Businessman Juan Carlos Bolaños and former General Manager of Banco de Costa Rica (BCR) Mario Barrenechea, the two main defendants in the Cementazo corruption case, will remain in preventive custody for another six months. Although the initial sentence of three months of preventive prison concluded this February 4, the Criminal Court of Heredia extended the sentence for another six months for ...

The Costa Rican government has invested for the first time in necessary equipment and tools for the prevention and control of forest fires. The purchase of 15 “rapid intervention” Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles will allow firefighters to prevent and extinguish wildfires in the protected areas, these vehicles have the capacity to carry 125 gallons of water and are commonly used by rural fire servi...

The Tenorio Volcano in Guanacaste, Costa Rica is classified as an dormant or inactive volcano; however, the area presents six seismic faults which generate seismic activity. This year, however, the activity has been increasing, and since January 9 through date the area has been affected by an earthquake swarm that registered 505 events of different magnitude, the strongest ones registered we...

So far this year the Turrialba Volcano in Costa Rica had maintained a passive emission of ash with columns that generally don’t exceed the 500 meters above the active crater and the 3,840 meters above sea level (12,595.2 ft.), however, the morning of this Tuesday, February 6 the Volcano registered a significant eruption with a column that reached 1000 meters above the crater and 4,340 meters above...

Nature Air received the green light from the General Directorate of Civil Aviation to resume its operations in Costa Rica last Thursday, after a suspension of more than 20 days. The domestic airline has confirmed their flights will be operating again on Friday, February 9. According to general manager Nelson Vega, they are maintaining all the destinations but they are reducing the frequency of ...

A total of 26 airlines offer flights from the Juan Santamaria Airport in Alajuela, Costa Rica, while 11 airlines operate from the Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. According to information from the Costa Rica Tourism Institute (ICT), flights from the Juan Santamaria Airport offer services to 37 destinations, and the ones from the Daniel Oduber Airport co...

The program Shelter City Costa Rica offers a Comprehensive Protection Center in the country for the temporary relocation of human right advocates of the Central American region whose lives are at risk. The initiative hopes to give and option for those human right advocates of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua who expose themselves in their day to day activities and have received t...

A large sector of the Costa Rican population couldn’t hide their disbelief when the first results of the presidential elections were announced. Fabricio Alvarado, the candidate for the National Restoration Party (PRN), an Evangelical Christian, preacher and singer, a pre-grad journalist and current deputy in the Legislative Assembly was proving the polls right. In second place, Carlos Alvara...

Costa Rica’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal gave the first official cut for the votes casted during the Presidential Elections this Sunday, February 4 in Costa Rica. The first votes counted through 8 p.m. this evening represented 11.57% of the tables and showed candidate Evangelical Preacher Fabricio Alvarado from National Restoration Party (PRN) ahead with 26.71% of the support, followed by Antoni...

So far, there are four out of the 13 presidential candidates in Costa Rica that are the favorites to come out as winners in the elections today, and two of them, Antonio Alvarez Desanti from the National Liberation Party (PLN) and Rodolfo Piza from the Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC) are including private education and health services among the activities that would be taxed with the IVA (valu...

The world’s longest zip line opened at the end of January on Jebel Jais, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) highest mountain, in the adventure emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, this incredible project was designed and built by Costa Ricans. “At over 2.8 kilometers long it is the equivalent to over 28 soccer fields in length and it’s suspended 1,680 meters above sea level. Riders enjoy incredible views of ...

The “Electoral Party” began yesterday in Costa Rica, when a Costa Rican native of Heredia, voted in Australia, in one of the 52 locations set up to vote abroad. Over 6,600 election tables opened at 6 a.m. in the country, where more than 3.3 million voters are called to cast their vote. How does it work? In Costa Rica all citizens over 18 years old that have a valid I.D. can cast their vote....

A U.S. man drowned in Montezuma Beach, Cobano, Puntarenas this Friday, February 2. The man was kayaking along with his wife when their kayak was dragged in by the waves and the strong winds, the kayak turned over the couple tried to get back on but the conditions of the ocean didn’t make it possible, neither of them were using a life vest. Witnesses that were in the area called 911 and went ...

The months prior to a presidential election in any country provide opportunities for candidates to explain their government plans, their ideas and proposals. This Sunday, February 4th, Costa Ricans will be choosing their president for the next four years, and in the last poll more than 36% of the voters had not decided who to vote for. Part of the reason for this phenomenon has to do with facto...

