One of the most relevant sectors for the Costa Rican economy is declared in "Total Emergency and State of Calamity", as it is the first time in the "zero" season that total income ceases.
The Board of Directors of the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) stated that all State institutions, Powers of the Republic, Autonomous and Semi-Autonomous Institutions, as well as Municipalities throughout the country, are required to collaborate in the broadest and most expeditious manner within the framework that the serious reality demands, in order to alleviate the situation of the Private Tourism Sector.
The declared state of Public Calamity, extended last week, allows the Guatemalan government to purchase goods and services directly.
"Under a new extension of the state of Public Calamity, the government is due to sign contracts for about $167 million over the coming months in order to fund the reconstruction of infrastructure damaged by the 7.2 degree earthquake that hit the country on November 7 last year", noted an article in Prensalibre.com.
President Otto Perez Molina, has declared a State of Emergency in four departments to expedite relief efforts and reconstruction of the damage from the earthquake.
A press release from the Presidency of Guatemala reads:
President Otto Perez Molina declared on Thursday a state of emergency in the departments of San Marcos, Quetzaltenango, Quiché and Huehuetenango for a month, in order to expedite relief efforts, rescue and reconstruction from the quake on Wednesday.
In the face of starvation in the country, President Alvaro Colom declared a "state of public calamity".
The declaration enables the country to access international aid and make use of resources from the national budget with less paperwork, clarified President Colom.
"He declared that there is enough food in the country, but the poorer families, some 51% of Guatemala's 13 million inhabitants, don't have resources to buy it".