Costa Rica protests US airport security

Is Costa Rica telling us that an attorney general is incapable of accepting security measures required in the US for safety purposes? Costa Rica should be ashamed of even enteraining such a supposition. And - I might add Costa Rica - you need us much much more than we need YOU so take your best shot!!!!!!!

Excuse ME!!!! those were not security measures, that was boicoting of his job (truly recommend to read the news better) not to mention the rude way that Americans treat their homologues in their own land. When American officers come to Costa Rica we welcome them with honors. Quit your arrogant comments about us needing you. The US is not the power you used to be, how about you needing a small country like us before we align with other type of powers? no, you don`t give a damn anymore, you care!!! or you`d better.

does anyone know what exactly Mr. Dall'Anese visiting the United States for. Every news account just says he was to attend a hearing. Who was the man involved in what "corruption scandal" in Costa Rica.

The Washington Post article didn't accurately portray what happened. Here is the account from the Costa Rican Press (AM Costa Rica):

The nation's chief prosecutor is furious because U.S. officials in Miami, Florida, detained him, put him in a room with a handcuffed individual and basically forced him to return to Costa Rica.

The prosecutor or fiscal general is Francisco Dall'Anese, and he said he went to Miami at the invitation of the U.S. government to interview a European who has information on high-level political links to a fraud case. He said he thought that his treatment at the Miami airport was designed to prevent him from interviewing this individual.

The foreign ministry said it has filed a formal protest with the U.S. Embassy here.

The incident in the airport happened Wednesday, said the fiscal, who elaborated on what happened in a press conference Friday. He also released the text of five-page letter he had sent to Bruno Stagno, the minister of Relaciones Exteriores y Culto.

Dall'Anese, who does not speak English, said he identified himself without effect to U.S. officials at the Miami airport as the chief law enforcement officer of Costa Rica. He also said he carried an official Costa Rican passport.

He told Stagno he wanted the United States to bring charges against those who deprived him of his liberty and to reimburse the country for costs. He stayed overnight at an airport hotel and returned to Costa Rica Thursday.

Processing visitors at the Miami airport is the responsibility of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Dall'Anese identified one of the officers involved by the last name of Vega. He said this man, who spoke Spanish, told him orders from his superiors prevented him from telling Dall'Anese the reason for his detention. The man would not further identify these superiors, he said.

Once Dall'Anese said he wanted to return to Costa Rica, Vega became very helpful and escorted him to the American Airlines ticket counter. Later at the hotel Dall'Anese said he could not make international calls on his telephone.

Dall' Anese said in his letter that his interpretation was that he was held to prevent him from having access to the unidentified European individual who had information on the case.

Dall'Anese said the fraud case has been investigated from about a year but has been hampered because of lack of access to information from the United States.

Mr. Dall'Anese was treated like a criminal and is rightfully angry. I'm a proud American citizen who is once again embarrassed by the actions of my government. They are fascists (look up the word before condeming me for using it) and do not give a damn about anything but selling a message of fear. If the government of Costa Rica is really smart they will scrap their CAFTA agreement as it will no doubt bring hardship and great expense to the average Costa Rican.

As to the comments of the first American to write a comment here about the incident you and your line of thinking are why we are in Iraq and stuck there, and why most of world now despises us and hates us instead of looking up to us and admiring us the way they used to until.....until when?? Until GWB was selected by the supreme court as our president. It has been a long downhill slide since that day to this.

I have been subject to the same disrespectul treatment by us immigration officers in miami. They confiscated my passport and made me follow them to the detention and interrogation area in the airport. I was held there for over an hour. No one questioned me, no one explained anything to me. After an hour, I was call to the counter and my passport was handed back to me. No explanations, no apologies for the misunderstanding, absolutely nothing. When I try to obtain an explanation for the unjustified retention, they told me "no, just follow the signs down that way"
This has nothing to do with security reasons. It is just plain good manners, because they feel they are the world police, that can get away with whatever they want.
Moreover, I was not planning to stay in the US. I was coming back from another country and "in transit" through Miami to get back to Costa Rica.
This happen every day to hundreds of honest honorable world citizens that are treated as scum, the same way immigrants were treated in Ellis Island 100 years ago.
What is totally unacceptable, is that they do that to the Attorney General of a sobereign democratic nation, travelling with an official diplomatic passport.

The U.S.A would not tolerate that treatment abroad to one of their top officials, so why should us Costa Ricans tolerate it?

Just because we are a democratic nation without an army that abolished the death penalty over 100 years ago? Heck no!!

[QUOTE - you need us much much more than we need YOU so take your best shot!!!!!!![/QUOTE]

The typical bully trying to win by flexing muscles to compensate for the lack of brains... Read on all the replies pithias.. and learn.

Costa Rica is a lawless shithole.

costa rican wrote:

<quoted text>
The typical bully trying to win by flexing muscles to compensate for the lack of brains... Read on all the replies pithias.. and learn.

I was born in Costa Rica but grew up in America. I have been here since the age of 4 but have visited and spent summers in Costa Rica regularly until about 8 years ago. I have strong ties to both countries. While, I think you are right in saying the U.S. isn't the country it used to be (currently, that is) I think you are wrong in saying the U.S. needs Costa Rica. The U.S. is not so far gone that losing Costa Rica as an ally would put a real dent in U.S armor however (don't let the news or extremists fool you), with that said, I think the treatment of the Costa Rican official was dispicable. It was absolutely shameful and it may have very well been done, so that this person would not be able to interview the gentleman/suspected criminal that he was suppose to interview. It all sounds very suspect to me.

pythias07 wrote:

Is Costa Rica telling us that an attorney general is incapable of accepting security measures required in the US for safety purposes? Costa Rica should be ashamed of even enteraining such a supposition. And - I might add Costa Rica - you need us much much more than we need YOU so take your best shot!!!!!!!

You have absolutly no idee, what the WORLD is thinking of the USA (not the people, living there). And think, why has Miami Airport lost in 2006 more than 30% of traffic. Most of the peoble I meet on bussiness hate Miami because what happens there in Immigration - they are already famous - and do everything to avoid this airport. See also Iberia Airlines stoped to use Miami as Hub. Yes the WORLD is learning quick: we do not need this (unfriendly bedhavior fo US-officials.

I live in Florida and want to apologize for the bad treatment at Miami airport. I have been to Costa Rica many times the last 10 years and love the Costa Rica people & beautiful country ! Always been treated good. Very nice and friendly people. In fact I rather live in Costa Rica than in the United States. I even feel safer there than in U.S. There is alot of serious crime in Florida !

I realize this is an older blog and about a slightly different situation, however I need to vent about the security at the airport when leaving San Jose Costa Rica.
The man who was manning the security machine where they check your bags was texting on his cell phone and I saw him allow 3 people's belongings roll through without even glancing at his monitor. The 4th person he quickly glanced over at the monitor for a total of about 3 seconds and went back to his texting. I shudder to think of what could have made it onboard all the flights leaving Costa Rica that day!
Anyone noticed this there as well? The other 3 guys seemed quite astute on the same shift.

Charlie, you see, your TSA-like fantasies are just that, fantasies. Anybody with real intent in getting a bomb through, will do. Why waste your time looking at an xray screen that does not even work while you could be texting your buddies? the machine is there just to please your obsessed government.
Relax, man, airport security is a tool for domesticating americans....

Bill wrote:

Costa Rica is a lawless shithole.

maybe i prefer it that way if we have at least a bit of freedom , and i prefer to live in a lawless shitwhole than living in a freedomless country that is based on hypocrisy massacres to get some oil

pythias07 wrote:

Is Costa Rica telling us that an attorney general is incapable of accepting security measures required in the US for safety purposes? Costa Rica should be ashamed of even enteraining such a supposition. And - I might add Costa Rica - you need us much much more than we need YOU so take your best shot!!!!!!!

I am both an American and a Tico. I left America unable to tolerate my tax dollars invading socerign nations and terrorising America's own citizens. In Costa Rica, you are treated with respect and it is largely for America's lack of respect that it is circling the drain. If you knew what freedom is, you would not write such rubbish.

I am both an American and a Tico. I left America unable to tolerate my tax dollars invading socerign nations and terrorising America's own citizens. In Costa Rica, you are treated with respect and it is largely for America's lack of respect that it is circling the drain. If you knew what freedom is, you would not write such rubbish

The U.S. has more people in jail than any other nation by population percentage. We are not the land of the "Home of the Free and the Brave" any longer. Our "fear welfare" is appalling. I'm more afraid of my local cops and large bureacracy than any terrorist. I'm more afraid of the people that are scared and want more police and military and want me to help pay for it. Man, get a grip on your fears and quit being so scared of terrorists. Our own government is now the thing to fear. Take care of yourself. Please. I cant afford your fears.

Bill wrote:

Costa Rica is a lawless shithole.

I have been to Costa Rica five times and am going back in January.
The people are warm & friendly. They have a 97%
literacy rate.
The country is absolutely gorgeous with beaches, mountains, volcanos, wildlife, rivers and I could go on.

Please don't knock a country with vulgarity when you don't know what you're talking about.