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Q COSTA RICA — The Juzgado Penal de Pavas (Pavas Criminal Court) has closed the complaint filed by Laura Fernández, then a presidential candidate for the Partido Pueblo Soberano (PPSO), over an alleged listening device found in her campaign office. The Court accepted a request by the Ministerio Público (Public…
Q TRAVEL — Traveling by bus is drawing interest from tourists who want to visit several Central American destinations without stretching their vacation budgets. The appeal lies not just in the ticket price, but in the total cost of a trip—including airport transfers, baggage fees and transportation between cities…
Q COSTA RICA —Costa Rica’s apparent rice consumption rose to 270,594 metric tons in the 2024–2025 rice year, its highest level in more than two decades, according to the National Rice Corporation (CONARROZ). The total was 17,039 metric tons—more than 17 million kilograms—above the previous period, when consumption…
Q COSTA RICA — Organized crews are using leaked shipping data to target trucks, move stolen goods through a network of warehouses and resellers, and, in some cases, exploit captured containers to smuggle drugs. Cargo theft in Costa Rica is no longer just a matter of trucks disappearing on the highway. Investigators…
Q COSTA RICA — Just five days after Costa Rica’s new Centro de Alta Contención y Crimen Organizado (CACCO)—Center for High Containment and Organized Crime—received its first inmates, prison officers found improvised weapons and other unauthorized items during an inspection of a dormitory. The search took place in one…
Q COSTA RICA — Costa Rica’s Fire Department (Bomberos) selected the most expensive offer in an emergency procurement for 40 ambulances, citing the bidder’s faster delivery timeline. A week after awarding the contract, though, the department requested additional specifications that pushed back a milestone and left the…
Q COSTA RICA — Cloud cover and rain will prevail across the country this Tuesday, November 3, primarily in the Pacific region, the Central Valley, and mountainous areas. During the morning, downpours accompanied by lightning are expected over the maritime areas of the Central and South Pacific. Cloud cover will…
RICO’s Q — Normally, I don’t post about Trump, but I couldn’t resist this one—especially given the timing: Election Day for the midterms. Iran displayed a giant billboard in Tehran bearing the words “We will kill Trump,” escalating the country’s public rhetoric against the U.S. President. The banner, placed over the…
Q COSTA RICA — As expected, the sharp increase adjustment to fuel prices approved by the regulatory authority last week was published this Tuesday in the official government newsletter, La Gaceta. The Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos (Aresep) approved on October 30 the following price adjustment: Super…
Q COSTA RICA — The expanded San José–San Ramón road corridor (Ruta 1) will feature surveillance cameras and radar units at intervals of at least 1.5 kilometers, as part of a system designed to monitor traffic flow, measure traffic volume, and detect incidents on the road. This is stipulated in the tender documents…
Q COSTA RICA — Starting today, Monday, November, 2, 2026, the Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS) 2027 derecho de circulación—vehicle registration/circulation tax payment—period begins, with a key change: for the first time, the vehicle registration document will be digital. The new system applies initially to…
Q COSTA RICA — All travelers flying to the United States or transiting through the country must submit a declaration confirming that they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo within the 21 days before their flight. The requirement, issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)…
Q COSTA RICA — Costa Rican health data point to a serious mental-health burden among older adults. In the first 38 weeks of 2026, authorities recorded 1,656 cases of severe mental disorders in this age group, including 1,218 depression diagnoses and 78 suicide attempts. Depression accounted for 73.6% of the reported…
Q COSTA RICA — A Costa Rican court has ordered a 22-year-old woman, identified by her surname, Ortiz, to remain in preventive detention (remand) for one year while prosecutors investigate the killing of U.S. businessman Marc Walter Fleming. The order was issued on October 30 by the Criminal Court of Liberia, following…
Q COSTA RICA — After the regulatory authority approved a sharp fuel-price increase last Friday, many people are asking when the new prices will take effect. They become effective at midnight on the day they are published in the government’s official gazette, La Gaceta. The higher prices are expected to reach the pumps…
