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The Ombudsman’s Office has confirmed that Costa Rica was unprepared to provide adequate care for deportees who have entered the country since February. This conclusion is outlined in a report, process carried out by the Ombudsman’s Office, which highlights that over the past six months, there have been significant weaknesses in the oversight process. While these shortcomings have been progressively addressed, the report emphasizes the need for continued attention and reform. Angie Cruickshank, the Ombudsman, acknowledged the importance of migration agreements between countries but stressed that, in practice, all the necessary conditions for protection and care must be in place from the outset to ensure compliance with national and international human rights standards.  “Today, I say to the country that I hope, as Ombudsman, this unfortunate situation will not be repeated,particularly the conditions under which women, children, adolescents, and adults of various nationalities arri...

A 109-year-old Panamanian farmer has received the land title for the property where he lives and works—six decades after first requesting it from the state, President José Raúl Mulino announced Thursday. Juan Bautista Quiroz waited 60 years for the official document confirming ownership of the land where he has lived for 90 years in the coffee-growing district of Boquete, in the agricultural province of Chiriquí, near the Costa Rican border. “The delivery was made at his home in Chiriquí, as recognition of his perseverance—because honestly, waiting 60 years takes perseverance,” Mulino said during his weekly press conference. “It satisfies me as a public official, but it embarrasses me as a Panamanian,” the president added. Quiroz received the two-hectare land title from the director of the National Land Administration Authority (Anati), Andrés Pagés, last week. His granddaughter, Lucía Del Carmen Espinoza, said that her grandfather has worked on that land his entire life, growing on...

The Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica is recognized worldwide as one of the five blue zones , where people live beyond the age of 90 in good health. This exceptional longevity results from cultural, social, and environmental factors. However, it is at risk.  The University of Costa Rica issued a warning about the emerging challenges that could compromise the sustainability of this area in the future.  In the Guanacaste area, there are up to 23 centenarians per 100,000 inhabitants. These individuals have a better lipid and glycemic profile than their offspring, are lighter, and have a better quality and diversity of diet than their relatives and adults in the urban areas of Costa Rica, according to studies conducted by the University of Costa Rica.  A worrisome change in the health of younger generations is being observed. The abandonment of the traditional diet rich in fresh and local foods has given way to a diet based on ultra-processed and high...

When it comes to AI, call me OG. Old school. I sometimes wish I could go back to a time before it existed. Artificial Intelligence is the future, they say, and I have no reason to doubt this. In many ways, it’s already here. What’s the most asked question these days online? I’m going with, “Is it real or is it AI?” The genie is out of the bottle, and the future belongs to armies of developers—nerds comfortable working with a technology that is incapable of empathy or emotional intelligence. In its present form, AI is capable of acts of pure plagiarism, scanning cyberspace at warp speed to find chunks of information requested in a prompt. I saw this firsthand a couple months back. While reading an online article about declining tourism in Costa Rica from a site called TTW (Travel and Tour World) , I recognized entire sections lifted verbatim from an article I had written for The Tico Times just two days earlier. The parts that weren’t mine were neatly categorized and given headlines...

The Canadian Institute for Health Information in Canada invites applications for vacant Academic Positions, The Canadian Institute for

Costa Rica’s wildlife faces perils, as authorities have continously failed to build wildlife crossings. Nonetheless, the Constitutional Court has taken a firm stance in defense of the country’s fauna. The Cout accepted a motion of disobedience against Efraím Zeledón, executive director of the National Roads Council (CONAVI), for failing to comply with a court order to construct wildlife crossings along Route 32, critical infrastructure intended to protect monkeys, sloths , wild cats, and other species. The legal motion was filed by María Elena Fournier, an activist and member of the Roads and Wildlife Commission. She argued that Conavi has blatantly ignored a 2021 ruling by the IV Chamber, which mandated the construction of 51 wildlife crossings within three months, a deadline that was later extended (once only) by 36 months, expiring in June 2024. According to Fournier’s filing, while 29 of the 31 planned underpasses have been built, none are fully functional due to the a...

