Q24N (Reuters) Low voter turnout on Monday sank Italian opposition referendum proposals to ease citizenship laws and tighten job protection rules, with senior figures in the coalition of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni saying the outcome boosted the government.
Near-final data from polling stations in Italy showed only around 30% of eligible voters had cast their ballots at the end of two days of voting, far short of the 50% plus one of the electorate needed to make the vote legally binding.
The outcome – which will be final once votes from Italians living abroad are counted – is a blow for the coalition of center-left opposition parties, civil society groups and the CGIL trade union behind the referendum questions and a win for Meloni who strongly opposed them.
“The opposition wanted to turn the referendum into a vote on the Meloni government. The response is very clear: the government emerges from this stronger and the left is weaker,” said Giovanbattista Fazzolari, a cabinet undersecretary and a close aide to Meloni.
Meloni and her right-wing allies encouraged their supporters to boycott the vote. The prime minister visited a polling station in Rome on Sunday but opted not to cast a vote.
Opposition forces had hoped that latching on to the issues of labor rights and Italy’s demographic woes could help them challenge Meloni, something they have struggled to do since she came to power in 2022.
“Our goal was to reach a quorum, it is clear that we did not reach it. Today is not a day of victory,” said CGIL union leader Maurizio Landini, who added millions of Italians went to vote and that was “a starting number” to keep fighting for change.
The Citizenship Requirements
One of the five referendums was about reducing the period of residence required to apply for Italian citizenship by naturalization to five years from 10 years, which according to organizers would have affected about 2.5 million people.
In a country suffering a sharp decline in the birth rate, some economists believe attracting more foreigners is vital to boosting an anemic economy, while rights groups campaigned for a “Yes” vote to promote the integration of migrant workers.
According to initial figures around 35% of voters were against easing the citizenship requirements, indicating the “No” vote could be much higher than in the other questions where the “Yes” looked poised for a very strong majority.
The other four referendum questions concerned a reversal of labor market liberalizations introduced a decade ago, and a broadening of liability rules on accidents at work for companies relying on contractors and subcontractors.
Editor’s note:
A significant number of Costa Ricans have Italian lineage in their family background, which allows them to potentially qualify for Italian citizenship through descent, also known as jus sanguinis.
This enables Costa Ricans with a direct line of Italian ancestry, such as parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and beyond, to obtain Italian citizenship.
As of March 27, 2025, Italy has introduced a decree restricting citizenship by descent, if they have a direct line of descent from an Italian ancestor who was born in Italy, or if a parent or grandparent was born in Italy. Individuals with ancestry further back than two generations will need to demonstrate a “real and recent link” to Italy, such as recent residence, to be eligible for citizenship.
Italy recognizes dual citizenship, allowing individuals to hold multiple citizenship, as long as the other nations involved also permit it.
QCOSTARICA — A more agile, humane, and equitable state, with responses without excuses, and where it’s not enough just to improve, but to transform, is the proposal by Costa Rica’s former first lady, Claudia Dobles Camargo, who formally announced her candidacy for the Partido Acción Ciudadana (PAC) on Monday.
Dobles’s government plan includes modernizing education (including AI and bilingualism), strengthening state transparency, and combating organized crime and traffic congestion with structural solutions.
An architect by profession, who served as first lady in her husband’s administration (Carlos Alvarado 2018-2022), emphasizes female leadership while warning that there is a lot of polarization in Costa Rica.
Dobles made the announcement through her social media channels after completing her academic training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard.
“People are tired of things not working; it’s not enough to improve, we must transform. We need an agile, efficient, equitable, and humane state that provides responses without excuses,” Dobles stated.
The presidential candidate believes that citizens demand “a profound change” in institutions, processes, and the way politics are conducted, and insisted that “this change, with efficiency and decency, is our proposal.”
Priority Focuses
Among the priority focus areas of the PAC’s pre-candidacy are the following:
Education: This would entail the comprehensive modernization of the system.
Transparency and Public Service: With a State at the service of the people, with citizen participation, accountability, and clear management.
Public Security: Strengthening police forces to counter organized crime, drug trafficking, and cybercrime.
Infrastructure and Justice: Structural attention to road dams, reducing waiting lists, streamlining judicial processes, and increasing the efficiency of the Comptroller’s Office.
Dobles emphasized that the tools to offer democratic solutions exist, but that implementing them requires “strategy, efficiency, and decency.”
QCOSTARICA — Costa Rica has improved its business environment and is now a less complicated country in which to do business and attract foreign direct investment, according to the TMF Group ranking.
The country moved from 51st to 58th. According to the methodology, the higher the ranking, the lower the business complexity.
“The decline in the index is an encouraging sign of Costa Rica’s commitment to constantly improving its business environment. We have seen significant progress thanks to infrastructure modernization and government measures that facilitate the operation of foreign companies, strengthening the confidence of investors and trading partners. Continued investment in strategic corridors, the existence and promotion of energy from renewable sources, and free trade zones are driving market diversification,” said Adrián Owen, Director of TMF Group for Central America.
In the region, Costa Rica is only surpassed by Honduras, which is ranked 66th out of 79 countries analyzed.
In this regard, the most complex country to do business in is Greece, while the friendliest for foreign investment is the Cayman Islands.
The Challenges
Despite the good news, Costa Rica faces a series of challenges to maintain or improve its position as an ideal investment destination.
Among them are the appreciation of the colón, bureaucracy, and the human talent gap and competition in some sectors.
Another aspect affecting competitiveness is related to the quality of infrastructure.
“Although Costa Rica has two main ports, Moín in Limón and Caldera in Puntarenas, the Juan Santamaría (San Jose) Airport and the Guanacaste Airport, national highways, and the Inter-American Highway (Ruta 1 to the north and Ruta 2 to the south), there are challenges regarding their functionality for efficient mobilization, directly impacting local and international companies,” the report adds.
Marco Vinicio Ruiz, former Minister of Foreign Trade, called on the PLN and its candidate Álvaro Ramos to reconsider their opinion regarding the 4×3 work shifts, an initiative to allow for 12-hour workdays, four days a week, in exchange for three days off. The proposal is currently being held up in the legislative process due to opposition from the Frente Amplio and the PLN legislators.
For Ruiz, the tariffs promoted by the United States and the call to repatriate foreign investment should improve Costa Rica’s competitiveness.
“There is a historical debt that transcends political affiliations. It’s been more than 25 years since I was in the Ministry, and we talked about the need for a regulatory framework that would protect companies and workers in productive activities that involve continuous and uninterrupted flows of work; that is, we are talking about extremely high-productivity companies that require 24/7 work, and the 4×3 overtime workday is ideal, both for the employer and the workers (…) We have seen how the PLN, or at least an important sector that has historically supported this project, has changed its mind, possibly for political reasons,” said Ruiz.
Human Talent
In an increasingly competitive environment marked by a shortage of specialized talent, companies in Costa Rica face a critical dilemma: while they enthusiastically embrace new technologies and artificial intelligence, many are still unclear about the skills they really need.
This is the warning from Joscelyn Calderón Berrocal, Human Talent Manager at RSM Costa Rica, who points out that this disconnect exacerbates constant turnover and the lack of qualified human resources, especially in key sectors such as technology, healthcare, and financial services.
Between 2024 and the current year, Costa Rica made a significant leap in the Business Complexity Index, according to TMF Group (the higher the ranking, the lower its business complexity).
Among the Central American counties, the results are current (2025) compared to the 2024 rankings
Honduras: 66 / 60
Costa Rica 58 / 51
Nicaragua 50 / 53
El Salvador 46 / 50
Guatemala 45 / 44
Panamá 42 / 39
TMF Group is a professional services firm that publishes the Global Business Complexity Index (GBCI), which ranks countries based on the complexity of their business environment. The GBCI assesses various factors like legislation, compliance, accounting procedures, tax regimes, and HR processes.
QCOSTARICA — In light of the recent suspension of visas for foreign students in the United States, Texas Tech University – Costa Rica (TTU-CR) offers a reliable option for those seeking a U.S. degree.
Located on Avenida Escazú, TTU-CR is the satellite campus of Texas Tech University based in Lubbock, Texas, offering academic programs entirely in English, identical to those offered on the main campus.
“Given the changing geopolitical landscape, and especially regarding obtaining a U.S. visa for study, we have the opportunity to offer students the highest quality, U.S.-style education without the need to apply for a student visa. You can earn your U.S. degree right here in Costa Rica, meeting the same requirements as in the United States and enjoying the same quality of faculty, student life, and enriching experiences on our campus. All of this without having to travel abroad,” Dr. Ellen Rose, executive director of Texas Tech University Costa Rica, told La República.
TTU-CR offers programs in high-demand global areas such as Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Computer Science, Business Administration, and Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management. It also provides students the flexibility to begin their studies in Costa Rica and later relocate to the main campus, without changes to the academic content or the degree awarded.
“If at any point during your studies you want to go to the United States and circumstances allow, you don’t even need to transfer; you simply change your campus designation. It’s not a separate admissions process; once you’re a Texas Tech student, you’re a student regardless of whether you’re in Costa Rica or Texas. You can make that change after one semester, after one year, after two or three years; there’s no specific deadline. That option is always open. You can also complete the full four years here in Costa Rica and earn your U.S. degree from Texas Tech University,” added Dr. Rose.
QCOSTARICA — Costa Rica has established itself as a leader in the adoption of digital payments in Central America.
With high levels of banking access and a growing digital culture, the country is participating in a regional effort led by Mastercard that seeks to eliminate manual data entry and passwords for digital payments by 2030.
Currently, 90% of Costa Ricans over the age of 15 use formal financial services and 80% make purchases online, positioning the country as one of the most prepared in Central America to adopt new payment technologies, according to data shared by the company.
Among the innovations that will enable this change are tokenization, which replaces sensitive card data with unique codes that are more difficult to crack; the Click to Pay system, which streamlines the payment process without having to enter card data for each purchase; and passkeys, which use biometric authentication instead of traditional passwords.
These technologies have been shown to reduce fraud in digital transactions.
In Latin America, tokenization has reduced fraud by 20 basis points, and currently, more than 35% of the company’s transactions are already tokenized.
While in-person payments have improved thanks to technologies such as chip and contactless, online purchases still face challenges such as friction in the payment process and the risk of fraud, according to Kattia Montero, Country Manager for Mastercard in Costa Rica.