The International Court of Justice, the main judicial organ of the United Nations, which has its seat in The Hague, Neatherlands, defined this Friday, that Nicaragua has to pay $378,890 to Costa Rica for the damages caused in Calero Island, also known as Portillos Island or Harbor Head Lagoon, as it is called in Nicaragua, between 2010-2015. The international court had ruled on December 16, 201...

The “Pura Vida” lifestyle of Costa Ricans is also reflected in the way we approach Presidential elections, in between debates, polls and diverse opinions, Ticos don’t lose their sense of humor, well, this is perhaps our way of taking a bit of the “edge” off a very serious matter. The last poll published by the Center for Political Studies and Investigation of the University of Costa Rica (CIEP-...

The Juan Santamaria International Airport begins implementing new technology procedures of satellite navigation today, through which they expect to improve considerably in the times of arrivals and departures of flights. The project, under the name “Costa Rica Pura Vida” is being implemented by experts in navigation of Civil Aviation and has the support of the airlines and Aeris, the company in...

The National Directorate of Civil Aviation could be lifting the suspension of Nature Air flights by the end of this week. Rolando Richmond, sub-director of Civil Aviation confirmed that Nature Air presented all necessary documentation since this past Monday where they show that they have made the necessary changes and adjustments and hired additional personnel to comply with the requirements ...

Located in the central Pacific coast of Costa Rica, Los Sueños Resort and Marina is known as one of the premier vacation and retirement spots in the Americas. Although this world-class resort is mostly known for its luxury accommodations, spectacular golf course and legendary offshore fishing charters, families are known to take advantage of Los Sueños house rentals as their launching pad for expl...

Doctors of the Hospital Mexico in Costa Rica removed a 34 kilogram tumor from the abdomen of a female patient. The amazingly large tumor, which could be the biggest recorded so far in the world was located in the abdomen of Sonia Lopez, a woman that resides in the area of Tibas, San Jose, Costa Rica. “The life of Sonia changed forever. A giant tumor of 34 kg in her ovaries was removed Monday...

Last year (2017) was transcendental for the Life Sciences sector, in Costa Rica: it became the main product of goods exportations. Statistics from the Foreign Trade Promoter of Costa Rica (Procomer by its Spanish acronym) and the Ministry of Foreign Trade (COMEX by its acronym in Spanish) reveal that, for the first time in Costa Rica’s history, it surpassed the agricultural sector. In 2017, Lif...

In the last few years Costa Rica has worked in attracting new airlines to offer service in the country. So far this year the Tourism Institute (ICT) confirms it has generated 96,501 additional seats thanks to the arrival of new airlines and the increase in the frequency of flights to and from Costa Rica. Minister of Tourism, Mauricio Ventura, explained that Costa Rica has created its own strate...

Gerardo Rios Mairena, the Costa Rican man who was arrested early February 2017, as the only suspect in the massacre of five university students January 19, 2017 in the city of Liberia, Guanacaste, was found guilty and sentenced to 216 years of jail. The sentence was dictated by the Liberia Tribunal Court by judges Guillermo Arce, Andrea Rodriguez and Kathy Abarca; the decision came after severa...

Sirenas Diving Costa Rica, a small, diving, snorkeling and fishing tour company that operates in Guanacaste had the opportunity to capture an amazing experience in video this past January 22 about 800 meters from the coast of Playas del Coco. Bobbie Joe and her husband Jose Daniel Barrera from Sirenas Diving, were giving snorkeling lessons in the area when they had a close encounter with a baby...

The Costa Rican Embassy in Washington, D.C. shared the following information regarding Costa Rica’s presidential elections which will take place next Sunday, February 4. - The schedule for voting will be from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Costa Rica Embassy located in Washington D.C. (2114 S Street N.W. Washington, D.C., 20008) - The Embassy is located a few blocks from the Dupont Circle metro cente...

Costa Rican musician Giancarlo Guerrero added two more Grammy awards to his achievements, the announcement was made in the ceremony prior to the Grammy award official event. Guerrero won in the category of Best Classical Compendium for Hidgon: All Things Majestic, Viola Concerto & Oboe Concerto, which was produced along with Tim Handley who also takes the Grammy for this work; and Best Cont...

The umbilical cord blood is stem-cell rich blood, stem cells which represent a hope for people who suffer blood illnesses (like leukemia or lymphomas) or those patients that require a stem cell transplant, among others. The San Juan de Dios Hospital in Costa Rica has now opened and equipped a public stem cell bank with everything necessary, thanks to a donation of $109 thousand from the Japan ...