Ten of Costa Rica’s leading business chambers have sent a joint letter to the Central Bank calling for an immediate adjustment to the country’s monetary policy. They argue that the persistently low dollar exchange rate is damaging all sectors of the economy and driving up production costs. Sergio Capon, president of the Costa Rican Chamber of Industries (CICR), said the current monetary stance is overly restrictive and stifling business growth. A recent survey cited by the chambers found the exchange rate to be the top concern among business leaders. The chambers also warned of rising prices and overall cost increases that are eroding Costa Ricans’ purchasing power. Costa Rica now enters the second half of the year facing both external and internal pressures that could further impact its economy and the dollar exchange rate. Global conflicts—such as the war in the Middle East—along with higher oil prices and the possibility of rising international interest rates, are all raising ala...

The University of Virginia in United States invites application for vacant Research and Academic positions, a public research

University of Victoria in Canada invites application for vacant Staff and Faculty positions , a public research university

The leader of Panama’s main union, Saúl Méndez, accused of fraud and money laundering, left for exile in Bolivia this Saturday. He had taken refuge in the Bolivian embassy two months ago after denouncing political persecution, the organization reported. His departure comes two days after the Panamanian government filed a lawsuit in a labor court seeking to dissolve the construction union Suntracs, the largest labor organization in the country, where Méndez serves as secretary general. “We go and we’ll return. Long live the Panamanian people!” Méndez shouted as he left the diplomatic mission in Panama City, escorted by police and surrounded by supporters, after the government granted him safe passage to leave the country. On its X (formerly Twitter) account, Suntracs announced that Méndez “is going into exile,” but said he had “not been silenced” nor “defeated.” Another union leader, Erasmo Cerrud, is currently sheltered in the Nicaraguan embassy, awaiting safe passage to leave witho...

Toronto University in Canada invites application for vacant Research and Academic jobs, a public research university in Toronto,

Another money laundering case has shaken Costa Rica. Following a series of raids that dismantled a laundering network operating through legal and illegal lottery sales, the Social Protection Board (Junta de Protección Social, JPS) confirmed that one of its officials is under investigation. The JPS also warned about connections between clandestine lotteries and organized crime. Several bank employees are also implicated. The operation, carried out Thursday by the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ), included 24 simultaneous raids across various regions, particularly in the north. Authorities arrested eight individuals and summoned ten others, among them public officials, for questioning. The network reportedly ran at least 80 lottery sales points used to launder money from other criminal activities. “The Social Protection Board remains in active collaboration with the competent authorities,” the institution said in an official statement. It also noted that many illegal lotteries are ...

The film The Laundromat , starring Meryl Streep, damaged Panama’s reputation by drawing inspiration from a real-life story: the global scandal that erupted a decade ago over offshore companies based in this Central American country used to launder money and evade taxes. Shaking off the stigma of the “Panama Papers” is no easy task, acknowledges the government, which is celebrating the European Union’s (EU) decision to remove Panama from its list of “high-risk” countries for money laundering and terrorism financing as a victory. “That unfair image pinned on Panama” is beginning to be corrected, says Economy and Finance Minister Felipe Chapman, who asserts that Panama is “cooperative” in the fight against money laundering. However, Panama remains on the EU’s tax haven list. According to Olga de Obaldía, executive director of the local chapter of the NGO Transparency International, the country “still faces major structural challenges” to prevent “money laundering linked to drug traffic...

Ryerson University in Canada invites application for vacant Research and Academic Positions, a public research university in Toronto,

The University of Guelph in Canada invites application for vacant Research and Academic Positions, a comprehensive public research

Calgary University in Canada Invites application for vacant Postdoc and Academic Positions, a public research university located in

A small group of overstretched and outmatched lawyers is fighting for the rights of men deported by the Trump administration and held in a notorious Salvadoran prison — a David vs. Goliath battle that may end up in international courts. In a half-empty old schoolhouse outside San Salvador, lawyer Rene Valiente is trying to determine the fate of 252 Venezuelan migrants expelled from the United States in March without any kind of court hearing. He is the investigations coordinator for Cristosal, a human rights NGO that is challenging El Salvador’s all-powerful president, Nayib Bukele, and his even more powerful US ally, President Donald Trump. For months, Valiente and his team have gone from jail to ministry to courthouse, trying to find out more about those being held at the tightly controlled CECOT facility, and to have the men’s legal rights recognized. With both the Trump and Bukele administrations stonewalling, the lawyers have had little success. Valiente has no visitation rights...

Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut in Germany invites application for vacant Research and Academic Positions, is the National Institute for Animal Health

A strong earthquake struck off Panama’s Pacific coast today, rattling the region but causing no reported injuries or destruction. Seismologists pegged the magnitude at 6.2, though some early reports listed it higher at 6.6. The tremor hit at 11:53 a.m. local time, or 16:53 GMT, with the epicenter in the ocean about 206 kilometers south of Punta Burica, close to the Costa Rica border. It sat at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Other monitoring groups, like Volcano Discovery, noted a similar spot 124 kilometers southeast of Burica. Omar Smith, head of Panama’s National Civil Protection System, posted that no tsunami warnings went out. “We keep monitoring across the country,” he said. Officials confirmed the lack of alerts and ongoing checks. People felt the shake in parts of Panama, and reports trickled in from nearby Colombia, where the Colombian Geological Service logged it as 6.6. In Costa Rica, folks near the border sensed it too, but no ha...

Nottingham University in United Kingdom invites application for vacant Research and Faculty Positions, a public research university in

The University of Delaware in United States invites application for vacant Faculty Positions, a public research university located

Northumbria University in United Kingdom invites application for vacant Academic Positions, a UK public university located in Newcastle

Edge Hill University in United Kingdom invites application for vacant Academic Positions, a campus-based public university in Ormskirk,

Jannik Sinner is the quiet man of tennis who has become a big noise, burnishing his legacy on Sunday by winning his first Wimbledon title. The Italian beat his fierce rival Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the latest instalment of their captivating rivalry to claim his fourth Grand Slam at the age of 23. The pair are the new dominant forces in men’s tennis, sharing the past seven Grand Slams between them as the memory of the “Big Three” era fades. While Alcaraz is the flashy showman of the game, adored by the fans for his high-risk, high-reward tennis, Sinner stays ice-cold on the court and mild-mannered off it. His game is based on relentless power and accuracy from the baseline, resembling that of 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. The Italian is getting used to life at the top, reaching his fourth successive major final at Wimbledon this year — a run that started with the US Open last season. Sinner defended his Australian Open title in Melbourne in January but his ...

A 3,800-year-old citadel belonging to the Caral civilization—one of the oldest in the world—opened its doors to the public this Saturday after eight years of research and restoration work. It is located in northern Peru. The new archaeological site, called Peñico , has been described by its discoverers as “the city of social integration” because it served as a meeting point for commercial exchanges between early Pacific coast communities and those from the Andes and Amazon regions. Peñico is located in the Supe Valley, 182 km north of Lima and about 20 km from the Pacific Ocean. “It’s an organized urban center that focused on agriculture and trade between the coast, highlands, and jungle,” archaeologist Ruth Shady said. Shady leads the research on the Caral civilization. “Its age ranges from 1,800 to 1,500 years before Christ, so it’s not as old as Caral,” Shady noted. The monument was built on a geological terrace 600 meters above sea level, parallel to a river to prevent flooding. ...

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in United States invites application for vacant Faculty Positions, a non-profit, hospital and multi-specialty academic

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in United States invites application for vacant Research and Academic Positions, a non-profit, hospital and

Celso Manuel Gamboa Sánchez, once a top Costa Rican security minister and judge, now sits in a maximum-security prison cell awaiting possible extradition to the United States. Authorities there have charged him with helping international drug networks move massive amounts of cocaine through Costa Rica and into the U.S. for sale. A federal grand jury in Texas handed down the indictment this week, marking a sharp fall for a man who held some of the country’s highest posts in law enforcement and justice. Gamboa, 49, got arrested on June 23 in San José after U.S. officials requested his detention. He faces counts of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine, plus direct trafficking charges. Prosecutors say he worked with other traffickers to produce, ship, and spread the drug, knowing it would end up in the U.S. If convicted, he could get at least 10 years in prison, up to life. But the extradition treaty between Costa Rica and the U.S. caps any sentence at 50 years to match Costa...

