The World Bank is painting an optimistic picture for Latin America. According to CEPAL (Latin American Economic Commission) the region will experience a 5.2 percent growth in 2010. The rate predicted is double that of the United States and four times that of Europe. At the same time Latin America’s public debt is half that of the United States and Europe. In terms of deficits I would like pointed out that gross national product is an average of 2.3 percent in the region while the GPA in the U.S. Is 10.6 percent and 6.8 percent for Europe.

Using the aforementioned figures Luis Alberto Moreno, the president Of the Interamerican Development Bank (BID), published an article titled, “The Decade of Latin America.” In it he states that, “Our region has a historic opportunity to join the Asian countries in the vanguard of the world economic recovery.” The executive secretary of CEPAL shares the same optimism and emphasizes the vigorous economic and health financial recovery of the region.

During my frequent lectures, private consultations and on my monthly retirement tours I am constantly asked about the safety of investing in Costa Rica. I am quick to emphasize the country’s stability, the fact that we were not hit nearly as hard as the U.S. and Europe by the the economic downturn and that we are actually in better shape as the figures in this article clearly demonstrate.

Fist and foremost, Nicaragua’s political situation is downright scary. According to the country’s constitution President Daniel Ortega cannot seek re-election next year, but that’s not going to stop the onetime leftist revolutionary. Recently, he won a ruling from a Supreme Court stacked with his supporters that Article 147 of the constitution, which bans the re-election of a sitting president, doesn’t apply to him. Ortega is setting the stage to rule Nicaragua for a long time himself in defiance of the constitution. This is the only country in the world where the court has declared the constitution unconstitutional.

Even more frightening is the fact that Ortega supports dangerous crackpots like Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez and Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Ortega’s links to Chavez have been strong and lucrative and they include a juicy deal in which Venezuela sells Nicaragua crude oil at half price, which Ortega can resell, using the profit for whatever he wants. Furthermore, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega is accused of dipping into Venezuela-funded coffers to bribe, buy and scatter the weakened opposition as part of his push for a second term.

Lately there has been a lot of hype by international retirement magazines and private parties promoting Medellín, Colombia and Cuenca Ecuador as as more affordable versions of Costa Rica. Medellín is one of Colombia’s most beautiful cities and does have some things to offer. However, you are comparing one city and a country that has some serious issues including a civil war with peaceful Costa Rica. I have some friends who have moved to Medellín and like it. However, they are people who couldn’t find success and happiness in Costa Rica due to a variety of factors and moved on hoping to improve their lives.

Despite all of the hype Cuenca is not all that it is cracked up to be either. Again you are just looking at one city and not the whole country. If you are an older retiree and have any type of breathing problem you are bound to have problems at 8,200 feet above sea level. I know of several older Americans who had problems in Costa Rica’s Central Valley which is only a few thousand feet above sea level. They would probably drop dead in Cuenca due to the rarefied air. Also, the average temperature is 58 degrees which may make the place too cold for those seeking warm weather. On the other hand, the average year-round temperature in Costa Rica’s Central Valley is around 72 degrees and purportedly one of the best climates in the world according to several publications. Costa Rica has almost any micro climate from which to choose. Which place would you choose to live?

People talk about the affordability of Cuenca and Medellín. The quality of life is much better in Costa Rica. Don’t make the mistake of confusing affordability with quality of life. The bottom line is that you get what you pay for. Furthermore, Costa Rica is the ONLY country in Latin American with a time-tested organization dedicated to help foreigners who want to relocate there. The Association of Residents of Costa Rica offers one-of-a-kind services to help you more here almost seamlessly. That is why I include their informative seminar as part of my popular monthly relocation/retirement tours.

Finally, I talked with a good friend of mine who has the largest Latin American travel agency based in the United States told me that despite what people say Medellín has a serious crime problem and Cuenca is downright depressing. Furthermore both Colombia and Ecuador have standing armies which Costa Rica does not.

My friend’s business is to know all of the tourist destinations in Latin America and be an expert on the subject. I respect his opinion highly and consider him an expert on the subject. In fact, due to his expertise he has been a consultant for the U.S. in Latin America.

