propaganda

last week i ended up telling my 3 different teachers about the poverty i have seen in the northern part of costa rica as well as the story about the family living underground with rats, excrement, etc. in a different area.

they could not believe it. they could not believe that there were such poor people in costa rica. i could not believe that they could not have known this. there are poor people sleeping on the main streets of downtown san jose. people in each block asking for money. people get on the buses to present their case for asking for money, ie they can't work and need money to feed their families.

then i had lunch with the lady that was the coordinator with world vision when i volunteered last year. turned out she lives about a block from the school. i was telling her the same stories of poverty i had told my teachers. she knew. she's been there. she's seen it.

she said costa ricans don't know about the poverty in their own country because the tourism board and the government only show the good things of costa rica. the beautiful beaches, the beautiful parks, theatres, the touristy type things. they show propaganda so when people might talk to people or visit in other counties they will speak of the beauty here. not the poverty, not the ugly scenes of garbage.