Tico Times (Chrissie Long): Costa Rican government officials are expressing concern over a Venezuelan "peace base" that opened in the western San Jose neighborhood of Rohrmoser last week.

The peace base -- no more than a room in the Venezuelan embassy -- is part of a hemispheric initiative inspired by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to inspire reflection and dialogue over the future of the Americas.

Preparing for an inaugural event October 13, the peace base in Costa Rica is the fifth of its kind. Bases have already been open in Nicaragua, Mexico, Venezuela and Cuba.

"The peace base is an open forum for dialogue, for conversation, for an interchange of ideas, all with the motive of creating a new world," said Venezuelan Ambassador to Costa Rica Nestor Pineda. "America needs a profound period of reflection to allow us to envision new societies in the context of the America we are and of the America we want to be."

But the initiative has caused a stir among Costa Rican officials, who have long pitched their country as "the country of peace." As one of the only countries without an army, home to the United Nations University for Peace and among the first to establish a Peace Ministry, the creation of a peace base has many scratching their heads, wondering why the country needs it.

Yet, the reaction goes beyond puzzlement.

For Costa Rica, which has tried to distance itself from Chavez, the peace base opens doors to an unwelcome alliance or -- as some have labeled it -- interference. "I think there should be no intervention on the part of any ambassador or foreign country in Costa Rican affairs," said Costa Rican top cabinet member Rodrigo Arias. "And I think this project -- from what we know of it today -- rubs poorly with the Vienna Convention -- which governs diplomatic ties between states."

Arias has instructed Foreign Ministry officials to keep an eye on the base.

Costa Rican Ambassador to Venezuela Vladimir de la Cruz said the initiative of establishing peace bases is nothing more than an effort to counter US foreign policy and the presence of military bases in South and Central America.

• Venezuela itself spends $1.1 billion annually on military expenses, and continues to purchase arms, which raised questions on why they would be sponsoring this initiative.

De la Cruz said, "The politics of peace and anti-militarism of the Arias administration denounces all governments that buy and sell arms … that divert economic resources which should be used to solve housing, education and health problems…"

"It is obvious President Chavez and President Arias have opposing views about military spending, so it seem s absurd to have a Peace Base in Costa Rica."

http://www.ticotimes.net/dailyarchive/2009_10/1009091.cfm