How do you find the National Theater in San Jose? "Left-hand turn 100 (meters) south of the People's Bank." The train station? "Right-hand turn, 400 (meters) west of the Costa Rica Middle School and 100 south." Those are addresses in the Costa Rican capital, a city of 1.5 million residents that hasn't had street signs and where people asking directions often are told to take a right at a...

When trying to find cars, real estate, jobs, and other products or services in Costa Rica (and Central America) it often proves to be difficult. Everyone knows about Craigslist, however it lacks the quality that a fully managed classifieds service has. Many of the listings on Craigslist are spam or opportunists looking to take advantage of people. Another option here in Costa Rica is En...

Coming to Costa Rica from November 1-3 2012, for more information visit: larutadelosconquistadores.com LA RUTA DE LOS CONQUISTADORES is Costa Rica’s premier mountain bike race and one of the most difficult athletic events on the planet. The world’s original multi-day fat-tire stage race, La Ruta is the “Grandfather” that created and inspired this now-worldwide genre — and still the most...

Jaguar conservation has received a huge boost in the past few months both in Latin America and in the U.S. An historic agreement signed between the world's leading wild cat conservation organization Panthera and the government of Costa Rica in addition to a new U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) proposal bring renewed hope to the efforts to revive the iconic Jaguar in its current habitat...

In remarks to the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Mexican President Felipe Calderón, Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos called on the UN to begin a serious debate on alternative ways to combat drug trafficking. “Today, I am proposing formally that …carry out a far-reaching assessment of the progress and limits of the current prohi...

Tortillas for Tepecoyo works to fight hunger in and form relationships with the rural community of Tepecoyo, El Salvador. The newly formed group hopes to help support the comedor, similar to a soup kitchen, in La Javia, Tepecoyo through communication and donations. The comedor in Tepecoyo was created and is maintained by a local woman named Angelica Portillo. “’Tortillas is an opportunit...

It's been unusually rough going for Central American teams in this year's edition of the CONCACAF Champions League. Through four complete rounds, half of the twelve Central American entrants in this year's tournament had already been eliminated, while several others were set to play for survival this week. But the performance of Costa Rican teams has proved exceptional.Herediano and Alajue...

State-owned refiner Recope wants Costa Rica to boost use of natural gas as an energy source and reduce its dependence on liquid hydrocarbons, a switch that would require an investment of $181.2 million. Recope recommended the use of the cleaner-burning fuel after obtaining the results of the study “Perspectives on the Potential Use of Natural Gas in Costa Rica,” conducted by Canadian consul...

Retiring to Nicaragua does not have to mean that people’s healthcare will suffer, especially if they are going to be moving close to the capital city Managua and other major cities. Healthcare is very good in Nicaragua and it is also less expensive than it is in the United States. Therefore, people have the opportunities to maintain their health even if they move out of the States and retire i...

The United Nations human rights chief today called on Honduras to take urgent steps to combat impunity for crimes against lawyers and journalists, stressing that recent killings reflect the “chronic insecurity” that these professions are subject to in the country. “Sadly, these deplorable killings are far from isolated cases,” the High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said. “There ...

Mangroves are crucial nurseries. Schools of small fry shift away through the Moorish architecture of arched roots, each school a pale cloud of translucent fish. The palest clouds are hardly there at all, composed of hatchlings no bigger than the smallest mosquito wigglers. These living motes are too small to name. Are they destined for adulthood in a sea grass bed, or coral reef, or open ocean...

Last week, the Worldwatch Institute’s Central America team – together with our partners from the INCAE Business School – convened a working group of nearly 40 renewable energy experts and decision-makers in Managua, Nicaragua. The emphasis: access to energy for marginalized communities through sustainable energy options. With presentations and participation from the government’s renewable ener...

From exotic animals to mysterious Mayan ruins; don't miss these six stops on a trip to this underestimated Central American country 1. Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary Crooked Tree is a village rich in Creole culture and a reserve with abundant bird life. This is possibly one of the richest birding areas in Belize and Central America. It is recognised as a wetland of international imp...

Honduras, Central America's largest coffee producer, is facing an outbreak of leaf rust - one of the world's most destructive coffee diseases - that some fear could dent the 6.1 million 60-kilogram bags due for export in the 2012/2013 harvest. The disease, a fungus known locally as roya, kills coffee leaves by sapping them of nutrients and lowering bean yields. It currently blights around 1...

