Author: allthingspanama.net

The U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica announced a new rule for anyone applying for F, M, or J nonimmigrant visas, which cover academic students, vocational students, and exchange program participants like professors, researchers, and au pairs. Starting immediately, applicants must set all their social media profiles to “public” to allow U.S. authorities to review their …

Read more “U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica Mandates Public Social Media for Student Visas”

More than 70 exiled Nicaraguans demanded international protection on Friday following the shooting death in Costa Rica of retired army officer Roberto Samcam, a prominent critic of the Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo government. Major Roberto Samcam, 66, was gunned down Thursday morning at his home in a suburb of San José by unidentified assailants. …

Read more “Nicaraguan Exiles Demand Protection After Costa Rica Assassination”

San José is lighting up for the 13th Costa Rica International Film Festival (CRFIC), running June 19–29, 2025, with filmmaker Patricia Velásquez Guzmán taking the reins for the first time. A festival veteran who’s been involved since its early days in the 2010s, Guzmán is shaking things up while keeping the focus on bold, independent …

Read more “Costa Rica’s Film Festival Kicks Off with a New Vision”

Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino announced Thursday that he will take “constitutional measures” to stop the wave of protests and road blockades affecting the Caribbean province of Bocas del Toro for more than a month. The measures—unspecified for now—will be announced after a Cabinet meeting on Friday at 2:00 p.m. local time (19:00 GMT), according …

Read more “Panama Vows Constitutional Action Amid Worsening Bocas del Toro Unrest”

El Salvador has extradited two members of the Lev Tahor sect—an ultra-Orthodox Jewish group under investigation for alleged child sexual abuse—to Israel and Guatemala, authorities from both countries reported Thursday. Lev Tahor, which practices an extreme form of ultra-Orthodox Judaism, has been under investigation in Guatemala for months over child abuse allegations. In December 2024, …

Read more “El Salvador Extradites Lev Tahor Members to Israel, Guatemala Over Child Abuse Charges”

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 …

Read more “Costa Rica’s $35M Mega-Prison Bid Targets Overcrowding Crisis”

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 …

Read more “Costa Rica’s Taiwan Ties Stir “One China” Policy Tensions”

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 …

Read more “Nicaraguan Critic Roberto Samcam Assassinated in Costa Rica”

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 …

Read more “Six Arrested in Costa Rica for Hiding Drugs in Boats, Surfboards”

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 …

Read more “Costa Rica Rolls Out Medical Cannabis Sales with Strict Rules”