Panama Canal Operations Continue Normally After Port Takeover Officials Say

The Panamanian government said Tuesday that trade has not been affected after it took control of two ports operated by Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings at the Panama Canal. Authorities moved in Monday to take over the Balboa port on the Pacific side and the Cristóbal port on the Atlantic side, after a court annulled …

Cuban Border Guards Kill Four on Florida Speedboat in Maritime Clash

Cuban border guards killed four people and wounded six others aboard a Florida-registered speedboat that entered the island’s territorial waters, according to an announcement from Cuba’s Ministry of the Interior. The incident occurred Wednesday morning near Cayo Falcones in central Villa Clara province. A Cuban patrol boat approached the vessel for identification, and those aboard …

Airbnb Users in Costa Rica Face April Deadline to Accept New Terms

Airbnb hosts and guests in Costa Rica have until April 20th to accept the platform’s updated Terms of Service and Privacy Policy if they want to continue booking stays or receiving reservations through the site. The company quietly rolled out the changes for new users this month and will extend them to all existing users …

Sargassum Buildup Grows on Costa Rica Northern Caribbean Coast

The Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) has informed the public about the presence and increasing accumulation of sargassum along Costa Rica’s northern Caribbean coast. MINAE provided the details through the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC), the Tortuguero Conservation Area (ACTO) and its Ecological Integrity Monitoring Program. Sargassum is a genus of floating seaweed. …

Winter Storm in U.S. Northeast Cancels and Delays Flights at Costa Rica Airports

Passengers at Costa Rica’s two main international airports faced cancellations and long delays this week as a powerful winter storm in the northeastern United States disrupted air travel. Blizzard conditions, heavy snow and strong winds from Sunday into Monday forced widespread schedule changes at major U.S. hubs, including New York, Boston, Newark and Philadelphia. Thousands …

FIFA’s Infantino “Very Reassured” on Mexico World Cup Security

FIFA boss Gianni Infantino said on Tuesday he was “very reassured” about Mexico’s hosting of games in the football World Cup, in his first comments on the violence triggered by the killing of a drug cartel leader. “Very reassured, everything’s good. It’s going to be spectacular,” Infantino said in the Colombian city of Barranquilla, two …

Costa Rica Finishes Work on Extradition of Celso Gamboa and Pecho de Rata

Costa Rican courts finished every domestic requirement for the extradition of Celso Gamboa Sánchez and Edwin Danney López Vega, known as Pecho de Rata. The two men now sit in preventive custody at La Reforma prison in Alajuela. Their transfer to U.S. authorities depends only on formal sentencing guarantees from the United States. The Court …

El Salvador Beach Goes From Gang Stronghold to Tourist Getaway

Between waves and postcard sunsets, foreign tourists enjoy El Tunco beach in El Salvador, once overrun by gang members. They do not hold back their praise for President Nayib Bukele, even as they acknowledge that innocent people may have been caught up in his crackdown. El Salvador is experiencing a tourism boom after bringing criminal …

Costa Rica Conducts Raids in Migrant Smuggling Crackdown

Costa Rican authorities began a large operation early this morning in northern Costa Rica and other areas to target a criminal group known as “Los Talibanes.” Officers from the Judicial Investigation Agency and the Prosecutor’s Office executed 51 raids that began at 1 a.m. Most took place in Los Chiles, with additional actions in San …