Q COSTA RICA — Constitutional Court Justice Jorge Araya stated that Costa Rica has shifted from being a country viewed with admiration to one that the world now views with concern. He made these remarks on Thursday, following his swearing-in by the Legislative Assembly for a new eight-year term. Araya called for…
RICO’s Q — The piece ¿Se terminó el gobierno de Laura Fernández? (Is Laura Fernández’s Government Over?) argues that shelving the Tratado Transpacífico (Trans-Pacific Partnership) is not, by itself, a coherent economic strategy. The author’s central question is what policy will replace it—and whether the government…
Q COSTA RICA — Costa Rica’s newly approved fuel-price increase will take effect after the resolution is published in the official government gazette, La Gaceta. Given that the adjustment was approved by the Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos (Aresep)—Public Services Regulatory Authority—and submitted on…
Q COSTA RICA — Costa Rica is updating its labeling requirements for raw meat and edible organs, extending the rules to products sold both in packages and over the counter. The reform, promoted by the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce (MEIC) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), is part of…
Q COSTA RICA — Costa Rica’s public health system performed 85,046 surgeries from January through September 2026, as the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) stepped up efforts to reduce a long-running backlog. The Caja said the average wait for surgery fell by 86 days from its April 2023 level—but patients still…
Q COSTA RICA — Costa Rica’s national police, the Fuerza Publica, will increase security operations on Saturday, October 31, with patrols focused on cemeteries, religious temples, shopping centers and areas around bars. The Ministry of Public Security says the measures are intended to prevent vandalism, unauthorized…
Q24N — Eight of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo’s nine children hold roles in the government or state-linked companies, and 40 grandchildren are waiting in the wings, within a more extensive family network than the one built by Anastasio Somoza, who groomed a single descendant as his heir before the fall of his…
Q COSTA RICA — The National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture says the Centro de Alta Contención para el Crimen Organizado (CACCO)—High-Security Center for Organized Crime, is seen by prisoners as a place of suffering. The Justice Ministry defends the strict rules as necessary for security and hygiene. Fear of…
In case you help any California or Florida voters, or if you are one yourself, here are last minute updates. It is still possible to vote in both those states even if you or they missed the Ballot Request deadline. Voters should email the help desk and specify their state and county for detailed instructions
Q COSTA RICA — Pope Leo XIV received Costa Rican President Laura Fernández in a private audience at the Vatican this Thursday morning, October 29, where she formally invited him to visit Costa Rica in 2027. Fernández presented the Pope with an official letter, a replica of the country’s revered image of the Virgin of
Q COSTA RICA — A 38-year-old Costa Rican man with the surname Fernández was arrested in La Plata, Argentina, on October 23. He is suspected of patrimonial violence in a case involving more than ¢18 million colones (US$39,000) allegedly taken from a company he co-owned with his romantic partner, according to a report…
Q COSTA RICA — Used vehicles that are 12 years old or older—that is, built in 2014 or earlier—may not enter Costa Rica unless they have a certificate verifying their pollutant emissions. This measure is in effect following a decree that requires passenger cars and light-duty cargo vehicles—weighing up to 3,500…
Q COSTA RICA — Costa Rica’s governing Partido Pueblo Soberano (PPSO) has introduced a constitutional amendment that would allow presidents to serve two consecutive terms and run again after a four-year break. The proposal would replace the current rule, which requires former presidents to wait eight years after…
Q COSTA RICA — Each December, the Tope Nacional (horse parade) has brought horses and riders into the streets of San José, turning the capital’s year-end festivities into a public celebration of horsemanship and a tradition shaped by Costa Rica’s rural history. The national parade is traditionally held on Dec. 26, the…
Q COSTA RICA — Agents from the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) arrested a 22-year-old woman surnamed Ortiz—popularly known as the “Bikini Killer”—this Tuesday; she is suspected of murdering an American man in Guanacaste. The arrest took place in San Felipe de Alajuelita, San José. The young woman is the…
RICO’s Q — I can’t remember the last time I ate at McDonald’s—whether in Costa Rica or anywhere else I’ve traveled. It’s just not my thing. Still, a social media post comparing Big Mac prices in Costa Rica and the United States caught my eye. Could a Big Mac really cost more in Costa Rica?
