President Carlos Alvarado has officially signed the work-from-home bill into law, which allows telecommuting as an alternative work arrangement for employees in the public and private sector. The new law sets the standards for the work from home policy, strengthening Costa Rica’s competitiveness to develop business and Foreign Direct Investment. The Congress passed the 21.141 bill on August ...

Carlos Roldán an investigator of the Costa Rican Technology Institute is promoting a referendum to vote the “Law of Exploitation of National Energy Resources” which would allow the exploration and exploitation of petroleum and natural gas in Costa Rica. The recollection of signatures began this week. A total of 5% of the electoral registry, 168,667 signatures are needed to call the national ref...

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, in its mission to defend, conserve and protect the seas and marine wildlife, announced that it is launching Operation Treasured Islands late this fall. The campaign focuses on Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Tropical Eastern Pacific, a two million square kilometer area extending along the Pacific coast of the Americas from Mexico to P...

Yesterday the body of American online sportsbook maker William Sean Creighton, founder of 5 Dimes, was discovered in a cemetery in Quepos, Costa Rica. The Star had reported his abduction and murder one year ago, a story picked up by the international press, but hotly contested by the family’s lawyer and by 5 Dimes management. The Star never retracted the story. Now, in a modest cemetery with a ...

The OIJ (Organismo de Investigacion) reports that murders are again on the rise in Costa Rica – and that has law enforcement officials worried. There have been 42 homicides in fifteen days, an alarming spike in the murder rate. At a recent press conference, OIJ’s director Walter Espinoza declared about the rise, “The situation shows no possibility of finishing soon.” This follows a slight drop in ...

Between displeased sectors, threats of more protests, a difficult economy, Costa Rica celebrates this September 15, 198 years of independent life. “We are capable of doing great things working with discipline and strength. It won’t be something external what leads us to development, it won’t be a gift from anyone, and it certainly won’t be the laziness and the privileges what will make us a de...

Conde Nast Traveler published it’s ranking of “The 40 Most Beautiful Countries in the World” and Costa Rica tops the list. CN Traveler took the top 30 countries listed in the “attractiveness” section of the World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report and polled their editors for their personal picks to come up with a final list. “It's easy to sink into the pura vida (pur...

Clothing store Forever 21 plans to declare bankruptcy this Sunday, September 15 according to The Wall Street Journal. The retailer apparently has been affected by the change of consumer habits which has brought low sales. Many people now prefer to shop online and the competition is very strong. According to a statement released by Forever 21 the stores are currently operating normally, and t...

Medtronic, the largest employer of precision mechanics in Costa Rica inaugurated this week its new manufacturing facility in Coyol, Alajuela. Medtronic has had a commercial presence in Costa Rica since 2015. The company established its manufacturing facility in 2017 with over 100 employees and has subsequently grown to more than 500 professionals in 2019. The facility manufactures components gl...

A renowned Costa Rican narco-trafficker, Juan Carlos Arias Leiva, was captured-- at last -- on Wednesday, in Paso Canoas, Panama, by Panamanian authorities and Interpol International Police. Arias is better known by his narco nickname, “El Pellejo”. The name in English means skin, or sometimes the leather container in which liquids are carried. He is wanted in Texas for conspiracy to traffic drugs...

What would possess an American war veteran to spend all night alone on a Costa Rican beach, looking for turtle nests? Turtle Rescue! And it’s urgent. Mike Hughes seems to be an unlikely volunteer conservationist. But that’s exactly who he is, and he has probably saved thousands and thousands of turtle eggs from illegal turtle egg poachers who have now become well organized, and in many cases af...

Tourism and economic reactivation of the district of Drake in the Osa Península begins to show growth after an increase in the number of flights and passengers since the Drake airfield started operations in January. According to Guillermo Hoppe, General Director of Civil Aviation, the number of passengers using the new airfield during the first seven months of this year is of 12,727 almost doub...

A Romanian Expat by the name of Ionut-George Otelac and a Costa Rican model by name Raquel Gamboa Mora, were shot to death inside their vehicle near the Alajuelita park this Tuesday, September 10. The two victims were aboard a Suzuki driving on the main street of the San José county of Alajuelita at noon time when two people on a motorcycle shot them. The Romanian was 38 years-old and had a ...

