Taekwondo Open in Costa Rica

The Taekwondo Open Costa Rica is a Pre-Olympic Tournament and international championship that will draw 1300 athletes from 31 countries. It’s to be held at the end of May 2020.

The XII edition of the Open Costa Rica of Taekwondo begins this Thursday and is seen as a rehearsal for the Costa Rican Taekwondo Federation in May of next year, in which the top two of each category will qualify for Tokyo 2020. 

Neshy Lee Lindo, Heiner Oviedo and Katherine Alvarado are Costa Rican taekwondists who will participate in the competition in the G1 category. Medalists from the Pan Amercan Games of Lima 2019 will participate too.

In addition to the G1 category, Juveniles and Cadets will also participate. The tournament will be held at the NB Arena in Hatillo from 9-5 and has a ticket price of ¢3,000.

Cracking Down on Cell Phones in Costa Rica Prisons

A new initiative seeks to fine those who deliver phones into prisons with over ¢4 million, or ten base salaries. The fine is extremely high due to the danger implied by entering phones, as they are often used in scams.

It took four months to discover that a call center was being held in one prison. The estimated cost to victims this year alone is between ¢5,000 million or $1 million. Penitentiary Police seize phones, chargers, phone cards and phone parts constantly. They have found at least 2,000 phones.

The project also seeks to punish any officer who enters phones by being disabled from public service for three to five years in addition to the monetary fine.

On Monday night, an officer of the Penitentiary Police was caught trying to put drugs and phones into the Gerardo Rodríguez prison in San Rafael de Alajuela. Other officers noticed a suspicious attitude and then found he had 42.35 grams of crack, 152.95 grams of cocaine, and 290 clonazepam pills in his clothes. He also had seven phones, 11 chargers, two charging adapters, a USB cable, a hands-free and 11 SIM cards. He is now serving three months of preventive detention for possession of drugs for purposes of aggravated supply.

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Andrea Vargas Continues Competitions in September

Andrea Vargas was little known before but know has fans all across Costa Rica and even the world. The athlete from Puriscal is going to compete in Switzerland and Croatia, challenging the best hurdlers in Europe in preparation for the Doha World Cup.

The trip will be in September. It will give her the chance to have two luxury matches against the best opponents who she will likely see again in the World Athletics Championships in Qatar.

She previously won the gold medal at the Pan American Games in Lima 2019. Recently she’s been training with her coach and sister between Puriscal and Turrubares, seeking heat similar to what she’ll face in Doha. She has competed internationally before, including in the Indoor World Cup, but it will be the first time she competes in heat. 

She’s working toward beating her own record of 12 seconds and 74 hundredths, the time that earned her a qualification for Tokyo 2020. 

Keylor Navas Headed To France

Keylor Navas questioned his future back in mid-July, debating leaving Madrid. At the time, he said his first choice was to stay because he did not find any other agreement that was satisfactory to all parties. Madrid put a high price on his transfer. 

Things have changed since then and Navas recently announced he will be making a move. He’s headed to France to play for PSG. The decision was based on wanting more regular time playing than Madrid was offering. Zidane offered him some league games and the Copa Del Rey but he craves more. They ended the business relationship on good terms, wishing each other good luck.

Paris waits for the star player who helped Real Madrid win three Champions League, one Spanish League, four Club World Cups, three European Super Cups and one Spanish Super Cup. Keylor will go to the French capital on Thursday for medical exams and to sign the final contract.

The Backstreet Boys Are Coming to Costa Rica

The Backstreet Boys are coming to Costa Rica and the ticket prices to see this boyband have recently been announced. The band from the late 90s will give a concert at the Coca-Cola amphitheater in Parque Viva.

We will get to see them on February 28, 2020. This stop is part of their DNA World Tour. Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson published their DNA album in January. 

The group seems to have the same energy it did decades ago. The “boys” intend to offer impressive choreography and current music as they have been doing at other stops on the tour.

The ticket prices range from ¢24,500 to ¢120,000. Presale starts on Monday for AMEX cardholders. BAC Credomatic cards can be used on the 5th. And as of September 9th, ticket sales are open to the general public. 

2 Fishermen Missing After Boat Capsizes in Costa Rica

Two fishermen are missing after their boat was overturned in Puntarenas. Seven crew were saved by clinging to a small boat they carry in case of emergency. The nine people were traveling in a boat called El Kin which was overturned and sunk. 

This happened on Tuesday night, at 8:40 pm, 3.5 kilometers offshore from the dock in the El Carmen neighborhood, according to the National Coast Guard Service.

The emergency was called in to 9-1-1 by the boat Neptune, from the same company. It appeared the sardine vessel was sinking quickly. Three Red Cross units and a Coast Guard Station participated in the search and rescue operation as did the boat that called in the emergency.

