LatinNews Daily Report - 07 March 2013

TRADE | Costa Rican truckers end blockade. On 6 March some 550 Costa Rican truckers on strike in the border district of Paso Canoas ended their protest. The truckers began their blockade at the main border crossing between the two countries on 28 February alleging the abuse of authority by officials from Panama’s border agency (Senafront). The blockade was lifted following a meeting yesterday between delegations headed up by Costa Rica’s security minister, Manuel Zamora, and Panama’s deputy minister for security, Manuel Moreno. Zamora told reporters that the two sides had reached an agreement to speed up the procedures for checking vehicles on the Panamanian side of the border. Manuel Mora, the president of the Panamanian chamber of heavy goods, said the blockades by the Costa Rican truckers had caused some US$2m in losses.