Costa Rica Landslide Tragedy as Family Buried Alive

Heavy rains triggered a deadly landslide in Piedades Sur, San Ramón, Alajuela, late Saturday night, burying a family home and killing two adults and a young girl. The Red Cross confirmed the deaths early Sunday after a grueling rescue effort that lasted over five hours. Emergency teams arrived at the scene around 11:30 p.m. following …

Costa Rica Police Investigate Buried Body as Possible Gringo Tico

Police in Costa Rica are checking if a body dug up from a farm belongs to Daniel Francisco Vargas Salas, a 71-year-old man locals call Gringo Tico. He went missing last month, and the find has raised questions about what happened to him. Vargas Salas left his home in Carrizal, Alajuela, on September 12 and …

Costa Rica Traffic Accidents Drive Up Insurance Premiums

Costa Rica’s roads have turned into a deadly trap, with traffic accidents claiming more lives and causing more injuries than ever before. On Friday, Insurance Superintendent Tomás Soley laid out the harsh reality while unveiling the Mandatory Automobile Insurance (SOA) rates for the 2026 marchamo. He called the ongoing crisis a “massacre” and pointed out …

Emmy-winning Salvadoran Journalist Deported from US

Salvadoran journalist Mario Guevara said Friday he was deported from the United States for reporting on the unjust arrests of migrants under President Donald Trump. Guevara, who was living in the United States without residency documents or a valid visa, was detained in June in the southern state of Georgia while livestreaming on his MG …

Costa Rica Bill Targets Pretrial Detention for Organized Crime Cases

Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly is moving forward with a bill that aims to strengthen the rules around pretrial detention in response to growing threats from organized crime. The proposal, which reforms the Criminal Procedure Code, comes as the country grapples with increased violence tied to drug trafficking and hired killings. Legislators argue that judges need …

Costa Rica Court Orders Urgent Regulation of Tuna Fishing Law

Costa Rica’s Constitutional Court has stepped in to push the government on a long-delayed tuna fishing law. The court partially backed an appeal from environmental lawyer Walter Brenes, who called out the Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (INCOPESCA) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) for not creating rules for Law 10304. …

Venezuela Tensions Rise After U.S. Strike on Alleged Narco Vessel

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth announced Friday a new strike in the Caribbean off Venezuela’s coast against an alleged narco-boat, leaving 4 dead. “Following President Trump’s orders, I directed a lethal strike against a drug-trafficking vessel affiliated with organizations designated as terrorist,” the secretary of war said, which he accompanied with a video. “Four narcoterrorist men …

El Salvador Bans Inclusive Language in Public Schools

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has taken another step to reshape the country’s education system. On Thursday, he declared a complete ban on what he calls “inclusive language” across all public schools. This move targets terms that alter traditional Spanish to promote gender neutrality, such as “amigue,” “compañere,” “niñe,” “todos y todas,” “alumn@,” “jóvenxs,” and …

Costa Rica Allows Cryptocurrency Donations for Political Parties

Costa Rica’s electoral authorities have approved a groundbreaking shift, letting political parties accept donations in select cryptocurrencies for the first time. This move, led by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), aims to update campaign funding while keeping tight checks on every transaction. Political groups can now take contributions in Bitcoin, Ether, and USD Coin, but …

Costa Rica Faces Rising Extortion from Informal Lenders, Says UN

A new United Nations study sheds light on the rapid spread of informal lending schemes called “gota a gota” across Costa Rica, where high-interest loans often lead to extortion and violence. These operations, once limited to certain communities, now affect a wider range of people facing financial pressures. The report, released this week by the …