News from Costa Rica:
New IBM delivery center opens in Costa Rica
May 12, 2012
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- IBM officially opened on Thursday its new Costa Rica Delivery Center, in America Free Zone, Heredia. IBM will invest US$300 million over 10 years, and intends to employ up to 1,000 people by 2014.
New tax compliance procedures improve Costa Rica's ranking in Doing Business index
March 24, 2012
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- Recent reforms to its tax administration have seen Costa Rica leap 18 places in World Bank rankings of the world’s easiest tax compliance regimes, moving from 156th place to 138th.
Costa Rica completes second phase of obsolete munitions destruction program
March 8, 2012
SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica -- The Ministry of Public Security of Costa Rica ended the second phase of the destruction of obsolete and dilapidated munitions program with a ceremony on Wednesday in San José, in which an act was signed declaring...
IDB expects to approve $1.9 billion for Central America and Dominican Republic in 2012
February 11, 2012
SAN PEDRO, Belize -- The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) expects to approve $1.9 billion in projects with sovereign guarantees in 2012, in sectors such as infrastructure, energy, transportation and rural development.
Nicaragua files suit against Costa Rica at World Court over border violations
December 26, 2011
UNITED NATIONS -- Nicaragua has filed suit against Costa Rica at the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ), citing violations to national sovereignty and major environmental damages to its territory due to the construction of...
Costa Rica to create Caribbean tourism hub with record investment
December 7, 2011
BALTIMORE, USA -- The Costa Rican government is aiming to develop a quiet stretch of its Caribbean coast into a tourism Mecca with the biggest investment of its kind in the country’s history. The province of Limon, a two-and a-half-hour drive east...
Insurance assets in the Caribbean, Panama and Costa Rica to change hands
November 10, 2011
NEW ORLEANS, USA -- Pan-American Life Insurance Group (PALIG), a leading provider of life and health insurance in Latin America and the United States, has announced a definitive agreement to acquire select businesses and assets in the...
Costa Rica to seek British police help over mysterious disappearance
November 9, 2011
LONDON, England -- Costa Rica has promised to ask for British police help with the disappearance of British journalist Michael Dixon, following a personal intervention by UK consular affairs minister Jeremy Browne.
Barbados needs to change the way it does business, says minister
October 28, 2011
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (BGIS) -- Barbados cannot continue to do business the way it is currently being done, said Minister of Industry, Small Business and Rural Development, Denis Kellman, who is of the opinion that "we cannot continue to operate...
Easy to do business in Costa Rica, Barbadians told
October 28, 2011
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (BGIS) -- Barbadians are being told it is easy to do business in Costa Rica, but the area of concern may be the cost of getting goods from each county. This advice has come from customs, logistics and international trade executive...
Agreements proof that Costa Rica and Barbados can build stronger ties
October 27, 2011
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (BGIS) -- Barbados, the region and Costa Rica possess the determination to build stronger political and economic relationships, which should help them to be more competitive on the international trading stage.
Untapped potential between Caribbean and Costa Rica, says Barbados minister
October 26, 2011
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (BGIS) -- There is a lot of "untapped potential" between the Caribbean and Costa Rica, even though a CARICOM-Costa Rica free trade agreement is in place. That observation came on Monday from Barbados Minister of Tourism...
Central American countries participate in Tuxtla Mechanism meeting
October 21, 2011
TUXTLA GUTIERREZ, Mexico -- The ministerial meeting held in preparation for the 13th summit of heads of state and government of the Tuxtla Mechanism for Dialogue and Coordination that was held on October 16-17 in Tuxtla Gutierrez, ended on Monday.
Still no answers after two years in search for British journalist missing in Costa Rica
October 19, 2011
LONDON, England -- The family of missing British journalist Michael Dixon has returned to Costa Rica on the second anniversary of his disappearance to continue to look for answers. Dixon, a 35-year-old British journalist working for RISI...
Costa Rica's main airport completes restructuring, gears up for expansion
October 18, 2011
SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica -- Costa Rica’s Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José has successfully completed a three-year restructuring and is preparing to more than double its passenger capacity after partnering with the Inter-American...
Barbados exploring trade links with Panama and Costa Rica
October 18, 2011
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (BGIS) -- With many countries across the globe still reeling from the current economic recession, the government recognises that Barbados must become a globally competitive, productive, and export focused economy.
Barbados seeks to increase trade with Panama and Costa Rica
October 15, 2011
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (BGIS) -- In the coming week, Barbados will be seeking to increase its exports to Panama and Costa Rica, as well as to strengthen its diplomatic and cultural relations with these Central American countries.
US educators get environmental learning experience in Costa Rica
October 13, 2011
TORRANCE, USA -- Twenty-six US teachers have been selected to travel to Costa Rica through the Toyota International Teacher Program. Taking place November 19 – December 3, 2011, the program will provide educators with unique learning...
Dominican Republic and OAS call for greater SICA-CARICOM integration
October 8, 2011
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- The president of the Dominican Republic, Leonel Fernandez, and the assistant secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin, have called on Central American and Caribbean...
Mexico to host 13th Summit of the Tuxtla Mechanism
October 8, 2011
BELMOPAN, Belize -- The city of Tuxtla Gutierrez in Chiapas, Mexico, will host the 13th Summit of heads of state and government of the Tuxtla Mechanism for Dialogue and Coordination, on 16 and 17 October 2011.