E-commerce in Costa Rica reached US$5.5 billion in sales in 2023, according to data from Payments and Commerce Market Intelligence.
The expectation is that more secure and simple technologies will contribute to increasing these figures in the coming years.
This process, which is already underway, could also benefit merchants with higher approval rates, fewer abandoned purchases, and an overall improvement in consumer confidence.
QCOSTARICA — The Costa Rica Cruz Roa (Red Cross) reported last week that one in five (20%) of the emergencies attended by first responders in Costa Rica are traffic accidents.
These statistics emerge as part of an urgent plea: road accidents are preventable, the Red Cross maintains.
So far in 2025 (with statistics provided through Thursday, June 5), 1,285 people involved in traffic accidents were transferred in critical condition to a medical center, and 245 died at the scene of the accident.
The Red Cross says traffic accidents are preventable. In the call for prevention, the Red Cross released a video offering the following tips:
Drive responsibly.
Do not consume substances that impair your senses.
Do not use cell phones while driving.
Always wear seatbelts (drivers and passengers) in the vehicle. Also, use appropriate safety restraints for infants and children.
Respect speed limits and road signs.
“Your family is waiting for you; don’t risk your life due to carelessness. At the Red Cross, we want you to get home safely and not find yourself in an emergency you could have avoided.
Drive safely, arrive alive,” is the message from the Red Cross.
Slight drop in May; the first in 9 months
Last week, the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes (MOPT) revealed that last month (May) ended with the lowest number of fatalities at the scene of traffic accidents of all of 2025 and the previous 9 months.
Authorities recorded 38 fatalities in the month. The Traffic Police described the data as a relief due to the trend that had continued since August 2024 when in that month there were 34 deaths, but since then the figures have been higher than 40.
“It’s a relief from several perspectives, not only because the numbers are going down, but because it breaks a trend that was worrying,” commented Oswaldo Miranda, director of the Policia de Transito (Traffic Police0.
In the first months of 2025, this was the pattern:
January: 52 deaths
February: 50 deaths
March: 72 deaths
April: 44 deaths
May: 38
Motorcyclists continue to be the most affected
Despite the slight decrease in the number, authorities are urging increased precautions to ensure the improvement is sustained. They also emphasize that motorcyclists and young people are the most affected.
Of the 38 deaths in May, 20 were motorcyclists, which is more than half (53%) of the monthly fatalities. So far this year, 138 of the 256 victims (54% ) have lost their lives on motorcycles.
Meanwhile, automobiles have the second highest incidence of deaths, with 30 so far this year.
Leading Causes of Fatal Accidents
The four leading causes of fatal accidents are:
Speeding – 84 deaths
Wandering into the Oncoming Lane – 58 deaths
Driver Recklessness – 37 deaths
Pedestrian Recklessness – 31 deaths
Miranda made a special appeal to pedestrians. “We also have responsibilities. We must use pedestrian overpasses, walk on sidewalks, and cross in safe areas.”
Who dies most and when?
According to official MOPT data, the most dangerous time slots are:
6:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. (90 deaths)
12:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. (73)
Mornings: 51
Afternoons: 42
By age, the breakdown of road accident deaths hits the younger population hardest:
21 to 30 years: 84 deaths
31 to 40 years: 52
41 to 50 years: 35
By sex, the deaths in 2025 are divided into 220 men and 36 women.
The Traffic Police called for extreme caution, especially with the approaching mid-year school holidays and the Cartago pilgrimage in August, which significantly increase vehicular and pedestrian traffic on the country’s roads.
QCOSTARICA — The most recent report from the “informe del programa Análisis de Coyuntura de la Sociedad Costarricense” (Current Situation Analysis of Costa Rican Society program), run by the School of Sociology at the National University (UNA), highlights that the confrontation between political decision-making bodies and the powers of the republic, the violence manifested in the streets, and the abandonment of agendas favoring the defense of human rights represent symptoms that the Costa Rican state is moving toward a state of structural violence “that is spreading throughout the national territory.”
This situation facilitates a gap in the generation of important agreements for the country, while economic and social inequality continues to affect the population, which is perceptible in areas such as education, the environment, social programs, and public infrastructure.
Carlos Carranza Villalobos, a UNA academic and program coordinator, was critical, noting that “through the analysis of various key issues, a situation marked by political tensions, structural challenges, and a general sense of uncertainty is exposed.”
UNA officials noted that what had been warned about in previous reports on this program became a constant in the first four months of 2025: President Rodrigo Chaves’ discursive style is marked by confrontation with other political and social sectors, as is the case with the Legislative Assembly, and particularly with the president of the legislative branch, Rodrigo Arias.
“Using confrontational messages, directing them through channels outside of formal communication, and fueled by the absence of a leader in the Ministry of the Presidency (Chief of Staff office) to serve as a bridge, are part of the relationships established during the period under review. However, this clash has gone far beyond the Zapote-Cuesta de Moras (executive and legislative branches) relationship and was amplified in the march against the Attorney General, in which the president himself and his cabinet participated,” the UNA highlighted.
Furthermore, it was noted that the continued use of the presidential veto on bills that are not in the interest of the Executive Branch and the increased tensions with other institutions such as the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE) complement the government’s style.
“This attitude has contributed to an atmosphere of polarization and weakening of institutional dialogue,” Carranza added.
Structural violence is not only fueled by the government’s confrontational discourse toward other entities. It has become a recurring social phenomenon with other manifestations, such as femicides, which have reached 17 cases so far in 2025.
The report highlights that the current administration has failed to reverse “this worrying trend” of structural violence and has instead shifted its policy toward a neo-conservative approach to human rights, minority protection, and care for the migrant population.
Among other elements included in the report, the following were highlighted:
The ambiguous position maintained by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arnoldo André Tinoco, in a presentation before the plenary session of the Legislative Assembly.
The issuance of a decree restricting funding and political support for the 2030 Agenda related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Carranza concluded, “These decisions weaken Costa Rica’s position in the global context.”
Backlog in Sectors
Additionally, the report notes that the uncertainty generated by the lack of political cohesion affects other sectors:
On the social level, although there has been a slight reduction in poverty rates, this is accompanied by an increase in inequality, a result of reduced funding for social programs and insufficient attention to key institutions such as the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS).
The lag in hospital infrastructure, most evident in the construction of the new hospital in Cartago, the lack of a solution to waiting lists for surgeries and appointments, the flight and resignation of specialist doctors, and the conflict generated with the management of Basic Comprehensive Health Care Teams (Ebáis) by cooperatives, are all reflections of the decline in the social security system.
Regarding environmental issues, the program questioned whether there is a clear policy in this area. Rather, it points to the doubts and criticisms generated by the public and private interests in cases such as the felling of trees in the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge.
In the area of infrastructure, the analysis clarifies progress and limitations, noting that there is an ongoing effort to improve the condition of some roads, but setbacks occur along the way, such as the construction of the highway to Limón and the problems caused by the roundabouts that replaced the overpasses originally proposed for the project. Similar problems arise with the overpass in La Lima, Cartago, which has not been without criticism. While the proposed electric train, road planning, and the lack of attention to hazards on roads and bridges that pose a real risk to users, according to the UCR’s Lanamme, are among the tasks that are progressing very slowly.
In terms of education, the report denounces the lack of a defined path, accompanied by an unprecedented reduction in educational investment, an organizational model within the Ministry of Public Education (MEP) that is inconsistent with current demands, and the need to improve teaching curricula to strengthen competitiveness and human talent that promote social mobility.
In foreign trade, a conflictive scenario emerges following the imposition of tariffs on Costa Rican exports by the United States government and the need to establish a long-term strategy.
The analysis concludes with an unfavorable outlook for the second half of the year:
Unless deliberate efforts are made to change course, everything indicates that this will be the prevailing trend for the rest of the year, especially if the president continues to reinforce this climate through symbolic language laden with tension.
Structural violence, a concept introduced by Johan Galtung in 1969, refers to harm caused by social structures and institutions that prevent people from meeting their basic needs or rights. Unlike direct violence, where a specific actor causes harm, structural violence is embedded in the systems of society and can be less visible but often more pervasive. From Google
The article is translated and adapted from Delfino.cr. Read the original, in Spanish, here.
QCOSTARICA — Fallout near the Poás Volcano isn’t just water. The rains are carrying gases emanating from the volcano, is generating acid rain in nearby communities.
The phenomenon occurs when gases such as sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), expelled by the volcano, mix with the humidity in the environment.
According to José Pablo Sibaja of the Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratory, the pattern of humidity and rainfall in the area causes sulfur gases to dissolve in water droplets and return to the ground.
The Poás Volcano crater reached temperatures exceeding 700°C, according to satellite measurements and thermal records kept by the National Seismological Network (RSN).
This situation generates what is known as acid rain, a phenomenon that can affect vegetation, soil, and water sources near the crater.
The most immediate effects can be felt during the first few minutes of rain, especially if it is highly polluted.
It could also cause some type of skin irritation.
Plum-laden with Sulfur Gases
On Thursday, scientists from the UNA’s Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratory, in conjunction with the School of Chemistry and the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory (OVSICORI), conducted measurements at the volcano.
During the monitoring session, researchers observed a white plume with blue hues, indicating a high concentration of sulfur gases and water vapor.
The team is using drones equipped with special sensors that pass directly through the plume to measure the amount of gases and analyze their behavior.
“We want to know if these concentrations are increasing, decreasing, or remaining stable, because that allows us to understand what is happening with the volcano’s activity,” Sibaja explained.
Gases Aren’t Dispersing Far
According to experts, the gases aren’t traveling more than 100 kilometers from the crater.
This is due to the rainfall pattern and humidity, which cause what is known as atmospheric washout.
“Humid air traps the gases and precipitates them in the same area, preventing them from accumulating in more distant locations,” the expert explained.
While this reduces the risk for distant areas, it increases the concentration of pollutants in areas west and southwest of the crater, which is the direction of the plume.
QCOSTARICA — After four failed attempts to force a vote, the government of Rodrigo Chaves has canceled the low-cost flights to Central America bill.
The Executive Branch decided to cancel the extraordinary sessions of the bill, which was approved in two debates in the Legislative Assembly and vetoed by President Rodrigo Chaves.
After four attempts to have the bill voted on the legislative floor, all unsuccessful, the government decided to set the issue aside for now.
