Last month, the Costa Rican Ministry of Health approved a regulation to facilitate the sale of “medical cannabis products” aka weed, ganja, grass, mota, but only, in their words, to help patients in urgent need due to health problems. The so-called medical marijuana will be available by prescription only. A bill had been approved in …
Read more “Costa Rica’s Medical Marijuana Rollout: Legal Relief or Just a Loophole?”
Stargazers across a swathe of the world marvelled at a dramatic red “Blood Moon” during a rare total lunar eclipse in the early hours of Friday morning. The celestial spectacle was visible in the Americas and Pacific and Atlantic oceans, as well as in the westernmost parts of Europe and Africa. The phenomenon happens when …
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Costa Rica is dealing with a noticeable drop in tourism, a vital economic driver, as visitor numbers decline in 2025. The Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT) reports a 1.5% decrease in arrivals in January 2025 compared to January 2024, with North American and European visitors leading the downturn despite a rise in South American travelers. …
Read more “Costa Rica Tourism Declines in 2025: Fewer Visitors from U.S. and Europe”
The inhospitable jungle of the Darién, on the border between Colombia and Panama, has ceased to serve as a passage corridor for migrants seeking the American dream, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said on Thursday. The flow of migrants crossing this jungle has dropped to extremely low levels due to fears of mass deportations ordered …
Read more “Panama Shuts Down Darién Gap Migration Route Amid U.S. Deportation Fears”
The hammock on my front porch is one of my most important writing tools. I often enjoy a light swing while contemplating the subject of my next wildlife article. Last week, while swaying lightly in the hot dry season breeze, a streak-backed oriole appeared and began constructing a nest on the power line in front …
Read more “Costa Rica Wildlife: The Streak-Backed Oriole and Its Black Teardrop Nests”
Guatemala announced plans on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, to build a new center for deported migrants near its border with Mexico, a project funded by a $2 million USAID grant despite the agency facing steep cuts under President Donald Trump. Set to open in mid-2026 in the border hub of Tecún Umán, the facility aims …
Read more “Guatemala To Build USAID-Funded Migrant Center Amid U.S. Deportation Push”
Costa Rica’s image as a peaceful haven is cracking—not just on the streets, where homicides are spiking, but inside homes, where domestic violence has more than doubled in four years. Official figures paint a grim picture: in 2021, the country logged 9,406 cases of domestic violence, a number that ballooned to 23,046 by 2024—a staggering …
Read more “Domestic Violence Surges in Costa Rica Amid Deepening Social Crisis”
On Tuesday, opposition figures and exiled Nicaraguan media outlets reported that the government has confined former Sandinista commander Henry Ruiz, 81, to his home in Managua, marking the latest move against dissenters by President Daniel Ortega’s regime. Ruiz, known as “Commander Modesto” from his guerrilla days, has been under de facto house arrest since Saturday, …
Read more “Nicaragua’s Ortega Targets Another Rebel Icon with House Arrest”
The Airbnb platform delivered a new update on the tax contributions it has made in Costa Rica, which amount to more than $5 million as of December 2024. This has been carried out since the platform registered with the Ministry of Finance as a cross-border service provider in June 2023. In fact, Airbnb became the …
Read more “Costa Rica Benefits as Airbnb Delivers $5M+ in Tax Contributions”
Poás Volcano National Park has officially reopened to visitors, the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) announced. The reopening comes with updated safety measures to protect tourists and staff following recent volcanic activity. The Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), through the Central Conservation Area (ACC-SINAC), confirmed that the park is now accessible under specific …
Read more “Poás Volcano National Park Reopens with Enhanced Safety Protocols”