Sargassum Buildup Grows on Costa Rica Northern Caribbean Coast

The Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) has informed the public about the presence and increasing accumulation of sargassum along Costa Rica’s northern Caribbean coast. MINAE provided the details through the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC), the Tortuguero Conservation Area (ACTO) and its Ecological Integrity Monitoring Program. Sargassum is a genus of floating seaweed. …

Winter Storm in U.S. Northeast Cancels and Delays Flights at Costa Rica Airports

Passengers at Costa Rica’s two main international airports faced cancellations and long delays this week as a powerful winter storm in the northeastern United States disrupted air travel. Blizzard conditions, heavy snow and strong winds from Sunday into Monday forced widespread schedule changes at major U.S. hubs, including New York, Boston, Newark and Philadelphia. Thousands …

FIFA’s Infantino “Very Reassured” on Mexico World Cup Security

FIFA boss Gianni Infantino said on Tuesday he was “very reassured” about Mexico’s hosting of games in the football World Cup, in his first comments on the violence triggered by the killing of a drug cartel leader. “Very reassured, everything’s good. It’s going to be spectacular,” Infantino said in the Colombian city of Barranquilla, two …

Costa Rica Finishes Work on Extradition of Celso Gamboa and Pecho de Rata

Costa Rican courts finished every domestic requirement for the extradition of Celso Gamboa Sánchez and Edwin Danney López Vega, known as Pecho de Rata. The two men now sit in preventive custody at La Reforma prison in Alajuela. Their transfer to U.S. authorities depends only on formal sentencing guarantees from the United States. The Court …

El Salvador Beach Goes From Gang Stronghold to Tourist Getaway

Between waves and postcard sunsets, foreign tourists enjoy El Tunco beach in El Salvador, once overrun by gang members. They do not hold back their praise for President Nayib Bukele, even as they acknowledge that innocent people may have been caught up in his crackdown. El Salvador is experiencing a tourism boom after bringing criminal …

Costa Rica Conducts Raids in Migrant Smuggling Crackdown

Costa Rican authorities began a large operation early this morning in northern Costa Rica and other areas to target a criminal group known as “Los Talibanes.” Officers from the Judicial Investigation Agency and the Prosecutor’s Office executed 51 raids that began at 1 a.m. Most took place in Los Chiles, with additional actions in San …

Quepos Reinvents Itself from a Costa Rican Banana Port to a Sportfishing Hub

Over nearly a century, the Central Pacific Coast town Quepos has evolved from the banana-driven economy of the United Fruit Company to a popular tourist destination. Last year a quarter of all visitors to Costa Rica spent time and money in Quepos and the nearby Manuel Antonio National Park area. In recent times, Quepos has …

El Salvador Abortion Rights Group Shuts Down Amid Civil Society Restrictions

An El Salvador abortion rights group closed its legal operations after two decades of defending women jailed for pregnancy terminations, citing a hostile environment under President Nayib Bukele’s government. The Citizens’ Group for the Decriminalization of Abortion announced its dissolution today in San Salvador. The organization will shift to a regional activism model while maintaining …

Costa Rica Asks Nicaragua to Increase Patrols Over Illegal Gold Smuggling

Costa Rica asked Nicaragua to increase police patrols along the San Juan River. The request targets the movement of gold-bearing sediments taken illegally from the Crucitas area in northern San Carlos. Public Security Minister Mario Zamora Cordero sent a formal letter to Foreign Minister Arnoldo André Tinoco on February 20. In it, Zamora called on …