“No, we cancel it. I’m sure it doesn’t have the votes, and we don’t want it to go to a committee and continue kicking the can down the road,” said the leader of the ruling party, Pilar Cisneros, on Thursday.
Following the approval of the bill in early February, the initiative, which would lower the cost of round-trip tickets to the isthmus countries to $100 and to the Dominican Republic to $120, was vetoed by the president.
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In ordinary sessions, the issue was brought up for discussion twice, with the intention of a majority of legislators to reseal it; However, opposition from the ruling party and Nueva Republica factions, combined with the large number of legislators in the sessions, led to its postponement.
To override a presidential veto and reseal a vetoed bill, 38 votes are required. However, the number of legislators convened in recent weeks has not exceeded 47, making it impossible for those interested in reseal to secure support.
The Executive Branch, in its veto of the bill, argued that it would significantly impact tourism in Costa Rica.
It did so in early May, canceling the entire agenda and leaving only that file on the agenda. However, on that occasion, a lack of quorum suspended the session to analyze the president’s speech and postponed it to the next day, which caused the plan to fail.
It tried the same strategy last week, canceling the entire agenda and leaving only that item to be discussed.
Since it is a special file, it must be heard before 4 pm, as it is the first part of the session. Last Thursday, legislators countered the government’s strategy by letting the deadline pass without the item being heard.
This week, on Monday, the ruling party presented a motion to extend the first part of the session to discuss the veto file until its final vote.
That motion required 38 votes, but it didn’t get them. On Tuesday, the vote was taken again, and the ruling party’s intention also failed.
After four failed attempts, the Executive branch decided to cancel the session.
“We’ll see when it’s called again,” Cisneros concluded.
If and when the reseal occurs, one-way flights to and from Costa Rica to Central America destinations would be capped at US$50; US$100 for return flights. Flights to and from the Dominican Republic would be capped at US$60 and US$120.
QCOSTARICA — The Constitutional Court, also known as Sala IV, announced that it has resolved two combined appeals filed against the government of Rodrigo Chaves Robles, alleging violations of press freedom and the right to access information.
These are files 24-025545-0007-CO and 24-27116-0007-CO, in which the Sala IV ruled in favor of the journalists, David Bolaños Acuña, David Chavarría Hernández, and Héctor Guzmán Suárez, who filed complaints against the Executive Branch.
In case 24-025545-0007-CO, the journalists said that on July 30, 2024, President Chaves held a press conference to address the Constitutional Court’s decision regarding the legislative referendum on the “Jaguar Law.” During that event, Rodrigo Chaves raised his voice and silenced one of the journalists while he asked a question.
Furthermore, in that same file, the appellants stated that, on September 11, 2024, two other journalists were surrounded by bodyguards from the Presidential Protection Unit when they attempted to question the then-Minister of the Presidency, Laura Fernández, and President Chaves.
The journalists indicated that they attempted to ask the minister further questions about the 4×3 workday bill, and that when one of them pointed out that they had not received an answer, government officials muted his microphone.
According to information provided by the press department of the Sala IV, the journalists considered that the situations described violated their right to freedom of the press.
Regarding file 24-27116-0007-CO, the complainants requested information regarding the approval of the 4×3 workweeks. However, they indicated that their inquiries were not answered by the Ministry of the Presidency, which they consider a violation of their constitutional right to access public information, enshrined in Article 30 of the Constitution.
In ruling 2025-016964, the judges, by majority, ruled to uphold both cases.
Regarding file 24-025545-0007-CO, the violation of press freedom against David Bolaños Acuña, David Chavarría Hernández, and Héctor Guzmán Suárez was recognized. The Court ordered the State to pay costs, damages, and losses incurred by the events that serve as the basis for this declaration, which will be settled in the execution of the administrative litigation judgment.
In case 24-27116-0007-CO, the appeal was granted only against the Ministry of the Presidency, with no special award of costs. The Ministry of Foreign Trade was not awarded any penalties.
The resolution sets an important precedent regarding respect for journalistic work and access to information at official events of the Executive Branch.
International market and low exchange rate motivate further reduction in fuel prices
QCOSTARICA — Costa Rica’s public services regulatory authority – Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos (ARESEP) – revealed that a total of 16 service stations across the country experienced operational irregularities, according to the 2024 Liquid Fuel Service Quality Report.
Among the findings, some fuels exhibited a different color, which occurs when gasoline is mixed. Gas stations were selling a mixture with regular gasoline at a premium price due to this combination.
According to the Aresep, in cases where the octane rating is met, there is no direct damage to the vehicle of the customer who refuels. However, there are always tariff consequences, since the fuel is mixed with a lower-priced product.
The results of the report were obtained after 849 inspections at 419 gas pumps across the country.
All stations undergo inspections to ensure that the products meet physical and chemical specifications, that the correct amount is dispensed per hose, that the price charged corresponds to the authorized price, that there is continuity in operations, and that physical safety is guaranteed to prevent fires or any other incidents. Compliance with regulatory guidelines is also verified, detailed the ARESEP.
List of gas stations and problems detected by Aresep
Fersol Service Station, in San Isidro de El General: They refused to allow the scheduled inspection.
Service Station Avenida 10, Hospital District, San José: They added coloring to the premium gasoline, which also had a different octane rating than established by regulations.
Costanera Veintisiete Service Station, in La Ceiba de Orotina: They added coloring to the premium gasoline.
V & J Service Station, in Sarchí Sur: The temperature recorded in the diesel was lower than established by regulations.
La Fortuna Gas Station, in La Fortuna de San Carlos: They added coloring to the premium gasoline.
Serviarmo Service Station, in Upala: Diesel temperature lower than stipulated by regulations.
Río Cuarto de Grecia Service Station, in Río Cuarto: They did not have diesel for sale to the public.
BLC & Hermanos López Service Station, in Los Chiles: They did not have diesel for sale to the public.
Transportes Hermanos Orozco Service Station, in Turrialba: Diesel temperature lower than regulated.
Molina y Robles LTDA Service Station, in San Rafael de Oreamuno: One of the hoses registered more diesel than was actually delivered to the customer.
La Tica Service Station, in San Nicolás de Cartago: They refused to allow the scheduled inspection.
El Labrador Ecological Service Station, in San Isidro de Heredia: They did not have regular gasoline for sale to the public.
Las Marías Gas Station in Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí: They did not have diesel, and during a second inspection, they did not have regular gasoline for sale.
Marina Papagayo Service Station in Nacascolo, Liberia: They failed to comply with the sales price for premium gasoline and diesel.
Monteverde M.D.S. Gas Stations in Monteverde, Puntarenas: They did not have premium gasoline for sale to the public.
Special Case: Gas Station in San Pedro de Poás, Alajuela. The ARESEP highlighted the case of a service station in San Pedro de Poás, which presented multiple irregularities in different inspections:
Visit 1 (June 27, 2024): One hose registered a quantity higher than the actual amount dispensed. Furthermore, they did not have diesel for sale to the public.
Visit 2 (July 30, 2024): They did not have premium or regular gasoline.
Visit 3 (September 2, 2024): There was no regular or premium gasoline for sale.
Visit 4 (October 2, 2024): There was a persistent shortage of both types of gasoline.
Visit 5 (November 13, 2024): Diesel was not available to the public.
What are the sanctions?
The ARESEP press office explained that, after detecting the irregularities, the following process was followed:
Closure of the hose with the detected problem.
The service station must explain the situation and implement a remedial plan.
Presentation of a certification from a chemical engineer guaranteeing the correction of the problem.
New verification inspection.
Opening of an administrative sanctioning process for the recorded noncompliance.
Although all the problems have been resolved, sanctioning processes were initiated, including financial penalties to the amount of damage caused, and if this cannot be determined, the fines range from ¢2,311,000 to ¢9,244,000 colones.
Furthermore, in the event of a repeat offense, the stations risk losing their fuel sales license.
Q24N (EFE) The United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, the revocation of visas for several Central American government officials who collaborate with Cuban medical missions, although he did not reveal their identities.
In an official statement, the US Foreign Minister noted that these officials are involved in hiring Cuban medical missions in their countries, which, according to the Donald Trump administration, constitutes a form of forced labor.
“The Cuban labor export program abuses its participants, enriches the corrupt Cuban regime, and deprives the island’s citizens of the essential medical care they so desperately need,” Rubio stated.
With the implementation of these visa restrictions, he added, the United States sends “a clear message about its commitment to promoting human rights and respecting labor rights around the world.”
Rubio, who is of Cuban origin, also urged other countries to adopt similar measures.
In February, the United States had already expanded its visa restriction policy against individuals who benefit from what it describes as “labor exploitation” of Cuban workers abroad, including those involved in organizing medical missions.
Cuba, for its part, has categorically rejected Washington’s accusations, defending its medical cooperation program, one of the country’s main sources of foreign currency, and denouncing what it considers a “campaign” against it and its health professionals.
Along the same lines, leaders of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), whose health systems depend heavily on Cuban medical personnel, defended the hiring of these professionals and denied that it constitutes a form of exploitation.
Q REPORTS — On Sunday, June 1, in the early hours of the morning, Ukraine delivered a stunning blow to Russian military forces many kilometers deep inside Russian territory, the likes of which no army had done perhaps since World War II.
Using strategically placed drones, after being surreptitiously introduced into Russian territory, it simultaneously attacked five military airfields housing a significant portion of the fleet of bombers equipped to carry nuclear warheads.
That same day, terrorist attacks were carried out on two bridges in the cities of Bryansk and Kursk.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky immediately claimed responsibility for the attack on the airfields, announcing that they had destroyed at least a third of the Russian fleet by disabling or shooting down 41 aircraft.
The world was perplexed by the audacity of the action, even though the information was still uncertain.
Videos soon spread online showing the attack by more than 100 drones, wreaking havoc on the air bases without anyone being able to prevent it.
The spectacular attack achieved its main objective and set off all the alarm bells.
The Trigger
A day later, it became known that the figures were not as grim as those reported by Zelensky. Media outlets like the New York Times (NYT) reported that “at least a dozen aircraft were damaged, including Tu-95 bombers.”
“But the attack does not significantly alter Russia’s nuclear capabilities,” the newspaper added.
In response, the attack “will force Russian officials to consider redeploying Russia’s air defense systems to cover a much wider range of territories and possibly deploy mobile air defense groups that can react more quickly to similar Ukrainian drone attacks in the future,” the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said, according to the Reuters news agency.
