The United States announced economic sanctions against Nicaragua’s Vice-President and First Lady, Rosario Murillo and President Ortega’s National Security Adviser, Nestor Moncada Lau, for “engaging in rampant corruption, dismantling of democratic institutions, serious human rights abuse, and exploitation of the people and public resources of Nicaragua for private gain”, states the press release. ...

Over 10,000 local operations have been recorded in the six months following the inauguration of the San Jose Domestic Terminal, representing a total of 50,000 passengers arriving and departing from the terminal between May 14 to October 31 of this year. Starting in early November, the supply of regular local flights was strengthened by the launch of Costa Rica Green Airways, a Costa Rican-owned...

The multinational company GSK opened today the fourth phase of its Business Service Center (BSC) at Terra Campus, Tres Ríos, Costa Rica. It plans to hire more than 700 people by the end of 2019 and looks forward to strengthening the variety of shared services offered from Costa Rica to the rest of GSK worldwide. The BSC, which began its operations in Costa Rica in 2013, has strengthened since ...

Costa Rican tourism business leaders will be trained on security and innovation issues during the XX National Tourism Congress (CNT), an event being organized by the National Chamber of Tourism in collaboration with the Costa Rican Tourism Board on November 21-22 in the Costa Rica Convention Center. The CNT is the largest event for the country's tourism sector, bringing together leaders and rep...

Tech Data announced it has opened a new Customer Lifecycle Management Services location in Escazú, Costa Rica. Opening this November 12, the new facility will provide additional capacity to accommodate new customer success programs. Part of Tech Data's Global Lifecycle Management Services portfolio, the Customer Lifecycle Management Services team offers programs to help customers expand their...

Photo: Javier Lobon-Rovira A photograph taken at Veragua Rainforest in Limon, Costa Rica has been named a Highly Honored Finalist in the prestigious 2018 Windland Smith Rice Awards for Nature's Best Photography. The photograph will be featured in the 23rd Annual Windland Smith Rice International Awards Smithsonian Exhibition at the famed Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washi...

The Costa Rican Tourism Board consolidated as of November 1st its operations in Guanacaste in their Liberia office, eliminating the previous Nicoya office, this in an effort to maximize existing resources. "With the issue of an administrative order to foster the achievement of results, a decision was made to consolidate staffing and operations in Liberia. While the office will remain in the sa...

The first edition of the Turrialba Tourism Festival is a unique opportunity to enjoy the beauty of this county, while trying good food, purchasing products from local artisans and learning more about the region’s tourist attractions, all in a single place, in a festive and family-friendly environment. The activity, organized by the Turrialba Chamber of Tourism, will take place on Saturday, Nove...

Stryker, a leading medical technology company, announced it will open an office in the San Antonio Business Park in Heredia, Costa Rica. In the first phase of hiring, the company plans to fill approximately 90 positions to support general accounting, accounts receivable and accounts payable activities. The Minister of Foreign Trade, Dyalá Jiménez said: “Costa Rica’s services sector has becom...

The second stage of La Ruta de los Conquistadores came to an end with Carlos Arias taking the first place while current champion, Spaniard Josep Betalú, who won the first stage maintained the first place in the overall table. "Arias, 19 years-old, crossed the finish line alongside Betalú with a time of 3 hours, 31 minutes and 45 seconds. But despite the victory of the tico, the Spaniard leaves ...

The Costa Rican-American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) celebrated the start of operations of the Moin Container Terminal (APM Terminals) since it considers it the first step to the reaffirmation of the efficiency of the concession model in the country and the economic reactivation of the province of Limon. “AmCham recognizes the seriousness and commitment of the concession company APM Terminals ...

U.S. Embassy San Jose announced the upcoming Consular outreach for U.S. citizens in Tamarindo. "To RSVP for passport renewals, notary services, and federal benefits inquiries, please indicate your preference by writing to [email protected]. Any applicable fees must be paid in cash in Costa Rican colones. We are unfortunately unable to accept U.S. dollars or other forms of payment during ...

The Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency (CINDE) in collaboration with Georgia Tech will host a high dimensional and big data training that "will shape professional with basic knowledge in machine learning and programming to a more analytics-oriented profile" informed CINDE through a press release. The content includes functional data analysis methods, image data analysis, high-dimensional d...

