The Path to implementing CAFTA is a Long and Hard One.
The politics of a state run monopoly have always amazed me, especially when the state itself is run by indecisive, un-thorough, bickering bureaucrats. Now that the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) has been set loose into an open yet empty telecom market, breaking free from the reigns of regulation by Aresep (the state regulating authority), they have proven their business ethics by immediately raising phone rates for their customers. The decision was met by stern disapproval, with government officials complaining that the …

Mother Earth is once again causing despair and destruction in Costa Rica, this time by way of rain, wind, earth and fire. Just one month after the Jan. 8 earthquake reeked havoc on the country, destroying homes and roads and claiming some 33 lives, another cold front has brought on more devastation to the country’s infrastructure and people.
While strong winds are typical this time of year in Costa Rica, a cold front heading in from the Caribbean since Wednesday evening added fuel to the fire, bringing winds of up to …

Recent headlines suggest rising unemployment.
Remember that pizza guy who zoomed through the pouring rain at 10 p.m. last month to deliver you a fresh steaming hot pizza? He is currently unemployed, along with 129 other Domino’s Pizza employees in Costa Rica. I bet you wished you tipped better now. The job losses don’t end there, and while the government is calling for solidarity and support from the people and private businesses, they are also working on short term law reforms to offer a hand to those in need.
Domino’s Pizza closed …

Church Weddings in Costa Rica decline.
With white sandy beaches, panoramic views and in general beautiful scenery, Costa Rica is a majestic place for many people to get married and serves thousands of Tico’s and foreigners their vows each year. However whilst this was a procedure that was very much performed in a Catholic Church under the blessing of a priest, this trend has drastically changed in the past 14 years and continued in 2008 whereby more and more couples have got married in a civil union.
 
In 1980, 77% of marriages …

Cuban granted refugee status in Costa Rica
Costa Rica is well-known for its stunning beaches and fantastic scenery so the last place that any visitor would want to be is stuck at the airport. This is however exactly what happened to one Cuban named José Angel Roque.
 
Roque originally flew into Costa Rica from Cuba on December 4th 2008 with a fake Salvadoran passport and was immediately refused entry to the country. Officials then sought to have him deported back to Cuba before relatives of Roque residing in Costa Rica intervened and …

 
Costa Rican National Football team wins
For the seventh time in consecutive years, the Costa Rican National team, affectionately known as La Sele reached the CONCACAF Gold Cup following a 3-1 victory against 9-man Guatemala. The game played on Sunday was the teams’ second victory in two days following on from their 3-0 win against Panama on Friday. Both games were played in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa.
The game against Guatemala guaranteed Costa Rica the Group B championship and means that they will travel to the USA in July to compete …

Earthquake Destruction Limited to Small Mountain Towns.
The recent magnitude 6.2 earthquake that hit Costa Rica on Jan. 8, 2009, ringing in a memorable start to the new year, devastated several small mountain communities about 25 miles north of the capital city of San Jose. Cinchona was the hardest it as the mountain top town was located directly above the local fault line. The deadly landslides in the area were both the result of the long, winding mountain ranges having no grounded support on either side and the moist, loose nature …

The Search Continues as Costa Rica Takes a Week to Honor Earthquake Victims.
The Costa Rica government declared a week of mourning for the deaths caused by Thursday’s magnitude 6.2 earthquake. At last count, the Costa Rican Red Cross tallied 18 victims, while the Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ) has officially declared 15 deaths. The official total is expected to be even higher, as 23 people remain missing. In their honor, the Palmareña Civic Association (ACP) has made the executive decision to postpone the long-awaited fiestas de Palmares, which will now begin …

At 4:50pm a oscillating earthquake in Costa Rica began to shake Jaco Beach. With the omens of bad luck on Friday the 13th, the earthquake in Costa Rica took many people by surprise in a country filled with mystical beliefs.
At first the ground shook vertical up and down for 2 seconds and then subsided for a second then began a back and forth horizontal motion that lasted almost 8 seconds which seemed like a life time.
The USGS richter scale initially showed a 6.0 but that is subject to change. The …

Do not get me wrong,  I am 100% for childhood immunization programs but not the herd-like Costa Rica vaccinations. The sole aim of massive vaccination programs as a prophylactic response to potential epidemics is both financially and politically motivated.  Financially, Costa Rica could not afford to have a epidemic despite their claims of the best health care system in Central America and politically keeping that myth alive serves their international reputation. Why not have the Costa Rican politicians who create these programs subject their kids and family members to same …