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Prison Cases at Costa Rica’s Constitutional Court Jump 124% Amid Crackdown

The Tico Times - November 7, 2026

Costa Rica

Fire Chief Says Fernández Gave No Order on Ambulance Deal, but a Memo Cites Her

Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s Grynspan Wins 12 of 15 Votes in Eighth UN Secretary-General Poll

Crime

Costa Rica Removes Don Pepe Figueres Monument After Protest Vandalism

Prison Cases at Costa Rica’s Constitutional Court Jump 124% Amid Crackdown

The Tico Times - November 7, 2026

Prison-related cases at Costa Rica's Constitutional Chamber rose from 2,130 in 2020 to 4,780 in 2025, as tougher prison rules collide with the state's duty to feed and treat inmates.

Fire Chief Says Fernández Gave No Order on Ambulance Deal, but a Memo Cites Her

The Tico Times - November 7, 2026

A Sept. 25 memo cites President Fernández as the basis for a $13.88 million no-bid ambulance deal the fire chief defends.

Costa Rica’s Grynspan Wins 12 of 15 Votes in Eighth UN Secretary-General Poll

The Tico Times - November 7, 2026

Rebeca Grynspan won 12 of 15 Security Council votes in the eighth UN secretary-general straw poll.

Costa Rica Removes Don Pepe Figueres Monument After Protest Vandalism

The Tico Times - November 6, 2026

Costa Rica’s Ministry of Culture and Youth removed the bronze monument to former President José Figueres Ferrer from San José’s Plaza de la Democracia...

Local Elections Drove Costa Rica’s CPTPP Reversal, Sources Say

The Tico Times - November 6, 2026

Concerns about the 2028 municipal elections helped drive Costa Rica's decision to abandon its bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific...

Democrats Win Congress but Costa Rica’s US Tariff Stays

The Tico Times - November 4, 2026

Democrats won control of both chambers of the US Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections. The result hands President Donald Trump a divided government for...

US Midterm Vote Won’t Necessarily Lift Costa Rica’s 12.5% Tariff

The Tico Times - November 1, 2026

Analysts say Tuesday's US midterms could shift the politics around Costa Rica's 12.5% tariff, but a new Congress won't automatically lift it.

Chaves Calls TEC Rector a Terrorist as 417 Limón Students Face Campus Closure

The Tico Times - October 31, 2026

Former president Rodrigo Chaves, who now serves as minister of the Presidency and of Finance, called Costa Rica Institute of Technology (TEC) rector María...

For First Time, Costa Rica Votes Against UN Call to End US Embargo on Cuba

The Tico Times - October 30, 2026

Costa Rica voted against the annual United Nations resolution calling on the United States to lift its economic embargo on Cuba, the first time...

Costa Rica’s President Invites Pope Leo XIV to Visit in 2027

The Tico Times - October 29, 2026

President Laura Fernández formally invited Pope Leo XIV to visit Costa Rica during a private audience at the Vatican, proposing a trip in 2027...

Costa Rica Drops Bid to Join Pacific Trade Pact and Fires Its Trade Minister

The Tico Times - October 28, 2026

Costa Rica drops its bid to join the CPTPP and fires its trade minister, citing secrecy over the deal and risks to ranchers and dairy farmers.

Ruling Party Files Bill That Would Let Rodrigo Chaves Run Again in 2030

The Tico Times - October 28, 2026

Legislators from Costa Rica's ruling Pueblo Soberano party filed a constitutional reform on Tuesday that would allow presidents to serve consecutive terms. Its backers...

For the First Time, Women Lead All Three Branches of Costa Rica’s Government

The Tico Times - October 27, 2026

Patricia Vargas's election as Supreme Court president means women lead all three branches of Costa Rica's government.

US Embassy Links Chinese Mining to Illegal Gold Digging in Costa Rica, China Calls It Unfounded

The Tico Times - October 24, 2026

The United States Embassy in Costa Rica has accused Chinese mining companies operating in Nicaragua of driving illegal gold extraction across the border into...