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Panama’s President, José Raúl Mulino, will meet in Brazil with U.S. banana company Chiquita Brands in search of an agreement for the company to resume operations in the country, after shutting down and laying off its entire workforce due to a strike, a minister reported on Monday. Chiquita, which employed more than 6,000 people in Panama in the town of Changuinola, in the Caribbean province of Bocas del Toro, dismissed the workers after protests that semi-paralyzed the region. A union announced Monday that it will file lawsuits against the company over the dismissals. Minister of Trade and Industry Julio Moltó said the government expects to reach an agreement following the meeting Mulino will hold with the company in Brazil during a tour beginning August 28. Talks with the company “are moving forward positively (…), I hope we can finalize a good agreement with Chiquita and that the president can close it in Brazil so that the company returns to the country,” Moltó said. The ministe...

The US Treasury Department moved against a Costa Rican drug trafficking ring today sanctioning four individuals and two entities tied to cocaine smuggling and money laundering. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) targeted former security vice minister Celso Gamboa Sánchez, along with Edwin López Vega (known as Pecho de Rata), Alejandro Arias Monge (Diablo), and Alejandro James Wilson (Turesky). They also hit Gamboa’s law firm, Bufete Celso Gamboa & Asociados, and his soccer team, Limón Black Star FC. Authorities say these people ran operations that funneled cocaine from Colombia through Costa Rica’s ports to the US and Europe, often mixed with fentanyl. “Drug traffickers poison communities and fuel violence by pushing illicit drugs across borders,” said Brian E. Nelson, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. The sanctions block all US-based assets of those named and ban Americans from dealing with them. Gamboa, once a high-ranking official, used his go...

Air Canada has backtracked on plans to restart flights after its flight attendants chose to continue striking, leaving travelers — including those heading to Costa Rica — facing more cancellations and uncertainty. The airline had announced Sunday morning that operations would gradually resume, including routes to San José and Liberia. But by afternoon, the company suspended that plan after the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents the flight attendants, said members would stay off the job until the government forced Air Canada back to negotiations. The Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) had ordered Air Canada to resume flights and for all cabin crew to return to work by 6 p.m. GMT on August 17. Labor Minister Patty Hajdu also invoked a legal measure requiring the dispute to move to independent arbitration, arguing that a prolonged strike would increase financial pressure on Canadians. Air Canada initially complied, stating flights would resume by Monda...

Johns Hopkins University in United States invites application for vacant Staff and Research Positions, America’s first research university and home

Johns Hopkins University in United States invites application for vacant Research Positions, America’s first research university and home to nine

San Diego State University in United States invites application for vacant Academic and Staff Positions, San Diego State

San Diego State University in United States invites application for vacant Academic and Staff Positions, San Diego State

Guns N Roses heads back to Costa Rica for a concert at Estadio Nacional on October 1. The show starts their fall Latin American tour after dates in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East earlier this year. Fans get a chance to see the band live for the first time since their last visit here years ago. The band announced the tour on June 6, adding 13 dates across the region. Here is the are the rest of those dates: Guns N’ Roses 2025 Latin American Tour Schedule Date Country City Venue October 1, 2025 Costa Rica San José Estadio Nacional October 4, 2025 El Salvador San Salvador Estadio Cuscatlan October 7, 2025 Colombia Bogota Viva Claro October 11, 2025 Colombia Medellin Estadio Atanasio Girardot October 14, 2025 Chile Santiago Estadio Nacional October 17, 2025 Argentina Buenos Aires Estadio Huracan October 18, 2025 Argentina Buenos Aires Estadio Huracan October 21, 2025 Brazil Florianopolis Arena Opus October 25, 2025 Brazil ...

Costa Rica’s Constitutional Chamber has struck down a resolution that increased visitor quotas at Corcovado National Park, ruling that the measure lacked scientific justification and violated environmental safeguards. In its August 8 ruling, the court ordered Paula Mena, director of the Osa Conservation Area (Acosa) of the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC), to revoke the resolution and issue a new one. The new policy must clearly establish the parameters and methodology used to regulate visitor flows and justify the daily entry and accommodation limits. The case was brought by Frente Amplio legislator Ariel Robles, who argued that changes to daily admission and overnight quotas were made without scientific studies to ensure the park’s fragile ecosystem would not be harmed. According to Robles, visits to the Sirena station were increased by 120 people per day, overnight capacity rose by 10, and cruise ship-exclusive quotas grew by 100, all without technical or scientific ...