The foundation Insight Crime, which is dedicated to the study of organized crime in Latin America and the Caribbean published its yearly “InSight Crime’s 2017 Homicide Round-Up”, with the purpose of giving a snapshot of murder rates in the Latin America region. Murder rates are calculated by InSight Crime, based on the number of reported homicides and the country’s 2017 estimated population tot...

Back in December 15,2017 the Electric Transportation bill was approved by Costa Rica´s congress; this bill promotes the use of electric vehicles by making them more affordable by establishing several tax exemptions of even 100% depending on the cost of the car. The President of Costa Rica, Luis Guillermo Solis, signed the law this week, making it official, Ïn a few years the transportation flee...

The Costa Rican Ministry of Security rejects the idea of legalizing marijuana in tourist areas, idea that was suggested by Mexico’s Tourism Secretary. Gustavo Mata, Minister of Security in Costa Rica was adamant about not agreeing with the idea of legalizing drugs in tourism zones, and was clear that these type of concessions “would only generate more and serious social problems as well as more...

The Toucan Rescue Ranch in Costa Rica is located in the area of San Isidro, Heredia, it is a wildlife sanctuary, rescue, rehabilitation and release center. Established in 2004 by Leslie Howle and Jorge Murillo initially only as a rescue center for toucans and other birds, it quickly expanded to care for other injured, confiscated and sick wildlife animals (sloths, monkeys, macaws, owls, among ...

This Wednesday, January 31, the bridge over the Virilla River in the road that connects Santa Ana to Belen (Radial Santa Ana-Belen) will be closed from 3 a.m. through 7 a.m. A new bridge is being constructed here, and although so far the construction work has been done without the need to interrupt transit in the area, this time, however, they are required to close while they put in place a part ...

Contaminated rivers are not something unusual anywhere in the world, every country has their own contaminated rivers, which is sad, but true; Costa Rica being a “green country” is no exception. According to the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) the Tarcoles River in Costa Rica is the most contaminated river in Central America, it receives the equivalent of 100 Olympic pools of contamin...

If you have had the fun experience of driving in Costa Rica you’ve probably already had your share of encounters with one or many dangerous potholes. It’s actually difficult to find a road in Costa Rica in perfect conditions, and if you find one it probably will not last long, potholes are responsible for at least 20% of car failures according to AutoPits; from flat tires to damaged rims, suspe...

The Costa Rican police received an alert through the 911 system regarding a dead man in the Del Rey Hotel, a known sexual tourism hot spot located in downtown San Jose. The Costa Rican Red Cross arrived first at the scene and confirmed the death of a foreigner, however, when the police arrived at the Del Rey, private security officers of the hotel tried to prevent the entry of the authorities; ...

The Costa Rican Ministry of Security had made the announcement some months back of the donation by United States of three tactical vehicles known in Costa Rica as “Bestias” to be used by Specialized Units. Today, in an official act with the presence of the director of the Judicial Investigation Organism, Walter Espinoza, Mariano Figueres, Director of Intelligence and Security and US Ambassador ...

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Costa Rica’s Ambassador to the US Gonzalo Facio Segreda passed away this Wednesday, January 24 in his house in Escazu. Facio was 99 years old and had been fighting an illness for some time. He was the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1970 to 1976 and from 1977 to 1978. He was also Costa Rica’s Ambassador to the United States in three periods, from 1956 to ...

The Strategy of Elimination of Malaria in Mesoamerica and Hispaniola Island (EMMIE) recognized the achievements of Costa Rica in the process of eradication of malaria in the country by awarding a prize of US $1.2 million to support these efforts. The Strategy of Elimination of Malaria in Mesoamerica and Hispaniola Island is a regional initiative financed by The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuber...

This Tuesday evening the Drug Control Police (PCD) of the Ministry of Public Security, arrested a U.S. man entering Costa Rica through the Juan Santamaria Airport, originating from San Francisco, California with a load of marijuana extract in his luggage. The man of last name Trague is 24 years-old and was traveling from San Francisco through Houston with Costa Rica as his last stop, his retu...

While the last poll conducted by the Center for Political Studies and Investigation of the University of Costa Rica (CIEP-UCR) revealed that 27% of the voters in Costa Rica still have not decided who to vote for, the support for other candidates appears to be motivated by religious beliefs, tradition or populism. On Tuesday, the poll by CIEP-UCR showed evangelical pastor Fabricio Alvarado, the...