The Costa Rican Judicial Association (AVOJUD) called on its members to join the labor strike to protest the fiscal plan since it “weakens judicial security of the structure of the judges’ salaries”. “As it is of your knowledge, last Friday, September 14, project 20580 known popularly as “fiscal reform” was ruled in Commission through ‘fast track procedure’. The project regulates in Article 26, ...

After more than 11 hours of negotiation this Friday, September 21, representatives of the Costa Rican Government and leaders of the labor unions have not reached an agreement ensuring the strike will continue this Saturday into its 13th day. Government authorities affirmed they presented a proposal to the labor unions. The labor Union presented a counter proposal which the Government responded ...

Mainstream media is all in with new bombshell allegations of sexual misconduct against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh that date back 36 years when the nominee was in high school. The allegations are being made by a woman from California who claims Kavanaugh fondled her on a bed during a party at a friend’s home in suburban Maryland when she was 15 and he was 17. Kavanaugh denies the...

The general labor strike in Costa Rica is going on 11 days, more than 30 institutions have presented their request to the labor courts to declare the illegality of the movement, yet, nothing has happened. Is the general labor strike legal or illegal? And why has it taken so long for judges to make their decision on this matter? The main problem comes from the changes made last year to the La...

The National Employee Union of the Social Security Service (Undeca) posted a press release on their social media channels in which they qualify the hiring of private laundry services by the Costa Rica Health Authorities (CCSS) as “illegal”. “The desperate actions of the authorities of Caja (CCSS), that arranged the hiring of private companies and external workers without any training to replace...

After almost five hours of dialogue, the Costa Rican Government and the labor unions were not able to reach any agreements. During the first “preliminary meeting” held by both parties with the mediation of the Catholic Church at the Archbishop’s Palace in San Jose, each group laid out their positions and their requests, no agreements were reached and therefore the meeting will continue tomorrow...

This question should have a very simple answer, but as the days go by and the “strike” continues, the answer changes depending on who you ask. In short, the labor unions (sindicatos) are protesting the fiscal plan, formally known as the Law to Strengthen Public Finances, which is currently being discussed at the Legislative Assembly and has undergone some changes since it was originally present...

Only seven weeks left for Mid-Term National Election 2018. Tons of cold hard cash is being handed over to mainstream media by incumbent politicians and all the wannabes for campaign ads on television, print journalism, robo-calls, direct mail and social media. Pollsters are polling every race for U.S. Congress and open governorships. One poll shows this, another shows that. The campaign is at full...

A “preliminary meeting” between Government representatives and leaders of the labor unions is scheduled to take place this Wednesday, September 19 at the Archbishop's Palace in San Jose at 9 a.m. Yesterday afternoon leaders of the labor unions agreed to have the Catholic church mediate to facilitate dialogue between the parts. The meeting that will take place tomorrow will just be a first “phas...

Costa Rican Public Police Forces have started to take action which guarantee public order and the security of the inhabitants as promised during a press conference Monday morning. The Police intervened to eliminate a road block near the access to the Moin port to facilitate the access and exit of containers. The operation left two people detained and three officers suffered injuries as a r...

The Costa Rica Fire Department had to handle this Sunday night the spillage of close to 3,000 gallons of fuel from an oil pipeline. The spillage was reported at 9:10 p.m. close to the Dos Pinos factory in El Coyol, Alajuela, to handle the emergency, transit police had to close Route 1 which connects San Jose and Alajuela. There are no reports of people affected by the spillage; to avoid environ...

Fuel shortages are being reported in the provinces of Guanacaste and Puntarenas, but also in some areas of San Jose, as a result of the constant road blocks created by protesters near the Recope (state’s refinery) facilities throughout different points of Costa Rica. According to a press release offered by Recope, tanker trucks decided this Sunday afternoon not to enter the Recope facilities in...

During a press conference held on Saturday afternoon, the Minister of Security, Michael Soto, expressed his concern over damages caused by an “antisocial group” to the state refinery’s (Recope) oil pipeline between Limon and the Central Valley. Yesterday, the Public Police Force had to take control of the accesses to Recope in La Garita, Alajuela and Barranca, Puntarenas, to guarantee the suppl...