But the NYT reported Tuesday that “satellite imagery captured Monday indicates that no aircraft were damaged at two of the other bases.”
“Dubbed Operation Spiderweb by Kyiv, the Ukrainian attack is part of a consistent and escalating campaign to take the war to the Russian heartland in an attempt to influence the Kremlin’s calculus,” said the NYT’s Paul Sonne.
“Biden supported it in several ways, including investing us$1.5 billion in Ukrainian drone production by the end of 2024 through a secret program spearheaded by former White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan,” the reporter reported.
The carefully planned strike could not have been carried out without the logistical support of its Western allies, but why did they choose that precise date, on the eve of the negotiators’ second meeting in Istanbul?
In May, Russian troops gained more than twice as much territory as in April, seizing approximately 449 square kilometers, according to DeepState, a Ukrainian research group that uses combat imagery to map the battlefield, the NYT reports.
According to experts, militarily, the attack makes sense as part of a direct confrontation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as it exposes a vulnerability in Russian nuclear reaction systems. But it may have other objectives.
NATO attacks, Trump and Putin remain silent
“Operation Spiderweb” was planned a year and a half ago, Zelensky said the following day, euphoric over what he called a “brilliant operation.” But that statement raised concerns.
On the one hand, it is impossible to believe that an action of this magnitude was carried out with the direct support of Western allies; therefore, they had to be informed, which would put President Trump in a very compromising position regarding his willingness to pacify the conflict and would break the trust he thus far seems to share with Putin.
The other option is that it was hidden from the president, which would provoke a security crisis in the US government.
The alliance is shifting from a strategy of a protracted war to suffocate Russia with sanctions and attrition to using all the resources allocated in the final weeks of last year by both Biden and the other allies to intensify actions beyond the battlefield, aimed at escalation, which in turn will justify further expenditures.
Provoke Escalation or War
After a blogger with a hasty and reckless mindset called this action “Russia’s Pearl Harbor,” many media outlets echoed the concept, believing it to be a possible trigger for World War III.
As has happened with other attacks that were expected to provoke an immediate, forceful, and violent reaction from Russia, such as terrorist attacks, a forceful response from Putin was expected after the June 1st attacks, but there seems to be only silence.
If Putin responds violently against his NATO aggressors, it would provoke a war in which the US would have to become involved.
So, although the attack has no effect on the war scene, it could have important political implications. One of the objectives could be to distance Trump and Putin.
It’s worth remembering that a week ago, Trump said Putin was “completely crazy” and that if it weren’t for his mediation, “very bad things could happen to Russia.”
But he also said that this isn’t his war, which could suggest he was distancing himself from the decisions of his NATO allies.
Furthermore, involving the US in a war would neutralize other Trump policies that harm the interests of his allies, such as the tariff battle.
Nuclear Threat
Last year, Putin modified his nuclear doctrine, precisely when attacks on Russian ships in the Black Sea occurred, which could mean attacks on vessels intended to transport nuclear weapons and serve as a deterrent.
The new doctrine states that Russia reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in the event that military assets intended to transport nuclear weapons are attacked.
“Operation Spider Web” appears to recklessly aim to test that doctrine.
Second Meeting in Istanbul
Despite the alarmism and tension the world experienced on Monday, June 1, the Kremlin’s response was to continue with what was agreed upon and send its delegation with the memorandum to the second meeting with Kyiv in Istanbul.
Representatives of both countries met for just over an hour and shared documents with a Russian delegation whose serenity disconcerted the Ukrainians, according to Zelensky himself on Tuesday.
A Kyiv envoy traveled to Washington on Tuesday to meet with President Trump, while the Ukrainian president asserted that pressure on Russia must be increased and encouraged his partners.
Polish Election
The victory of nationalist candidate Karol Nawrocki is a severe setback for the pro-European commitment and support for Ukraine promoted by the current government.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Tuesday that he will submit his government to a vote of confidence in Parliament on June 11 and avoid having to bring forward legislative elections, scheduled for 2027.
The president, with a five-year term, wields influence over foreign and defense policy and wields veto power at the legislative level.
The Polish process is bringing down the so-called “willing” coalition. Ukraine and Tusk, along with the leaders of Great Britain, France, and Germany, sought to become protagonists on the political scene. Poland seemed part of the backbone of a new Europe.
But if parliamentary elections are held in early 2026, current polls suggest that Law and Justice and the far-right Confederation Party could form a coalition.
“Mr. Nawrocki has said he would not support Ukraine’s future membership in either NATO or the European Union,” says NYT journalist Andrew Higgins.
Collapse in the Netherlands
Another political development at the beginning of this week that is disrupting European and Atlanticist unity is that far-right leader Geert Wilders overthrew the fragile coalition in power in the Netherlands on Tuesday by withdrawing his party, the PVV, from the government due to a disagreement over migration, a political crisis that paves the way for early elections, according to the AFP news agency.
The PVV’s departure from the government opens a period of uncertainty for the Netherlands, the fifth-largest economy in the European Union (EU), which is scheduled to host a NATO summit at the end of June, he added.
“I will remain on an interim basis (…) until a new government is formed because life in the Netherlands and abroad continues,” declared Prime Minister Dick Schoof.
US President Donald Trump will attend the NATO summit in The Hague on June 24 and 25, where his demands for increased defense spending will be the central topic of the agenda, the White House announced Tuesday.
This will be the first meeting with members of the transatlantic alliance since the Republican’s return to power in January, and Volodymyr Zelensky will also be present, suggesting tensions about the confrontation with Russia.
In Trump’s dizzying political career, three weeks is a long time, and much is yet to happen.
Britain Wants War
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday the construction of up to 12 attack submarines while announcing that he wanted to prepare his country for war and declaring that the new rearmament strategy is “a message to Moscow,” according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“This is about bringing together all the capabilities we have, from drones to artillery, intelligence and human instinct, to build a formidable, integrated fighting machine,” the British leader insisted.
The bellicose atmosphere in Europe has led to dangerous tensions, and the outlook is uncertain.
President Trump will speak with Xi this week about the tariffs, the main issue for both powers, but these developments require measures to define the Ukrainian conflict and avoid the irresponsibility of escalation.
QCOSTARICA — The national weather service, the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN) forecasts a more unstable atmospheric pattern starting this Wednesday.
A gradual increase in atmospheric humidity is expected starting today. “This, combined with local factors such as morning warming and the arrival of sea breezes, will enhance rainfall events, especially during the afternoons and evenings,” the IMN stated.
Specifically, this morning is expected to be partly cloudy, with warm and muggy temperatures. The possibility of rain in Pacific coastal areas during the early morning hours cannot be ruled out.
In the afternoon, there will be rain, downpours, and thunderstorms in the following regions:
Pacific
Central Valley
Northern Zone
In the Caribbean, rainfall will be limited to mountainous areas. Afternoon rain will extend into the early evening hours, especially in Pacific coastal areas.
Starting this Wednesday, a gradual increase in atmospheric humidity and a more unstable atmospheric pattern are expected. This, combined with local factors such as morning warming and the arrival of sea breezes, will enhance rainfall events, especially during the afternoons and evenings.
In particular, partly cloudy, warm temperatures, and muggy conditions are expected this morning.
The possibility of rain in Pacific coastal areas is not ruled out during the early hours. In the afternoon, there will be rain, downpours, and thunderstorms in the Pacific, Central Valley, and Northern regions.
In the Caribbean, precipitation will be limited to the mountainous areas. Afternoon rain will extend into the early evening hours, especially in Pacific coastal areas.
QCOSTARICA – The pilot project for electric taxis at Juan Santamaría Airport highlighted an uncomfortable reality: Costa Rica is not yet ready to effectively incorporate this technology into public transportation.
This was warned by operators of electric taxis, who pointed to limited charging infrastructure and a lack of financial incentives as key obstacles to implementing this system.
Since October 2023, six 100% electric taxis have been operating at the San José International airport.
“There are many unrealistic expectations, such as that the vehicles are maintenance-free, that energy is cheaper, or that they hardly require any extras, but that’s not true. Electricity is an important issue in Costa Rica, and well, it’s expensive, almost as expensive as gasoline,” said Ericka Cordero, a taxi concessionaire at the air terminal.
Cordero explained that the taxi fleet can benefit from electric mobility; however, public transportation services require fast-charging stations, which are scarce in the country.
“The lack of knowledge among mechanics in this area is also very important. In my case, it took me 22 days to repair a gear in my car. Considering the number of electric vehicles available, there are few charging stations, and these are rarely repaired. This means that, although Costa Rica is a pioneer in this area, it needs to make much more progress,” he stated.
This situation was also experienced by Luis Mariano Castro, another taxi concessionaire operating at the airport, who said he is affected by the lack of charging stations nationwide.
“The problem started when we didn’t have charging stations. There was one near the airport, but it was always full, and when it broke down, you had to go to Naranjo or Atenas to charge. Imagine the time it took to get there and back! And maybe you had to wait for other cars,” Castro said.
Institutional Work Needed
Arturo Steinvorth, coordinator of the E-Taxi CR project in charge of the pilot program, said that in order to achieve the national projections for public transport electrification, greater investment in the mobility sector is required, as well as strengthening current legislation.
“Major changes are needed in all legislation and regulations of the taxi sector to enable the conditions that allow us to achieve the goals of the Plan Nacional de Descarbonización (National Decarbonization Plan).
Currently, we have a business model that only allows one person per concession; however, part of what our roadmap promotes is to diversify the ways in which these concessions can be obtained,” he explained.
E-Taxi CR
E-taxi CR is an initiative in Costa Rica to promote electric mobility in public transportation, specifically taxi services. Since October 23, six 100% electric taxis, such as the AION S model from GAC New Energy, have been operating at the San José International Airport.
They are part of the”Accelerating the Transition to Electric Public Transport in the Greater Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica” project, part of UN Environment’s Global Electric Mobility Program, contributing to Costa Rica’s position as a country at the forefront of promoting electric mobility.
The E-taxi CR project is led by the CRUSA Foundation, the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment).
QCOSTARICA — The Comisión Nacional de Emergencias (CNE) – National Emergency Commission. reported 17 incidents following Monday’s heavy rains.
According to the CNE, these are the most affected areas:
San Carlos
Santa Ana
Alajuela
In San Carlos, the rains caused rivers in Florencia and Aguas Zarcas to rise, as well as flooding homes due to sewage problems.
