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Cold Fronts Shape Early February Weather in Costa Rica

Two cold fronts will mark the beginning of February in Costa Rica, maintaining windy conditions, rainfall, and low temperatures. At the same time, the National Meteorological Institute (IMN) forecasts a month with above-average rainfall in some regions of the country. Costa Rica is currently under the influence of cold front No. 13, which arrived on Saturday. “The cold front will continue to influence weather conditions, with a gradual decrease beginning on Wednesday,” the IMN reported. Winds will remain strong, ranging between 70 and 100 km/h in northern Guanacaste during these days. According to experts, this is because the cold front system has reached southern Central America, and cold conditions will persist in the country, intensifying through Wednesday and Thursday. “Cold front No. 14 will begin to modulate weather conditions starting Thursday afternoon and will extend into the weekend,” the IMN stated. Due to this surge, strong winds are expected in the Central Valley, Guana...
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Voter Turnout Rises in Costa Rica as Abstention Drops

Sunday’s election day brings good news for all of Costa Rica: voter abstention decreased. This means that more people decided to participate in these elections compared to previous years. According to data reported by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), voter participation in Sunday’s elections reached 70%, while abstention stood at 30%, with 85.4% of polling stations counted. These figures contrast with the 2022 election, when participation reached only 60% of the population and 40% chose not to go to the polls. In other words, abstention in this election dropped by 10%. In 1953, the electoral roll consisted of just 294,000 people. That year, 96,000 voters chose not to vote, raising abstention to 32.8%. In the 1958 elections, 35.3% of the electorate also stayed away from the polls. After that, the percentage declined and remained below or very close to 20% between 1958 and the 1994 elections. However, starting that year, abstention began to rise again, reaching 30%, a level it has...
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Puma Sits for the Camera on a Pacific Cliff in Rare Costa Rica Footage

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After two hundred or so articles mostly focused on wildlife for the Tico Times, I’ve written about most of the more well-known species that are walking, swimming, and flying around in Costa Rica. Every time I pick a species to write about, I get to go through my video archives and pick out the very best clips to accompany the article. That’s all fine and good, but what happens when I record a particularly awesome video of an animal that I’ve already written about? I shared some interesting facts about Costa Rica’s pumas back in 2023. To go along with the article, I linked a video of some of my favorite puma clips that I had recorded to that point. Three years and many puma videos later, I have a backlog of puma awesomeness that’s too good not to share. I put a few of my favorites in the video below. Here’s the story that goes with each clip. Homerun Video Sometimes I place a camera at a location purely for the stunning background. Often times there is very little reason for wildlif...
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Infantino Says Football Is Growing Exponentially in Nicaragua

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said football is growing “exponentially” in Nicaragua, a country he visited ahead of a Concacaf congress on Sunday and where boxing and baseball have traditionally been the dominant sports. “What’s being done in Nicaragua is truly exceptional (…) Football is the king of sports in the world, and I have to say that here it’s growing exponentially as well,” Infantino said upon arriving in Managua on Friday night. He was received at Augusto C. Sandino International Airport by Maurice Ortega Murillo, son of co-presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, and by Manuel Quintanilla, president of the Nicaraguan Football Federation (FENIFUT), according to the state-run outlet El 19 Digital. Infantino’s visit was marked by tight secrecy from local authorities and comes in the context of the 41st Concacaf Ordinary Congress, which brings together leaders from the 41 federations in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. During his stay, Infantino playe...
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Chile’s Kast Looks to El Salvador’s Model for Prison Security

Chile’s president-elect, José Antonio Kast, visited El Salvador’s mega-prison for gang members on Friday and asked President Nayib Bukele for “cooperation” to improve security in Chile’s prisons. Visits to the Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot) are part of the usual protocol for Bukele’s special guests. Bukele has turned the prison into a symbol of the crackdown that pacified the country, but it has also become a target of allegations of human rights abuses. “We want to ask you for cooperation on improving our penitentiary system,” Kast said after meeting Bukele at the government palace, following a tour of Cecot that the Salvadoran president did not attend. However, the future far-right Chilean president added that “we don’t necessarily have to do the same thing because conditions are different,” as his country faces rising crime. For his part, Bukele said that, “differences aside” between the two countries, what El Salvador can do is “contribute its experience.” Kast, who said th...
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Costa Rican Artists Warn of Authoritarian Threats in Pre-Election Video

Over 30 Costa Rican artists have released a video titled “Voces por la democracia” to speak out against authoritarian threats facing the country. The release comes during the final days of the election campaign, just before the presidential vote on February 1, 2026. The video urges people to vote and highlights risks to press freedom. The production features artists such as Sebas Guillem, Pedro Capmany, María Torres, Erick Córdoba, Claudia Barrionuevo, Gladdys Alzate, Tamela Hedström, Ana Coralia Fernández, and Guadalupe Urbina. They share messages about the value of democracy passed down from past generations. The video opens with the line, “Sometimes it’s enough to stop staying silent; voices meet even from afar, and something starts to move.” Participants warn about dangers to freedom in Costa Rica. Tamela Hedström, who has lived in several countries, points out, “I have the privilege and pride of being Costa Rican. I’ve lived in more than four countries and know that democracy, t...
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Sabalenka and Rybakina Advance to Australian Open Final After Semifinal Wins

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Aryna Sabalenka moved one step closer to her third title at the Australian Open with a straight-sets win over Elina Svitolina in the semifinals on January 28, 2026. The top seed from Belarus defeated the Ukrainian player 6-2, 6-3 in 72 minutes on Rod Laver Arena, setting up a final against Elena Rybakina. Sabalenka broke Svitolina’s serve three times in the first set and kept her under pressure with deep groundstrokes. Svitolina, who returned to form after a career break for motherhood, held early but lost momentum as errors mounted. Sabalenka sealed the match with a forehand winner, improving her record at Melbourne Park to 18 straight wins. She spoke after the match about staying focused on each point, crediting her team for the steady preparation. In the other semifinal, Elena Rybakina outlasted Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6(7) in a match that lasted one hour and 45 minutes. The fifth seed from Kazakhstan took control in the first set with strong serving, breaking Pegula twice. The seco...
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