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For years, the Costa Rican people have been making a lot of noise about the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and just last week, President Arias decided to allow the people to vote for or against CAFTA in a referendum.
One of the biggest complaints of the anti-CAFTA supporters is opening up big sectors of the economy to foreign competition. Big sectors like energy and telecommunications which is all managed by the Costa Rican monopoly ICE. Even though Costa Rica has the best telephone coverage and electricity coverage in all of Central America and one of the most affordable..
But what if wanted to turn the Costa Rican people against that idea?
Then they would be happy to vote for CAFTA correct?
And they might stop admiring more socialist policy makers like Chavez?
So what if you could ‘fix-it’ to cut off the electricity for a few days?
So that most people couldn’t work?
So that some people didn’t even have water?
So that both employees and business owners both lost money and started cursing that company for their losses?
That would help right?
And then the CAFTA promoters could say that if we allowed high-tech competition (from the USA of course) into Costa Rica then this kind of problem would never happen?
Is that why we’ve just had a few days of massive, nationwide blackouts in Costa Rica for the first time that I can remember?
So that it smoothes the way for the pro-CAFTA people?
The USA dirty tricks department has raped, tortured and murdered so many people in so many countries over the last couple hundred years in the name of freedom and democracy, are they interfering now in Costa Rica?
I guess it’s possible but would hope unlikely…
In the Spanish press release below, the power company is blaming 1: Low rainfall which has forced them to use their thermic energy (from our volcanos) plants more intensely than normal and 2: This ‘intense’ use has caused failures within the thermic plants and 3: There was an additional problem in Arenal that also caused problems.
Supposedly Panama has also suffered from much less rainfall which makes one wonder about their plans to expand the canal…
The press release also says that these power shortages problems may continue…
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.com@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
De: ROBERTO LEIVA
Enviado el: Viernes, 20 de Abril de 2007 04:24 p.m.
Para: TODOS
CC: Alina Alvarado
Asunto: INFORME SITUACIÓN SUMINISTRO ELÉCTRICO
Para su información.Mellegó este comunicado del ICE.
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Viernes 20 de abril, 2007
15:15 horasINFORME DEL ICE SOBRE SITUACIÓN DEL SUMINISTRO ELÉCTRICO
Como consecuencia de los efectos del Fenómeno del Niño, se ha dado una disminución drástica de las lluvias y de los caudales en los ríos que abastecen nuestros embalses y nuestras plantas de generación, situación que ha obligado al uso de las unidades de generación térmica en forma intensiva.
A pesar de las condiciones hidrológicas críticas, la institución había venido optimizando sus recursos, tanto agua, vapor geotérmico como combustible, para satisfacer la demanda durante lo que va de este verano.
A partir del 19 de marzo Panamá, también por razones climáticas, suspendió la venta de electricidad al ICE por limitaciones en su sistema. Además, la operación intensiva de las plantas ha provocado fallas en las unidades térmicas que el pasado miércoles 18 de abril dejaron en situación de riesgo el sistema. Fue necesario entonces proceder con acciones de disminución de carga, afectando circuitos del ICE y circuitos de las otras empresas distribuidoras que sirven en todo el país.
A ese plan de cortes parciales en todo el país se sumó un incidente independiente en la subestación de Arenal que, por causas totalmente distintas, provocó el apagón general de la noche de ayer.
Si bien no se tiene certeza de cuando finalizará la práctica de cortes, se hacen esfuerzos para que en las próximas horas queden resueltos los problemas técnicos que los generan. A ese respecto la institución estará ampliando el plan de recortes para este fin de semana, y eventualmente, para la semana entrante, de tal manera que permita a los usuarios del servicio conocer cuándo y por cuanto tiempo estará sin servicio de eléctrica.
Cada empresa distribuidora en sus respectivas áreas de servicio definirá su propio plan de cortes, el cual deberá comunicar a sus clientes. El ICE estará haciendo lo propio en las próximas horas con aquellos clientes a los que sirve en forma directa a lo largo y ancho del país.
