The Costa Rica News » Latin American

A Green World Cup in 2014

TCRN STAFF — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 23:48:25 +0000

Brazil’s government adopting measures aimed at producing the first sustainable World Cup in history. By Nelza Oliveira for Infosurhoy.com RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Brazil wants 2014 to be the year the World Cup goes green. The road to a sustainable soccer competition begins with the 12 stadiums of the host cities. In order to [...]

A Green World Cup in 2014 © TheCostaRicaNews.com

Dominican Republic working to eradicate child labor

TCRN STAFF — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 18:55:09 +0000

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – The number of children working in dangerous or illegal jobs fell 14% in the past 10 years in the Dominican Republic – a remarkable turnaround from just a decade ago, when the country was called out for its high rate of child labor. Officials lauded the findings by the Labor [...]

Dominican Republic working to eradicate child labor © TheCostaRicaNews.com

Immigration rising in Brazil

TCRN STAFF — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:03:35 +0000

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – The growth of the Brazilian economy, together with the shortage of skilled labor, is attracting more foreign workers to the country. During the first half of 2011, a record 26,545 work visas were issued to foreigners – an increase of 19% compared to the same period in 2010, according to [...]

Immigration rising in Brazil © TheCostaRicaNews.com

Paraná penitentiary offers music as therapy

TCRN STAFF — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:59:28 +0000

CURITIBA, Brazil – Vera wanted to sing, but she lost her breath every time she tried to raise her voice. As one of the 24 inmates in the Águia News Choir, at the Women’s Work Release Center (CRAF) in Curitiba, Paraná, it took a month of music for her to give up a 17-year addiction [...]

Paraná penitentiary offers music as therapy © TheCostaRicaNews.com

Currency controls hurting Venezuelans

TCRN STAFF — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 21:33:57 +0000

Maracaibo, Venezuela – Coromoto Torres can’t wait for her first trip overseas. Her bags are packed, her airline tickets are purchased and several years of savings have given her a purse full of bolívares. All her passport needs is a departure stamp. But she can’t take her first trip outside South America because she doesn’t [...]

Currency controls hurting Venezuelans © TheCostaRicaNews.com

Central America: Synthetic drug market grows

TCRN STAFF — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 21:30:29 +0000

MANAGUA, Nicaragua and GUATEMALA CITY – The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC) has made it perfectly clear to Central America: It must do a lot more to stop the rise of the trafficking and consumption of synthetic drugs. That’s because synthetic drugs such as LSD, speed and ecstasy have displaced cocaine and heroin throughout [...]

Central America: Synthetic drug market grows © TheCostaRicaNews.com

Argentina in 2011 and its rebound

TCRN STAFF — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 17:59:12 +0000

Argentina is said to have a long history of instability with regards to politics and this has been the situation since the World War II. Argentina had almost went into a coma during its economic crisis in 2001 but it was able to rebound from this situation soon enough. During the economic crisis in 2008, [...]

Argentina in 2011 and its rebound © TheCostaRicaNews.com

Guatemala: Air pollution challenging authorities

TCRN STAFF — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:45:13 +0000

Guatemala City – The nation’s levels of air pollution are alarming and the problem gets worse each year, according to the Annual Report on Air Monitoring. Authored by the Universidad de San Carlos (USAC) since 1995, the report concludes the main cause of poor air quality is exhaust from vehicles, specifically those used in public [...]

Guatemala: Air pollution challenging authorities © TheCostaRicaNews.com

Guatemala turning to technology to improve security

TCRN STAFF — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 17:53:52 +0000

Guatemala City – The government is taking its fight against narco-trafficking to the sky. The C4i (Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence) system will have the ability to take aerial shots, which will assist law enforcement officials to identify areas that are hotbeds for drug activity. But it also will assist meteorologists because the system [...]

Guatemala turning to technology to improve security © TheCostaRicaNews.com

Peru bolsters fight against juvenile gangs

TCRN STAFF — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:55:09 +0000

Lima, Peru – The government is determined to employ a multidisciplinary strategy to prevent young people from joining gangs, as more than 12,000 belong to the about 430 gangs in the capital city of Lima and nearby El Callao. Councilman Federico Tong Hurtado, an analyst on youth issues, said the number of young people involved [...]

Peru bolsters fight against juvenile gangs © TheCostaRicaNews.com

Mexico creates a police force to combat organized crime

TCRN STAFF — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 17:48:18 +0000

Monterrey, Mexico – Authorities in the Mexican state of Nuevo León intend to recruit 11,000 officers in the coming years to bolter a recently created police force after acknowledging the existing one has been corrupted and infiltrated by organized crime. “It’s a real challenge to recruit new police officers at such a complex time,” said [...]

Renewable energy on the rise in Latin America and Caribbean

TCRN STAFF — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 17:30:02 +0000

Washington, D.C., U.S.A. – Latin America and the Caribbean are the world’s cleanest regions when it comes to energy sources. Renewable sources meet 30% of the demand for primary energy – transport, industry and commerce – in the region, well above the worldwide average of 13%, says Arnaldo Vieira de Carvalho, a senior energy specialist [...]

Latin America proposes sustainable agriculture plan

TCRN STAFF — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 17:55:55 +0000

San Jose, Costa Rica, October 21 (ECLAC/FAO/IICA). Despite the current context of volatility and high food prices, in the long term, the agricultural sector in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) will be able to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by having available land – albeit concentrated in a few countries- a relative abundance of [...]

Latin America fights human trafficking

TCRN STAFF — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 17:35:32 +0000

SANTIAGO, Chile – The number is staggering. There are an estimated 2.5 million people being trafficked at any given time throughout the world, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). “In Latin America alone, the number of human trafficking victims is around 700,000. I am talking about estimates because we know [...]

Latin Americans to star in World Series

TCRN STAFF — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 17:30:16 +0000

WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A. – Albert Pujols has a chance to give his team the ultimate good-bye gift: a World Series title. The native of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, regarded one of the best players in baseball, should become its highest paid over the next few months as he is set to become a [...]