Last year I wrote an article suggesting that Costa Rica build a maximum security prison like the one in El Salvador. The idea was that it would be only for white collar criminals, and the tone was satirical, though some readers appeared to take it seriously. Maybe those readers knew something I didn’t, because the …
Read more “Can a New Supermax Prison Slow Costa Rica’s Gang Violence”
About thirty countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have been meeting in Panama since Monday to draft an emergency plan for Haiti, which is facing one of the region’s worst humanitarian crises amid gang violence. The meeting comes after the United Nations failed to raise even a quarter of the $908 million it requested …
Read more “Panama hosts talks to coordinate Haiti support after UN funding effort falters”
Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of San Salvador on Sunday, calling for an end to President Nayib Bukele’s state of emergency. The measure, in place since March 2022, has drawn sharp criticism for enabling arrests without warrants and suspending key constitutional rights. The protest coincided with the anniversary of the 1992 peace accords …
Read more “El Salvador Protesters Demand End to Bukele’s State of Emergency”
With national elections set for February 1, Costa Rican citizens face a final push to secure their identity cards before heading to the polls. The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) has issued reminders that a valid cédula de identidad remains the key document for casting a vote, and officials note that thousands of cards sit uncollected …
Read more “Don’t Let an Expired or Missing Costa Rican Cédula Keep You from the Polls”
The 61st edition of the Copa del Café wrapped up on January 24 at the Costa Rica Country Club in Escazú, where young tennis players from around the world competed in a week of high-level matches. This international junior tournament, a key event on the ITF World Tennis Tour Junior circuit, saw France’s Mathys Domenc …
Read more “Junior Tennis Stars Shine as Copa del Café 2026 Concludes”
Jannik Sinner’s bid for a third straight Australian Open title is intact, and for most of Monday it looked routine, even in the kind of sticky Melbourne conditions that had bothered him two days earlier. The two-time defending champion beat fellow Italian Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-3, 7-6(2) to reach the quarterfinals, shaking off pre-match questions …
Read more “Sinner Marches into Australian Open Quarterfinals as Heat Builds”
The Costa Rican colón has dropped against the US dollar in recent days, with the exchange rate moving closer to the 500 colones per dollar mark. Central Bank data lists the reference rate at around 495 colones per dollar as of today, up from about 490 earlier in the week. This change marks a roughly …
Read more “Exchange Rate Climbs: What It Means for Your Costa Rica Budget”
Local favorite Alex de Minaur advanced to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, after a commanding performance against Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik. The sixth-seeded Australian won 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 in just one hour and 39 minutes on Rod Laver Arena, setting up a matchup with world number one Carlos Alcaraz. De Minaur broke Bublik early in …
Read more “Alex de Minaur Into Australian Open Quarterfinals with Dominant Win”
Authorities in southern Costa Rica are investigating the illegal hunting of endangered wild pigs after the carcasses of ten animals were discovered last Wednesday inside the Golfo Dulce Forest Reserve on the Osa Peninsula. The Rancho Quemado Community Biological Monitoring group reported the incident on social media, emphasizing that hunting continues in the Vanegas community, …
Read more “Costa Rica Investigates Illegal Hunting of Endangered Wild Pigs”
A powerful winter storm hitting parts of the United States and Canada is affecting Costa Rica’s flight schedule, triggering cancellations, suspended itineraries, and lengthy delays at our two main international airports. The system has brought heavy snow and ice to wide sections of North America, along with extreme cold in some areas. When major hub …
Read more “Severe Winter Storm in North America Halts Flights to Costa Rica”