The seven rescued people were taken to the pier to be evaluated. The search continues for the other two, who may have found something else to stay afloat with. A circular search following the currents is being carried out.

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Exclusive Bus Lanes & Sectorization in Costa Rica

Sectorization will have many steps over about 8-10 years. It’s not a quick process but it is a worthwhile endeavor. The next step is to advance work on exclusive bus lanes and eliminate the unnecessary final bus stops in San Jose.

When buses that should be just passing through and stopping quickly to let passengers on and off actually stop for a while using San Jose as a resting spot before doing another round it creates traffic jams. This is even worse when three or four are lined up stopped. 

Those buses that already have exclusive lanes will be first to stop parking in San José. Later on, plans to stop such congestion by routes from 12 sectors will be put into place. Another change is that there will be electronic tickets used on buses in the future, as are used on trains, making bus stops quicker.

Sectorization is something that’s been talked about for decades. When it was finally decreed in 2017, there was an estimate of 10 years work included, taking into account the large number of urban routes.

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Scams from Costa Rica Prisons

Inmates scam people from jail. This has been known for some time but little can be done about it, well little because Costa Rica is unwilling to take away access to phones from prisoners. Authorities have focused more on alerting the public and sharing tips to avoid becoming a victim.

An app made in Costa Rica is among those used in the scams. The criminals are able to make phone calls and open an app that gets them access to data of their victims. The app that allows this remote access was meant to help people fix issues with phones and computers but has fallen into the wrong hands. 

Inmates have a lot of time on their hands and are easily getting illegal cell phones, chargers, chips and other such items. A cat was even trained to get phones into a prison. By watching YouTube tutorials one can learn to make any app quickly. One app was made to prank call people but it is now used to make people think they are being called from a bank because the bank’s phone number appears on the caller ID.

Authorities explain that there is little chance of getting the stolen money back because it is withdrawn at once. The best thing we can do is avoid giving out any information over the phone and go to banks in person to take care of matters.

Chayanne & Marc Anthony Concert in Costa Rica

Chayanne and Marc Anthony are going to sing together at the National Stadium on December 7th. The Puerto Rican singers could each fill the stadium with fans. Coming together is going to pack the house for sure.

This exclusive show is just for Costa Rica. It will not be toured throughout Central America, according to BLieve Entertainment. The stars join for just one spectacular night.

The last time we saw them together was during Giantstour, which toured the continent in 2012 with Fonseca. They then each visited the country separately in 2018 for concerts at the National Stadium.

Tickets for the concert will be on sale soon and prices will soon be available. We won’t want to miss seeing Chayanne, with a 40-year successful career or Marc Anthony, with his 12 million records sold.

Costa Rica’s La Sabana Park & Its New Trees

La Sabana is now home to 84 new trees. Over 200 people took part in the day of planting, the second one this year. One more planting day will take place before 2019 is over. 

Just 77 more trees are needed to reach the goal of planting 5,000 trees in the metropolitan park. The trees planted are native to Costa rica. Some of the species include Cocobolo and Papaturro.

Another of the species, the Royal Guayacan is an extraordinary tree in that it symbolizes the resistance against extinction of forest species in the country. It has a pretty shape and even nicer flowers. It grows slowly and creates beautiful architecture in urban areas.

People of all ages showed up to help in this, the 53rd volunteering day for the project. They received an introduction in how to plant. They found it a rewarding experience you don’t get to have everyday in a city. 

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Exporting Butterflies from Costa Rica

150 families in Costa Rica live off of butterfly farming. They export $100,000 worth of pupae weekly to other countries. They have faced problems with the export procedure being too long, about 30 days, while the pupae have a duration of just 15 days. There was a temporary stop to their activity but it is now resumed.

A long term solution is still needed but they are able to resume export. Entrepreneurs and Minae are meeting to seek a permanent solution. The short term quick fix was an adjustment to requirements to obtain permits, an agreement reached at the end of last week that will be valid for two months, following the denouncing of losses due to new requirements. Additionally, Sinac temporarily added more staff for permit approval to make the turnover time quicker, between 8-10 days.

In the long run, more requirements are needed in order to not harm wildlife. 30,000 pupae from Costa Rica are distributed weekly to countries such as the United States, Canada, Holland, and Dubai. 

1st Month of VAT in Costa Rica Results

The Ministry of Finance held a press conference to publicize the results of the first month with value added tax, on August 22, 2019. 

The collection of tax jumped from ¢53,548 million to ¢76,676 million from July of last year to July of this year, as sales tax was replaced by the value added tax. 

The number of declaration statements jumped even higher, from 70,000 per month to 360,140 per month, based on numbers from the first month the VAT was applied. There are a total of 430,000 taxpayers and the 16% who have not filed have until September 30 to file.

The tax remains at 13%. One of the changes is that services are now taxed. Another is that there is greater compliance based on the new electronic invoice and the possibility of being denounced.

