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Feb 09The Earthquake that shook more than a land
The 6.2 Richter scale quake that shook Costa Rica on January is one that in its handling more than in its factual consequences has exposed a problem much larger than the tectonic line that crosses the country. The epicenter of the earthquake directly affected a town north of San Jose, most houses were destroyed and several hundred families lost just not their inhabiting spaces but also often their revenue sources.
The incident was all over the news: local and foreign. The national media services gave it tremendous coverage and even at times managed to make it there faster than the actual government officials. Things however did get much worse.
Having Costa Rica one of the largest networks of welfare and Crisis/health solving bodies, it wasn’t a surprise it was almost immediate how calls were made to the populace to aid those in need. Fundraisers sprung, private-held associations rushed to donate funds for housing and food and under all common sense: the country showed itself to be as humane and helpful as our National Anthem would call us to be.
Then, some gaps in this finely arranged web begun to be spotted. The news programs ever so eager to exploit the misdoings of all who expose themselves enough found so desirable a victim: corruption had taken hold of the goods that had been gathered to supply those in wanting. Within the immeasurable branches of the National Emergency Council some had already –ever so unscrupulously- diverted even the most basic alimentary items for private gaining and distribution. Part of the funds collected were called by intermediary agencies to have banished in the exhausting bureaucratic process and even some of the workers directly involved in the assistance of those affected were accused of mishandling of resources.
The government has chosen not to open a file of formal investigation on the matter and instead left it in the hands of the “Contraloria” and the aforementioned Emergency agency. The event can be -to those vivid on international affairs- reminiscent of the disorderly fashion in which the Katrina catastrophe was handled by the Bush administration and even thou it is much smaller in impact, the circumstances are likewise worrisome.
In a few months we are to be witnessing –if the media does not lose interest first- the quality of the work put into the situation. Hopefully, we won’t be entirely disappointed: surely a cherry on the cake of the farewell party for this administration.