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COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

Costa Rica and Panama Seek Gold Cup Glory Against North American Giants

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With no Caribbean teams advancing, a Central American contingent made up of Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala heads into the quarterfinals of the Gold Cup, where North American powerhouses—USA, Mexico, and Canada—are seen as favorites. The quarterfinals begin Saturday with two matches at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, which holds 63,400 spectators.

In the first match, Central America is guaranteed a semifinalist but will lose a team when fierce rivals Honduras and an intimidating Panama face off. Later that night, Mexico defends its title against Saudi Arabia, the tournament’s invited team.

On Sunday in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. Bank Stadium, with a capacity of 66,200, will host the other two quarterfinals. In a lopsided matchup, spirited Guatemala will face a formidable Canadian squad. In a power clash, Costa Rica will test its ambition against host nation USA, which faces the pressure of being the home team.

Panama’s Firepower

Saturday in Glendale at 4:15 p.m. local time (11:15 p.m. GMT), Panama aims to unleash its offensive strength against Honduras. Under Danish coach Thomas Christiansen, La Marea Roja had a perfect group stage run with 9 points and the best attack—10 goals, 5 from top scorer Ismael Díaz.

“The level my players have shown is the bare minimum required for the next match,” Christiansen said, while downplaying Panama’s title hopes. “If I had to choose between qualifying for the World Cup or winning the Gold Cup, I’d choose qualifying.”

Honduras bounced back from a 6-0 loss to Canada in their opener with two hard-fought wins, including a dramatic one over Curaçao, to make the quarterfinals. “This will be a big test for us, facing a rival shaped by a five-year process,” said Honduras coach Reinaldo Rueda.

Mexico Faces Tournament Guest

At 7:15 p.m. local time (01:15 GMT Sunday), Mexico takes on Saudi Arabia, which enters the quarters with the fewest points—just four—and only two goals scored. “We’re improving, but not as fast as I’d like,” admitted Mexico coach Javier Aguirre. “We’re finding solutions to the problems our opponents present.”

Saudi coach Hervé Renard said their group stage rivals forced them into a physical game that’s not their strength. Regarding Mexico, Renard says he’s ready for the overwhelming crowd support Mexico will enjoy.

Guatemala Plays With Heart

On Sunday in Minneapolis at 3:00 p.m. local time (8:00 p.m. GMT), Canada will show its strength against a passionate Guatemalan side. “In general, our team showed awareness, experience, and discipline,” said U.S.-born Canadian coach Jesse Marsch after his team topped their group with 7 points.

Guatemala reached the quarters with tight wins over Caribbean sides Jamaica and Guadeloupe. “We may play well or poorly, but we always give our all,” said Mexican coach Luis Fernando Tena of the Chapín squad, which “always plays with heart.”

Most Even Matchup: USA vs Costa Rica

At 6:00 p.m. local time (11:00 p.m. GMT), the most balanced quarterfinal kicks off between USA, led by Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino, and Costa Rica, coached by Mexico’s Miguel Herrera. Team USA had a flawless group stage with three wins and just one goal conceded.

Pochettino said, “It’s a do-or-die final—we must keep competing well.” Despite facing the host, Herrera said the Sele remains calm. “We’re undefeated and ready for a tougher match than we’ve seen so far.”

Costa Rica’s Top Court Bans President Chaves from 2026 Election Campaign

Costa Rica’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal on Thursday barred President Rodrigo Chaves from participating in the 2026 election campaign, ruling that he “illegitimately used” his office to “favor a political program.” The ruling comes amid ongoing tensions between branches of government in Central America’s most stable democracy.

Chaves has accused the Prosecutor’s Office, the Supreme Court, and Congress of blocking his policy agenda, while leaders of those institutions accuse him of authoritarian tendencies. The Tribunal ordered that the president “is prohibited from making any statement or taking any action that could benefit or harm any party, candidate, pre-candidate, political faction, or movement” running in the upcoming general elections.

Therefore, he “must refrain from any behavior that may influence voters’ free decision-making,” the Tribunal ruled, upholding an electoral protection complaint. The complaint was filed on March 25 by political analyst Claudio Alpízar, who argued that Chaves had built “a narrative that favors a specific party or sector,” violating electoral law and undermining public trust in the voting system.

The Tribunal determined that the president “engaged in repeated and undeniably serious actions that directly affected the fundamental rights of the complainant and, indirectly, those of the electorate—specifically the right to vote freely.” Both the Constitution and Electoral Code prohibit the president and other senior officials from engaging in political or electoral activities or using their office to benefit any party.

