RICO’S Q — In Costa Rica, the debate between using card payments (debit or credit card) and cash for everyday transactions goes beyond convenience—it’s about sustainability and the future of the country’s economy.
As digital payments gain traction, understanding how card payments compare to cash flow in supporting Costa Rica’s sustainable growth is crucial for businesses and consumers alike.
This post dives into the impact of these payment methods on financial transparency and economic resilience.
In Costa Rica, whenever a purchase is made using a debit or credit card at any business, merchants—whether individuals or companies—face numerous withholdings and deductions from the transaction.
This makes it difficult for them to maintain a steady cash flow.
Right now, Value Added Tax (IVA – impuesto al valor agregado) withholdings take about 5.31% of the total sale, and income tax (impuesto sobre la renta) withholdings add another 1.76%.
On top of that, banks charge transaction fees around 1.95%, not counting financing deals like installment plans, which can have rates as high as 15%. Online sales often come with even higher fees.
Putting it all together, a merchant accepting card payments might end up with roughly 10% less than the sale price. If customers use installment plans, that loss can grow to 20%.
Because of this, many businesses prefer to accept cash or payments through SINPE Móvil, but this approach risks attracting scrutiny from agencies like the Consumer Protection Agency under the Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Commerce (MEIC).
Meanwhile, Costa Rica’s Central Bank is actively working to ensure that acquiring fees match the country’s commercial and competitive realities.
Finance teams have a crucial role in navigating these rules carefully to keep cash flow balanced and healthy. It’s also important to know that the law allows businesses to ask the Tax Administration to reduce IVA withholdings, sometimes even down to zero, if certain criteria are met.
Since IVA and Renta withholdings are essentially advance tax payments, regulations also allow for refunds when it’s clear that compensation won’t happen.
Beyond taxes, negotiating bank fees is a key strategy for companies looking to boost liquidity and maintain strong financial health.
If you’re planning to visit Costa Rica or even live here, one thing you should know upfront is that many local markets, small shops, and even some restaurants still don’t accept card payments, despite the global shift towards cashless transactions.
Visitors to Costa Rica often get caught off guard by this, which and lead to inconvenience or unexpected hassles. Locals, on the other hand, usually know to check first with small shops if they accept card payments.
At my shop, La Pizza by Pizza Pizza in downtown Santa Ana, we get this question all the time—new customers asking if we take cards before they buy anything. We even have a sticker on our front window showing all the cards we accept, but they still ask.
It’s the same story at the Sunday Santa Ana market (from 5 am to 1 pm), where we make fresh-baked pizza to eat in or take home, as well as by the slice. Most locals check first if we accept cards, while tourists just assume we do. And yeah, we do accept cards, though we’re one of the few vendors that do. Most stands clearly display the Sinpe Móvil payment option.
For me, even with the fees and holds mentioned earlier, taking cards is essential. It’s easier for customers, but more importantly, it keeps me safer since I don’t have cash around. Accepting cards is a big part of how I handle transactions, but not everyone realizes that.
Q COSTARICA — The national weather service, Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN), predicts that on Tuesday, September 2, the lingering effects of Tropical Wave No. 27, which passed through on Monday, will bring isolated showers across the country.
Expect partly cloudy skies in the morning along the Pacific coast and some areas of the Central Valley.
By afternoon, rain showers with thunderstorms are likely along the Pacific coast, the western part of the Central Valley, and the mountains in the Northern Zone.
In the Caribbean regions, any rain is expected mainly over the mountainous areas.
The official Weather forecast for Tuesday, September 02, 2025:
This Tuesday, local atmospheric factors will be reinforced by the instability left behind by tropical wave #27 on Monday, creating favorable conditions for isolated rainfall across the country today.
In general, partly cloudy skies are expected in the morning on the Pacific slope and part of the Central Valley, with clouds moving in from the Caribbean Sea, causing variable cloudiness in the Northern Zone and Caribbean regions.
In the afternoon, showers with thunderstorms are expected along the Pacific coast, as well as in the western Central Valley and mountains of the Northern Zone; in the Caribbean regions, the possibility is limited to the mountainous areas.
Q COSTA RICA — Costa Rica has long been seen as a peaceful oasis in Central America, known for its lush rainforests, vibrant wildlife, and welcoming culture. But recently, this tranquil image is being challenged by a rising wave of violence that’s starting to make daily headlines.
From increasing crime rates to growing concerns about safety, Costa Rica’s struggle with violence is becoming a pressing issue for locals and tourists alike.
Laura Fernández, the Presiential candidate for the Pueblo Soberano party (PPSO), points to a broken judicial system as part of the problem. She describes it as sluggish, unstable, and more concerned with shielding criminals than helping victims find justice.
“Today, we live under a flawed paradigm. We have a judicial system that, in too many cases, protects the criminal more than the victim. A slow and excessively precarious system that turns procedural rights into privileges of impunity. Justice takes so long that it ceases to be justice. Meanwhile, the victim is forgotten, and the criminal feels free to reoffend,” according to Fernández, who addressed the issue in an opinion piece in Diario Extra.
“Hitmen and drug trafficking are no longer marginal phenomena. Today, they are entrenched in our communities, sowing fear and weakening public trust. Most homicides stem from score-settling between criminal gangs that act as if the State has relinquished its authority,” the presidential candidate continued.
According to Fernández, 8,500 homicides were recorded in the country between 2010 and 2024, 5,000 of which never came to trial.
“There are 5,000 families who will never receive justice for the murder of their loved ones. We need a profound paradigm shift in matters of security and justice. The State cannot continue to remain weak in the face of crime,” she added.
Presidential candidate Laura Fernandez
Fernández warned that if the State does not firmly assume its role of guaranteeing the life, liberty, and property of its citizens, “others will do so in its place: armed gangs, mafias, or criminal structures that impose the law of violence.”
The statements come at a particularly critical time for national security.
Costa Rica has recorded 583 homicides so far this year, with the province of San José leading with 195, followed by Limón with 121, and Puntarenas with 108 as the most violent provinces.
If the trend continues, 2025 would close with nearly 900 murders, which would mark the third consecutive year of record numbers of homicidal violence.
Fernandez laid out a plan with five key goals: end impunity, create opportunities for youth, ensure final sentences for all murders, establish genuine control over territories, and implement urgent actions in the most troubled areas.
The aim is to return the State to its core function — enforcing the law firmly, maintaining order, and ensuring peace for everyone.
In her opinion piece, the presidential candidate was clear: “The State cannot continue to remain weak in the face of crime. The motto must be clear: whoever does it, pays for it.”
Q COSTARICA — Early Sunday morning, a shooting outside the Don Juan nightclub in downtown Limón claimed two lives and injured at least five others.
The Red Cross reported that when they arrived, they found a man dead with a gunshot wound to the head.
Witnesses said two gunmen showed up and fired directly at him. The victim was identified as 45-year-old Sevilla Briones, who is believed to be connected to the criminal group known as “Los Hondureños” or “La H.”
Authorities also confirmed the death of a woman, though her identity has not been made public.
At least five more people were wounded by gunfire and taken to Tony Facio Hospital in private vehicles.
The Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) took charge of the scene to recover the bodies and continue their investigation.
Violence in bars, restaurants, and nightclubs is on the rise.
Just two weeks ago, a shooting in Santa Ana left three dead and two seriously injured.
Official reports show 577 homicides in Costa Rica this year, with San José leading the count at 195, and Limón following with 119.
Earlier that same Sunday, at 3:00 a.m. in Sabalito de Coto Brus, Puntarenas, another killing occurred at La Primavera bar. A 26-year-old man died after being stabbed. The Red Cross confirmed he was found dead at the scene.
Murder in La Uruca
Around 7:00 pm on Saturday, a man known as González Ramos, or “Picudo,” was fatally shot at least 24 times while riding in a vehicle.
With him were a woman named García, who suffered a gunshot wound to the buttock, and another man called “Pluma,” who escaped unharmed.
The man who died is thought to have been the leader of the “Los Picudos” gang, which is connected to criminal groups in La Carpio.
Most murders in the country stem from drug trafficking and clashes over territory between competing gangs.
Police operations in Pavas
To stem the wave of violence, authorities launched operations across several districts, focusing mainly on the toughest-hit neighborhoods.
One big operation, involving over 200 officers from different police forces, unfolded late Saturday night into early Sunday in various parts of Pavas.
The raid resulted in the seizure of drugs, weapons, and cash, along with the arrest of people wanted by the law.
These actions targeted communities like central Pavas, Lomas del Río, Villa Esperanza, and Rincón Grande.
Q COSTARICA — If you’re running low on fuel or just want to fill up, today is the day to do it.
Fuel prices are set to rise starting Tuesday, so you’ve got until midnight to lock in the current rates.
The government’s official newsletter, La Gaceta, published the updated fuel prices today, Monday.
These new rates were approved last Friday, August 29, by the regulatory authority. The changes include a small drop in the price of super gasoline and increases for regular gasoline and diesel.
Here’s how the new prices break down:
Super gasoline: ¢663 per liter, down from ¢662
Regular gasoline: ¢649 per liter, up from ¢643
Diesel: ¢564 per liter, up from ¢557
The Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos (Aresep) explained that these adjustments reflect the costs Recope, Costa Rica’s refinery, has been paying to acquire fuel — even though the refinery itself doesn’t actually refine anything.
Q COSTARICA — Renowned actress Anna Kendrick, who has more than 24 million followers on Instagram, chose Costa Rica as her vacation destination.
On her official account, she shared photos of herself on the beach along with the message “Paradise with the loves of my life,” which generated thousands of reactions and comments from her followers around the world.
Additionally, the star of films such as Pitch Perfect and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World stayed at the exclusive Four Seasons Resort Peninsula Papagayo, one of the most luxurious hotels in Guanacaste.
The actress has a distinguished film career. Kendrick received an Oscar, SAG Award, Golden Globe, and BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Up in the Air (2009), where she co-starred with George Clooney.
Throughout her career, she has appeared in productions such as Rocket Science (2007), Twilight (2008), 50/50 (2011), Pitch Perfect 2 (2015), and The Accountant (2016), establishing herself as a versatile figure in the film industry.
Kendrick joins the long list of celebrities who have chosen Costa Rica for their vacations. In the past, celebrities such as Michael Jordan, who participated in a sport fishing tournament, as well as Shakira, Shawn Mendes, Beyoncé, and Ivanka Trump, have shared their admiration for the country’s landscapes and biodiversity.
The caricature published on Friday, August 29, by CRhoy.com, tells the whole story of ‘Chavismo’ and the 2026-2030 presidency and legislative assembly if Laura Fernandez is elected president and a legislature is elected in February.