Q COSTA RICA — Older adolescents and young adults are among the groups most often consuming synthetic drugs in Costa Rica, according to Mario Sánchez, an investigator with the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) Anti-Drug Unit. The warning comes alongside a marked increase in forensic findings: between 2017 and…
Q COSTA RICA — Costa Rica has reached a first in its institutional history: the country’s executive, legislative, and judicial branches are simultaneously led by women. The change followed the election of Supreme Court magistrate Patricia Vargas as president of the country’s highest court on October 26, joining…
Q COSTA RICA — Costa Rican President Laura Fernández has made a pointed case for education as crime prevention: keeping children and young people in school, she says, can help steer them away from criminal networks. But that message is colliding with a fiscal proposal from her government that would cut nearly ¢9…
Q COSTA RICA — The president of Costa Rica, Laura Fernández, has argued that education can help prevent crime, using a striking comparison between her own life path and that of the drug trafficker known as “Diablo” — one of the country’s most wanted criminals. The two, she said, are the same age; while Fernández
Q COSTA RICA — On Monday, Costa Rica began moving prisoners to the new maximum-security complex, located within the walls of the La Reforma Institutional Center, a penitentiary complex located in San Rafael de Alajuela, Costa Rica. The first 123 prisoners, with shaved heads, wearing orange uniforms and kneeling with…
Q REPORTS — Across Central America and the Caribbean, dictatorships and military governments left a lasting imprint on political life. Throughout the 20th century, leaders concentrated power, curtailed civil liberties and used state institutions to suppress opponents. In Nicaragua and Cuba, restrictions on political…
Q COSTA RICA — Rafael Antonio Valdez García allegedly killed his spouse, Jasmina López Castro, and their 9-year-old daughter, Belkania Balezka Valdez López, in Liberia, Guanacaste. He then made a phone call to a neighbor to notify the police so they could recover the bodies. The incident took place in the early hours…
Q COSTA RICA — Nicaraguans make up 87% of refugee applications in Costa Rica, according to Cindy Molina, head of the Refugee Unit at the country’s Directorate General of Migration and Foreign Affairs. She gave the figure during a meeting with Costa Rican legislators, where officials discussed the unit’s workload and…
RICO’s Q —The warning is familiar: “Don’t make me use my Italian voice.” It sounds like a playful threat, delivered before a family argument, a noisy dinner, or a minor household dispute gets any louder. The joke is simple. The speaker insists they are holding back—not because they lack volume, but because they have an
Q COSTA RICA — Kendry Alberto Ferguson Madison, convicted of drug-related offenses, surrendered to the courts in Limón on Saturday, October 24—12 days after the Ministry of Justice authorized his release from prison, despite the fact that he was subject to a new eight-year sentence and an order for pretrial detention…
Q COSTA RICA — The Ministerio de Salud (Ministry of Health) reported a marked increase in syphilis and gonorrhea diagnoses during 2026. The official epidemiological report, based on records from the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS), confirmed that sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are on an upward…
Q COSTA RICA — The planned expansion of Ruta Nacional 1 between San José and San Ramón has been one of Costa Rica’s most debated infrastructure projects for more than two decades. Intended to ease congestion on the country’s main route toward the western Central Valley, the project has moved through several designs…
Q COSTA RICA — After three decades of waiting and five failed attempts, Costa Rica has taken another step toward expanding one of its most important transportation corridors, the route between San José and San Ramón, which is expected to begin in the second half of 2027. The Consejo Nacional de Vialidad…
Q COSTA RICA — Members of Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly Commission on Women approved a replacement text that removes emergency contraception from a bill designed to formalize medical and institutional assistance for rape survivors. The amendment was approved on Wednesday, October 21, by six legislators: Kattia…
What is FOMO? According to the popular website Wikipedia, Fear of missing out is the feeling of apprehension that one is either not in the know or missing out on information, experiences, or life decisions that could make one’s life better. FOMO is also associated with a fear of regret, which may lead to concerns that…
The long-awaited Digital Nomad visa option: Last year, the government announced the Digital Nomad visa option for legally staying past the traditional 90-day visa in Costa Rica. While, in principle, a viable option for those seeking to live and work virtually in Costa Rica for 1 or 2 years without having to do onerous…
By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica What follows is a much-needed update on situations that stressfully impacted ex-pat migrants at the various stages of the residency process. We are emerging from two mutually exclusive events. The end of covid (sort of) and the installation of a new government handed a…
By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica How to choose where to live in Costa Rica. So, you are contemplating a move to Costa Rica after being intrigued by the promise of its unique beauty and livability. Going back to 1500, Christopher Columbus gave it the name which translates into “Rich Coast.” It had…