Mexico currently has around 1,000,000 retirees because of its proximity to the U.S. The Mexican government says that it wants to lure 5,000,000 retirees form the U.S.and Canada in coming years. This is really a “pipe dream” since an epidemic of violence is extending its evil tentacles throughout the country. A battle for control of the profitable drug trade by the cartels has brought the drug war closer to the heart of Mexico, terrifying the city of Cuenravaca. Known for its charming Spanish-colonial downtown and for posh homes with lush gardens and swimming pools, Cuernavaca, “The City of Eternal Spring,” has always been has been a favorite retreat for Mexico’s rich and powerful and U.S. retirees.

Unfortunately drug-gang violence has soared claiming nearly 23,000 lives throughout Mexico, with Cuernavaca becoming the latest front. “We hadn’t seen this violence before,” said Dawn Housand, a 60-year-old Boston native who moved to Cuernavaca to retire more than 10 years ago looking for a quiet place to live. “I don’t have the money to move. If I did, I would leave.”

This is a city that depends on tourism and what violence has done is collapse our economy,” said club owner Andres Remis, president of the Cuernavacan Nightclubs and Bars Association. “The only thing that we can do is to wait for one of the groups to win or for the army to win.”

More than 50 people have been killed this year in Cuernavaca’s gang battles.

As I have mentioned before at the rate things are going in Mexico, the country will be hard press to attract many retirees. On the other, Costa Rica is fast becoming the number one retirement haven in Latin America. When you listen to the news or television and Costa Rica is mentioned, all that you really hear about is the country’s natural wonders and other positive information. The country is not crime free but fortunately doesn’t suffer from the endemic violence that plagues Mexico and some of the other countries in the region.

After the conclusion of the discussions, Mr. Marco Piñón, the IMF mission chief for Costa Rica, made the following statement:

“The economic recovery in Costa Rica is firmly underway. Economic growth rose in the second half of 2009 and remained strong in the first quarter of 2010. Consumer and business sentiment have firmed up and financial conditions have continued to improve. Adjustments in administered prices have pushed inflation to 5.8 percent in March, compared to 4 percent at end-2009, but underlying inflation has remained stable close to 4 percent. Overall, the rebound in activity has been stronger than originally anticipated.

“The economic outlook has also improved since the previous review in December 2009. The projection for output growth in 2010 has been revised to 3.8 percent (1.5 percentage points higher than before). Inflation is expected to be close to the upper end of the central bank’s target band of 4–6 percent in 2010.

“Performance under the precautionary SBA with the Fund has continued to be very strong, as the authorities met all quantitative performance criteria for end-December 2009 and preliminary data suggest that the end-March targets were also met.

“Overall, the authorities’ policy response to the crisis, supported by Fund’s SBA, has proved effective. The government’s strategy to shield the economy from external shocks with external resources, which in the event were not used, helped preserve confidence, maintain stability, and protect the most vulnerable groups. A supportive fiscal policy has provided a boost to the recovery and a cautious monetary policy has allowed inflation to move to low levels.

“The mission expects that the IMF Executive Board will consider the third and final review of the SBA in late-May 2010. The authorities have indicated that they will continue to treat the SBA as precautionary.”

Courtesy of Inside Costa Rica

Tico Electronics produces micro parts that are used in the Airbus and some of Boeing planes. St. Jude Medical manufactures valves that are used for open heart surgery. Both of these companies operate in the free trade zone or zona franca as it is known here. There are 31 aerospace and medical companies in Costa Rica and they now employ almost 10,000 Costa Ricans. In all there are over 242 foreign companies operating in the free trade zone and have over 55,000 workers.

More and more companies are setting up shop here because of the country’s highly skilled labor force and unparalleled political stability. These large international companies know that Costa Rica is a safe place to invest. So, small investors should not worry about investing investing in a business or property. The latter is driven by Costa Rica’s tourism market.

Costa Rica is more than ever for medial tourism and all of the celebrities know about it. On my world-famous, monthly relocation retirement tours I talk about the quality of health care in Costa Rica. I take my clients to visit the country’s two premier private hospitals and we go into depth about the country’s health care system at our highly-informative two-day seminar. Below is an excerpt which talks about the quality of the country’s health care. People who relocate here should not have to worry about their health concerns here. I have had many clients on my tours who have come here specifically to take advantage of the country’s low-cost medical care.

San José, Costa Rica – Conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh said this week he’d go to Costa Rica for medical treatment if Congress passes proposed reforms to the US healthcare system. That might sound like an unusual choice, since this is a country with one of the longest standing socialized healthcare systems on the planet. Everyone here (including resident foreigner), are required to pay into the government-run health system, whether they use it or not.