In Heredia, there was flooding due to sewage saturation in Belén, Heredia center, and Barva.
Meanwhile, in Turrialba, the communities of San Antonio en la Suiza, Tayutic, Guadalupe la Mina, and Tuis were affected, which reported the rise of the San Antonio, Tayutic, and Platanillo rivers.
Given this situation, the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN) – National Institute of Meteorology, issued these recommendations:
Caution due to sewage saturation in areas prone to this type of flooding
Prepare for thunderstorms and seek shelter in a safe place if strong gusts of wind occur or are perceived near storm clouds, due to the possible fall of tree branches, power lines
Wind gusts can reach 80 km/h in some isolated cases
The official forecast for today, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, from the IMN:
For this Tuesday, a typical day of the rainy season in the country is forecast, with a sultry morning due to the high percentage of humidity and high temperatures during this period; and in the afternoon, showers with thunderstorms throughout the national territory.
On this day, although precipitations will be isolated in the country, showers with thunderstorms are forecast along the mountain ranges of Guanacaste, Central Volcanic and the mountainous sectors of the Pacific and Caribbean regions.
These rains will extend to the lower parts of the GAM and Guanacaste plains during the afternoon. At night, the rains will be very punctual.
QCOSTARICA — Though every gasoline station across the country sell gasoline from the same supplier, the State refinery, Refinadora Costarricense de Petróleo (RECOPE), and as mandated by law at the same price, gasoline at some stations are not what we are paying for.
The regulator of public prices and services, the Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos (ARESEP), reports that a total of 52 gasoline stations failed to pass the 2025 regulatory seal.
According to the ARESEP, the failed stations were found to be overcharging, using tampered meters, or not minimum quality standards, among others.
In San José, these are Service Station Avenida 10 and Fersol Service Station.
In Alajuela, there are seven stations, including Costanera Veintisiete and V & J Service Station: Fallas (see the full list in the infographic).
In Cartago, three stations were identified: Transportes Hermanos Orozco, Servicio Molina y Robles LTDA, and Service Station La Tica.
In Puntarenas and Guanacaste, Aresep reported irregularities at Gasolineras Monteverde M.D.S. and the Marina Papagayo Service Station.
One hundred percent of the gas stations in Heredia and Limón received the quality assurance seal awarded by the Regulatory Authority.
“If a facility does not receive the quality seal, it means that, throughout the year under evaluation, it exhibited some noncompliance related to excellence, quantity, price, or some administrative provision,” explained Mario Mora, Aresep’s Energy Superintendent.
These centers represent 12% of the 419 sites located in the seven provinces.
“The fact that a complaint was received does not mean that the service station had the problem throughout the year, but rather that, at a certain point, a noncompliance was detected,” Mora said.
The Energy Superintendent added that Aresep grants a maximum period of three days to correct the detected problem, so that companies can guarantee customers that the service is in compliance. In addition, the possibility of initiating a disciplinary process is being analyzed.
Costa Rica consumes more fuel
According to the Regulatory Authority’s analysis, the country has gradually increased its consumption of fossil fuels, concentrating it in areas with the highest socioeconomic activity.
Consumption of petroleum products increased by 18%, from 3.449 billion liters in 2022 to 4.099 billion in 2023. The cantons of San José, Alajuela, and San Carlos remain the main consumers.
According to the Aresept, these are the types of fuel used in Costa Rica:
QCOSTARICA (ElFinanciero) Airlines delivered bad news for countries like Costa Rica, where international tourism is a major source of income for thousands of people.
Airlines on Monday revised their traffic and profit projections for 2025 downward, citing the global economic difficulties caused by the risk of u.S. tariffs impacting the sector.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that there will be fewer than 5 billion passengers this year, below the initial forecast of 5.22 billion published in December.
“The first half of 2025 brought significant uncertainties to global markets,” said IATA Director General Willie Walsh at the group’s annual meeting in New Delhi.
In Costa Rica, according to official statistics, 25% of jobs are directly or indirectly related to the tourism sector.
But he added that “considering the headwinds, it is a strong result that demonstrates the resilience that airlines have worked to strengthen.”
Accumulated airline profits will reach US$36 billion, US$600 million less than originally forecast, according to IATA.
Commercial aviation revenues are expected to remain below the US$1 trillion forecast in the December forecast.
IATA now projects US$979 billion in revenues.
Speaking to IATA delegates, Walsh urged that the tariff increases not affect the airline industry, although he did not mention United States President Donald Trump, who announced the tariffs against all of his trading partners in April.
The organization also expects 69 million tons of cargo to be transported by air this year, below the 72.5 million tons previously forecast.
However, airlines are benefiting from the drop in oil prices.
A barrel of North Sea Brent crude oil is below US$65 as a result of Trump’s tariffs and, above all, the increase in OPEC+ production quotas.
QCOSTARICA — Texas Tech University and its Costa Rica campus (TTU – Costa Rica) announced that it is offering an affordable, high-quality alternative to earning a U.S. degree directly from Latin America.
This comes amid growing uncertainty surrounding U.S. immigration policies and the challenges faced by international students wishing to study in the country.
This week, it was announced that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered all U.S. embassies and consulates to suspend scheduling new interviews for student and exchange visas (categories F, M, and J) worldwide.
The measure responds to the Trump administration’s intention to implement stricter vetting of applicants’ social media profiles.
Students at the Costa Rica campus pursue the same academic programs and receive the same degree as students in the U.S. This way, they avoid the logistical and immigration complications of studying abroad.
“In this context, TTU-Costa Rica offers a strategic and reliable alternative: students can begin their university studies in Costa Rica, with courses taught entirely in English.
“And later, if they wish and when conditions stabilize, they can transfer to the main campus in Lubbock, Texas.” They can also complete the four years in Costa Rica and earn their Texas Tech degree from here,” the university explained.
“This is a time when students should know that their dream of earning a U.S. college degree is still possible,” said Ellen Rose, executive director of TTU-Costa Rica.
“They can start on our campus in Costa Rica and, when they see fit, move to the U.S. or stay the four years here, receiving a world-class education from day one,” she added.
Texas Tech University Programs
TTU-Costa Rica, located in Escazú, offers bachelor’s programs in English in areas such as:
Electrical Engineering
Industrial Engineering
Computer Science
Business Administration
Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management.
“Students have the unique opportunity to receive an American education in a more accessible and accessible environment,” Rose added.
She emphasized that the costs are even approximately 30% lower than those of studying as an international student in the U.S.
The university has with students from South Africa, France, Russia, Italy, and various Latin American countries. So much so that currently, 40% of the TTU-CR student body is international.
The projection is that for the upcoming fall semester, more than 50% of new admissions will come from abroad.
Registration is now open for the Fall 2025 semester. All admissions processes are managed through the Texas Tech University central office in the U.S.
QCOSTARICA — Twenty years have passed since the approval of the Tratado de Libre Comercio (TLC- CAFTA-DR) – Free Trade Agreement between Central America, the Dominican Republic, and the United States.
This trade agreement promised legal certainty for the parties and established a series of trade safeguards in the event that any party failed to comply with the agreement. However, the recent imposition of 10% tariffs by the Donald Trump administration on Costa Rican products—as well as those of many other nations—demonstrates that the validity of this international agreement applied only to Costa Rica.
The CAFTA establishes clear rules to prevent unilateral decisions; however, it also contains clauses that allow for exceptional actions for reasons of national security, economic emergency, and public health, which the United States has recently invoked.
Experts stated, before the approval of the CAFTA-DR, that the rules would not be equal for all.
The issue is that the FTA played no role in the United States’ decision to include Costa Rica on the list of countries subject to new tariffs on all its products, which has even forced it to enter into new negotiations that would involve concessions on various trade issues, playing against domestic producers.
Three economists were consulted to understand whether Costa Rica could activate the safeguard measures established by the FTA and thus avoid the imposition of tariffs, instead of sitting at the negotiating table with the United States to establish new concessions on issues that are of concern to the trading partner.
In this regard, Fernando Rodríguez, economist and former Vice Minister of Finance, was emphatic in stating that the country had little to do in the face of the tariff imposition.
“We always understood that trade agreements bound both parties to compliance, and if there was a problem, we could resort to established mechanisms to resolve disputes. The problem is that for the United States, the treaty never had the legal status that an international agreement does for us, which is even above national laws,” Rodríguez explained.
Economist Luis Paulino Vargas agreed with this view and added that many sectors warned that this could happen, in contrast to a “propaganda promise that FTAs provided legal security,” which today highlights the asymmetry of power, resources, and lobbying capacity, ignoring the mechanisms established by the treaty.
Arbitration Mechanism
Another instrument proposed in the FTA negotiations was arbitration mechanisms, in which one of the member countries files a dispute if it believes the other party has violated or misinterpreted the treaty.
To this end, an arbitration panel composed of independent experts appointed by the countries involved is formed. These experts receive the arguments from both nations and issue a report, but this is also not feasible to implement.
Leiner Vargas, economist and professor, said that the asymmetry of power led to the prediction from the beginning of the negotiations that the Central American countries would be the losers: “In fact, the lack of government support for productive sectors puts them at greater risk today, because the country is negotiating with the United States to eliminate trade barriers, which entails opening the market to avoid being penalized with 10% tariffs.”
Dispute Settlement with the WTO
The World Trade Organization’s (WTO) dispute settlement system is a mechanism for resolving international disputes, and FTAs can reference this mechanism, especially to resolve disputes without unilateral measures.
However, currently, the dispute settlement body is not functioning, so Costa Rica’s ability to resort to this mechanism is null.
“What would remain, which is also not an option, is to resort to the imposition of trade measures, but this would make products coming from the United States more expensive and, in some cases, could mean having no way to replace them. That would trigger inflation and shift the trade conflict onto the people,” Rodríguez added.
A Negotiation at a Disadvantage
Currently, Costa Rica is working to reach an agreement with the United States to reduce the 10% tariff.
According to publicly disclosed information, this would include lowering or eliminating a consumption tax on beverages from the United States that contain 30% alcohol.
The United States also wants to eliminate a supposed disadvantage it faces in public bidding processes when competing with Costa Rican state-owned companies such as the Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) Costa Rican Electricity Institute – or the Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS) -National Insurance Institute, as well as the phytosanitary barriers that delay sanitary permits for imported products.
