Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [23]
Bullfighting is also popular, particularly in the Guanacaste region, though the bull isn’t killed in the Costa Rican version of the sport. More aptly described, bullfighting is really a ceremonial opportunity to watch an often tipsy cowboy run around with a bull. The popular Latin American sport of cockfighting is illegal.
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MULTICULTURALISM
The mix of mainstream mestizo society with indigenous people, African-Americans, Asians and North Americans provides the country with an interesting fusion of culture and cuisine. And while the image of the welcoming Tico is largely true, tensions always exist.
For the black population, racism has been a reality for more than a century. About 75% of the country’s black population reside on the Caribbean coast, and this area has been historically marginalized and deprived of services by a succession of governments (black Costa Ricans were not allowed in the Central Valley until after 1948). Nonetheless, times have changed and black visitors as well as other minority groups can feel comfortable traveling around the entire country.
It is Nicaraguans who are currently the butt of some of society’s worst prejudice. During the 1980s, the civil war provoked a wave of immigration from Nicaragua. While the violence in this neighboring country has ended, most immigrants prefer to stay in Costa Rica for its economic opportunities. Many nationals like to blame Nicas for an increase in violent crime, though no proof of this claim exists (see boxed text).
Indigenous populations remain largely invisible to many in Costa Rican society. Many indigenous people lead Westernized, inherently Tico lives, and others inhabit the country’s reserves and maintain a more traditional lifestyle. Note that indio (Indian) is an insulting term; indígena is the preferred term, meaning ‘indigenous.’
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MEDIA
Satellite TV is fairly ubiquitous in Costa Rica, which means that you can choose anything from Venezuelan telenovelas (soap operas) and Hollywood movies to Premier League football and CNN. Likewise, there is a full spectrum of radio programming, though the mix tends to skew toward reggaetón music. If you read Spanish and you want to catch the latest news and politics, look no further than the daily La Nación.
For Costa Rican news in English, check out the weekly Tico Times at www.ticotimes.net or the tabloid Inside Costa Rica at www.insidecostarica.com.
The law guaranteeing freedom of the press in Costa Rica is the oldest such law in Central America, dating from 1835. While Costa Rica certainly enjoys more press freedom than most Latin American countries, do not expect a great deal of probity from its media. The outlets are limited and coverage tends to be cautious, largely due to conservative media laws.
Surprisingly, Costa Rica has a desacato, an insult law, on its books. This is common in most Latin American countries and allows public figures to sue journalists if their honor has been ‘damaged’ by the media. A ‘right of response’ law allows individuals who have been criticized in the media equal attention (time or space) to reply to the charges. Critics of the law claim it limits the freedom of the press and provides officials with a shield from public scrutiny.
The 2001 assassination of radio journalist Parmenio Medina gave reporters another reason not to dig deep. Medina was the host of a popular investigative program called La Patada (The Kick). Shortly before broadcasting a series on financial irregularities at a now-defunct Catholic radio station, Parmenio Medina was shot to death outside his home in Heredia. In 2007 the gunmen, in addition to a prominent businessman who ordered the hit, were sentenced to 35 years in prison after the country’s longest-ever trial. Six other men were acquitted, while the other alleged mastermind, a Catholic priest, was acquitted of murder but found guilty