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Reports of sick and unusually calm pelicans along Costa Rica’s Pacific coast have prompted renewed warnings to beachgoers after authorities confirmed a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a blue-footed booby found near Manuel Antonio. The distinction matters: Costa Rica has not confirmed avian flu in pelicans. The only confirmed positive case in the current episode remains the blue-footed booby from Quepos, Puntarenas. The cause of the unusual pelican behavior is still being investigated, and initial reports indicate that avian flu has been ruled out in some early analyses. The confirmed case was detected on June 25 in the Manuel Antonio sector of Quepos. The virus was identified as highly pathogenic avian influenza type A, subtype H5. The National Animal Health Service, known as SENASA, said the case was limited to wildlife and that no infections had been detected in domestic poultry. Authorities also stressed that chicken, turkey, eggs and other poultry products...

A leaked radio exchange at Juan Santamaría International Airport in San Jose has turned a tense runway dispute into a broader warning about the pressure facing Costa Rica’s air traffic control system. The recording captures a disagreement between a commercial pilot and the control tower after the aircraft left the runway through a different taxiway than the one the controller had instructed. The move affected ground operations and temporarily blocked the movement of other aircraft, turning what might have remained an internal aviation matter into a public debate over airport safety, staffing and workload. Editor’s note : The audio in the embedded report is in Spanish. In the exchange, the pilot and tower dispute runway exit instructions after the aircraft left through a different taxiway than assigned. The incident remains under official review. The airport’s operational safety and quality teams are expected to examine the full set of frequency recordings, not ...

Costa Rica’s long-delayed plan to modernize Puerto Caldera cleared a major hurdle this week after two appeals against the contract award were rejected, allowing officials to move toward signing the new concession contract for the country’s main Pacific cargo port. The decision confirms the award to Consorcio Sunset, the group selected for the concession to modernize Puerto Caldera’s infrastructure and equipment. The project is one of Costa Rica’s most important logistics upgrades and is expected to require an investment of more than $600 million. Puerto Caldera handles a large share of the cargo moving through Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, including imports, exports, grains, vehicles and other goods tied directly to the national economy. Business groups have warned for years that the port’s limited capacity and aging infrastructure add delays and costs to trade. The appeals were filed by International Container Terminal Services, Inc., known as ICTSI, which had challenged it...

Costa Rica will apply reversible lanes on Route 27 on Sunday, July 12, and Sunday, July 19, as thousands of drivers return to the Central Valley from the Pacific during the midyear school vacation period. The temporary traffic plan will convert all available lanes between Pozón and the Ciudad Colón toll crossing toward San José, a stretch of about 47 kilometers. The lane reversal itself will run from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., while the full operation will take place from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. to allow crews to prepare, close and reopen the highway safely. During that window, traffic heading toward the Pacific will be suspended through the affected section. The measure is intended to reduce congestion for drivers returning from Puntarenas, Guanacaste and other Pacific beach destinations after the school break and the collective public-sector vacation week.The maximum speed during the reversible-lane operation will be 60 km/h. Temporary signs will be placed along the route, while Traffic Pol...

João Fonseca’s Wimbledon run ended earlier than Brazil wanted, but not before the 19-year-old gave Latin American tennis another clear sign that its next major star has arrived. Fonseca, the 24th seed, lost 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 to Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin in the third round Friday on Court Two. The scoreline was blunt. Safiullin, a former Wimbledon quarterfinalist, played with the calm of a man who knows the surface, while Fonseca never found enough rhythm to turn the match into the kind of storm Brazilian fans have started to expect from him. Still, this was not a failed Wimbledon. It was another step in a season that has pushed Fonseca from promising teenager to one of the most watched young players in the sport. The Brazilian reached the third round at the All England Club for the second straight year, beating Jesper de Jong 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 in the second round with the kind of clean, aggressive tennis that has made him such an easy player to follow. He struck 38 winners i...

Costa Rica has delayed new restrictions on flavored vape products for one year, pushing enforcement back to August 6, 2027, while health authorities prepare the technical capacity needed to police the market. The rule, known as RTCR 519-2025, was published in February and had been scheduled to take effect on August 6, 2026. A later decree moved that date back by 12 months. The regulation itself was not changed. The delay means flavored vape liquids and related products that were expected to face tighter controls next month will remain under the current framework for another year. Once the regulation takes effect, Costa Rica will restrict vape liquids to a limited list of permitted compounds, all tied to tobacco flavor, and ban flavorings or aromas designed to make the products more attractive. The regulation applies to vape liquids with and without nicotine, whether imported or manufactured in Costa Rica. It also covers companies and people involved in manufacturing, repackagi...