Author Archive for expatcostarica
Costa Rica Not Paradise Raw Sewage Everywhere
An unclassified cable originating from the United States Embassy in San Jose on April 4th, 2007 is generating negative publicity for a country that markets itself as an eco-friendly tourist destination. Costa Rica treats less than 3% of human waste, dumping 97% of its sewage into the nation’s rivers that drain to the sea, making [...]
Mass Food Poisoning at Cafe Mundo in San Jose, Costa Rica
Cafe Mundo has proven that food poisoning twenty of more members of Congress is an effective way to generate plenty of publicity while having a restaurant closed by health authorities. A report in La Nacion blamed Salmonella bacteria for causing vomiting and diarrhea among Costa Rican Legislators and members of the Judicial Investigative Police who [...]
Transitarte Festival This Weekend
This weekend the municipality of San Jose will host the 2011 Transitarte Festival, which is also known as the Festival de Verano or summer arts festival. Each year the event tours Costa Rica, however the festival in San Jose is the largest. Last year Transitarte included free concerts in Morazan Park, art exhibits at CENAC, [...]
Protest Against Tax Increases in Costa Rica
As promised a group manifested itself in downtown San Jose to protest against President Laura Chinchilla’s Tax Proposal and this year’s pay raise for public sector workers. The march started in Parque Central and moved east on Avenida Segunda to arrive on the steps of the legislature. The protest took the better part of the [...]
Costa Rica Designated Major Money Laundering Country
The United States Department of State has listed Costa Rica among 64 other nations classified as “Major Money Laundering Countries”. Costa Rica also enjoys the distinction of being named as a “Major Illicit Drug Producing or Drug Transit Countries”, as certified by United States President Barrack Obama in September of 2010. Recently the Organization for [...]
Peak Oil to be Felt in Latin America
Costa Rica and Panama enjoy the highest levels of per capita income in Central America, and with prosperity comes a growing love affair with oil and gasoline. Costa Rica is an oil importing nation, however does have the capability to refine its own gasoline through port facilities in Moin. A recent $13.8 million dredging operation [...]
Narcopublica de Costa Rica
An estimated $4.4 billion in illicit funds enter Costa Rica annually according to an eight year study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The figure is double the $2 billion or so that the country earns annually from tourism and works out to just $1,000 per person in Costa Rica. It measures up [...]
Express Bus to Jaco Beach
After years of promises and delays its now possible to go from downtown San Jose to Jaco beach in just an hour and half by way of public transportation. Garabito buses on the express schedule recently made the switch to the new highway, which at least during the dry season is turning out to be [...]
Costa Rica Ratifies Apostille Convention
Authenticating U.S. issued documents for things like residency in Costa Rica is about to get much easier now that the legislature has signed onto the Apostille convention. The law was approved in second debate on Tuesday, and adds Costa Rica to the list of countries that participate in the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement for Legalisation [...]
Immigration Upgrades Technology at Land Border
The ministry of public security is installing modern computer systems at land border crossings comparable to those now in place at the airport. These systems are able to more effectively track the movement of foreign residents and frequent visitors to Costa Rica. Anyone who has visited either the Sixaola checkoint with Panama or the Peñas [...]
