The investigation began early the day of September 21st, 2017 when the Costa Rican Police found a body inside the trunk of a car which was abandoned near the Juan Santamaria International Airport. The victim was identified as Rosemarie Bockhold, 80-years-old and a native of Germany who lived in Piedades, Santa Ana, San Jose. According to the investigation conducted by the judiciary investiga...

The Costa Rican National Commission for Tourist Safety (CONSETUR) held an extraordinary meeting following the murders of two vacationers this weekend, a Spanish woman in Tortuguero, Pococí, Limón and a Mexican woman in Santa Teresa, Cobano, Puntarenas. In this meeting, the Minister of Tourism, Maria Amalia Revelo, called on business leaders from the private tourism sector to work proactively a...

International Living is an online magazine that has the mission of helping readers discover different places around the world that are great options for retirement. In the recent article “5 Great Places for Golfing Retirement”, the publication gives Costa Rica a well-deserved spot. Earlier this year, the country was also listed as the best place to retire in the Global Retirement Index 2018 . “...

Dental Tourism is a growing business in Costa Rica and throughout the last few years more dental clinics have seen the opportunity this represents and have made investments and efforts to offer better and more complete services that meet the expectations of the foreign patients. Foreigners interested in dental tourism usually have a lot of questions about the level of service they will receive,...

Every presentation of the Costa Rican Philharmonic Orchestra sells out, this speaks of the high level of the musicians and the excellent show the artists guided by Director Marvin Araya deliver every single time. Their recently announced concert promises to continue offering the attendees an unforgettable experience, the opportunity to enjoy the music of the famous band Metallica interpreted i...

Walter Espinoza, Director of the Judiciary Investigative Police (OIJ), offered additional information today during a press conference regarding to the killing of a Spanish tourist in Tortuguero, Limon, Costa Rica this past Saturday. A man identified as Albin Diaz, 33-years-old and of Nicaraguan nationality was arrested yesterday as a suspect of this crime. According to Espinoza, the autopsy ...

Mario Barrenechea, former General Manager of state bank Banco de Costa Rica (BCR) and one of the main defendants in the Cementazo Corruption Case, received the benefit of house arrest with the use of an ankle monitor, this Saturday, in a decision made by Treasury’s Criminal Court. Barrenechea had been granted house arrest back on May 30th of this year, however, 21 days later, he was ordered to ...

The train's in Costa Rica are constantly involved in different accidents, during the first semester of 2018,  7 people died because of accidents with the train, 3 of them as a result of collisions and 4 that were ran over, in general, the country registers close to 100 mishaps involving the train every year. The causes of the accidents are many, some are due to lack of proper signs and infrastr...

The Costa Rican Tourism Board has been clear on the fact that they want to make more emphasis on community tourism, this since the country has a lot more to offer beyond its beautiful beaches and volcanoes; communities are also slowly realizing the potential they posses and are taking it upon themselves to create initiatives that will attract visitors and generate financial benefit and development...

A coordinated action between police bodies of the Ministry of Public Security allowed the arrest of the suspect of murdering a Spanish tourist in the area of Barra del Tortuguero, Pococi, Limon. The operation began Saturday evening and concluded in the early hours of this Sunday after a joint action carried out by the Police Intelligence Department of the Public Police Force, the Direction of ...

A 25-year-old Mexican woman was murdered the morning of this Sunday, August 5th in Playa Carmen, Santa Teresa de Cobano, Puntarenas, Costa Rica. According to information given to Rodrigo Alfaro, regional sub-director of the Public Police Force by another woman native of England, her and her friend were sitting at the beach around 4:30 a.m. when they were intercepted by two men with the appare...

Early this July Costa Rica and El Salvador officially announce that both countries had everything ready for the Central American Ferry to begin its operations, establishing an urgent needed alternative route for exports and imports between the ports of La Union in El Salvador and Caldera in Costa Rica. The option of the Central American Ferry came as a solution for the commerce in the region s...

The Risk Prevention and National Emergency Attention Commission (CNE) is making an investment of over $5.6 million across different counties of the Zona Sur (South Zone) for the rehabilitation and reinforcement of dikes, construction of bridges, intervention of rivers and the purchase of materials, tools and equipment for farmers. In total there are 16 projects being developed, out of which hal...

A Spanish tourist was found dead in a trail close to the landing strip in Tortuguero, Limon, Costa Rica. The information was confirmed by the judiciary investigative police (OIJ), according to their report, the woman showed signs of strangulation, however, the forensic tests will have to determine the official cause of death. Apparently, the woman was staying in a hotel close to this area...

It has been over seven months since the Electric Transportation Bill was approved by the Legislative Assembly in Costa Rica and six months since it went officially in effect , yet, car agencies in Costa Rica are still having problems getting the tax exemptions applied and the vehicles out of customs. Back in February, Aduanas (customs) informed them they had to wait for the official regulations...

A joint conservation and protection effort by Grupo Vidriero Centroamericano, VICAL and the Costa Rican Tourism Board seeks to value the country’s beautiful scenery and natural resources through the development of responsible consumption habits and choosing glass packaging that is natural, 100% recyclable and reusable. “For the Costa Rican Tourism Board, it is a pride, but more than anything, a...

The XXIII Central American and Caribbean Games celebrated this year in Barranquilla, Colombia, came to an end this August 3rd. Costa Rica concluded its participation with 26 medals in total. Costa Rica only won one gold medal, which came from the participation of Andrea Vargas in the athletics competition of 100 meters hurdles. The country also achieved six silver medals, three in taekwondo, ...

Epidermolysis bullosa dystrophica is one of the major forms of epidermolysis bullosa, an illness that causes fragile, blistering skin, that may appear in response to minor injury; these blisters also occur inside the body, the illness has no cure and patients with the condition usually don’t leave past 15-16 years of age. It’s an inherited condition. Costa Rican Diana Ojeda surpassed the life...

The XII edition of Valoarte will be held August 9th through August 31st in the fourth floor of the Texas Tech University building in Avenida Escazu, San Jose, Costa Rica. The Valoarte Project is an art exhibit and art sale with the purpose of benefiting youth in social risk through the Hogar SIembra foundation. This year’s exhibit will showcase the work of Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo (1899...

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...

During this year’s first semester, the exports of the medical devices industry increased its presence in Japan, Netherlands and the United States. This behavior is shown on recent results published by the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promotion Agency (PROCOMER). The medical devices exports to Japan increased 82%, followed by Netherlands with 53% and the United States with 4%. The total exports of ...

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...

Costa Rica has become an important destination in the medical tourism and wellness sectors, rehab treatment programs are one of the services that foreigners seek in this Central American country. Costa Rica offers many advantages for foreigners looking for drug rehab programs, its closeness to North American countries, it’s many natural beauties that help heal the spirit, the fact that treatmen...

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...

Every year Travel and Leisure magazine carries out a survey to come up for the winners of the World’s Best Awards; the awards include the best hotels, cities, airlines, restaurants, cruise lines, transportation, and much more. The survey was made available at tlworldsbest.com from November 6, 2017 through March 5, 2018, readers of the magazine were invited to participate through the different p...

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 ...

The United States strongly condemns the ongoing violence in Nicaragua and human rights abuses committed by the Ortega regime in response to protests. After years of fraudulent elections and the regime’s manipulation of Nicaraguan law – as well as the suppression of civil society, opposition parties, and independent media – the Nicaraguan people have taken to the streets to call for democratic refo...

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 ...