Sugerimos consultar más información en la SALA DE PRENSA de GRUPOICE.COM
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RECONLPHA….yes You can bet your last nickle on it…as Have said so many times and Americans are so blind they think they are in heven…. We are in a self-distruct mode it is just a matter of how soon the government is so big it swallows itself and all of us… My passport is on order ( I lost my old one or I would be there now) comming as soon as it arrives.
“I am from the American Government and here to Help You” ….RUN and tell everyone you know and don’t know you are exactly right.
terry from TexasGood God Almighty, how ignorant can you people be? The conspiracy theories are rediculous. Yeah, the US government caused a nation wide black out in order to force Costa Rica to pass Cafta. You know what…….truth be known, the US government could care less if Costa Rica passes Cafta or not. In the over all scope of the world, Costa Rica is a small blip on the map. Other than the natural beauty and things most of us love about Costa Rica, if it ceased to exist tomorrow, on a global scale, it really would not be matter one bit. Again, other than the natural beauty and wonders it holds it really offers nothing else to the rest of the world. Ok, bannanas and coffee, both of which if push came to shove we could do without. A lot of you people really do need a life. Find another scape goat for your misery.
Ha!
If you have spent as much time as I have in US Special Forces dkt2u then you would not – for a nano second – call me ignorant. I’m guessing here but did you ever even serve in your country’s armed forces? If not then you can shut up.
If you knew 1% of what I know, seen 2% of what I have seen and done 2% of what I have done – you would have a very different impression of what our country is all about.
And like most people you are missing the big picture, the US foreign policy makers cannot afford to allow Costa Rica to vote against CAFTA and its nothing to do with the pitiful amount of money that they won’t make, it’s because they know they must stop that socialist/anti-US/capitalist blood clot from spreading any further north.
Read Major General Smedley D. Butler, USMC [Retired] story about War is a Racket http://www.lexrex.com/enlightened/articles/warisaracket.htm and you might start to think along the same lines as people who know what they are talking about.
Most ex special forces guys I know, and I do know a few, don’t brag about what they have seen or done, nor do they use their experience to place themselves above someone else in an opinion, and most of all they are typically very respectful of others opinions and can have an intelligent conversation. Your arrogant display and insulting manner speaks for itself. You come on this forum and throw out what in my opinion is an ignorant statement accusing the US government of causing the nationwide blackout in order to force a yes vote on cafta. In my opinion, that is ignorant. By the way, myself and any other member on this forum is entitled to their opinion whether they have served in the armed forces or not.
This is obviously a controversial topic and we don’t who is who most of the time in a forum but we can treat each other with respect.
Yes! We are entitled to our opinions but we we will refrain from calling each other’s opinions “ignorant.”
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comI have to agree with you… having served I find that most former members (other then the real buffs and wash-outs) don’t hold their “deeds” out on their sleeve… nor do they have user names like “Reconalpha”… which to me looks more like a Playstation user name for someone playing on line war games with a bunch of 12 year olds.
As for the electrical situation…. come on folks… get real… things happen… sometimes the timing is questionable… but think about it… CR is at the end of the dry season… looking out my window…the water in Lake Arenal is as low as I’ve ever seen it… Copper is at near record highs… thus encouraging theft… electrical usage is rising at a rate (all that new construction) higher than the growth of capacity… all the makings of a system failure! We should get use to it… no doubt there will be more such outages.
Was the US government behind the major power failure in the states a few years back… or the Califonia power problems? It’s nice to throw out the idea that there’s some type of conspiracy… but this isn’t a Clancy novel… it’s reality… understand that the growth in CR is going to come with some growing pains. Our community of 6 recently installed it’s own gravity fed water system to back-up AYA… and we’re talking now about our own Wind Generation system to provide a electical supply for the basic needs.
It’s VERY unlikly that Uncle Sam was in CR on a Black Op fooling with the electic to assist TLC… (CAFTA)… but hey… it’s only my opinion!
Edited on Apr 21, 2007 08:41
Interesting info on the whole California/Enron situation… nothing new however. Rather than a goverment conspiracy I’d guess more that the problem was nothing more then good old American Capitalism and greed at it’s best! Remember WorldComm… the same period… smoke and mirror accounting… a scheme as big as the one at Enron…. but we don’t have the “Bush” connection to make it a government conspiracy.
