Costa Rica used to be a beacon of press freedom in Central America. What changed?

The rise of an authoritarian leader threatens free journalism in this country, which until now has been a safe haven for reporters. We spoke with editors and experts about this setback Costa Rica has fallen more than 30 places in RSF’s press freedom index in the past five years. In 2021, the country ranked 5th on the index, behind only four Nordic countries. By 2026, Costa Rica had plummeted to…