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Costa Rican Girl Scores 10 Goals in Three Games

A Costa Rican girl, Kiany García, who is just 14-year-old, scored an amazing 10 goals in three games in the Central American Student Games in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, a competition in which our country took 30 gold medals. 

García is the scorer for the team of the Liceo de Colorado de Abangares, which is undefeated in the regional fair. The team scored 13 goals spread out over its three games. 10 of them were scored by García. Despite her young age, she has shown off incredible talent and become a benchmark player for Guanacaste. 

The team won against Panama 4-2, El Salvador 6-0, and Honduras 3-1. They will go on to the semifinals this Thursday and play a representation of Nicaragua. They will likely go on to the finals and play Guatemala Friday.

Costa Rica Arming Park Rangers

The Government is arming park rangers with 330 weapons and 300 bulletproof vests to confront hunters, poachers, and drug traffickers in protected areas. Additionally, these officials will be recognized with a salary bonus for those in dangerous jobs.

The park rangers who work in conflict zones, such as the Osa Conservation Area, must have a way to deter criminals who are themselves carrying weapons such as 9 millimeters and AK47s.

The decision to arm the rangers comes from the National System of Conservation Areas following a demonstration of dozens of park rangers demanding safer conditions to work.

Part of the plan is that the Ministry of Justice and Peace will conduct free psychological tests to Sinac officials for the permit to carry weapons. 

135 weapons have already been purchased and the rest will be produced and imported between now and September.

In addition to the weapons and vests, $3 million has been invested in structural improvements of 21 operational posts and 50 new positions were opened for directors of conservation areas, technical jobs and radar operators. 

For some reason I think that this is not a good idea and the weapons will be sold to the criminals but lets see what happens. But seriously you are paid $800 a month and have to give up your life for a sea turtle….yes I love the turtles but pretty sure most Costa Ricans are not going to sacrifice themselves for one.

Rush Cover Band in Costa Rica

The best songs from Rush will soon be heard at the Hard Rock Café. The Rush Tribute Band will be there on September 7, at 9 pm paying tribute to the legendary Canadian band.

The group is originally from Milwaukee, United States and is made up of musicians Bill Heck, Sean Jones, and Thomas Slawnik. They emulate as closely as possible what a Rush concert was like, down to the clothes they wear. 

Rush was one of the most influential bands in the history of rock and although they stopped performing, their career was over 40 years of hits along with energetic concerts. 

The tribute band’s show will go on for about three hours. The tickets are between ¢15,000 and ¢20,000 plus service charges and can be purchased at www.publitickets.com.

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Is It Legal to Block Public Roads in Costa Rica?

Why is it that so many groups protest by blocking the passage of major roads and no one is held accountable for this illegal action? It is illegal to block the roads but following through on this is hard for many reasons. 

There has to be a group of ten or more people blocking the road for it to be illegal and even when there are thousands they all leave when authorities come and the police only seem to arrest anyone acting out in violence. Even if they are brought to trial there are so many ways to settle without going to jail. In the only case that went to trial for blocking roads, those convicted were sentenced to jail time and fines but ended up just getting a long probation instead.

Another issue is that authorities often don’t respond or do so very late. This is because not even the head of the Ministry of Security can make the call to intervene in a road blockage, rather the President must make the decision.

Scanning for Drugs At the Costa Rica Port of Moin

There is a new scanner in operation at the Moín Megaport. It will be used to find drugs in containers. There was a halt in its use because of a dispute between the government and the terminal administrator but as of now all trucks must pass through it.

The scanner costs $2.6 million. It’s been here since February, delayed over who would pay for the adjustment of images so they can be viewed from a Remote Inspection Center in San José.

Last May, a shipment of 1.6 tons of cocaine easily travelled from Panama through Costa Rica, through the Moín terminal and to Holland, where authorities found it in a banana container. 

Then in August, Costa Rican officials seized 240 packages of cocaine when they checked a warehouse with a container carrying honey tins headed for Belgium.

Now, with each and every truck passing through the scanner, it will be unlikely that drugs continue to go through Moín.

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Will Legislation Stop AirBnB in Costa Rica?

Airbnb hosts are worried about the drafting of a bill that is to create cumbersome regulations. The company fears this will discourage participation in offering this non-traditional lodging. 

Many of the families that offer rentals on Airbnb are single mothers. They should not be taxed as if they were operating a 400 room hotel. It’s completely different and the Government should make regulations that are more fair.

The bill is about to begin its voting phase. If it is made the law, Airbnb and similar services might have to stop operating in the country. This would negatively affect the families that have come to rely on this source of income. 

Airbnb hopes deputies can find a more sensitive solution in order that tourism can continue to benefit local communities in such a personal way. “Why not look for legislation on which we can all agree?” asked the regional manager of Airbnb.

