Month: October 2025

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth announced Friday a new strike in the Caribbean off Venezuela’s coast against an alleged narco-boat, leaving 4 dead. “Following President Trump’s orders, I directed a lethal strike against a drug-trafficking vessel affiliated with organizations designated as terrorist,” the secretary of war said, which he accompanied with a video. “Four narcoterrorist men …

Read more “Venezuela Tensions Rise After U.S. Strike on Alleged Narco Vessel”

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has taken another step to reshape the country’s education system. On Thursday, he declared a complete ban on what he calls “inclusive language” across all public schools. This move targets terms that alter traditional Spanish to promote gender neutrality, such as “amigue,” “compañere,” “niñe,” “todos y todas,” “alumn@,” “jóvenxs,” and …

Read more “El Salvador Bans Inclusive Language in Public Schools”

Costa Rica’s electoral authorities have approved a groundbreaking shift, letting political parties accept donations in select cryptocurrencies for the first time. This move, led by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), aims to update campaign funding while keeping tight checks on every transaction. Political groups can now take contributions in Bitcoin, Ether, and USD Coin, but …

Read more “Costa Rica Allows Cryptocurrency Donations for Political Parties”

A new United Nations study sheds light on the rapid spread of informal lending schemes called “gota a gota” across Costa Rica, where high-interest loans often lead to extortion and violence. These operations, once limited to certain communities, now affect a wider range of people facing financial pressures. The report, released this week by the …

Read more “Costa Rica Faces Rising Extortion from Informal Lenders, Says UN”

A tragic fire ripped through the Hotel Oriente in central San Jose early this morning, leaving five people dead and sparking questions about building safety in the city’s older structures. The blaze, which started on the third floor just before dawn, quickly spread, trapping residents in what many described as a chaotic scene. Firefighters arrived …

Read more “Tragic Blaze at Hotel Oriente Kills Five in Costa Rica Capital”

The US government revoked the tourist and business visa of Leonel Baruch, the businessman behind Costa Rican news site CRHoy. Reports connect the move to active investigations into money laundering and tax evasion against him. Baruch confirmed the revocation in a statement. He received an email from the US Embassy’s Consular Section stating the decision …

Read more “US Revokes Visa of CRHoy Owner Amid Fraud Allegations”

Costa Rica’s electoral season began yesterday with the Supreme Electoral Tribunal’s official call for the 2026 national elections. Eugenia Zamora, the TSE president, described the process as one of the country’s core traditions, emphasizing its role in maintaining peace amid growing tensions. The ceremony marked the start of a four-month campaign leading to the February …

Read more “Costa Rica 2026 Elections Kick Off: 20 Candidates Vie for Presidency”

Costa Rica’s restaurants have landed spots on TripAdvisor’s global list of top dining spots this year. Five local places made the cut in the 2025 Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best, based on traveler reviews from the past 12 months. These awards sort restaurants into groups like Hidden Gems, Romantic Date Night, Pet Friendly, …

Read more “5 Top Costa Rican Restaurants on TripAdvisor’s Best List”

One of the most challenging parts of learning a language is understanding songs in that language. In my early days of learning Spanish, I listened to the radio for hours daily. My favorite station was Radio Reloj. It was all news, read by commentators who spoke rapidly but clearly. The first time I understood an …

Read more “Learning Spanish Through Music in Costa Rica: Misheard Lyrics and Wins”

British primatologist Jane Goodall, who transformed the study of chimpanzees and became one of the world’s most revered wildlife advocates, has died at the age of 91, her institute announced Wednesday. Goodall “passed away due to natural causes” while in California on a speaking tour of the United States, the Jane Goodall Institute said in …

Read more “Jane Goodall dies at 91 after transforming chimpanzee science and conservation”