The Judiciary Investigative Police (OIJ) in Costa Rica confirmed the arrest of two Jamaican brothers suspects of fraud and wanted by the Interpol. According to information released by OIJ the two men of last name Levy apparently setup a call center in Costa Rica to function as a sweepstake scam where the victims were elderly American citizens. In total the victims were scammed closed to $350...

Costa Rican authorities intercepted a vessel 16 nautical miles from Golfito, Puntarenas close to Golfo Dulce carrying almost half a ton of cocaine. The National Coast Guard Service, Air Surveillance, Public Police Force, Border Control Police and the Drug Control Police took part of this operation; aboard the boat, with the name “Hish Tide” were two men, a Costa Rican of surname García and a Co...

The Daniel Oduber Airport in Liberia, Guanacaste is the best terminal in Latin America and the Caribbean in quality of services to travelers according to the Airport Service Quality Awards. The annual Airport Service Quality Awards recognize and reward the best airports in the world according to an ASQ Departure Survey and the ASQ Arrivals Survey. “These awards represent the highest possible ac...

Bananas are probably the most important fruit crop in the world, and in 2015 Costa Rica grew and supplied one out of ten bananas consumed globally. The banana industry of Costa Rica provides at least 100,000 jobs for Ticos. Will climate change negatively impact Costa Rican banana cultivation? A recent study conducted by the University of Exeter UK, indicates that ten countries (including Costa ...

Visiting Costa Rica is an opportunity to connect with the essence of life: nature, wellness, culture and adventure. This is the message that the Costa Rican Tourism Board used to launch its new “Only the Essentials” promotional campaign in the country’s two largest tourist-sending markets, the United States of America and Canada. “The campaign seeks to form a personal connection to what really ...

In the first bill With 40 votes in favor and 15 against deputies approved the bill to regulate strikes in Costa Rica. Some of the most important points of this project are: -It defines which are considered "essential services", where strikes are NOT allowed. -Salaries are suspended on the first day of any strike. If the strike is declared legal by a court of law, then the employer will ha...

After less than one year of directing the Costa Rica national soccer team “La Sele”, head coach Gustavo Matosas announced his decision to leave the team. The announcement was made this Wednesday, September 4th and he will direct the team until September 10, directing Costa Rica in its friendly match against its equivalent of Uruguay scheduled for this Friday, September 6. Matosas, a native o...

Authorities of the Ministry of Public Security filed a report to the prosecutors of the Association of Professional Psychologists requesting them to investigate a group of psychologists that are in charge of applying suitability evaluations to those requesting a license to own a gun. According to the Ministry of Security, several psychologists are issuing a significant number of tests in the sy...

The US Embassy in San José, Costa Rica announced its upcoming consular events – routine services for U.S. citizens in Dominical and Pérez Zeledón. To RSVP for passport renewals, notary services, and federal benefits inquiries, interested parties must write to [email protected]. Any applicable fees must be paid in cash in Colones. No checks, credit cards, or U.S. dollars can be accepted...

We will assume that the readers of this article are conscientious individuals who have come to the realization that life in Costa Rica is best lived as a legal resident. You have also read previous articles about the folly of perpetual tourism. (Border runs as a way of living under the radar.) It also assumes 95% of you will be from the U.S., Canada, or the E.U. This article covers the four mos...

Gap store returned to Costa Rica and opened doors this weekend in Avenida Escazú shopping center. The international franchise had operated two stores in Costa Rica in the past, one in Multiplaza Escazú and another one in Lincoln Plaza, however, these closed doors in 2016 after three years in the country. Now they come back strong, with an aggressive expansion plan, from the hand of Central A...

(Photo: Archive) The National Association of Educators (ANDE) and the Association of High-School Teachers (APSE) called on their members to join a new strike movement this Monday, September 2 and Wednesday, September 3 to protest the projects that are currently being discussed in congress regarding public employment, the right to strike in essential services, and those projects that would affec...

The Technical Council of Civil Aviation (CETAC) and the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC) will invest over $10 million USD in important works to improve the international airport of the province of Limon and the airfields of Guápiles and Tortuguero. “This is a country effort to promote economic reactivation, tourism, production, commerce and connectivity, staying in line with the mis...

As part of their DNA Tour, American band Backstreet Boys will offer a concert in Costa Rica on February 28, 2020 at the Coca Cola Amphitheater of Parque Viva in La Guacima, Alajuela. The band formed by A.J.McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson was a big hit in the late 90´s and early 2000´s selling over 100 million records worldwide, making them the best-sell...

