The Panamanian subsidiary of U.S. banana giant Chiquita Brands announced a mass dismissal of workers on Thursday, nearly a month after a strike that has cost the company an estimated US $75 million. In a statement, Chiquita Panamá said it had “regrettably” fired all of its daily workers for “unjustified abandonment of duties.” Daily workers …
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I was too young to drive when my family moved from New Jersey to Pennsylvania, but even as a passenger, I remember the comments. It went something like this: “You know when you hit the PA state line because the quality of the road immediately falls off a cliff.” As I aged into driving, I …
Read more “Driving in Costa Rica: An Expat’s Journey Through Potholes and Patience”
Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado, known for his powerful black-and-white images of the Amazon and global conflicts, died on Friday at the age of 81, his family and the French Academy of Fine Arts announced. The institution, based in Paris and of which he had been a member since 2016, described him as a “great witness …
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In Costa Rica’s Caribbean lowlands, the Madre de Dios and Santa Marta lagoons in Barra del Pacuare, spanning Matina and Siquirres in Limón, are facing a devastating fish kill. Since we first reported about this, locals have reported hundreds of dead fish—snook, mojarra, tilapia, and more—washing up daily, likely due to chemical runoff from nearby …
Read more “Costa Rica’s Massive Fish Kills Also Kills Tourism”
Starting on December 20, Delta Airlines will connect Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) with Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) in Liberia. This new weekly flight, operating every Saturday, marks the first direct route between Detroit and Costa Rica, opening up Guanacaste’s beaches to those coming from this part of the United States. Delta will use …
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Cybercrime is hitting Costa Ricans hard, with scams and fraud becoming a daily reality for many. An average of 38 people fall victim to electronic scams every day, a number that’s climbing fast. Between 2020 and 2024, banking cyber fraud cases skyrocketed by 668%, and experts warn 2025 could set a new record. If trends …
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I have now spent roughly half my life in Costa Rica. In terms of physical and mental health, I will never regret my decision to leave everything behind and relocate here permanently. I feel great for my age (for those who are counting, I like to say that I reached the finish line—you know, when …
Read more “Costa Rica Expat Life:Spanish Fluency and Aging Brains”
The government of U.S. President Donald Trump “unjustly” expelled 200 migrants to Costa Rica—including children—after holding them “in abusive detention conditions,” the NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) charged on Thursday. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has made the fight against irregular migration a top priority and has vowed to deport a …
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To strengthen fishing tourism as an engine for sustainable development, fishing tourism organizations from Guatemala, Honduras, and Costa Rica signed the Letter of Understanding that gives rise to the Central American Sportfishing Alliance (CASA). The three countries agree that sport fishing and issues regarding highly migratory species must be addressed jointly. The decisions and policies …
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Costa Rica’s push to modernize its water management with a new Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) law has hit a rough patch. Environmental groups, with over 100 organizations voicing opposition, argue the bill takes a big step backward on environmental and social fronts. While the 1942 Water Law needs an update to handle today’s population …
Read more “Critics Warn New Water Law in Costa Rica Threatens Biodiversity & Aquifers”