El Salvador Mothers Denounce Prolonged Gang Crackdown Detentions

Ana Mercedes García spends her nights praying for her son, a construction worker with no criminal record who has been held in pretrial detention for three years. Prosecutors have already admitted he was wrongly accused of being a gang member. Her son, Ricardo Ernesto Martínez, was arrested on May 10, 2022, under President Nayib Bukele’s …

Unique Costa Rica Tours Beyond Ziplines You Should Try

I remember a time when there were no canopy zipline tours in Costa Rica. The first one didn’t open until 1997, in the cloud forest of Monteverde. Before that, tourism here revolved around the National Park system, which began with Poás Volcano in 1970, followed by Manuel Antonio in 1972, and more throughout the 70s …

Costa Rica Faces Decade of Lost Progress in Education, Report Finds

Costa Rica lost ten years of progress in education, according to the Tenth Report on the State of Education 2025. The COVID-19 pandemic, along with a lack of an effective education policy, has led to a substantial decline in reading, math, and science learning. The report highlights that the results of national and international tests …

Costa Rica Court Rules Uber Driver an Employee, Orders Vacation and Severance Pay

A court in Costa Rica has ruled that Uber must treat one of its drivers as an employee, not an independent contractor. The decision means the company has to pay out for vacations, a year-end bonus, and severance. This came from the Appeals Tribunal in San José, which backed up an earlier court finding. The …

Maduro Says There Is No Way the United States Will Invade Venezuela

President Nicolás Maduro said Thursday that “there is no way” the United States will invade Venezuela and urged his citizens to enlist in the military forces, amid Washington’s announcements of mobilizing troops to the Caribbean. The United States announced the deployment of five warships and around 4,000 personnel to the southern Caribbean, near Venezuela’s territorial …

Costa Rica’s Cerro Chirripó Ancient Ice Age Legacy Uncovered

Cerro Chirripó, Costa Rica’s highest peak at 3,820 meters above sea level, was the focus of a recent lecture at the National University’s Brunca Regional Campus, revealing its little-known glacial history. The event marked the start of the 2025 second academic cycle. The lecture, titled “Origin of the Geological Moorland of Chirripó National Park, Tourism, …

Climate Change Could Push Young Latin Americans into Poverty

Climate change will push six million Latin Americans and Caribbeans under the age of 25 into poverty by 2030, according to a report released Wednesday by two UN agencies. The report, prepared by UNICEF and ECLAC, states that the region currently has about 94 million poor people under 25. However, that figure will rise by …

Costa Rica Unveils Plans for Maximum-Security Prison

Costa Rica will soon be home to a new high-security prison designed specifically to house our country’s most dangerous inmates. At a weekly press conference on Wednesday, the government announced the construction of the El Caco high-security facility—a project aimed at addressing the escalating violence fueled by organized crime. The prison will be built on …

Costa Rica Reviews Concession to Modernize Route 32 Highway

Costa Rica’s Route 32, which connects the Greater Metropolitan Area with the province of Limón, is often closed due to landslides. Sometimes, the road is closed for prolonged periods and even for several days. For countless drivers, this road has become a nightmare, with endless traffic due to unexpected closures and the stress of not …

Costa Rica’s Spectral Bats Caught on Camera Hugging and Sharing Meals

New footage from Costa Rica’s forests shows spectral bats in a fresh light, far from the lone predators many pictured them as. These large carnivorous bats, known as Vampyrum spectrum, display clear signs of family bonds through hugs, play, and food sharing. Researchers captured the scenes over three months in Guanacaste, offering a close look …