Hundreds of taxis blocked Second Avenue and the streets surrounding the National Assembly in San José Thursday morning to protest a bill that could legalize Uber in Costa Rica.
“A group of taxi drivers is using threats and aggression, putting at risk the security of those attending Expo Empleo to look for dignified and sensible opportunities,” Uber Costa Rica said Friday morning in a statement.
A Costa Rica Uber driver was reportedly threatened by taxi drivers on Saturday. The government, which says Uber is illegal here, condemned the violence.
“We’re not in the business of censoring the Internet,” Science and Technology Minister Mauricio Jenkins told reporters after the government refused to block Uber in Costa Rica.
Uber said it plans to hire 300 people and invest $3.5 million in Costa Rica by the end of 2016. But the government received the news with a cold shoulder.
The van service for groups of between seven and 14 is aimed at capturing families and larger groups of tourists looking to take day trips from San José.
It was too good to last. Uber’s "surge pricing" — a multiplier added to the fare depending on demand for rides — started in Costa Rica Thursday, according to a post from the ride-hailing service.
Taxi drivers blocked a central street in Montevideo on Friday to prevent ride-sharing service Uber from training new drivers as it seeks to roll out service in Uruguay.
Guatemalan authorities freed hostages on Monday who were being held by gang members in two prisons, including a juvenile facility, in riots attributed to...