Costa Rica’s Monday Earthquake Drill

A million people participated in an earthquake drill today, including 17,000 with disabilities. Most of them were in the Greater Metropolitan Area but some signed up in other areas as well. At 10 am sirens went off around the country and the drill was started. 

People evacuated their homes, schools and workplaces and/or looked for a safe place to stay near where they were. This was the First National Simulation. Those who registered are to report how long it took them to get to safety. It took us about 20 seconds. The results tracked from this drill will help the National Emergency Commission redouble efforts in the most vulnerable areas. Public places are required to have signaled exits, evacuation routes and a meeting point.

The experts remind us to remain calm and leave in an orderly fashion during an evacuation. They also say that once a tremor has started you should not evacuate. At that point you should stay in a concrete door frame or on a terrace or in a room away from windows and heavy objects that may fall. They also recommend that you always keep the exits clear and that you avoid exiting through a kitchen where hot items may fall.

Costa Rica Corporations Must Register Their Shareholders

Starting in September, all legal entities must register with the Central Bank of Costa Rica all shareholders and final beneficiaries that have over 15% participation in public limited companies or non-governmental organizations.

Those who do not do so will face high penalties and may even see their companies frozen. The penalties go from ¢1.3 million to ¢44.6 million. The fine is based on 2% of the entity’s gross income.

Aside from the fine, the freezing of procedures in the National Registry hinders almost all commercial and productive activities. There are about 310,000 legal persons who must submit their information to the shareholders registry.

The Transparency Registry and final beneficiaries is an agreement taken for Costa Rica’s entry into the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It is a means to fight against tax fraud and money laundering.

Canadian Actor Alexander Ludwig Surfs in Costa Rica

The Canadian actor Alexander Ludwig, who plays Björn Ironside Ragnarsson, Ragnar’s son in the ‘Vikings’ series, is in Costa Rica to surf. He shared with his Instagram followers that he is doing well and really enjoying himself. 

We watched the actor grow over five seasons with the series. He plays the first son of King Ragnar Lodbrok and his first wife, the warrior Lagherta. He’s also been in The Hunger Games, They’re Like Children 2 , The Haunted Mountain and The Only Survivor.

It has been confirmed that he is on vacation in Tamarindo, Guanacaste, where he is enjoying the laid back Tico-style life and, of course, the surf. He looks very happy in all of the pictures he shared.

In the photos, he is seen spending time with friends while they surf. He wrote “Im staying in a hostel for four days and surfing all day … moments like these remind me of how beautiful life is and how grateful I am to be alive.”

Cost to Charge an Electric Car in Costa Rica

The cost to charge an electric car enough to travel 100 kilometers will be ¢3,200, according to the tariffs recently defined by Aresep that should become set in a few days when they are published in La Gaceta.

There are about 1,000 electric vehicles being used in Costa Rica and some of them recharge for free at businesses offering this service to customers. Other centers will charge based on the rate defined by Aresep.

Fast charging centers are to use a single rate of ¢182.72, making a 100-kilometer trip ¢3,200. The electric car would require 17.47 kilowatt hours for the trip. This would end up being 36% better than the price paid for super gasoline for the same trip. 

47 fast charging centers will be developed throughout the country. 34 of them will be installed this year. 

Owners of electricity-based transport get green license plates that free them from the vehicular restriction and allow them special parking spaces. 

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What to Do in Costa Rica This Weekend

If you haven’t made plans for your weekend listen up. There is so much going on. Five groups of students from the National Institute of Music will perform free concerts in Hatillo, Barva de Heredia and Juan Viñas in Cartago.

The Intermediate Symphony Orchestra is to perform at 7pm on August 17 in the Nuestra Señora del Carmen Church, in Cartago. The Youth Symphony Orchestra will be on the 19th in the Church of Juan Viñas de Cartago at 6pm with guest conductor Mora Fallas.

The Costa Rican Association of Orchideology will have an exhibition open to the public on the first level of Lincoln Plaza, in Moravia. The free event will feature different types of orchids and ornamental plants. 

The Silk Tree restaurant will hold a sensory night, in which the visitor’s eyes are blindfolded to taste a seven-course dinner. The price is ¢16,000 per person and must be reserved at 2281-0513. 

The Acetate Dance will be held at the Center for Social Culture, located in San Ramón de Alajuela. It will feature dance music of the 70s, 80s, and 90s.

On Sunday there will be a 10-kilometer walk through the hills of Escazú, La Cruz de Alajuelita and the Agres river basin. The bus leaves at 6:30 and the cost is ¢6,000. For information call 8306-6354.

Costa Rica Scammer From Costa Rica Prison

The scammer who pretended to be an employee of the Treasury to steal ¢7 million approx $12,000 carried out this action from La Reforma prison. Three others were arrested because they received the money. One of the three was the scammer’s wife. All three were seen on cameras taking out money. They bought various appliances.