North Carolina State University in United States invites application for vacant Research and Academic Positions , a public

North Carolina State University in United States invites application for vacant Postdoctoral Positions, a public research university in

Former Costa Rican security minister and Supreme Court justice Celso Gamboa got a break when a court in Goicoechea acquitted him of influence peddling. The case stemmed from claims that he stepped in back in 2016 to scrub San José’s ex-mayor Johnny Araya from a criminal probe during an election push. Prosecutors flipped at the last minute and asked for the acquittal, pointing to thin evidence that didn’t hold up. Araya and former prosecutor Berenice Smith, who faced charges alongside him, also came out clear. Even with this win, Gamboa stays locked up in Jorge Arturo Montero Prison in Alajuela. He’s held there while Costa Rican officials sort out a U.S. extradition bid that paints him as a key player in a cross-border drug ring tied to Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and Colombia’s Clan del Golfo. U.S. prosecutors charge him with plotting to move cocaine through Costa Rica and onward to Central America and the States. If the extradition goes through and a U.S. jury convicts him, he could st...

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights ( IACHR ) heard a petition this week to strengthen precautionary measures for Brörán indigenous leader Pablo Sibar. The request stems from a recent land invasion that put his life and safety at immediate risk. Sibar has held these protections, known as Precautionary Measure MC 321/12, since 2015. The latest incident unfolded on August 10, when two people entered Sibar’s 10-hectare farm in Térraba. They claimed backing from the Integral Development Association of Térraba and said the land belonged to them. The property serves for environmental protection and water management in the community. Sibar owns it legally and has for over 13 years. Police arrived but declined to remove the invaders. They cited a certification dated August 7 from the association, which favored the two individuals. Neither belongs to the Brörán people, and Sibar calls the document fake. He points out the association knew about his ownership long ago. Sibar spoke ou...

The Municipality of Santa Cruz demolished five structures built on Avellanas Beach, within the 50-meter public zone of the maritime-terrestrial area. In a video posted on the municipality’s social media accounts, Mayor Jorge Alfaro said the demolition complied with a court order. “In a ruling issued by the Administrative Court, the municipality was ordered to evict the entire area [the maritime-terrestrial zone of Avellanas Beach], which was practically slums. There are practically no residents here. These are houses belonging to people who usurped the maritime-terrestrial zone,” Alfaro stated. The mayor cited Resolution No. 2023005443, issued at 3:27 p.m. on November 15, 2023, which orders “the eviction of all persons and the immediate demolition, with due process guarantees, of all existing structures in the public area of the Avellanas Beach Maritime-Terrestrial Zone.” Alfaro insisted the demolition was not at his discretion or due to pressure from commercial interests in neighbo...

A Guatemalan court began on Tuesday the final hearing in the trial of seven former officials over the deaths of 41 girls in a fire at a state shelter in 2017, a tragedy that shocked the country. The girls and adolescents died at the Virgen de la Asunción Safe Home on March 8, 2017, International Women’s Day , during a protest in which they denounced mistreatment and sexual exploitation at the facility, according to the investigation. The minors set mattresses on fire in the room where they were locked after attempting to escape, but the blaze quickly spread and they could not get out because the door was locked. Judge Ingrid Cifuentes opened the hearing in which she is to hear the final statements from those accused of negligent homicide and failure to perform duties, among other charges. She could deliver a verdict on Tuesday or set another date to announce the ruling. The seven former officials remain under house arrest. “We hope this verdict will be a conviction (…) and that the ...

Our capital, San José, came under scrutiny today after the U.S. president placed it on a list of cities described as having some of the worst crime rates. The remarks were made while announcing sweeping security measures in Washington, D.C., including putting the capital’s police under federal control and deploying 800 National Guard troops to address what was described as rampant lawlessness. The new strategy was presented as a way to crack down on gangs, violent offenders, and drug activity in the capital. Local policies such as no cash bail were criticized as contributing to the situation, with claims they have made it harder to keep dangerous offenders off the streets. Washington, D.C., was compared to cities such as San José, Bogotá, Panama City, Lima, and Mexico City, with accusations of widespread crime and heavy drug trafficking in these locations. Data presented alongside the announcement showed Washington’s homicide rate at 27.5 per 100,000 residents in 2024, while San Jos...

