Canada Updates Travel Advisory for Costa Rica Amid Crime Concerns

The Canadian government updated its travel advisory for Costa Rica this week, recommending that its citizens “exercise a high degree of caution” due to an increase in violent crime and petty crime in key tourist destinations in the Central American country. The advisory comes at a time when Costa Rican authorities insist that insecurity does …

La Negrita: Faith, Unity, and the Heart of Costa Rica

Today, thousands of pilgrims from across Costa Rica are arriving at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels in Cartago. They come on foot, some from nearby towns and others from distant provinces, to honor the Virgin of Los Ángeles, affectionately known as La Negrita. This annual pilgrimage, called La Romería, is one of …

Costa Rican Party Faces Scandal Over Alleged Lottery Laundering Links

The leadership of the National Democratic Agenda (ADN) party dismissed the entire executive committee of that group in Guatuso after learning of its members’ alleged links to the “Tómbola case,” which investigates the alleged laundering of money through the sale of legal and illegal lottery tickets. Omar Jiménez, president of the group, recently signed a …

Costa Rica Hit by Trump’s Latest Tariff Hike Targeting Dozens of Countries

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a executive order raising tariffs on dozens of countries, including Costa Rica, as part of a broader effort to address what the administration calls “persistent trade imbalances.” The increase will be effective as of August 7 and will apply to all goods imported from Costa Rica that are not …

Costa Rica Court Upholds Adults-Only Rule for LGBTIQ+ Pride March Closing Event

In a unanimous decision, Costa Rica’s Constitutional Chamber (Sala IV) has dismissed an appeal challenging the Ministry of Justice and Peace’s reclassification of the closing event of this year’s LGBTIQ+ Pride March as “adults-only.” The case, processed under file number 25-018208-0007-CO, arose after the Commission for the Control and Classification of Public Performances, a division …

US Plans Funding for Costa Rica Migrant Deportations

The US State Department plans to allocate up to $7.85 million to assist Costa Rica in deporting migrants, drawing from a fund usually aimed at economic aid for allies. This move echoes a 2024 agreement with Panama under the Biden administration, which faced backlash from advocates worried about blocking access to US asylum. Under the …

Nicaragua’s Sandinista Commander Taken Into Custody

Sandinista commander Bayardo Arce, economic adviser to President Daniel Ortega, was jailed on Thursday after the government announced it was investigating him for corruption, according to Nicaraguan media in exile. Arce, 76, fell from grace during an internal purge within the circles of power. According to Nicaraguan opposition figures in exile, this purge is being …

El Salvador poised to allow Bukele unlimited re‑elections

The Salvadoran Congress, which is firmly in the ruling party’s hands, is set to debate constitutional changes that would let presidents run again and again, thereby ensuring the continuity of President Nayib Bukele. The reform would also stretch presidential terms from five to six years. Bukele, who is 44, has been in office since 2019. …

How Costa Rican Women Won the Right to Vote

On July 30, 1950, Costa Rica witnessed a quiet but groundbreaking revolution: for the first time, women voted alongside men, marking a turning point in the country’s democratic history. The occasion was a local plebiscite to determine whether the communities of La Tigra and La Fortuna would remain part of the canton of San Ramón …

Costa Rican Bishop Presents Coffee and Honey to Pope at the Vatican

Monsignor Daniel Blanco, Auxiliary Bishop of San José, Costa Rica, presented Pope Leo XIV with a special gift during the general audience held at the Vatican. The offering consisted of Costa Rican coffee and honey, sourced from small-scale and predominantly women-led producers supported by the Catholic Church. “Coffee and honey were chosen because they are …