The man behind the scam is serving a 46-year sentence. He actually requested to die by lethal injection, wanting to spare his family the difficulty of having a relative in prison, but his request was denied.

From the prison module where the crime was committed, authorities confiscated nine cell phones, five chargers, a data card, doses of marijuana, chicha, and ten sharp weapons. In 2019, 1,918 cell phones have been confiscated. 14,847 have been found since 2015. 

Authorities say that call centers are being operated out of modules in the prisons. In order to combat this they would need an officer in every room of every pavillion and that’s just not possible, they say. They have some rules to help combat this such as that if sheets are used to cover the windows they must be confiscated. 

Paola Chacón; Learning to be Miss Costa Rica

Paola Chacón has learned a lot during the short time since winning the crown of Miss Costa Rica. Most of all, she learned not to trust just anyone. She felt betrayed that those she thought of as close friends leaked private messages, even editing them to be taken out of context.

She fell into a depression following the audios being made public. She took a couple weeks off of social media to reflect. The rest and social disconnection helped her look in the mirror, forgive herself, and move forward.

She is now on to strengthening her credibility and showing Costa Rica and the world who she really is, despite comments made in a heated moment. She is not proud of what happened but realizes that no one is perfect and we all say things we later regret.

“An audio does not define me,” she said. She worked very hard to win the contest and represent the country. She continues in social work such as bringing food and encouragement to the homeless. 

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Costa Rica’s Dota Café Franchise Investment

Dota Café is opening to franchising. It attracted the attention of 50 investors so far. The expansion will begin in 2020 with two new coffee shops of 80 square meters, one on the west side and one on the east side of San Jose. 

The original shop is located in Santa María. Dota is the first local grain producer opening up to the franchise system to extend its offer. Others such as Café Flamingo and Cáthedra work within other franchises and some others have opened independent shops. International franchises such as Starbucks and Juan Valdés have also entered the country. 

Dota coffee is grown in Los Santos and has won numerous awards, including the Taza de la Excelencia the past two years. It’s extremely high quality. These new franchise shops will increase local consumption.

Costa Rican consumes 4.1 kilos per person per year. This is the second largest consumption rate among exporting countries, with Brazil being first at 6 kilos per person. Among importing countries, Finland has the highest consumption, with 12 kilos per person per year.

Virtual Job Fair in Costa Rica

The Costa Rican Coalition for Development Initiatives (Cinde) reported over 14,000 entries in its virtual job fair, called Job Link, between July 29 and August 9. The fair was available for two weeks. 

It consisted of 30 companies in the service and manufacturing sector looking to hire for 2,500 positions. Over 10,000 new users registered and 3,807 updated their data from previous fairs. On average, each applicant applies for seven positions. 

8,519 people took the BELT English test. 64% of them scored an intermediate or advanced level. 632 people took the Portuguese PIP test, with 94% of them having a basic or intermediate level.

While the fair is now closed, similar job opportunities will be published on the Facebook page, Cinde Jobs. There are often jobs in administration, accounting, computer science, graphic design, quality, logistics, human resources, marketing, customer service and sales.

Uber Eats Driver Beaten in Costa Rica

The Judicial Investigation Agency is investigating the beating of an Uber Eats driver in Heredia. A video showed that a man traveling by car assaulted him and threw his bicycle at him.

This happened on Saturday night. The 30-year-old victim is surnaed Chaves. He was in charge of making a delivery in Santa Pedro de Santa Bárbara de Heredia and when he didn’t show up the couple that ordered the food called him. He told them he had been beaten and asked if they could come to where he was, about two blocks from them. For security reasons they did not go themselves but called 9-1-1. 

The man was transferred to the hospital in Heredia and his condition is unknown. 

The video of the assault was published by a Facebook user and went viral. The events in the video are clear but the motive of the attack is still unknown. 

Uber provided a statement, “We trust that the authorities will find those responsible for this terrible action and we are fully willing to collaborate with their investigations if required.”

Water Rationing in Costa Rica

Low rainfall and high consumption of water plagues the Greater Metropolitan Area annually. This year there will be rationing throughout the metropolitan area so as to avoid always shutting off water from the same few towns. 

Because of the El Niño phenomenon, there have been days without rainfall. There is a 10% reduction in rainfall and user demand is increased. AyA will make cuts in places that ordinarily do not suffer a lack of water in order to distribute the deficit of about 1,000 liters per second. 

The idea is that the towns that usually suffer greatly are at least partially alleviated. 11,000 people frequently suffer from high shortages of over 12 hours a day. The dynamics of the rationing have not been announced yet. 

To distribute water better, a systems interconnection work has been ongoing over the past months, as has the drilling of wells. In some areas that are not interconnected, water is delivered by tankers. 

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Barrio Escalante & Costa Rica Restaurants

Barrio Escalante is completely transformed following the boom of new restaurants. Long known for upscale restaurants, the district is now expanding and exploring a commercial identity beyond the restaurants.