Attacks on Panama’s electoral tribunal (TE) and the appointing of a new judge are part of a government plan to take over the institution and seek the immediate re-election of President Ricardo Martinelli says a leading constitutionalist. Law professor Miguel Antonio Bernal, said on RPC Radio on Tuesday, September 25, that Panama has a dictatorship and everything regarding the appointment of...

President Laura Chinchilla criticized the current strategy of the war on drugs, saying that it has worsened violence and corruption in her country -- something illustrated by recent reports on the rise of "narco-families" in Costa Rica. “We’ve had about 10 to 15 years of pursuing a strategy with certain characteristics, and in precisely this period, violence, extortion, and corruption in ou...

The Costa Rican presidency created its own online newspaper to promote government achievements to citizens, reported the Central American newspaper La Nación. The official website called La Noticia launched on Thursday, Sept. 13, with the goal of focusing on what the government does well and what it could do better, according to journalist Mario Aguilar, press secretary for the Presidential...

Committed to bringing the world bold and distinct flavors, Chili’s® Grill & Bar recently introduced Costa Rica residents to their first taste of the restaurant company’s Southwestern-inspired, classic American favorites and upbeat environment. Costa Rica, which was recently named the happiest country in the world by the New Economics Foundation’s Happy Planet Index (HPI), warmly embraced the A...

Gunmen killed a lawyer who defended landless peasants in a region of northern Honduras that has been the scene of deadly land disputes, according to a farmers' association. Antonio Trejo, 41, was one of few attorneys who dared represent peasants locked in battle with wealthy landowners in the fertile Aguan Valley. Trejo was shot five times Saturday night outside a church where he had att...

Following the exchange of notes of ratification, the Free Trade Agreement between the two nations will become effective on 19 October 2012. A press release from the Foreign Ministry of Nicaragua reads: An exchange of letters on the bilateral Nicaragua-Chile protocol, a Free Trade Agreement between Chile and Central America, was held this morning between the foreign minister, Samuel Santo...

A sellout crowd will witness the decisive U.S. Men’s National Team’s 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Guatemala on Oct. 16 at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan. The match will mark the first time the stadium has hosted a World Cup Qualifier. Fans are also encouraged to attend the team’s free public training session on Sunday, Oct. 14 at 10:30 a.m. CT at LIVESTRONG Sporting P...

The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, today announced the designation of Air Transat to operate scheduled international air services between Canada and El Salvador, providing more flight options for travellers. "The designation of Air Transat to serve El Salvador will contribute to the growth and competitiveness of the Canadian airline industry a...

Experts from Latin America and the Caribbean will meet in Panama from October 3 to 5 to analyze policies and mechanisms to promote the decrease of gases harming the ozone layer. The meeting, promoted by the UN Program for the Environment, includes issues such as the enforcement and ratification of the Amendments of the Montreal Protocol, the most successful and most recognized international...

In a Rogue’s Gallery of copyright legislation, many efforts deserve mention. The DMCA is surely there, together with Japan’s new copyright law, the Digital Economy Act, and Ley Sinde. But a new Panamanian copyright bill is giving those laws a run for their money. The excellent project at Infojustice.org have directed our attention to a new bill that has been sent to the Panamanian legislatu...

Not again. I reach for my watch. It's 5.04am. This is the third morning in succession we've been woken by howler monkeys. "Howl" isn't the half of it. The noise invades your consciousness like some distant wind and builds into a sustained, jet-engine roar until you fling off the sheets and sit up, cursing. Awake, you can hear the throaty rasp – like a vomiting Darth Vader. The volume is astoni...

Cuban experts who will collaborate with Nicaragua in seismological and volcanological research are ready to start their work with experts from the Territorial Study Institute (Ineter) and other bodies. Upon arriving in Nicaragua, the four scientists expressed their willingness to cooperate in the complex situation the country is going through since late August, with quakes registered in coa...

Central America encouraged Korea to launch negotiations for a free trade pact with its regional grouping, and pointed to the first half of next year as a target date at a reception on Wednesday celebrating the region’s collective Independence Day. Four of the five Central American nations that observe their independence day on the same date encouraged Korea to act on tying their nations cl...

