"FARC You!" Say Costa Rican Bookies

Last month Gambling911.com reported on how Costa Rica could find itself the center of an all out Latin American war, fueled by Iran.

Since that time, news of possible F.A.R.C. insurgencies in the Costa Rican government has been traveling all over that quaint bookie haven.

F.A.R.C. is the acronym for Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, the largest, oldest best equipped terrorist organization in the world, according to the U.S. Department of State.

News reports began surfacing that F.A.R.C. may have had some influence over Costa Rican politicians.

Oscar Arias, the Costa Rican president has released a statement saying that he has had contact from the Columbian Government that details that there isn’t any Costa Rica politician linked with FARC, after to the recent raids of the Columbian rebel group.


The raid was conducted a month ago at the beginning of March as the Columbian Army invaded a FARC headquarter and manage to recover Raul Reyes’ computer, a high ranking FARC member.

The Public Security minister, Fernando Berrocal, resigned earlier this week after his allegations over the raid where he accused several Costa Rican politicians of being linked with the Columbian rebel group. It now appears apparent that these allegations were indeed wrong according to the Columbian government.

It was rumored that the Costa Rican government was going to send their own representatives down to Columbia this week to help out with investigation, however due to the contact from the Columbian government; no such action will be taken at the moment. Vice-president Laura Chinchilla was expected to be apart of that team.

Arias ended his statement by claiming that his government is fully transparent and has nothing to hide just like his previous government when he was president 20 years ago.

According to a report in AM Costa Rica, the majority of foreigners in Costa Rica had never heard of "F.A.R.C.," but had some sort of an idea about Colombian rebels. All the Costa Ricans, on the other hand, were familiar with the term F.A.R.C., and most believed that the terrorist group was definitely connected to politicians here.

“I think they are connected, but I can't talk about this sort of thing over the telephone” said Alvaro Seguro Solano, who has worked five years in the travel industry. He was one of the few brave enough to let his name be used.

“If I had investments, I'd be worried,” said a man from Pennsylvania who is now living in Naranjo. “It would probably mean an influx of drugs into the country,” he said, although he had not heard the term "F.A.R.C." either.

“Arías was a good president in his time,” said a clerk at Hotel California in Quepos, “but his time has passed,” she said. The receptionist, a Costa Rican, said she believed there is a connection between officials and the Fuerzas Armadas. However, tourism will not be effected she said. “Tourists ask about activities, tours, and nature in Costa Rica,” she said. In her three months at the Quepos hotel, no one has ever asked her about the government or politics, she added.

Bookies operating from Costa Rica are not so much worried about FARC as they are an increased spike in violent crime.

"It's getting really dangerous here," echoed one bookie who was already contemplating moving his business to Uruguay. 

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a peasant-based guerrilla army with an estimated 18,000 fighters, has been waging war against the Colombian government for more than 40 years. In recent years, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and US President George W. Bush have both intensified their efforts to defeat the FARC as part of the so-called war on terror. However, despite receiving more than $4.5 billion in US aid over the past six years, the Colombian government has yet to achieve a military victory. 

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Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher CCostigan@CostiganMedia.com

Originally published April 3, 2008 9:59 am EST