Month: January 2026

Costa Rican authorities arrested a Canadian man accused of leading a large-scale drug and weapons operation in British Columbia. Jesse Michael Valentino Bou-Saleh, 35, had evaded capture for over two years before his detention in this coastal town. The Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ), working with Interpol, took Bou-Saleh into custody on January 22 after months …

Read more “Canadian Drug Kingpin Nabbed in Costa Rica After Two-Year Manhunt”

Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez said Friday that over 600 inmates have been released, far more than estimated by rights groups, who are demanding the liberation of all political prisoners. Days after the US ouster of socialist leader Nicolas Maduro in a January 3 bombing raid on Caracas, the government undertook to release a “large …

Read more “Venezuela Political Prisoner Releases Move Slowly as Families Wait”

Authorities in Costa Rica investigate the deaths of two women who passed away within five days of each other following cosmetic surgeries at private clinics here. The cases highlight growing worries over safety standards in such facilities, which serve both local residents and foreign patients seeking affordable treatments. The first incident involved Cinthya Carvajal Guevara, …

Read more “Two Women Die Days Apart After Cosmetic Procedures in Costa Rica”

In a poignant end to his long association with the tournament he won in 2014, 40-year-old Stan Wawrinka was defeated by ninth seed Taylor Fritz in the third round on John Cain Arena, with the roof closed due to extreme heat. Fritz prevailed 7-6(5), 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in just over three hours, but the night …

Read more “Stan Wawrinka Bows Out Gracefully After Final Australian Open Run”

Journalists in Costa Rica face a tougher environment than in past years, with nearly half reporting derogatory or hateful speech aimed at them. A recent regional study highlights this shift, showing that 47 percent of Costa Rican journalists encountered such attacks occasionally or frequently. The report, titled “The Worlds of Journalism: Safety, Professional Autonomy, and …

Read more “Costa Rican Journalists Face Rising Hate Speech, Study Warns of Hostile Shift”

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has sanctioned a prominent Costa Rican drug trafficking and money laundering group, highlighting our nation’s position as a critical link in the global cocaine supply chain. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) named five Costa Rican citizens and five local companies for their part in moving large amounts …

Read more “U.S. Treasury Sanctions Hit Costa Rican Drug Network Tied to Cocaine Trade”

I once got a speeding ticket for going about 30 kph over the posted speed limit on the Costanera Sur highway near Jacó. While 30 kph may sound like excessive speed, the actual, unrealistic speed limit was 80 kph, which few drivers obeyed. I was unlucky in that the Tránsito officer standing on the side …

Read more “Why Costa Rica Traffic Fines Feel Out of Proportion on Rural Roads”

Argentine Francisco Cerundolo delivered a strong performance to knock out Russian Andrey Rublev in the third round of the Australian Open on Friday, getting a 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3 victory in just over two hours. The 18th-seeded Cerundolo dominated from the baseline, breaking Rublev early in the first set and holding firm through a tense tiebreaker …

Read more “Cerundolo Upsets Rublev to Reach Australian Open Fourth Round”

Canatur and the Costa Rican Federation of Sport Fishing, FECOP, have launched a joint campaign aimed at boosting voter turnout in Costa Rica’s coastal communities and tourism zones ahead of the country’s next presidential election. The effort ties into the national civic campaign ¡Qué lindo vivir en demoCRacia! (How Beautiful It Is to Live in …

Read more “Canatur and FECOP Urge Coastal Costa Ricans to Vote in New Turnout Drive”

Health authorities in Costa Rica reported the first chikungunya case in nine years. The patient, a 24-year-old man from Esparza in Puntarenas province, tested positive for the virus after lab analysis by the Costa Rican Institute for Research and Teaching in Nutrition and Health. The man shows no serious health issues at this time. Officials …

Read more “Costa Rica Reports First Chikungunya Case in Nine Years”