I missed the fanfare this week in Sabana Park that marked the passing of presidential powers from the outgoing Oscar Arias to the incoming Laura Chinchilla. I have heard and read that it was quite a spectacle. It seems most Costa Ricans are very proud of their new “Presidenta” (emphasis on the “a”). And they should be. I wish I could have seen it all, but I was visiting tiny indigenous communities in the extreme southern Pacific zone, like Boruca and La Casona, making art buys for my new store (see photo below). What intrigued me from reading about what took place in sources like La Nacion and various Costa Rica news related sites, is that here in Costa Rica politicians are not really viewed as celebrities as in the U.S. They are just, well, people. It is much easier to get close to them here. La Presidenta, Laura Chinchilla, to me characterizes the beauty, warmth, congeniality and patient peacefulness that is reflected in all decent law-abiding ticos. She just seems to be a deeply spiritual and real person. I hope I am right. Her predecessor, Oscar Arias, did a lot of good for the country. I hope she can continue the trend. It seems Costa Rica is headed in the right direction, at least from my vantage point. The rampant “Wild West” style development has been somewhat curtailed, both by the chilled economy and also by Costa Rica’s recognition that it just isn’t good for the country, despite the influx of foreign funds. Who will those funds in the end really benefit anyway, ticos, or rich gringos who want to bask in Costa Rica’s sunshine and smiles? Nevertheless the country’s development, especially in terms of infrastructure, has improved by leaps and bounds. Laura has vowed to put the brakes on the increase in crime that has plagued Costa Rica’s larger metro areas in recent years. That is all well and good, as long as the effort doesn’t give Costa Rica the look and feel of a “police state.” The narcos in Mexico and Colombia who have their greedy eyes set on Costa Rica might better beware of this lady, whose looks and charming personality may mask an underlying toughness. I get a really good feeling knowing that I live in a country that generally reflects “peacefulness” in every sense of what that word means. Ticos may not be as rich as those in larger, more developed and militarily powerful countries, but in terms of sheer happiness, I believe we are definitely First World. The traspaso of poderes that took place this past Saturday was a reflection of that happiness as well as an example for others to follow.
Costa Rican Artisans Galeria Indigena….
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