The negotiations are also incorporating the opening of the table potato market from the United States, which has been closed since 2013, or what Costa Rica considers to be its largest trading partner, such as obstacles to the entry of dairy products, seafood, sheep, and eggs, in addition to intellectual property issues.
“It was foreseeable that at some point the rules established in the FTA would have no effect, and in the ongoing negotiations, of those six factors, several have to do with agriculture and industry. Therefore, addressing these demands would mean further placing Costa Rican agriculture in a situation of extreme vulnerability, which has already been severely hit by the FTAs and the neglect of the current governments,” analyzed Luis Paulino Vargas.
The least that would be expected of the Costa Rican authorities negotiating the new conditions, the expert added, is that they review their subsidy scheme, because allowing the free importation of highly subsidized agricultural products is an affront to domestic producers.
On the other hand, this situation highlights the importance of diversifying economic and trade ties beyond the region, turning our attention to Asian and South American markets, and especially expanding ties with Central America.
QCOSTARICA — The Rodrigo Chaves Robles administration’s attempt to force the Legislative Assembly to once again decide on the future of the Low-Cost Flights Law between Costa Rica and Central America, which the Executive branch vetoed, failed on Thursday, leading legislators to leave at 4:00 pm because there were no bills scheduled.
After the committees scheduled for the morning hours finished their sessions, the Executive branch sent a decree canceling all the bills on the extraordinary session agenda, and instead called the veto imposed on Legislative Decree 10,643 as the sole item.
Once the political control ended, the legislative leader of the PLN faction, Alejandra Larios Trejos, requested a ten-minute recess at 3:53 pm, which was granted. Furthermore, when the recess ended, there was no quorum, so the session resumed at 4:06 pm., six minutes after the time the plenary session is scheduled to move on to the second part of the session, during which the bills convened by the Executive Branch are to be considered.
However, as the Executive Branch cleared the agenda, the president of the Legislative Assembly, Rodrigo Arias Sánchez, adjourned the session.
Pilar Cisneros, the leader of the ruling party, previously spoke to accuse of fellow legislators of “not wanting to work” because she was unable to attend the veto hearing, as the Assembly’s regulations stipulate that these issues must be considered in the first part of the session, which runs from 3 pm. to 4 pm.
Although it is possible to extend the time window for hearing the issues in the first part, the ruling party did not present such a motion before the recess.
“The Executive Branch canceled the entire bill agenda. Today we had to adjourn the session at 4 pm because we had no bills to discuss, but as usual, legislator Pilar Cisneros held a press conference, lying to Costa Ricans that we didn’t want to work today. But that is absolutely false. Review, Costa Ricans, the bill we had. We didn’t have a single bill to discuss in the second part of today’s session. Therefore, the appropriate thing to do was to adjourn the session,” stated Kattia Cambronero Aguiluz, an independent legislator, criticizing the Executive Branch and the ruling party for the tactics used and for forcing legislators to leave early.
For her part, Alejandra Larios Trejos of the PLN said she was surprised that the ruling party had used a tactic to keep the Assembly from working, and now they were saying it was the opposition that didn’t want to work.
“If they’re so clear about how much a session of the legislative plenary or a day in the Legislative Assembly costs, they should value it more. And not like they’ve done during all the extraordinary sessions, when they call very few bills. And what’s worse, today they canceled absolutely all the bills on the legislative agenda around noon, leaving only one, and that’s why the session was adjourned. If we had an agenda, if we had bills to discuss, then of course we would continue in the legislative plenary, discussing and voting on bills that the country truly needs. It’s not right that it’s their fault that we’re not working in the plenary and they want to blame others. That’s not how you deceive Costa Ricans,” said Larios.
President Chaves had attempted the same legislative move in early May, when on Wednesday, May 7, he cleared the agenda so that the legislature would be forced to make a decision on the reseal on Thursday, May 8th.
However, he had to back down because there was no quorum that Wednesday, which prevented the completion of the presidential report to the legislature that day.
Chaves’s move aims to force legislators to make a final decision on the veto, considering that on Thursdays, there are usually not enough legisaltors for qualified votes, meaning those requiring more than 38 votes.
What does the cheap flights bill entail?
The proposal by Eliécer Feinzaig, legislator for the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and presidential candidate in 2022, calls for airlines to offer round-trip tickets between Central American countries for US$100 and US$120 for flights to and from the Dominican Republic.
In both cases, the cost would be half that of a one-way ticket, that is US$50 and US$60, respectively.
The reduction would be implemented through a reduction in the taxes charged on each ticket.
President Chaves argued against the approved bill and exercised his veto of the bill for reasons of opportunity, convenience, and constitutionality. In his argument, he said that lowering these fares would be a severe blow to local tourism.
Presidential Veto in Costa Rica
In Costa Rica, the presidential veto is the power of the President to oppose the enactment of a law voted on by the Legislative Assembly. This right is exercised within 10 business days of the President receiving the approved bill. The veto may be total or partial, and the Legislative Assembly may reject it with a two-thirds vote of the legislators present.
Definition: A veto is the president’s power to reject a bill approved by the Legislative Assembly.
Deadline: The president must exercise the veto within 10 business days of receiving the bill.
Type of veto: It can be total, rejecting the entire bill, or partial, rejecting only certain parts of it.
Override: The Legislative Assembly can override the veto with a two-thirds (38) vote of the legislators present.
Constitutional Authorization: The Political Constitution authorizes the presidential veto in articles 125, 126, 127, and 128, according to the Costa Rican Legal Information System.
Purpose of the veto: The veto allows the Executive Branch to exercise political and legal control over legislation, according to the Costa Rican Legal Information System.
QCOSTARICA — Low personal income tax collection continues to be a constant in Latin America, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
In Costa Rica, non-compliance with this tax among individuals with profit-making activities reached 82.7%, while among salaried workers it drops significantly to 3.5%.
This phenomenon is directly related to the high level of informality and low income of many independent workers, a reality shared by several countries in the region.
“There is a very significant group of working people who do not pay taxes on their income or earnings from their jobs. Without a doubt, this compromises tax systems because, precisely, income tax is one of the main sources of revenue in any tax system, and one of the most progressive,” said Luis Vargas, an economist at the University of Costa Rica.
High Informality
According to data from Costa Rica’s Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censo (INEC) – National Institute of Statistics and Census, for the first quarter of 2025, the total number of people employed in informal employment was estimated at 824,000.
In addition, the number of self-employed workers reached 545,000.
“Paying social security contributions is one of the most important tax burdens. The possibility of reducing them has been discussed so that more people enter the formal market and begin to grow so they can pay income tax,” Vargas added.
Given this scenario, the OECD recommended improving the tax’s design to increase its progressivity, promote equity, and increase revenue collection.
“It is essential that each country’s design, as well as possible reforms aimed at increasing its effectiveness, reflect a balance between the principles of administrative simplicity, distributive equity, and revenue adequacy,” the OECD explained.
Everyday life
The driver of a Red Devil tourist bus calls to passengers on the Amador Causeway in Panama City. The Red Devils can't be missed in the capital city's daily traffic chaos, transporting tourists and commuters alike. Despite their advanced years and the black clouds coming from their exhaust pipes, they offer affordable rides — and a quirky experience.
Image: Matias Delacroix/AP Photo/picture alliance
Q24N (DW) Former U.S. school buses get a new lease on life in Panama as tourist or local transport, often kitted out with sound systems and neon lights. Once a year, the so-called Red Devils even have a go at being racing cars.
From school bus to art object
They once chugged through US suburbs full of school kids but today, these Red Devil buses are a regular sight in Panama City. With a colorful facelift, each one’s unique. The moving works of art are party buses and much, much more. Image: Matias Delacroix/AP Photo/picture alliance
Everyday life
The driver of a Red Devil tourist bus calls to passengers on the Amador Causeway in Panama City. The Red Devils can’t be missed in the capital city’s daily traffic chaos, transporting tourists and commuters alike. Despite their advanced years and the black clouds coming from their exhaust pipes, they offer affordable rides — and a quirky experience. Image: Matias Delacroix/AP Photo/picture alliance
Art on wheels
Each bus, like this one seen at a Red Devil exhibition in Chilibre, is unique. Pop stars, religious symbols or superheroes adorn their metal sides. Many drivers invest thousands of dollars to rig them up with loudspeakers and lighting, turning their vehicle into a canvas, a status symbol on wheels. Image: Matias Delacroix/AP Photo/picture alliance
Red Devil restaurants
Some disused buses have been transformed into hip snack bars or cafes. Standard seats are replaced by tables and benches, and burgers or ceviche are served from the driver’s cabin instead of tickets. Tourists and locals enjoy the creative cuisine — loud, colorful and typically Panamanian. Image: Matias Delacroix/AP Photo/picture alliance
Private parties
Apart from getting people from A to B, many Red Devil buses also serve as party buses. Young people pile on for private parties, complete with blaring music and disco lights. Image: Matias Delacroix/AP Photo/picture alliance
Racing legends
Once a year, the Red Devils even become racing cars. Drivers, fans and families gather in La Chorrera, west of Panama City, to watch the buses compete on an improvised race track, at high speed and with engines roaring. Image: Matias Delacroix/AP Photo/picture alliance
Ready, steady, go!
Although they should officially be replaced by modern metro buses, many Red Devils are still on the road. Critics say the buses are a source of environmental pollution and safety issues, but their popularity remains high. Image: Matias Delacroix/AP Photo/picture alliance
Panama in motion
The Red Devils show how past and present coexist on Panama’s roads. They’re more than just vehicles — they’re a snapshot of a society on the move. As noisy as they are colorful, they have carved out a firm place in popular culture. Image: Matias Delacroix/AP Photo/picture alliance
QCOSTARICA — The Costa Rica national weather service issued a green alert in anticipation of the arrival of a new tropical wave today, Wednesday, May 28, associated with widespread heavy rains across most of the country.
According to forecasts by the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN), Tropical Wave #3, combined with local factors such as morning warming and the arrival of sea breezes, will facilitate the occurrence of a lot of rain.
The urgent warning specifically covers the North, Central, and South Pacific regions, the Central Valley, the Northern Zone, and the Northern Caribbean, leaving only the Southern Caribbean region without a threat, the National Emergency Commission (CNE) added.
The greatest risk of flooding and overflowing rivers is in the Central and South Pacific, mountainous and low-lying areas of the Northern Zone and Northern Caribbean, and the Nicoya Peninsula, the CNE stated, requesting that the municipal emergency committees and relevant institutions remain active, monitor local weather conditions, and be aware of IMN reports.
