By Wendy Anders Costa Rica’s National Lifeguards Association have recorded 118 drowning deaths in the country so far this year, they reported in an interview with Monumental Radio (93.5 FM) today. The country’s average annual 160 drowning deaths, in rivers and oceans combined, is considered by health specialists as very high, Luis Hidalgo, the non-profit association’s president said to Monum...

By Wendy Anders Wikimedia Commons A directive issued by the Costa Rican Security Ministry several months ago regulating the use of firearms by private security guards is being challenged in the country’s Constitutional Court, reported 93.5 FM Monumental Radio today. The challenge has being filed by Libertarian Movement party legislator, José Alberto Alfaro. Gustavo Mata, speaking with...

By Wendy Anders Results of the second study on “public transparency” in which 206 of Costa Rica’s governmental agencies’ websites were scrutinized were made public today. Progress was found to be slow. The Municipality of Palmares was the only agency to score above 70 (out of 100) on ‘citizen participation’, which means their website allows for a moderate level of citizen involvement. ...

By Wendy Anders The first steps towards using dogs for detecting cancer in humans are being taken by the Costa Rican Canine Association, a civic group working throughout the country to promote and educate on dog-related issues to “have a positive impact on society,” according to their website. The Teletica Channel 7 news station last week reported on their latest push to train dogs in detect...

By Wendy Anders “The last time we used a fossil fuel plant to generate electricity was June 16,” stated the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) earlier this week. That made for 76 straight days of green energy production reported on this week, as Costa Rica takes the region's lead in renewable energy. In 2015, Costa Rica generated 99 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, and...

ATLANTA, Sept. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Equifax Inc., a global information solutions company, today announced the opening of its second shared services center in Costa Rica. With this new site, the company expects to grow to 1,000 total employees by the end of 2017. The company, which has been operating in Costa Rica since 1995, is continuing to deliver on its operations expansion plan, which wa...

Do you know where the Qualla Boundary is? Qualla Boundary is an Indian Reservation of more than 56,000 acres held in trust by the federal government specifically for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians who reside in western North Carolina. What does this have to do with Costa Rica? Turns out there’s been a strong link between students of this region and Costa Rican students for quite some t...

The province of Limon is considered by many the “ugly duckling”  or the “Cinderella” of Costa Rica, neglected by many government administrations, the inhabitants of this province complain of the abandonment they’ve lived in.  The reasons for this are really not clear at all, as it is the country’s main port, 80% of the exports and imports go/come through Limon. Aside from this, the Caribbean coast...

By Wendy Anders 03-09-14 Piñera Agrovicces, La Unión del Amparo, Los Chiles de Alajuela Inspección del Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo a Piñeras de la zona para verficar cumplimiento de medidas cautelares y abrir nuevos expedientes Juan Sánchez, Biólogo especialista en manglares y humedales del Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo Foto: LUIS NAVARRO In July, the Municipal Council of Los Chil...

A crowded National Stadium celebrated the solid win of Costa Rica’s male national soccer team over its Panamanian counterpart.  Costa Rica imposed over Panama with a score of 3-1 and classified undefeated in the first position of Group B with 16 points while Panama kept its second place with a total of 10 points. The lineup for Costa Rica didn’t include some of its main figures such as Bryan Ru...

On September 4, 1971, the Costa Rican National Geographic Institute was taking aerial photos from 10,000 feet of Lake Cote, the small body of water that would later become the larger Lake Arenal, as part of preliminary studies for the future hydroelectric project. The study was funded by the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) to determine water sources in the area for their planned hydroel...

By Wendy Anders Anti-crime efforts in Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean region are getting a boost with recent funds pledged by the U.S. government, said the Ministry of Security in a press statement this weekend. During a visit to the National Guard Substation in Sixaola, canton of Salamanca, in Limón province, Minister of Public Security, Gustavo Mata, as well as several police chiefs, met w...

According to an article published in the Huffington Post, Costa Rica is among the British preferred travel destinations. This has a lot to do with the fact that UK residents no longer need to fly via Miami or Madrid, British Airways now offers a direct flight from London to Costa Rica. Costa Rica received a total 2.665.000 tourists in 2015 according to the Costa Rican tourism board and the Unit...

The national soccer teams of both Costa Rica and Panama classified to the CONCACAF hexagonal last Friday with victories over Haiti and Jamaica respectively; these games are all part of Russia 2018 World Cup Qualification Matches. Costa Rica beat Haiti with a score of 1-0 while Panama defeated Jamaica 2-0.  Costa Rica vs. Panama will take place in the Costa Rica National Stadium, Tuesday September ...

Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Sep 3 (EFE).- Costa Rica now seeks to preserve the beauty and improve the conservation of its wetlands, an ecosystem forever undervalued by the local population that considers them no more than breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Though wetlands are the most efficient areas for absorbing carbon emissions, their ecological and economic usefulness have been disregarded over t...

Costa Rica’s men’s National Soccer Team earned its place in the CONCACAF Hexagonal. La Sele defeated Haiti with one goal scored by midfielder Randall Azofeifa in the 72nd minute of the second half of their elimination game in round to the World Cup Russia 2018. Costa Rica only needed a tie to advance to the final round. They are now the undisputed winners of this phase with 13 total points. Th...

By Wendy Anders Today, Costa Rica's official government bulletin, La Gaceta, published an executive directive that eliminates the requirement of providing a paper copy of your personal or business identification, the infamous “cédula,” for government administrative transactions. The directive was signed by President Luis Guillermo Solís in July in order to eliminate what is defined as an “un...

The Costa Rica National PRO Jiu-Jitsu Championship will take place September 17 at the BN Arena in Hatillo, San Jose. This is the second time that Costa Rica is chosen to host this event, which is part of the UAEJJF World Ranking and Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Qualifying Series. According to Paulo Wesson, Gracie Barra instructor and sub-affiliate in Costa Rica, this country is selected...

ATV racing (cuadracross) continues to gain popularity in Costa Rica, the fifth date of the ATV National Championship is scheduled to   take place at La Olla racetrack, this Sunday, September 4, in Sabanilla, Alajuela, starting at 9 A.M. A lot of improvements have been made to this track to ensure that it presents excellent conditions for the race, however the weather may be a determining factor, a...

Photo Source: CONCRC (Costa Rica National Olympic Committee) The 2016 Summer Paralympics games will  kick off in Rio de Janeiro September 7th and will extend through September 18th.  Costa Rica will be represented by three athletes that will compete in different categories: Swimmer Camila Haase who will participate in three competitions September 14, 15 and 16. Cyclist Leonel Solis schedu...

By Wendy Anders Costa Rica Colones currency The Guatemala-based Central American Institute for Fiscal Studies (ICEFI) in a recent report states that while good public debt management can be a tool for promoting a country's development, if the debt goes beyond the country’s ability to pay, it can stress public finances and divert resources from social programs and other essential needs. C...

Costa Rica’s men’s National Soccer Team “La Sele” has two important matches coming up corresponding to the CONCACAF World Cup qualification rounds; this Friday, September 2 they will measure up against Haiti, the game will take place at the Sylvio Cator stadium, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti at 6 P.M. Costa Rica time, (8 P.M. EST). The second game will be played at home where Costa Rica will receive Pa...

By Wendy Anders High-level Costa Rican judicial, police, immigration, and other government officials met today with Canadian experts to discuss and plan actions towards a stronger and more coordinated effort on curbing human trafficking in the country, stated the judiciary branch in a press release. The experts reviewed a report on the human trafficking mapping project which began in Septemb...

By Wendy Anders Oxfam Germany’s recently published report detailing working and living conditions for Costa Rica’s pineapple and Ecuador's banana workers, “Sweet Fruit, Bitter Truth,” does not mince words. “This investigation reveals (too) many violations of human and labour rights in the production of bananas and pineapples,” said the report based on numerous interviews conducted with worke...

By Jack Donnelly Mexican cuisine is one of the great culinary influences in the world today, along with Chinese, Italian, and others. Tacos, burritos, nachos, refried beans (an unfortunate mistranslation we will never get back: it should be well fried beans), pico de gallo, and many other Mexican dishes are found the world over. Costa Rica is no exception and, as in other countries, Ticos have ...

By Wendy Anders Costa Rica’s Ministry of Transportation and Public Works (MOPT, in Spanish) and the National Roadways Council (CONAVI) gave orders yesterday to begin the design and construction of an access road to the new Moín Container Terminal (TCM, in Spanish) at Costa Rica’s largest port in the Atlantic coast region of Limón. The four-lane Moín port access road of 2.1 kms in length must...

Source; UNHCR Forced displacement caused by violence and organized crime is a problem that continues to be "invisible" for many in Central America's Northern Triangle, but it requires more attention and more effective protective mechanisms, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees representative Jose Samaniego said. Forced displacement is "a rather invisible phenomenon, the victims in ...

