Category: Blog

More than 60 authors from 15 countries will converge on Guatemala to confront the “turbulent times” facing Central America, debating freedom of expression, migration, and more at the Centroamérica Cuenta literary festival, organizers announced. “It is no secret that Guatemala, and Central America as a whole, face significant challenges” regarding freedom of expression, said festival …

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A radar system failure at the Area Control Center in Honduras disrupted international flights across Costa Rica and Central America on Friday, March 14. The precise cause of the failure has not been specified by authorities at this time. Luis Miranda, Deputy Director of Civil Aviation, confirmed that flight operations in Costa Rica have resumed …

Read more “Radar Failure in Honduras Disrupts Central American Flights”

The President of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, said on Thursday that he authorized a Canadian-owned mine, which was shut down by the courts in 2023, to export the copper concentrate it had already extracted. The mine, owned by First Quantum Minerals, had to suspend operations following a ruling by the Panamanian Supreme Court, which declared …

Read more “Panama Allows First Quantum to Export Copper Despite Court Shutdown”

Last month, the Costa Rican Ministry of Health approved a regulation to facilitate the sale of “medical cannabis products” aka weed, ganja, grass, mota, but only, in their words, to help patients in urgent need due to health problems. The so-called medical marijuana will be available by prescription only. A bill had been approved in …

Read more “Costa Rica’s Medical Marijuana Rollout: Legal Relief or Just a Loophole?”

Stargazers across a swathe of the world marvelled at a dramatic red “Blood Moon” during a rare total lunar eclipse in the early hours of Friday morning. The celestial spectacle was visible in the Americas and Pacific and Atlantic oceans, as well as in the westernmost parts of Europe and Africa. The phenomenon happens when …

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Costa Rica is dealing with a noticeable drop in tourism, a vital economic driver, as visitor numbers decline in 2025. The Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT) reports a 1.5% decrease in arrivals in January 2025 compared to January 2024, with North American and European visitors leading the downturn despite a rise in South American travelers. …

Read more “Costa Rica Tourism Declines in 2025: Fewer Visitors from U.S. and Europe”

The inhospitable jungle of the Darién, on the border between Colombia and Panama, has ceased to serve as a passage corridor for migrants seeking the American dream, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said on Thursday. The flow of migrants crossing this jungle has dropped to extremely low levels due to fears of mass deportations ordered …

Read more “Panama Shuts Down Darién Gap Migration Route Amid U.S. Deportation Fears”

The hammock on my front porch is one of my most important writing tools. I often enjoy a light swing while contemplating the subject of my next wildlife article. Last week, while swaying lightly in the hot dry season breeze, a streak-backed oriole appeared and began constructing a nest on the power line in front …

Read more “Costa Rica Wildlife: The Streak-Backed Oriole and Its Black Teardrop Nests”

Guatemala announced plans on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, to build a new center for deported migrants near its border with Mexico, a project funded by a $2 million USAID grant despite the agency facing steep cuts under President Donald Trump. Set to open in mid-2026 in the border hub of Tecún Umán, the facility aims …

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Costa Rica’s image as a peaceful haven is cracking—not just on the streets, where homicides are spiking, but inside homes, where domestic violence has more than doubled in four years. Official figures paint a grim picture: in 2021, the country logged 9,406 cases of domestic violence, a number that ballooned to 23,046 by 2024—a staggering …

Read more “Domestic Violence Surges in Costa Rica Amid Deepening Social Crisis”