When it comes to viewing wildlife in person, timing is everything. There’s a great big world out there and the chances of you being in the exact right spot at the ideal time are slim to none. My camera traps provide me with constant proof that animals are moving throughout the environment during all hours of the day and night, but without that proof I wouldn’t know it. The majority of my time spent in the wild is time spent alone.  Every now and then, after many concurrent trips without seeing any interesting wildlife, I’ll have a day where the timing just works out. Oddly enough, when one of those days is about to occur, I can sometimes feel it. Just the other day as I drove down a forested road on my way to set up and review some camera traps and I thought to myself, ‘You’re going to see something great today.’ I wasn’t sure what it was going to be, but then I had a flash of a cat sprawled out, sleeping on the branch of a big tree. I thought, ‘Great...

The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) invites application for vacant PhD, Postdoc and Academic Positions, the largest biomedical

Jülich Research Centre in Germany invites application for vacant Master, PhD and Postdoc Scholarships, the largest interdisciplinary research

Jülich Research Centre in Germany invites application for vacant Master, PhD and Postdoc Scholarships, the largest interdisciplinary research

Costa Rica’s growing insecurity, declining education system, and persistent infrastructure deficiencies are severely weakening the country’s competitiveness as a destination for foreign direct investment (FDI), according to experts from the Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED). Professor Velia Govaere Vicarioli and Karen Jiménez Morales, head of UNED’s Police Sciences Department, issued the warning, pointing to a structural crisis that threatens Costa Rica’s economic appeal and international reputation, especially as key sectors like tourism show signs of slowing down. Govaere, former director of UNED’s Institute for Research in Economic Sciences, emphasized that attracting and retaining foreign capital is becoming increasingly difficult. “Although the country has stood out for its skilled workforce and democratic institutions, today it faces a much more challenging environment,” she said. “Other countries in the region are strengthening their competitive advantages, while Costa R...

University of Surrey in United Kingdom invites application for vacant Research and Academic Positions, a public research university

University of Leicester in United Kingdom invites application for vacant Research and Academic Positions, a public research university

Costa Rican scientists have created a patented medical device that allows for the lab-grown development of muscle and bone tissue—offering a new alternative for treating serious injuries without the need for traditional grafts from other parts of the patient’s body. The technology was developed by researchers at the Technological Institute of Costa Rica ( TEC ) and is already protected by national patent. International registration is underway. The device simulates the internal conditions of the human body, allowing muscle and bone cells to grow in a structured, controlled environment. This includes exposure to temperature regulation, oxygen and CO₂ levels, and mechanical stress—such as tension and compression—which are key to producing functional, implant-ready tissue. A New Option for Complex Injuries This innovation is particularly relevant for patients suffering from large wounds, burns, trauma, or bone loss—cases where there may not be enough healthy tissue available for grafti...

Macquarie University in Australia invites application for vacant Postdoctoral and Academic Positions, a public research university located in

Monash University in Australia invites applications for vacant PhD and Academic Positions, a public research university based in

The Australian National University in Australia invites application for vacant Research and Academic Positions, a national research university

Costa Rica is standing out as a regional leader in artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). About 50% of Costa Rican SMEs now use AI tools in their daily operations, according to Trycore, a hyper-automation firm working across Latin America. These businesses are tapping into AI for tasks like customer service chatbots and supply chain optimization to stay ahead in a competitive market. Even with this progress, scaling AI effectively remains a challenge. Trycore’s client diagnostics show that only 1% of SME leaders in Costa Rica feel their companies have fully mastered AI. The key to getting real value from AI lies in redesigning workflows, but four out of five high-potential automation processes in Latin American SMEs are still overlooked, per Trycore’s findings. A 2024 PwC AI jobs barometer highlights that sectors with heavy AI use can see productivity gains up to 4.8 times higher, showing what’s possible with the right appr...

