This week, I had to laugh when I learned that sometime before the end of this year the Policía de Tránsito (traffic police) are expecting to put in cameras to control traffic and ticket offending drivers in various parts of San Jose. The areas targeted for this is Parque La Paz, the autopista General Cañas and the autopista Florencio del Castillo and other "unnamed" locations. Cesar Quirós, … [Read more...]
Costa Rica’s Future – US Marines, Drugs, Investments, Tourism, and Oil
07/19/2010 by 8 Comments
Last week our email box was pretty much filled with, “Why the US Marines were invading Costa Rica?” Even at our Facebook account, a few commented on right-wing political BS, “It's all about the oil, about building a military base in Costa Rica, and of keeping an eye on all the other dangerous countries around like Venezuela." However, I would like to comment on the one of the insanely … [Read more...]
Actor Steven Seagul Leaves Costa Rica Disappointed
06/11/2010 by 7 Comments
This week we pretty much express some disappointment at the way Costa Rica’s government was handle things like banning stem cell research and helping pave the way for ID thief. However, we have to give them the thumbs up in how they gave the cold shoulder to Hollywood martial-arts actor/producer, Steven Seagal. About 2-three times a month we get tabloid junk. It has always been our policy to … [Read more...]
Costa Rica Identification (ID) Thief – Court Ruling Could Make It Worst
06/03/2010 by 2 Comments
For a while now, I have been following what I consider three very important legal cases in Costa Rica. At first it appeared this week that the Costa Rica government has taken its first steps to help prevent ID thief, may not be so. As more and more Costa Rican's surf the internet, get involved in online transactions and personal matters like buying property, getting a drivers license etc, they … [Read more...]
Costa Rica Gold Mine Opens – Sparks Protests on International Earth Day
04/20/2010 by 6 Comments
The Costa Rican Supreme Court (Sala IV) ruled last Friday that a small Canadian mining company can proceed with its open-pit gold mine, striking down complaints from environmental groups that the project was destroying virgin forest. "After reviewing the official studies we did not find that this mining project will negatively affect the environment. So the project will go ahead," Vanlly … [Read more...]
Corrupt Costa Rica Traffic Policeman Arrested – Riot Starts
04/16/2010 by 1 Comment
This week an event took place that may became a disappointment in what the future of Costa Rica's society and culture may be. A few weeks ago we wrote about how the new Traffic Laws were causing problems with its loopholes and in some cases corruption (bribes) when an online chatter wrote, how an illegal passing cost her $100 to an open palm traffic policeman. It appears we were not the … [Read more...]
Costa Rican’s U.S. Expats May Be Paying Twice For Health Care
03/24/2010 by 7 Comments
With the passing and the presidential signing of the U.S. Health Care Reform bill and assuming that it does become a law (13 states filed lawsuits in the US, stating it was unconstitutional) Costa Rica expats may have a serious problem. They may be forced to carry health insurance in both the U.S. and Costa Rica, I guess you can say a form of double taxation. According to the health bill, ALL … [Read more...]
Costa Rica Shark Finning – Is It Being Monitored?
02/19/2010 by 9 Comments
Around early 1980s a friend wanted to open up a fresh fish exporting business in Puntarenas. He found a packing house and cannery, got some investors and was ready to start exporting fresh Dorado and canned tuna. One of the things that were puzzling to him was Costa Rica fishermen were catching sharks in their long lines and gill nets. Shark at the time was a worthless meat so they were either … [Read more...]
Has Scott Brown’s Win Stimulated Costa Rica’s Economy?
02/13/2010 by 3 Comments
In the last few years Costa Rica economy has really sucked with very few signs of recovery. That recovery worsen by Americas uneasiness with the current Presidential democratic administration mucho-trillion dollars tax, health and stimulus bill that will be absorbed by U.S. taxpayers. To put it bluntly, Costa Rica Tourism which was already suffering became in greater peril when Americans … [Read more...]
Costa Rica Toyota Recalls – Rental Cars and For Sale
02/10/2010 by 1 Comment
Toyota has announced it will conduct another recall of 133,000 vehicles to update software in the vehicle’s anti-lock brake system (ABS). Toyota's global recall ballooned to 8.5 million cars and trucks including 437,000 Prius and other hybrid vehicles worldwide to fix brake problems; the latest embarrassing safety lapse at the world’s largest automaker. Toyota is one of the preferred vehicles to … [Read more...]
Costa Rica Internet Fraud On the Rise – Haiti Earthquake Scams
01/18/2010 by 2 Comments
I got an panic email last Saturday about a small Costa Rica online store whose owner got scammed when she went to buy a product and was taken to a phishing website. She elected to pay by e-check, her second biggest mistake. Within seconds her account was cleaned out of several hundred dollars. She asked me what we could do to get her money back? I was sorry to say, "Nothing." Adding, all she … [Read more...]
U.S. Pedophile Released From Costa Rica Prison 15 Years Early
Updated on 5/27/10 - TicoTimes Editors note: Joe Baker has a Facebook account, please NO THREATS, but might want to let him know how you feel.... Update on 8/18/10 - After many complaints, Mr. Bakers account at Facebook was deleted. In June 1999 Costa Rica passed a law against the sexual exploitation of minors. "With this law, we say to foreigners who want to come here to abuse our … [Read more...]