No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeNewsCosta RicaEnvironmental organizations and park rangers denounce ‘deterioration’ of National Parks

Environmental organizations and park rangers denounce ‘deterioration’ of National Parks

Costa Rica is honoring its protected land Saturday during National Parks Day. But not everyone will be celebrating.

The Costa Rica Park Rangers Association, the Costa Rican Federation for the Conservation of Nature, the MINAE Workers’ Union, and more than three-dozen environmental organizations on Thursday denounced working conditions at Costa Rica’s National Parks.

Primarily focusing on “the precarious conditions in which park rangers work,” the statement claims National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC), which is part of the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), has not completed 19 of 24 infrastructure projects it had established as a priorities in 2015. 

“SINAC does not have a mechanism to identify needs that require an intervention of physical infrastructure or the ability to select an alternative solution,” it read.

The statement also criticized Costa Rica’s government for “systematic abandonment of Protected Wildlife Areas” and asked for a larger percentage of National Park revenue to be reserved for maintaining and improving those areas. 

“It is noteworthy that the celebration of National Parks Day at Rincon de la Vieja National Park will represent an estimated cost of 25 million colones, while the houses of most of the surveillance posts are practically uninhabitable,” it read.

MINAE has not issued a response to Thursday’s complaints, though it responded to similar allegations last year by saying it has invested more than $33 million toward infrastructure projects since 2014.

Members of the organizations that signed Thursday’s statement will demonstrate Saturday at 4 p.m. at Plaza de la Cultura in San José.

Trending Now

President Chaves Downplays Costa Rica’s Security Crisis Amid Record Homicides

President Rodrigo Chaves brushed off concerns about Costa Rica's surging violence during his Wednesday press conference, insisting the security situation "is not as serious"...

Earthquake Shakes Costa Rica’s Central Valley

An earthquake shook Costa Rica early Friday morning. The tremor occurred at 12:45 a.m. with a magnitude of 4.4. Its epicenter was located 1...

The Most Clueless Gringo in Costa Rica: A Satirical Take on Expat Life

If part of your online day includes mindless scrolling through reels, you’ve probably seen the Dos Equis beer parody commercials. The original ads featured the...

Costa Rica President Confronts Calls to Strip Immunity

Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves denounced today an “attempted judicial coup” as he appeared before a congressional committee that must recommend to the full...

US Cracks Down on Costa Rica’s Narco Network with New Sanctions

The US Treasury Department moved against a Costa Rican drug trafficking ring today sanctioning four individuals and two entities tied to cocaine smuggling and...

Costa Rica Anglers Catch Rare Orange and Albino Nurse Shark

Anglers on a fishing trip off Costa Rica's Caribbean coast caught a nurse shark unlike any seen before: bright orange skin and stark white...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica