2013 in Costa Rica

Events in the year 2013 in Costa Rica.

Incumbents

President – Laura Chinchilla Miranda (Partido Liberación Nacional – PLN) First Vice President – Alfio Piva Mesén (PLN) Second Vice President – Luis Liberman Ginsburg (PLN) President of the Legislative Assembly – Victor Emilio Granados Calvo (Partido Accessibilidad Sin Exclusión) until 1 May; succeeded by Luis Fernando Mendoza Jiménez (PLN).

Events

January

1 January – New Year's Day, a national holiday celebrated with a big dance in Parque Central in San José. 9–21 January – The Palmares Festival was held. The included concerts, fairgrounds, eating and drinking, and parades on horseback known as . There were also so-called bullfights () which are really a rodeo with bull riders () and dozens of members of the public in the ring called who stand around until the bull chases them, and then they run away. Bulls are not killed but people sometimes are.Costa Rica: Where the bull wins the fight The Week, 2013-07-21.Programa Oficial Festejos Palmares 2013 Asociación Cívica Palmareña. Retrieved: 2013-11-26. 21 January – The National Biosecurity Technical Commission (CTNBio) granted the American company Delta & Pine Land, a subsidiary of the multinational biotechnology company Monsanto, permission to grow genetically modified corn in Costa Rica. There are 443 hectares of biotech crops in Costa Rica, including cotton, soybeans, pineapple, and banana, which are being grown by the companies Semillas Olson, D & PL Semillas, Bayer, Semillas del Trópico, and Del Monte.Costa Rica OKs genetically modified corn The Tico Times, 2013-01-21. 31 January –– A new law prohibiting hunting for sport was signed by President Laura Chinchilla. The law set fines of up to ₡1.5 million for sport hunting and up to ₡900,000 for wildlife trafficking.President Chinchilla signs ban on hunting for sport The Tico Times, 2013-01-31.

February

1–3 February – Annual Puntarenas Carnival.Puntarenas Carnival kicks off with music, dance over the weekend Inside Costa Rica, 2013-02-04. 5 February – The Municipal Council of San José passed a motion banning the growth, sale, and consumption of genetically modified food within the canton.San José bans genetically modified foods The Tico Times, 2013-02-06. 20 February–3 March – The took place, an annual festival in Liberia, which included a parade of 3,000 riders, bullfights, and the election of a festival queen.Fecha Oficial de las Fiestas Cívicas Liberia 2013 Fiestas Liberia 2013, 2012-10-21. Liberia se comienza a remozar para albergar sus fiestas cívicas La Nación, 2013-01-23.

March

10 March – The National Oxherds Day () was celebrated when hundreds of oxcarts paraded from Escazú to San Antonio. The holiday has fallen on the second Sunday of March since 1984. This year, an extended festival with a daily programme of events began on the second of March because it was the 30th anniversary of the event and included a folklore festival, traditional music, dance, and costumes, parades, and fireworks.Multiple sources: Escazú se llena de carretas en el Día Nacional del Boyero La Nación, 2013-03-10. Escazú se montó en la carreta La Nación, 2012-03-11. Programa Celebración de los 30 años del día de los boyeros San Antonio de Escazu Escazú News, 2013-02-26. Founded on 13 March 1983 Día Nacional del Boyero, 2010-02-22. 19 March – Saint Joseph's Day, celebration of the patron saint of San José. 22 March – Controversy followed the loss by the national football team of a World Cup qualifying match against the United States during a heavy snow storm in Denver that covered the playing pitch in snow during the game. The referee, Joel Aguilar of El Salvador, paused the game and consulted both teams, who agreed to play on. Nevertheless, Costa Rica complained of the decision afterwards following their 1–0 defeat to the Usonians.La nieve congeló a la Sele en un juego insólito La Nación, 2013-03-23. Joel Aguilar: ‘FIFA me felicitó por el juego de la nieve’ La Nación, 2015-04-24. 24 March – A magnitude 4.0 earthquake occurred at 7.14am at a depth of two kilometres, 13km southeast of Pavón in Golfito. 28 March – Holy Thursday, a national holiday. 29 March – Good Friday, a national holiday.

April

11 April – Battle of Rivas Day or Juan Santamaría Day, a national holiday that commemorates the national hero who fought at the Second Battle of Rivas against the American invader William Walker in 1856. 15 April – Laura Chinchilla, with an approval rating of 26 percent, was found to be the least popular president in the Western Hemisphere, by a Mexican consultancy ranking of the leaders of 19 countries. Chinchilla later dismissed the finding as "aberrant" and like comparing "pears and oranges".Costa Rica’s Chinchilla is least-popular president in the Americas The Tico Times, 2013-04-23.Chinchilla califica de "aberrante" el estudio Mitofsky sobre presidentes Terra Networks México, 2013-10-14. ADN Político, 2013-04-15. 19 April – Aboriginal Day.19 de abril, Día del aborigen costarricense Instituto de Cultura y Lengua Costarricense, 2012-04-21.

May

1 May – Labour Day (May Day), a national holiday. 3 May – The President of the United States, Barack Obama, arrived for a 24-hour visit, his first to Costa Rica. He held a bilateral meeting, a joint press conference, and a working dinner with President Chinchilla.Obama impulsa a Costa Rica a entrar a ‘club de los países ricos’ La Nación, 2013-05-04. Obama promises renewed ties with Central America on first of 2-day summit The Tico Times, 2013-05-04. President Obama's Trip to Mexico & Costa Rica The White House. Retrieved: 2013-11-03.President Obama’s Visit to Costa Rica The White House, 2013-11-04. 4 May – The Central America Forum on Sustainable Economic Development was addressed by Barack Obama at the Old Customs House in San José.Barack Obama deja en Costa Rica una agenda en crudo La Nación, 2013-05-05. 11 May – President Chinchilla made a sudden trip to Lima, Peru, to attend the wedding of the son of her second Vice President, Luis Liberman. She did not inform Congress beforehand as mandated by Article 139.5 of the Constitution. She was accompanied by her husband, José María Rico; her assistant, Irene Pacheco; the Minister of Communication, Francisco Chacón; and Chacón's wife, the Minister of Foreign Trade, Anabel González. They flew in a private plane owned by Gabriel Morales Fallon which had also taken her in March to the funeral of Venezuelan president, Hugo Chávez. The plane and its owner were under investigation by Costa Rica and Colombia for drug trafficking. The incident led to the resignations of Francisco Chacón, Irene Pacheco, and the head of the Office of Intelligence and Security, Mauricio Boraschi.Repentino viaje de Chinchilla a Perú es para ir a boda de hijo del Vicepresidente Liberman CR Hoy, 2013-05-11. Laura Chinchilla asiste hoy a cita improvisada con presidente de Perú La Nación, 2013-05-13. Costa Rica's president in scandal over 'drugs' jet BBC News, 2013-05-17. Chinchilla, en avión sospechoso La Nación, 2013-12-22. 23 May – The Costa Rica-based Liberty Reserve digital currency business was shut down by United States authorities on suspicion of criminal activity, including the biggest money laundering operation in history. Liberty was operated in Costa Rica for seven years by expatriates from the U.S. before it was dismantled by the biggest money laundering investigation ever conducted, in which at least 17 countries participated.Millions of dollars in limbo after shuttering of digital currency site Liberty Reserve The Tico Times, 2013-05-24.Costa Rican President Chinchilla denies link to Liberty Reserve attorney The Tico Times, 2013-05-30. 31 May – An environmentalist, Jairo Mora Sandoval, was murdered by poachers near Limón while attempting to protect the nests of leatherback sea turtles.Costa Rica poachers 'kill turtle activist' BBC News, 2013-05-31.

June

16 June – Father's Day (third Sunday of June).

July

3 July – Minister for the Environment René Castro signed a decree making July 4 the National Wild Cat Day ().MINAE firma decreto para crear el Día Nacional del Felino Silvestre Teletica, 2013-07-03. There are six species of wild cat in Costa Rica: the jaguar, puma, ocelot, margay, jaguarundi, and oncilla.Wild Cats Nicoya Peninsula Travel Guide. Retrieved: 2013-11-03.Costa Rica celebrará el Día Nacional del Felino Silvestre el 4 de julio CRHoy, 2013-09-02. 4 July – The inaugural was celebrated.Ministro de Ambiente llama a cambio cultural para proteger vida de los felinos La Nación, 2013-07-04. 24 July – Costa Rica was blocked from ratifying the European Union Central American Association Agreement (EU-CAAA) when Italy protested against the use of geographical indication (GI) trademarks by Tico cheese manufacturers.Italy blocks EU-Costa Rica trade deal over cheese GI infringements DairyReporter.com, 2013-07-23.Cheese row between Costa Rica and Italy delays EU association agreement approval The Tico Times, 2013-07-23.Problema con Italia por protección de quesos atrasará puesta en vigencia de Acuerdo con UE La Nación, 2013-07-25 25 July – Guanacaste Day, a national holiday marking the annexation of Guanacaste from Nicaragua in 1824.

August

1 August – National Science and Technology Day (August is Science and Technology Month).Costa Rica celebra a la ciencia y la tecnología este mes La Nación, 2013-08-01. 2 August – Feast of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles, patron saint of Costa Rica. 15 August – Mother's Day, a national holiday. 24 August – National Parks Day.Los Parques Nacionales celebran su día Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad. Retrieved: 2013-11-03. 31 August – Day of the Black Person and Afro-Costa Rican Culture ().31 de agosto de cada año "Día del Negro Cultura Afrocostarricense" Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres, 1980-10-08. (1980 legislation) "Día de la Persona Negra y La Cultura Afro Costarricense (anteriormente denominado Día del Negro y La Cultura Afro Costarricense)" Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica, 2010-11-30. (2010 legislation)

September

5 September – A magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurred at a depth of 41.7 kilometres, at 6.29 am, 44 km west of Sardinal in Guanacaste.Magnitude 6.0 earthquake rocks Guanacaste, Costa Rica Inside Costa Rica, 2013-09-05. 9 September – Children's Day. 14 September – Annual Parade of Lanterns () to celebrate . 15 September – Independence Day, a national holiday, preceded by (Civic Week).

October

2 October – The 2014 election season was opened in an official ceremony at the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones de Costa Rica in San José. Tribunal President Luis Antonio Sobrado González addressed civic comments to citizens, lawmakers, and the media. Several presidential candidates attended the event. The number registered to vote was 3,078,321, an increase of 7.4% compared to the 2010 election. For the first time in 2014, expatriate Ticos will be able to cast absentee ballots, through their nearest consulate, in the presidential and vice-presidential elections, but not for the assembly. The number of Ticos abroad registered to vote was 12,654, with 8,316 in the United States, 484 in Canada, 418 in Mexico, and 368 in Spain. There were nearly 50,000 naturalised Costa Ricans eligible to vote. Voting is obligatory in Costa Rica, nevertheless abstentionism was 35 percent in 2006 and 32 percent in 2010.Costa Rica's 2014 election season is officially open The Tico Times, 2013-10-02. Futuro presidente de Costa Rica está en manos de 3.078.321 electores La Nación, 2013-11-11. More than 12,000 Costa Ricans are registered to vote from abroad The Tico Times, 2013-11-11. Costa Rica: Losing Faith in Democratic Institutions? Center for Latin American and Latino Studies, American University, 2013-11-11.