Costa Rica Tourism Board launches innovative North American advertising campaign
October 8, 2011
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- The Costa Rica Tourism Board has launched a new advertising campaign in the United States and Canada, set to inspire visitors to explore the wide variety of offerings that have long made Costa Rica one of the most...
Central America and Mexico join Belize in celebrating independence
September 9, 2011
BELMOPAN, Belize -- To commemorate their countries’ independences, the embassies of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua, along with the government of Belize, for the fourth consecutive year have...
Equifax acquires leading Costa Rica credit data company
September 8, 2011
ATLANTA, USA -- Equifax Inc., a global information solutions provider, has acquired Datum, the leading national credit reporting company in Costa Rica. Financial details of the transactions were not disclosed.
Commentary: Costa Rica: An army-less nation in a problem-prone region
September 6, 2011
The Central American nation of Costa Rica is one of the few countries in the world that does not possess a standing military. Nevertheless, Costa Rica, like other Latin American countries, faces a variety of threats that test the country’s security capacity
Latin American and Caribbean Carbon Forum to be held in Costa Rica
August 24, 2011
WASHINGTON, USA -- The Latin American and Caribbean Carbon Forum (LACF), the leading carbon finance conference and trade fair in the region, will take place in San José, Costa Rica on September 27–29, 2011, building on growing interest and...
Implementation of Costa Rica country strategy may reach $1.06 billion
August 4, 2011
WASHINGTON, USA -- The board of directors of the Inter-American Development Bank has approved a new country strategy with Costa Rica, which has a financial framework for implementation in the range of $700 million to $1.06 billion.
Geothermal power plant inaugurated in Costa Rica
August 4, 2011
RENO, USA -- A second Ormat Technologies designed and manufactured geothermal power plant was inaugurated last week in Las Pailas, Costa Rica. Under a contract with Banco Centroamericano de Integracion Economica "BCIE"...
Cayman Islands diving one of top ten adventure tours in the world
July 8, 2011
NEWTON, USA -- TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel site, has announced its top ten adventure tours across the globe, according to TripAdvisor travelers and editors. Offering exhilarating fun and amazing experiences, these tours offer unique ways...
Costa Rican government expected to finalise oil and gas concession contract
June 23, 2011
DENVER, USA -- US-based Black Hills Corp. has announced that its subsidiary Black Hills Exploration & Production, Inc., through its subsidiary Mallon Oil Company, Sucursal Costa Rica, is working with the Costa Rican government to obtain...
Britain issues travel warning on Costa Rica
May 26, 2011
LONDON, England – Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office has published an official warning about the increasing number of missing people in Costa Rica on its travel advice website. The new text includes the line...
Costa Rica to host microenterprise forum in October
May 18, 2011
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- Costa Rica will host the XIV Inter-American Microenterprise Forum (Foromic 2011), the most important annual microfinance and microenterprise development event in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Costa Rica to host global medical tourism conference
April 26, 2011
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- Costa Rica will host the 2011 Medical Travel International Business Summit May 2-4, 2011, in San Jose and Guanacaste provinces. The conference will begin May 2-3 with a series of roundtable discussions.
Chevron completes sale of Caribbean business
April 5, 2011
NEW YORK, USA -- Chevron Corp on Friday finalised the sale of its fuel marketing business in the Caribbean and South American peripheral nations. The deal struck with French-based Rubis last November will see the sale of...
Caribbean airports among world's best
March 12, 2011
WASHINGTION, USA -- A comparative study carried out in 2010 by Airports Council International has ranked Mexico's Cancun airport as the best for service quality in Latin America and the Caribbean -- with a Jamaican airport in fourth place.
IDB announces $2 billion for Central America and Dominican Republic in 2011
March 4, 2011
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras -- Central America and the Dominican Republic are expected to obtain financing for $2 billion in 2011 from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for priority areas such as citizen security, infrastructure...
IDB president to visit Costa Rica, Panama, and Honduras
February 26, 2011
WASHINGTON, USA -- The president of the Inter-American Development Bank, Luis Alberto Moreno, will visit Costa Rica, Panama, and Honduras on March 1-4 to move forward to discuss the development of the Central American countries.
Bahamas and Costa Rica among four countries to join OAS firearms marking project
January 25, 2011
WASHINGTON, USA -- The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the governments of Costa Rica, Paraguay, Uruguay and The Bahamas on Monday signed a cooperation agreement for the implementation...
OAS delivers reports on electoral observation in Costa Rica and St Vincent
January 21, 2011
WASHINGTON, USA -- The Chiefs of Mission of the Electoral Observation Missions (EOM) of the Organization of American States (OAS) conducted in recent months in member countries on Thursday presented before the Permanent Council...
Guatemala and Mexico hold facilitation exercise between Costa Rica and Nicaragua
January 19, 2011
CUERNAVACA, México -- Mexican Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa and Guatemalan Foreign Minister Haroldo Rodas led a facilitation exercise between Costa Rica and Nicaragua on Tuesday.
Costa Rica to improve water and sanitation services with help from Spain, Japan, IDB
December 22, 2010
WASHINGTON, USA -- Costa Rica will improve its drinking water, sanitation and wastewater treatment services, benefiting more than one million inhabitants of urban, periurban, and rural areas with assistance from a financial package...
