Category: Blog

Marriott International will bring its prestigious St. Regis brand to Costa Rica with the St. Regis Papagayo, set to open in early 2027 in the Gulf of Papagayo. Construction begins in July 2025, with the first phase, including residences, expected to complete by December 2026. Spanning 20 hectares with 634 linear yards of beachfront, the …

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Thousands of people marched in Panama on Friday to protest the arrest of two trade-union leaders who have spearheaded demonstrations against the right-wing government of President José Raúl Mulino. Two officials from SUNTRACS—the country’s largest construction union—are being held on money-laundering charges, while the union’s left-wing chief, Saúl Méndez, has sought asylum in the Bolivian …

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Costa Rica President Rodrigo Chaves filed a criminal complaint against two Teletica journalists, Álvaro Sánchez Córdoba and Christian Montero Ulate, for publishing his personal phone number on their personal Facebook accounts. The Presidential Office labeled the act “condemnable and illegal,” sparking a heated controversy that led to the journalists’ dismissal from Teletica Canal 7. The …

Read more “Chaves’ Complaint Sparks Debate on Press Freedom in Costa Rica Media Clash”

Costa Rican police conducted a groundbreaking operation, seizing five capybaras—a non-native species—in the country’s first recorded case of capybara trafficking. The seizure occurred during a vehicle checkpoint on Route 34, Costanera Sur, in Orotina, Alajuela, along the Pacific coast. The incident began when a vehicle attempted to evade a police roadblock in the Mollejones sector. …

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The Panamanian subsidiary of U.S. banana giant Chiquita Brands announced a mass dismissal of workers on Thursday, nearly a month after a strike that has cost the company an estimated US $75 million. In a statement, Chiquita Panamá said it had “regrettably” fired all of its daily workers for “unjustified abandonment of duties.” Daily workers …

Read more “Chiquita Panama Fires Thousands Amid Illegal Banana Strike”

I was too young to drive when my family moved from New Jersey to Pennsylvania, but even as a passenger, I remember the comments. It went something like this: “You know when you hit the PA state line because the quality of the road immediately falls off a cliff.” As I aged into driving, I …

Read more “Driving in Costa Rica: An Expat’s Journey Through Potholes and Patience”

Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado, known for his powerful black-and-white images of the Amazon and global conflicts, died on Friday at the age of 81, his family and the French Academy of Fine Arts announced. The institution, based in Paris and of which he had been a member since 2016, described him as a “great witness …

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In Costa Rica’s Caribbean lowlands, the Madre de Dios and Santa Marta lagoons in Barra del Pacuare, spanning Matina and Siquirres in Limón, are facing a devastating fish kill. Since we first reported about this, locals have reported hundreds of dead fish—snook, mojarra, tilapia, and more—washing up daily, likely due to chemical runoff from nearby …

Read more “Costa Rica’s Massive Fish Kills Also Kills Tourism”

Starting on December 20, Delta Airlines will connect Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) with Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) in Liberia. This new weekly flight, operating every Saturday, marks the first direct route between Detroit and Costa Rica, opening up Guanacaste’s beaches to those coming from this part of the United States. Delta will use …

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Cybercrime is hitting Costa Ricans hard, with scams and fraud becoming a daily reality for many. An average of 38 people fall victim to electronic scams every day, a number that’s climbing fast. Between 2020 and 2024, banking cyber fraud cases skyrocketed by 668%, and experts warn 2025 could set a new record. If trends …

Read more “Cybercrime Surges in Costa Rica as Banking Fraud Hits Record”