Chavismo is a political ideology that emerged in Costa Rica, inspired by the current president, Rodrigo Chaves.
In the drawing, we see presidential candidate Laura Fernandez apologizing profoundly for the dishonesty that is already emerging.
“… I can’t imagine what the future Congress will be like,” she says while holding a table of PPSO requisites for legislative candidates:
Defendants (in criminal cases)
Tiktokers
Owe the Caja
“Abogado cariñitos” (lawyers willing to do anything)
Former Ministers
More disturbing is the puppeteer behind the curtain, with one hand controlling the possible future president and the other the box of tricks.
Chavismo went through three parties to arrive at a PPSO in crisis and with questions. The party is currently in the midst of a controversy following the election of its deputy candidates last Sunday, August 24, after holding its National Assembly behind closed doors.
From questions about the ¢2.2 million colones quota established by the party statute for legislator candidates; closed lists; complaints; injunctions from delegates; and leaked audio recordings surround last Sunday’s election.
In 2022, Rodrigo Chaves, supposedly the man behind the curtain in the caricature, was elected president with the Social Democratic Progress Party (PPSD) and won a caucus of 10 legislators in Congress, including well known and respected former journalist Pilar Cisneros and the party’s president, Luz Mary Alpízar.
The split between Chaves and Alpízar came early. In August 2023, eight of the ten PPSD legislators attended activities of the PPSO and the Aquí Costa Rica Manda (ACRM), chaired by Rodrigo Chaves’s campaign advisor, Federico Cruz “Choreco.”
At the latter event, they announced their support for the party in the 2024 municipal elections.
By September of that year, Alpízar cast the decisive vote (support number 38) to rescind the bill to remove itself from the European Union’s gray list, which Chaves had vetoed. This was the final split between the two; Chaves even called her a “Judas” and Cisneros called her a “traitor” in the legislative floor session.
Alpízar attempted to remove eight of her colleagues from the PPSD, having joined ACRM, but was unsuccessful because she escalated the case to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) rather than the party’s Ethics Committee.
Since then, eight of the ten legislators have declared themselves Chavistas/government supporters in the PPSD.
Subsequently, in 2024, the TSE disqualified Pueblo Soberano (PPSO) and ACRM from running in the municipal elections, for failing to comply with the gender parity rule. Cisneros and company disassociated themselves from the party they had entrusted to Choreco due to the failure in the municipal elections.
From mid-2024 and early 2025, there was a growing expectation of which Chavista group would emerge, and everything pointed to the PPSO.
This became official on July 12, when Pilar Cisneros announced Pueblo Soberano as the continuation of Chavismo, in the so-called “Flag of Continuity.”
Q24N — Nicaraguans living in the United States remain essential to keeping Nicaragua’s economy afloat, especially under President Daniel Ortega’s government. Money sent home by migrants has hit record highs, providing crucial support to families and playing a big part in maintaining the country’s economic stability.
But this positive story comes with risks. There’s no guarantee these financial lifelines will stay steady. Changes in U.S. immigration rules, economic downturns, or political unrest could disrupt remittances, threatening Nicaragua’s delicate economic balance. These potential challenges call for a cautious outlook on the future of this vital income source.
The Nicaraguan economy leans heavily on remittances from citizens abroad, particularly those in the United States. According to the Central Bank of Nicaragua (BCN), money sent by migrants kept growing rapidly during the first four months of 2025.
Official figures show Nicaragua received US$1.94 billion in remittances during those months— a 22.2% jump from the same period last year. This highlights just how important migrants are to the country’s economic health.
The BCN report points out that most of this money comes from the United States. In fact, 84% of the total remittances—around US$1.63 billion—arrived from Nicaraguans living there. This heavy reliance exposes the economy to risks, especially if U.S. immigration policies or job conditions change.
The remittances don’t just help families survive; they flood the national financial system with cash, boosting consumer spending and supporting the balance of payments. In 2024, remittances totaled US$5.24 billion, making up 26.62% of Nicaragua’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), showing just how dependent the country is on this money.
Looking ahead, though, the future isn’t certain.
The flow of remittances faces threats, such as a possible 3.5% tax on money transfers proposed by the U.S. Congress and rising deportations. On top of that, the cancellation of “humanitarian parole” status for some migrants could make it harder for thousands to send money home regularly.
This situation leaves many Nicaraguan households economically vulnerable, relying on foreign immigration policies beyond their control.
Under Ortega’s administration, Nicaragua’s economy seems more and more tied to the sacrifices and fortunes of its migrant community abroad.
Q COSTARICA — Four European countries have requested information from Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) to advance drug trafficking investigations involving Costa Ricans, with the goal of speeding up proceedings leading to extraditions.
These countries are Belgium, France, Italy, and the Netherlands, nations that host several of the main ports in Europe, where large quantities of containers of merchandise from the Americas arrive.
These access points are favored by organized crime, which sends shipments to its partners in that region, despite the security operations the government claims to be carrying out in Limón.
Michael Soto, deputy director of the OIJ, confirmed to CRHoy.com that he expects more meetings that will lead to the opening of new cases in the coming weeks.
“The idea is to exchange information in meetings with the anti-drug chiefs of France, Italy, and the Netherlands. We won’t rule out other meetings with countries like Belgium, Spain, and England. There are possibilities of pursuing cases with them, and others that are already in the works. The idea is to generate that exchange of information and be able to generate positive results. Without a doubt, this legislation is opening up a wide range of possibilities to help the country improve its security indicators and ensure that these internationally influential kingpins are brought to these countries.”
The cases in Europe are less advanced than those coordinated with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), as key elements for formal charges have not been gathered.
So far, only the case of Johnny Angulo Fernández, alias John Cadenas, wanted in Livorno, Italy, has been finalized. His possible extradition is still being evaluated in Costa Rica.
This individual was apparently in charge of a gang that coordinated shipments from Punta Burica and the Osa Triangle via various routes to be delivered to containers crossing the Atlantic.
Local investigations, with open files pending indictment, have revealed other criminal groups operating from the Costa Rican Caribbean and shipping drugs to Western Europe, placing them under the scrutiny of national and international authorities.
“We know that there are Costa Ricans who have been smuggling cocaine for years through containers to European countries, and that they may have links to them, so we are offering that possibility of coordination. We have already discussed this issue with the French and the Netherlands,” Soto explained.
Information was also coordinated on drug trafficking routes that have changed or were not on the radar, in addition to exchanging contacts to expand links and generate new cases, based on ongoing files in Costa Rica or in countries interested in prosecuting Costa Ricans linked to drug trafficking.
In order to expand the scope of this connection, the OIJ will participate in a Europol meeting in Spain in October, where it will continue the discussions with European countries that did not materialize in Nashville.
An international operation coordinated by Europol dismantled a transnational organization that trafficked cocaine from Costa Rica to Europe, with shipments via Spain and Portugal.
“Due to the increased police pressure in other well-known ports, such as Guayaquil in Ecuador, criminal organizations have increasingly sought alternatives, considered safer locations for their operations. In recent years, this drug trafficking organization has turned to Costa Rica as a logistics base to receive cocaine shipments from Colombia, store them, and prepare them for shipment to Europe,” Europol authorities acknowledged.
The number of extraditables, since the arrest of former minister and magistrate, Celso Gamboa, in July, has increased to five, with the capture on Thursday of Jordi Picado Grijalva, known by the alias “Noni”, wanted by the DEA.
Rándall Zúñiga, director of the OIJ, confirmed that “Noni” is the brother of Luis Manuel Picado Grijalva, alias ‘Shock,’ who was arrested in England on December 29, 2024, thanks to coordination between the OIJ and the DEA.
The other three extraditables in custody who are in the process of extradition to the United States for the alleged crime of international drug trafficking are: Edwin López Vega, (alias Pecho de Rata), Johnny Angulo Fernández (alias John Cadenas), and Jonathan Guillermo Álvarez Alfaro.
A report by SemanarioUniversidad last month stated that extraditables could total more than 80, given that about 84 Costa Ricans are wanted by Interpol, according to a Prosecutor’s Office official who told the Constitutional Reform Commission that it was discussing the proposal that opened the possibility of extraditing Costa Ricans.
Q COSTARICA — The Central Bank’s Board of Directors has unanimously approved a reform that caps Sinpe Móvil (SMS test message) transfers at ¢100,000 colones per day.
This move aims to cut down on fraud linked to these transfers, according to La Nación.
Some banks have allowed Sinpe Móvil transfers greater than ¢10,000 and up to ¢500,000, while the customer is willing to pay a surcharge; however, the new rule will set a standard limit of ¢100,000 for everyone.
This change, says the Central Bank, is designed to boost user security in a system that processed 359 million transactions during the first half of 2025, 20% more than the 300 million recorded in the same period last year.
Just so you know, this change doesn’t impact the limits on Sinpe transfers—whether you’re moving money between your own accounts or to other banks.
Q24N — Andrea’s farm sits tucked near Nicaragua’s border, just a few miles from Costa Rica. It’s been in her family for over 20 years, a place she hoped to pass down to her kids someday.
But now, her land belongs to the state, thanks to a new law called the Ley del Territorio Fronterizo en Nicaragua (Border Territory Law), pushed through by the Ortega-Murillo regime.
This law claims all land from the border up to 15 kilometers inside Nicaragua as “inalienable state property.”
For Andrea, this means “terrible legal uncertainty.”
Since the law came into effect on August 5, 2025, she says the mood around the area is heavy with fear and confusion. She asked to keep her name and exact location private for safety reasons.“No one tells us anything,” she says.
“There are no rules yet for the law, so we don’t even know what rights we still have on land that now belongs to the state.
”The new law expands the zone of state-owned land from 5 to 15 kilometers from the border, but it doesn’t offer any compensation for things like crops, buildings, or other investments made by the original owners.
“We’re basically stuck. We can’t sell, pass it on, or use it as collateral. We can’t do a thing,” Andrea explains.
This law scrapped the 2010 Border Legal Regime Law and its 2020 update. Those earlier rules recognized private and communal property within the border zone and only made the first 5 kilometers untouchable state land.
Experts say this new law impacts between roughly 18,700 and 18,900 square kilometers of Nicaragua — that’s over 14% of the country’s total land area. It covers the entire 15-kilometer stretch along Nicaragua’s northern and southern borders, though not the coastlines, which are governed by a separate law.
Still, parts of the coast within that 15-km zone in places like Rivas, Chinandega, and the Caribbean Coast are affected.
For people like Andrea, this legal mess has stalled life. She’s an agricultural producer, and without clarity on ownership, she’s stopped investing in the land. What once was a plan to plant seven manzanas (about five hectares) has shrunk to just one or two — barely enough to get by.
