The Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Environment are working together to protect wildlife in all the protected areas of Costa Rica. One of the most challenging areas in the country when it comes to the protection of wildlife is Corcovado National Park, its remote distance, difficult access and big extension complicates surveillance. Corcovado is among the top 10 best National Pa...

The Judiciary Investigative Agency (OIJ) raided a house in La Florida, Tibas and a hotel in Sabana Norte, San Jose, and arrested two foreigners and two Costa Ricans suspected of fraud. Apparently the criminal group, formed by a South African man of last name Jacobs and 48 years-old, a Honduran woman identified with surnames Morales Leiva, age 32; and a Costa Rican couple, the man of last name P...

When the Roger Waters’ concert was announced in Costa Rica in April, fans were beyond excited; when the tickets went on sale on April 30, in just the first day 25,000 tickets were sold, and in a matter of 10 days the entire concert, scheduled to take place November 24, was sold out. Many people were disappointed they were left without a ticket, but now they will have a second chance to see Pink...

HP Enterprise Costa Rica inaugurated its new offices in the America Free Zone, seven floors were remodeled after an investment of close to $11 million USD. Hewlett Packard announced also the opening of 120 new positions in the areas of Supply Chain and Research and Development (R&D); the company is looking for IT engineers, industrial and electric engineers and experts in computer sciences. Engl...

Sun Country Airlines announced that it will increase its operation from the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota to Liberia, Guanacaste, Costa Rica for the high season, between December 2018 and March 2019. With this increase of 15 flights, the airline will operate a total of 53 flights that will be distributed as follows: 6 in December 2018, 14 in January 2019, 15 in February and...

Costa Rican authorities seized 1,101 kilograms of cocaine in Quebrada Ganado, Garabito, Puntarenas, in addition to the drugs, the police confiscated two vehicles and several firearms, including AK-47 assault rifles. Agents of the Investigative Police (OIJ) along with the Intelligence and Security Direction (DIS) and officials of the Special Intervention Unit, raided a beach home this Thursday a...

This August 24, Costa Rica celebrates National Parks’ Day, under the slogan “National Parks: Our true treasure”, the Ministry of Environment (MINAE) and the National System of Areas of Conservation (SINAC) invite all national and foreign tourists to visit the parks for free. Over 25% of Costa Rica’s territory is under some kind of protection law, whether they are National Parks, Biological Res...

Costa Rica's Attorney General Emilia Navas filed a criminal case against former two-time president of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias, in relation to the Crucitas gold mine case, the information was confirmed by the Public Ministry. Arias is facing charges for malfeasance (breach of public duty), in an act that took place October 2008, when he signed a decree declaring the Crucitas gold mine a “projec...

The National Tourist Safety Commission (CONSETUR) held two workshops to raise awareness of the importance of tourism for Costa Rica, training consuls, honorary consuls, prosecutors, workers from the Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ), regional directors of the Public Police Force and police officers. The activities included talks on promoting visits and tourism, tourist safety, the role ...

The Judiciary Investigative Agency (OIJ) confirmed the arrest this Wednesday morning of the suspect of robbing and raping a 19-year-old Canadian tourist back in July 22. The man, 36 years-of-age and of last names Ferrey Vilchez apparently offered the foreigner transportation service from San Jose to Puerto Viejo, Limon; however, at some point they stopped in Guapiles where they purchased some i...

A light airplane of the company Aerobell crashed in the area of La Fortuna, San Carlos, Costa Rica. According to information offered by civil aviation, the plane took off at 8:42 a.m. from the Tobías Bolaños Airport in Pavas and headed towards the Northern Zone (El Tanque Airport) in a flight that was only 22 minutes long. The control tower received an ELT emergency alert from the aircraft 1...

The Costa Rica-North American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) and the Chamber of Industries (CICR) analyzed the government’s proposals during the political campaign in areas that have a direct impact in the productive sector and published today their “Compliance Observatory”. The study monitors the compliance of the proposals presented during the political campaign and the institutional work expre...

US citizens Luda and Roma Gimelfarb have spent the last nine years living the nightmare of every parent; their son David Gimelfarb went missing in Costa Rica in 2009 and to this date nothing is known of what may have happened to him. The last day someone saw David Gimelfarb was August 11, 2009, when he set out for a hike to Rincón de La Vieja National Park in Guanacaste; he never came back. Al...

