Costa Rica Property Owners with Inactive Corporations Face Filing Deadline

Expats and property owners here in Costa Rica who hold a home, vehicle, land or other assets through a sociedad anónima should check their corporate filings before tomorrow’s deadline. April 30 is the annual deadline for inactive legal entities to file the Declaración Informativa de Personas Jurídicas Inactivas, now listed by the Ministry of Hacienda …

Panama Canal Rules Out Price Speculation Over Hormuz Blockade

Panama Canal Administrator Ricaurte Vásquez told foreign journalists that the waterway is not speculating on transit prices despite a surge in demand caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Nine out of 10 vessels book their crossings in advance through the reservation system. The remaining slots go to the highest bidder in daily …

Costa Rica Faces Growing Traffic Gridlock as Experts Call for Urgent Action

Costa Rica’s traffic problems are no longer limited to rush hour in San José. Mobility experts warn that key roads in and around the Greater Metropolitan Area have reached the point where a single crash, closure, or roadwork project can trigger hours of gridlock across several major routes. The most fragile area is west of …

El Salvador Animal Market Thrives on Cash and Barter

A rooster announces the start of the day at the San Rafael Cedros market, about 50 kilometers from San Salvador, where every weekend sellers and buyers plunge into a lively trade in livestock and farm animals. In this traditional space, roughly the size of two soccer fields, cattle, horses, pigs, rabbits, birds, and goats are …

Costa Rica Extradites Third Citizen Under New Drug Trafficking Law

Costa Rican authorities extradited José Johnny Angulo Fernández to Italy yesterday, making him the first Costa Rican citizen sent to Europe under the country’s new extradition rules. Angulo, also known as “John Cadenas,” is wanted by Italian authorities on drug trafficking charges and for alleged ties to the ’Ndrangheta, the Calabrian mafia group considered one …

Magnitude 5.3 Earthquake Rattles Costa Rica’s Central Valley

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake shook Costa Rica late Monday night, rattling homes and buildings across the Central Valley and parts of the Pacific region. No major damage or injuries had been reported by early Tuesday morning. The tremor occurred at 9:49 p.m. last night, according to the Red Sismológica Nacional (OVISCORI), which placed the epicenter …

Drug Trafficking Threatens Costa Rica’s Protected Areas in Puerto Jiménez

Drug trafficking is taking a growing toll on ecosystems in Costa Rica’s southern Pacific region, where environmental authorities warn that criminal groups are moving into protected areas around Puerto Jiménez. The Environmental Prosecutor’s Office says organized groups are following a systematic pattern of occupation in mangroves, forests and protected wilderness areas. The activity has been …

Costa Rica’s River Pollution Threatens Beaches and Wildlife

Costa Rica is known for waterfalls, cloud forests, wildlife, beaches and the kind of green reputation that draws travelers from around the world. But the country’s river systems tell a more complicated story. Some of the same waterways that flow from the mountains toward the Pacific and Caribbean carry the weight of decades of urban …

Argentine Francisco Cerúndolo Reaches Madrid Masters Last 16

Francisco Cerúndolo kept Argentina’s strong Madrid Open run alive Monday, defeating Italy’s Luciano Darderi 6-2, 6-3 to reach the last 16 of the ATP Masters 1000 event. The 27-year-old Argentine, ranked No. 20 in the world and currently the top Latin American player in the ATP rankings, produced a controlled performance on the clay at …