The Ministry of Public Security confiscated today 256 kilograms of cocaine found inside the wall of a container truck that was attempting to exit the country through the Nicaraguan border. The truck had Guatemalan license plates and entered Costa Rica back in July 21st from Nicaragua, it was supposed to leave the country this Friday, August 3rd with Guatemala as its final destination; the truck...

Costa Rica will host the fourth edition of the Life Sciences Forum 2018, the event will take place October 15 and 16 in the recently inaugurated Costa Rica Convention Center. This edition’s theme is “Converging technologies lead the future of MedTech” and it will address topics such as: How does artificial intelligence, automation, big data or cyber security affect the medical devices and li...

The National Seismology Network (RSN) informed that the Turrialba Volcano has increased the sporadic eruptions since July 23, with passive emissions of ash. The ash columns generally reach between 100 and 300 meters above the crater; however, since the evening of August 1st the activity has been more sustained, and a tremor signal has been persistent as per the information gathered by the surve...

An alert given by the U.S. Coast Guard Service to the Costa Rican Ministry of Public Security thanks to the agreement on joint patrolling allowed Costa Rican police authorities to intercept a vessel 80 nautical miles from Quepos, Puntarenas carrying 2000 packages of cocaine. The police operation began out at sea on Wednesday, August 1st, and concluded this Thursday, August 2nd, when the ship wa...

The General Directorate of Migration in Costa Rica will be renting a new building near the current headquarters in La Uruca with the purpose of giving service to the increasing number of people requesting refugee status in the country, the majority of them Nicaraguan natives. According to recent information released by Migration authorities, since April close to 8 thousand asylum claims have be...

The evening of this Wednesday, August 1st, the Costa Rican Public Police Force intercepted three Canadian men with a load of methamphetamine pills. Officers running routine operations in Ciudad Colon, Mora, San Jose, intercepted a vehicle they had received reports on indicating that the men had 'suspicious' behavior. According to the Minister of Security, Michael Soto, the men appeared nervous...

In the United States, the latest trend in retirement communities is undergoing development in Florida. Not far from the raucous Daytona Beach, home of rowdy spring break celebrations and biker gatherings, Canadian developer Minot is building a massive managed retirement community branded under the Margaritaville imprint created by the legendary singer Jimmy Buffett. The Margaritaville community...

The Development Center of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the International Labor Organization (ILO) presented the report “How Immigrants Contribute to Costa Rica’s Economy”, which provides new insights and analysis of immigrant workers’ contribution in three areas of Costa Rica’s economy: labor markets, economic growth and public finance. “Costa Rica is one...

The past administration of President Solis acquired from the Government of the United States an aircraft to be used as an aerial intelligence platform, the same is expected to arrive to the country by March next year. The aircraft, a King Air 250, will be modified to be used by the Ministry of Public Security for surveillance against organized crime and illegal fishing. This ‘mobile radar’ only...

The Minister of Public Security, Michael Soto, held a press conference this Wednesday morning to offer details on the operations and work being done by the different police bodies in the country to battle drug trafficking by air, ground and sea. According to the information offered by Soto, between all police bodies the number of cocaine seized so far this year reached 15 tons 208.29 kilograms ...

The National Meteorological Institute (IMN) informed this morning that tropical wave #22 will be entering the country this Wednesday, increasing the rainfall over some areas of the country. Throughout the morning and early hours of the afternoon rains of variable intensity with possible thunderstorm and isolated events of strong winds will be affecting the Caribbean and North Zone. While cloudy...

The US Embassy in Costa Rica announced it is selling off house furniture, appliances, gym equipment, car tires, air conditioners, computer equipment and different vehicles. All articles can be seen and inspected on Friday, August 3 and Saturday, August 4 from 8:30 a.m. through 12 p.m. and from 1 p.m. through 4 p.m. The following 15 vehicles are part of the selloff: Chevrolet Impala LS 20...

U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo presented the Trafficking in Persons Report 2018, which gives information on which countries are making improvements in tackling human trafficking, Costa Rica is still placed in Tier 2, “Countries whose governments do not fully comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act's (TVPA) minimum standards but are making significant efforts to bring themselv...

Recently, the General Directorate of Migration in Costa Rica had to implement a call center service to handle the large number of appointments for refugee applications, the majority of which come from Nicaraguan citizens. Even though, the Director of Migration, Raquel Vargas and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Epsy Campbell have stated in different occasions that the situation is still not con...

