Category: Blog

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”

Costa Rica’s economic growth rate slowed to 3.9% in the first quarter of 2025, down from 4.6% during the same period last year, according to new figures released by the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR). The drop is largely attributed to setbacks in two major sectors: agriculture and hospitality. Agricultural production, which had posted …

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An expedition of marine archaeologists from Denmark has unraveled the mystery surrounding two shipwrecks lying in the shallow waters of Cahuita National Park, on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. For nearly two centuries, local fishermen, who first settled in the area in 1826, believed the wrecks were pirate ships. However, a 2015 discovery of …

Read more “Costa Rica’s 1710 Danish Shipwreck Redefines Slave Trade Narrative”

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner returns to competition Saturday after his suspension, 104 days after winning the Australian Open.That Melbourne final in late January was his last ATP Tour match before it was announced in mid-February that he had reached an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), accepting a three-month suspension to resolve a …

Read more “Tennis Star Jannik Sinner Back on Court After Doping Suspension”

At 69 Leo XIV was elected pope at a significantly younger age than his two immediate predecessors, Francis and Benedict XVI — something observers, including his own brother, believe will bring fresh dynamism to the Holy See. Sure enough, the Chicago-born pontiff né Robert Francis Prevost is said to be a baseball fan that enjoys …

Read more “A pope for the ages: Is Leo XIV a young pontiff?”

An agreement signed by the United States and Panama a month ago does not allow for the installation of U.S. military bases in the Central American country, as claimed by some Panamanian sectors, said newly appointed U.S. Ambassador Kevin Cabrera on Thursday. A month ago, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signed an agreement in …

Read more “US Denies Military Base Plans in Panama Amid Public Outcry”

President Donald Trump congratulated León XIV, the first pope from the United States, in a message on his Truth Social network on Thursday. “Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who has just been named pope. It is a great honor to know he is the first American pope. How exciting, and what a great honor …

Read more “Trump congratulates Pope León XIV, a “great honor” for the US”

In a groundbreaking moment for the Catholic Church, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a Chicago-born prelate, was elected as the first pope from the United States on Thursday, May 8, 2025, taking the papal name Leo XIV. The announcement followed the emission of white smoke from the Sistine Chapel, signaling the successful conclusion of the conclave …

Read more “Historic Election of First American Pope: Cardinal Robert Prevost Becomes Leo XIV”

A relative newcomer to Costa Rica recently asked me what changes I had witnessed over the past 35 years of living here. I said something about how the number of vehicles on the road had probably tripled, while the population has nearly doubled. The cost of living was up—but isn’t that the case everywhere? Later, …

Read more “35 Years of Change: An Expat’s Nostalgic Look at Costa Rica’s Past”

The Osa Environmental Prosecutor’s Office has received a court order to stop a residential construction project in the Paso la Danta Biological Corridor in Portalón de Savegre, Quepos, after it was found to be illegally built within a protected forest. The ruling requires the responsible company to dismantle structures near a creek, restore affected water …

Read more “Costa Rica Orders Halt to Illegal Building in Protected Forest”