Residents in at-risk areas, that they take extreme precautions against strong winds that could damage roofs, poles, wiring, and trees.
The alert inclued possible rip currents on beaches, dangerous conditions in mountainous areas and national parks, turbulence for air navigation, and risks for small boats. Drivers are urged to exercise caution on the roads in the event of rain, fog, falling trees, or possible landslides.
Costa Rica has historically faced frequent flooding due to these tropical waves and other weather events, which cause the destruction of facilities and loss of life in communities.
The official weather forecast for today, Wednesday, May 28:
The arrival of Tropical Wave 3 this Wednesday will favor an unstable environment, which, along with local factors such as morning warming and the arrival of sea breezes, will facilitate the occurrence of rain.
Partly to completely cloudy conditions are expected during the morning, with scattered showers possible in regions of the Caribbean and the Northern Zone. Rain and thunderstorms will occur in the afternoon in the Pacific, the Central Valley, the mountains of the Northern Zone, and the Caribbean.
Afternoon rainfall may extend into the early evening hours.
QCOSTARICA — In a police operation that shakes the country’s telecommunications and cybersecurity landscape, Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) and the Public Prosecutor’s Office’s Cybercrime Unit agents raided the telecoms Liberty, Telecable, and state operator, the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), operator of the kölbi brand, on Tuesday, due to an alleged refusal to cooperate with a criminal investigation into digital banking fraud.
The raid is part of the international Operation Nexus, coordinated with Colombian authorities, which seeks to dismantle a criminal organization dedicated to cloning the Banco Costa Rica (BCR) website.
The objective of this network was for BCR users to be redirected to ‘fake’ BCR websites, to steal the banking credentials of users and thus access funds deposited in their accounts.
According to authorities, the raided companies allegedly failed to provide crucial data to track the devices and IP addresses from which the crimes were perpetrated.
Raids Due to Lack of Cooperation
Randall Zúñiga, director of the OIJ, explained in a press conference that the three companies were asked on multiple occasions to provide technical information on at least 15 mobile devices allegedly used in the scams.
However, he reported that they “refused” to cooperate, unlike other companies in the sector that did respond positively to the judicial requests.
“Their offices were raided to determine whether they have the technological capacity to provide this cooperation, as other operators do,” Zúñiga stated.
Zúñiga emphasized that this situation exposes an urgent need to modernize the Costa Rican legal framework through the approval of Bill 24,170, which would require telecommunications operators to share technical information in the context of criminal investigations.
Companies Reject Allegations
The three companies involved denied any noncompliance and expressed surprise at the OIJ’s actions.
Through official statements, they affirmed that they have acted in strict compliance with current legislation and safeguarded the privacy of their customers.
Liberty Costa Rica, through its legal director, José Gutiérrez, emphasized that the company has historically collaborated with the country’s judicial authorities and has staff dedicated exclusively to responding to official requests.
“The raid is not related to fraud committed against our customers, but rather to technical data requested regarding individuals under investigation,” he clarified.
For its part, Telecable, through its general director, Rodolfo Apéstegui, expressed its “firm commitment” to the fight against cybercrime. “We have provided all the information requested by the competent authorities,” Apéstegui insisted.
Along the same lines, ICE/kölbi stated that it complies with legal protocols designed to protect the personal data of its users, but reiterated its willingness to collaborate always “within the legal framework.”
In addition, the Chamber of Infocommunication and Technology (Infocom), which represents the three companies involved, issued a statement supporting its affiliates. In it, it asserts that Liberty, Telecable, and kölbi have provided technical information, including IP addresses linked to the case under investigation.
A transnational network with a presence in Colombia
Operation Nexus is not limited to Colombia. In Medellín, Colombia, authorities simultaneously carried out three raids linked to the same criminal group.
According to the OIJ, 28 suspects have been identified and 24 cases directly related to this network, although it is presumed that there could be many more victims.
The scheme consisted of cloning the official BCR website and, using social engineering techniques, tricking users into entering their banking credentials. The criminals then used these credentials to make transfers to domestic accounts.
Rise of Cybercrime
The magnitude of the case not only highlights the growing sophistication of digital organized crime, but also an alarming national trend. Randall Zúñiga warned that cybercrime has grown 668% since 2020, surpassing even traditional crimes such as armed robbery.
“Criminals are migrating to this modality due to its high economic returns and low risk of being caught,” emphasized the head of the OIJ. He added that many of these crimes are committed from abroad, which further complicates investigations and requires greater technical capabilities and collaboration from private sector actors.
Privacy versus Security
The operation has reopened a recurring debate in Costa Rica: the balance between the protection of personal data and the need for collaboration with judicial authorities in cases of organized crime. While telecommunications operators cling to their duty to protect their users’ privacy, state security forces are demanding more effective tools to act quickly and accurately in criminal investigations.
Bill 24,170, currently in legislative proceedings, is presented as a possible solution to this tension. The initiative seeks to establish clear technical collaboration obligations for digital service providers, without violating constitutional guarantees.
Although the legal debate is just beginning, Operation Nexus and the raids on three of the country’s main telecommunications companies mark a milestone in the fight against cybercrime in Costa Rica.
Against the backdrop of booming cybercrime and pressure to adapt laws to the 21st century, the country faces the challenge of strengthening its digital defenses without compromising fundamental rights.
QCOSTARICA — With less than nine until the end of the current administration, the Progressive Liberal Party (Partido Liberal Progresista – PLP) is virtually without representation in Congress.
Of the six elected legislators, only two remain with that party, with the resignation on Tuesday of Luis Diego Vargas, who considered that the political group had lost its vision and direction.
“My time in the PLP is over. I am resigning because the party has lost its way in its proposal to transform the country. Because there is a rift between the party’s leadership and its rank and file, with whom I identify, and I see that they have closed their doors, and because the vision of the current leadership differs greatly from mine and that of other leaders who believed in the principles that gave rise to the PLP,” the legislator stated.
Previously, Johanna Obando, Kattia Cambronero, and Cinthya Córdoba declared themselves independent. Thus, only Gilberto Campos and former presidential candidate, Eli Feinzaig, remain in the PLP.
“I believe in a politics that listens more and is less closed off. I believe political parties should be closer to community leaders, the productive sectors, the common people, and, above all, to the reality of the country. And the PLP has strayed from that path,” Luis Diego Vargas added.
Vargas announced that he will remain in his position as a legislator and will seek approval for bills such as the expropriation bill, the public-private partnership bill, and a reform to the Urban Planning Law, which he considers obsolete; bills he has introduced in recent years and which have advanced in the legislative review process.
QCOSTARICA — Costa Rica hopes to soon reach an agreement with the United States to eliminate the 10% tariff applied last April to Costa Rican exports, as part of a series of levies it imposed on almost the entire world, according to an official source in the Central American country.
“One of the priorities is to seek the restoration of the access conditions prior to the tariff policy as quickly as possible. This requires dialogue between the parties to reach a satisfactory, win-win solution,” Costa Rican Foreign Trade Minister Manuel Tovar said.
On April 5, 2025, as part of a broader trade measure called “Liberation Day”, the United States imposed a 10% tariff on goods imported from Costa Rica. This tariff applies to a wide range of Costa Rican goods, including medical devices, coffee, and pineapples, which are key exports to the U.S. market. While the 10% tariff is lower than tariffs imposed on China, it still poses a significant threat to Costa Rica’s economy, especially given Costa Rica’s reliance on the U.S. market.
Last week, a Costa Rican technical team met with a U.S. counterpart in Washington as a first step toward seeking an agreement.
According to Tovar, Costa Rica is the first Latin American country to be called by the United States to the negotiating table.
“We have outlined an ambitious path to hopefully reach an agreement in June or July. We are approaching this with great optimism, having sat at a table where few have sat and will sit. We are the first country in the region to sit down to negotiate. We approach this with honor, responsibility, and caution; we must know how to manage expectations,” the minister stated.
Tovar emphasized that Costa Rica maintains a close relationship with the United States, which has deepened in recent years, with cooperation in areas such as the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking, as well as the promotion of cybersecurity, trade, and investment.
“Nobody likes tariffs. Beyond raising the tone of our reaction, we believe that the way forward is dialogue and negotiation, and that is the path we will follow to restore conditions,” Tovar stated.
For the moment, Costa Rica has not been affected by the 10% tariff imposed by the Donald Trump administration on Costa Rican exports, Tovar stated.
The United States accounts for 47% of Costa Rican exports, provides 70% of foreign direct investment (fdi), and is also the main source of tourists to Costa Rica.
Furthermore, Costa Rica is a party to the Central America-Dominican Republic-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), signed at the beginning of the century and which came into effect in Costa Rican territory in 2007 after being approved by the population in a referendum, amid a context of high polarization in which there was no favorable political environment for its ratification through legislative channels.
Q24N (EFE) The Nicaraguan Army and the Honduran Armed Forces agreed to exchange intelligence information and strengthen cooperation mechanisms to combat threats and risk factors on their shared border, the Nicaraguan military announced last Friday.
The agreements were reached in Managua between the Commander-in-Chief of the Nicaraguan Army, Army General Julio César Avilés Castillo, and the Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Honduran Armed Forces, Major General Roosevelt Leonel Hernández Aguilar. They pledged to expand and strengthen the “bonds of friendship, cooperation, and collaboration between both military institutions.”
During the three-day working meeting, both military leaders addressed issues on the bilateral agenda, primarily security issues, which were coordinated by both parties, the Nicaraguan Army said in a statement.
They also agreed to continue strengthening existing cooperation and collaboration mechanisms between the Nicaraguan Army and the Honduran Armed Forces, “as a highly important element for the coordinated response to common threats and risk factors affecting the border sectors and jurisdictional maritime spaces of both countries.”
In addition, both military institutions agreed to strengthen mechanisms for the real-time exchange of information and intelligence through specialized bodies, “emphasizing the importance of continuing to improve the communication channels established between both military institutions, which have allowed for significant operational results.”
They also agreed to continue the ongoing “Sandino-Morazán” coordinated operations, emphasizing their importance in maintaining high levels of security, stability, tranquility, and a climate of peace in the border areas, to counter the direct impact of international drug trafficking and other related crimes.
Another agreement was to maintain “the constant strengthening of confidence-building measures between both military institutions, which has allowed for the successful development of the bilateral agenda.”
