Category: Blog

Guatemalan officials said Sunday that members of an ultra-orthodox Jewish sect broke into a shelter attempting to recapture 160 minors taken from their compound two days earlier by authorities, who accuse the sect of child sexual abuse. The farm compound in Oratoria, southwest of Guatemala City, was raided on Friday by authorities to rescue 160 minors …

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Doña Flor Arguedas has been making tamales since she was 22. That was the year she got married. Her new mother-in-law told her, “Get ready. We are making tamales for Christmas.” While this is a holiday tradition in most Costa Rican families, it so happened that Arguedas had never made a tamal in her life. …

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The President of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, rejected the threats made by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump about retaking control of the Panama Canal. “The canal is not under direct or indirect control of China, the European Community, the United States, or any other power. As a Panamanian, I strongly reject any statement that distorts this …

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Recently crocodiles have been in the news in Costa Rica. There has been an increase in crocodile sightings and within the last year or so folks are starting to wonder if there’s a problem with the country’s crocodile population. I’ll be forthright with my feelings on the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus). For me, they are …

Read more “Should There be a Crocodile Hunt in Costa Rica?”

Surf instructors in Tamarindo and other beaches in Guanacaste have raised their voices against foreigners in irregular migratory status who engage in this same activity. Recently, they formed an Association of Instructors at Tamarindo Beach to advocate for their rights. According to Heyner Miranda, President of the Surf Instructors Association of Tamarindo Beach, this has …

Read more “Costa Rica Surf Instructors Fight Back as Illegal Workers Flood Beaches”

As Christmas approaches and the high tourism season begins, Costa Rica is preparing to receive a large number of visitors. Today is one of the busiest days of the high season at Guanacaste Airport, according to projections by Coriport, the concessionaire of the terminal. With the operation of 40 aircraft and the inauguration of three …

Read more “Costa Rica’s Liberia Airport Handles 10000 Passengers Amid Runway Updates”

Driving to the Universidad Nacional in December was a family tradition for my daughter and me. Under the solstice sun and trade winds, Allison and I walked around the forestry school’s Christmas tree nursery in Heredia, north of San José, until we found a sapling with the right height and form. Back at home, decorated …

Read more “Christmas Trees in Costa Rica Connect Cultures and Traditions”

Costa Rica is home to 93 species of sharks and rays, representing 8% of the global diversity of these marine animals. However, over half of these species (56%) are endangered. Locally, they face challenges such as high fishing pressure, lack of information, illegal fishing, and limited resources for monitoring and control. On Tuesday, December 3, …

Read more “Costa Rica Sharks Face Extinction as Scientists Race Against Time”

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights condemned El Salvador this Friday for denying an abortion in 2013 to a woman, publicly known as Beatriz, despite her life being at risk and the fetus having a congenital malformation. For the first time, the continental court ruled on a case related to abortion, which is prohibited in …

Read more “Inter-American Court Rules Against El Salvador in Historic Abortion Case”

Guatemalan authorities rescued 160 children this Friday from a property belonging to the Lev Tahor sect, an ultra-orthodox Jewish group under investigation for alleged sexual abuse of minors, reported the Minister of Interior and the Prosecutor’s Office. “Operation allowed the rescue of 160 minors who were allegedly abused by a member of the Lev Tahor …

Read more “Guatemala Rescues 160 Children From Religious Group Amid Abuse Claims”