The labor unions rejected the proposal of the national deans’ council (Conare) and the Episcopal Conference to act as facilitators of dialogue to bring the general labor strike affecting the country since last Monday, September 10 to an end. The information was provided by the president of Conare, Marcelo Prieto, to national newspaper La Nacion, “The problem we have is that the leaders of the ...

Photo Credit: La Nacion/Shirley Vásquez The Costa Rican National Tourism Chamber (CANATUR) calls on the establishment of dialogue, agreements and solutions to prevent any more negative effects over the productive sectors and the economy of the country, and, of course, the provision of basic services for citizens. According to information provided by Canatur, the general labor strike has alre...

The Social Security Service (CCSS) in Costa Rica reported that this last Friday almost half of the regional health clinics that joined the strike on Monday had resumed operations normally; however, these first five days of strikes left 1,201 programmed surgeries cancelled and 38,921 appointments that did not receive attention. According to the institution's authorities, during the week all con...

The labor unions announced the strike will continue for an indefinite period of time, they separate from the acts of violence that took place in some areas this week stating that the same are carried out by outsiders that take advantage of the protests and have nothing to do with the movement (police authorities confirm they cannot link protesters to these acts and most likely they are carried out...

US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo sent a message of congratulation for Costa Rica in the celebration of its independence: "On behalf of the Government of the United States, I congratulate the people of Costa Rica on your 197th anniversary of independence on September 15. Cooperation between Costa Rica and the United States is stronger than ever. Our enduring and respectful partnership,...

After five days of labor strike in Costa Rica, many students have been affected with approximately 50% of schools being closed, thousands of patients have lost their long waited doctor’s appointment or worse, their surgery, others have been affected by to road blocks, and the list goes on. Through a press release The Costa Rican Chamber of Exporters (CADEXCO) informed that after four days of labor...

The Ministry of Public Education (MEP) informed through a press release the morning of this Friday the decision of suspending the tour of the independence torch through the different provinces of Costa Rica due to concerns for the security of the students who carry it, this because since the torch arrived yesterday its journey has been interrupted in several locations of Guanacaste and today in Pu...

Having former President Obama coming out of the woodwork giving long, boring speeches along with former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton coming out of the woods to support female candidates is doing nothing good for the Democratic Party. These ‘has beens’ have no message for the future while they claim the current economy is all their doing from years ago. They are so deceived by their hatre...

President of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado, gave a press conference this Thursday afternoon after a long meeting with deans from the different Universities and where other members of the Government were also present. The President referred to the actions of the public police force that took place Wednesday evening and after which university students and the dean of the University of Costa Rica re...

At around 10:25 a.m. this morning the Independence Torch arrived in Costa Rica from Nicaragua through Peñas Blancas. The Independence Torch represents the liberty and independence of Costa Rica and the rest of the Central American countries. The tradition of the torch traveling through the different Central American countries began in 1964, the torch begins its journey in Guatemala and concl...

As promised last night by student federations of the different public universities, a large group gathered in San Pedro and is marching this Thursday morning towards the Presidential House in Zapote, members of the labor unions are taking advantage of the student movement and joining the demonstration. All academic activities were suspended today and are expected to resume at 1 p.m. at the Univ...

A group of students from different public universities were participating in a protest near the Outlet Mall in San Pedro. Apparently some of them were blocking the road and creating problems for drivers, the police intervened at which point the group threw rocks at them and took off running, in response, the police began a chase, and according to a journalist of Semanario Universidad, the officers...

The labor unions’ protest today in San Jose was very close to getting out of control, when a group of demonstrators took part in riots in front of the Legislative Assembly. The group tried removed the security barriers that were placed in the southeast of the Legislative Assembly building with the purpose of entering by force, in the process they also attacked two police officers with pepper sp...

As promised by members of the different labor unions, thousands of people from all areas of the country took La Sabana, Paseo Colon and other streets in San Jose starting at 9 a.m., the movement will extend today for as long as the weather permits. Since early hours this Wednesday, September 12, buses helped transport protesters from far away regions and they gathered at La Sabana, from this me...

