The family of murdered tourist, Carla Stefaniak, has continued to share information regarding Carla's case through the Facebook page "FindingCarla", on one of the most recent posts, they informed that Costa Rican authorities had shared the results of the autopsy with the family, they described the same as "absolutely terrifying". Although exact details were not shared, it has been said that the...

One of the biggest exhibitions of LEGO works will arrive to Costa Rica this 2019 at Multiplaza Escazú. The exhibit, created by Ryan McNaught, will take up 1200 square meters of the mall in Escazu, from January 13 and through February 22, it involves more than 5 million LEGO bricks and has interactive areas that guarantee a unique experience for people all ages. In total, The Brickman Experi...

The Escazú Municipality closed down on Thursday, December 6, the lodging facility Villa Le Mas located in San Antonio, Escazú, where Carla Stefaniak, the Venezuelan-American tourist who was murdered, stayed. According to the Municipality, the hotel, owned by a corporation under the name Adiantum had given up the permit to operate as a hotel back in 2013, and apparently was operating without any...

President Carlos Alvarado and the Minister of Sports, Hernán Solano, announced the donation of the Chinese Government of approximately 11 million dollars, this to be used for the update of the security systems of the National Stadium and other projects. The Government confirmed a contribution for the participation of Costa Rica in the Olympic cycle with a transfer of over $915 thousand from the...

The Costa Rican Train Institute (INCOFER) announced today that they have already approved the purchase of 8 new trains from the factory, CRRC Quingdao Sigang Co., Ltd. company that was awarded the bid. The awarding was carried out under the figure of successive direct negotiation, in accordance to Article 19 of the Special Regimen Regulation of Administrative Contracting, Law 9366. These ...

As explained in a previous article, December is time for all owners of motorcycles, automobiles, SUVs, Pick-ups and trucks in Costa Rica to pay the MARCHAMO, which is collected by INS (National Insurance Company). We mentioned that the largest amount to pay on the marchamo is a government tax created in 1987, when law #7088 took effect creating a property tax against all vehicles, airplanes and bo...

All owners of motorcycles, automobiles, SUVs, Pick ups, Trucks and similar in Costa Rica are obligated to pay the MARCHAMO before the end of December. The amount can be checked at http://portal.ins-cr.com/marchamo/marchamo/frmconsultamarchamo.aspx As of January 1st, 2019 all cars without proof of payment are exposed to a fine and license plate removal from Traffic Police officers (Transito). Fo...

American credit rating agency Moody’s announced this December 5th they have “downgraded the Government of Costa Rica's long-term issuer and senior unsecured bond ratings to B1 from Ba2 and changed its rating outlook to negative, concluding the review for downgrade that was initiated on 18 October 2018”. Moody’s stated that the key drivers for the downgrade are: 1. The continued and projected...

"This country depends on tourism, immigration and crime are getting out of hand", this was fragment of the statements given by Carlos Caicedo, father of Carla Stefaniak, the Venezuelan-American tourist that was found dead this past Monday, December 3. Caicedo complained that it took a long time to get the authorization from the Judiciary Investigative Police (OIJ) to see and identify the body, ...

The joint patrol operations of the Costa Rican Coast Guard Service and the USA Coast Guard Service resulted in the arrest of four people who were transporting 1.5 tons of cocaine aboard a vessel intercepted 53 nautical miles from Punta Burica in the South Zone. The vessel of name ¨Miriam V¨ plates P-13283, was intercepted by the United States Coast Guard Services and during the inspection they ...

After 86 days of striking, the National Association of Public Employees (ANEP), headed by Albino Vargas, decided to cancel the strike, this after the fiscal reform was approved by the Legislative Assembly. Last week, the Costa Rican Educators Union (SEC) had also chosen to go back to work. Labor Union leader Albino Vargas, was, however, very clear in stating that they will go back to the str...

Walter Espinoza, Director of the Judiciary Investigative Police (OIJ), had a press conference Tuesday, December 4, 2018, where he stated that “everything so far leads us to believe that the body found in Escazú corresponds to Carla Stefaniak”, however, he was very careful to insist that scientific confirmation is still pending. According to Espinoza, the body that was found near Villa Le Mas, S...

The US Embassy in Costa Rica informs it will remain closed this Wednesday, December 5, this as a mark of respect for the passing of former President George H.W. Bush "As a mark of respect for the passing of the forty-first President of the United States, George Herbert Walker Bush, Wednesday, December 5, has been designated as a National Day of Mourning by Executive Order of the President. Emba...

