.

It's not FOX News so you don't have to be afraid of the words.