But Limbaugh’s choice may also serve to advertise what many Americans traveling here for medical treatment already know: Costa Rica is a fabulous place for medical tourism.

Life expectancy in this little Central American country surpasses that of the United States and at one point, back in the early 2000s when the World Health Organization rated countries’ general health, Costa Rica ranked higher (No. 36) than its northern neighbor (No. 37), despite spending 87 percent less on health care per capita. Some who’ve studied Costa Rican health care consider it better overall, and attribute that to the fact that free coverage extends to 86.8 percent of the population.

But the Cadillac-style private hospitals at Chevy Aveo prices are what really draw 25,000 Americans to Costa Rica every year.

“People travel to Costa Rica (and) receive the same quality of medical services for a fraction of the cost,” said Jorge Cortés, president of the Council for International Promotion of Costa Rica Medicine and medical director of Hospital Biblica, one of three internationally-accredited private hospitals in Costa Rica. “When people see they can get the same surgery for three or four times less, they decide to get medical care abroad.”

Lower labor costs and fewer malpractice suits keep the prices down here. In Costa Rica’s private system, a teeth-cleaning might run $40 and a general check-up costs $50.

Medical bargains

More extensive surgeries? A facelift averages $2,800 to $3,200 in Costa Rica, compared to $7,000 to $9,000 in the United States. A knee replacement may cost $11,000 in Costa Rica, but can be as much as $45,000 in the United States.
But there’s another arm of the country’s medical system – the public system – which is relied upon by a majority of the population. While celebrated by Costa Ricans for “universal access,” it’s often criticized for long wait times and delays in treatment.

“There’s a difference between the healthcare system that serves people living in Costa Rica verses that which is known to foreigners,” said Robert Book, a healthcare economist for the conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation. “It’s the private option for foreigners that Mr. Limbaugh was referring to when he said he would go to Costa Rica.”

On Tuesday, Mr. Limbaugh clarified his comment about leaving the United States, after “the liberal media” celebrated his vow of self-imposed exile, viewing healthcare reform as a way to rid themselves of the conservative talk show host.
“If I have to get thrown into this massive government health care insurance business and end up going to the driver’s license office every day when I need to go to the doctor, yeah, I’ll go to Costa Rica for treatment, not move there,” he told listeners Tuesday, according to a transcript on his website.

Mr. Cortés said Limbaugh would not be alone in traveling abroad for medical care. He’s expecting medical tourism to increase by 5-7 percent over the next year, regardless of what happens with the US healthcare reform bills.
Booming business and that increase is building upon a growth Costa Rica has already seen. Since the recession forced many Americans out of jobs, Costa Rica has seen a surge in the number of their northern neighbors coming here for health services. In fact, there’s an entire industry catering to the medical tourist, including post-surgery spa services, sightseeing packages, hotels, and transportation.

But, if Limbaugh did move to Costa Rica and chose to initiate the process of residency, he’d be required to pay into the government-run social security system – which runs the health care system too. Under law, all people employed in Costa Rica must contribute 5.5 percent of their salary to the state-run social security system and employers are required to match their payment with 9.25 percent. Even those here for retirement are obligated to contribute under new immigration laws, regardless of whether they hold private insurance.

“The strengths of our health system (is) that it is universal, that it’s based on the idea of solidarity and that it’s fair,” says Dr. Ana Morice, vice health minister in Costa Rica. “What we need to improve is access to health services. Many times someone requests an appointment and doesn’t receive it until a year later. In that area, we have much to improve.” Of course, if Limbaugh decided to move to or buy real estate in Costa Rica, he wouldn’t be the first celebrity. His neighbors might include actor Mel Gibson, model Gisele Bundchen, AOL executive Steve Case, or Vice President Joe Biden’s brother, Frank.

Costa Ricans sure are a happy bunch. Don’t worry be Costa Rican. This article reports on the findings of the New Economics Foundation The “ticos” (colloquial for Costa Ricans), just topped a new list of the happiest people on the planet compiled by an independent research group in Britain.

The country scores 76.1 out of 100 on the New Economics Foundation’s Happy Planet Index (HPI), which measures life expectancy, satisfaction and a country’s environmental footprint. The index was released Saturday.