The Tribunal acknowledged that the president “violated the fundamental rights of the citizenry” and issued instructions to prevent it from happening again. Chaves, a 64-year-old conservative economist and former World Bank official, is not eligible for re-election. However, political allies have not ruled out his possible bid for a legislative seat in the 2026 election.

His image as a strong-handed populist leader continues to resonate with voters in opinion polls. The president has said he hopes his party will win a supermajority in Congress in the upcoming elections in order to push through major reforms.

On Monday, the Prosecutor’s Office formally accused Chaves and six top officials and lawmakers of allegedly receiving illicit campaign financing during the 2022 election. The Supreme Court must now decide whether to ask Congress to lift their legal immunity and allow them to stand trial.

U.S. – Guatemala Security Pact Targets Crime and Helps Returning Migrants

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem signed a border security cooperation agreement with Guatemala on Thursday, which includes the use of drones and other technologies to combat transnational crime. “This joint security alliance will allow us to share information […] and security protocols at our airports, ports, and borders, as well as between our intelligence agencies,” Noem said after the agreement was signed in Guatemala City, the final stop on her Central American tour.

Noem said she discussed cybersecurity and the use of advanced technologies, such as drone surveillance, with Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo and other officials, with the goal of dismantling drug trafficking networks. “This is a joint security agreement that gives us an unprecedented opportunity to share information and pursue criminals,” the secretary stated.

Guatemala’s Minister of the Interior, Francisco Jiménez, who co-signed the agreement, said the deal will enable “more effective detection of individuals linked to criminal and terrorist networks.” The agreement includes “joint investigations” and “information sharing,” as Guatemala serves as a transit country for people from “all over the world” en route to the United States, the minister told reporters.

Noem also highlighted an assistance program for migrants returning to Guatemala from the U.S., including the approximately 20,000 deported this year. Back in Guatemala, migrants “can count on a government that supports them with housing, family care, and job training so they can secure their future, and that of their children and grandchildren,” Noem said.

“This country can serve as an example to others and can lead the way in the efforts we want to make,” added Noem, who visited the migrant reception center at La Aurora airport in the capital. She also praised President Arévalo’s willingness to receive “unaccompanied migrant children currently in the United States” after traveling there alone.

“We have already identified hundreds of them in the U.S. who were victims of trafficking, and the president has said he wants to facilitate their return to their families and help them with education and job training as quickly as possible,” she said. Prior to Guatemala, Noem visited Panama, Costa Rica, and Honduras, where she also discussed security and migration and signed similar agreements

Costa Rica Surf Film Festival Honors ‘Pura Vida Bodysurfing’ with Top Audience Award

Pura Vida Bodysurfing is an award-winning short film that strips surfing back to its essence—riding waves without a surfboard. Filmed across Costa Rica’s legendary coastlines, from the thundering barrels of Puerto Viejo to the famously long lefts of Pavones, the film captures the raw beauty of bodysurfing in one of the world’s most wave-rich countries.

A Surf Odyssey Across Costa Rica

The story follows Costa Rican bodysurfer Pablo Solano and his expat friend Spencer Dunlap as they crisscross the country in search of perfect waves. Their journey takes them to iconic breaks including:

  • Roca Bruja
  • Salsa Brava
  • Playa Grande
  • Playa Hermosa
  • Dominical

Shot by filmmakers Felipe Sanchez and Dennis Monge, the film combines breathtaking in-water, land, and aerial footage. The soundtrack features original music by California bodysurfer Sami Freeman, as well as tracks from Costa Rican bands Abedúl, Cocofunka, Magpie Jay, and Patterns.

“Pura Vida Bodysurfing” Wins 2025 Audience Choice Award

At the 2025 Costa Rica Surf Film Festival, Pura Vida Bodysurfing took home the Audience Choice Award (Premio del Público), signaling just how deeply the film resonated with the local surf community. Presented by Rip Curl, the festival was held on May 31st at the Surfer House at Jacó Walk and featured ten Costa Rican surf films that captured the spirit of the country’s coastline and surf culture.

This inaugural Surfing República event included a full competition with categories like:

  • Best Editing
  • Best Cinematography
  • Best Musicalization
  • Best Story
  • Audience Choice Award

The festival also featured an art exhibit curated by Romina Cejas and a surfboard showcase by Channel Islands Surfboards.

Bodysurfing in Costa Rica: More Than a Sport

Bodysurfing has long existed in the shadow of board surfing. Yet in Costa Rica—where many beaches are unpatrolled by lifeguards—it’s more than just a sport. It’s a vital ocean skill.