The Costa Rican Drug Control Police (PCD) in coordination with National Direction of Intelligence and Security (DIS), as well as the US agencies FBI and DEA and the German agency BKA , carried out eight raids the morning of this Wednesday in relation to a drug trafficking operation. As explained by the Minister of Security, Michael Soto, during a press conference carried out at 9 a.m. today, t...

Thirty public institutions and seven international organisms have worked in a coordinated manner to present a protocol for mixed migratory flows in Costa Rica. The Comprehensive Plan for the Attention of Migratory Flows contemplates a series of actions to offer an efficient response to the migratory flows that enter and/or stay in the country. “Even though in Costa Rica we have precedents of...

The National Tourist Safety Commission (CONSETUR) suggests the creation of a safety committee in each tourism chamber in the country, this with the purpose of building a safer destination for domestic and international travelers and in order to carry out preventative measures in the areas of the country they represent. The project will be led by the National Chamber of Tourism (CANATUR), which ...

In June last year the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) announced that they had solved the problem with the sewage system at Manuel Antonio National Park in Quepos; however, the Ministry of Health closed access to the area known as Playa 3 last Saturday and through this Tuesday due to problems with the wastewater. Today, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Environment and the Co...

The School of Economics of the University of Costa Rica published the County Competitiveness Index (ICC), which, as the report states, is the result of an investigation of seven indicators, economic activity, government, infrastructure, business climate, work climate, innovation as well as the quality of life of the 81 counties of Costa Rica during 11 consecutive years (2006-2016); this index allo...

Starting this Thursday, August 23, everyone will have easy access to enjoy Costa Rican art virtually through the website ArteCostaRica.cr. This is the first Virtual Museum of Costa Rican Art, and includes works by artists from the XIX century and through the decade of 1970. “Pincel Pinacoteca” (Paint Brush Art Gallery) is the result of the work of the University of Costa Rica’s professor eme...

Costa Rica ranked 46 among 86 countries in the Global Illicit Trade Environment Index, and is in seventh place in the America's. “The Global Illicit Trade Environment Index is commissioned by the Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade (TRACIT) and produced by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)”, explains the Tracit.org website. “The Index evaluates 84 countries on their structural ca...

The Municipal Band of Acosta received this past Sunday, August 19 its official accreditation to participate in the California Rose Parade. This will be the only music band in Latin America to participate in the traditional and prestigious event that takes place every January 1st. The act in which the accreditation was awarded took place at the San Ignacio de Acosta church gym, and had the ...

The Minister of Public Works and Transportation, Rodolfo Méndez Mata, affirmed that this administration will continue working, as promised, in the elimination of several bottlenecks in the great metropolitan area; however, this means more traffic jams while the works are completed. At the end of July, the government announced the beginning of the works in the roundabout known as “Rotonda de las...

The San Jose Trial Court sentenced Costa Rican attorney Carlos Roberto Loría Quirós to 8 years of prison and ordered he returns a total of $41 million USD that corresponded to the inheritance of German citizen Wolff Ulrich Schneider who had investments in the country. This case dates back to 2004 when Schneider passed-away of natural causes while he was in Belgium; his investments in Costa Rica...

The trial of the three men suspected of the murder of Dutch citizens Johannes Snelders (a.k.a Hans Snelders), his wife Kawitadevi Dhawtal (a.k.a Sita Dhawtal) and their worker, Nicaraguan Richard Abenor Montalbán, which took place December 27, 2015 in Sardinal, Puntarenas, Costa Rica, begins today. The suspects of last names Zúñiga Rivera, Calderón Manzanares and Angulo Méndez are facing charge...

The Working Group on Nicaragua of the Permanent Council of the OAS (Organization of American States) formed by representatives of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guyana, Mexico, Panama, Peru and the United States, sent out the following press release: "The OAS' Working Group on Nicaragua reiterates its strong condemnation of the acts of violence, repression, hum...

President of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado, spoke today regarding the protests and acts of aggression which occurred on Saturday in San Jose against Nicaraguans in the country. “Costa Rica is known to be a country of peace that respects the rights of others. The majority of the immigrants that arrive to Costa Rica are good people who are looking for job opportunities and different forms to contri...

The Association Costa Rican Network of Accessible Tourism launched the campaign “Dona Tapa” (Donate Lid) an initiative that will allow  reuse lids of plastic bottles and other plastics to be recycled to build walkways on the sand at several Costa Rican beaches that will allow wheelchair use. The retractable structures would make Costa Rica the first country with accessible beaches in the Centra...

