by Rod Hughes
Freedom of speech is alive and well in Costa Rica. The Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court has severely censured the Social Security Administration (Caja) for prohibiting one of its officials from being interviewed by a newspaper in its headquarters building.
Last Dec. 20, a daily newspaper La Pensa Libre reporter asked Caja official […]
Coral reefs in the northern Pacific are in danger of disappearing because of algae that disrupts the food chain of the polyps that compose them, according to a study by researchers at the University of Costa Rica (UCR).
In some places in the northern Pacific, as much as 95% of coral has died because of these […]
by Rod Hughes
Thursday is the day of Our Lady of Angels (or, La Negrita, in Costa Rica), one of the biggest holidays in this predominantly Catholic country where Roman Catholicism is the official religion. What makes it special for foreign tourists is the annual tradition of the pilgrimage in foot to the Basilica in Cartago, […]
by Rod Hughes
Well, the soccer season has begun again and for thousands of fans in this country, there’s something to look forward to once more.
Alajuela fans can rejoice after yesterday’s drubbing of a surprised Liberia team, 4-1.
For a time in the first part, neither team shone, then Liberia drew first blood with a corner kick […]
by Rod Hughes
For Bernadina Vazquez of San Carlos, July 30, is a special day. No, it is not her birthday—she’s had 87 of those and they’ve grown a little stale.
It was the day in 1950 that she was the first woman in Costa Rica to cast a ballot, following passage of a landmark law.
The Costa […]
by Rod Hughes
In every country, the majority of students complain of boredom in class, but in Costa Rica they may have a point, reports the daily newspaper La Nacion.
The paper points out that the same material is often covered two years running in grade school, indicating a lack of curriculum coordination. For example, the fourth […]
by Rod Hughes
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UPDATE 2 Aug. ‘07: It’s “let’s make a deal” time at the Legislative Assembly as 38 congressmen have banded together to plead with their Citizen Action Party (PAC) colleagues to stop obstructing the flow of legislation, after PAC deputies have blocked business repeatedly. PAC deputies oppose acting on 13 so-called “parallel laws” […]
by Rod Hughes
Do you remember the “Mother of All Potholes” in Barrio Dent, near San Pedro, east of downtown San Jose? This was the more than 50 foot-deep, 40 wide gap that lasted for 18 months while two city governments fretted and feuded and motorists fumed at piled up traffic.
The good news is that […]
DirecTV, exclusive provider of satellite digital television in Costa Rica, will trasfer its subscribers to the Mexican company Novavision’s Sky satellite TV platform, The Tico Times reported recently.
But, if you’re reading this in Costa Rica, never fear—it won’t cost you anything. DirecTV service will continue until the country’s customers are transferred, then will no longer […]
by Rod Hughes
The U.S. government’s crackdown on Internet gambling not only got it in hot water with the World Trade Organization (WTO) but also has moved Costa Rica’s Foreign Ministry to seek compensation for losses to its economy, reports the weekly The Tico Times.
The crackdown caused the closure of as many as 20 “sportsbook” operations […]
