This week in Costa Rica, a tourism downturn is starting to bite, infrastructure warnings got louder, and political institutions came under fresh scrutiny at home and from abroad. Here’s a quick rundown of what actually matters if you live in, invest in, or travel to Costa Rica.
Top story
Costa Rica tourism crisis deepens as 22,000 jobs vanish
Costa Rica’s tourism industry has shed roughly 22,000 jobs over the past year, with hotels and tour operators in coastal and rural areas reporting fewer visitors, layoffs, and weaker bookings heading into high season.
More key stories
Seven of ten Costa Rican bridges are in poor condition
A new State of the Nation report warns that around 70 percent of Costa Rica’s bridges are in deficient shape, underscoring years of underinvestment and delayed maintenance.
Read more →Former presidents close ranks to defend democratic institutions
Eight former Costa Rican presidents issued an uncommon joint statement defending the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) and the country’s institutional framework, after a U.S. congressman voiced concern over efforts to lift President Rodrigo Chaves’ immunity ahead of the 2026 elections.
Read more →Costa Rica willing to accept Salvadoran at center of U.S. deportation fight
Costa Rican officials confirmed the country is open to receiving Kilmar Abrego García, a Salvadoran man whose deportation case has become a test of U.S. migration policy.
Read more →Route 32 closures hit Caribbean access and trade—again
Route 32, the main road linking San José to Limón, has faced 24 closures so far this year, with landslides and preventive shutdowns repeatedly blocking the Zurquí stretch.
Read more →
In case you missed it
Spotlight
How Costa Rica’s new climate plan leans on “blue carbon” coasts
Costa Rica’s updated climate pledge puts oceans and coasts at the center of its emissions-cutting strategy. The plan calls for conserving all registered coastal wetlands, building a national inventory of mangroves and other “blue carbon” ecosystems by 2030.
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