The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) heard a petition this week to strengthen precautionary measures for Brörán indigenous leader Pablo Sibar. The request stems from a recent land invasion that put his life and safety at immediate risk. Sibar has held these protections, known as Precautionary Measure MC 321/12, since 2015. The latest incident …

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Costa Rica plans to break ground this year on a large maximum-security prison, taking cues from El Salvador’s approach to locking down serious offenders. The project aims to tackle rising organized crime and ease packed prisons across the country. Officials named the site the Center for High Containment of Organized Crime, or CACCO. It will …

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Plastic pollution hits hard in Costa Rica, with tiny particles showing up everywhere from sandy shores to marine life. The Costa Rican Association of Chemists raised alarms this week about sky-high levels of microplastics on beaches, in coastal waters, and inside ocean creatures. Their alert draws from fresh research by the Center for Research in …

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An investigation published by Mongabay revealed that Costa Rican authorities authorized the transit of 12.6 tons of shark fins from Nicaragua between 2023 and 2024. This resulted in the death of at least 15,000 sharks, as well as a violation of national laws and global efforts to conserve these species, as agreed upon by the …

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A new United Nations report released yesterday shows hate speech and discrimination on social media in Costa Rica hit a record 2.1 million messages this year. That’s up 16% from 2024 and a staggering 400% jump since 2021. The findings, from the 2025 Report on Hate Speech and Discrimination, point to serious risks for the …

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La cancha, el césped, the pitch — call it what you want — the soccer field is the heart of many barrios and small towns in Costa Rica. I live right around the corner from our barrio’s multifunctional field. It’s part soccer pitch, part playground, part picnic spot — an open-air gathering place that is …

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The fact that it was expected didn’t make it any less harsh. The newly approved indefinite presidential re-election in El Salvador pushes back the return of dozens of human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, and environmentalists who went into exile to avoid prison. Four of them spoke about what they call an “escalating repression” by President …

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The Municipality of Santa Cruz demolished five structures built on Avellanas Beach, within the 50-meter public zone of the maritime-terrestrial area. In a video posted on the municipality’s social media accounts, Mayor Jorge Alfaro said the demolition complied with a court order. “In a ruling issued by the Administrative Court, the municipality was ordered to …

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A Guatemalan court began on Tuesday the final hearing in the trial of seven former officials over the deaths of 41 girls in a fire at a state shelter in 2017, a tragedy that shocked the country. The girls and adolescents died at the Virgen de la Asunción Safe Home on March 8, 2017, International …

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Costa Rica is projected to experience solid economic growth in 2025, with forecasts pointing to a moderate slowdown but still strong performance compared to many regional peers. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Costa Rica’s GDP growth is expected to be around 3.4% to 3.5% this year, supported by robust fundamentals, sound policies, and …

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