“I had plans for planting, improving pastures, and prepping the land. But how can I plan when I don’t know what’s going to happen?” she says. “I’ve put everything on hold — no more investments, no new infrastructure. I won’t even risk a single peso.”
The absence of regulations for the new law also worries her. Some laws can go years without clear rules, leaving people stuck in limbo, unsure where to turn.
Verónica, who lives near the southern border inside the 15-km zone, says the uncertainty is widespread — it affects entire cities and valuable tourist areas. People have lived and worked on their land for generations, and now they don’t know what comes next.
She points out that the old 2010 law at least allowed buying and selling property in the “inalienable” zone. Now, she doubts anyone can sell at all — and even fewer would want to buy.
A Nicaraguan legal expert, speaking anonymously, said the new law essentially confiscates private, communal, and cooperative lands to push a “state property model” favored by Ortega and Murillo.
This model has been creeping in through other laws focused on coastal zones, water, and the environment, shrinking the space where private or communal ownership is allowed.
The expert says this approach avoids the political backlash that would come from outright confiscations like those after the 1979 revolution.
The result, the expert warns, harms private businesses, indigenous land rights, and legal certainty. It also undermines investment, violates established rights, and disrupts the lives and traditions of indigenous communities.
Over 300 kilometers away, along the Coco River on the border with Honduras, Mario’s indigenous community is also anxious. The new law threatens their lands — forests, rivers, farms, and artisanal mines — which attract settlers looking to invade.
Mario says the community is preparing to meet and discuss the law, but fears it won’t be good for indigenous people. So far, there hasn’t been much presence from national authorities, leaving people worried and uncertain.
The Network of Indigenous Defenders of the Caribbean Coast estimates about 100 indigenous and Afro-descendant communities near the borders will be affected. They say the law violates indigenous autonomy and legal security, allowing the state to take land and resources without consent, all under the banner of sovereignty and security.
Another lawyer, speaking off the record, explains that the new 15-km strip is different from the old one. Before, it mostly served to legitimize military control without messing with property rights. Now, by declaring the state the owner of all land there, private and communal property basically vanish.
Residents are reduced to “squatters” in their own homes.
In legal terms, squatters occupy property without a valid title, leaving them vulnerable and unstable. The lawyer warns that people in the border zone have lost the ability to manage their land — they can’t sell it, lease it, contribute it to a business, or use it as collateral. Mortgages and other guarantees are now meaningless.
The article was translated, adapted, and produced with the assistance of AI technology from the post published by Confidencial.digital. Read the original in Spanish here.
Q24N — Peruvian journalist, writer, journalist, and television personality, Jaime Bayly claims that Nicolás Maduro is preparing to flee to Nicaragua with his family and sending gold bars, euros, and dollars on the presidential plane that recently visited Nicaragua.
The statements by Bayly sparked reactions Fromm Nicaraguan opponents, who agree that, far from dismissing it as frivolous speculation, Managua represents a logical destination for Chavismo in the event of a political collapse in Caracas.
Alex Aguirre, founder and associate researcher of the Institute for Peace and Development (Ipades), the Youth Network of the Americas, responded bluntly to Bayly’s version.
“Do I think it’s possible that Nicolás Maduro is considering taking refuge in Nicaragua? Not only do I think it’s possible, I consider it a desperate move, and I think it’s already underway,” he stated.
According to his analysis, the recent flights between Maiquetía (Venezuela) and Managua (Nicaragua) with shipments of gold and cash are proof that the Venezuelan president is extracting resources as if sensing imminent disaster.
From 100% Noticias
Aguirre was even more blunt when warning of the risks Maduro runs if he places himself under Rosario Murillo’s protection.
“In Nicaragua, political asylum comes with hidden clauses and sharp teeth. Murillo is capable of making it disappear and inheriting those ingots, as happened with former Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes, who died conveniently and left his fortune in the hands of his hosts,” he recalled.
The expert warned that for Nicaraguans, a possible refuge for Maduro would not be a gesture of revolutionary solidarity, but rather a political and financial transaction: “If he believes Rosario Murillo is his lifeline, he is more lost than ever.”
US: A Scenario for Deterrence and Surgical Operations
Political scientist and former political prisoner Félix Maradiaga placed the discussion within a broader geopolitical framework: the growing US military deployment in the Caribbean.
“In recent days, we have heard a hardening of Washington’s rhetoric. This is not mere symbolism: the bounty on Maduro has doubled, and the presence of naval destroyers, maritime patrol aircraft, and amphibious groups in nearby waters has increased. We are not talking about an occupation device, but rather a military siege designed to deter, block drug trafficking routes, and carry out surgical actions,” he explained.
For Maradiaga, the likelihood of a large-scale intervention remains moderate, but the feasibility of targeted operations is growing. “Most likely, we will see specific actions, external support for an internal military split, or even the arrest of Maduro if a Venezuelan officer decides to collect the reward. In that context, seeking refuge in Nicaragua is a Plan B, but increasingly risky,” he indicated.
The analyst emphasized that the ideological alliance between Ortega/Murillo and Maduro does not guarantee absolute security. “The United States has put its radar on Managua. Becoming a sanctuary for a drug lord and a dictator accused of crimes against humanity would be another gravestone for the Nicaraguan dictatorship.”
Nicaragua, a refuge for fugitives and dictators
Opposition figure and former political prisoner Juan Sebastián Chamorro, a pre-candidate for president in the 2021 Nicaraguan general election until he was detained in a wave of arrests of opposition candidates and other civic leaders, and nephew of Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, president of Nicaragua from 1990-1197, provided a historical perspective.
From Informateperu.pe Facebook page
In his opinion, it would not be the first time that Nicaragua has become a refuge for figures accused of corruption or serious crimes.
“Dictators close to Ortega, like Salvadoran Sánchez Cerén, found cover here. There were even attempts to protect former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli. In Managua, every movement is monitored, but guests receive protection upon payment,” he recalled.
Chamorro also highlighted a technical detail: suspicious flights between Caracas and Managua have taken unconventional routes. “They avoid Central American airspace and enter through Honduras toward Managua. These movements indicate that something is being transported, whether goods or people. These planes are traveling loaded, and the route is unusual. This raises additional suspicions.”
FlightRadar24 reports detected the flight of an Airbus A340, registration YV1004, from the Venezuelan state airline Conviasa, regularly used by high-ranking Venezuelan officials, including Maduro and Diosdado Cabello
The opposition leader warns that the Sandinista dictatorship has been characterized by selling national sovereignty to the highest bidder: “We are not talking about legends, but about documented realities since the 1980s, when drug traffickers like Pablo Escobar found refuge on Nicaraguan soil.”
Experts agree that Nicaragua could offer Maduro ideological refuge and immediate protection, but they also warn that the country has become a mercenary territory where loyalty is bought and sold.
For Aguirre, Murillo is not offering free lodging. For Maradiaga, asylum would turn Managua into a military and diplomatic target. For Chamorro, it would be a repetition of the historical pattern of sheltering criminals and fugitives.
In conclusion, Nicolás Maduro’s possible escape to Nicaragua is not a far-fetched idea, but it is a plan fraught with uncertainty.
As Félix Maradiaga summarizes: “The probability of a large-scale intervention is medium, but the viability of specific actions is growing. In that scenario, it is increasingly difficult for Maduro to find the lifeline he seeks in Managua.”
The article was translated and adapted from 100% Noticias. Read the original in Spanish here.
For thousands of immigrants in the United States, a single mistake on an immigration form or a minor legal violation can now mean weeks, months, or even years behind bars. Although immigrants have historically been allowed to post bond to get out of detention, it’s increasingly being denied, leaving families separated and immigrants trapped in facilities while their cases move at a snail’s pace.
Immigration detention has always existed, but recent policy changes have made release far less likely. Many detainees are finding themselves unable to bond out to maintain family ties and employment.
A 2019 directive by former Attorney General William Barr removed the ability for immigration judges to grant bond to many asylum seekers who were not inspected at port of entry, forcing them into indefinite detention until their asylum proceedings are complete. This directive was quickly overturned by U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman, but in 2025, many immigrants are once again being denied bond.
The Trump administration is detaining immigrants with clean records for simple errors like missing a filing deadline or misunderstanding a reporting requirement. Some detainees are being released under strict surveillance with an ankle monitor, which critics say is a bit extreme for low-risk cases.
Under the Trump administration, the attorney general issued binding precedents limiting who qualifies for a bond hearing, and it’s negatively impacting immigrants accused of minor violations. Those with old or non-violent criminal records who might have previously qualified for release now fall under mandatory detention statutes. Judges can no longer weigh family ties, community support, and likelihood of appearance to override the statute. This problem highlights the importance and value of working with an immigration lawyer to ensure all requirements are met and paperwork is filled out correctly and submitted on time.
The toll of automatic detention
Detention has devastating effects. Because of these new rules, families are being torn apart, children are being left without parents, and communities are being destabilized. Immigrants denied bond are often held hundreds of miles away from their loved ones, making visitation impossible. Being detained for long periods of time puts a strain on mental health and can lead to depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other issues. Without the ability to work, detained immigrants can’t provide for their families and the government is not offering them support. This can disrupt everything from housing and childcare to health insurance coverage.
Immigration courts are backlogged
Even if detainees want to fight their case in court, the courts are severely backlogged. As of 2024, backlogged cases have exceeded three million, and many of those detainees have been waiting years for a resolution.
Although detained cases are prioritized, they don’t always get fair hearings. The hearings are often rushed, which can undermine due process and increase the risk of wrongful deportation. Another problem is that detained immigrants are far less likely to secure legal representation than those released on bond. Only around 14% of detainees have attorneys compared to over 60% of those who bond out.
Alternatives to detention are being ignored
Alternatives to detention exist, and despite being cheaper and more humane, they’re not being used. Community supervision programs are one of these underutilized alternatives. These programs pair immigrants with case managers and have court appearance rates of 90% and higher. Of course, bond has been a proven incentive to ensure appearance in court and has a similarly high rate of appearance. Instead of using these methods, ICE and DHS continue to favor detention facilities, and immigrants that are released are tied to ankle monitors, which raises concerns over human rights. Ankle monitors feel punitive rather than supportive.
Private prisons are profiting from detentions
When you look at who profits from ignoring detention alternatives, it starts to make sense. Immigration detention is good business for private prisons and local governments. Around 79% of immigrant detainees are being held in privately run facilities, which creates a profit motive to expand detention rather than explore other options.