The community of Santa Teresa de Cóbano and its surrounding communities will see enhanced security, thanks to the inauguration of the new Tourist Police Station and its modern facilities. This space will not only strengthen security in a sought-after tourist destination but also provide a concrete response to the needs of residents, businesses, and visitors. The opening ceremony was attended by the President Rodrigo Chaves; the Minister of Tourism, William Rodríguez; and the Minister of Public Security, Mario Zamora. “We are developing key projects. We’ve built a modern station, with officers ready to protect the honest people who work in tourism, and the visitors who help us generate prosperity,” said President Rodrigo Chaves. “This inauguration is a tangible example of the work carried out by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute to safeguard a highly visited destination such as Santa Teresa de Cóbano and neighboring communities. This project validates our commitment to sustainable to...

University of Cambridge in United Kingdom invites application for vacant PhD, Research and Academic Positions, a collegiate public

Panama has signed a $2.486 billion loan agreement with Japan to fund the construction of Metro Line 3. Officials finalized the deal on August 9 through an exchange of notes between the two governments. The Japan International Cooperation Agency handles the financing, which comes with favorable conditions: a 14-year repayment period, a six-year grace period, and low interest rates. The project aims to connect Panama City with the western suburbs in Panama Oeste. It includes a 25-kilometer monorail line with 14 stations and a 5-kilometer tunnel under the Panama Canal. Once complete, expected around 2028, it will ease traffic for over 250,000 daily commuters, cut down on pollution, and support better urban flow. Panama Metro oversees the build, and this loan builds on earlier funding tranches from Japan, including a $1.036 billion portion agreed in February. Japan and Panama have built ties over more than a century, with this deal adding to their history of joint efforts in infrastruct...

The United States warned its citizens on Saturday about the risk of investing in Nicaragua following the recent approval of a border security law that the U.S. government and Nicaraguan opposition in exile denounce as a “massive confiscation” of property. Nicaragua’s National Assembly, controlled by co-presidents and spouses Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, approved on Tuesday a law that turns into “state property” the 15 kilometers “inward” from its borders with Honduras and Costa Rica, as a “national security” measure to combat “organized crime and international drug trafficking.” Although the Nicaraguan government stated in official media that the law “does not affect” residents in the border strip, Nicaraguan opposition members in exile warned that it amounts to a confiscation plan. “The Murillo-Ortega regime’s massive confiscation of lands within the 15 kilometers adjacent to Nicaragua’s borders devastates dozens of communities and puts the lives and livelihoods of thousands ...

The Santa Cruz Environmental Prosecutor’s Office has seized files on the Bahía Papagayo concession from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) and the Municipality of Carrillo, according to the newspaper La Nación. The seizure is part of an ex officio criminal investigation into alleged illegal logging in forested areas within the Papagayo Tourist Pole. Prosecutors opened the case after an on-site inspection to assess possible environmental damage to protected land, following multiple complaints from environmental groups and activists on social media. Alejandro Rojas, attorney for Bahía Papagayo, called the complaint “unfounded,” saying it stems from an anonymous tip and that the case has been pending for about seven months. He stressed that this is not a new criminal proceeding. Environmental Concerns Groups such as Salvemos Playa Panamá and online influencers have warned that the $925 million real estate development in Playa Panamá could destroy over 42 h...

Actress Megan Fox and musician Machine Gun Kelly, whose real name is Colson Baker, recently headed to Costa Rica for a family vacation with their three-month-old daughter, Saga Blade Fox-Baker. The trip comes eight months after their breakup, and sources say it signals steps toward mending their bond, though they avoid calling it official. A source close to the couple shared, “Things feel back to normal between them, but they skip labels on their relationship. They stay close and aim to sort out issues for a full reconciliation. This getaway marks real progress.” Photos show the family arriving at Liberia Airport in Guanacaste on July 19 via a commercial flight. Costa Rica’s migration office confirmed their entry that day. The couple appeared relaxed, carrying their baby girl as they navigated the airport. The birth of Saga changed their dynamic. Fox, known for her roles in films like Transformers, takes a careful approach to letting Kelly back into her life fully. Megan stands fir...

