US Ruling Denies Bond to Son Accused of Killing Costa Rican Mother

A Tennessee judge has bound over murder charges against the husband and son of Costa Rican Silvia Gabriela Vílchez Mora, who authorities say died from a brutal beating before her body burned in a rural fire pit. The ruling came during a preliminary hearing on December 8 in Sequatchie County, advancing the case to a …

Australian Open 2026 Highlights Central America’s Grand Slam Gap

Central America will again have a modest footprint at the 2026 Australian Open – but the region’s lone singles representative arrives in Melbourne with real momentum and a growing symbolic weight. Mexican Renata Zarazua, coming off a career-defining 2025 season, headlines Latin America’s presence from north of the Darién. She is expected to be the …

Costa Rican Surfer Carden Jagger Advances at ISA World Junior Championships

Carden Jagger, a 14-year-old surfer from Playa Grande in Guanacaste, has moved forward to the third round in the under-16 division at the 2025 ISA World Junior Surfing Championships in Punta Rocas, Peru. His performance stands out as he carries forward our country’s expectations in a field of top young athletes from around the world. …

WestJet Expands Canadian Access to Costa Rica with Vancouver-Guanacaste Service

WestJet started its direct service from Vancouver to Costa Rica yesterday, landing with 153 passengers at Guanacaste Airport. This move broadens travel options between Canada’s west coast and Costa Rica’s northern Pacific area. The flight runs every Friday on a Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft. It touches down in Guanacaste at 9:21 a.m. and heads back …

Yamil Bukele Takes Over El Salvador Soccer Federation After FIFA Intervention Ends

Yamil Bukele, brother of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, took office Friday as president of the country’s soccer federation (Fesfut), pledging to run the organization honestly and revive a struggling national game. His appointment ends FIFA’s intervention in Fesfut. In 2022, FIFA installed a normalization committee after several federation officials were accused of fraudulent administration and …

Costa Rica President Explores El Salvador’s CECOT Prison During Official Visit

President Rodrigo Chaves completed a two-day trip to El Salvador on Friday by walking through the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), the region’s largest prison built to hold gang members. The visit highlights his plan to adopt similar approaches in Costa Rica as homicides and drug-related crimes continue to climb. Chaves arrived by helicopter at the …

Costa Rica Has the World’s Second-Worst Traffic

Drivers here in Costa Rica spend hours stuck in gridlock each day, and new figures confirm the problem ranks among the most severe worldwide. According to the latest mid-year 2025 report from Numbeo, the global cost-of-living database, Costa Rica holds the second spot for worst traffic congestion, trailing only Nigeria. The report measures traffic conditions …

Roger Federer Returns to Australian Open for Star-Studded 2026 Launch Event

Tennis fans around the world got a surprise boost on Friday when Australian Open organizers announced that Roger Federer would make a triumphant return to Rod Laver Arena. The Swiss legend, who retired in 2022 after a storied career, will headline the tournament’s first-ever opening ceremony on January 17, 2026, the night before the main …