Canadian Operators Halt Cuba Packages From June to October 2026

Sunwing Vacations and WestJet Vacations will suspend all flights and vacation packages to Cuba from June 20 through October 9, 2026. The Sunwing Vacations Group, which operates the three brands, announced the decision on April 15. It extends a pause already in place for parts of the summer program and now covers every Cuban destination …

US Sanctions Sons of Daniel Ortega and Seven Nicaragua Gold Companies

The United States Treasury Department imposed sanctions the two sons of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo along with seven gold companies and several individuals operating in the country’s gold sector. Maurice Facundo Ortega Murillo and Daniel Edmundo Ortega Murillo were designated for serving as officials in the Nicaraguan government. The sanctions …

El Salvador Permits Life Sentences Starting at Age 12

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele signed reforms into law that permit life prison sentences for people convicted of serious crimes starting at age 12. The changes extend life imprisonment to minors as young as 12 who are convicted of or serve as accomplices in homicide, femicide, rape or gang membership. They also apply to adults. The …

Costa Rica Travelers Face Uncertainty as Spirit Airlines Nears Liquidation

Spirit Airlines, the ultra-low-cost carrier that has connected Costa Rica to the United States with daily flights to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, is now staring down a very real possibility of total liquidation, and a decision could, according to a variety of sources, come as early as this week. For the hundreds of thousands of …

How Plastic Pollution Is Hurting Costa Rica’s Economy

Costa Rica’s plastic pollution is not only an environmental issue; it is a quietly mounting economic one. The country markets itself on natural beauty, clean beaches, and biodiversity. Plastic undermines all three, and the financial consequences are beginning to be quantified in ways that are difficult to ignore. The most direct economic threat lies within …

Trump Inspired Pressure on Journalists Alarms RSF in Latin America

The director general of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Thibaut Bruttin, warned of the danger posed to journalism in Latin America by several presidents following Donald Trump’s playbook, which he described as hostile toward the press. In an interview with AFP during a visit to Guatemala that began Monday, Bruttin said he regretted that the Trump …

Costa Rica Wildlife Groups Push Back Against Proposed New Regulation

A Costa Rican environmental organization is calling for a halt to the government’s proposed new wildlife regulation, arguing that the draft weakens protections, lacks clear scientific support, and moves forward without new funding for the National System of Conservation Areas, known as SINAC. The group, APREFLOFAS, said the proposal from the Ministry of Environment and …

Costa Rica Real Estate Escrow Rules Explained for Foreign Buyers

There is a big difference between an escrow contract and a trust contract. In the escrow contract one party places certain funds in the hands of the escrow company for a variety of purposes, such as: a means to show good faith and real intent to purchase a property or some other important item. Those …

Is It Viable to Apply a Tax on the Ultra-Rich in Latin America?

Applying the “Zucman tax,” a levy on large fortunes, in seven Latin American countries would make it possible to raise $24 billion a year by taxing only about 3,000 people, according to a study published Tuesday. The report on a minimum tax for high-net-worth individuals in Latin America proposes a way to tax extreme wealth, …

Costa Rica Advances Bill to Ban Social Media for Children Under 14

Costa Rican lawmakers moved forward Tuesday with a bill that would sharply limit minors’ access to social media, after the Legislative Assembly’s Youth, Children and Adolescents Committee unanimously approved bill 25,336 and sent it on to the full Assembly for debate and a vote. The proposal would ban children under 14 from creating or using …