The execution of the 23rd phase of the coordinated operation “Sandino-Morazán” and the 4th phase of the coordinated operations “North Caribbean Sovereignty” and “North Pacific Sovereignty” were also evaluated. These operations were carried out simultaneously from May 5 to 19, 2025.
During this period, the Nicaraguan Army detained 94 individuals linked to various illicit acts, including 64 Nicaraguans, 20 Hondurans, 7 Cubans, and 3 Salvadorans, two of whom were members of the Mara Salvatrucha MS-13 transnational criminal organization.
In addition, the Nicaraguan Army destroyed 54,100 marijuana plants and seized $17,835, a civilian weapon, six vehicles linked to illicit activity, 15 boats, three outboard motors, among other items.
Meanwhile, the Honduran Armed Forces detained 21 individuals, including 15 Nicaraguans and six Hondurans linked to various illicit activities. They eradicated 21,500 coca leaf bushes and seized a fragmentation grenade, a Law rocket, two anti-tank grenades, a mortar shell and a cartridge, three trucks, a motorcycle, and a boat. They also seized 198.45 grams of marijuana and 0.45 grams of cocaine.
Q COSTARICA — A single false post on social media can cost millions. Literally. This is demonstrated by the most recent report from the global firm LLYC, entitled “Misinformation Causes Real Losses: How to Protect Companies from Reputational and Financial Damage.”
The study warns that this phenomenon is neither future nor alien: it is a current, tangible risk that affects all countries, including Ecuador.
LLYC begins with a shocking case: on April 7, a false post on social media claimed that the United States would suspend tariffs for 90 days, excluding China. In less than half an hour, the S&P 500 index gained US$2.4 trillion in value, only to plummet when the rumor was denied by the White House.
The source: anonymous posts amplified by unverified media outlets. The result: global financial chaos.
The problem, as LLYC points out, is that we are no longer dealing with simple rumors. With artificial intelligence, disinformation has become scalable, automatic, and much more persuasive.
Deepfakes, cloned audio, and other artificial content are increasingly difficult for the human eye to detect and spread at breakneck speed. Even worse, they often appeal to fear or chaos, generating an immediate and poorly thought-out emotional reaction.
The report cites chilling data: disinformation is estimated to generate losses of US$78 billion annually worldwide, US$39 billion due to stock market volatility alone. But it’s not all about Wall Street. In Latin America, organized campaigns have attempted to undermine confidence in central banks and manipulate foreign exchange markets. In the United Kingdom, 60% of bank customers would be willing to withdraw their money after seeing a fake news story about their bank. Could the same thing happen in Ecuador if someone spread the alleged closure of a local financial institution with a fake audio?
Given this scenario, LLYC’s call is clear: protecting companies is not just a communication action, but a survival strategy. Brands must invest in monitoring, algorithmic verification, crisis simulations, and strategic communication. It’s not a question of “if” it will happen to them, but “when.”
Journalists have an unavoidable role: verify before publishing, contrast sources, and avoid amplifying rumors for likes or scoops. And as citizens, we must develop critical thinking: if a story alarms us too much or spreads too quickly, it’s probably not true.
In a world where perception can move markets, destroy reputations, or generate collective panic, the truth is more fragile than ever. But also more valuable. Let’s protect ourselves with data. Let’s resist with judgment. And let’s all defend trust as the most valuable asset in our society.
QCOSTARICA (EFE) Street blockades in the western town of Changuinola continued on Monday after a month of protests by the banana industry union, the main employer in the province of Bocas del Toro, one of Panama’s poorest, where the multinational Chiquita laid off some 4,800 workers last week.
The crisis stems from a social security reform that affected the benefits of banana industry workers. A labor court declared a strike led by the Banana, Agricultural, and Related Business Workers’ Union (Sitraibana) illegal. After this, Chiquita announced mass layoffs, citing job abandonment and losses of US$75 million.
The president of the Bocas del Toro Chamber of Commerce, Aris Pimentel, emphasized to TVN this Monday that “almost the entire economy of Bocas del Toro” has revolved around “Chiquita for years,” so the mass layoffs of its day laborers place the province in a “super difficult” situation.
Ombudsman Eduardo Leblanc, in a message on his X account, recalled that “for every banana worker laid off, there are 5 or 6 people affected,” calling the impact of the layoffs by the multinational banana company “enormous.”
“Bocas del Toro faces a multidimensional poverty rate of 38.9%, one of the highest in the country, with deficiencies in education, employment, and basic services,” argued Leblanc, who appealed to “true community and union leaders” by asserting that “safeguarding jobs in Bocas del Toro is an act of greatness.”
Closures and Blockades Continue
The town of Changuinola is the capital of Bocas del Toro and has 6,708 inhabitants, while the district of the same name has 101,091, according to the 2023 national census.
The banana industry, with a total payroll exceeding 7,000 jobs, is the main employer in the province, where small and micro-entrepreneurs also produce plantains, cocoa, and raise livestock, as Pimentel explained.
Chiquita controls 90% of national banana production, which remained Panama’s main export product in the first quarter of this year, representing 17.5% of foreign sales and reaching $324.4 million, the highest value in 15 years, according to the government.
The street closures in Changuinola “remain in place. We are only allowed to move around on a schedule for the purpose of traveling from one place to another. In the case of those of us who manage distribution businesses, we have managed to do so, but with many limitations,” explained the president of the provincial Chamber of Commerce.
There is a shortage of basic goods and “no liquidity or income of any kind” for many businesses after a month of crisis, so “there is a real possibility that many of them will not be able to reopen,” Pimentel added.
Updated benefits for the banana sector
Union representatives and representatives from President José Raúl Mulino’s government held negotiations that led to the drafting of an updated Law 45, which establishes benefits for banana workers. This law will be presented to Parliament this week, according to Labor Minister Jackeline Muñoz.
This proposal failed to convince union leaders last week, who ratified the strike, leading Chiquita to terminate the employment relationship with 4,800 workers, according to figures provided by the government.
The executive branch has established a high-level commission to define the roadmap for addressing the crisis in Bocas del Toro, including dialogue with Chiquita to ensure it does not abandon the country and resumes operations with new local personnel.
The banana workers’ union has said it will remain on strike until the new Social Security Law is repealed, as have public sector educators and construction workers. However, the government has ruled out that possibility and is calling for an explanation of the benefits of the reform.
Press Release: “We Trusted. They Withheld. Now We Warn Others.”
“I never imagined I’d be standing here, warning others not to make the same mistake we did,” said Mr. Ben Fabretto, the Australian businessman representing the companies — Bowlers Pine Holdings Pty Ltd and Fabretto Marine Ltd. “But after nearly two years of silence, avoidance, and outright refusal to return our funds, I feel a duty to speak out.”
Mr. Fabretto has filed a formal criminal complaint and civil lawsuit in Costa Rica against Costa Rica Yacht Center, S.A. (also known as APEX BOATS) and its executives, Roger Dherlin and Randall Miguel Nuñez Nuñez, for the alleged misappropriation of USD $66,415 — a violation under Article 223 of the Costa Rican Penal Code, which criminalizes the act of unlawfully retaining or using property received under a legal obligation to return or administer it.
The funds in question were originally deposited as part of a distribution agreement for boat-related operations. That agreement was terminated — and clearly stipulated that the deposit was to be refunded upon termination. Instead, the money was withheld, with no explanation and no legal basis.
“We respected the process. We tried to resolve this privately. We gave them every opportunity to make it right,” Fabretto explained. “But contracts mean nothing if one party believes they can simply ignore them — and that’s exactly what happened here.”
Between 2023 and 2024, Fabretto’s companies made multiple attempts to recover the funds, including formal communications and direct outreach. These efforts were met with total silence and avoidance, signaling a refusal to engage or comply.
“The worst part wasn’t even the financial loss,” Fabretto noted. “It was the dishonesty. The silence. The complete disregard for what had been agreed to.” Still, Fabretto made clear his faith in Costa Rica’s legal system: “I believe in the Costa Rican judicial system,” he said.
“That’s why we filed the complaint here. We trust the law and expect the courts will uphold the rights of those who come in good faith.”
He also had a message for other international businesses:
“If it can happen to us — with formal agreements, legal counsel, and a clear paper trail — it can happen to anyone.” He urged caution and due diligence for any company exploring partnerships in Costa Rica. “Look beyond the surface. Know who you’re doing business with. And don’t assume that integrity will always be reciprocated.”
With both criminal and civil proceedings underway, Mr. Fabretto reaffirmed his commitment to seeking justice:“We will pursue every legal remedy available. Not just for ourselves, but to ensure that other companies do not face the same trap. Speaking up is not just our right — it’s our responsibility.”
QCOSTARICA — The roads of Alajuela province are among the most deteriorated in the country, according to a study by the National Laboratory of Materials and Structural Models at the University of Costa Rica (Lanamme-UCR).
According to the technical report, although 92.4% of the high-capacity road network requires only preventive maintenance, 16.75 kilometers are classified as “major rehabilitation,” meaning they require urgent intervention due to significant structural deterioration.
These routes belong to the national system, which handles the largest number of vehicles nationwide.
“It is important to understand that this irregularity must be taken into account to improve the way we carry out our interventions and better redistribute public funds, which are increasingly scarce for infrastructure,” explained engineer Roy Barrantes, coordinator of the National Road Network Management and Evaluation Unit at Lanamme-UCR.
Nationally, the study indicates that 5.7% of roads require corrective maintenance or restoration, while 0.9% require a thorough review of the original project to determine their viability or redesign.
“The remaining percentage corresponds to sections that require special studies to define the best strategies and works, in order to restore the required service levels,” the report details.
In addition to Alajuela, the provinces of Cartago and San José also have segments that fall into the major rehabilitation category.
The MOPT is responsible for this.
Alajuela Mayor Roberto Thompson noted that national highways are the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (MOPT) and the National Road Council (Conavi), although the municipality has made complementary efforts with its own resources.
“There is a significant deficit in the investment of resources in national highways. In the case of cantonal highways, we have been making a great effort. We managed to approve a contract based on demand at the end of last year and are injecting resources into the restoration of the cantonal road network, but we do require much more support from Conavi,” stated Thompson.
The Mayor added, “This is a problem that affects the entire country; it’s not the problem of a single government. It’s been dragging on for some time, but it’s important that this call to attention be taken seriously.”