The National Coast Guard Service rescued a total of 11 people from two ships that were stranded in the area known as Roca Viuda, Golfo Dulce, Puntarenas. According to the Coast Guard Service, they received an alert in the Golfito Station that a motorboat under the name Mari Cruz II had been impacted by lighting leaving the engines out of service; due to the strong winds and swell at the time, t...

The National Meteorological Institute (IMN) warned of the formation of El Niño phenomenon which will could generate droughts in the Costa Rican Pacific and heavy rains in the Caribbean. “The centers of investigation have indicated that during August, September and October there will be w higher probability that the El Niño phenomenon affecting the area of the Equatorial Pacific. Between Novemb...

The Ministry of Treasury (Hacienda) in Costa Rica continues to insist in the implementation of the electronic invoice system that will be obligatory for all sectors by end of this year, this includes corporations and individuals. By September all corporations and individuals whose ID ends in 1,2,3 will have to be implementing the e-invoicing, in October all those with ID ending in 4,5 or 6 and ...

July 29, 1968 lives in the memory of many Costa Ricans as a tragic day in which more than 80 people lost their lives as a result of the eruption of Arenal Volcano, known back then only as Arenal Mountain, many didn’t know, and others didn’t want to believe it was a volcano. The Arenal Volcano is considered the youngest volcano in the country and also one of the most dangerous. That day, the ...

23-year-old Kenier David Murillo Aleman was sentenced to 16 years of prison after confessing in an abbreviated trial to having killed a 50-year-old French woman at the Pachamama Jungle River Lodge in Punta Uva, Cahuita, Limon. The events occurred in October 27, 2016 when apparently three men participated in the robbery of the hotel, which was property Estelle Marie-Claire Jeanne; when the woman...

As part of its agenda for 2018, the National Auditorium Theater in the Children´s Museum will present this September the musical “Viva Broadway” which will take the audience through scenes of 25 renown musicals. With a cast of 10 singers, dances, actors and acrobats, the musical will involve over 200 wardrobe pieces, screens, light show, aerial shows and other elements that will bring the show ...

For the third time this week Costa Rican authorities gave an important blow to drug trafficking operations in the country by seizing over half a ton of cocaine in waters of the South Pacific. The Drug Control Police (PCD) and the National Coast Guard Service were alerted of the presence of a motorboat in the area of Punta Burica, the same location where on July 27th a semi-submersible vessel wa...

Costa Rica’s Fire Department celebrated 153 years since its creation with an activity in their Operations Center in Santo Domingo, Heredia and the presence of President Carlos Alvarado, who, following the tradition was named First Commander of the Firefighters’ Department. During this activity they also announced the acquisition of five new fire extinction units valued in approximately $1.5 mil...

Even though the official day to celebrate is August 2, many Costa Ricans have already started their walk to La Basilica de los Angeles church in Cartago to honor the country’s patron saint La Virgen de los Angeles. “La Romeria” pilgrimage as it is known, requires the attention and organization of police and health authorities in the country, since its and event that gathers hundreds of thousands ...

Agents of the Regional Police Station of Corredores in Puntarenas along with the National Coast Guard Service and Frontier Police, managed to arrest two men this Friday from Ecuador as suspects of International Drug Trafficking. According to preliminary information, the agents were informed on Thursday of the presence of a vessel supposedly carrying drugs, in the area of Punta Burica and two me...

This is the perfect time to book your flight from Toronto to Costa Rica for the months of September, October or November 2018, Avianca Airlines has rates starting as cheap as $379.00 CAD ($290 USD) round trip. The flights only have one short stop in El Salvador, each way. If you search in Google Flights it will give you the compared prices for a round trip from Toronto to San Jose by just se...

At 9:33 a.m. this Friday, July 27 a mild earthquake of 3.9 magnitude was registered with epicenter 2 kilometers East of San Gabriel, Aserrí, San José, the movement was felt in all the Central Valley. A second earthquake was felt at 11:50 a.m., this time stronger, with a registered magnitude of 4.7 and the epicenter in the same location. The movement was felt in the Central Valley and Puntarena...

Works at the Poas Volcano National Park advance at good pace and  is expected to reopen for tourist visitation shortly with a new security model that involves 5 shelters: 3 new modules and the remodeling of 2 existing infrastructures as well as new protocols in the management of visitors. The five shelters are being built at the same time, the new ones include one shelter with a capacity for 18...

