Costa Rican Opposition Rejects Docking of US Military Ships http://www.insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2011/april/10/costarica11041003.htm

Costa Rican opposition politicians reiterated their rejection on Friday to U.S. military ships docking in Costa Rica under the pretext of fighting drug trafficking. "We want to fight drug trafficking, but we do not accept the docking or prolonged stay of military ships in our country, because it violates our Constitution and our national sovereignty," said Juan Carlos Mendoza, head of the Citizen Action Party (PAC) bloc in the Legislative Assembly.Last week, President Laura Chinchilla criticized legislators for delaying authorizations for joint Costa Rican/U.S. patrols.

The Costa Rican Legislative Assembly approved the entry of 46 U.S. Coast Guard ships in December 2010, but did not authorize the entry of 26 military ships. In statements published online Friday by El Pais newspaper, Assemblywoman Carmen Muñoz (PAC) said the ships had artillery emplacements with weapons contravening Cooperation Articles 5 and 6 signed by the United States and Costa Rica."Preventive detention is not the problem, but what keeps a prisoner for many months and years without reaching a verdict, we do not know if he is innocent or guilty, " said Justice Minister, Hernando Paris.