Detention makes it harder to fight
For immigrants denied bond, being detained makes it harder to fight from the inside even with legal counsel. Attorneys have limited access to their clients and restricted time for preparing their cases. However, even after bond has been denied, an appeal to a higher court can eventually lead to release or reconsideration. The struggle is exhausting, but for immigrants who have been detained without bond, it’s the only option.
While attorneys continue to fight for their clients put in limbo, the system demands reform. Until then, immigrants will continue to be detained for minor infractions and technical mistakes, highlighting the gap between the promise of due process and the harsh reality of immigration enforcement.
Venezuela's Minister of Interior Relations, Justice and Peace, Diosdado Cabello, speaks during a rally against Israel's attacks on Iran, in solidarity with the Palestinian people and to call for world peace in Caracas, on June 19, 2025. (Photo by Pedro MATTEY / AFP)
Q24N — Venezuela’s Minister of the Interior, Justice, and Peace, Diosdado Cabello, escalated his belligerent tone toward the United States by warning that his country will respond with internal retaliation if Washington takes any military action, amid the largest U.S. naval deployment in the Caribbean in recent years.
“The battle in the streets will be on motorcycles. Some say, ‘The planes flew by,’ and when are you going to put your feet on the ground?” Cabello said defiantly.
During his television program “Con el Mazo Dando,” Cabello outlined what he considers Venezuela’s defensive strategy: “If something were to happen here, which won’t happen, we will go after those who called for invasions, blockades, and sanctions against us.”
His statements represent a direct threat to sectors of the Venezuelan opposition that have supported international sanctions.
Chavismo’s second-in-command characterized the confrontation with the U.S. not as a conventional war, but as a campaign of internal retaliation that would primarily target those he considers collaborators of the U.S. government.
Cabello assured that they will respond with blockades and invasions should anything happen.
Unprecedented Military Escalation
Cabello’s rhetoric comes in the context of the largest demonstration of US naval force in Caribbean waters in the last decade. In an unusual display of naval power, the United States has begun deploying numerous warships and military personnel to Latin American and Caribbean waters to allegedly combat drug cartels.
The military operation includes the USS San Antonio, USS Iowa Jima, and USS Fort Lauderdale, carrying 4,500 personnel, including 2,200 Marines. Additionally, the USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham, and USS Sampson are missile-guided vessels capable of simultaneously tracking and neutralizing air and sea threats.
The deployment has progressively expanded to eight warships in the waters of the Caribbean and the Pacific near several Central and South American countries, a significant increase for a region that has rarely seen such a large presence of US military vessels.
The regime’s phased response
Cabello acknowledged the seriousness of the U.S. deployment, calling it “very serious” and acknowledging that the U.S. naval deployment is not a game. However, he maintained his defiant stance by questioning the true objectives of the operation.
Cabello noted that drug trafficking to the U.S. occurs primarily through the Pacific Ocean and not the Caribbean, so in his view, the mobilization does not appear to be aimed at stopping the outflow of drugs.
The exchange of statements has reached unprecedented levels of hostility. The U.S. responded to Venezuelan provocations by calling Cabello and his circle a “gang” responsible for “destroying” the country.
Diplomatic tension at an all-time high
The most recent clash between the United States and Venezuelan governments reached a fever pitch this month when both countries involved military assets in their dispute. The crisis deepened after Trump increased the reward for the capture of Nicolás Maduro and announced his willingness to “use all his power” to stop drug trafficking into his territory.
Maduro, for his part, has downplayed the U.S. threats, calling them a “war of declarations” while maintaining his stance that “No empire will come to touch Venezuela’s sacred soil.”
The current escalation represents the most critical point in relations between the two countries since the beginning of Trump’s second term, with implications that transcend Venezuelan borders and keep the entire Caribbean region on edge over the possibility of a direct military confrontation.
The Labor Appeals Court of the First Judicial Circuit of San José confirmed the existence of an employment relationship between an Uber driver and the company, ruling in favor of one of its drivers who claimed payment of labor rights, such as paid vacation, Christmas bonuses (Aguinaldo), insurance benefits, and severance pay.
The new ruling confirms what was determined more than a year ago, when Judge Rebeca Ruiz, of the Labor Court of the same jurisdiction, determined in a first ruling, 2024-000826 of April 26, 2024, that Uber, through an interest group that includes the companies Uber Costa Rica Center of Excellence S.RL., Club de Colaboración para la Autosatisfacion (sic.) de Necesidades de Movilidad Común S.A., and Portier Costa Rica S.R.L., concealed an employment relationship under the guise of collaboration.
Wednesday’s ruling 2025-001146 by Judge Luis Eduardo Mesén
In a brief statement, Uber expressed respect for the ruling 2025-001146, issued just one day earlier brings closure to the case.
“We continue to analyze the ruling issued on August 27, 2025. It is important to clarify that the effects of the ruling apply only to the plaintiff and do not affect the availability of the Uber app as a technology company in the country.
“Our platform allows collaborating partners to generate profits by connecting to the app to carry out an independent economic activity, offering flexibility in use, choice of locations, and without exclusivity requirements,” said Uber in a statement today.
This is the first time that a confirmatory ruling has been released, amid the multiple lawsuits the company is facing in labor courts nationwide.
As a result, the driver—whose identity will be withheld—must be paid around ¢10 million colones (¢1 million in vacation pay, ¢1.3 million in severance pay, ¢2.1 million in bonuses, ¢3.8 colones in damages arising from Section 92 of the Labor Code, as well as ¢2 million in costs. Interest and indexation must also be added.
The defendants (Uber) must also make the corresponding contributions to the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS).
Failure to pay may result in seizure.
This new ruling against Uber sets a precedent that opens the door to similar lawsuits.
“This means that any Uber partner can claim the existence of an employment relationship and the rights of a worker,” explained Rafael Rodríguez, the lawyer who represented the former driver.
The lawyer believes this applies even to other platforms, such as food delivery services. Rodríguez recommends that drivers document their entire employment with Uber and the money they’ve received while working for the company.
However, the lawyer also emphasized that it is only possible to initiate a process of this type within one year of the end of the employment relationship.
Uber has been operating in Costa Rica for the last ten years this month. The definition of the company’s relationship with its so-called “collaborating partners” has been a topic of debate over the years.
In a recent public statement, Uber stated that it continues to consider drivers as independent partners, but that it will respect the regulations approved in the country.
“Our goal is to adapt and operate within the regulatory framework of each country,” said Laura Santillán, Uber spokesperson.
Q24N (Confidencial) The United States Embassy in Managua has warned its citizens about the risks of investing in or purchasing property in Nicaragua. It urged anyone who has been a victim of confiscation, expropriation, or restrictions on the sale of legally acquired property by the Nicaraguan government to contact the embassy and file a report.
The message published by the diplomatic mission notes that “on August 6, 2025, the National Assembly of Nicaragua approved a law granting the Nicaraguan government the right to control all territory within a 15-kilometer radius” of its borders.
The area is roughly the size of the state of Massachusetts, the statement says.
U.S. Embassy in Managua, Nicaragua
“This law could lead to the confiscation of property and restrictions on the purchase, transfer, or sale of property,” it adds.
The new legislation defines as “border territory” the area extending from the international boundary up to 15 kilometers inland. Analysts consulted by CONFIDENCIAL said the law has a “confiscatory character” because it grants the regime total control over the border zones.
“U.S. citizens need to understand the risks of investing in or purchasing property in Nicaragua. As highlighted in the ‘Travel Advisory for Nicaragua: Statement on the Investment Climate’ and the country information page, property rights in Nicaragua are unstable, and laws are applied arbitrarily. The Nicaraguan government regularly confiscates private property without prior notice or due process,” the diplomatic mission said.
The embassy urged those U.S. citizens who may be affected by the Ortega-Murillo regime’s confiscatory policies to report it by sending an email to ManaguaEcon_ExportsInvestments@state.gov.
“We will compile the information you provide to prepare reports for the U.S. government, including the Investment Climate Statement and annual reports to Congress on expropriations affecting U.S. citizens,” the embassy explained.
Additionally, the embassy offers further information on the investment climate in Nicaragua on its website.
The department warned U.S. citizens not to travel to the country “due to the high risk of unjust or arbitrary detention of U.S. citizens.” Other countries on the list include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela.
Q COSTARICA — The Chirripó National Park commemorated its 50th anniversary on August 19 with a cultural event held in the multipurpose hall of San Gerardo de Rivas.
The community was the first to see the official commemorative art collection.
The event unveiled 15 figurative works inspired by the park’s landscape, flora, and fauna. The artists used oil and acrylic on canvas techniques.
Additionally, park ranger and singer-songwriter Carlos Rovira Bolaños presented the song “Chirripó Viejo Amigo,” proposed as the park’s official theme song. Listen to the song here on Youtube.
Nearly 500 people attended the event, including residents, authorities, and special guests. Before the event, students from the Canaan High School and the San Gerardo de Rivas school participated in a guided tour.
Among those attending were pioneers who built the first trail in 1965 and the first park rangers in the protected area. Authorities from SINAC, MINAE, and community representatives also participated.
Likewise, national artists such as Flory Fonseca, Gilberto Ramírez, Milena Elizondo, Óscar Abarca, Carmen Elizondo, and Carlos García showcased their vision of Chirripó through their works.
In this context, the park’s administrator, Enzo Salazar, highlighted the institutional support. “SINAC and MINAE have shown full support for the artistic and cultural initiatives of the anniversary,” he noted.
Now, the “Chirripó is Art” collection will be presented to the public at the National Gallery / Children’s Museum in San José. The exhibition will take place from September 4 to 28, 2025.
The official opening will take place on September 4 at 7:00 p.m., and admission will be free, allowing the public to enjoy this cultural tribute that combines art, nature, and national identity.
Q24N (InsightCrime.org) While headlines and political speeches have focused predominantly on Tren de Aragua, another criminal group from Venezuela has expanded its operations in Latin America, leaving a quieter but no less violent mark than the more famous Venezuelan gang.
Tren de Aragua is infamous for its rapid expansion throughout Latin America. But a wave of criminals originally from the northwestern Venezuelan state of Zulia who have been arrested or killed in countries like Colombia, Argentina, and Chile reveals another branch of Venezuelan organized crime’s transnational reach.
The most recent case is that of Yeferson Nava Jiménez, alias “Yef Nava,” who was captured in late May in an upscale neighborhood of Medellín, Colombia. Yef Nava was the target of an Interpol red alert and considered one of the most wanted criminals in Venezuela. He is allegedly the main leader of the Meleán clan, one of the oldest and most powerful criminal clans in Zulia, with more than 600 members, according to official reports.
“Nava is wanted by the justice system in our neighboring country for kidnapping, homicide, and extortion. He was imprisoned in the United States in 2022 and allegedly went to Medellín to make alliances with regional criminal actors,” Colombia’s police chief General Carlos Fernando Triana posted on X.
