Hundreds of Costa Rican citizens living in the cantons that require urgent infrastructure interventions are beginning to notice progress in the works that have been damaged for several years and that will help safeguard their lives and boost the development of their communities.
This, through the execution of the Comprehensive and Resilient Infrastructure Reconstruction Emergency Program (PROERI) financed by the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) for $700 million, which is expected to attend to 502 structures of different types in 78% of the national territory.
Since the approval of the Program by the national authorities, in less than four months, progress has been made in a total of 120 projects, enabling international public bids, designs, construction plans, studies, among others necessary to start the physical works. In addition, five projects have made significant physical progress in Alajuelita, Desamparados, and Aserrí in San José, which are expected to directly benefit some 47,600 inhabitants.
Through the efficient financing model approved for PROERI, CABEI was able to make a first disbursement of US$75 million in June in an expeditious manner, so that progress can be made on several bridges, highways, rainwater retention walls, and other works planned for various parts of the country, as well as to cover payments related to the implementation and supervision firms.
SOME OF THE UPCOMING WORKS TO BE ATTENDED TO
All the works and their location, type of intervention, cost, executing agency, and progress can be consulted on this interactive map periodically updated by the National Commission for Risk Prevention and Emergency Attention (CNE).
CABEI reinforces its commitment to be Costa Rica's main ally in safeguarding human life and community development by financing infrastructure in conditions of imminent risk.
Abstract: Hundreds of Costa Rican citizens living in the cantons that require urgent infrastructure interventions are beginning to notice progress in the works that have been damaged for several years and that will help safeguard their lives and boost the development of their communities.
COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER
Costa Rica is proceeding with its third phase of economic reopening
further easing restrictions that were meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus
The following “Phase 3” guidelines apply as of Saturday
Excluded from “Phase 3” are all areas under an Orange Alert — which have strict evening business and driving restrictions — in addition to the following locations which remain in “Phase 2”:
The National Emergency Commission (CNE) will also lift the orange alert in some specific areas as follows
The country’s national vehicular restrictions remain unchanged
masks or face shields will be required in many public situations
Masks are also recommended — but are not required — in the district of Pavas and any time physical distancing cannot be properly maintained
Masks do not replace other health measures
"They all said that Costa Rica was an easy three points in the Group of Death
but we showed them," said Victor Morales
outside his corner shop in the barrio of San Rafael Abajo on the outskirts of the capital
"Our muchachos showed them who we really are."
The chance of proving to the world that their Central American country of 4.5 million not only exists but
the identification of the population with their muchachos is particularly tight because this is the barrio of Joel Campbell
Campbell not only scored one of the two goals in Costa Rica's first game against Uruguay
There is poetic justice, too, in having helped seen off England without even taking to the pitch. (The teams meet in the final group game on 24 June.) After signing for Arsenal in 2011, Campbell has yet to play a game for the club, though he has scored against Manchester United in the Champions League while on loan to Olympiakos
Joel is the pride of this barrio and he is the pride of Costa Rica," said housewife Ana Mendez as she watched the match in the El Comal Tico restaurant and bar where the Campbell family are regulars
Much about Campbell's story and his image here epitomise the Costa Rican vision of their World Cup fairytale
While the rest of the world may see a miracle from a country better known for ecotours around its rainforests than the exploits of its people
at home the chants of "Yes We Could" claim respect Costa Ricans feel they have long deserved and been denied
In San Rafael this starts with the way those who remember Campbell as a child dribbling his ball around the barrio talk about him as much as a product of who they are as of his own uncanny technical talent
and I don't see that changing," said Gustavo Araya
who has been cutting Campbell's hair since he set up his first salon under a mango tree outside his parents' home
At that time the eight-year-old Campbell wanted a Spider-Man pattern etched into his shaved head with a razor blade
As he moved on from the local barrio team to established youth leagues and then professional Costa Rican football
Campbell still visited Tavo just before every important match
Now he returns every time he is in Costa Rica
Tavo last cut the striker's hair just before he left for Brazil
but he says he doesn't trust anybody else to get it right," Tavo said
adding that Campbell often calls to set up the appointment the moment his plane lands in San José
Joel Campbell of Costa Rica celebrates after scoring the team's first goal of the 2014 World Cup against Uruguay on 14 June
Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty ImagesAs well as his talents
Tavo puts Campbell's loyalty down to the chance it gives him to catch on up on local gossip
but he is still a kid from the barrio and he wants to know what is going on."
