"The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) express deep concern over a bill to be debated tomorrow in the Legislative Assembly to amend Costa Rica’s Radio and Television Law. They warn that a disproportionate financial burden that could force media outlets off the air would pose a serious threat […]
“Until a few years ago, Costa Rica was an oasis of press freedom in Central America, a refuge for reporters and media outlets forced to flee Nicaragua, Guatemala or El Salvador. However, conditions are changing rapidly, and the country’s journalism ecosystem is showing symptoms that the region has already experienced, although with various safeguards that […]
“The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) expressed concern over a Costa Rican government decree that classifies as state secret a broad range of information related to the Directorate of Intelligence and National Security (DIS), the National Public Security Council, and the Fuerza Élite working group. The hemispheric organization warned that such a broad measure could […]
“The Constitutional Chamber partially upheld a constitutional appeal filed by La Nación and ordered the Ministry of Public Security to provide, within 10 days, the information requested about the detention of two students who were carrying Palestinian flags during the May 8 presidential inauguration. The justices described the Ministry of Public Security's refusal as ‘generic […]
“The U.S. government revoked visas for several members of the board of directors of La Nación S.A., the company confirmed Saturday [April 2] in an official statement. The company did not specify which members had their visas canceled. […] ‘It is unprecedented in Costa Rica’s recent history for visas to be revoked from members of […]
"The Legislative Assembly approved, with 43 votes in favor in the second and final debate, the bill to eliminate prison sentences against journalists, in order to guarantee the free exercise of the profession, by repealing two articles of the Press Law, when the complainants argue crimes against honor such as insults or slander (injurias or […]
"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 […]