The Global Competitiveness Report 2018 of the World Economic Forum is a study of the global economy. This year the Report was done with new methodology intended to offer insights into economies’ readiness for the future, social capital, endowment of disruptive businesses and debt concern, among other indicators to fully capture the dynamics of the global economy in the Fourth Industrial Revolution...

The multinational company Precision Concepts Medical Technologies announced during the Life Sciences Forum this week in Costa Rica that it will invest US$5 million to expand its presence in the country and build a more robust molding and engineering infrastructure. "In 1984, the company was given the opportunity to manufacture the first medical device which was the beginning of a successful pa...

Skyway Costa Rica began its operations in the country today, offering domestic flights for locals and visitors as well as flights to Bocas del Toro in Panama. "Costa Rica has much to offer and the tourism industry is growing very rapidly bringing more and more people to this beautiful and diverse country. In order to experience all there is to do, flying from San Jose to various destinations i...

For the fourth time, Costa Rica is the Latin American epicenter of technological convergence for life sciences. Ten international speakers will be analyzing the future of the technological manufacturing industry in the face of automation, artificial intelligence, new materials and virtualization. Organized by CINDE, the Costa Rican agency for promoting and attracting foreign direct investment t...

Photo Credit: US Embassy Costa Rica The Judicial Branch of Costa Rica received the support of the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)in a special two-year project to strengthen the anti-corruption efforts; create a new internal ethics code, and tools to improve anti-corruption training and investigations. "As part of this project, representatives from the...

NOXTAK, a multinational firm specializing in nanotechnology for the control and mitigation of electromagnetic pollution from any source, has announced that it has chosen Costa Rica for setting up its operations. In the coming months, the company will start hiring personnel for manufacturing, design and engineering. At present, 11 employees are already working in the company’s administrative off...

Establishment Labs Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: ESTA), a global medical technology company that focuses on breast aesthetics and reconstruction technologies, which became, earlier this year the first Costa Rican company to trade in the Nasdaq stock market, announced earlier this week, at the Annual World Symposium on Ergonomic Implants that it has entered into definitive asset purchase agreements with...

Peninsula Papagayo, a 1,400-acre premier resort and residential community on the north Pacific coast of Costa Rica, today announces the next phase of its more than $100 million transformation led by international luxury hospitality and residential real estate investment and development firm, Gencom. As part of a singular vision to connect its remarkable 11 miles of coastline from end to end for th...

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) recognized the efforts carried out by Costa Rica for the eradication of statelessness (Statelessness is the condition of someone who is "not considered as a national by any state under the operation of its law"). Costa Rica’s efforts involve the approval of regulations and procedures for the determination of the condition of a statelessn...

This Monday, October 1st Planet Hollywood Beach Resort opened its doors today in Papagayo Peninsula, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, “marking the opening of the first ever all-inclusive resort by the iconic lifestyle brand”. “It’s been an amazing journey leading my all-star cast of employees to prepare for the grand opening of Planet Hollywood Beach Resort in Costa Rica,” said General Manager Jonat...

Crocodile Bay Resort is a cozy 37 room, 4 star eco-adventure resort located in the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica; this hotel, offers a variety of rainforest expeditions and “expertly crafted eco-tours” that promise a unique and unforgettable experience for national and international tourists. "Crocodile Bay Resort is a family-owned business with strong local roots. We are passionate about protect...

Fins Attached a Marine Reasearch and Conservation organization, announced a recent successful scientific expedition, two adult tiger sharks, four hammerhead sharks, one silky shark, one manta ray, and one whale shark were tagged with acoustic transmitters in Cocos Island National Park, Costa Rica. The movements of animals tagged with acoustic tags are tracked by acoustic receivers, or listening st...

During the UN’s 73rd General Assembly this week Costa Rica will present its initiative for and "All Coalition", which includes topics such as environmental protection, climate action, inclusion, diversity, access to justice and international law, regional and global governance in migration and cooperation, and financing for development. These priorities and objectives coincide with those define...

The Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT), in coordination with Paniamor Foundation, officially launched the Action Manual for the Tourism Sector Companies this week and also recognized a group of 56 tourism companies for their commitment over 5 consecutive years to the Code of Conduct Program which has the goal to discourage and prevent, to the fullest extent possible, the commercial sexual exploitatio...

The Government of Costa Rica was notified by the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) of the decision by the Arbitration Court in relation to the David Richard Aven et al c. Costa Rica (known as “Las Olas”). This arbitration was presented by a group of US investors in the year 2014 due to the Government shutting their real estate project down.  The claimants cited the...

The U.S. Embassy shared the following alert for U.S. citizens living in or visiting Costa Rica in relation to the labor strike and related protests that are now going on 9 days: "Local and social media report that last week’s demonstrations against the host government’s fiscal plan likely will continue this week throughout Costa Rica, and particularly in San Jose. Protesters may express their o...

US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo sent a message of congratulation for Costa Rica in the celebration of its independence: "On behalf of the Government of the United States, I congratulate the people of Costa Rica on your 197th anniversary of independence on September 15. Cooperation between Costa Rica and the United States is stronger than ever. Our enduring and respectful partnership,...

The US Embassy San Jose announces three upcoming Consular events – routine Consular services for U.S. citizens in Golfito and Uvita and a Town Hall event in Perez Zeledon. Consular staff will be on hand to provide the below services in Golfito and Uvita and to answer any questions. "To RSVP for passport renewals, notary services, and federal benefits inquiries, please indicate your preference b...

OAS: The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) today passed a resolution on the "Recent Events in Nicaragua". Member States express their "strong condemnation regarding acts of violence, repression and human rights violations and abuses" committed against the people of Nicaragua, as documented by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Office of the United Na...

"NCI Building Systems, one of North America’s largest integrated manufacturers of metal products for the nonresidential building industry, inaugurated its new facilities in Costa Rica today. The Minister of Foreign Trade, Dyalá Jiménez, the Head of Investment Promotion, Pilar Madrigal, NCI’s executives and special invitees participated in the event", informed the Costa Rican Investment Promotion A...

STATEMENT BY HEATHER NAUERT, SPOKESPERSON The United States condemns the Ortega government’s recent arbitrary detention of six prominent student members of the National Dialogue. These students are the latest example of the thousands of citizens who are peacefully and democratically protesting government actions, only to be harassed, detained, disappeared, or even killed. Five of these students...

The Costa Rican-North American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) considers the call of labor unions an “irrational and irresponsible position”, considering the need that the country has on making decisions to recover the fiscal stability. “The Costa Rican-North American Chamber of Commerce condemns this action and asks the Government to take all the administrative and legal measures against people that...

World Surf League (WSL) North America announced the return of the Essential Costa Rica Surf Pro Men's and Women's Qualifying Series (QS) 1,500-level event to be held at Jaco, Garabito, Puntarenas October 4 - 7. "It's been two years since the WSL was on Costa Rican shores and, with the help of Manrique Mata, Warren Baez, and the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT). This event provides North Ame...

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees will extend the technical and financial cooperation it gives to the General Directorate of Migration in Costa Rica with the objective of strengthening the attention to the public in response to the increase in the number of asylum requests. Raquel Vargas, Director of Migration, explained that this donation is the result of efforts made by the Co...

HP Enterprise Costa Rica inaugurated its new offices in the America Free Zone, seven floors were remodeled after an investment of close to $11 million USD. Hewlett Packard announced also the opening of 120 new positions in the areas of Supply Chain and Research and Development (R&D); the company is looking for IT engineers, industrial and electric engineers and experts in computer sciences. Engl...

Sun Country Airlines announced that it will increase its operation from the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota to Liberia, Guanacaste, Costa Rica for the high season, between December 2018 and March 2019. With this increase of 15 flights, the airline will operate a total of 53 flights that will be distributed as follows: 6 in December 2018, 14 in January 2019, 15 in February and...

The National Tourist Safety Commission (CONSETUR) held two workshops to raise awareness of the importance of tourism for Costa Rica, training consuls, honorary consuls, prosecutors, workers from the Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ), regional directors of the Public Police Force and police officers. The activities included talks on promoting visits and tourism, tourist safety, the role ...