Campbell's success narrative also gels with the value Costa Ricans place on a staunchly pragmatic vision of advancement that further challenges the temptation to interpret the country's outpourings of joy from a perspective of third world romanticism.
Rather than a rags-to-riches fairytale of genius forged in the adversity of extreme poverty, plucked from those limitations by some external talent scout, Campbell's success is celebrated in his home town as the result of hard work and discipline fostered within an upwardly mobile lower middle-class family, headed by an indefatigable father determined to help his son fulfil his own frustrated dreams of being a player.
Costa Ricans, after all, have long prided themselves in being an exception in a beleaguered region – the so-called "Switzerland of Central America".
While other Central American countries were torn apart by military coups and civil wars in the 1980s, Costa Rica boasted of having neither army nor guerrillas. Costa Rica's per capita GDP is $12,900, while neighbouring Nicaragua's is $4,500. In Honduras, the latest available figures show a murder rate of around 90 homicides per 10,000 people, while in Costa Rica the rate is 8.5.
And while today its neighbours are crushed by pervasive poverty, world-beating levels of violence, and their ever-increasing importance as world drug-trafficking hubs, Costa Ricans talk about their country as a place where young people can get on in life if they study.
"We have problems, of course we do, but the thing about Costa Rica is we can look for solutions in peace," said Katia Navarro after picking up her four children from the same primary school Campbell attended, all five of them dressed in red. "We are going to celebrate all weekend. This is something that brings us together as a country. It shows us what is possible when we work hard and stick together."
Campbell's family did not have it easy. His father, Humberto, could only ensure his four children could study and play football by spending six months at a time away from home working cruise ships, while his mother ran a beauty parlour from their home. But once Joel's talents began to be recognised he left the sea to concentrate on keeping the boy on the straight and narrow, beginning by banning him from playing games on the street for fear of injury on the tarmac.
In interviews today Humberto Campbell likes to compare his son to Maradona, but he mixes the big dreams by encouraging a down-to-earth practicality. Last year the footballer opened a private hospital in San José because, he told reporters, he was thinking of his future. The hospital, he said, would also provide employment for the various members of his family that work in or around the medical profession, including two siblings.
Not surprisingly, such stories feed into the reputation for arrogance that Costa Ricans have in Central America, analogous to the image Argentinians have throughout Latin America. Many have no trouble embracing the stereotype.
"The truth is that we are better. We don't have an army, everybody knows how to read and write and all that makes us feel good," said Morales the shopkeeper. "And when we get into the final 16 in the World Cup we know the world knows we are great too."
Morales says that one of the reasons Campbell is still so loved in San Rafael is that, despite having moved to Europe and buying a house in a more upscale neighbourhood, he still regularly returns to the old barrio, though he does so in a sports car. The same car, one neighbour pointed out, that Cristiano Ronaldo drives.
Back in his tiny hair salon, barber Tavo says that this claiming of international symbols is the real difference between Costa Rican feelings of regional superiority of the past and their claim for a place on the world stage today.
"It's true that the difference between us as the rest of Central America is huge. But the thing is to go beyond the ego in our own region and make the next step into the world," he said. "That is what Joel is doing. That is what Costa Rica is doing in the World Cup."
This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025. The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media.
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Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace
Public access to information is a key component of UNESCO's commitment to transparency and its accountability.
Based on human rights and fundamental freedoms, the 2005 Convention ultimately provides a new framework for informed, transparent and
UNESCO’s e-Platform on intercultural dialogue is designed for organizations and individuals to learn from shared knowledge or experiences from infl
Established in 2002, the GEM Report is an editorially independent report, hosted and published by UNESCO.
