Costa Rica Faces Slower Growth and Rising Exchange Rate Pressures

Costa Rica is bracing for a challenging economic landscape through 2025 and into 2026, marked by slower growth, exchange rate pressures, and mounting uncertainties, according to economic analysts. While our country is not teetering on the edge of a recession, key sectors are losing steam, signaling a broader slowdown that could impact livelihoods and stability. …

Costa Rica’s UN Ocean Conference Role Slammed as Hypocritical

Costa Rica’s high-profile role in the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France, has triggered fierce criticism from lawmakers and environmentalists, who accuse President Rodrigo Chaves’ administration of hypocrisy. The June event, co-hosted by Costa Rica and France, aimed to advance global ocean conservation, but critics argue the government is using the platform …

Banana Workers’ Strike Ends in Panama After Pension Agreement

Workers at U.S.-based banana company Chiquita Brands in Panama ended their protests and road blockades on Wednesday after reaching an agreement over pension reforms. The workers had gone on strike on April 28, blocking roads in the Caribbean province of Bocas del Toro, which borders Costa Rica, in response to a pension reform that removed …

Canada’s Porter Airlines to Launch Direct Costa Rica Flights

Porter Airlines is gearing up to connect Canada with Costa Rica, following approval from the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) to operate direct international flights. The decision also greenlights service to Jamaica and the United Kingdom, marking a big step in the airline’s expansion plans. This move ends Porter’s reliance on codeshare agreements for these routes, …

Costa Rica’s Massive Drug Raid Targets Cocaine Network to Europe

Costa Rican authorities struck a major blow against international drug trafficking dismantling a criminal network that smuggled over five tons of cocaine to Europe. The Drug Control Police (PCD) led the operation, named “Purge” internationally and the “Embassy Case” domestically, resulting in 12 arrests in Costa Rica and 25 more across Spain, Germany, Portugal, and …

Canada’s Latest Costa Rica Travel Advisory Update

The Canadian government rolled out a fresh travel advisory for Costa Rica, urging travelers to stay sharp due to rising crime and natural risks. If you’re planning a trip to our country, here’s what you need to know to stay safe and informed. Costa Rica draws thousands of Canadians every year—143,076 visited in the first …

Costa Rica’s Guanacaste Welcomes First Starbucks in Liberia

Starbucks has opened its first store in Guanacaste at Solarium Business Park in Liberia, marking a significant step in its expansion across Costa Rica. This opening, backed by an $800,000 investment, is the first of three planned stores in the province, with two more slated for the second half of 2025. The Liberia store employs …

Costa Rica’s New Extradition Law Faces Limits in Tackling Organized Crime

Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly passed a constitutional amendment in May, allowing the extradition of nationals for international drug trafficking and terrorism. With 44 of 57 votes in favor, the reform, signed by President Rodrigo Chaves, responds to a surge in drug-related violence and judicial corruption, which doubled from 106 cases in 2019 to 273 in …

Costa Rica Law Now Requires Corporations to Register an Email for Legal Notices

Costa Rica has recently approved a very important law which establishes a new obligation for commercial corporations, and that obligation is that they must register, in the Public Registry, within the next year, an email address which will serve as a means for notification by the administrative and the judicial authorities. The New Legal Requirement …