Paola Mora Tumminelli, former president of state bank Banco de Costa Rica (BCR), who has remained in custody since Friday as part of the continuing investigation of the “Cementazo” corruption case, was set free this Saturday by the Criminal Court of San Jose but has been stripped of her passport in order to avoid leaving the country. Mora’s properties were raided last Friday by the Judiciary In...

Costa Rica’s Minister of Public Security, Michael Soto, confirmed the detention of a total 44 people, 38 Costa Ricans and 6 Nicaraguans, many of them with criminal records, during the protests in San Jose, this Saturday, August 18. A group of Costa Ricans organized the event to protest against the presence of Nicaraguans in La Merced Park and other areas of San Jose, the protest was organized ...

The Costa Rican Coast Guard Service with the assistance of Air Surveillance intercepted a boat in the area of Playa Tamales, Golfito, carrying a total of 718 packets of cocaine one kilogram each. The boat of named Tiburón originated from Ecuador, two natives of this country of last names Avilés and González were arrested. A total of 5 jerrycans with fuel were also found aboard the boat. I...

The Costa Rica Public Police Force (Fuerza Pública) had to intervene in riots this Saturday afternoon in the center of San Jose, more specifically in the La Merced Park and surrounding areas, after what began as a pacific protest ended up in acts of violence. A group of Costa Ricans organized the event to protest against the presence of Nicaraguans in La Merced Park and other areas of San Jose....

Former Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Nobel Peace Laureate, Kofi Annan, passed away at age 80, as a result of an illness he had been suffering, the announcement was made by his family and foundation this Saturday, August 18. Kofi Annan, was a native of Ghana, and served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from January 1997 to December 2006. We was awarded the Nobel Peace P...

*Image for illustration purposes only La Merced Park (Parque La Merced) in downtown San Jose, Costa Rica has been known for many years as a place of gathering of Nicaraguans in the country; in the past few weeks, the number of Nicaraguans in this park has increased considerably, as have the number of street vendors in the center of San Jose, according to the Municipal Police; reports were rece...

Limon will receive a total of 110 ships that will arrive at the Hernán Garrón terminal the cruise season 2018-2019 which begins August 23 with the arrival of the Sea Princess. The Atlantic Zone Development and Port Administration Group (JAPDEVA) will receive over 224 thousand passengers throughout the entire season, this will have a positive impact in the economy and development of local touri...

At 5:22 p.m. on Friday, August 17, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake shook Costa Rica. The epicenter was in the area of Golfito, Puntarenas. The main seism was followed by several replicas with magnitudes between 4.1 and 5.2. According to Dr. Lepolt Linkimer from the National Seismology Network (RSN) “The origin of these earthquakes is the subduction of the Cocos Plate in the Pacific beneath the Ca...

Agents of the Judiciary Investigative Police (OIJ) and the District Attorney carried out several raids the morning of this Friday in properties related to former president of state bank Banco de Costa Rica (BCR), Paola Mora in connection to the “Cementazo” corruption case. Read: Understanding the “Cementazo” the Latest Corruption Scandal Under Investigation in Costa Rica According to informatio...

What is considered the most important wellness tourism event in Latin America, directed to the sectors of tourism, health, medical, hotels, Spa, travel agencies, tour operators, airlines, etc. will take place August 31 through September 2 in La Fortuna, San Carlos. “One of the pillars of this Congress is the promotion of a wellness culture in our country that will allow both Costa Ricans and ...

After 14 months users of the route that connects San Antonio de Belen, Heredia with Lindora, Santa Ana, San Jose, have one less traffic jam to worry about on this route as the bridge over the Virilla River was inaugurated today. The bridge went from having two lanes to four, and it’s the first step in the expansion of this route, commonly known as the “Radial Santa Ana -Belen” and through which...

The Nicaraguan government announced that the Working Group of the Organization of American States (OAS) is “not welcome” in their territory. “They are not welcome in our country, and for this reason they will not be received in our Nation’s soil”, stated the release read by chancellor Denis Moncada during a government’s act. The Working Group, formed by representatives of 12 countries, among...

InSight Crime, a foundation dedicated to the study of organized crime in Latin America, analyzed the growing violence in Costa Rica, in the article What Is Behind Growing Violence in Costa Rica? Costa Rica closed 2017 with a record number of 603 homicides which brings the murder rates to 12.1 per every 100 thousand inhabitants, one of the region’s lowest homicide rates, but still the highest re...