To recovery and beyond: The report takes stock of the global progress on the adoption and implementation of legal guarantees on Access to Info
Addressing culture as a global public good
For almost 75 years, the UNESCO Courier has served as a platform for international debates on issues that concern the entire pla
Lifelong learning is key to overcoming global challenges and to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
BonazziByMarianaÁlvarez22 March 2023Last update:3 May 2023Between two and three billion people worldwide currently experience water scarcity
and this scarcity is expected to worsen in the coming decades
if international cooperation in this area is not strengthened
warns UNESCO and UN-Water in the latest edition of the UN's World Water Development Report
During the report's launch at the United Nations Water Conference in New York
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that "governments must create plans for equal access to water for all people while conserving the water resource
He also called on countries to work together across borders to care for water resources."
The World Water Report highlighted that approximately 26% of the world's population does not have access to safe drinking water
and 46% lack access to safely managed sanitation
International cooperation is the key to water access for all
the United Nations is calling for increased international cooperation on how water is used and managed
This is the only way to avoid a global water crisis in the coming decades
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay indicated that "there is an urgent need to establish strong international mechanisms to prevent the global water crisis from spiraling out of control
and it is essential to act together to share it fairly and manage it sustainably."
Partnerships and people's participation increase benefits
are among the shared benefits highlighted most frequently in the report
It is essential to listen to different perspectives and work together to find solutions that work for all people and for our planet
they can create more opportunities for financing and resources
Escuela San Rafael Abajo de DesamparadosEvents in the framework of World Water DayUNESCO San Jose
on behalf of the United Nations System in Costa Rica
participated in a joint event with the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA) and the Ministry of Public Education of Costa Rica (MEP) in the celebrations of World Water Day on March 22nd
minors learned about water conservation and the importance of cooperation to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6
they showed through drawings how they will take care of water from their homes and experiences
This article is related to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals
It has been just over a month since the sudden, shocking death of Prince Rogers Nelson
who I believe was one of the greatest musicians of all time
I have been surprised at how deeply grief has set in
it is hard to wrap my head around such a loss
I have been writing this piece in my mind for weeks
trying to find the words to honor a man who had such a profound impact on my life – though it was so subtle that I only realized it once he was gone
Indulge me if you will: I want to tell a story of how Prince
Costa Rica and my coming-of-age merged together into a perfect mix of joy that forever bonded me to this place that I now call home
I was on the way to being 15 and in the middle of a Madonna crush
Deep inside all the pangs of teenage life, I was overjoyed to attend my cousin’s 8th grade graduation in Chicago in June of that year
ready to strut my Brooklyn stuff amongst my cousin and her friends
It was the first summer when my parents gave my sister and me a little room to explore outside of the confines of our New York City life
I could sing a Duran Duran song in the same breath as Menudo’s “Señora Mía.” My Limonese abuelita would say that I was “smelling myself.”
The best parts of that summer were the release of Prince’s “Purple Rain” album and our trip to Costa Rica
She attended my cousin’s graduation in Chicago and accompanied the three of us back to Costa Rica
What she did not know was that we had our mix tapes packed safely in our suitcases
ready to smile and flirt and sing our hearts out to all the tunes we knew by the first note on the radio
My initiation as a Prince lover did not come from the south side of Chicago but from San Rafael Abajo
There was something liberating about being almost 15 and in my abuelita’s house where we could whisper dreams and read the latest teen magazines (anyone remember Bop?) while listening to the sound of the oxcart in the morning
filled to the brim with fresh coffee outside the front door
We quickly learned the names of the cute boys in the barrio
We were a little shocked by their devotion to Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osborne
but friendships were formed nonetheless. We spent hours sitting in the front doorway during the rains
and eating mango con sal y limón. Even today
the tartness in the first bite of a green mango brings me a rush of memories from that time in my abuelita’s house
It was my place of beginning: of testing the road towards adulthood within a wide
I remember one day my abuelita needed to go to the pulpería
She did not have us accompany her that day
but she left behind her many warnings to stay inside the gate and to make sure the music was not loud
We took turns peeking out the front door to see when she turned the corner
we ran inside the house and cranked up “Purple Rain” so loud that the walls vibrated
with all the feeling and depth of a teenager: aching with angst
That moment taught me the entire possibility of youth
I sang those words as I looked up to the mountains
I finally had space to spread my arms and twirl
What was it that Prince understood that he could relate to my 14-year-old heart in Desamparados
He gave me the right to honor my true self: a brown girl mashed up with Brooklyn
and this message came across loud and clear
I do not know which planets aligned on that day in my abuelita’s house
but my love affair with Costa Rica began and it has been calling me home ever since
the story has an ending. Since these were not the days of cellphones
my abuelita was not pre-warned by a neighbor that we were wreaking havoc with the barrio’s sound waves at lunchtime
so she must have been drawn home by thundering electric guitar as “Purple Rain” was on its fourth rotation in the tape deck
It was only when we looked up in the doorway
Her horror at our brazen American-ness decorated her face
the tape deck was clicked off and we offered apologies
still breathless from whichever verse of Purple Rain lingered in the air
We only got a stern warning which did not ruin the moment in our heads and hearts
I am sure my sister and cousin have different versions of that day
or it may have even slipped away in their memories
I honor the life work of Prince Rogers Nelson for his ability to celebrate the essence of living in his music
He was a man who never compromised his art
and I am so grateful that I was able to experience him in my lifetime
Read more of Natasha Gordon-Chipembere’s columns here.
