2015 in Costa Rica

← 2014 2013 2012 2015 in Costa Rica → 2016 2017 2018
Decades:	1990s 2000s 2010s
See also:	Other events of 2015 Timeline of Costa Rican history

Events in the year 2015 in Costa Rica.

Incumbents

• President – Laura Chinchilla Miranda (Partido Liberación Nacional – PLN) until 8 May;

succeeded by Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera (Partido Acción Ciudadana – PAC).

• First Vice President – Alfio Piva Mesén (PLN) until 8 May;

succeeded by Helio Fallas Venegas (PAC).

• Second Vice President – Luis Liberman Ginsburg (PLN) until 8 May;

succeeded by Ana Helena Chacón Echeverría (PAC).

• President of the Legislative Assembly – Luis Fernando Mendoza Jiménez (PLN) until 1 May;

succeeded by Henry Mora Jiménez (PAC).

Events

January

• January 8 – A Princess Tours catamaran, Pura Vida Princess, was battered by un-forecasted high winds and rough seas, and had capsized off the coast of Punta Leona while carrying 98 passengers and ten crew. The Red Cross confirmed that three elderly tourists lost their lives as a result of drowning.^[1]

March

• 12 March – Four eruptions of the Turrialba Volcano spread ash over San José and caused the closure at 16:00 of Juan Santamaría International Airport, 70 kilometres to the west.^[2][3]

• 14 March – Continuing eruptions of the Turrialba Volcano persuaded President Luis Guillermo Solís to announce the postponement of his planned trip to France, Spain, and Italy to ensure, as he put it, "that everything's being handled with the upmost transparency".^[4]

• 19 March – The bullfighting champion, the famous 700-kilogram bull, "El Malacrianza", owned by the Rodríguez Vega family, died of cardiac arrest at Hacienda La Nueva Esperanza in playa Garza de Nicoya in Guanacaste. He was survived by his sons "El Bochinche" and "El Matusalé".^[5]

April

• 23 April – Continuing eruptions of the Turrialba Volcano 67 kilometres northeast of San José caused Juan Santamaría International Airport to close and flights to be cancelled. The airport reopened at 04:00 the following morning.^[6]

References

1. "All Capsized Catamaran Survivors Accounted For; Incident Caused by High Winds". The Costa Rica News. 2015-01-08.
2. Volcanic ash closes Costa Rica's Juan Santamaría International Airport Tico Times, 2015-03-12.
3. Stranded travelers try to make the best of an extended stay at Juan Santamaría International Airport Tico Times, 2015-03-13.
4. President Solís cancels Europe trip due to continued volcanic activity Tico Times, 2015-03-14.
5. Famoso toro El Malacrianza amaneció muerto La Nación, 2015-03-19. (Spanish)
6. Volcán Turrialba registró nueva erupción de ceniza La Nación, 2015-04-23. (Spanish)
   • Volcán Turrialba emite nueva exhalación de ceniza y gases La Nación, 2015-04-24. (Spanish)
   • Aeropuerto Juan Santamaría reanudó operaciones a las 4 a.m. de este viernes La Nación, 2015-04-24. (Spanish)
   • Flights at Costa Rica's Juan Santamaría airport cancelled due to volcano eruptions Tico Times, 2015-04-23.