Driving from the United States to Costa Rica is an adventure best undertaken with patience, a sense of humor, and about two weeks of free time. From the U.S. border at Brownsville, Texas to the Nicaraguan-Costa Rican border at Penas Blancas, the distance totals almost 2,300 miles. The drive can be made in nine or ten days, but in order to enjoy this trans-cultural journey, it’s best to budget ...

By Doug Palmer WASHINGTON | Tue Dec 18, 2012 6:02pm EST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday pressed forward with plans to slap steep punitive duties on wind turbine towers imported from China at prices deemed unfairly low, even as officials welcomed a high-level Chinese delegation for trade and economic talks. The U.S. Commerce De...

By Erika Solomon BEIRUT | Sun Dec 9, 2012 3:30pm EST BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S. and Russian officials have given their commitment to a political solution for the deepening Syrian conflict, a United Nations envoy said on Sunday, but Moscow dismissed speculation it was preparing for President Bashar al-Assad's exit. With rebels now fighting on the doo...

By Lomi Kriel GUATEMALA CITY | Sat Dec 8, 2012 4:42pm EST GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Software guru John McAfee, fighting deportation from Guatemala to Belize to face questions about the slaying of a neighbor, said on Saturday he wants to return to the United States. "My goal is to get back to America as soon as possible," McAfee, 67, said in a ph...

Eighty-six days after Paul Ryan was introduced as Mitt Romney's running mate aboard the U.S.S. Wisconsin in Norfolk, Virginia, the Republican vice presidential candidate returned to his home state of Wisconsin late Monday night, putting an end to a marathon stretch of campaigning with one final rally.     "We were in Nevada. We were in Iowa. We were in Ohio. We were in Colorado,...

Young Cuban artists Jeosviel Abstengo Chaviano, Liesther Amador González, and Fernando Caluff, will represent Cuba on the first edition of Hispanoamericanos, Traveling Souls exhibition, scheduled to be held at the Albernathy Arts Center, in the US city of Georgia. The exhibition will open on October 5 and will be open to the public until the 31st. The event will be attended by some one hund...

Reaching out to the community in San Ramon. Source: Fuerza Publica Officials from the Ministry of Public Safety and Fuerza Publica are seeking assistance from law enforcement experts in Brazil and the Embassy of the United States of America to improve community police efforts and to combat corruption among their ranks. Costa Rica has been working towards the improvement and modernization of Fuer...

Expressing its concern at the deterioration of the rule of law in Nicaragua, and the 337 cases of claims by American citizens that their property had been confiscated, the United States today approved a so called property waiver, which in practice means that it will support international agencies which the Nicaraguan government seeks loans from. An article in Noticias.terra.com.co, reports ...

An agency that monitors the U.S.-Mexico boundary is agreeing to a U.S. proposal to build border fence segments in a South Texas flood plain, a move Mexico opposes. The decision by the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission comes despite objections from its Mexican counterpart. Mexico argues the fence would deflect floodwaters to its side of the Rio Grande and violate a bi-national...

An official press release by the United States Embassy in Costa Rica indicates that shrimp caught in our country may once again be imported by the North American nation, following a certification that was reissued under Public Law 101-162, Section 609, 16 U.S.C. 1537, entitled Shrimp Import Prohibition Legislation for Marine Turtle Conservation. The import ban does not apply to nations that...

Fuerza Publica officers assigned to the Northern Zone in Upala, working in conjunction with the Office of Judicial Investigations (OIJ), recently announced the recovery of four cows found in farm that served as a hideaway for rustlers. Officers cited the support from the border security police and members of the community as they conducted door-to-door (or barn-to-barn) interviews to find the ...

John Stagikas is a stout man with a pale complexion and shaved head.  He is in his early 30s and is from New England, specifically from the Boston metropolitan area. He is fairly bilingual and owns a villa here in Costa Rica, which he smartly purchased years ago when the price was right. Whenever he is not enjoying his vacation/investment property in Costa Rica, Mr. Stagikas makes a living ...

Don Herman Davis, better known as Daddy Banton, is one of the Tico hip-hop recording artists scheduled to visit the United States in August for a series of live performances. Joining Banton will be DJ P, Masta and Toledo, all from the "Top a Top" hip-hop crew, a music collective that is responsible for most of the rap and dancehall hits in Costa Rica. The Top a Top crew will perform in the ...

There is no doubt that the love for peace and democracy that Ticos share makes Costa Rica a special place. Unfortunately, the arcane body of laws, codes, statutes, and regulations in our country sometimes contradicts the will and sentiment of the citizenry. Given our political and civic history, Costa Rica should be a shelter for press freedom and whistleblowers, but according to a recent news ...