After undergoing multiple cosmetic surgeries to alter his appearance, Nava set up an operations base in Medellín to coordinate extortion schemes and expand his criminal network to other regions of Colombia.
But this was not the first time the Meleán clan and other criminals from Zulia had taken root outside Venezuela.
Seeking Refuge
Before Tren de Aragua and its various factions established their operations throughout Latin America, making headlines around the region, several Zulia gangs had already made their criminal mark in the region, led by the Meleán clan.
On the night of March 24, 2012, a pair of hitmen killed Nelsón Meleán, who was with his family in a shopping mall in the Colombian city of Santa Marta, located on the Caribbean coast.
Several media outlets presented Meleán as a well-known businessman from Zulia, but Nelsón was the younger brother of Antonio Meleán, alias “Antonito,” the head of a criminal group that controlled activities such as extortion, car theft, and kidnapping in the Costa Oriental del Lago de Maracaibo, Zulia. Antonito was murdered in 2008 while in a barbershop.
After Antonito’s death, violence in Zulia exploded, with multiple homicides, armed attacks, and bombings targeting members and relatives of the organization. Nelsón Meleán and other members of his clan took up residence in Colombia in search of refuge. But the violence that plagued Zulia followed them into Colombia, as several clashes between rival factions crossed the border.
One of the key players in that violence was Hely Heberto Fernández, alias “El Chamut,” a former policeman who served as a lieutenant for the Meleán clan and was among the top 10 most wanted criminals in Zulia. El Chamut was captured in Colombia in February 2018 after being wounded in a shootout with another criminal organization in Cartagena, Colombia.
Months later, while recovering in a hospital in Barranquilla under police guard, he managed to escape and flee back to Venezuela. According to official reports, El Chamut used false identification to mislead authorities and was seeking alliances with criminals from the Colombian Caribbean coast. The following year, he was murdered in Venezuela in a clash with local security forces.
Another criminal conflict that spread from Zulia to Colombia and made headlines was the rivalry between “Yeico Masacre” and “Sleiter.”
Erick Alberto Parra Mendoza, alias “Yeico Masacre,” was a former member of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) and ex-hitman for the Meleán clan. Sleiter José Leal was a former prison gang leader — locally known as a “pran” — from the Cabimas Detention Center in Zulia, who operated under the Meleán clan.
Both fled to Colombia in an attempt to protect their families from the violence in Zulia and take control of extortion in various cities. But their war followed them. Several of Yeico Masacre’s close family members were killed in Colombian cities. By 2020, at least 30 murders in Colombia had been linked to the dispute between them, and Sleiter himself was killed that year in a gun attack in Bogotá.
After Sleiter’s murder, Yeico Masacre’s subordinates continued to operate in Bogotá and other cities on the Caribbean coast. But the Yeico-Sleiter rivalry prompted a strong government response, which prevented Yeico Masacre’s group from consolidating, and its criminal profile gradually diminished over time.
New Criminal Opportunities
The lack of criminal opportunities in Venezuela — the result of a severe economic crisis, which reduced citizens’ purchasing power — drove several criminal groups to migrate in search of new illicit revenue sources.
“Venezuela stopped being a business for some criminals. So, they had to go to another country where it’s more profitable,” Roberto Briceño-León, sociologist and director of the nongovernmental Venezuelan Violence Observatory, told InSight Crime.
One such criminal was Bernardino Meleán Frontado, alias “Willy Meleán,” Yef Nava’s former boss and leader of the Meleán clan, who was killed by Colombian authorities in a raid in November 2020 while hiding in a luxury estate in the municipality of Sabana de Torres, Santander department.
“His criminal activities in Colombia began in 2018 and focused on homicide and arms trafficking,” stated Defense Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo in a press conference confirming Willy Meleán’s death.
To evade local authorities, Meleán infiltrated a local registry office in Galapa, Santander, and obtained fake identification documents for himself and other members of his criminal organization. The group expanded its operations into at least eight Colombian departments, including the capital city, Bogotá, where they were behind several targeted killings connected to rivalries from Venezuela and the fight for control of illicit businesses like retail drug trafficking, human trafficking, and extortion.
However, the Meleán clan’s presence is not limited to Colombia. Authorities in Chile have also reported crimes connected to the group. The first indication of the group’s presence was in 2022, when Orlando Antonio Báez Montiel was deported to Caracas from Chile. According to media reports, Báez operated a Meleán cell in Santiago, Chile, involved in multiple murders and the extortion of migrant communities in the capital.
Beyond Tren de Aragua
The lack of judicial cooperation from Venezuelan authorities, combined with regional ignorance of Zulia’s criminal landscape, has led to many of the Meleán clan’s top leaders being mistakenly presented as transnational cells of Tren de Aragua, ignoring their long criminal history in their home state.
In October 2023, Guillermo Rafael Boscán Bracho, alias “El Yiyi,” was captured in Corrientes province, Argentina, in an operation against a group allegedly connected to Tren de Aragua that was involved in money laundering. According to official investigations, the 12 individuals detained in connection with Yiyi’s group laundered money from illicit activities in Venezuela and used online applications to clean money through property purchases and luxury items.
However, Yiyi’s criminal activity in Venezuela was concentrated in Zulia, not Aragua. His organization was involved in extortion schemes and grenade attacks against shrimp farming businesses and stores in the La Cañada de Urdaneta municipality. The group was known for using social media to send intimidating messages to its victims and rival criminals competing for illicit profits in areas near Lake Maracaibo.
And Yiyi was not the only criminal incorrectly linked to Tren de Aragua.
In January 2025, Beraldo Enrique Atencio Padilla, alias “Chocolate,” was arrested in Bucaramanga, Colombia, and tagged by the authorities as a Tren de Aragua leader responsible for migrant trafficking networks from Venezuela to Ecuador.
Atencio Padilla, who had no influence in Aragua or other states where Tren de Aragua operates in Venezuela, was wanted by authorities for being one of the main criminal figures in Zulia and the successor of El Chamut in the municipalities of Jesús Enrique Lossada and Maracaibo.
InSight Crime could not independently confirm any regional ties between the Zulia gangs and Tren de Aragua beyond official statements. In Venezuela, their relationship seems like that of rival groups competing for different criminal economies, with no proof of an alliance between them.
“Tren de Aragua was never able to establish itself in Zulia. It expanded throughout Venezuela, but not in Zulia,” said Briceño.
Q24N (IPS) On 7 August, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights delivered a groundbreaking decision that could transform women’s lives across the Americas.
For the first time in international law, an international tribunal recognised care as an autonomous human right.
Advisory Opinion 31/25, issued in response to a request from Argentina, elevates care – long invisible and relegated to the private sphere – to the level of a universal enforceable entitlement.
The court’s decision emerged from a highly participatory process that included extensive written submissions from civil society, academics, governments and international organisations, plus public hearings held in Costa Rica in March 2024. The ruling validates what feminist activists have argued for decades: care work is labour with immense social and economic value that deserves recognition and protection.
Three dimensions of care
The statistics that informed this ruling tell a stark story. In Latin America, women perform between 69 and 86 per cent of all unpaid domestic and care work, hampering their careers, education and personal development. The court recognised this imbalance as a source of structural gender inequality that needs urgent state action.
The decision defines care broadly, covering all tasks necessary for the reproduction and sustenance of life, from providing food and healthcare to offering emotional support. It establishes three interdependent dimensions: the right to provide care, the right to receive care and the right to self-care.
The court interpreted the American Convention on Human Rights as encompassing the right to care, making clear states must respect, protect and guarantee this right through laws, public policies and resources. It outlined measures states should take, including mandatory paid paternity leave equal to maternity leave, workplace flexibility for carers, recognition of care work as labour deserving social protection and comprehensive public care systems.
Feminist advocacy vindicated
The court’s decision reflects the profound influence of feminist scholarship. For decades, feminist activists have insisted that care work, overwhelmingly performed by women, is invisible and undervalued despite being central to sustaining life and economies. The court’s recognition validates these arguments, affirming that care work isn’t a natural extension of women’s roles confined in the private sphere, but labour with immense social and economic value.
The court’s intersectional approach represents another crucial victory for feminist movements. The advisory opinion acknowledged that care burdens aren’t evenly distributed among women: Indigenous, Afro-descendant, migrant and low-income women face disproportionate responsibilities and multiple layers of discrimination. This recognition aligns with feminist movements’ emphasis on the ways gender, race, class and migration status intersect to shape inequality.
Significantly, the court explicitly connected self-care with access to sexual and reproductive health services, recognising that genuine wellbeing requires the ability to make free and informed decisions about pregnancy, childbirth, motherhood and bodily autonomy. It stressed that all people – including women, transgender people and non-binary people who can become pregnant – should be free from imposed mandates of motherhood or care.
Civil society’s crucial role
This victory belongs to civil society. Feminist and human rights organisations across Latin America campaigned to bring the issue before the court and provided crucial expertise. Groups such as ELA-Equipo Latinoamericano de Justicia y Género, Dejusticia, the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and Women in Informal Employment-Globalizing and Organizing submitted arguments and evidence that shaped the court’s reasoning.
Organisations documented the realities of women caring for incarcerated relatives, migrant women working care jobs in precarious conditions and communities lacking basic services such as water and sanitation that make unpaid care work even more burdensome. This helped ensure the court’s opinion reflected social realities rather than abstract principles.
The opinion’s transformative potential extends beyond gender equality. By recognising care as a universal human need, it positions it as a cornerstone of sustainable development. Investments in care infrastructure create jobs, reduce inequality and support women’s workplace participation while ensuring that children, older people and people with disabilities can live with dignity and autonomy.
The road to implementation
While advisory opinions aren’t binding, they carry considerable legal and political weight, setting regional standards that influence constitutional reforms, strategic litigation and policy development. This decision provides a blueprint for societies where care isn’t an invisible burden but a shared and supported responsibility.
However, feminist organisations have noted a crucial limitation: the court’s decision not to designate the state as the primary guarantor of care rights creates an ambiguity that risks allowing governments to offload duties onto families, perpetuating the inequalities the decision aims to address.
Civil society faces the crucial task of ensuring that implementation prioritises state responsibility. The test lies in transforming legal recognition into laws, policies and practices that reach those most in need. The struggle now shifts from the courtroom to the political arena. Feminist movements are already preparing strategic cases and launching campaigns to pressure governments to pass laws, allocate budgets and build required infrastructure.
States must pass laws recognising the right to care, design universal care systems, integrate time-use surveys into national accounts and build robust care infrastructure. Employers must adapt workplaces to recognise caregiving responsibilities. Civil society and governments must challenge gender stereotypes and engage men and boys in care work.
