Costa Rica is taking a bold step to fix its overcrowded prisons with a new high-security facility. The Ministry of Justice and Peace has announced a $35 million bid for construction companies to build the Centro de Alta Contención del Crimen Organizado (CACCO), a mega-prison designed to hold 5,000 high-risk inmates. Drawing inspiration from El …
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Costa Rica is caught in a diplomatic tug-of-war with China after sending officials to Taiwan for training. The government confirmed that five members of the Directorate of Intelligence and National Security (DIS) spent 23 days in Taipei in May 2025, learning about national security. Taiwan picked up the tab for everything—flights, hotels, meals, and transport—according …
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A retired Nicaraguan army officer and outspoken critic of the Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo government was shot dead Thursday in Costa Rica, where he was living in exile. Major Roberto Samcam, 66, was gunned down by unknown assailants Thursday morning in the condominium where he lived in a suburb of San José. Nicaraguan exile …
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A Costa Rican criminal group was taken down this week after smuggling 32 kilograms of cocaine into Australia, hidden inside roll-up inflatable boats. The Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ), led by the Deputy Prosecutor’s Office for Drug Trafficking, arrested six suspects during early morning raids on Wednesday. The operations spanned Mata Redonda in San José, Pozos …
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After years of waiting, medical cannabis is now available in Costa Rica. However, access remains tightly regulated. Its sale is restricted exclusively to pharmacies, and a doctor’s prescription is required, according to the newly enacted regulation. This means access to these products will be more limited than some businesses and patients had anticipated. Experts from …
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Costa Rica battled hard but came out on top with a 2–1 victory over the Dominican Republic in their second Group A match of the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, played Wednesday in Arlington, Texas. The win brings them closer to the quarterfinals. Dominican player Joao Urbáez opened the scoring in the 16th minute, while Manfred …
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The Nicaraguan government announced Wednesday that it has granted political asylum to a leader of Panama’s main construction union, who was facing an arrest warrant for alleged money laundering amid growing protests against Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino. Erasmo Cerrud, defense secretary of Panama’s powerful construction union Suntracs, requested asylum after entering the Nicaraguan Embassy …
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Volaris Airlines just rolled out three new direct routes from San José, Costa Rica, to Miami and Orlando, Florida, and Tulum, Mexico. These flights, kicking off in July, aim to make travel cheaper and easier, using one of Latin America’s newest fleets. New Routes, Low Fares The flights start July 1 with daily service to …
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A $925 million tourism development in Guanacaste is pushing forward after Costa Rica’s Constitutional Court dismissed an appeal challenging its environmental approval. The Bahía Papagayo project, set to bring hotels and jobs to Playa Panamá, has sparked debate over balancing economic growth with environmental protection. Court Rejects Appeal Activist Gad Amit Kaufman, representing the Asociación …
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Costa Rica’s Tourism Minister, William Rodríguez, is pushing back against claims that the country’s tourism sector is in trouble. Speaking to the Legislative Assembly’s Tourism Commission, Rodríguez said, “We’re dealing with a challenge, not a crisis.” But business owners and industry leaders aren’t buying it, warning that declining visitor numbers and rising costs are hitting …
Read more “Costa Rica’s Tourism Minister Denies Crisis Despite Falling Visitor Numbers”