Carlos Caicedo, father of Carla Stefaniak, the 36-year-old tourist that went missing in Costa Rica November 28, arrived at the Forensic Science building in San Joaquín de Flores, Heredia, the morning of this Tuesday, December 4. Samples of his blood were taken to be compared with the DNA of the woman whose body was found buried yesterday in the same area where his daughter was last seen. Caiced...

The fiscal reform was finally approved in Costa Rica, after receiving in Congress 34 votes in favor and 17 against during the second debate. After two governments attempted and failed to move forward with a fiscal reform and after more than 80 days of strike movements opposing the plan, the approval finally came the afternoon of this Monday, December 3. The fiscal plan intends to bring econo...

The body of a woman was found buried in San Antonio, Escazu, on the same property "Villa Le Mas" where Venezuelan/American tourist Carla Stefaniak, who went missing last week, was staying. The Costa Rica Judiciary Police (OIJ) conducted a search Monday, December 3rd, in the room where the 36 year old Venezuelan, d who resides legally in Florida, USA, was last seen along with the surrounding are...

The ballistics unit Judicial Branch’s Forensics Science Labs received the international accreditation with ISO 17020 norm and the re-accreditation of the biochemical, toxicology and analytic chemistry units with the ISO 17025 norms, making Costa Rica a regional model in this area. "The strengthening of forensic capabilities improves the quality of evidence analysis, which in turn strengthens th...

Costa Rica offered to host the 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 25) that is scheduled to take place December, 2019, after Brazil withdrew due to budget problems. The sites for the Conference of the Parties (COP) is usually defined three years in advance for the country to have enough time to organize the event; the 2019 event was supposed to be hosted by Brazil, however...

Two members of the Public Police Force suspected of bribing two Canadian tourists were arrested by the Judiciary Investigative Police (OIJ) in Santa Cruz, Guanacaste. The men of last names Gutiérrez Matarrita, 48 years old, and Diaz Cabalceta, age 31, apparently stopped the car of the Canadian tourists during a routine operation in a road control post, back November 14 in the area of Santa Ana ...

P.F. Chang’s will inaugurate its second restaurant in Costa Rica next December 4, the restaurant will be located at the recently opened Oxígeno Human Playground in Heredia. With a total investment of close to $2.5 million, this will be the fourth restaurant the Asian fusion restaurant brand opens in Central America. This second restaurant is smaller than the original locale in Avenida Esca...

The SICALAM Dog Show takes place this weekend at the Los Angeles School in Sabana Norte, San Jose; this event is one of the most important dog shows in Latin America and brings together 87 dog breeds from different parts of the world. The event includes competitions for best in show in different categories, and it is open to the general public who can also bring their pets. Tickets for the s...

The Board of Directors of the Social Security Service (CCSS) in Costa Rica approved this Thursday, November 29, the protocol of comprehensive attention for the transgender population, which means they will be able to receive hormonal treatment in the hospitals of the CCSS. Doctor, Roman Macaya Hayes, executive president of the CCSS, described the approval as a ¨historical decision¨ that settles...

The building of the Ministry of Treasury was the target of an attack with molotov cocktails (bottle bombs) the evening of this Thursday, November 29, confirmed the Ministry of Security, Michael Soto this morning, who also confirmed that the attackers left a note attached to the fence on the northern side of the building. The homemade bombs only caused one of the windows to break. ¨Its a cowa...

The Constitutional Chamber gave green light for Congress to vote on the fiscal reform, the Labor Court ruled for a second time the strike of educators as illegal, but the biggest labor union of the education sector, the National Association of Educators (ANDE) decided to maintain the strike while members of the Costa Rican Educators Labor Union (SEC) chose to go back to work, and APSE the third la...

The mayor of San José, Johnny Araya, announced the beginning of the holiday celebrations in the capital city of Costa Rica, the same will take place as of this Saturday, December 1. “In a year in which Costa Rica has faced different challenges and social conflicts, we have come to realize that these activities are an adequate scenario to recover optimism, hope, our smile and hopefully so we can...

The family of Carla Stefaniak a native of Venezuela who resides in Miami, Floria, USA, is desperate looking for information regarding the whereabouts of the 36-year-old woman who was vacationing in Costa Rica and was last heard of the evening of November 27. Stefaniak was traveling alone in the country, she arrived November 22 and apparently visited the Manuel Antonio National Park and on the l...

