Currently 143 peace corps volunteers are active in Costa Rica, according to the U.S. Embassy in San José. During the last 50 years, more than 3,300 U.S. citizens have served in the Peace Corps here working in community economic development, youth development and teaching English as a second language.
The United States is one of the world’s largest importers of wild fauna and flora. Central America’s proximity to the U.S. makes it even more important for the region and U.S. customs officials to be on the same page when it comes to flora and fauna trade. “As a consuming country, it’s incumbent on us to make sure that trade is happening legally and sustainably,” said Christina Kish, project manager with the International Technical Assistance Program of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
An arms maker in Florida is engraving Christian symbols on its assault rifles, in a marketing ploy denounced by a Muslim group as fomenting "hatred, division and violence."
Terence Valentine’s death sentence has tested the limits of Costa Rica's influence in the United States during the last decade as the country’s embassy works to commute his sentence in accordance with Costa Rica’s long-standing disapproval of the death penalty.
Carter's address captured the attention of Hunter Thompson of Rolling Stone magazine. During the course of his speech, Carter noticed that Thompson had briefly left the room; he surmised that the self-proclaimed "gonzo journalist" had simply exited to refresh whatever adult beverage he was drinking that day. Thompson, however, scurried to the parking lot to retrieve a tape recorder so he could record what he believed was an extraordinary moment: a politician who dared to speak the truth.
Costa Rica could soon join the short list of countries whose citizens can apply for customs and immigration pre-approval for low-risk travelers to the United States. If approved, the expedited process could ease travel for the more than 200,000 Costa Ricans who visited the U.S. last year.
As in years past, Saturday's picnic included a flag-raising ceremony and singing of the U.S. and Costa Rican national anthems as well as games, music, dancing, great food, and plentiful beer.
A website appearing to belong to accused Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof contains white supremacist writings and dozens of photographs in which he is seen holding firearms. It also offers a motive for the heinous crime, one of the most shocking multiple murders of recent years, in a nation familiar with mass shootings.
The gala’s title, “De Verde a Gris,” reflects the idea that Costa Ricans who move to New York must leave the green of their homeland for the gray of their new surroundings. For one evening at least, the music, food and art of Costa Rica lit up a small corner of a big city.
