In Costa Rica it seems like for every permit or license requirement, there’s a semi-official way to sidestep the red tape if you’re willing or able to pay someo

In Costa Rica it seems like for every permit or license requirement, there’s a semi-official way to sidestep the red tape if you’re willing or able to pay someone off, for not much money either. For example, the requirement for non-residents to leave the country every 3 months was easily avoided by me and my neighbors because there was an established process of giving your passport over to a particular person who would then get it officially stamped by customs and border patrol to make it look like you dutifully left and returned to the country. All it cost was about $30 USD.