El Salvador mural reimagines the Mona Lisa with recycled plastic caps

Made of plastic caps in many colors and sizes, Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Mona Lisa has a Latin American version: a 13-meter-tall mural erected in El Salvador by a Venezuelan artist. The mural is on the façade of a building in Zacamil, in the Mejicanos district, a working-class area of San Salvador that was once …

One-Lane Travel Returns to Costa Rica’s Tárcoles Bridge

Drivers heading along Route 34 should prepare for delays starting Monday, as traffic on the bridge over the Tárcoles River shifts back to one lane. The measure supports ongoing rehabilitation work on the structure, which connects key coastal areas. Authorities from the Executive Unit for the Tárcoles River Bridge Rehabilitation Project stated that the one-lane …

Venezuela parliament unanimously approves amnesty law

Venezuela’s National Assembly on Thursday unanimously approved a long-awaited amnesty law that could free hundreds of political prisoners jailed for being government detractors.  But the law excludes those who have been prosecuted or convicted of promoting military action against the country — which could include opposition leaders like Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, …

Giant Tortoises Reintroduced to a Galapagos Island

More than 150 giant tortoises have been reintroduced to in Ecuador’s famed Galapagos archipelago where they disappeared more than a century ago, the environment ministry said Friday. Park rangers carried large crates containing the 158 tortoises on their backs, hiking seven kilometers (four miles) across volcanic terrain and hard-to-access areas before releasing them, the ministry …

Costa Rican Film ‘Todo Puede Cambiar’ Spotlights Youth Trapped in Narcotrafficking Crisis

A new Costa Rican film set to hit theaters next week takes a hard look at how narcotrafficking and contract killings tear through young lives and families. Directed by Greivin Alfaro, a criminologist turned filmmaker, “Todo Puede Cambiar” draws from real-world issues to show the harsh outcomes of crime without any hint of glamour. The …

Costa Rica Faces New Tariff Challenges as Trump Enacts 10% Levy on Imports

President Donald Trump declared a new 10% tariff on all U.S. imports today, just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated his prior tariff system. The ruling found that Trump overstepped his powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act when he set broad duties last year. Trump responded by shifting to the Trade Act …

Guatemala’s Sanctioned Attorney General Applies for Third Term

Guatemala’s Attorney General Consuelo Porras has submitted her application for a third consecutive term, despite international sanctions labeling her as corrupt and anti-democratic. The postulation commission confirmed her candidacy yesterday, as the application period closed with 59 total submissions. President Bernardo Arévalo, who will select the next attorney general from a shortlist of six, has …

Neymar signals retirement could come after the 2026 World Cup

Neymar has suggested his playing career may end when his contract with Santos expires in December 2026, saying ongoing injuries have pushed him into “living year to year” as he tries to put himself in position for the 2026 World Cup. Speaking in an interview published by CazéTV, the former Brazil captain said he does …

Venus Williams takes Indian Wells wild cards for singles and doubles

Venus Williams will return to the BNP Paribas Open next month after accepting wild cards into both the singles and doubles draws, tournament organizers announced Friday. Williams, 45, a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion and former world No. 1, said she is looking forward to coming back to a tournament she long called home in …