In 1974, 23-year-old Juan Sostheim was tapped as director of Burger King in Europe. He opened the company’s first franchises on the continent and introduce millions to a phenomenon known as the “Whopper.” Today, the former fast food king has traded in his crown for a new title: owner of Costa Rica’s first carbon-negative company, a sustainable farm and eco-resort known as Rancho Margot. ...

This past Monday, a group of unknown assailants attempted to take the life of renowned Bribri leader, Sergio Rojas, President of the Association for the Development of the Indigenous Territory of Salitre and a Coordinator at the National Front of Indigenous Peoples, FRENAPI. Sergio Rojas, who works for the defense and recovery of land and autonomy of all Indigenous Peoples in Costa Rica, wa...

Alvaro Salas-Castro is not your average graduate student. When Alvaro, 27, his wife Carla and their daughter Valentina arrived in Ithaca a month ago so that Alvaro could attend the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs he posted this message to the supporters who donated funds on Rally.org so that he could move with his family from Costa Rica to attend Cornell: Dear Friends, Supporters, a...

Costa Ricans may be forgiven for wondering who is bullying whom in a long legal battle over their nation’s ban on IVF. As the only country in the world which bans in vitro fertilisation, supporters of legalised IVF claim that “At stake is nothing less than the future of reproductive rights in most of the Western Hemisphere.” But defenders of a 2000 decision by Costa Rica’s constitutional co...

From erotic body painting, through topless ziplining, through naked horseback riding, the program is seeking out those that want an adventurous vacation experience in the friendliest place on earth. These are special weeks made available to open-minded adults only at two locations in Costa Rica. Each week is themed to coincide with the new for 2012 onsite Social Directors, the renowned enterta...

Mexico’s President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto has embarked on a diplomatic tour of six countries in Central and South America in an effort to reset rocky relationships and reestablish Mexico's position in the region. Top talking points include the region’s shared security concerns, especially with Guatemala and Colombia, and smoothing trade relations with Argentina and Brazil, both of which h...

Does MTV have a "logo no-go" problem in Latin America? Sam Panama Trading Co. has filed a $30 million lawsuit against the network and parent company Viacom alleging that it expected to make a ton of money selling clothing and luggage products featuring the MTV brand. A licensing deal was signed with MTV Networks that allowed the company to offer products in 30 countries in Latin America ...

Dressed as a man, the sixth-grade teacher leaves school and walks several blocks through a dangerous red-light district overrun with gangs and crack dealers. Arriving at a friend's home, a transformation begins. Off come wide-leg jeans, T-shirt and a baseball cap that hides long hair. After an extensive, two-hour makeup session, Linda Elizabeth Tylor Martinez emerges wearing a miniskirt and...

Nicaragua's legislature has approved a bill authorizing construction of an oil refinery, an inter-oceanic pipeline and other facilities, a $6.6 billion project to be partially funded by close ally Venezuela. According to the bill, approved Thursday by a vote of 80-4 with one abstention by the Sandinista-controlled unicameral National Assembly, the "Bolivar's Supreme Dream" industrial comple...

The first official meeting of the EMPRETEC Latin America Forum was hosted by EMPRETEC Panama in Panama City last week, following a regional training workshop that brought together EMPRETEC directors and trainers from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, Peru and Venezuela to share experiences and discuss new developments. Participants reviewed the Empretec + material...

Selected works from the collective exhibit "Petroglyphs of the Orosi Volcano" opens at 10 a.m. Saturday, September 29th at the Hidden Garden Art Gallery. Organized by artists Carlos Hiller and Rebeca Alvarado Soto, a group of 25 leading artists have studied and researched these artifacts and were inspired to transform them into visual arts. Recreating original interpretations, and developi...

Thomson Reuters, the world’s leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, announced the opening of its new operations center in San Jose, Costa Rica. The center houses employees in the business’s Finance Operations organization, who will support Thomson Reuters accounts receivable and other customer transaction-related activities. The Thomson Reuters Costa Rica op...

In an event exclusively for qualified investors, the Hacienda Pinilla resort complex in Costa Rica, which measures 1,800 acres and has hotels, a golf course and residential communities, will be auctioned. The U.S. company United Country Real Estate, in partnership with Colliers International, will perform the live auction on Nov. 15 in Dallas, Texas. The event will be for qualified in...