Students at Technical Professional High School (CTP) in Nicoya will be getting more hands-on experience thanks to a new interchange agreement signed between the school and CASATUR, the chamber of tourism in Samara. Students began working at different hotels in Samara in July. “Of all of the opportunities that one has to keep working after the internship, we have an 80 to 90 percent chance ...

Michael Kerry Deevy, a Canadian citizen, was sentenced today in connection with a series of business opportunity fraud ventures based in Costa Rica, the Justice Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced. Beginning in 2006, Deevy and his co-conspirators in Costa Rica are alleged to have fraudulently induced purchasers in the U.S. to buy business opportunities from companies known...

This is a guest article by Jeff Jones on the Huffington Post. I wouldn't exactly call it a rivalry, but retirees and vacationers alike tend to fall into one of two categories; those who go west in Costa Rica, especially to Jaco (the closest beach town to the international airport) and those who head east to the Carib. And this, of course, makes perfect sense... In the same way visitors to Fl...

Wikimedia Commons As families in Costa Rica prepare to celebrate one of their most important holidays, inmates in the country's three correctional custody institutions for women are reflecting on what August 15th used to mean prior to their incarceration. These women, many of whom are single parents, are part of Costa Rica's growing inmate population. They will spend Mother's Day deprived of f...

Wireless data and communications providers in Costa Rica spent almost two years in a relative state of post-monopoly peace. That changed a few days ago, however, with an announcement by former communications monopoly ICE with regard to its prepaid wireless rates. The cost of using ICE's extremely popular Short Message Service (SMS) went up by almost 100 percent, which means it now costs three colo...

Source: US NavyThank you to the US Embassy in San Jose for this update on the below news article clarifying a number of items mentioned herein. A United States Navy guided missile frigate involved in drug interdiction patrols off the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica is undergoing some operational difficulties. The USS Rentz (FFG-46) recently got underway from her home port at the San Diego Naval Ba...

A range of dazzling outfits designed by a highly creative mix of designers from countries like Mexico, USA, Colombia and Honduras were showcased at the recently concluded 11th edition of Costa Rica Fashion Week 2013. Held in San Jose, the capital city of the Latin American nation of Costa Rica, the event featured more than forty catwalk shows that highlighted ready-to-wear, haute couture and c...

A giant wooden armadillo trophy was presented to Jose Joaquin Fernandez Castrillo at the Annexation celebration on Wednesday, July 24, as the winner of “La Gran Nicoya” award in recognition of his contributions to both local and international journalism. “I have endeavored to always disseminate the great events of Nicoya,” Fernandez said as he accepted the award. Fernandez, who was ...

The vice minister of foreign trade announced today that Peruvian exports to Costa Rica are expected to increase by 20% in the short term once the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries goes into effect. Carlos Posada, the vice minister, explained that the trade agreement is a “development tool that gives exporters the opportunity to explore not only commercial aspects, but also inve...

Deportivo Saprissa began the Costa Rica Primera Division in style with a 4-2 home triumph against Perez Zeledon. It was not all smooth sailing for Saprissa as Jorge Gatgens put Perez ahead after only six minutes before Marlon Escoe equalised in the 26th minute. Brunete Hay briefly restored Perez's lead just after half-time before Escoe decided to stamp his presence on the contest. Escoe, ...

Source: Flickr CC Street racers in Costa Rica, known as “picones” in the local slang vernacular, are staying one step ahead of the law with a tactic typically used by the police officers that attempt to put an end to their reckless driving. According to a recent article written by Roberto Portuguez for news daily La Prensa Libre, picones in Costa Rica have snitches planted inside law enforceme...

The 14th edition of Costa Rica's International Book Fair in 2013 will feature a couple of surprises. The most significant is that it will finally offer free admission to the public thanks to a resolution by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Athletics to provide more than 50 million colones (about $100,000) for the fair. In the past, the International Book Fair in Costa Rica had been a largely com...

Angie Morelli. Source: GMO Free Vegas Residents of Las Vegas are borrowing a page from Costa Rica's ongoing fight against agro-industrial leviathan Monsanto. Earlier this year, activists in Las Vegas staged one of the largest anti-Monsanto demonstrations seen in the United States, drawing 3,000 supporters and compromising traffic on the world-famous Las Vegas strip. Sin City may seem like a...

Source: MSP Costa Rica A Nicaraguan citizen who killed and gutted a green sea turtle in Costa Rica has been sentenced to 12 months in prison; he is not, however, in custody at the moment. The 40-year old man, whose last name is Martinez, was found guilty of the crime of slaughter of a Chelonia mydas in a sector of the Tortuguero National Park in the Caribbean region, an area that is a sanctuar...

