I have been trying to persuade my wife to move to costa rica.I have heard there are a good number of americans there.I could become a citizen of there while here.Because they have such an increase in americans going there they now require you make about 30,000 here before you can become a citizen there. I think and have been hearing the same things you have.I am especially mindful of the time around 9/11.I think however that it will be a weakday because it will make it easy foe them to grab peoples children and use them for leverage.