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

Bahía Santa Elena is one of the best-preserved marine areas in the Costa Rica, renowned for its biological richness, scenic beauty, and ecological importance. This area is part of the Bahía Santa Elena Marine Management Area, a conservation space that protects key marine ecosystems such as rocky reefs, mangroves, and feeding grounds for various marine species, including sharks and rays. On this occasion, Santa Elena Bay, located in Costa Rica’s North Pacific within the Guanacaste Conservation Area (ACG), was the starting point for a new scientific expedition led by European researchers Dr. Jonathan Goldenberg and Dr. Bastiaan Star from the University of Oslo (Norway), in collaboration with Dr. Mario Espinoza from the Center for Research in Marine Sciences and Limnology (CIMAR) at the University of Costa Rica (UCR). The ACG continues to establish itself as a living laboratory for science, serving as the setting for high-impact research that seeks to answer key questions about the hea...

Dhofar University in Oman invites applications for vacant Research and Academic Positions, the first private university in the

The U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica named Jennifer Savage as its new chargé d’affaires yesterday. She steps in to lead the diplomatic mission until the next ambassador arrives. Savage, a career Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State, brings close to 30 years of experience in consular, political, economic, and management positions. Her career spans assignments in Haiti, Vietnam, Ireland, Ecuador, the Philippines, Mexico, Uruguay, and Zimbabwe. She most recently directed the Office of Canadian Affairs at the State Department. Before that, she served as chargé d’affaires and deputy chief of mission in both Uruguay and Zimbabwe. A graduate of The American University, Savage entered the Foreign Service in 1996. Savage replaces Michael Flores, who managed the role for the past seven months until the end of last month. The embassy shared that Savage looks forward to settling in Costa Rica with her family and building on the strong relationship between the two nations. She fo...

Representatives from 184 countries began negotiations on Tuesday at the UN headquarters in Geneva to draft, within ten days, the first global treaty aimed at reducing plastic pollution that threatens to choke the planet. At the official opening of the debates, Ecuadorian diplomat Luis Vayas Valdivieso, who chairs the negotiating committee, urged states to take responsibility for addressing a “global crisis.” “ Plastic pollution is damaging ecosystems, contaminating our oceans and rivers, threatening biodiversity, harming human health, and unfairly impacting the most vulnerable. The emergency is real (…) and the responsibility lies with us,” he said. In discussion for three years, this “legally binding” text for states “will not be achieved automatically,” Vayas Valdivieso warned Monday, as he welcomed delegates from more than 600 NGOs attending the talks in the Swiss city. Amid significant geopolitical and trade tensions, this additional negotiation session, called INC-5.2, was co...

IKEA plans to open its first store in Costa Rica after signing a franchise agreement with Sarton Group. The deal announced today gives Sarton exclusive rights to build and run IKEA operations in the country, along with Panama. Sarton Group already handles IKEA stores in places like the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and the Spanish Islands. This move marks IKEA’s entry into Central America, where no stores exist yet. Company leaders say the expansion aims to make affordable home goods available to more people in the region. The expansion manager at IKEA shared her thoughts in the announcement. “We are pleased to further expand our work with Sarton Group and welcome Panama and Costa Rica to join the IKEA family,” she said. “As owners of the IKEA concept and franchisors worldwide, we continually seek opportunities to expand our reach and improve accessibility for more people. Together with IKEA franchisees, we enhance and develop IKEA to make it more relevant and inspiring.” From Sa...

Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence in United Arab Emirates invites applications for vacant Postdoctoral and Academic

The Costa Rican government has asked the US government to pause the tariffs announced last Thursday while negotiations between both countries continue. Costa Rican authorities believe this would alleviate the concerns of exporters and enable them to design a strategy that will allow the country to face this challenge. “Costa Rica, like 184 other nations around the world, is affected by the recent decision of the US government to impose tariffs on goods exported to that market. Although the 10 percent tariff on our exports is the minimum, we are aware of the concerns it raises for our export sector,” said the country’s Minister of Foreign Trade, Manuel Tovar. Meanwhile, the Costa Rican government has assured that it will continue working to defend the country’s interests, mitigate the effects of this decision, and protect the competitiveness of national exports. Along the same lines, Tovar has indicated that, in response to a request from the Presidency, his team is already working ...

