The Chinese community in Costa Rica marked the approach of the Lunar New Year with a public celebration on February 14 in the Barrio Chino of San José. The main date of the festival falls on February 17, which begins the Year of the Fire Horse. The event took place along the Paseo de los …
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Dionisio Paniagua, known as “Nito,” shared a positive update with his followers. The well-known tour guide, who has a strong presence on social media, said the process to renew his license for Corcovado National Park has moved forward again. A few days earlier, Paniagua explained that his license had expired. Tour guides in Costa Rica …
Read more “Popular Costa Rica Tour Guide Says License Renewal Is Back on Track”
Cuban organizers announced on Saturday the postponement of the Festival del Habano, the island’s signature cigar event, as the country deals with a severe energy shortage. In a message sent to participants, Habanos S.A. said it was delaying the gathering, which had been scheduled for February 24 to 27. No new dates were provided. The …
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Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo said Sunday that the 30-day state of siege helped authorities regain control over gang activity after Barrio 18 members killed 11 police officers in January and set off prison riots. The measure, which Congress ratified, gave police and the army wider powers to respond to the violence. It ends Monday. “In …
Read more “Guatemala’s president says state of siege brought gangs under control”
The killing of Kurt Van Dyke, a 66-year-old American hotel owner, in a robbery at his home in Hone Creek near Cahuita has prompted the Costa Rica Hotel Chamber to speak out about risks to the region’s reputation for safety. Two armed men entered the apartment Van Dyke shared with his girlfriend around 10:50 a.m. …
Read more “Costa Rica Hotel Leaders Voice Concern After Homicide in Cahuita Robbery”
The Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) reopened traffic on Route 32 at kilometer 28 after clearing rocks and earth from a landslide that blocked the road for more than 12 hours. The closure affected the main route between San José and Limón. It started late Saturday when material fell in the Zurquí sector …
Read more “Route 32 Reopens at Km 28 After Crews Clear Landslide Debris”
U.S. President Donald Trump will welcome the leaders of Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, El Salvador, Ecuador, and Honduras in Miami next month, in the first regional summit since he took office a little more than a year ago. A White House official, speaking to AFP on Wednesday on condition of anonymity, said the meeting between the …
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Relatives of prisoners detained in El Salvador’s anti-gang campaign marched through the capital on Sunday to reject plans for mass trials. They say the proceedings will convict innocent people alongside actual gang members. More than 100 demonstrators gathered in a plaza in northern San Salvador and walked to the central cathedral. They carried signs and …
Read more “Families March in San Salvador to Block Mass Trials of El Salvador Detainees”
Preliminary data from the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN) shows temperatures dipping to 0.7 degrees Celsius at Volcán Irazú early Saturday morning, the lowest reading across the country. Other high-elevation spots followed close behind: Cerro de la Muerte hit 2 degrees Celsius, Volcán Turrialba reached 3.1 degrees, and Volcán Poás clocked in at 8.2 degrees. These …
Read more “Near-Freezing Chill Hits Costa Rica’s Peaks, Catching Tourists Off Guard”
The Ministry of Hacienda has launched an internal audit into potential flaws in its new customs management system, ATENA, following complaints about reliability and costly delays. The review, now underway, examines issues raised in pilot tests and questions the value of a multimillion-dollar contract taxpayers are funding. ATENA forms one pillar of the broader Hacienda …
Read more “Hidden Flaws in Costa Rica’s Customs Overhaul Leads to Audit”