Source: Pixabay Commons The promise of sexual gratification with young and attractive call girls in Costa Rica have caused would-be sexual tourists from the United States to fall for a scam. According to a recent report filed by Gustavo Retana of daily tabloid Diario Extra, the flim-flam starts with online postings on social media outlets and classified websites such as Craigslist. In some ...

By Wendy Anders http://www.teletica.com/Noticias/134976-Video-muestra-detencion-de-sospechoso-de-decapitar-y-mutilar-a-nino-de-8-anos-en-Guacimo.note.aspx After an all-night search Saturday night, yesterday morning police arrested a man in Edén de Guácimo, Limón as the prime suspect in mutilating and decapitating an 8-year-old boy Saturday night after the boy went to visit a neighbour early ...

By Wendy Anders For the fifth year in a row the Universidad Latina (ULatina) has awarded five youth ages 18-29 for heading up projects that have a positive social impact, stated ULatina in a press statement. The Yo Creo Premio (I Believe Award) awarded five $2,500 grants on Friday to talented young people who have shown a demonstrated and measurable impact in addressing problems facing their...

Photo by Jack Donnelly By Jack Donnelly Costa Rica is famous for many things as a tourist destination: beaches, national parks teeming with wildlife, zip lining, rafting, volcanoes, etc. Yet, so many of the country’s subdued treasures are often overlooked. Among these attractions are a few very nice archaeological sites. There are no sites to rival Teotihuacán, Copán, or Machu Picchu. St...

Source: York University Each year, the Fisher Fund Wine Tasting and Auction not only brings together some of York University’s top supporters and wine collectors, but serves as an opportunity to unite this group in support of environmental research that holds importance at a local and global level. The Sunnybrook Vaughan Estate was home to more than 85 guests this year for 14th annual event, r...

Imagine tiny bubbles of methane — a potent greenhouse gas — rising from the ocean floor, escaping into the atmosphere, playing havoc in heating up the planet and contributing to global warming and climate change. Yet certain rocks on the depths of the ocean floor host an interesting microbiological community, where microscopic organisms, or microbes, actually eat escaping methane to acquire energ...

By Wendy Anders Yesterday the Costa Rican daily, La Nación reported that the Ministry of Public Education (MEP) has opened a disciplinary investigation against a 40-year-old female teacher named Rojas at the Technical Professional High School in San Isidro de El General, Pérez Zeledón, in southern Costa Rica, after she married a 15-year-old student of hers on July 4. La Nación confirmed the ...

By Mariluz Parga and Sandra Andraka, International Seafood Sustainability Foundation Incidental capture of sea turtles is a well-known impact of longline and other fisheries worldwide and one of several significant causes of the decrease in sea turtle populations. While effective alternatives to reduce incidental capture are studied and put in place, identifying methods to increase an animal’s ...

By Wendy Anders Yesterday, on National Parks Day, President Luis Guillermo Solís met with park guards on a visit to Tenorio Volcano National Park in the northern Guanacaste mountain range. Tenorio National Park is where Costa Rica's enchanting Río Celeste, or Blue River, is located. Park rangers had been threatening to close one or more national parks if their repeated requests for increa...

Source: The Sloth Institute Costa Rica, August 20, 2016– Join the Toucan Rescue Ranch (TRR) in raising funds for our rescued adult and orphaned sloths! This fundraiser is to help us raise money to build a sloth pre-release enclosure at our release site in Sarapiqui, Costa Rica. The funds raised will allow us to release orphaned and rehabilitated sloths admitted to our rescue center. We need...

By Wendy Anders Over the past month, leaders from about 20 unions and civic groups have held a series of meetings to define a common agenda to defend the rights of the country’s public sector employees, announced the Communication and Energy Industry Employees Union (ASDEICE). After their third meeting yesterday at the Ambassador Hotel in San José they announced a protest planned for Thursda...

By Wendy Anders MSP file photo Monday, the Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ) arrested seven more members of a marijuana cultivation and distribution network based in Costa Rica’s southern Perez Zeledón region, stated Walter Espinoza, OIJ Director, in a press conference yesterday. The operation was led by five brothers by the last names Vargas Hidalgo who 21 years ago almost to th...

By Wendy Anders This morning in Geneva, Switzerland, Costa Rica’s Security Minister Gustavo Mata reiterated Costa Rica’s wholesale commitment to the effective implementation of the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty. The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is a multilateral treaty regulating international trade in conventional weapons, according to the United Nations website that entered into force in Dec...