Dozens of houses have been taken over and turned into restaurants, some even split into multiple restaurants to help owners cover the fixed costs of such an exclusive area. Renting a garage can cost $4,000 a month. 

More and more gastronomic flavors are found there, adding to the artisanal beers and great burgers we know and love. There are three new Asian restaurants, for example. Even as we see growth, some restaurant owners have had to close with more competition and a shaky economic environment that leaves people afraid to spend.

The neighborhood is becoming home to shops and businesses and is less residential every day. A chamber of commerce is being created to help make the community a destination. Apart from its gastronomic offer, there are bookstores, specialty shops, services, doctors, and educational institutions. 

McDonald’s Healthier Happy Meal in Costa Rica

McDonald’s has announced a healthier happy meal. As of this Thursday, the children’s meals, known as “cajita feliz,” will have much less sodium, fat, and calories and more fruits and vegetables.

Nutritionists have been consulted and the new menu suits the nutritional needs of children, taking into account the portions they should eat. For example, the protein portion should be the size of a child’s palm. According to recent studies, 1 in 3 children in Costa Rica are overweight which can lead to health issues. McDonald’s is aware that healthy meals are important to families. 

All of the breakfast and lunch options for kids are 600 calories or less and under 650 milligrams of sodium. The hamburger comes with lettuce and tomato instead of cheese, to encourage vegetable consumption. The fries are child size. The dessert is 100% applesauce without added sugar or artificial colors or flavors. It comes with 100% apple juice, also without added sugar or artificial colors or flavors. The breakfast menu has an egg and cheese on a muffin without butter. The happy meals come with a toy or book.

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Nicaraguan Irlanda Jerez Planning Costa Rica March

Irlanda Jerez has become known as an activist for the rights of people in Nicaragua. She was captured by the government of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo and imprisoned for 329 days. 

Upon her release, she fled to Costa Rica and denounced tourture in La Esperanza prison. She says she was interviewed naked, beaten, totured and groped by officers of the prison and armed paramilitary.

She will be participating in an exile march in downtown San José on August 11. It will start at 9 am at La Merced Park and will go along second avenue to the Plaza de la Democracia. 

The point of the march is to express that the people of Nicaragua are currently suffering. All those people and groups who oppose the regime can participate. Jerez says that Nicaraguans are “invisible alone, invincible together.”

Liquor Stores Closed in Costa Rica

The Ministry of Health has closed 33 stores for selling liquor known to be adulterated with methanol, an alcohol not meant for consumption. There were closures in Cartago, Limón, San José and Alajuela. 

A joint force of the Fiscal Control Police, Public Force, and Municipal Police have seized 64,956 containers of contaminated liquors that look identical to the brands they imitate. Additionally, the Judicial Investigation Agency of Puntarenas confiscated 20 boxes of liquor (480 bottles). The highly toxic alcohol has killed 64 people since June.

The Ministry of Health has put out sanitary alerts in the last few weeks that prohibit the sale of guaro Montano, guaro Chonete, guaro Cuerazo, guaro Sacheto, guaro Gran Apache, aguardiente Barón Rojo, aguardiente Timbuka, aguardiente Timbuka y aguardiente Molotov.

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Man Dies After Being Turned Away From Costa Rica Hospital

The strike to protect the rights of some is putting the rights of all of us at risk. A man died after being turned away from the San Rafael de Alajuela Hospital because most of the workers are on strike.

Mario Castro Calvo was told his situation was not “red” and therefore could be treated after 2pm in the ebais. Because of lack of medical attention he died at just 48 years old, leaving behind a grieving family.

The man’s sister explained that he had bronchopneumonia and could not breathe well. He was hypertensive and suffered diabetes as well. This does not sound like the profile of someone who should be turned away from urgent medical care. 

He died three hours after the doctor refused to treat him. As if that weren’t bad enough, the hospital was nearly empty. It is understood that when hundreds of people are in the emergency room they treat the most urgent first but at the time there were only 20 patients there. 

Costa Rican Andrea Vargas Headed to the Olympics

Andrea Vargas is going on to the finals of the 100 meter hurdles in the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, having already qualified for the Olympic Games. The Costa Rican made 12.75 in the qualifier. 12.84 is the minimum mark to be in the Olympics in Tokyo.

She won her heat in the 100 meters with hurdles. The fact that in that same race she qualified for the Olympics made it extra special. Her goal was just to move on to the final so she was surprised.

The race came with an additional prize of taking over the national record in Costa Rica in this discipline. She took that title for her hometown of Puriscal. She now continues to run for Costa Rica.

She will go on to give her all against strong competitors from the United States and Jamaica. She had the best time in the two elimination heats and hopes to have the best in the final as well.

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Costa Rica Tourism Up in 2019

Currency generation from tourism is up 4.6% in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the first quarter of last year. Additionally, in the same period, the arrivals of travelers is up 4.3%.

