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| The tourist brochures do not tell the whole story, writes US diplomat in cable Have you ever wondered what American diplomats in Costa Rica really think of the country? The answer: "Costa Rica is no paradise, with raw sewage everywhere", according to Wikileaks reports printed in Costa Rica's largest daily, La Nación. "Costa Rica treats less than 3% of human waste and discharges 97% of the sewage into the rivers that flow into the sea and constitute little more than contaminated sewage ditches open (...) placing the country among the five worst in Latin America. And the country is going backwards. "The Central Valley, which includes the greater metropolitan area of San José and nearly two million people (almost half of Costa Rica's population), has an antiquated sewage collection, with many underground pipes dating back from the last century and perforated with rust". That is the report by Laurie Weitzenkorn, Public Affairs Office of the U.S. Embassy in San José in a cable dated April 4, 2007, the year that Weitzenkorn was give the task of reporting to the State Department the reality live by Costa Ricans. She added: "You can see spills on the streets. Although at least they have added 100 new residential network since 1981 no extensive work has been done on the sewer system. "Almost all sewage flowing from San Jose enter the rivers and empty into the Pacific, particularly in the Gulf of Nicoya by way of the Tárcoles river. Locals know to avoid that area beaches for the sewage. "Pollution has damaged mangroves and coral reefs, and is suspected of causing a decline in commercial fishing. It is also linked to water pollution hepatitis, cholera, skin problems and diarrhea cases increased by 16% in Costa Rica from 2002 to 2005. Read more |
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