Costa Rica is continuing to deal with a pressing public health issue: 68.5% of adults are overweight or obese, with women at 73.8% and men at 63%, according to a recent study. The 50-69 age group is hit hardest, with 45% classified as obese. This alarming trend prompted an executive decree recognizing obesity as a …
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Costa Rica fell 2-0 to Catalonia in a friendly match at Barcelona’s Johan Cruyff Stadium, marking the return of goalkeeper Keylor Navas to the national team. Navas, who retired from international duty in May 2024, rejoined La Sele after a standout season with Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina. His presence bolstered Costa Rica’s defense, but …
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Costa Rica’s President Rodrigo Chaves signed a constitutional reform on Wednesday allowing, for the first time in the country’s history, the extradition of Costa Rican nationals accused of drug trafficking and terrorism, the government announced. Once the safest country in Central America, Costa Rica ended 2024 with a homicide rate of 16.6 per 100,000 people—more …
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The government of Panama declared a “state of emergency” on Tuesday in a Caribbean province where a subsidiary of U.S.-based banana company Chiquita Brands laid off about 5,000 workers following a strike that has caused millions in losses. The measure applies to the province of Bocas del Toro, where the company operates a plant whose …
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A joint Costa Rica–Panama operation has dismantled a transnational criminal organization involved in human smuggling and money laundering. Authorities carried out 23 raids Wednesday across Golfito, Ciudad Neilly, and Los Chiles as part of “Operation MATSU.” The coordinated action included the Professional Migration Police, the Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ), the Ministry of Public Security, the …
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Magdalena Martínez has always lived on the banks of the Indio River. But her house will be submerged by a new reservoir for the Panama Canal, and like her neighbors, she plans to resist until the end. The 49-year-old woman shares a simple wooden home with a zinc roof in Boca de Uracillo with her …
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Costa Rican authorities intercepted a fishing boat carrying 950 kilograms of cocaine off the country’s South Pacific coast near Golfito, the Ministry of Public Security announced. The National Coast Guard Service detained three Costa Rican nationals aboard the boat in a patrol targeting illegal fishing, drug trafficking, and marine resource protection. The operation, conducted with …
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Costa Rican and Colombian authorities have dismantled a transnational cybercrime ring that defrauded victims of over ₡35 million (about $67,000 USD) by creating fake banking websites to steal login credentials. Today the Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ), in coordination with Colombia’s National Police and Public Prosecutor’s Office, carried out nine raids—six in Costa Rica and three …
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One of my hiking routes around San Isidro de El General features what I think may be the world’s steepest street. Like many streets here, it has no name. One local called it La calle muy cuesta que conecta Barrio Pocito con Barrio Sinai (The very steep street that connects Barrio Pocito with Barrio Sinai), …
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In Pavones, a quiet surfing haven in Golfito, Puntarenas, recent evictions have stirred tension between residents and the local municipality. The conflict centers on properties built within the maritime-terrestrial zone (ZMT), a 200-meter coastal strip regulated by Costa Rica’s 1977 Maritime Zoning Law. The municipality claims these buildings encroach on public land, but locals argue …
Read more “Costa Rica Pavones Evictions Maritime Zone Dispute Sparks Outrage”