I guess after reading your post I have to things I should do… 1. Lock my doors and load up the Ruger…. and 2. Hope that the folks in CR see what having “competition” will do for their electric and phone rates… it will become nothing more than a big money grab… better they stick with ICE… it’s not perfect… after all you do get what you pay for! With electric and phone rates as low as they are here I can’t see that American companies in the mix will be able to provide better service at a lower cost.
The current outages are a wake up call to the government here to take a long hard look at the growth and energy needs of CR. The president needs to set a path towards keeping CR a “green” nation and make it a priority to keep growth in line with that goal.
Meaning no disrespect to reconalpha, I’d like him to explain how a nationwide power outage in Costa Rica serves to convince the Costa Rican voting populace to vote in favor of CAFTA. Is there a connection between darkness and CAFTA that a significant number of Costa Ricans will see and act upon? If yes, what is it? What is the logical process that connects the power outage to CAFTA in their minds? . . . in his?
I’ll freely admit to not being the brightest bulb on the tree, but this one escapes me (and I promise I’ve tried to work through it).
Imxploring,
We are building at Aguacate, are you anywhere near? As soon as we can, we plan to include a wind/solar-and/or hydro backup system and therefore are very interested in your plans. Our “ranchito” should be finished by late May early June and we will come down to furnish the place and then move down as soon as we can get a fence up and arrange shipping the dogs. Would enjoy talking to you about what decisions you have reached about what to install, costs etc.
Thanks,
Ruth
To all those posting on the subject, American administrations throughout the years have had their fingers in far too many pies, but to be blamed for everything that goes wrong worldwide down to power outtages in Costa Rica – think it through and be realistic, even for the black copter crowd it is a serious stretch.
My guess would be that it would prove to the Ticos what an ineffecient system they have that could be better managed and run by, say, Xcel Energy, or one of the other power giants in the US should CAFTA pass (and I guess it has). I’m not going to even comment on whether or not the concept might be valid, but that seems to be what the argument might come down to by pro-CAFTA Bushites.
WoW is all I can say to these comments !
I have retired and moved to Costa Rica in June of last year after many years of information gathering, and trips to different parts of the US and foregin lands.
To keep my comment short ( I could go on & on ) I will say that these comments are something to behold.
I love my home country (US), it has given me ability to make a choice as to where to live, and most of all how to live the rest of my life.The US is a true power house with much to do, and I am sure that the Costa Rican power problem is not at the top of it’s list.
Many of you have made comments about the US and Costa Rica that leave something to be desired, but you all have a perfect right to speak your mind.
I thank God that I live here and can enjoy the beautiful land, and amazing people.
As most people do in their lives, they dream of something just a little better.
When it comes to digging up roots and moving to another country to get it, well most just don’t do it. So they adjust the rest of lives to the ways of where they live.Some of us have stepped on the GREENER GRASS side you might say, and love it, and some will NEVER know what it feels like.
We all have a life to live, I choose to truly “live my life” here in Costa Rica.
The US is my homeland, and I am proud of it.
That doesn’t mean that is no other place to enjoy life.I am also very proud of Costa Rica, and what it stands for.
One last comment.
Do you think that the US could survive without an army or weapons ?
Costa Rica has for over 50 years.Yes this country is having some growing pains.
Could it be coming from the influx of people moving here from other parts of the world to step on the greener grass side they have always heard about ?Pura Vida ( Pure Life ) to all of you.
Power in Costa Rica is produced by hydro-electric power plants. We are in a drought. My farm in Esperanza de Turrialba gets about 300 inches of rain a year. We have had almost none in 5 months. The reservoir that feeds our power plant, in Atirro de Turrialba, behind Casa Turire is nothing more than a sand bar at the moment with no water. It has dried up.
So if you can figure out how to flow the sand through the turbines instead of using water, and still produce electricity, I am sure the government would love to hear your words of wisdom.
Ginnee
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