The Inter-American Court has shown what’s possible: societies where care is valued, supported and shared. For the millions of women across the Americas who have carried this burden in silence, the work of turning this historic recognition into lived reality begins now.
Article by By Inés M. Pousadela, CIVICUS Senior Research Specialist, co-director and writer for CIVICUS Lens and co-author of the State of Civil Society Report.
Q COSTARICA — Costa Rica President Rodrigo Chaves categorically ruled out waiving his immunity in the context of the investigation he faces by the Prosecutor’s Office related to the CABEI case.
“Gentlemen, I will never waive my immunity, not because I’m afraid; my conscience is clear. The people already know, and everyone already knows, that this is a complete mess. Do you think I’m going to waste this historic opportunity to continue showing these people what needs to be fixed?” Chaves said at the weekly press conference on Wednesday.
The President’s statement comes days after his appearance before a legislative committee considering the request by the Full Court to lift presidential immunity, a decision that is expected in two weeks.
Chaves argued that presidential immunity is not a personal privilege, but rather a guarantee established in the Political Constitution that allows the head of state to exercise his functions without having to face judicial proceedings that interrupt his work.
“Presidential immunity is not a whim. It is a protection provided by the Constitution so that the president can govern without having to run to court every day,” he stated.
In contrast, the president referred to the decision on Tuesday by former Minister of Culture Jorge Rodríguez, co-accused in the case with Chaves, to waive his immunity in the same case.
“I congratulate the minister for waiving his immunity. He has nothing to fear, and neither do I. But the circumstances and the position he holds are different from mine,” Chaves noted.
Chaves also challenged legislators to speak out on the issue: “I tell you, gentlemen, show that there was a justified reason, that this monstrosity, this farce that Carlo Díaz pulled, is justified, and vote for it, deputies.”
The Case
The judicial investigation focuses on an alleged “tailor-made” contract to benefit the company RMC La Productora S.A. (known as Nocaut) for an amount exceeding US$400,000 during the current administration.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, Chaves and Rodríguez—who served as Minister of Communications at the time—interceded so that businessman Christian Bulgarelli Rojas (now a crown witness in the case) would grant US$32,000 to Federico Cruz, the president’s personal advisor and friend, in exchange for the contract.
Q COSTARICA — Recently, a bright orange nurse shark was accidentally captured off Barra de Parismina, in the province of Limón.
The nurse shark, which measured more than 2 meters (six feet) long, stood out from the species’ usual brown colouring. The shark was captured on a sport fishing trip near Tortuguero National Park, at a depth of 37 metres (120 feet).
The specimen had white eyes, reinforcing the hypothesis that it could be a combination of xanthism and albinism – also known as xanthochroism – a pigmentation condition that creates excessive yellow or golden colours in the animals’ skin due to a lack of red pigmentation.
According to scientists, the phenomenon is extremely rare. The rare condition has never been seen in cartilaginous fish, a group that includes sharks, rays, and skates, in the Caribbean before, according to Federal University of Rio Grande research.
Specialists also explained that xanthism occurs when dark pigments are lost, revealing yellow or orange tones in the skin.
Unlike most sharks, which must continuously swim to breathe, the nurse shark has a special buccal pump that allows them to breathe without swimming.
While some researchers argue that animals with xanthism face lower survival rates, the scientists believe this case shows that this may not be the case.
This discovery reinforces the natural wealth of the Costa Rican Caribbean and opens the door to future studies on marine biodiversity.
Q COSTARICA — The attack by a pit bull on a 7-year-old boy in Multiplaza Escazú recently reopened the debate about the existence of dog breeds considered dangerous.
Silvia Quesada, a veterinarian at the San Francisco de Asís School of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, explained that talking about dangerous or aggressive breeds is a generalization.
This is because she indicated that aggressiveness is not defined by genetics or a specific breed, but generally depends on multiple factors.
For example, most official lists and laws in different countries agree on a group of breeds that, due to physical strength, a strong bite, and a history of serious attacks, are considered to require special handling.
And what are these breeds?
In Spain, parts of Latin America, and some states in the United States, the following are commonly found:
Pit Bull Terrier
American Staffordshire Terrier
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Rottweiler
Dogo Argentino
Fila Brasileiro
Tosa Inu (Japanese Tosa)
Akita Inu
Doberman Pinscher
Presa Canario (or Dogo Canario)
Some jurisdictions also include:
Bullmastiff
Neapolitan Mastiff
Spanish Alano
Chow Chow
Siberian Husky or Alaskan Malamute (less common)
A dog’s temperament varies depending on the breed, upbringing, and environment, but in general, they are affectionate, protective, and capable of forming a deep emotional bond with their owners
Why are they considered at risk?
Quesada emphasized that an animal’s behavior will depend on early training and socialization. The living conditions to which the pet has been exposed will also come into play.
However, she stressed that dogs can bite at any time if they are under any type of stressful or even threatening situation.
“From a Chihuahua, which can bite, to a Great Dane, an American Staffordshire Terrier, a Pit Bull… all of them, in a threatening or stressful situation, can act in a certain way,” the veterinarian insisted.
For its part, specialized literature rules out the notion that dogs are “bad” by nature – in fact, well-socialized dogs can make excellent pets.
But there are a number of factors that, combined, have created this “fame” for “dangerous” dogs:
Physical strength and body structure
Powerful musculature and great endurance.
Medium-heavy weight (generally over 20-25 kg in adults).
Bite power
They can exceed 200 to 300 PSI (pounds per square inch), capable of causing serious injuries in seconds.
Prey drive and tenacity
Historically bred for guarding, big game hunting, or fighting, they display persistence in their bite.
Incident history
Hospital and insurance statistics show that when they attack, they usually cause more serious injuries than smaller breeds.
Lack of socialization or training
Most reported attacks are linked to poorly trained, isolated, or aggressive dogs.
Special Considerations
The veterinarian insists that: Not all dogs of the aforementioned breeds are dangerous, but their handling requires an experienced owner, early training, ongoing socialization, and proper physical control.
Several countries require a special license, a muzzle in public places, a short leash, and municipal registration.
The risk increases when there are uncontrolled crosses with these breeds.
In the specific case of Costa Rica:
There is no regulation based on specific breeds: The National Animal Health Service (Sensa) has stated that “there is no regulation or law that defines any breed as dangerous.”
However, there are legal criteria applicable to animals declared dangerous due to their irreversible aggressive behavior.
Furthermore, the Penal Code (Article 130 bis) establishes penalties of 3 to 6 months in prison for releasing a dangerous animal, which can increase to one year if it causes physical harm.
Health will inspect businesses for the entry of pets
This past week, the Ministry of Health announced that it will conduct inspections in shopping centers and restaurants that allow animals. This is intended, it says, to ensure strict compliance with regulations related to animals and businesses.
At the same time, it announced that it was unifying the provisions governing the entry of companion animals (pets) into public and private establishments into a single resolution.
Therefore, future inspections will seek to ensure that businesses comply with the following:
Dogs and cats are considered pets only, according to Executive Decree 31626.
In general, the entry or presence of companion animals in public food service establishments is not permitted, subject to a health permit from the Ministry of Health.
This is at least not permitted without prior compliance with the provisions of Article 61, paragraph c of the Regulations for Public Food Services.
This section states that guide dogs used by blind people are exempt. Pets may remain in food service establishments, but not in areas where food is prepared.
If a business decides to allow pets, it must comply with at least the following measures:
Post visible signs indicating that pets are accepted, the type of pet, and the conditions (requiring the use of a collar, leash, and, if necessary, a muzzle).
The owner must collect and dispose of pet waste in designated areas.
Provide a space and containers for disposing of pet waste.
Include a guide for animal-related accidents and incidents in your emergency plan, maintain insurance policies, and communicate this to all employees.
Ensure that pets are always under the supervision of a responsible adult.
Responsibility: Both the business and the pet owner must comply with animal health and welfare laws and regulations.
Penalties: Failure to comply with these provisions will result in the application of special health measures. These include fines, suspension or cancellation of permits, closure, and charges for disobedience to authority.
RICO’s Q — The problem. I got scammed. How did the scammers get to my account? It must be an inside job (at the bank). Well, maybe, but most likely, you had a prepaid cellular phone line linked to your bank account to make a Sinpe Movil transaction and then forgot about it.
The solution. The Banco Central de Costa Rica (BCCR) – Central Bank, and three mobile phone service companies in the country – Kölbi, Liberty, and Claro (telcos), have teamed to launch a plan intended to
The Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR) and the telcos that offer mobile phone services in the country are close to launching a plan aimed at closing the door (to your bank account) to scammers.
The goal is for any of the telcos to confirm with the Central Bank that a phone number being issued to a customer is not associated with another individual’s bank account.
According to investigations by judicial authorities, there are cases in which users associate their phone number with their bank account in order to use the Sinpe Móvil service and make expedited transactions.
Over time, the customer stops using the phone line or cancels the service and the telcos reuse them, that is, assign the number to other people.
However, their number remains linked to their bank accounts unless the customer takes action to unlink the number from their bank account.
For example, if you don’t use your prepaid line for more than 90 days, telcos can reuse prepaid phone numbers, that is, offer them to other customers, and with your link to your bank account.
How do scammers obtain these prepaid lines?
I suppose you could say they go on a fishing trip, buying up SIM cards and testing them one by one. They “test” until they find a line linked to a bank account and transfer funds through a Sinpe mobile phone by text message.
The director of the Central Bank’s Payment Systems Division, Carlos Melegatti, explained that under the new plan, verification would be done immediately, and can unlink the number before it is issued to the new customer.
To achieve this goal, all stakeholders involved must make changes to their IT systems.
Melegatti explained it’s a palliative solution, a way to ensure that whoever buys this phone line cannot access that customer’s previous account.
Central Bank defends the need to maintain Sinpe movil
One way to end any chances of customers being scammed, at least as explained above, is not to have a Sinpe Movil connection to your bank.
Or the Central Bank eliminates the Sinpe Movil.
Melegatti explained that Sinpe Mobile transfers can be made through two channels: via apps or websites, and via text messaging (SMS).
The SMS method is faster, as it only requires sending a text message from the phone line linked to the bank account. This is the scammers’ intent. They purchase the lines from which they repeatedly send the SMS corresponding to Sinpe Mobile transfers. Many will not be linked, and the message will fail.
But they try until they “hit” a phone chip from which they can send the message and, therefore, transfer the funds from the victim’s account, linked it to the phone number, to the criminal’s account.
