Author Archives: Andrew Rulseh Kasper

A Canadian tourist who died after becoming ill on a snorkeling trip to Isla del Caño Monday marks the second fatality in four days caused by a health event while snorkeling near the island. An English tourist suffered a heart … Continue reading →

For extended tourists looking for an official form of identification besides their passports, a Costa Rican driver’s license may be the painless solution. Apart from driving purposes, a driver’s license is accepted as proper identification in many other circumstances, such … Continue reading →

A groundbreaking ceremony for the construction to create San José’s Barrio Chino, brought acclaim from many excited residents but also criticism. The construction will turn 600 meters of Calle 9 into a pedestrian-only boulevard lit by Chinese-style lamps. The project … Continue reading →

Although they say it’s not right to look a gift horse in the mouth, the patrol cars that the Chinese government donated to Costa Rica are getting mixed reviews. The cars were donated in early January to be used by … Continue reading →

The Costa Rican government is launching the region’s first in-depth study into the mysterious epidemic of kidney failure which has claimed the lives of thousands of sugar cane workers in Central America. Since it was first identified that high rates … Continue reading →

Following a nearly fatal all-terrain-vehicle accident Feb. 10 that left her with three broken limbs and bones protruding from her skin, a Minnesota vacationer was left writhing in a private hospital without treatment until her husband could come up with … Continue reading →

Wednesday marked the first coordinated effort by the Fuerza Pública and the San José Policía Municipal to rid downtown public spaces of unlicensed vendors. But when patrols and canine units took to the streets in the morning, officers reported that … Continue reading →

As schools begin instruction today, security officials are promising rigid enforcement of drug laws in educational areas. Meanwhile, they are looking to beef up the anti-drug law for people caught in public places children frequent. Celso Gamboa, a vice minister … Continue reading →

About a quarter of the 215 pistols stolen from a Policia de Transito temporary government storage facility a week ago were recovered Friday from a house in Alajuelita. They were taken to the national arsenal where officials promised they would … Continue reading →

Super Bowl Sunday was a successful event for many sports bars in downtown San José that cater to an expat or tourist crowd. Four of the better-known sports hot-spots in the area reported elevated business or sell-out crowds. A worker … Continue reading →

Costa Rican places to watch the Sunday Super Bowl game between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots are filling up fast. The Sportsmen’s Lodge in San José will host an evening with a $50 flat fee that … Continue reading →

Judicial Investigating Organization statistics show what authorities are calling a positive decrease in homicides on a national level. But the numbers also demonstrate other areas where police have been unsuccessful in curtailing incidents of crime, such as assaults and home … Continue reading →

U. S. Embassy officials say Oscar Mora Morales, a Costa Rican father of two American citizens, talked about bringing a weapon onto embassy grounds, became argumentative and refused to answer simple anti-fraud questions and lied about having the two U.S. … Continue reading →

The nightmare began with a doorbell ring from the outside gate of the rental property, something not uncommon in the upscale neighborhood of tenants Tom Sweeney and his coworker Jeannette Álvarez. After death threats, violence and a hostage-style standoff with … Continue reading →

A Costa Rican seeking a passport for his American-born daughter lost his own U.S. visa when a Pavas embassy diplomat stamped it “canceled” as the climax to a disagreement. The man, a Guanacaste businessman, said that losing the visa will … Continue reading →

A growing inmate population means Costa Rica’s prison system is now in dire need of an overhaul, including increased employees, more prison cells and upgrades to its infrastructure, according to Hernando París, minister of Justicia y Paz The Ministerio de … Continue reading →

The ability to continually renew a three-month visa in Costa Rica is a lifeline for many perpetual tourists here. But with official attitudes toward the practice changing and immigration agents granted large amounts of discretionary power, entering the country can … Continue reading →

The Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social confirmed in a press release Thursday that it will begin to take measures to assess the status of all the patients to whom it gave faulty breast implants and give the patients the option … Continue reading →