Due to the serious harm that trawling causes to the marine environment and sea bed, Costa Rica has banned all shrimp trawling in the country. The ruling, written by Justice Paul Rueda, declared admissible a lawsuit filed by six environmental organizations against various articles of the country’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Law, reports TicoTimes. "Based on extensive scientific studies, it...

High speed internet access up to 100 Mbps is now a reality in Costa Rica, thanks to a new product by Cabletica, that is available for both businesses and homes. But it’s not cheap. Cabletica is pricing the 100 Mbps at US$749 monthly. The rate is for residential, the cable company does not publish the business rate on its website. Connection speeds of up to 50 Mbps is priced at US$399; 35 Mbp...

The suspected head of an international child pornography ring was arrested in Costa Rica as part of a probe coordinated with Spain and several Latin American countries, authorities said. Agents, both local and from the global police agency Interpol, arrested the man and seized computers during raids across the country, said Marisel Rodriguez, spokeswoman for the Judicial Investigation Organizat...

With its league campaign opening on Sunday at home against Carmelita, Costa Rica’s Alajuelense is eager to excel this season. The Manudos enjoyed a solid preseason that included a Copa Iberico title as they topped rival Saprissa on penalty kicks after a 2-2 draw at the Estadio Nacional. They also held English Premier League side Fulham to a 1-1 tie before falling 3-1 on two late goals, one of ...

A legislator in Costa Rica brought up explosive accusations against two political parties during a debate on campaign reform. Jeanette Ruiz from the Citizen Action Party (PAC in Spanish) has insinuated that Liberty Reserve, a controversial money transmitter based in Costa Rica, donated money to fund the electoral campaigns of the Libertarian Movement and the powerhouse National Liberation Party (P...

Source: UCR In order to comply with Resolution 64/460 of the United Nations, which calls for a ten-year period of research, study and celebration of the international heritage of African people around the world starting in 2013, the University of Costa Rica has organized a series of events throughout August in the Caribbean region. This year also marks the 15th anniversary of the Day of the...

Another year, another week spent watching the most commonly misunderstood elasmobranch species swim, feed, reproduce, and (rarely) attack humans. We are talking about Shark Week, a ratings machine that is one of the most anticipated TV programs every year. In Costa Rica, Shark Week is also known as “El Clasico de Discovery en Espanol” due to its popularity among cable and satellite television cust...

UCR campus Costa Rica's prized quality of life in the Central American region owes a lot to her focus on education. Since there is no military to spend money on, Costa Rica has had an opportunity to invest a greater portion of the national budget on academic affairs -particularly at the higher education level. As such, the number of colleges and universities in Costa Rica has increased along w...

The cost of living in Costa Rica, as with everywhere else, is a frequent topic of discussion. Before relocating here I read as much as I could on the matter, trying to get a feel for what to expect. The feedback varied. Some would say it was cheap, others would say it wasn't. And then there were always those making the "back in my day" statements. In piecing it all together, I estimated ...

Source: Zoo Ave Facebook Simona, an adult female Bradypodidae sloth that was electrocuted when she touched high-voltage lines in Tilaran, province of Alajuela, is showing great improvements. Officials at Zoo Ave, Costa Rica’s premier wildlife rescue center, explained that Simona suffered five major electrical discharges and extensive burns that required two major surgeries. You can watch Simon...

Source: Flickr CC Costa Rica’s rich biodiversity is getting richer. According to a recent article published by national news daily La Nacion, researchers and environmental officials in Costa Rica discovered and classified 5,000 new species between 2011 and 2013. This discovery is part of the country’s National Biodiversity Strategy (ENB in Spanish) for 2014-2020, which is part of the United Na...

On Sunday, August 11, the “Carrera por mi Parroquia” (Race for My Parish) will be held as part of an effort to raise funds to build a new Catholic church in Nosara since the church building had to be demolished due to damage sustained during the earthquake on September 5, 2012. Lorena Avila Alvarado, president of the Parish Events Committee, said they have been holding a series of athletic even...

The Partido Acción Ciudadana (PAC), the Defensoría de los Habitantes (Ombudsman) and the public employee union, the Asociación Nacional de Empleados Públicos y Privados (ANEP), have banded together asking Laura Chinchilla to declare a state of emergency in the country’s penitentiary system. According to legislator and leader of the PAC legislative bloc, Carmen Muñoz, the call is for the governm...

