Costa Rica Central Bank Urged to Cut Rates and Act on Exchange Rate Collapse

Economists called on the Central Bank of Costa Rica to adopt measures that reverse the sharp drop in the dollar exchange rate. The local currency keeps gaining ground, and this movement now hits businesses and households across the country. The dollar trades below 480 colones. It reached ₡474 in bank windows in recent days, the …

Panama Finalizes Supreme Court Ruling Scrapping Hutchison Ports Deal

Panama published the Supreme Court ruling that annuls the concession granted to a Hong Kong-based company to operate two ports at the entrances to the Panama Canal. The decision, which appeared in the official gazette, makes the January 30 ruling final and not subject to appeal. Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison Holdings, …

Costa Rica Tightens Mexico Flight Checks After El Mencho Death

Costa Rica began to tighten immigration controls Sunday on flights arriving from Mexico. Officials want to stop anyone linked to drug trafficking from entering the country after Mexican forces killed Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes. El Mencho, age 59, led the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. He stood as one of the most wanted men by …

DHS backtracks on TSA PreCheck suspension as Global Entry remains in limbo

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has not shut down TSA PreCheck lanes at U.S. airports, after a brief, fast-moving sequence of announcements during the ongoing partial DHS shutdown. TSA PreCheck remains in operation for travelers, with TSA indicating the program is continuing as usual while airport staffing levels are monitored. Some airports temporarily …

Mexican Forces Kill Cartel Boss El Mencho Sparking Violence Alerts

Mexican forces killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, in a raid that set off clashes and blockades across multiple states. Mexican soldiers killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the head of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel known as El Mencho, during a special forces operation in the town of Tapalpa. …

Costa Rica Flights Disrupted by US East Coast Snowstorm

A major winter storm pushing blizzard conditions across the U.S. Northeast is forcing widespread flight cancellations at airports that many Costa Rica travelers use for connections, increasing the likelihood of delays and last-minute rebookings for trips to and from San José and Liberia this week. Flight-tracking data showed 3,076 flight cancellations and 11,299 delays across …

Starbucks adds limited-time MrBeast tie-in drink at select Costa Rica stores

Starbucks stores in Costa Rica are offering the Cannon Ball Drink, a limited-time beverage tied to a partnership with content creator MrBeast. The drink went on sale Feb. 20 and is scheduled to remain available through March 6 at participating locations. The Cannon Ball Drink blends lemonade with two established Refresher flavors Strawberry Açaí and …

An aircraft landing at Costa Rica Airport damaged the runway lighting system

The event occurred on runway 07. The aircraft completed its landing and parked without further issues. Airport operator AERIS responded immediately. Crews inspected the area, carried out cleaning, and placed backup lights. These steps support safe conditions and allow flights to continue. The airport stays open and processes traffic under the adjusted setup. AERIS reported …

El Salvador mural reimagines the Mona Lisa with recycled plastic caps

Made of plastic caps in many colors and sizes, Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Mona Lisa has a Latin American version: a 13-meter-tall mural erected in El Salvador by a Venezuelan artist. The mural is on the façade of a building in Zacamil, in the Mejicanos district, a working-class area of San Salvador that was once …