Category: Blog

Expotur 2025, Costa Rica’s premier tourism trade show, recently concluded at the Costa Rica Convention Center, showcasing our country’s latest strategies to remain a leader in global tourism. The event, organized by the Costa Rican Association of Tourism Professionals (ACOPROT), brought together over 120 local businesses and buyers from 27 countries, underscoring Costa Rica’s commitment …

Read more “Expotur 2025: Crime and Rising Costs Challenge Costa Rica’s Tourism”

Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli arrived in Colombia this Saturday under political asylum, after spending 15 months sheltered in the Nicaraguan embassy to avoid serving a nearly 11-year prison sentence for money laundering. Panama’s foreign ministry announced in a statement that it had “granted the safe-conduct” for Martinelli’s “secure departure” to Colombia, after President Gustavo …

Read more “Former Panama President Martinelli Avoids Jail, Arrives in Colombia Under Asylum”

Today we meet the most aquatic member of Costa Rica’s weasel family, the neotropical river otter. The neotropical river otter (Lontra longicaudis) is known as the nutria or perro de agua in Spanish. There’s another species of animal called a nutria in English. It looks like a mix between a rat and a beaver and …

Read more “Costa Rica’s Elusive River Otter: Behavior, Scat Clues, and Rare Video Evidence”

A fishing ban in the Gulf of Nicoya, effective since May 1st and lasting until July 3rd, protects shrimp, corvina, snapper, and white mullet during their breeding season. Enforced by the Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (INCOPESCA), the ban promotes sustainable artisanal, sport, and sport fishing, supporting coastal communities like Chomes and Isla …

Read more “Why Costa Rica is Banning Fishing in the Gulf of Nicoya for May–July”

In Costa Rica, the iconic “May beetles” (abejones de mayo), known scientifically as the Phyllophaga genus, are vanishing at an alarming rate. These beetles, which have long heralded the arrival of the rainy season each May, are now a rare sight, even in rural areas. Biologists at the University of Costa Rica (UCR) estimate a …

Read more “Costa Rica’s May Beetles Vanish, Signaling Ecological Crisis”

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele on Saturday shared images of gang members in a mega-prison to discredit statements made by two leaders of the Quarter 18 gang to the digital newspaper The Lighthouse about an alleged deal that helped him rise to power in 2019. “Bukele made a pact with the gangs,” the president wrote …

Read more “El Salvador Denies Gang Pact Amid New Allegations from Barrio 18 Leaders”

Anyone who has lived here more than a few months is well aware of the myriad problems present in 21st century Costa Rica: Violent crime (our murder rate per capita is not far behind that of Chicago); Theft (on all levels, from a crackhead stealing a bicycle off your porch to an elected official pocketing …

Read more “Living in Costa Rica as an Expat Isn’t Perfect—But It’s Better Than You Think”

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warns that a 41% funding cut is jeopardizing support for refugees in Costa Rica, especially Nicaraguans fleeing repression. With over 222,000 asylum claims pending, the country’s asylum system is buckling. Nicaraguans escape political crackdowns, human rights abuses, and economic collapse, sparked by 2018 protests and worsened by …

Read more “UNHCR Warns Funding Cuts Threaten Refugee Support in Costa Rica”

A 10% tariff on imports from Costa Rica, rolled out by the U.S. government in April, could slash the country’s economic growth from 3.6% to 3% in 2025, says the International Center for Economic Policy for Sustainable Development of the National University (CINPE-UNA). This hit stems from Costa Rica’s tight trade ties with the U.S., …

Read more “How Trump’s Tariffs Threaten Costa Rica’s Exports and Jobs”

Costa Rica violated the rights of over 200 migrants deported by the United States—including 81 children—according to a report by the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), the Jesuit Migrant Service (SJM-CR), and the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). A lawsuit filed before the U.N. claims the detentions risked long-term harm to minors. The …

Read more “Costa Rica Faces Backlash Over Migrant Detentions and Rights Abuses”