Historically, bodysurfing in Costa Rica was limited by a lack of gear—specifically, swim fins, essential for propulsion and control. That’s changing. Shops like Costa Verde in Uvita, now an official DaFiN distributor, are making high-quality fins more accessible and even donating them to local lifeguards.

Tico lifeguards and surfers are increasingly incorporating bodysurfing into their ocean safety training, and bodysurf camps are popping up along the coast. One memorable moment in the film captures a group of beginners catching their first wave together at Playa Grande.

A Sport with Soul

That Pura Vida Bodysurfing resonated with an audience of committed board riders is proof that bodysurfing is not just a fringe activity—it’s a soulful, elemental connection to the ocean. This film honors that connection and reintroduces bodysurfing as not just a sport, but an art form.

Spencer Dunlap is founder of Bodysurf Collective (@bodysurfcollective)

Climate Change in Costa Rica Devastates Coffee Farms in Los Santos

In Costa Rica’s Los Santos region, famous for producing nearly half the country’s coffee, farmers are reeling from heavy losses driven by wild weather. Climate change is hitting hard, with an estimated ₡11.5 billion ($22.1 million) in crop losses this season, according to the Coffee Institute of Costa Rica (ICAFE). The region’s 13,000 coffee-growing families, mostly small and medium-scale producers, are struggling to stay afloat as harvests shrink and debts pile up.

Take one farmer’s story: she expected 450 bushels from her 2024–2025 crop but harvested only 350, losing 100 bushels. “That’s a huge hit to keeping the farm running,” she said. “We barely made a profit, and what we did earn went to fixing the cart we use to haul coffee.” Her experience is common, with many in Los Santos seeing harvests drop by about 20%. For the 35,500 people relying on coffee here, these losses sting, especially after back-to-back tough seasons. Some, like her, are ready to sell their farms if things don’t turn around soon.

Heavy rains are a big culprit, fueling diseases like coffee rust and anthracnose. Wet soils cause young fruit to drop early, and irregular flowering throws off the crop cycle. Farmers now obsess over weather forecasts, trying to adapt to unpredictable rains and rising temperatures that disrupt the delicate balance coffee plants need. A 2023 report noted Costa Rica’s rainfall has spiked since the 1960s, worsening fungal infections and eroding soil on steep hillsides. Los Santos, a highland hub, feels this shift acutely.

It’s not just the weather. Labor shortages, tied to irregular harvests and Nicaragua’s tight border policies, have left fields understaffed. In 2024, fewer than 50 Nicaraguan workers reached Costa Rica, forcing farmers to lean on local or Panamanian Ngäbe-Buglé workers. Low global coffee prices and a strong colón add to the pain, eating into profits. ICAFE reports the number of coffee producers nationwide has plummeted from 47,000 to 25,000 over a decade, yet the industry still supports over 100,000 jobs during the eight-month harvest.

Despite premium prices for Costa Rican coffee in high-value markets, many farmers are just breaking even, reinvesting slim earnings into the next cycle. ICAFE’s pushing solutions like disease-resistant hybrids and apps like CR CAFÉ to warn farmers about pests and weather. But with climate patterns growing erratic, farmers need more—shade trees, better irrigation, and national support—to save Los Santos’ coffee legacy.

Costa Rica Joins U.S. Global Entry, Easing Travel for Tourists

Costa Rica took a big step forward, by officially joining the U.S. Global Entry program, a move set to make travel smoother for Costa Ricans and Americans alike. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sealed the deal during a visit to San José’s Presidential House, signing an agreement alongside Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves. The program, known since 2023 as the Trusted Traveler Program, lets pre-approved, low-risk travelers breeze through immigration at 53 U.S. airports and select international checkpoints.

Noem didn’t hold back on what this means for Costa Rica, where tourism drives 6.3% of the economy. “We signed the Global Entry agreement today,” she said at a press conference. “Your economy leans heavily on tourism, with tons of Americans coming to kick back. This will speed up their entry, making travel easier.” With 2.75 million tourists in 2023—half the country’s population—the agreement is a game-changer for Costa Rica, especially for U.S. visitors who flock to its beaches and rainforests.

The Costa Rican-North American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) and the National Tourism Chamber cheered the news, saying it’ll make trips to and from the U.S. quicker and more appealing. Costa Ricans will soon skip long immigration lines at major U.S. hubs like Miami, Dallas, and New York, using Global Entry kiosks for a “fast lane” experience. The setup also encourages Americans to visit Costa Rica, knowing their return to the U.S. will be hassle-free.

