All Things Panama

Drivers traveling Route 1 from Barranca toward Limonal and Guanacaste now spend more time on the road because of current construction going on. Heavy machinery operates along the 49-kilometer section as part of the effort to expand the highway to four lanes. The project restarted in January after a multi-year pause. Contractors are clearing trees …

Read more “Road expansion slows traffic and extends travel times to Guanacaste”

Panama President José Raúl Mulino on Thursday brushed aside the possibility of Chinese reprisals after his government moved to take control of two ports at the Panama Canal previously operated by a Hong Kong-based company. On Monday, Panamanian authorities took over the Balboa port on the Pacific side and the Cristóbal port on the Atlantic …

Read more “Panama President Shrugs Off China Retaliation Threats After Canal Port Takeover”

Havana said Thursday that Washington is willing to help investigate a clash between Cuban coast guard forces and a boat coming from the United States that left four people dead, while pledging to defend the island from any “terrorist aggression.” Cuba alleged Wednesday that ten-armed individuals were intercepted in its territorial waters as they attempted …

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For years, concerns centered on the theft of older vehicles for resale as spare parts. Criminal groups now target newer models more often. They disguise the vehicles and use them in various illegal activities. Joaquín Sánchez, head of the Vehicle Theft Section, explained the details. These crimes involve entire criminal organizations. Participation covers every level …

Read more “OIJ Reports Shift in Costa Rica Car Thefts Toward Newer Vehicles”

Fabián Silva Gamboa, a constitutional lawyer who advises President-elect Laura Fernández, proposed a reform to the Political Constitution that would allow the United States to establish military bases in Costa Rica. He presented the idea as a way to step up action against drug trafficking and organized crime. Silva suggested the bases could go in …

Read more “US Bases Proposed in Limón, Puntarenas and Guanacaste to Target Drug Traffickers”

Costa Rica’s ban on sport hunting is not new, and it is not something that “went into effect this week.” It has been law since 2012. What changed this month was the message: authorities and conservation advocates pushed the point back into public view, warning that recreational hunting of wild animals remains illegal nationwide and …

Read more “Costa Rica Reaffirms Sport Hunting Is Illegal and Penalties Apply”

Costa Rica coffee producers need to prepare for a difficult period in 2026. The Coffee Institute of Costa Rica (ICAFE) issued the warning as it pointed to a stronger colón and the likelihood of record harvests in major producing countries. Officials said these factors could generate multimillion-colón losses across the sector and leave many farms …

Read more “Costa Rica Coffee Braces for Lower Payments and Possible Losses”

Prominent Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora says the justice system in his country operates like a criminal structure, and he said he was prepared to die defending himself from what he described as fascist cruelty while he was in prison. In an interview at his home in Guatemala City, where he has been under house …

Read more “Guatemalan journalist Zamora says his country’s justice system is a criminal structure”

Costa Rican law enforcement authorities are conducting a major judicial and police operation following the discovery of a suspected criminal plot to assassinate Michael Soto Rojas, interim director of the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ). The plot, linked to a broader criminal network involved in narcotics trafficking and money laundering, was revealed through coordinated actions …

Read more “Costa Rica Investigates Alleged Assassination Plot Against Interim OIJ Chief”

Apple Sports is now available in Costa Rica after Apple expanded the iPhone app into 36 additional countries and territories across Latin America and the Caribbean, bringing total availability to 80 markets worldwide. The free app, built around real-time scoreboards, offers live scores, stats, standings, and upcoming games across a growing list of leagues and …

Read more “Apple Sports Launches in Costa Rica as App Reaches 80 Countries Worldwide”