Why Did Costa Rica Really Abolish Its Military?
Politics, not pacifism, led the country to eliminate its armed forces in a decision that still resonates today.
Rodrigo Chaves Brings Confrontational Leadership to Costa Rica
Clashes with the legislature and the press and high inflation haven’t hurt Chaves’s high approval, but will it last?
AQ Podcast | Former President Solís on Central America: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
A comprehensive look at challenges to democracy but also reasons for hope in the region
A Rocky Road Ahead for Costa Rica’s Rodrigo Chaves
The former economy minister’s victory reflects political disaffection as inequality threatens the country’s stability.
Costa Rica’s Election: A Bad Day for Incumbents, but Some Hope Ahead
The next president will have an opportunity to be a true leader in Central America.
Meet the Candidates: Costa Rica
A runoff election pitted a former president against a technocrat with an anti-corruption angle.
AQ Top 5 líderes de la igualdad de género: Epsy Campbell Barr
La política costarricense que rompe barreras para mujeres afrodescendientes.
AQ Top 5 Champions of Gender Equality: Epsy Campbell Barr
The Costa Rican politician breaking barriers for women of African descent.
Costa Rica’s “Before-and-After” Corruption Scandal Casts a Long Shadow
Attorney General Emilia Navas speaks with AQ on her efforts to restore faith in the justice system in the wake of Costa Rica’s “cementazo.”
Latin America’s First Election of 2018 Was… Normal
Costa Rica’s result may yield clues for upcoming votes in Brazil, Mexico and elsewhere.
A Closer Look at the Latin American Women that Could Lead the UN
Christiana Figueres doesn’t drink coffee. The Costa Rican told AQ that despite hailing from a major exporter of the world’s favorite bean, she bounces around perfectly well without it. After witnessing her formidable leadership as head of the UN Climate Change Secretariat for the past six years, it is hard to disagree. On July 5, … Read more
10 Things to Do: San José, Costa Rica
Costa Rica, smaller than West Virginia, boasts over 5 percent of the world’s biodiversity, an environmental abundance that brings in over $2 billion in annual revenue from tourism. San José, the capital, is a convenient jumping-off place for trip to the country’s volcanoes, rainforests and pristine Pacific beaches — as well as an excellent introduction … Read more
Central American Refugees Turn South as U.S. and Mexico Tighten Borders
In July 2014, at the peak of the Central American migration crisis in the U.S., officials in Mexico announced a plan to stem the tide of illegal entries on the country’s porous southern border with Guatemala. Dubbed Programa Frontera Sur, the new policy was partly responsible for a dramatic drop in the number of unaccompanied minors arriving … Read more
Monday Memo: Guatemalan Protests—Costa Rican Discrimination—Chinese Investment—Guyana Election—Technology in Honduras
Demonstrators Call for Pérez Molina’s Resignation: Thousands of protestors marched across 13 cities in Guatemala on Saturday to call for President Otto Pérez Molina’s resignation. The protests came as a response to a customs tax fraud scandal uncovered by the Comisión Internacional contra la Impunidad en Guatemala (International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala—CICIG) in April … Read more
Monday Memo: Brazilian Corruption—Bolivian Opposition—Bolivia-Chile Dispute—Marijuana in Puerto Rico—Chemical Leak in Costa Rica
This week’s likely top stories: Former Brazilian president investigated; Opposition gains influence in Bolivia; ICJ hearing on Bolivia-Chile border dispute begins; Puerto Rico legalizes medical marijuana; Costa Rican coast suffers chemical spill. Report of an Inquiry into Lula Shocks Brazil: On Friday, Brazilians were shaken by news of a probe regarding possible influence-peddling by former … Read more