Although it is faster, it also requires fewer controls. However, Melegatti argues that it is also necessary to maintain the SMS option for two reasons. The first is a contingency measure in case the internet fails. The second is that some people cannot afford a cell phone plan, so sending SMS is more affordable.
OIJ questions the ease with which one can obtain one of these lines
The head of the OIJ’s Fraud Section, Yorkssan Carvajal, said that they have already criticized the “ease with which people can activate these lines in Costa Rica” before the Superintendency of Telecommunications (SUTEL) and the Cybercrime Prosecutor’s Office.
Carvajal complained about “the lack of controls that exist in these types of mechanisms, which, unfortunately, is a great way for cybercriminals to hide behind.”
From his perspective, telephone companies should be required to implement stricter controls to prevent criminals from using these chips as a means to defraud.
What do the telcos say?
Claro, which stated it always follows the guidelines of national authorities, made two recommendations to people who use its prepaid service:
Keep the line active with regular recharges of no more than three months
If the user loses a phone line registered with a financial institution, update the corresponding information as soon as possible to avoid inconveniences
For its part, Liberty also stated that it is willing to collaborate with the authorities in whatever way is necessary.
“We are currently in talks to finalize an agreement with the Central Bank of Costa Rica, which will allow for notification and facilitate the removal of a number from the system when it no longer belongs to its owner,” Liberty states.
The company also urged users to update their information in case they stop using the lines.
For its part, the state-owned company ICE-Kölbi stated that it applies strict verification controls to the information of individuals who purchase a prepaid SIM.
It also states that advanced technical measures have been implemented to detect patterns that may suggest illicit practices. This is done without accessing, analyzing, or filtering the content of user communications.
Finally, another line of defense for customers of prepaid services is to voluntarily register their line with the SUTEL to facilitate the identification of the actual user of the service.
It is important to note that this registration is not yet a mandatory requirement.
Q COSTARICA — Costa Rica’s immigration police reported completing the Interpol handover of a Syrian man on Tuesday, whose immigration checkpoint returned a positive result for terrorism.
According to the immigration service, the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), the entry of the Syrian national was identified during police checkpoints and biometrics checks last November when he attempted to enter Costa Rica via the Paso Canoas border crossing with Panama.
“At the time of his arrest, the foreigner stated that he had no ties to the country, so the individual was immediately detained at immigration’s Central Region Apprehension Center until today,” the DGME emphasized.
“We inform the public that today we have formalized the handover of this citizen to INTERPOL authorities, who will be in charge of the extradition proceedings,” said Omer Badilla, Deputy Minister of the Interior and Director General of Immigration, on Tuesday.
The name of the Syrian national was not released to the public.
The screening and identification of individuals linked to terrorism is carried out in Costa Rica in cooperation with the United States.
Q COSTARICA — Jorge Rodríguez, the Minister of Culture and Youth, “renounced” his immunity to face the criminal proceedings against him and President Rodrigo Chaves in the CABEI case.
This was announced tonight by his lawyer and confirmed by the minister during the hearing before the special congressional committee analyzing the request for the president and minister to be stripped of their immunity by the Full Court, following an accusation made by the Attorney General, Carlo Díaz.
According to Rodríguez and his lawyer, the waiver of immunity is “political” because they argue that it is a constitutional protection that cannot be waived, but he is requesting that the Legislative Assembly lift it in order to face the proceedings.
“Today, Minister Jorge Rodríguez Vives will waive the immunity of criminal inadmissibility. We know that the Constitution does not allow this to happen, however, due to a political act, he wishes to waive it and leaves it up to you, as the Legislative Assembly, to approve it and prosecute him criminally,” Brenes said.
The defense attorney questioned the solidity of the accusation and pointed out irregularities in the Public Prosecutor’s Office, including the use of the testimony of Christian Bulgarelli, who was granted crown witness status. According to Brenes, this benefit should have entailed the opening of a case for perjury or false testimony.
Rodríguez, for his part, asserted that his public career has been guided by transparency and respect for the rule of law.
“I appear today with the full conviction that public service only makes sense if it is exercised under the highest principles of transparency, legality, and accountability (…) In an act of consistency and absolute justice, I have raised the possibility of waiving immunity as a duty of transparency to the public,” the minister stated.
The minister added that he is not afraid of accusations and that, once the facts are clarified, he will file complaints against those he believes have injured his honor.
Q COSTARICA — Legislators of the Government and Administration Commission of the Legislative Assembly approved a bill seeking to impose a fine of ¢280,000 on those who engage in violent behavior on the roads.
The bill was introduced in October of last year by the leader of the Nueva República faction, Fabricio Alvarado, who justified his initiative by arguing that the Traffic Law currently fails to punish “road rage”, violent acts such as aggressive or hostile behavior by drivers, ranging from verbal outbursts and rude gestures to dangerous driving and physical violence like assault or property damage, which can cause injury or even death.
In addition to the ¢280,000 fine, the proposal establishes that if drivers involved in these violent acts on public roads disobey traffic authorities when asked to move their vehicles to regulate traffic flow, the vehicle will be immobilized and their license plates removed.
Furthermore, it is stated that traffic authorities may detain drivers, pedestrians, passengers, and any other person who impedes, obstructs, or hinders vehicular traffic or the movement of pedestrians due to their participation in violent acts, and who refuses to obey police orders to move their vehicle.
Following the committee’s ruling, the plan will now be passed to the legislative floor for discussion and voting.
Q COSTARICA — The guily plea by Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García, who has led the Sinaloa Cartel since 1989 and been involved in drug trafficking for five decades, on Monday in a Brooklyn federal court to U.S. drug trafficking charges could have repercussions in Costa Rica.
Zambada, who co-headed the organization with Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán until El Chapo was caught in 2016. Now that the cartel’s two main leaders are behind bars, shifts inside the group are likely, possibly sparking violence and the fall of other leaders both nationally and regionally.
The 39th International Drug Control Conference (IDEC XXXIX) kicked off this Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee, drawing top officials like the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and police chiefs from across the globe. CR Hoy is on the ground covering the event.The arrest of Zambada and the prospect of his sentencing in January 2026 is a big win for the investigative police force. Still, they acknowledge the challenge remains, with close partners involved in drug trafficking and money laundering operating right in Central America.
This issue was addressed at the three-day 39th International Drug Control Conference (IDEC XXXIX), which commenced this Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee, and includes top representatives of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and police chiefs from around the world, including Costa Rica’s Deputy Director of the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ), Michael Soto.
Zambada’s capture and possible sentencing in January 2026 represent a cause for celebration for the DEA, but at the same time, it recognizes the existence of very close partners in Central America, both in drug distribution and money laundering.
The 77-year-old Zamabda pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of running a continuing criminal enterprise two weeks after prosecutors said they wouldn’t seek the death penalty against him. Instead, he’s expecting to be sentenced to life in prison.
“The Cartel’s distribution networks have also supported money laundering efforts that have returned billions of dollars in illegal profits generated by drug sales in the United States to the Cartel.
“The increased profits allowed the Cartel’s operations to grow a large-scale narcotics transportation network involving the use of land, air, and sea transportation assets, ultimately leading the Cartel to ship multi-ton quantities of cocaine from South America, through Central America and Mexico, and ultimately to the United States,” the DEA confirmed to CRhoy.com, which is covering the event.
Impact in Costa Rica
Costa Rica was a key drug trafficking hub for the Sinaloa Cartel. US authorities hope that this conviction and the statements of witnesses close to Zambada will identify individuals in Costa Rica linked to the clan.
Before being summoned to New York, “El Mayo” was already facing an indictment in the Eastern District Court of Texas for his incursions in that state.
Costa Rica is currently processing the extradition of Edwin Vega López (alias Pecho de Rata), Celso Gamboa Sánchez, and Jonathan Álvarez Alfaro (alias Profe or Gato).
Coincidentally, the same court is requesting the extradition of Celso Gamboa, whom the DEA identifies in the investigation file as the regional representative of the Sinaloa Cartel in part of Costa Rica.
Gamboa is charged with two federal counts of international drug trafficking, in the same Texas courtroom where “El Mayo” already had a criminal record.
The case against Gamboa indicates that he operated in a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) with branches in South America, Central America, and North America, responsible for shipping tons of cocaine to the United States.
In Costa Rica, Gamboa is linked to “La H” or “Los Hondureños,” with whom he apparently acted as an arm of the Sinaloa Cartel in Central America.
Sinaloa cartel
The Sinaloa cartel is Mexico’s oldest criminal organization, tracing its roots back to the 1970s. It holds significant influence in drug trafficking, with even a former Mexican cabinet official convicted for accepting bribes to support the cartel.
El Mayo Zambada, the historic leader and co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, pleaded guilty in a federal court in New York. (Photo: EFE)
Known as a skilled negotiator, Zambada acted as the cartel’s strategist and dealmaker, playing a more hands-on role in daily operations than the flamboyant Guzmán. Still, prosecutors claim Zambada was deeply involved in the cartel’s violent acts, including reportedly ordering the killing of his own nephew.
U.S. authorities had been after Zambada for over twenty years, yet he managed to avoid arrest anywhere until last year, when Texas law enforcement finally caught him. He landed on a private plane alongside Joaquín Guzmán López, one of El Chapo’s sons. Joaquín Guzmán López has entered a not guilty plea on federal drug trafficking charges in Chicago, while his brother, Ovidio Guzmán López, admitted guilt just last month.
Zambada has said he was kidnapped in Mexico and taken against his will to the U.S. He had often been at odds with Guzmán’s sons, dubbed the Chapitos, a term that translates to “little Chapos.”
With files from CNN.com, ElFinanciero.com.mx, EFE, Crhoy.com. An AI-powered writing assistant was used for parts of this article.
Q COSTARICA — If you use the Sinpe Móvil and make more than 100 monthly transfers to make payments or receive money at your business, there is a legal change that will take effect starting September 1st and could cost you millions of colones in fines if you are not careful.
Merchants and independent professionals must register in the electronic invoicing system.
This will allow the Ministerio de Hacienda (Treasury) and the Banco Central (Central Bank) to cross-reference transaction information to identify those who receive constant income through SINPE.
The goal is to have better control over the Impuesto al Valor Agregado (IVA) – Value Added Tax and income tax payments.
This is due to the implementation of version 4.4 of the electronic invoicing system, which incorporates a new specific code to identify payments made through Sinpe Móvil (code “06”), as well as other digital methods, including PayPal.
Merchants should follow the following steps to comply: first coordinate with their accountant, verify that their invoicing system is updated to version 4.4, register their systems provider with the Treasury, and, in the case of those using the free invoicing system, attend official training sessions.
One recommendation from tax attorneys is to separate your personal and business accounts. This way, you can better account for your business and the transfers you receive.
