National de facto news daily La Nación has published its annual list of the most newsworthy personalities and entities which consistently graced its pages with either positive or controversial developments in 2011. The following is a quick rundown of the people and entities mentioned and the category they made news in:

National Affairs

The global financial crisis left its most serious mark in Costa Rica by delivering a hard blow to the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social, the country’s public health and social welfare system. In the past, the Caja has experienced some financial hardships, but never quite like in 2011. The crisis lead to many protests, strikes and serious questions about how one of Costa Rica’s most cherished public institutions should be managed.

Just when it seemed like the civil engineers at MOPT had figured out a way to nip the pesky La Platina problem on the bridge over the Virilla River, news reports emerged about serious deficiencies, thereby delaying the long-awaited day when the issue will finally come to an end.

Politics

Otto Guevara, leader of the Libertarian Movement political party and former presidential candidate, quickly shook off his defeat at the polls in 2010 and dedicated his time to his personal business interests. Unfortunately for Guevara, some of those interests not only brought on controversy, but they also took him away from the Libertarian party long enough for the party to descend into shambles. Once considered a favorite to lead the country, Guevara’s political future is now uncertain. His party, however, still has strong ties to the Libertarian ideology in the United States.

Entertainment

Legendary rock group Malpaís bid a sad goodbye to lead vocalist Fidel Gamboa after he passed away at his home in San Joaquín de Flores, Heredia, in late August. After a national outpouring of mourning for the departed singer, a short video featuring a new song by Malpaís appeared on YouTube, quickly becoming one of the most-watched clips by Ticos. The song, “Mirá a tu alrededor” (look around you), is a heartfelt patriotic call to the beauty of our country; it was intended to be a publicity spot for the Kolbi wireless service.

Another musical group which made headlines was Pneuma, a thrash and death metal band which took top honors at the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany, an event considered by headbangers around the world as the most representative of speed metal and its diverse subgenres. Pneuma was an unlikely competitor at Wacken, since the competition is traditionally won by Eastern European metal acts.

Sports

The abrupt departure of the national football team manager Ricardo LaVolpe after a string of losses made the most sport headlines, but on a more positive note young striker Joel Campbell was lauded as one of the various Tico football stars currently shining abroad.

The current holder of the Junior Middleweight Boxing World Championship Title, Hanna Gabriel, filled Ticos with national pride by twice defending her belt against American boxer Melisenda Pérez in 2011, once at the inauguration of the new National Stadium in La Sabana. Not only is Hanna deadly with her left hook, she also exudes lots of Tica charm.

Another very important athlete was Andrey Amador, who in 2011 became the first Tico and Central American rider to qualify at the Tour de France.

Culture

Marvin Araya, conductor of the National Philharmonic, made news for his deep commitment to delivering culture to the masses. Mr. Araya’s bold approach to music direction in 2011 saw his talented musicians perform music from popular film soundtracks, the Beatles, and even the cumbia orchestra Sonora Santanera. His unique vision filled the seats of musical auditoriums in 2011.

Film director Hernán Jiménez latest project, El Regreso, enjoyed lots of success at the box office thanks to pure Tico ingenuity and dedication. To make his film project a reality, Mr. Jiménez turned to crowdfunding web platform Kickstarter, where he found the financial support necessary. El Regreso is expected to be out on DVD this February.