Costa Rica Surfer Leilani McGonagle took home the top prize at the 2025 Super Girl Surf Pro in Oceanside, California. She beat out strong competition to become the first non-American to ever win this event. The tournament wrapped up over the weekend of September 19-21, drawing crowds to the beach for high-level surfing and music. …
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Costa Rican authorities are probing reports of missing fentanyl from public hospitals, raising fears that the potent painkiller is slipping into illegal markets. The Costa Rican Social Security Fund, known as the CCSS, recently filed a formal complaint with the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) over suspected discrepancies in fentanyl stocks at Hospital México in San …
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Google Maps has rolled out an expanded Street View feature across Costa Rica, giving people a chance to check out more streets and spots from their devices. The update captures fresh images from a pickup truck that traveled roads between May 2024 and July 2025, including remote areas and natural sites. Content creator Trevor Rainbolt, …
Read more “Google Maps Street View Expands in Costa Rica with Waterfalls”
In a Havana park, in broad daylight, a young man walks erratically, shuffling his feet with a vacant stare, like a zombie. It’s the effect of “el químico,” the synthetic drug that has set off alarms on the island. In a country accustomed to low levels of drug use, consumption of this highly addictive synthetic …
Read more “The Synthetic Drug Fueling Zombie-Like Scenes in Cuba”
A troubling scam has gained traction in Costa Rica this year, where criminals trick people into thinking they’re kidnapped and then extort money from their families. Authorities call it virtual or psychological kidnapping, and it’s hitting workers from small companies hard. The Judicial Investigation Agency, known as OIJ, has tracked 26 reports from January through …
Read more “Rising Virtual Kidnapping Scams Target Costa Rica Businesses”
Costa Rica has started bringing in workers from El Salvador to help with shortages in transportation. Fifteen Salvadoran drivers arrived this week under a labor agreement signed by the two countries in 2023. They hold heavy vehicle licenses and will take on roles that local companies have struggled to fill, mainly driving buses and trucks. …
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CNN en Español published an article noting that Costa Rica has gone from being “the Switzerland of Central America” to becoming a key route for drug trafficking.“ Renowned for its peaceful and stable environment… today it faces a different reality, as reflected in the report published on Monday by the United States government,” the article said, …
Read more “CNN: Costa Rica Shifts From “Switzerland” to Drug Transit Route”
Chiquita Brands, the multinational banana company, has begun rehiring workers it laid off after halting operations in Panama three months ago due to a strike, Panamanian authorities said Friday. The rehiring’s follow an agreement reached in late August between company executives and Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino for the company’s return to the country. Chiquita …
Read more “Chiquita Returns to Panama, Begins Rehiring After Strike Deal”
Tensions between Venezuela and the United States have surged following a series of deadly U.S. military operations in the Caribbean Sea. The Venezuelan government is calling for an international investigation, accusing the U.S. of committing extrajudicial killings under the guise of counternarcotics operations. U.S. Attacks Spark Outrage and Military Response The U.S. military has deployed …
Read more “Venezuela Accuses U.S. of Undeclared War After Deadly Boat Attacks”
One of the year’s biggest olive ridley sea turtle arribadas kicked off on September 13 at Ostional Beach in Costa Rica’s Guanacaste province. Thousands of females have come ashore to nest, covering the sand in a dense wave of activity. As of September 20, the event moves into its closing days, with fewer turtles arriving …
Read more “Costa Rica’s Ostional Refuge Sees Major Turtle Nesting Event Enter Final Days”