"Laura Fernández, the candidate of the ruling Sovereign People's Party (PPSO) for the presidency of Costa Rica, declared the inauguration of the 'Third Republic' this Sunday [Feb. 1] after winning the elections with 48.51% of the vote. She promised 'changes' regarding 'the way the opposition acts toward the government and the political parties,' also framing […]
"For decades, Costa Rica was held up as Central America’s democratic exception: a country without an army, with strong democratic institutions and a press able to scrutinize those in power without facing systematic retaliation. That reputation is now being tested as Costa Rica heads into presidential elections that will culminate in a first round on […]
"An estimated 268 Nicaraguan journalists have fled the Central American country for exile, many settling in the neighboring Costa Rica, to escape what CPJ’s research has documented to be a government-backed system of political repression and judicial harassment against media outlets that often prevents journalists, fearing for their families, from reporting the truth. Yet for some exiled journalists, who spoke […]
"Jennifer Ortiz, a Nicaraguan journalist who became a naturalized Spanish citizen and is the director of the Nicaragua Investiga platform [living in Costa Rica], reported on Wednesday [Nov. 12] that, after receiving death threats, Costa Rican authorities recommended she abandon journalism and delete the content of her work in the media outlet she has directed […]
"The Salvadoran news outlet FocosTV announced Thursday it is moving its operations to Costa Rica, citing 'repression by a government that seeks to silence critical voices' in El Salvador. The outlet described the move as forced displacement. In a video statement, a representative of FocosTV said the Salvadoran government is using the state of emergency […]
"Costa Rican journalist Adrián Quirós Araya was detained by Nicaraguan authorities on Friday, Sept. 5. He was on his way to cover the soccer match between the national teams of Costa Rican and Nicaragua, which ended in a 1-1 draw. According to a report by Nicaraguan newspaper La Prensa, [Quirós Araya] was going through formalities […]
"Journalist Mercedes Agüero, a former reporter for the newspaper La Nación, testified Tuesday [July 29] in the trial over alleged influence peddling involving former San José mayor Johnny Araya and former prosecutors Celso Gamboa and Berenice Smith. Agüero spoke about the process that led her to publish a report on the alleged removal of Araya’s […]
“The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) praised a recent decision by Costa Rica’s Constitutional Court that upheld legal complaints against two state entities for pulling advertising from a television show following the broadcast of a satirical segment. The IAPA called the ruling an important legal precedent in defense of press freedom in Costa Rica. The […]
"The Constitutional Chamber upheld an appeal for protection filed by journalists David Bolaños Acuña, David Chavarría Hernández, and Héctor Guzmán Suárez and the College of Journalists (Colper, for its acronym in Spanish) against the Costa Rican State for violating their freedom of the press and obstructing journalistic work at press conferences held by the Presidency, […]
"Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves announced Thursday [May 22] that he has filed a criminal complaint against two journalists who published his personal phone number on Facebook, calling the actions 'reprehensible and illegal.' The Presidential Palace announced in a statement that the lawsuit is against journalists from the television station Teletica Channel 7, Álvaro Sánchez […]
"The number of violations of freedom of expression in Costa Rica has shown a sustained increase in recent years. While there were seven alerts in 2022, the number quadrupled in 2023, reaching 28 alerts and a total of 38 victims. In 2024, the number rose to 32 alerts and 40 victims, a 14.28% increase in […]
"Grupo Extra journalist Daniel Suárez received a series of threats on social media after being recorded while covering President Rodrigo Chaves' press conference last Wednesday (April 9) in Atenas [Alajuela province, Costa Rica]. Suárez, who is responsible for covering the Presidency of the Republic, attended the event and had the opportunity to ask the president […]