Month: March 2025

Amnesty International (AI) on Wednesday issued a strong call to Salvadoran authorities, demanding they ensure the “physical integrity” of human rights activist Fidel Zavala, detained alongside other community leaders on February 25, 2025, under charges that have sparked international concern. Zavala, a 30-year-old spokesperson for the Human Rights and Community Defense Unit (UNIDEHC), was arrested …

Read more “Amnesty Denounces Detention of Human Rights Activist in El Salvador”

Costa Rica’s agribusiness sector braces for uncertainty as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens tariffs on foreign produce, effective April 2. In a recent message to U.S. farmers, Trump urged them to ramp up production for domestic markets, hinting at a policy shift that could disrupt Costa Rican exports. Details on targeted countries and products are …

Read more “Uncertainty Grips Costa Rica’s Agribusiness as U.S. Tariffs Loom”

U.S. President Donald Trump has called on Congress to repeal the CHIPS Act, a 2022 law designed to bolster semiconductor manufacturing and reduce reliance on China by incentivizing production in allied nations like Costa Rica. Passed in August 2022 under President Joe Biden, the Act provided $39 billion in subsidies and $75 billion in credits …

Read more “CHIPS Act Repeal Threatens Costa Rica’s Semiconductor Hub Dreams”

The Pescadora 2025 Tournament marked a milestone for women: Josabeth was crowned Top Female Angler in the IGFA Release Division, achieving a total of 2,880 points for the release of 24 sailfish. Her incredible performance not only places her at the top of the tournament but also underscores the growing leadership of Costa Rican women …

Read more “Costa Rican Woman Sets Record with 24 Sailfish Releases at Pescadora 2025”

The President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, assured on Tuesday that the country “will not stop” and will continue buying bitcoin for its strategic reserve, despite the fact that the crypto asset will no longer be legal tender in the local economy. “No, it does not stop (the purchase of bitcoin). If it didn’t stop …

Read more “El Salvador Continues Bitcoin Purchases Despite New Legal Status Change”

I was once in danger of freezing to death in Costa Rica. That’s right– imagine the irony of dying of hypothermia in the tropics. I drove a ragtop jeep over the Cerro de la Muerte in the darkest hours of the early morning, destination San Jose. Much like the earliest settlers, who sometimes froze to …

Read more “Tracing the Frozen Footprints on Costa Rica’s Historic Mountain of Death”

The San Sebastián River no longer has fish. The contaminated water it receives from an old gold mine killed them all. Now that mining has once again become legal in El Salvador, the fear is that this phenomenon will be reproduced in other parts of the country. The ban on metal mining, which had been …

Read more “Dead Rivers Alert Growing Environmental Crisis as Mining Returns to El Salvador”

Under strong pressure from US President Donald Trump, Hong Kong firm Hutchison announced Tuesday that it has agreed to transfer its stake in the operation of the Panama Canal and other port facilities to a US consortium. CK Hutchison Holdings will sell 90% of its shares in Panama Ports Company (PPC) and another series of …

Read more “Hong Kong Company will sell Panama Ports to a US Consortium”

Newell’s Old Boys, featuring Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas, finally returned to winning ways on Tuesday, defeating Atlético Tucumán 2-1 on the road in the Argentine Primera División Torneo Apertura. The victory ends a torrid run of five matches without a win, including four consecutive defeats, offering a glimmer of hope for the struggling Rosario …

Read more “Costa Rica Star Navas Shines in Newell’s 2-1 Victory”

A Honduran appeals court ordered three generals accused in the death of a protester in 2009 during demonstrations against the coup that overthrew leftist President Manuel Zelaya to return to preventive detention, the Judicial Branch reported on Monday. Retired generals Romeo Vásquez, 68, who was then head of the Armed Forces, Venancio Cervantes (69), and …

Read more “Honduran Generals Ordered Back to Prison in 2009 Coup Protester Death Case”