Goalkeeper Keylor Navas will be finally leaving Real Madrid after reaching a deal with París Saint Germain. Since May this year the fact that Navas was soon not going to be part of Los Blancos made headlines. Navas won three Champions League titles with the team, a Spanish League title, the Spanish Supercup, three UEFA Super Cups and was named the best goalkeeper of the 2027-2018 season. Yet, s...

Back in March, Jacó beach in Puntarenas inaugurated a 63 meter long ramp built with recycled plastic and that gives access to the beach to people with disabilities, Jacó became then the first fully accessible beach in Central America. Now, the Cahuita National Park in Limón became the first National Park to be accessible for people with disabilities thanks to the project “Cahuita Accesible”. ...

On August 20th, Cristel Yariella Gomez Espinoza, a.k.a, "La Reina del Sur"(Queen of the South), was arrested after having been on the run for nine months, wanted for being a drug capo of a cartel supplying massive quantities of drugs to the Southern Zone of Costa Rica. She is only 24 years old. She was arrested while shopping for new pants, dressed in a pink satin romper with an open back displ...

Glamping “glamorous camping” is becoming more and more popular specially among young travelers looking for an experience that bring them closer to nature. Costa Rica has several options for glamping and luxury glamping, one of this last lodging options opened doors just close to a year back for private groups, but is now open to the public, Kinkára is part of the Coyuga Collection Hotels. The b...

American tourist Charlie Hughes, 62 years of age, has been missing since August 3rd in Costa Rica and was last seen in the area of Puerto Jiménez, Puntarenas. The Judiciary Investigative Police (OIJ) in Costa Rica informed of the disappearance of the native of Tampa, Florida and apparently the FBI is also investigating the case. According to information that has been released, Hughes was see...

Photo: Archive Once again, Costa Rican Penitentiary Police captured a cat smuggling cell phones into prison, this time at the Center of Institutional Attention Jorge Arturo Montero (La Reforma). The cat had a harness and attached to it a bag with two mobile phones its respective chargers and three sim cards. An officer first noticed the cat as it entered module B of the prison, however, o...

This Saturday, August 24 we celebrate National Parks Day and Costa Rica offers free entrance to any of its 29 National Parks. Beach or mountain destinations, Costa Rica has a variety of options to offer, some just an hour away from the capital city. Costa Rica has 169 protected areas that represent 26% of the country’s total area; these protected areas include national parks, national monum...

Cristel Yariela Gomez Espinoza, known by her gang name “La Reina del Sur”, was picked up at 10AM on Tuesday in Palmar Norte, Puntarenas, in the Southern Zone. She was wanted by Interpol, as well as the OIJ of Costa Rica, who had an order for capture for her since 2018. The arrest took place in a commercial center, where the OIJ and Fuerza Publica had been staking out another wanted felon, when the...

In a previous article which can be read here, we spoke about the new coming regulations taking effect starting September 1st, 2019. Basically, every type of corporation in Costa Rica must proceed informing to Central Bank of Costa Rica who their stockholders are, in order to report who the final Beneficiaries are of the said business. This obligation is to be fulfilled by the President on SA co...

Costa Rica’s Attorney General confirmed the detention in Nuevo León, Mexico of former priest Mauricio Víquez Lizano accused of sexual abuse of two minors and who had fled the country back in January. According to the Judiciary Investigative Police (OIJ) it was through an investigation by the Information Technology Crimes section that they were able to confirm that Víquez was in Mexico and from ...

Costa Rica Residency for Expats 101: Most Costa Rica residency applicants start off surfing the net for any articles they can find on the subject, particularly on Google where most of the results stem from sites with paid ads. Once devouring that information, some, unfortunately, think it safe to go it alone. If they speak Spanish, they currently have a 20% chance of success accompanied by off ...

The Jaguar Program of Universidad Nacional released amazing video of a mama jaguar and her two cubs, just in time for Mother’s Day. The video was taken by nocturnal cameras in the Dry Forest of Guanacaste. “What better way to celebrate this day (Mother’s Day), than to see a Mama Jaguar and her two cubs in the Dry Forest of the Parque Nacional Santa Rosa!” Researchers have been following this...

The U.S. Embassy issued a security alert in relation to the first national evacuation drill in case of an earthquake or emergency that will take place on Monday, August 19, at 10 a.m., this event is organized by the Costa Rican National Emergency Commission "The organization expects more than a million people across the country to participate in the event. Government offices, businesses, sch...