This is the second index the group has done. In the original HPI, published in 2006, Vanuatu, an archipelago in the South Pacific, was graded the happiest, Colombia came second and Costa Rica third. Now, apparently, Costa Ricans are getting some satisfaction. “As well as reporting the highest life satisfaction in the world, Costa Ricans also have the second-highest average life expectancy of the New World (second only to Canada). All this with a footprint of 2.3 global hectares,” reads the HPI.

Also, this index seems to just love Latinos. According to this year’s ranking, the world’s 10 happiest countries are all — except one — in Latin America and the Caribbean. Following Costa Rica, they are the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Guatemala, Vietnam, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Brazil and Honduras. Nicaragua came in 11th.

The index punishes bigger, wealthier nations, turning on its head the idea that a nation’s GDP brings the brightest smiles. Of the 143 countries surveyed, the United States ranked 114th, sandwiched between Madagascar and Nigeria. The researchers placed their native United Kingdom 74th, just after Slovakia and before Japan and Spain.

The research group argues on the index’s Web site, “governments have been concentrating on the wrong indicators for too long. If you have the wrong map, you are unlikely to reach your destination.”

So why, you might ask, despite decades of social, political and economic hardship, are Latin Americans racking up the happy points?

The report explains, “Survey data reveals two key features of Latin American culture. One is the presence of relatively unmaterialistic (sic) aspirations and values, compared to countries with similar economic conditions. Latin Americans report being much less concerned with material issues than, for example, they are with their friends and family. Secondly, social capital is particularly strong in the region. Civil society is very active, from religious groups to workers’ groups to environmental groups.” African countries such as Zimbabwe ranked among the least happy in the world.

In the past a trip from the Domincal area to Quepos took a couple of hours on the old unpaved road. Last week we left from Uvita which is one-half hour south of Dominical and traveled to Esterillos Oeste just south of Jacó beach. The trip lasted only an hour and forty minutes. It used to take at least three or more hours to cover the same distance.

On my retirement tour we also visited the mountain town of Atenas in the Central Valley and got a bird’s eye view of the other new highway which goes from San José to the coast. At the rate things are going this new road should be completed shortly, marking another great leap in the country’s constantly improving infrastructure and improving the quality of life here.

Hospiotal Cima SAn Jose

Prostate cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in a man’s prostate gland. The prostate sits just below the bladder. It makes part of the fluid for semen. In young men, the prostate is about the size of a walnut.

Prostate cancer is common in men older than 65 but can affect men in their 40s and 50sThe younger you are the more aggressive and dangerous the prostate cancer. In older men it usually grows slowly and can take years to grow large enough to cause any problems. Most cases are treatable, because they are found with screening tests before the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Although most men may die with prostate cancer, most men do not die from it. Experts don’t know what causes prostate cancer, but they believe that your age, family history (genetics), and race affect your chances of getting it. What you eat, such as foods high in fats, may also play a part.

Some men also suffer from an enlarge prostate as they get older. Middle and older age men who retire in Costa Rica can be assured that Costa Rica’s urologists have the knowledge to handle all of your prostate concerns.

The PSA test is the exam which is used to detect abnormalities in the prostate gland. This test is widely available in Costa Rica. All men over forty should take it yearly especially those who have a history of prostate cancer in their family. This disease is CURABLE if caught in time. Believe it or not I know American men who live here and have never taken the exam. They are basically playing with fire. My friend C who lives in Heredia is 65-years old and a chain smoker and fairly heavy drinker. He once told me he never goes to the doctor or has taken the PSA test.

I have a another friend who lives in Escazú who constantly monitored his high PSA levels for a couple of years. He had a biopsy which was positive and was operated on successfully at Cima hospital. He is very pleased with the results and the quality of care he received. Today he is 100% healthy.

I had other friends that were not so lucky. They both ended up dying of the disease. One fought a brave battle for ten years but eventually succumbed to the disease. Another friend never went to see a doctor until it was way too late. Since the disease is asymptomatic in it’s early stages, the yearly exam is the key and can make the difference between life and death. Both of these people would probably be alive today if they had taken a yearly PSA test.

I am a prostate cancer survivor and still take the PSA every year just to make sure there is no reoccurrence of the disease. I have an excellent Urologist who works at Cima hospital. His name is Arieh Grunhaus and his English is perfect. If you have any concerns please fell free to contact him at 011-506-22081716.