The Costa Rican Government assured through a press release that the 10% of the homes with most income will be paying for 60% of the resources that would be collected with the fiscal plan, Project 20580 for the Strengthening of Public Finances, which is currently in discussion in the Legislative Assembly. This is an estimate of the Ministry of Treasury after revising the new adjustments that ha...

Labor unions in Costa Rica confirmed that the country wide strike will continue this Wednesday, September 12, when they expect to have the biggest march so far. According to information released by the labor unions the protesters will leave from different points in the country and will meet at 9 a.m. in La Sabana to walk towards the Legislative Assembly. Bus transportation will be offered by t...

Photo Credit: La Nacion/Shirley Vásquez Even though this Tuesday public institutions in Costa Rica report having been less affected than yesterday by the general labor strike, and a very low percentage of employees that joined the movement, some areas and people were still affected throughout the day mainly due to protesters marching in the middle of the roads. One of roads affected was the ...

In the second day of the country wide strike organized by the labor unions in Costa Rica, the number of protesters in the streets are reportedly less that yesterday. Movements have mainly affected the areas of La Sabana, Avenue 10, La Merced Park, Uruca and San Pedro in San Jose; Barranca in Puntarenas and isolated groups in Cartago, Alajuela and Limon. The actions of the Government seem to...

The leader of ANEP labor union, Albino Vargas, considered the country wide movement that started this Monday as a “success” and stated in interview that the effects suffered in institutions such as public schools and public hospitals “are necessary”. The rain forced the protesters to conclude their movement at around 1:40 p.m. Vargas also confirmed that the protests will continue this Tuesda...

In the first 7 hours of the general strike called by the labor unions in Costa Rica, the most affected services are public education and public hospitals, according to information provided by the Government during a press conference this Monday. President Carlos Alvarado along Ministers and representatives of other public institutions stated that at this point 25 public institutions are operati...

The Costa Rican Social Security Service (CCSS) announced at 10:15 a.m. that some of the services at public hospitals have “unfortunately” been affected by the general strike “it’s variable, we cannot generalize”, stated Román Macaya, president of CCSS during the press conference today. “We have declared an institutional emergency, this will give us access to an emergency fund, that will facili...

At 9 a.m. this Monday, September 10, the first effects of the general strike called by the labor unions are already being felt in some areas of the country, but not as badly as expected, at least at this hour. Leaders of the labor unions called a country wide strike in protest of the fiscal plan that is currently being discussed at the Legislative Assembly, which includes going from a 13% sale...

Following instructions given by President Carlos Alvarado, Costa Rica’s Public Security took control this Sunday evening of the ports of Limon and Moin of the Atlantic Zone Development and Port Administration Group (JAPDEVA), the Costa Rican Oil Refinery (Recope) and the Juan Santamaria and Daniel Oduber international airports in Alajuela and Liberia respectively. “With these actions we are gua...

The Washington three-ring circus was in full swing last week with flames erupting from the U.S. Senate confirmation hearings for federal Judge Brett Kavanaugh, a questionable “Resistance” opinion piece in the New York Times and another new book entitled “Fear” by Bob Woodward of Washington Post - Watergate fame. The Kavanaugh hearings have been turned into a sideshow worthy of the National Enqu...

President of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado, described the “strike” called by members of the labor unions for this Monday, September 10th, “unjustified, improper and illegal”. Alvarado will be presenting the formal request to the court in hopes to declare the movement illegal, he stated that paralyzing the services and affecting millions of Costa Rican is not a solution, “this country must continu...

The Costa Rican-North American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) considers the call of labor unions an “irrational and irresponsible position”, considering the need that the country has on making decisions to recover the fiscal stability. “The Costa Rican-North American Chamber of Commerce condemns this action and asks the Government to take all the administrative and legal measures against people that...

Despite the efforts of the Government to come to an agreement with leaders of the labor unions in Costa Rica to avoid a general strike, the “sindicatos” as they are called in the country or labor unions, confirmed today during a press conference the call to general strike beginning Monday, September 10 at 6 a.m. and for indefinite time. Public servants of several sectors: education, health, te...