Omer Badilla, Costa Rica’s Immigration Director and Vice Minister of the Interior, said the two countries are ironing out the final tech details to get the system running. “We’re in the implementation phase, fine-tuning the technology,” Badilla explained. “Give us two or three weeks, and we’ll have it up and working smoothly.” The process involves linking Costa Rica’s systems with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a step Foreign Minister Arnoldo André noted was nearly complete in February.

Global Entry’s rollout builds on years of U.S.-Costa Rica cooperation, from border security to tourism growth. Many have called it a win for travelers and a boost for ties with the U.S.

Costa Rica’s Piangua Mollusk Threatened by Pineapple Farm Runoff

Costa Rica’s Térraba-Sierpe National Wetland, a 33,000-hectare haven of mangroves and rivers, is under siege from an unlikely source: pineapple farms. A study by natural resource management specialist Soledad Castro found 16 chemical compounds, including the fungicide carbendazim and herbicides clomazone and diuron, in the wetland’s waters and sediments, some 80 kilometers downstream from plantations in Buenos Aires, Puntarenas. The findings, from her thesis “Plantations, Pesticides, and the State,” reveal that 71% of these pollutants come from pineapple farming, threatening the piangua mollusk and the communities who depend on it.

The Térraba-Sierpe delta, where the Térraba and Sierpe rivers meet, is a lifeline for the piangua (Anadara tuberculosa), a native mollusk harvested for generations. Castro used the piangua as a marker to gauge contamination’s impact, finding fewer mollusks in polluted areas like Boca Chica, though not mass die-offs. “The contaminants create conditions that just aren’t right for the species,” she said. Where pollution is lower, piangua populations thrive, highlighting the chemicals’ role in their decline.

Castro’s team sampled water and sediment along the rivers and delta, tying the pesticides to pineapple crops, though oil palm and rice farms also dot the area. The Térraba River, carrying reddish sediment from Buenos Aires’ ultisol soils, is the main culprit, spreading toxins far downstream. Community interviews backed this up. “In the 1980s, when pineapple farming took off, the piangua started vanishing,” Castro noted, quoting elders who recalled red mud clogging river mouths. “They said clearly: ‘The red mud shows up, and the piangua disappears.’”

The fallout hits hard for South Pacific communities, where piangua harvesting is a key livelihood. With few job options, losing this mollusk threatens their income and way of life. A report that came out this year echoed Castro’s findings, noting pesticides travel 70 kilometers to the delta, harming this Ramsar-protected wetland. Pineapple farms, using 20 kilograms of pesticides per hectare yearly, drive Costa Rica’s world-leading pesticide use, with runoff worsened by heavy rains, according to the FAO.

Castro’s work fills a critical gap, exposing how pineapple monoculture harms distant ecosystems. While Costa Rica’s green image draws tourists, its export-driven farms are leaving a toxic mark. Protecting the piangua and the wetland demands tougher regulations and restoration, before this ecological and cultural treasure slips away.

Costa Rica and U.S. Strengthen Border Scans and Biometric Cooperation

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U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem met Wednesday with Honduran President Xiomara Castro to discuss security and migration, following her offer in Costa Rica to help control the entry of travelers and goods into the country. The leftist Honduran president requested an extension of TPS, a regulation that allows temporary legal stay for migrants in the U.S., which for Honduras is set to expire on July 5, according to Honduran Foreign Minister Javier Bu.

“The President […] advocated for a TPS extension for our nationals in the U.S. who have been victims of natural disasters in Honduras,” Bu told reporters. About 50,000 Hondurans currently live in the U.S. under TPS, which has been in effect for citizens of the Central American country since 1999.

“We discussed new security cooperation agreements, border security. We signed a letter of intent for a new biometric data sharing agreement,” Bu added. Noem made no public statements in Honduras, where she arrived Wednesday from Costa Rica, after meeting with Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves.

There, she offered assistance in controlling the entry of travelers and goods into Costa Rica. “We’re going to help with that […]. I believe it will be the first country in the world to fully scan every person or product entering the country,” Noem said in San José.

“We know that dangerous drugs often enter and pass through Costa Rica before reaching the United States,” she added, alongside Chaves. Neither Noem nor Chaves provided details or a timeline for the launch of this system. Noem stated the inspections would help determine “if a product is beneficial to the country or if it is linked to drug trafficking.”

Noem also explained that both countries signed an agreement for Costa Rica to join Global Entry, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program for “trusted travelers.” This program involves a background check and allows “expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States,” according to CBP’s website.

“I personally made the decision today that President [Chaves] will be the first person from Costa Rica to receive Global Entry,” Noem said. Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department announced on X that 19 human traffickers were arrested in a joint operation with Costa Rica’s immigration authorities.

This “major migrant smuggling network trafficked individuals from various countries—mainly China, Vietnam, and Venezuela—to the United States,” it said. After Honduras, Noem will visit Guatemala. She began her Central American tour Tuesday in Panama.

Celso Gamboa Allegedly Ran Drug Ring with Costa Rican Government Ties

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Celso Gamboa, once Costa Rica’s Security Minister and a Supreme Court judge, now faces extradition to the U.S. for leading a major cocaine trafficking network. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) alleges Gamboa coordinated shipments across Central America, Colombia, and Mexico, and shockingly claimed government backing to pull it off. Arrested in San José yesterday, the 49-year-old awaits trial in Dallas, Texas, on at least two international drug trafficking charges.

The DEA’s case hinges on a September 2023 meeting in San José, where Gamboa met two associates who were secretly DEA informants. Recorded by authorities, he boasted that President Rodrigo Chaves’ administration gave him free rein to smuggle cocaine into Costa Rica, whether by Caribbean or Pacific routes. “The government’s got my back,” he allegedly said, claiming his group controlled how drugs entered the country. Gamboa leaned on his past roles—anti-drug commissioner, intelligence director, and Security Minister—to convince his partners he could dodge scrutiny, according to CRHoy.com.

Two former members of Gamboa’s alleged drug trafficking ring, known as CW-1 and CW-2, spilled details to the DEA. CW-1 said they saw Gamboa’s crew handle maritime cocaine shipments from 2020 to 2022, using his influence over the Coast Guard and port scanners to avoid detection. The operation stretched from Colombia’s Clan del Golfo, a key cocaine supplier, to Mexico’s Gulf Cartel, where Gamboa acted as a regional coordinator. His network reached Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama, moving drugs north to the U.S.

Gamboa’s arrest marks a turning point for Costa Rica, which only recently allowed citizen extraditions for drug crimes after a May 2025 constitutional reform. The OIJ’s Randall Zúñiga called it a “milestone,” noting Gamboa’s case as the second under the new law. But his claims of government support raise tough questions. No officials have been named, and the allegations remain unproven, fueling debate about corruption in Chaves’ administration.

Costa Rica’s role as a drug transit hub has grown, with 32.1 tons of drugs seized in 2024 alone. Gamboa’s case exposes how high-level ties can exploit this, deepening the country’s struggle with trafficking-related violence, which drives 70% of its murders. As Gamboa awaits extradition, Costa Ricans are left wondering how deep the rot goes and whether justice will reach beyond one fallen minister.

Costa Rica’s Rare Birds at Risk as Human Activity Threatens Extinction

Costa Rica’s bare-necked umbrellabird, a striking black bird with a red throat pouch and crest, is in trouble. A new study in Nature Ecology & Evolution warns it’s among 500 bird species worldwide that could vanish within a century, driven by human activities like deforestation and urban sprawl. Found only in Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, Talamanca Mountain Range, and Monteverde, this endemic species—along with the mangrove hummingbird—faces a grim future unless bold action is taken.

The umbrellabird, with an estimated 7,000 breeding adults left, clings to shrinking forests. Its limited range makes it especially fragile, as cleared land and fragmented habitats chip away at its home. The mangrove hummingbird, buzzing through North Pacific mangroves, isn’t faring much better. Both species suffer from rapid development, and some face hunting during nesting seasons, further threatening their survival. “Stopping deforestation or patching up habitats isn’t enough anymore,” said Dr. Claudia Fernández, a biologist specializing in ecology. “These birds need full-scale ecosystem restoration, and we need it now.”

The Nature study paints a stark picture: biodiversity is collapsing at a record pace, disrupting ecosystems that provide clean water, air, and food. Costa Rica, home to 936 bird species—among the highest diversity per square kilometer globally—feels the strain acutely. The Ornithological Association’s 2024–2025 bird list showcases this richness, with 80 endemics like the umbrellabird and hummingbird, but warns of growing risks. If countries step up protections and curb human impacts, the study says, half these extinctions could be prevented.

There are also local concerns, with birders and conservationists urging stronger policies. A push to restore mangroves in the Gulf of Nicoya shows promise, but deforestation in the Caribbean, where umbrellabirds roam, continues. The study calls for aggressive conservation, like reforesting degraded lands and shielding nesting sites from hunters. Costa Rica’s green reputation hinges on saving these birds, which draw tourists and anchor ecosystems.

Fernández’s warning is a wake-up call. The umbrellabird’s flashy crest and the hummingbird’s iridescent buzz are more than natural treasures—they’re indicators of a fragile balance. Without urgent, large-scale efforts, Costa Rica risks losing these species and the ecosystems they support. The clock is ticking, but there’s still time to act.