professor and founder of the Tengo Sed Writers Retreats
Costa Rica with her family from New York in June 2014
A moderate magnitude 4.0 earthquake hit 46 km (29 mi) away from San Jose, Provincia de San Jose, Costa Rica
2025 at 1.50 pm local time (America/Costa Rica GMT -6)
The quake had a very shallow depth of 11 km (7 mi) and was felt by many near the epicenter
The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would
A moderate magnitude 4.5 earthquake hit 28 km (18 mi) away from San Jose, Provincia de San Jose, Costa Rica
2024 at 1.34 pm local time (America/Costa Rica GMT -5)
The quake had a shallow depth of 59 km (37 mi) and was felt widely in the area
Provincia de San Jose has a very high level of seismic activity
Based on data from the past 25 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900
there are about 1,300 quakes on average per year in or near Provincia de San Jose
Provincia de San Jose has had at least 16 quakes above magnitude 7 since 1900
which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently
probably on average approximately every 5 to 10 years
Provincia de San Jose has about 514 quakes of magnitude 3 or higher per year (Mag 4+: 43 quakes per year
The last earthquake in Provincia de San Jose occurred 11 hours ago and had a magnitude of 2.6: Mag. 2.6 earthquake Costa Rica: 12 km Al Sur De Parrita - Puntarenas. - writeAge(1746504720)A light magnitude 2.6 earthquake occurred in the North Pacific Ocean near the coast of Costa Rica late in the evening of Monday
The quake had a very shallow depth of 18 km (11 mi) and was not felt (or at least not reported so)
Provincia de San Jose was shaken by 1 quake of magnitude 4.4
The strongest earthquake in Provincia de San Jose in the past 7 days had a magnitude of 4.4 and occurred 6 days ago: Mag. 4.4 earthquake Off Coast of Costa Rica - Apr 30, 2025 - writeAge(1746018990)A moderate magnitude 4.4 earthquake occurred in the North Pacific Ocean near the coast of Costa Rica in the morning of Wednesday
The quake had a very shallow depth of 30 km (19 mi) and was not felt (or at least not reported so)
Provincia de Guanacaste has a very high level of seismic activity
there are about 623 quakes on average per year in or near Provincia de Guanacaste
Provincia de Guanacaste has had at least 13 quakes above magnitude 7 since 1900
Provincia de Guanacaste has about 357 quakes of magnitude 3 or higher per year (Mag 4+: 53 quakes per year
The quake had a very shallow depth of 4 km (2.5 mi) and was not felt (or at least not reported so)
Provincia de Guanacaste was shaken by 3 quakes of magnitude 4.0 or above
The strongest earthquake in Provincia de Guanacaste in the past 7 days had a magnitude of 4.4 and occurred 6 days ago: Mag. 4.4 earthquake Off Coast of Costa Rica - Apr 30, 2025 - writeAge(1746018990)A moderate magnitude 4.4 earthquake occurred in the North Pacific Ocean near the coast of Costa Rica in the morning of Wednesday
The quake had a very shallow depth of 30 km (19 mi) and was not felt (or at least not reported so).