The income of tourism related currency this period was $1,041 million. In the first quarter of 2018 it was $944 million. This indicates that the tourism sector is firm even though there is a slowdown in the world economy. 

The most recent data shows that there were 722,310 travelers to Costa Rica in the second quarter of 2019, according to the Costa Rican Tourism Institute. The first half of this year saw 3.9% more tourists than the first semester of last year. 

The ICT is doing a good job in promotions. It has attracted new airlines from Europe and seen increases in flight frequencies of those companies already flying to the country, especially from the United States. 

Dual Education in Costa Rica

A lack of experience is a barrier for most all jobs but how is one to get experience if no one will hire them? This is where the new dual education plan comes in. The plan was approved in the first debate with overwhelming success, 48 votes in favor and 2 against.

Dual education is an option for students over age 15 who wish to learn in the classroom and get hands on experience at once. Young people who chose this education model will have over 1,000 hours of professional experience by the time they graduate, making it much easier to find employment. 

Congress rejected 38 motions over six hours that tried to modify the text of the plan. One of the main issues against it was that it may be better to convert it into an employment contract with the companies so that the students could be insured. 

Once the students finish the program they will obtain a professional practice degree that will count as professional experience when job hunting. 72% of private companies in Costa Rica support this program. 

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Costa Rica Powered by Nearly 100% Renewable Energy

Costa Rica aims to have net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and if it’s energy production in 2019 is a sign of things to come, then it is well on its way to that goal. The small Central American nation produced the most electricity in its history during the month of May and nearly 100 percent of it was from renewable sources, according to Think Geoenergy.

The 984.19 GWh of electricity generation in May surpassed all historical counts and it meant that Costa Rican Institute of Electricity (ICE), the state-owned power and telecoms provider, stopped buying energy from the Regional Electricity Market and instead started selling electricity back to other Central American nations in the marketplace, as Think Geoenergy reported.

The May numbers are a crucial milestone since nearly 75 percent of the nation’s renewable energycomes from hydropower produced in rivers and Costa Rica was in the midst of a historic drought before the rainy season started in May.

“This achievement is the result of the planning and optimization of resources of the national matrix, which protects its regulatory reservoirs in dry periods – like the one just faced – while increasing the geothermal quota,” said ICE in a statement, according to Think Geoenergy.

The dry spell was the first big test of an ambitious push for clean energy, said Javier Orozco, planning director at ICE, as Reuters reported. A renewable electricity supply is one of the “most important advances” toward liberating the economy from dependence on fossil fuels, according to a national decarbonization plan launched in February.

“After these critical months, we don’t think we’ll need more thermal production (using fossil fuels),” said Orozco to Reuters.

Orozco added that even though rivers were exceptionally low and hydropower generation was stressed, a strong push in wind energy allowed Costa Rica to generate 97 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, during the dry summer months of January to April.

The dependence on hydropower means that the dry months can be particularly costly for ICE since it must maintain twice the hydropower capacity than it regularly uses, according to Jose Daniel Lara, a researcher at the University of California Berkeley, as Reuters reported. Those costs may increase as extreme weather associated with the global climate crisis increases the frequency, severity, and duration of droughts.

To address that concern and ICE’s mounting debts, Costa Rica is looking to diversify its renewables. Wind power has grown to 15 percent, up from 4 percent in 2011. Geothermal power accounted for nearly 13 percent of energy generation in May.

Last month, Costa Rica opened a brand new geothermal plant, the country’s seventh, with a projected annual generation of 410 gigawatt hours. The country’s drive to harness the power contained in volcanic steam will mitigate its dependence on hydropower. Costa Rica is now the third-largest producer of geothermal power in the Americas, according to the Costa Rica based Tico Times.

“Anyone who has doubt of what Costa Rica is capable of should come to Pailas II in Guanacaste and see what we are capable of accomplishing,” said President Carlos Alvarado, as the Tico Timesreported. He added that Costa Ricans should be proud of their sustainability efforts.

The nation’s push to sustainability as part of its decarbonization plan will also include a push toward cleaner public transport, improving waste management and expanding the country’s forests, according to Reuters.

By Jordan Davidson, EcoWatch

There Is No Escape

Japanese Clean Up Costa Rica Garbage After Holy Pilgrimage

Ever wonder why Costa Ricans litter so much? Probably because someone will come behind them and clean it up.. Be it Semana Santa or the Romeria (Holy Pilgrimage). Costa Ricans use these holy events to drop their garbage knowing that someone will arrange a beach clean up or in this case a crew will come and pic up behind them.

Ryosuke Watanabe is an engineer and landscape designer who was seen carrying 20 kilograms of garbage on his back during the “romería.” He was just one of many volunteers from JICA, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, who created a clean up campaign.