It is noon and beneath the blazing sun in Nicoya, a canal flows with water as green as moss, which first appears as a soapy foam and later descends through a cement canal to the Rio Grande. This drainage system has existed for several decades as the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA) has discharged residual fluids into the river bed in the Matabuey neighborhood in N...

If you would like The Costa Rica Star to cover your business press release, please contact us. CSS Corp, a global technology support and consulting company, today announced the opening of its Global Delivery Center in Costa Rica. The center, located at the Ultra Park Free Zone in La Aurora de Heredia, was inaugurated by Mrs. Laura Chinchilla, the President of Republic of Costa Rica today. T...

Walmart in Costa Rica was fined ¢4,395,000 colones (US$8,900 dollars) for “lack of information and misleading advertising” in a promotion of flat screen televisions. The National Consumer Commission said it fined the giant retailer following an investigation into complaints by 58 consumers, for price differences in the retailer’s promotion “Día más barato del año” (lowest price day of the year)...

Yesterday the government of Costa Rica welcomed the approval of the UN Arms Trade Agreement during a first debate in the Congress. “Costa Rica has starred in one of the fundamental struggles for disarmament. We have used our moral power as a peaceful country to advocate for a world without weapons,” said Chinchilla. The president added that “the approval of this treaty represents a breakthro...

Yesterday the firm MasterCard launched in Costa Rica, in partnership with Banco Nacional (BNCR), its first “Black” debit card for Latin America, aimed at customers with higher incomes. The MasterCard director for Costa Rica, Honduras and Guatemala, Gabriel Pascual, explained at a press conference that Costa Rica was chosen to introduce this product because it has a greater number of affluent cu...

AmaTierra Yoga Retreat and Wellness Center is a lovable destination near San Jose, www.amatierra.comThe capital city of Costa Rica has been ranked among the top five loveable cities in the world by respected British publication Monocle. San Jose is right up there with Colombo in Sri Lanka, Palermo in Italy, Tel Aviv in Israel, and Chiang Mai in Thailand. Since San Jose gets a lot of flack from lo...

The story of the legendary crocodile Pocho and his “owner,” Costa Rican fisherman named Gilberto “Chito” Shedon, will be shown in Latin America on the nature TV channel NatGeo next Saturday a 7 p.m.. A filming team originally picked up on the story in 2009 that had captivated Costa Ricans. The team filmed the unlikely pair but decided that the 15 minute segment they had programed for the film w...

Along with headliner Slightly Stoopid, Jungle Jam 2014 will host Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers, Oteil Burbridge, Max Creek, The Expendables, Kung Fu, Zach Deputy, Ryan Montbleau Band and dopapod. Plus more. Always more. Scheduled for Jan. 16-19 in Jaco, Costa Rico, Jungle Jam will take place at the DoceLunas Resort Hotel, the festival’s home since 2011. Jungle Jam...

Nature in Lidice, site of the murder. Spanish citizen Gonzalo Alonso Hernandez and Jairo Mora of Costa Rica had a lot in common: Both were deeply courageous biologists committed to environmental conservation whose dedication may have caused them to die at the hands of despicable criminals. Costa Rican online news media site El Pais, which is known for its strong defense of environmental aff...

This is a funny list of rules that Ticos follow to truly embrace the concept of Pura Vida in Costa Rica, thank you to Mike Poynton for the guest article. 1. "Yesterday never happened and tomorrow does not exist". Every day is the first day. 2. "I don't know" is NEVER an acceptable answer to a question. If you don't know the answer, pretend like you do. 3. Having more than one family is OK. Re...

Source: Flickr CC For several decades, the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) in Costa Rica was described as a spartan, no-frills facility for air travel. It wasn't until almost the end of the 20th century that tourists and expats coming to Costa Rica started to see features that are standard in many airports around the world, such as terminals, lounges, duty-free shops, and places to...

Costa Rica’s former astronaut, Franklin Chang, announced today that he surpassed his goal of raising $46,000 for the creation of a documentary that explains the features of a plasma rocket engine developed by Ad Astra in its laboratories located in Costa Rica and the United States. Regarding his successful fundraising project, the Costa Rican astronaut stated: “We reached our goal of $46,00...

A recent visit by The Honourable John Baird, Minister of Foreign Affairs in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper to Costa Rica underscored the excellent status of bilateral relations and their intent to cooperate and establish meaningful dialog. Chancellor of the Republic Enrique Castillo, who is also the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Costa Rica, sat down with Minister Baird and review...