A robot explores the dark, cold, deep sea floor of the South Atlantic, transmitting images of vibrant coral and fish never seen before as scientists give live commentary via YouTube. And Argentines can’t get enough of it. The Argentine-American scientific mission is for the first time exploring the Mar del Plata canyon, a submarine gorge which plunges nearly 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) deep, off the coast of the seaside resort of the same name. The awed conversations between scientists leading the expedition and the explanations they give to viewers allow the public a rare insight into the hidden wonders of marine biology. In one instance, the camera on the SuBastian underwater robot shows a weird-looking, little white animal. One of the scientists on the team can be heard asking her colleagues, “Do we want it?” “Yes, yes, we want it!” reply dozens of messages in the live stream chat before the image shows the suction device being activated to suck up the specimen for study.  “O...

University of Aberdeen in Qatar Invites applications for vacant Academic Jobs, University in Doha, Qatar. Aspire North Development

University of Doha for Science and Technology in Qatar Invites applications for vacant Research and Academic Positions, University

No one was surprised. El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, is now officially cleared for indefinite reelection. Congress, firmly under his control, paved the way with a constitutional reform that consolidates his total power. Critics see it as a fatal blow to democracy; supporters view it as necessary to prevent a return to gang violence. Here are five key points explaining how the self-proclaimed “cool dictator” got here: 1. Public Fatigue Bukele represents a rejection of the traditional right- and left-wing parties that failed to solve the country’s deep problems: poverty and gangs, said political analyst Ricardo Navarro. “Gangs extorted everyone. People were tired and disillusioned with previous governments. It was always the same people, and that allowed him to win in 2019 with 52% of the vote. There was exhaustion,” Navarro noted. The Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18 gangs controlled 80% of the territory, and the homicide rate was 51 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2018. Accordin...

The government of Guatemala confirmed on Friday that it arranged a visit to a detention center known as the “ Alligator Alcatraz ,” located in a swampy area of southern Florida, to check on the situation of 14 of its nationals being held there. Guatemala’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that 14 of its citizens are in the facility, which is surrounded by mangroves and swamps and accessible only by a single road. The Guatemalan consular network in the United States requested permission from U.S. authorities to visit the detainees “to identify, interview, and learn firsthand about their situation and conditions,” the ministry said in a statement. Access for Guatemalan officials to the Everglades facility—named after the national park that surrounds it—”was confirmed and is scheduled for August 7,” the statement added. “So far, the Guatemalan nationality of 14 individuals held there—all adult men—has been confirmed,” it said. According to human rights advocates, migrants held in...

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a executive order raising tariffs on dozens of countries, including Costa Rica, as part of a broader effort to address what the administration calls “persistent trade imbalances.” The increase will be effective as of August 7 and will apply to all goods imported from Costa Rica that are not exempt under previous provisions. The measure is part of a broader tariff offensive targeting dozens of countries, including several U.S. longtime allies. “Some trading partners have agreed to, or are on the verge of agreeing to, meaningful trade and security commitments with the United States, thus signaling their sincere intentions to permanently remedy the trade barriers,” the executive order stated. Other nations have managed to negotiate trade agreements and get more favorable rares. However, some have also failed to meet the President’s standards. “Other trading partners, despite having engaged in negotiations, have offered terms that, in my judgment,...

In a unanimous decision, Costa Rica’s Constitutional Chamber (Sala IV) has dismissed an appeal challenging the Ministry of Justice and Peace’s reclassification of the closing event of this year’s LGBTIQ+ Pride March as “adults-only.” The case, processed under file number 25-018208-0007-CO, arose after the Commission for the Control and Classification of Public Performances, a division of the Ministry of Justice and Peace, reclassified the final activity held in the Plaza de la Democracia, barring minors under 18 from attending the closing festivities. The Commission cited concerns about potential exposure to sexually suggestive expressions or attire. According to the Constitutional Chamber, the decision is grounded in the protection of the best interests of minors, affirming the Commission’s authority to restrict access to certain public events. The Chamber emphasized that this authority stems from both Costa Rica’s constitutional framework and international human rights obligations...