They wanted to show how much garbage was left in the street from what was supposed to be a holy event. Some of the pilgrims joined in their cause, helping in the mission of the EcoRomería campaign.

The Ministry of Health and Red Cross thanked the volunteers for their service and vision and also explained to the group where they could leave the trash collected-in the Old Metropolis. 

These Japanese volunteers have done similar clean up campaigns at other massive events as well such as the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the Copa América in Brazil that recently finished. 

Costa Rica CCSS Strike Still Effecting Surgery Waits

The CCSS strike from last year is still impacting those who have been on outrageously long waiting lists for surgeries and appointments. 4,000 operations were cancelled during the month of the protest. 

While these were all rescheduled by January, they took the place of other people’s surgeries. Those people are still waiting. Additionally, 114,000 appointments were stopped during that month of protest, during a time when there was supposed to be in action a plan meant to reduce wait times. 

Before the protest, the average wait for surgery was 360 days. An objective of the Timely Care Plan was set to reduce that by 30 days but the strike prevented that goal from being met. The current wait time is 369 days, still a bit better than the 451 registered in 2017.

The Caja was ordered by Sala IV in April to prepare a plan in six months to reduce these unreasonable waiting times. There are over a dozen actions ongoing now to reduce the time, including high-impact campaigns, surgery marathons, and 34 sites carrying out long-term operations after 4pm.

Costa Rica Pilgrimage to the Virgen de Los Angeles

Prayers ascend today as many pilgrims walk toward la Basilica in honor of the Virgin of the Angels. This year the virgin wears a dress with the phrase “Yes to life,” a motto the Catholic Church chose to use for the celebration, adding an activism aspect to the August 2 holiday. 

Pilgrims walking with a light blue scarf on their neck are doing so to march under that slogan representing the right to life. My prayer is that these pro-life activists are also doing something to help the children born into situations of risk, that they volunteering in orphanages or adopting children born to unready parents, respecting the rights that come after the right to life such as the right to safety and love and home.

Many are participating in the pilgrimage to ask for miracles or show their gratitude for miracles and blessings received. One mother participated with her son before he was hit by a car and now does so again to ask for his healing. An elderly couple promised the virgin they would try but might not get all the way to Cartago. They thank her for their marriage of 45 years. A man participates to thank the virgin for saving his father from his deathbed and giving him 15 more years of life.

Costa Rica & Central America Dengue Epidemic

Dengue was first seen in Costa Rica in 1992 and it is causing problems to this day. Central America is currently facing a dengue epidemic that caused 200 deaths. Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala are hit the hardest. 

The Ministry of Health in Costa Rica has registered 2,639 patients this year, a 160% increase from the same period last year. There have been no related deaths this year. The places in Costa Rica with the most cases are Sarapiquí, Pococí, Guácimo and Alajuela.  There have been 1,272 cases in the Central North region and 658 in the Huetar Caribe region. 

The Ministry of Health asks the public to destroy breeding grounds of mosquitoes. 110,000 homes throughout the country are being sprayed to eliminate around two million hatcheries. 

Dengue causes flu symptoms and can evolve into a life-threatening condition. Symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, rapid breathing, bleeding gums, fatigue, restlessness, and blood in vomit.

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Costa Rica Fashion Week Begins

Costa Rica Fashion Week edition 18 starts tomorrow and goes through the fourth. There will be catwalks, parades, “Expomoda,” and workshops. We’ll get to see designs from over 45 national and 12 international designers. 

The event will be held at the Costa Rica Convention Center. Between all the designers, there will be something for each member of the family. This year there will also be a focus on fashion for senior citizens, people with disabilities, and larger sizes. 

Both public and private educational institutions will participate as well as recent graduates emerging in the field. International designer Reynaldo José, from Puerto Rico, will be one of the guests teaching workshops. His designs which are inspired by the eclipses of the moon and sun will also be seen on the catwalk. 

A one-day ticket costs ¢25,000 and a two-day one costs ¢40,000. They can be purchased through Publitickets.com. There are also free talks and workshops. To register, go to www.costaricafashionweek.org.

Costa Rica VAT Increase? Fake News

Have you heard that the IVA is being raised to 16%? Many of us have but, luckily, it’s just a bit of viralized fake news. Not to worry, the IVA is to remain at 13%. Fake news seems to spread even faster than real news these days. 

In less than 24 hours six different Facebook profiles posted this news. They have a combined 120,000 followers. It was shared over 980 times. A meme-like image was even created that said “VAT from 13% to 16%.”

The reports were about statements made by the president of the Uccaep, Gonzalo Delgado, who has since clarified that he never confirmed this alleged request to increase the VAT tax rate. 

The Minister of Finance, Rocío Aguilar, confirmed “with all certainty” that the Government is not contemplating a raise in the VAT and added that the news “lacks any basis, foundation, except the interest of generating discomfort.”