By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica DIMEX Renewals: This information is a bit dated, but since many of you are still emailing me about renewals of your DIMEX (residency) cards, I thought it timely to post this review. Due to urgent needs to be outside of Costa Rica during COVID, some of you had/have not…
By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica Until 2018, the immigration (residency) process was relatively straightforward. Even though the DGME (Immigration) mandate was to process correctly prepared and submitted applications in 90 days, they went past that deadline. Still, my application approvals (and that…
This article is based on a personal experience. In Costa Rica there is an Expropriation Law, designed for when the Government needs to use all or part of private property for public purposes. As examples we have when a new highway or road is built or expanded, when it is necessary to install high power lines…
By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica CAJA sticker shock. For those who don’t yet know, one of the requirements for residency here in Costa Rica is that you must enroll in our national healthcare system (CAJA) upon approval of your residency application. You will be means-tested to assess “fairly” what you…
Former tourists and foreign residents have chosen to live in Costa Rica for many good reasons, not the least of which is the breathtaking beauty, fantastic weather, and an idyllic lifestyle measurably better than those left behind. Most experience significant improvements to their health after living in Costa Rica…
By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica Elections in the home countries of the U.S., Canada, and E.U. (and other countries) have been painfully divisive affairs these past decades as the social engineers behind the curtain pull on the levers of influence. As such, many of us are tempted to avoid the subject…
By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica We all love tax cuts. Therefore, it is understandable that many of you got very excited when you heard about the new laws governing importation and investment incentives designed to stimulate post-COVID investment in Costa Rica. It did not help that many trigger-happy…
On December 13th, 2021, Law number 10,071 came into effect, called LAW OF ATTRACTION OF FILM INVESTMENTS IN COSTA RICA. In this way, Congress declares of Public Interest the attraction of investments from the international film industry, its promotion and the generation of productive chains. What is really strange is…
She called herself “La Sicaria”, and advertised on social media that she would “kill anyone for c50,000”, or $78.00. This week she was convicted of seducing a man and luring him to his death in San Juan de Dios, Desamparados. Her real name is Carolina del Carmen Requene, a 26-year old single mother of three…
Six people were murdered on October 17th on the private property of American Stephen Paul Sandusky of Buenos Aires, Puntarenas, Costa Rica. The police arrived at 1AM on October 18th, and have consistently told the press that they are investigating this slaughter as a robbery gone wrong. Was it? Neighbors aren’t so…
North Americans come from squirrel country — Canada and USA both have all kinds of squirrels, living in trees and parks everywhere. But Costa Rican squirrels are different. Variegated Squirrels (Sciurus variegatoides) are tree squirrels and are found in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Southern Mexico…
The body of American Stephen Paul Sandusky (61) was found on Monday, on his farm Llano Bonito de Buenos Aires, in Puntarenas. His head was missing, his torso and lower body were burned beyond recognition, his arms were still whole. Five Costa Rican citizens were also found dead on the property, three had been shot in…
This article discloses the existence of three very little-used and little-known legal tools, but which can constitute very valuable tools in certain cases, all in order to protect, guarantee rights in favor of third parties and avoid possible garnishments or unwanted transfers, all in relation to real estate property…
On Sunday morning, a jolly group of five people from San Isidro de El General (Perez Zeledon), set off to help a gringo friend of theirs in nearby Buenos Aires de Puntarenas. There were apparently several pieces of farm machinery in need of repair, and 44-year old Quesada Cascante was just the mechanic for the job…
By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica The following is the latest update from the Costa Rica Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Salud CR): Gradual opening will mark the last quarter of the year. 1. From October 16 to October 31, the sanitary vehicle restriction will be from 10 pm to 5 am from Monday to…
According to the Missing Americans Project, a nonprofit organization helping to track Americans and other nationals who vanish in Costa Rica and elsewhere, disappearances of foreigners are under-reported and not closely monitored by any organization. “Families of people who go missing outside their country’s borders…
By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica Due to COVID, rules and procedures continue to change and evolve regarding travel and how one remains legally in Costa Rica. For tourists and those of you preparing for or waiting to have your applications for legal residency submitted (by appointment) or for those of…
Health authorities in Costa Rica warn that the worst moment of the pandemic in the country is expected in the upcoming weeks. Early this week the social security service (CCSS) reported they had over 2,246 patients that required hospitalization due to Covid-19, an increase “never seen before”. In average, 27 people…
