Author: allthingspanama.net

For years, concerns centered on the theft of older vehicles for resale as spare parts. Criminal groups now target newer models more often. They disguise the vehicles and use them in various illegal activities. Joaquín Sánchez, head of the Vehicle Theft Section, explained the details. These crimes involve entire criminal organizations. Participation covers every level …

Read more “OIJ Reports Shift in Costa Rica Car Thefts Toward Newer Vehicles”

Fabián Silva Gamboa, a constitutional lawyer who advises President-elect Laura Fernández, proposed a reform to the Political Constitution that would allow the United States to establish military bases in Costa Rica. He presented the idea as a way to step up action against drug trafficking and organized crime. Silva suggested the bases could go in …

Read more “US Bases Proposed in Limón, Puntarenas and Guanacaste to Target Drug Traffickers”

Costa Rica coffee producers need to prepare for a difficult period in 2026. The Coffee Institute of Costa Rica (ICAFE) issued the warning as it pointed to a stronger colón and the likelihood of record harvests in major producing countries. Officials said these factors could generate multimillion-colón losses across the sector and leave many farms …

Read more “Costa Rica Coffee Braces for Lower Payments and Possible Losses”

Costa Rica’s ban on sport hunting is not new, and it is not something that “went into effect this week.” It has been law since 2012. What changed this month was the message: authorities and conservation advocates pushed the point back into public view, warning that recreational hunting of wild animals remains illegal nationwide and …

Read more “Costa Rica Reaffirms Sport Hunting Is Illegal and Penalties Apply”

Prominent Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora says the justice system in his country operates like a criminal structure, and he said he was prepared to die defending himself from what he described as fascist cruelty while he was in prison. In an interview at his home in Guatemala City, where he has been under house …

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A federal judge in Massachusetts has struck down a key Trump administration immigration policy that permitted the rapid deportation of migrants to countries other than their own without adequate notice or opportunity to challenge the move. Judge Brian E. Murphy ruled on yesterday, that the policy violates federal immigration statutes and the Fifth Amendment’s due …

Read more “US Judge Vacates Trump Third-Country Deportation Policy Due To Process Violations”

Apple Sports is now available in Costa Rica after Apple expanded the iPhone app into 36 additional countries and territories across Latin America and the Caribbean, bringing total availability to 80 markets worldwide. The free app, built around real-time scoreboards, offers live scores, stats, standings, and upcoming games across a growing list of leagues and …

Read more “Apple Sports Launches in Costa Rica as App Reaches 80 Countries Worldwide”

Costa Rican law enforcement authorities are conducting a major judicial and police operation following the discovery of a suspected criminal plot to assassinate Michael Soto Rojas, interim director of the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ). The plot, linked to a broader criminal network involved in narcotics trafficking and money laundering, was revealed through coordinated actions …

Read more “Costa Rica Investigates Alleged Assassination Plot Against Interim OIJ Chief”

A French historian says France’s failed 19th-century attempt to build the Panama Canal was as significant and daunting for the French as going to the Moon, he said on Wednesday. In 1880, the French, led by Count Ferdinand de Lesseps, began work on an interoceanic canal across Panama. But tropical diseases that killed thousands of …

Read more “Why France Failed to Build the Panama Canal in the 1800s”

The Costa Rican Football Federation has named Argentine Fernando Batista as the new head coach of the national team, La Sele. The Executive Committee made the choice after reviewing several candidates, marking the start of a fresh phase for the squad after missing the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Federation President Osael Maroto stated that the …

Read more “Costa Rica Confirms Batista as La Sele’s New Head Coach”