According to the Central Bank, the measure does not, in any way, seek to penalize the daily use of the Sinpe Móvil.
What is SINPE?
The Sistema Nacional de Pagos Electrónicos (Sinpe) – National Electronic Payment System, is a technological platform developed and managed by the Banco Central de Costa Rica. It connects the country’s financial institutions and public institutions through a private telecommunications network, allowing them to electronically transfer funds between accounts.
To enroll in the service, the customer must contact the financial institution where they maintain the funding account they wish to link to their mobile phone.
A mobile phone number must be linked to a single funding account.
The Sinpe system allows you to view the balance of the account linked to the mobile phone number.
The customer can view the latest fund movements applied to the account linked to the mobile phone number.
The service operates with availability for customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Mobile payments are settled in real time (immediately) to customers’ funding accounts.
The Risks
There is a risk that this system will lose its appeal, which is the speed of transactions, and that many people will return to using more cash as a means of payment.
“It’s likely that businesses will see an advantage again when customers pay in cash, since if they pay by debit or credit card , a withholding will be applied, and that’s what will also happen now with Sinpe Móvil.
“It seems to me a very reasonable measure given the significant growth this system has had, which currently has no withholding element,” said German Morales, tax partner at Grand Thornton.
In 2024, more than ¢10.8 trillion were moved by Costa Ricans through this tool, up from ¢8.5 trillion a year earlier, reflecting its explosive growth.
The omission of invoices in Sinpe Móvil transactions could lead to multi-million-dollar fines, account freezes, and even criminal proceedings, so it’s best to be prepared and informed.
The omitted IVA and income tax may be charged retroactively, with interest, fines of up to 150% of the tax payable, account freezes and preventive seizures, and even the temporary closure of the business in the event of a repeat offense.
“The measure seeks to curb the use of personal accounts to receive payments from clients without filing taxes, a practice that constitutes tax non-compliance and could lead to multi-million-dollar fines and even criminal proceedings,” explained tax attorney Gabriel Zamora.
Undoubtedly, an impact on revenue is expected, since Sinpe Móvil would be a regulated payment, as is currently the case with credit and debit cards, in which the issuing entity withholds a tax as an advance on value-added tax and income tax.
To date, the Treasury has not yet recorded the revenue benefit, as it is only identifying the percentage of commercial transactions carried out through the SINPE Móvil platform and other platforms.
“Once identified, more effective control over these transactions will be possible, facilitating the fight against tax evasion and promoting the formalization of businesses,” stated Mario Ramos, Director General of Taxation.
The truth is that this will facilitate bank reconciliation and allow businesses to accurately understand the profitability of their operations.
“Having an electronic receipt to support the purchase of goods or services will ensure taxpayers greater control and transparency in their transactions, guaranteeing the service, and ensuring that their purchases are properly documented for tax purposes,” Ramos concluded.
Although the measure has generated concern in the formal sectors, those that will be harmed are the informal market businesses.
Q COSTARICA — Former Finance Minister in the Chaves administration, Nogui Acosta, was chosen by the National Assembly of the Partido Pueblo Soberano (PPSO) as the first candidate for legislator for the canton of San José.
Acosta, who last month resigned his appointment as Finance Minister in the current administration, will lead the list in the upcoming legislative elections.
As to his academic qualifications, the former Minister holds a master’s degree in Economics with an emphasis on Business Economics and a bachelor’s degree in Economics with an emphasis on Business Administration.
“It’s a great honor; from Congress, we will make every effort to achieve the necessary reforms for the country to move forward,” said Nogui Acosta.
Nogui Acosta, Stephan Brunner, and Anna Katharina Müller are among the PPSO candidates for the Legislative Assembly in the 2026 elections
The ballot for San José also includes other prominent figures from the national political scene.
Among them is Stephan Brunner, former Vice President of the Chaves administration, who also resigned from his position and is now taking on the PPSO’s candidacy for Congress.
Also notable is former Education Minister Anna Katharina Müller, who left her position in the Executive Branch and joined the campaign alongside presidential candidate Laura Fernández.
The final order of the top spots on the list of 18 candidates for deputy for San José is as follows:
Nogui Acosta
Kattia Mora
Stephan Brunner
Mayuli Ortega
Gonzalo Ramírez
Anna Katharina Müller
With this list, the PPSO defines its first proposals for positions in the Legislative Assembly ahead of the 2026 elections and is fully preparing for the electoral campaign, which has already begun
Q COSTARICA — Juan Santamaría International Airport, known as the San José airport (SJO), managed by AERIS, has consolidated its position as a regional and global benchmark in passenger experience management by achieving Level 5 Customer Experience (CX) certification from Airports Council International (ACI).
This distinction, the highest within the program, positions SJO as the second airport in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the fifth worldwide, to earn this recognition.
“This accreditation reaffirms our commitment to offering every passenger an authentic Pura Vida experience. It is the result of the collaborative work of the entire airport community and the constant effort to innovate, provide excellent service, and raise international standards of care. This milestone places us among the top five airports in the world to provide world-class service, always aligned with our purpose of connecting every traveler with the best of Costa Rica,” said Ricardo Hernández, Executive Director of AERIS.
Level 5 certification recognizes a high level of maturity in passenger experience management, highlighting the integration of the entire airport community into a strong, customer-centric culture.
This stage involves not only improving traveler perception and satisfaction, but also closely linking it to employee engagement and well-being.
Innovative Initiatives
Creation of the SJO Customer Experience Committee, comprised of representatives from airlines, government entities, retailers, and AERIS.
Employee Experience Program, with integration and sports activities, such as a soccer tournament with representatives from the airport community, and a recognition program for those who contribute to improvements in the passenger experience.
Co-creation workshops with the participation of passengers, airlines, and retailers to identify improvements and generate joint solutions.
More than 600 employees trained in teamwork, emotion management, and customer service under the “Pura Vida” concept.
Innovations in infrastructure and technology, such as the CT scanner pilot at security checkpoints, reorganization of check-in lines, improvements in signage, installation of an information totem pole, and mobile device charging stations.
Direct involvement of executives in the care and observation of the passenger experience, participating in tours, focus groups, and direct customer service.
Annual implementation of an engagement survey, the objective of which is to listen to employee feedback to understand their level of satisfaction and well-being in the workplace, identify areas for improvement, and promote a positive environment at the airport, reflected in improved passenger service.
Measurable Results in Satisfaction and Experience
Since 2022, the overall passenger satisfaction and experience indicators have shown steady growth, reaching ratings of 4.49 and 4.45 out of 5, respectively, in 2025. These results reflect the positive impact of a sustained strategy of active listening and continuous improvement.
Currently, only 21 airports in Latin America are part of ACI’s CX program. Along with Quito Airport, SJO is the only airport in the region with Level 5 certification, consolidating its position as a regional leader and a model for other airports around the world.
For AERIS, this achievement is a milestone on a path of continuous improvement. Upcoming goals include the implementation of biometrics at immigration controls, the pursuit of new accreditations such as ACI’s Sunflowers and Accessibility certifications, and the incorporation of advanced technology to control processing times at passenger touchpoints.
Q COSTARICA — Former Costa Rica President Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Echeverría (1998 – 2002) will face trial in the so-called “reinsurance case,” more than two decades after the investigation against him began.
The case, opened in 2001, revolves around alleged payments made by UK reinsurance companies to officials of the then administration, with the goal of becoming the reinsurance companies of the state insurer, the Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS).
According to the Judiciary, the case focuses on allegations of alleged illegal commissions linked to contracts signed by the INS.
Although a final dismissal had been issued in favor of Rodríguez during the proceedings, that ruling was appealed, and an interim judge subsequently decided to bring the case to trial, thus keeping open a 24-year-old process.
Cristian Arguedas, the former president’s defense attorney, criticized the decision to bring the matter to trial after so much time and in a complex personal context for his client.
“Certainly, 24 years after the case began, we are going to trial in the so-called reinsurance case. As a defense attorney, I regret it, and above all as a human being, it pains me greatly that Don Miguel Ángel has to face this process at this time, when he and his wife are facing a serious health situation. In other words, the trial comes at the worst possible time for him personally,” Arguedas stated.
The lawyer also questioned the length of time of the case and asserted that basic principles of due process have been violated.
“It is a disgrace for the country that 24 years later, Don Miguel Ángel Rodríguez has to appear in court, when the Constitutional Court has already declared that the principle of prompt and complete justice has been violated. In other words, that principle continues to be violated. So, let’s see the absurdity of all this,” he added.
Finally, Arguedas maintained that his client should be acquitted, considering that Rodríguez had no involvement in the alleged acts.
Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Echeverría, Costa Rican economist, lawyer, businessman and politician who served as President of Costa Rica from 1998 to 2002. Among his political achievements are being the Minister of Planning from 1968 to 1970 and Minister of the Presidency in 1970 during the administration of José Joaquin Trejos Fernández (1966 – 1970); serving as president of the Legislative Assembly from 1991 to 1992; and being elected Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) in 2004. He voluntarily stepped down from this post to return to his country and face allegations of financial wrongdoing during his presidency in Costa Rica. On April 27, 2011, he was sentenced to 5 years in prison, but this ruling was later reversed in a December 2012 decision by an appeals court, which found him innocent of all charges.
Q COSTARICA –The appointment of Marta Esquivel, former executive president of the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) and former Minister of Planning, as the first-place candidate for legislator for the province of Heredia on the Patriso Pueblo Soberano (PPSO) ballot, drew strong criticism from former Health Minister Joselyn Chacón (2022-2023).
Chacón described Esquivel’s appointment as “regrettable” and questioned her record in public office, asserting that her actions do not represent the values of Costa Rican women.
“Mrs. Marta Esquivel, justice does not mean firing officials for political affiliations or during maternity leave, which is one of the most fragile times for many women, nor does it mean intimidating officials at the Heredia Hospital or placing a pupil of yours who never did anything to earn a position in second place,” Chacón stated on her Facebook account.
The former health minister added that, while she recognizes other candidates on the ballot who do have merits to aspire to a legislative seat, Esquivel’s presence taints the internal process.
“Both this and other candidates are regrettable, but I do take my hat off to other people who do deserve to be on that ballot, and I say this with full knowledge of the facts (…) This doesn’t mean that I’m not an option for whom to vote, but you know I speak directly, and as a woman, I’m not represented by Mrs. Martha,” she stated.
Chacón also sent a direct message to Esquivel, pointing out that her leadership style contradicts the representation that women should have in politics:
“We’re electing our next Assembly; let it be with arguments, but a mother who uses her position to figuratively kill other women is not and will not be a woman I’m going to applaud.”
