Paradise in Limbo

The investigation of the brutal killing of an innocent man who was assumed to know too much about many of the corrupt officials' activities leads to their arrest. Will it bring about the big change that is needed? In the words of the lead investigator, "Nothing is going to change. That's the reason why Costa Rica [the Rich Coast] is known in all Spanish speaking countries as Costa Risa [the Laughable Coast]."

Costa Rica is lauded for allegedly having protected over twenty percent of its national territory. Yet, Costa Rica is also the nation with the highest rate of environmental destruction and pollution on a per capita basis of all nations in the world. How does that go together? On the one hand, thanks to rich gringos cloistered in their small clumps of forest enclaves with carefully manicured lawns and their visitors who pay top-dollar to see a monkey and a parrot and brag about it, the world believes the country to be full of beautiful flora and wildlife. On the other, there are vast karst areas, polluted rivers, lakes and coast lines visitors never get to see, there are the lies, hypocrisy and pretence of officials covering up the destruction, there are corruption and greed that keep the destruction going.