Navigating Costa Rica
A recent New Yorker documentary explores the unique way Costa Ricans give directions, relying on landmarks and community ties rather than exact street addresses. As the film shows, Ticos eschew house numbers and often use colorful references like “100 meters east of the old higuerón tree” that require local familiarity. Directions embed connections to shared history and landscape, invoking pulperias, painted houses, fruit trees, or even long-gone landmarks like a demolished turn-of-the-century obelisk.
While pragmatically inscrutable to outsiders, these descriptor-based “direcciones” intuitively guide locals who find them “normal, it’s a part of life.” Though modern apps are taking over navigation, the documentary suggests Costa Rica has preserved an idiosyncratic sense of place by framing travel instructions around touchpoints woven into the country’s societal fabric.
Electricity Costs Could Surge Over 17% in Costa Rica in 2024
The Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) is facing a complex scenario in 2024 due to the drop in hydroelectric production and the additional expense incurred to purchase fuel and produce thermal energy, and to import energy from the Regional Electricity Market (MER). The Regulatory Authority of Public Services (ARESEP) is processing a file through which it intends to charge customers the Variable Generation Cost (CVG) to reimburse 50% of the expenses incurred by ICE this year and for the upcoming year.
The proposed increase would range between 5.14% and 17.13% as of January 1, 2024. ARESEP has sent its technical report recommending the increase to the energy superintendent, Mario Mora Quirós, and the public has been invited to present their positions to the regulator. The Energy Superintendent will have to decide whether or not to approve this recommendation before December 15.
Dollar Hits Historic Low in Costa Rica
Costa Rica’s dollar exchange rate has dropped to its lowest level since February 2014, closing at ¢528.33 in the Foreign Exchange Market (MONEX). This unexpected dip has raised concerns among experts, with some predicting further decline in the coming days. Economists attribute this annual phenomenon to the disbursement of Christmas bonuses, an influx of foreign currency from tourists, and seasonal harvests.
The president of the Chamber of Exporters of Costa Rica (CADEXCO), Victor Perez, held a press conference on Thursday, urging the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR) to stabilize the exchange rate within the range of ¢560 to ¢600 per dollar. This plea is motivated by the desire to mitigate the adverse effects that the appreciation of the colón is inflicting on the country’s exporters. The call for stability reflects the urgent need for measures to safeguard the economic interests of these companies.
