Costa Rica News

Fri, 06 Nov 2026 14:19:38 +0000
We’ve inaugurated the prison! Now, all that’s missing is… the prison itself!
Q COSTA RICA (by Sergio Davila Chaves) — In Costa Rica, we’re so efficient that we’ve inaugurated a high-security prison for organized crime—before finishing the kitchen. That’s right! We have the Centro de Alta Contención y Crimen Organiz...

Fri, 06 Nov 2026 12:59:45 +0000
The 2026 Midterms Don’t End Costa Rica’s U.S. Problem
RICO’s Q — (OPINION) On Tuesday, November 3, 2026, Donald Trump suffered an electoral defeat, weakening his on Washington. For Costa Rica, the consequences turn less on the spectacle than on what happens to trade, migration, security, and U.S...

Fri, 06 Nov 2026 12:45:09 +0000
How to pay less for your Mrchamo: A step-by-step guide to updating your vehicle’s value
Q COSTA RICA — If you believe the fiscal value or tax value of your vehicle is higher than its actual market price, you can request a review from the Ministry of Finance—potentially allowing you to pay less for your 2027 Marchamo. For several yea...

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 15:28:12 +0000
Costa Rica’s Domestic Workers to Receive 5.88% Minimum-Wage Increase in 2027
Q COSTA RICA — Costa Rica’s domestic workers will receive a 5.88% increase in the minimum monthly wage starting Jan. 1, 2027, after the Consejo Nacional de Salarios (CNS)—National Wage Council—approved a special adjustment for the sector. The...

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 15:02:51 +0000
Costa Rican Hotelier Arrested in Investigation Into Alleged Abuse of a Minor
Q COSTA RICA — A 62-year-old man identified by the surname Mata was arrested in San Isidro del General, in Pérez Zeledón, on suspicion of sexually abusing a minor. Investigators allege he approached children and teenagers in public places—inclu...

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:23:25 +0000
Ex-INS chief says Chaves pressured her to award digital Marchamo contract
Q COSTA RICA — Mónica Araya, former executive president of the Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS)—Costa Rica’s National Insurance Institute, has accused then-President Rodrigo Chaves of threatening and pressuring her in early 2024 to award a ...

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 13:34:27 +0000
Campaign Financiers Linked to Brazilian Firm Awarded Costa Rica Ambulance Contract
Q COSTA RICA — Two people who financed President Laura Fernández’s 2026 campaign through purchases of political-debt bonds are linked to a Brazilian company in a consortium awarded a ¢6.5 billion contract to supply 40 ambulances to the Cuerpo ...

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 13:14:01 +0000
“I’ll dress up as a cremoleta. It’ll be great”
RICO’s Q — Alonso Calvo’s post reads, “Me disfrazaré de cremoleta. Será genial” — “I’ll dress up as a cremoleta. It’ll be great.” The attached image shows people dressed in what appears to be a formal gathering. The joke com...

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 13:00:51 +0000
Laura Fernández asks Europe to “hopefully consume fewer drugs”
Q COSTA RICA —  From Spain, Costa Rican President Laura Fernández has called on European countries to reduce drug consumption, arguing that lower demand could weaken the criminal networks that produce and move narcotics across the Americas and in...

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 16:07:33 +0000
Court Closes Laura Fernández’s Complaint Over Alleged Campaign-Office Bugging
Q COSTA RICA — The Juzgado Penal de Pavas (Pavas Criminal Court) has closed the complaint filed by Laura Fernández, then a presidential candidate for the Partido Pueblo Soberano (PPSO), over an alleged listening device found in her campaign office...

home