Junquillal December 29, 2010

Former Costa Rica Ambassador Proposes Latin America Agenda For Obama

I am not often in agreement with positions taken by The Hudson Institute. However, the conservative think tank's Jaime Daremblum, who served as Costa Rica’s ambassador to the United States from 1998 to 2004, has outlined a policy the U.S. should consider in Latin America. The following was published yesterday in The Weekly Standard:

A Latin America Agenda for Obama: Seven things the president should do in 2011.

Jaime Daremblum

December 21, 2010

Nearly two years have passed since his inauguration, and President Obama has yet to unveil a major policy initiative for Latin America. Regional officials are hoping that Obama ends this neglect in 2011 and increases U.S. engagement. Here are seven ways in which his administration could demonstrate its commitment to Latin America.

(1) Convince Nicaragua to end its illegal occupation of Costa Rica. Several weeks ago, in the midst of a river-dredging project, Nicaraguan troops invaded Costa Rican territory and began occupying Calero Island (which is located in the San Juan River). The Organization of American States (OAS) has demanded their withdrawal, only to be rebuffed by President Daniel Ortega. So far, the U.S. response has been dismayingly weak. By tolerating Nicaraguan military aggression, we are emboldening the Sandinista government and sending a dangerous signal about the lack of U.S. leadership in the region.

It’s past time for Hillary Clinton and other U.S. diplomats to get tough. They should sternly inform the Nicaraguan regime that continuing to occupy Costa Rican territory will affect its access to future economic aid and jeopardize its participation in Central American free-trade agreements. 

Read the full article here:

The Weekly Standard--A Latin Ameria Agenda for Obama

Why Costa Rica is the happiest nation on earth?

Nic Marks, a statistician by trade, makes a compelling statement on the relationship between environmental stewardship and happiness.

In this video he states, "...the ultimate outcome of a nation is how successful is it at creating happy and healthy lives for its citizens. That should be the goal of every nation on the planet. But we have to remember that there's a fundamental input to that, and that is how many of the planet's resources we use. We all have one planet. We all have to share it. It is the ultimate scarce resource, the one planet that we share."

A nation, he argues, should strive to be a place "where good lives don't cost the earth."

According to Marks and the Happy Planet Index, the county that rates the highest in happiness is...Costa Rica

Ceviche recipe

Here’s my favorite ceviche recipe. I found it at www.costaricaparents.com. I use both fish and small shrimp.

Ingredients you will need:

2 lbs fresh sea bass, tilapia or other Fish cut into 1/2-inch cube

½ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1 ½ cups lime juice, freshly squeezed

½ cup red bell peppers, minced

½ cup purple onion, chopped

2 medium Serrano peppers, chopped.

1 red sweet banana pepper, chopped.

½ cup parsley, finely chopped

1 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

½ cup vegetable or olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional ingredients - Shrimp, Avocado, Garlic

How to make it:

Place the fish in a stainless steel or glass bowl. Pour lime and lemon juices over the fish. Cover and let it sit for 1 hour. Add onions, red bell peppers, parsley, and cilantro. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or more before serving.

Add olive or vegetable oil, and salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Serve on a bed of lettuce, with saltine crackers or with tortilla chips and lime wedges.

Junquillal, Costa Rica offers a refreshing response to the challenge of climate change

The WWF leatherback turtle  project in Junquillal, Costa Rica, a community-based conservation project led by Dr. Gabriel Francia, is pioneering work on mitigation and adaptation of climate change impacts to the nesting sites and the local people. The people of Junquillal recognize the real threat of climate change and are taking positive action. More to come later on how you can help.

In search of the best ceviche

While enjoying a cold Imperial at the Playa Hermosa beachfront cafe of the Hotel el Velero,  I met a delightful young couple from Denver. As we shared stories of where we'd been and what we'd experienced in Costa Rica, the discussion turned to ceviche. It seems they had been on a mission to find the best ceviche in the country and were  listing their findings. While I had not been so diligent as to catalog my preferences from among the many cafes and sodas where I had dined, I knew that what I had enjoyed earlier in the day at the Restaurant Coco Mar was truly outstanding and worthy of a strong recommendation. Coco Mar is easy to find. It's directly on the Playa del Coco on  the right at the end of the main  road into Coco. Look for the gaudy sign pictured above.