In a follow-up to our article published late yesterday on this fast-moving story, Costa Rica’s lawmakers decided against stripping President Rodrigo Chaves of his legal shield, letting him sidestep a corruption trial for now. The vote came up short at 34 in favor and 21 opposed, missing the 38 needed to move forward. This marks …
Read more “Costa Rica Lawmakers Reject Lifting Immunity for President Chaves”
Costa Rica’s Congress began today to debate whether to lift President Rodrigo Chaves’s immunity so he can be tried for alleged corruption. The special session was opened by the head of Congress, opposition figure Rodrigo Arias. This is the first time a Costa Rican president has faced a request to remove immunity. The conservative leader, …
Read more “Costa Rica Opens Debate to Lift President Chaves’s Immunity”
Costa Rica Surfer Leilani McGonagle took home the top prize at the 2025 Super Girl Surf Pro in Oceanside, California. She beat out strong competition to become the first non-American to ever win this event. The tournament wrapped up over the weekend of September 19-21, drawing crowds to the beach for high-level surfing and music. …
Read more “Costa Rican Surfer Leilani McGonagle Claims Historic Win”
Costa Rican authorities are probing reports of missing fentanyl from public hospitals, raising fears that the potent painkiller is slipping into illegal markets. The Costa Rican Social Security Fund, known as the CCSS, recently filed a formal complaint with the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) over suspected discrepancies in fentanyl stocks at Hospital México in San …
Read more “Costa Rica Hospital Fentanyl Thefts Spark OIJ Probe”
Google Maps has rolled out an expanded Street View feature across Costa Rica, giving people a chance to check out more streets and spots from their devices. The update captures fresh images from a pickup truck that traveled roads between May 2024 and July 2025, including remote areas and natural sites. Content creator Trevor Rainbolt, …
Read more “Google Maps Street View Expands in Costa Rica with Waterfalls”
In a Havana park, in broad daylight, a young man walks erratically, shuffling his feet with a vacant stare, like a zombie. It’s the effect of “el químico,” the synthetic drug that has set off alarms on the island. In a country accustomed to low levels of drug use, consumption of this highly addictive synthetic …
Read more “The Synthetic Drug Fueling Zombie-Like Scenes in Cuba”
A troubling scam has gained traction in Costa Rica this year, where criminals trick people into thinking they’re kidnapped and then extort money from their families. Authorities call it virtual or psychological kidnapping, and it’s hitting workers from small companies hard. The Judicial Investigation Agency, known as OIJ, has tracked 26 reports from January through …
Read more “Rising Virtual Kidnapping Scams Target Costa Rica Businesses”
Costa Rica has started bringing in workers from El Salvador to help with shortages in transportation. Fifteen Salvadoran drivers arrived this week under a labor agreement signed by the two countries in 2023. They hold heavy vehicle licenses and will take on roles that local companies have struggled to fill, mainly driving buses and trucks. …
Read more “Salvadoran Workers Arrive in Costa Rica to Address Transport Shortages”
CNN en Español published an article noting that Costa Rica has gone from being “the Switzerland of Central America” to becoming a key route for drug trafficking.“ Renowned for its peaceful and stable environment… today it faces a different reality, as reflected in the report published on Monday by the United States government,” the article said, …
Read more “CNN: Costa Rica Shifts From “Switzerland” to Drug Transit Route”
Chiquita Brands, the multinational banana company, has begun rehiring workers it laid off after halting operations in Panama three months ago due to a strike, Panamanian authorities said Friday. The rehiring’s follow an agreement reached in late August between company executives and Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino for the company’s return to the country. Chiquita …
Read more “Chiquita Returns to Panama, Begins Rehiring After Strike Deal”