Swinburne University in Australia invites applications for vacant PhD, Postdoctoral and Academic Positions, It was founded in 1908

The University of Queensland in Australia invites application for vacant Postdoctoral and Academic Positions, a public research university

To change your mind on previously strongly held convictions can be viewed in two different lights. You’re either an open-minded individual that allows new information to influence their beliefs or you’re a flip-flopper of the first degree whose opinions depend on the way the wind is blowing. I’m not sure if I’m open-minded or a flip-flopper, but I must admit I’ve had a change of heart recently. For years I raged against anyone who dared to set their camera traps to photo mode. Why on Earth would you do that? At this point every camera has the ability to record video. Videos not only give the animal more time to align itself directly in front of your camera for easy identification but also allow you to see your subject interacting with its environment. A photo shows an instant of animal in its natural environment and a video allows you to actually see what the animal is up to. Up until very recently, this is a hill I would have died on. My change of heart ...

A court in El Salvador sentenced three former military chiefs to 60 years in prison on Thursday for the murder of four Dutch journalists 43 years ago during the country’s civil war (1980–1992). On June 3, the Court of First Instance of Dulce Nombre de María, in the northern department of Chalatenango, had initially sentenced them to 15 years in prison each. However, this Thursday, when delivering the written verdict, the court clarified that since four people were killed, the sentence totals 60 years. The ruling specifies that the convicted men “will only serve 30 years” in prison, the maximum sentence allowed by the criminal law in force at the time, explained the victims’ lawyer, Gustavo Huezo. The convicted men are: former Minister of Defense (1979–1983), General José Guillermo García, age 91; former director of the now-defunct Treasury Police, Colonel Francisco Morán, 93; and Colonel Mario Adalberto Reyes Mena, 85, former commander of the Fourth Infantry Brigade based in Chalatena...

Variety Magazine named our small piece of paradise a top filming destination in its latest featured article, “Ten Locations to Die For ,” spotlighting our country’s famous landscapes and growing film industry. The recognition highlights Costa Rica’s appeal to filmmakers looking for varied settings, stable infrastructure, and eco-friendly production options, positioning it as a rising star in global cinema. Varied Landscapes for Every Film Variety praises Costa Rica’s geographic range, spanning rainforests, volcanoes, beaches, and rivers, making it a magnet for filmmakers. “Costa Rica is ramping up efforts to become a strong contender in global film production. A compact nation with a growing cash rebate scheme, skilled bilingual crews, close proximity to the U.S., political and economic stability, rich natural landscapes and — perhaps most importantly — a keenness to better support productions,” the article states. This variety allows directors to shoot everything from fantasy epics ...

Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar invites application for vacant Research and Academic Positions, a member of Qatar

Qatar University in Qatar invites application for vacant Research and Academic Positions, a public research university located on

Costa Rica’s Supreme Court of Justice on Tuesday asked Congress — for the first time in the history of this country with a well-established democratic tradition — to lift the immunity of President Rodrigo Chaves, who is accused of corruption-related crimes. In the midst of a clash between branches of government, the Full Court voted with 15 in favor and seven against to “submit to the Legislative Assembly the request to lift the immunity” of the president, according to a statement from the judiciary. Chaves, a 64-year-old conservative economist, was accused by Attorney General Carlo Díaz — with whom he has an open conflict — of forcing a communications services company contracted by the Presidency to give $32,000 to his friend and former image advisor, Federico Cruz. Díaz accuses the president of the crime of extortion, which carries a penalty of two to eight years in prison for public officials who force or induce someone “to give or promise, improperly, for themselves or a third pa...

Laid-off workers from the U.S.-based banana company Chiquita Brands said on Monday that they are hoping for the company’s return to Panama, after it halted operations in the country due to millions in losses caused by two months of protests. Chiquita laid off more than 6,500 employees at its plant in Changuinola, in the Caribbean province of Bocas del Toro, after workers went on strike on April 28 and blocked roads in opposition to a pension reform. “Workers are desperate because those who worked for Chiquita depended on their daily labor,” said Héctor Palacio, who lost his job after 14 years at the company. “The situation is very tough for us because we’ve already gone two months without work, and little by little, it’s drained the few savings we had,” said Arcelio Valencia, who also lost his job at the banana company. Due to the strike, Chiquita halted its operations in Panama and, a month ago, estimated its losses at over $75 million. Now the workers are urging the government to o...

Erasmus University Rotterdam in Netherlands invites application for vacant PhD and Academic Positions, a public university located in