Category: Blog

Natural disasters and severe weather events led to more than ₡1 billion in payouts for damaged homes last year, data from the National Insurance Institute (INS) shows. The institute handled 342 claims from homeowners, totaling ₡1,039,170,709 in compensation. These payments went to policyholders with what people often call fire insurance, though the coverage extends far …

Read more “Costa Rica Faces ₡1 Billion Bill from Home Damages Due to Fires and Floods”

The short encounter was recorded on a cellphone by Keylor Monge, a local tour guide who was leading an excursion on Friday, Feb. 6. Monge said the sighting happened around 11:48 a.m., and that it was a reminder of “how unpredictable” nature can be. Puma sightings in Corcovado are not unheard of, but guides and …

Read more “Puma spotted near tourists in Costa Rica’s Corcovado”

Half of the planet’s coral reefs suffered major damage from a heatwave that occurred almost a decade ago, according to research released Tuesday, which warns that a similar and more severe phenomenon is unfolding now. Corals are invertebrate animals that build reefs, colorful, multi-shaped structures that serve as habitat for marine species. Scientists have warned …

Read more “Study Finds Half of the World’s Coral Reefs Hit by Mass Bleaching”

Route 32 reopened Wednesday morning under regulated passage at kilometer 48, a spot hard hit by repeated slides from heavy rains. The Ministry of Public Works and Transport posted the update at 6:45 a.m. They maintain steady checks on the road because rain keeps falling in the area and raises the chance of fresh slides. …

Read more “Route 32 Reopens in Costa Rica with Traffic Controls at Key Slide Zone”

Cuba’s ongoing energy shortfall has escalated into a full-scale crisis, with aviation authorities announcing a suspension of jet fuel supplies at major airports, including Havana’s José Martí International. The move, effective from February 10 through at least March 11, stems from tightened U.S. sanctions under President Donald Trump that have severed the island’s key oil …

Read more “U.S. Sanctions Fuel Cuba’s Energy Meltdown – Flights Suspended”

For those who haven’t been here before, La Fortuna sits in the northern part of the country, near Arenal Volcano. The area draws visitors with its hot springs, waterfalls, and dense forests. Travel + Leisure points out how the town has shifted toward wellness in recent years. People come to relax in thermal waters heated …

Read more “La Fortuna Tops Travel + Leisure’s List as Costa Rica’s Prime Wellness Spot”

The Ministry of Public Education (MEP) has rolled out a pilot program that allows some three-year-old children to begin preschool this year. The move targets earlier access to structured learning and aims to build stronger skills in young students across the country. Officials presented the plan to the Consejo Superior de Educación late last year. …

Read more “Costa Rica Starts Pilot Program for Preschool Education”

A significant corruption scandal has exposed how Costa Rican Coast Guard officers accepted substantial bribes to facilitate international drug trafficking operations, revealing the extent to which organized crime has penetrated national security institutions. Former Golfito deputy mayor Jimmy Vindas Aguilar, who served under the National Liberation Party (PLN) from 2016 to 2020, faces extradition to …

Read more “Costa Rica Coast Guard Corruption Scandal Tied to Drug Trafficking Case”

Nicaragua has reinstated the visa requirement for Cuban citizens, one of its few allies in Latin America, the Nicaraguan government co-led by spouses Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo reported on Sunday. The measure, which ends visa-free entry for Cubans that had been in place since 2021 to promote tourism and what the government called a …

Read more “Nicaragua reinstates travel visa for Cubans, official says”

Move over ChatGPT — Chile will launch Latam-GPT, an open-source artificial intelligence model designed to combat biases built by the primarily US-centric industry. Developped by the Chilean National Center for Artificial Intelligence (CENIA), Latam-GPT uses millions of data points collected in Latin America to showcase the continent’s cultural diversity.  The program seeks to combat “prejudices” …

Read more “Chile Launches Latam GPT to Build a Less Biased AI for Latin America”