Many foreigners who decide to live in Costa Rica, or come to visit seasonally, find that it is necessary for them to acquire a vehicle to get around. In this way, the high costs of renting a vehicle are avoided, since it is not an occasional visit. However, some have encountered bad experiences when acquiring a…
Costa Rica has 13 athletes representing the country in the Tokyo Olympics 2021: Andrey Amador : Men’s Road Cycling Maria Jose Vargas: Women’s Road Cycling Brisa Hennessy: Women’s Surf Leilani Mcgonagle: Women’s Surf Carlos Muñoz: Men’s Surf (last minute slot) Ian Sancho: Judo Neshy Lee: Taekwondo (last minute slot)…
By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica There is a significant and welcome change to the entry requirements to Costa Rica. Good news for the vaccinated amongst you. The change is effective August 1, 2021. Those of you who can provide proof of complete vaccination with either the Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech…
Costa Rican congress approved a new law to attract investors, people with fixed income (rentistas) and retirees; the purpose of this law is to offer temporary benefits for people who wish to come live in the country and apply for the residency under any of the categories mentioned. Although it was already possible to…
By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica In response to some emails requesting clarification to my previous article, the following is a brief synopsis regarding visa expiries, the validity of foreign drivers’ licenses, and border runs. 1. If you have been in Costa Rica on a Tourist Visa extended several times…
By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica After repeated visa extensions throughout 2020 and 2021, June 2, 2021 (coming up soon) is the last extension date on visa expiries if you are here in Costa Rica on a tourist visa alone. As a reminder, tourists who enter Costa Rica with a passport from the U.S, Canada…
The current pandemic affecting the world generated an unexpected effect on the real estate market in Costa Rica. Despite travel restrictions and new requirements for tourists such as negative Covid-19 test or insurance with sufficient coverage in case of requiring extended stay due to illness; the truth is that the…
When your lover’s old boyfriend shows up unannounced at your front door, it often means big trouble. This was the case for 57-year old American David Baldino Dominic, who died in a hail of bullets on May 14th, in front of his home in Herradura, Puntarenas. The accused killer is a Nicaraguan by the name of Acuna…
BOLO (Be on the Look Out) for the highly destructive Giant African Land Snail, announced the Servicio Fitosanorio del Estado, (SFE) in a press release. They warned of a new plague of giant snails discovered in Liberia, Guanacaste, that are aggressive, long-lived, crop-destroying, and spread human disease among people…
Multinational MedTech, U.S. – based company, confirmed its arrival in Costa Rica. Over the coming months, the company will establish operations in La Lima Free Zone, in Cartago. In addition to manufacturing the company’s signature medical devices, it will also house a design, research, and engineering team involved in…
Source: EFE LeoLabs, a U.S. company, inaugurated in Costa Rica a radar capable of detecting space objects as small as a golf ball. It is one of the most advanced of its kind and can provide a series of services, such as safety information for satellites and space flights. “Just nine months after beginning our work in…
Costa Rica registered 2,781 new cases of Covid-19 this Thursday, April 29, a new record for the country. Under these circumstances, the Government has announced new restrictions that will go into effect May 3 and will continue through May 9. The new restrictions include:’ The closure of “non-essential” commercial…
Costa Rica registered this Wednesday, April 28th, a new record on the number of new Covid-19 cases a total of 2,434. With this new number, the total cases reach 245,601 out of which 40,184 are active. 351 people remain in intensive care while another 467 are hospitalized. The health system has expressed its concern…
The Costa Rican Government announced new restrictions that will go into effect as of this Tuesday, April 27, and through Sunday, May 16. The main change has to do with transit restrictions, starting today the restriction will be in place starting at 9 p.m. ad through 5 a.m. Commercial establishments will have to also…
Image Courtesy of Diario Extra The Costa Rican Red Cross found the body of Nicholas Ray (27), off the Jaco Beach shore, Costa Rica. Ray was reported disappeared last Tuesday, believed to have been swept out to sea by a rip current while he was swimming with friends. His sister Nicole Ray Goldsby, had arrived from the…
During the next weeks, all those Expats who have a corporation in Costa Rica will have to fulfill some obligations that are relatively recent, making important to take them into account in order to avoid problems and headaches. Certainly, having a corporation is no longer as simple as it was a few years ago, but it…
In the first three months of 2021, Costa Rican authorities have seized 19 tons of illegal drugs which is excellent, but what happens to those drugs? The Minister of Security Michael Soto and individuals involved in drug trafficking seem to disagree on the fate of confiscated drugs in Costa Rica. Soto claims that under…
Mountain Bike Event Kivelix Trophy, a sporting event directed exclusively to women will be taking place between May 15 and 16 in Hacienda Guachipelin Hotel in Rincón de la Vieja, Guanacaste. This MTB competition expects to gather at least 150-200 cyclists. Kivelix Trophy consists of two timed stages and general…