Month: June 2025

Costa Rica’s Pride 2025 closing event, set for June 29 at San José’s Plaza de la Democracia, was thrown into controversy when the government banned anyone under 18 from attending. Just days before the celebration, the Ministry of Justice and Peace’s Commission for the Control and Qualification of Public Spectacles reclassified the event—previously approved for …

Read more “Costa Rica’s Pride 2025 Closing Event Bans Minors, Sparks Outrage”

Panama’s government has regained control of Bocas del Toro province after months of violent anti-government protests sparked by pension reforms, officials announced. The unrest, centered in the banana-producing region, left one person dead, over 300 arrested, and dozens injured, including 14 police officers, according to authorities. The protests began nearly two months ago when workers, …

Read more “Panama Regains Control of Bocas del Toro After Violent Protests”

Costa Rica’s judicial police arrested Celso Gamboa, a former security minister and Supreme Court judge, on Monday, following a U.S. request for his extradition on drug trafficking charges. The 49-year-old was detained in San Jose, marking a significant moment for the country’s fight against organized crime. This arrest comes just weeks after Costa Rica passed …

Read more “Former Costa Rican Minister Arrested for Drug Trafficking, Faces U.S. Extradition”

Costa Rica’s government is pushing a controversial bill that could open the entire Cutris district in San Carlos—848 square kilometers—to open-pit gold mining. The proposal, known as bill 24.717, has environmental groups up in arms over the potential damage to forests, rivers, and wildlife. Introduced last year by President Rodrigo Chaves Robles, the bill would …

Read more “Costa Rica’s Cutris Mining Bill Threatens Massive Environmental Damage”

On Monday, Costa Rica’s Prosecutor’s Office formally accused President Rodrigo Chaves along with six high-ranking officials and pro-government legislators of allegedly engaging in illicit financing during the 2022 electoral campaign, according to an official statement. The accusation centers on claims that Chaves and his circle used “two parallel structures” to finance the campaign of the …

Read more “Costa Rica’s President Chaves Accused of Illicit Campaign Financing”

Vaping has become increasingly popular, especially among teenagers and young adults. However, the health consequences associated with its use are raising alarm among Costa Rican medical authorities. According to the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS), consultations linked to vaping have increased significantly. In just the first six months of 2025, the number of hospitalizations …

Read more “Costa Rican Health Officials Sound Alarm Over Teen Vaping Epidemic”

Twenty-five volunteers hauled 381 kilos of trash—mostly plastic bottles and tires—off Cocos Beach on Costa Rica’s San Lucas Island. The cleanup, set in the Gulf of Nicoya, shines a light on our country’s growing plastic pollution problem, with debris choking mangroves and coastlines. San Lucas Island sits just 10 to 15 kilometers from Puntarenas and …

Read more “Costa Rica’s San Lucas Island Sees Kilos of Trash Removed in Cleanup”

The justice system of El Salvador has admitted a habeas corpus petition in favor of lawyer and humanitarian activist Ruth López, a critic of President Nayib Bukele’s government, but failed to address her “arbitrary detention,” according to the NGO representing her. López, head of the anti-corruption unit at the humanitarian NGO Cristosal, was arrested on …

Read more “Rights Groups Condemn El Salvador Over Arrest of Anti-Corruption Lawyer”

Yesterday, Costa Rica’s national team, La Sele, faced off against Mexico in a tense, scoreless draw at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas during the final matchday of Group A in the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup. From a Costa Rican perspective, this match was a testament to grit, defensive discipline, and the brilliance of Keylor Navas, …

Read more “Costa Rica’s Defense Frustrates Mexico in Hard-Fought Gold Cup Stalemate”

To the cry of “justice,” the remains of retired Nicaraguan Army Major Roberto Samcam, a staunch critic of the Daniel Ortega government who was assassinated Thursday in Costa Rica, were buried Sunday in a cemetery in the capital, San José. Samcam, 66, was killed by eight gunshots fired by hitmen who broke into his home …

Read more “Assassinated in Exile: Roberto Samcam Laid to Rest in Costa Rica”