President Carlos Alvarado met this Thursday with over 250 representatives of multinational companies of the life sciences sector, corporate services, advanced manufacture and food industry, in a meeting organized by the Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency (CINDE). The President confirmed the support and trust to the companies that bring direct foreign investment and recognized their social ...

Over 2,500 job positions will be available in the upcoming edition of the now traditional Expoempleo, a job fair that brings together companies that are seeking for talent to fill in different positions and candidates looking for new or better job opportunities. This event is geared specially towards bilingual or multilingual candidates and it will take place August 24 and 25 in the National Sta...

The strike of air traffic controllers at the Juan Santamaria Airport in Costa Rica caused the delay of at least seven flights since 6 a.m. Thursday morning. According to AERIS, company in charge of the operation of the airport the flights affected are from airlines Delta, AA, United and Condor. The air traffic controllers strike obeys to a dispute between the labor union and the General Dire...

President Carlos Alvarado communicated yesterday the approval of a loan by the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) for a total of $425 million for the Project: System of Water Supply for the Mid Basin of the Tempisque River and Coastal Communities (PAACUME) for the benefit of the counties of Nicoya, Santa Cruz and Carrillo. Alvarado also detailed that this is the most importa...

The Ministry of Public Security confirmed that a total of 580 kilograms of cocaine were found aboard a go-fast boat in Puntarenas, across from Cabo Blanco. “Intelligence work carried out by the police bodies of the Ministry of Public Security in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of the USA, a large shipment of cocaine was intercepted” The drugs were found aboard a sh...

W Hotel Reserva Conchal, Guanacaste, Costa Rica announced it will begin operations in November 2018. The hotel, property of the company Florida Ice & Farm (FIFCO), “will have 151 guestrooms, the W Living Room lifestyle lounge, specialty restaurants a destination bar and lounge, infinity edge pool, a spa and meeting space”, details the press release. This will be the brand’s first hotel in C...

As The Costa Rica Star reported last night, a tragic accident occurred on Route 27 in the area of Alto de Las Palomas (Santa Ana), involving three cars and a motorcycle;  two people were declared dead at the scene while a third person passed away in  hospital. The accident happened around 11:20 on Tuesday, July 24th,  when the driver of an Audi that was traveling from San Jose to Santa Ana lost...

*News in development* At approximately 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 24th a tragic accident occurred on Route 27 (San Jose-Santa Ana) in Alto de las Palomas close to the Villareal residential community. Preliminary reports indicate that two people lost their lives and two others were transferred to the hospital in critical condition. Three cars were apparently involved in the accident, one of ...

The Costa Rican Meteorological Institute (IMN) reported today the presence of Saharan Dust over the country, particularly visible over the mountain sector of the Central Valley. Saharan Dust is transported through the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea by trade winds and is being registered across Central America. “In large cumulus this dust ‘dehydrates’ the atmosphere, creating conditions lik...

The hotel brand ‘AC’ was founded by renowned hotelier Antonio Catalan (‘AC’) in 1998, and following his vision he developed one of the most well respected hotel brands in Spain. In 2011 Marriott International and AC Hotels formed a joint venture and launched AC Hotels by Marriott globally. The first AC Hotel by Marriot in Costa Rica will open doors in Escazú come September this year, the hotel ...

Local and foreign tourists continue to take unnecessary risks in their seek for adventure, rescue teams in Costa Rica receive numerous alerts every year about tourists that decided to hike all the way to the crater of a volcano, most commonly the Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna, San Carlos, but this also happens in Poas and Turrialba Volcanoes. This weekend two American tourists had to be rescued ...

In a joint operation carried out by agents of the Costa Rican Investigative Police (OIJ) in Limon and officers of the National Coast Guard Service, a criminal organization formed by eleven Costa Ricans, three Colombians and a Panamanian was dismantled. The men were arrested on Monday afternoon and face charges for money laundering and illegal possession and carrying of unregistered firearms. ...

Aerobell Airlines announced its domestic flights to seven destinations in Costa Rica as of this Tuesday, July 24; the company that has 30 years operating in the country under the modality of charter had announced its interest in entering the market of domestic flights after suspension of the operations of Nature Air. “We have identified a lack of options in the offering of domestic itinerary f...