COSTA RICA: Scandal in Paradise

A bucolic, balmy Central American paradise: that is how many Costa Ricans proudly regard their nation, and with good reason. In contrast to its neighbors, little Costa Rica (1.9 million people living in an area about the size of West Virginia) has a genuine democracy and no army to speak of. It also has the highest literacy rate and third highest per capita annual income (about $539) in Central America. Recently, however, both its tranquillity and its reputation have been somewhat impaired by the presence of fugitive American Financier Robert L. Vesco,...