As you sip your national beer in a glass with water downed ice, remember what I’m about to say. The government of Costa Rica has turned its back on its own people, tourist, foreign investors and reason.

I feel for those wonderful people I leave behind, the misguided travelers who don’t know any better and the terribly miss informed investor who thinks a country without an army is money in the bank.

I see tourists get stamped with 30, 60 days etc but usually when they are not very clear that they plan on staying here 90 days. Some folks will just say “oh, I have a house here,” or “a couple of months.”

I’m not saying that you, specifically, weren’t clear in your intent, I’m just offering the only suggestion I can think of. If they still won’t give you 90 days, I would ask to see a supervisor and see if you can’t get them to cave in.

First, I think CR is wise not to encourage more North American residents, especially those who don’t want or can’t qualify to become legal residents. I don’t understand the assumption of some of the posts that North American residents (and again, even illegal ones) are somehow good for CR. Some are, others aren’t. Meanwhile, it’s a sign of CR’s improving economic health that it is less inclined to welcome us than it once was simply because we buy groceries and real estate. Other countries remain more desperate, so let the North American hordes go there. I would of course oppose policies prejudiced against North Americans, but I can’t oppose policies that are merely less welcoming.

Second, the $100 a month fine is still a bargain. Most legal residents have to pay that much or more for the mandadory healthcare tax, plus fees to become residents and to renew residencies. I’m not following the complaint that North Americans should be allowed to live illegally in CR more cheaply than legally.

Costa Rica does not hate people from the US or Canada, but does see us as a source of much-needed revenue. Those who enjoy the benefits of living here and who can afford it should pay reasonable taxes to support the local economy. I suspect that rich Ticos are the worst tax evaders, but the government is addressing them, too. The fine for employing foreigners without work visas is reasonable considering that doing so takes jobs away from Ticos.

Despite the “equal protection” provisions of the law, we foreigners will always be treated as “second-class citizens” just as they are in the US and anywhere else, Panama included.

Tourism statistics do not show that Costa Rican tourism is in the major slump indicated by some here. If the “Visitor” lines at the Juan Santamaria airport are down consistently, perhaps it is because the majority of tourists now flies into Liberia. The last couple of times I was at Juan Santamaria, however, it seemed just as busy as ever.

Panama does offer better incentives to expat retirees than CR does. Like the rest of Latin America, Panama is unable to promote itself as a longstanding stable democracy, so they have had to try harder. It seems to be working for them, and I can’t say that I haven’t considered the move. Costa Rica needs to make many changes to address its weak economy and crumbling infrastructure. Unfortunately, every such change leaves somebody dissatisfied.

The key part here being “o, en su defecto” or “or, failing that” would seem to suggest an either/or situation