Protest March A Success, Organizers Say
Tens of thousands of public workers, students, teachers, nurses and others opposed to the Tratado Libre de Comercio (TLC) - the free trade agreement with the United States marched in Costa Rica's capital on Monday.

Cost of International Calls May Be Lower By End of Year, ICE Says
Call the United States, Canada and other countries could soon be a lot cheaper, thanks to a project by the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) to reduce international call rates. The new lower rates could be a reality by the end of this year.

Chávez Will NOT Close Alunasa
In his regular program "Aló Presidente", Venezuelan president, Hugo Chávez, said that he will not close the CVG Alunasa plant in Costa Rica, which closure had threatened the employment of 400 people in the small town of Esparza.

Security Minister Warns Against Gun Crime
Costa Rica's viceministro de Seguridad Pública, Gerardo Lascarez, on Sunday warned against the proliferation of firearms in the nation, which were used in around 5,000 robberies in 2006.

Cruiseliner Cancels Visits
The Carnival Cruise Line announced yesterday that it was cancelling visits to the port of Limón following the increased violence on tourists.

Costa Rica registers world's highest banana production in 2006
Costa Rica harvested an average of 2,524 boxes of bananas per hectare in 2006, the highest banana productivity in the world, beating Colombia's 1,724 and Ecuador's 1,400, according to data published in Monday's Spanish language newspaper, La Nacion .