Although the real estate market is at a low to medium level due to different factors, such as the the current fiscal crisis in CR, the fact is that land remains (in my opinion) the most valuable asset available. Viewed from another standpoint, right now there are excellent investment opportunities in the real estate market due to lower prices. In addition, many sellers now offer the ability to fin...

The public sector will go on vacation starting December 21 and through January 7, 2019. This will apply for institutions of the Central Government and all entities affiliated with the Ministries, as well as autonomous institutions, semi-autonomous and public companies of the State. When it comes to the Costa Rica's Attorney General of the Republic office, the Police bodies, institutions that...

The morning of this Wednesday, December 28, at 7 a.m. local time the Turrialba Volcano registered another eruption with a column of ash that reached close to 500 meters above the cater, 3,840 meters above sea level (12595.2 ft). The eruption carried on for a couple of hours, with ash reaching several areas of the Central Valley, including Santa Ana and Tibás in San José and San Rafael in Heredi...

The Labor Court of the Second Judiciary Circuit of San José, deemed the strike affecting the education sector in Costa Rica illegal; this is the second time the movement is declared illegal, in this occasion it was judge Victor Orozco Zárate who was in charge of the sentence. The strike of educators against the fiscal reform that began in September 10 and is going on 80 days, was first declared...

The National Liberation Party (PLN) presented a bill in Congress that proposes the creation of a new holiday in the country, December 1, in commemoration of the Abolition of the Army. The initiative was supported by the Government, “The abolition of the army is one of the most relevant political decisions in our almost 200 years of republican life, it is an essential part of our national identi...

Thanks to the joined patrolling carried out by the Costa Rican and United States Coast Guard Service, a vessel was intercepted in waters of the South Pacific carrying 1,005 kilograms of cocaine which was hidden under the ship ‘s prow floor. The suspects of last names Vásquez Muñoz, 41 years-old and Orozco López, 26, both are second time offenders, they had been detained in December, 2013 with 4...

Costa Rica celebrates 70 years with no army this December 1st, and to commemorate this important date, the Government has organized several cultural activities, as well as audiovisual campaigns throughout this week. The Presidential House, the National Insurance Institute, the Supreme Electoral Court, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Social Security Service will showcase the colors of th...

A BMW toy car is used in the Guapiles and Puntarenas Hospitals in Costa Rica to take small children to the operating room, this with the purpose of reducing the trauma caused at the moment the child is separated from the parents to undergo surgery. The control remote toy car drives the children to the operating room; according to doctor Iliana Musa, director of the Guapiles Hospital the effect ...

The Labor Unions in the education sector are the only ones that remain on strike since September 10 protesting the fiscal plan. They will meet this Monday to evaluate their options after the resolution of the Constitutional Chamber which gives green light to congress to vote the fiscal reform in second debate. After more than two months of strike, time in which they have continued to receive th...

Like every year, the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce (MEIC) calls on small and medium size corporations to request their condition as PYME to be exonerated from the 2019 Yearly Corporation Tax, for this, the deadline to register and request the exoneration is December 3. This action is carried out following what’s established in Law 9428 “Corporation Tax Law” and its regulations wh...

Former bass player and singer of the famous band Pink Floyd, legend Roger Waters, sold out the National Stadium in Costa Rica and the President of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado and the First Lady, Claudia Dobles were among those 46,000 people privileged to enjoy the concert but also among the very few to meet Waters in person, Alvarado is a known fan of the band and Waters since his teen years. “...

A special operation carried out by personnel of the Ministry of Environment (MINAE) through the Units of Control of the Corcovado National Park, the Environmental Operation Group of the National System of Areas of Conservation (GOA) and the Frontier Police, concluded with the arrest of 12 people who were carrying out illegal activities in the Park such as extraction of gold, illegal hunting and in...

Saturday, November 24th at 00:19 a.m. the Turrialba Volcano had another important eruption, which you can appreciate in the video included in this note. An impressive column of ash and incandescent material can be appreciated. “The Turrialba Volcano maintains important eruptive activity, which went from frequent events during the morning and the beginning of the afternoon yesterday (Friday),...

Three weeks behind regular schedule, the National Insurance Institute (INS) in Costa Rica will begin collecting the 2019 Marchamo payment this Saturday, November 24 at 7 a.m. The delay this year was caused by a disagreement with the General Insurance Superintendency (Sugese) which had to authorize the amounts to be paid for the Obligatory Car Insurance (SOA) which this year will have an increas...