Central American News

Feb 02, 2022

Dear Readers,

Due to a couple of COVID-19 cases among the team, we hope you will enjoy this simpler version of Central American News this week!

Also, as Xiomara Castro became Honduras' president last Thursday, now is the time to listen to our first long-form podcast episode of the season on Castro's historic election, if you haven't already.

We'd like to welcome our new subscribers and our newest patron -- thank you for following and supporting Central American News.

Salú, y cuídense!

Melissa

Headlines

Migration

📰 Trends: Migration records in 2022 are greater than the records from the 1980s. 43% of apprehended migrants at US borders come from Central America.

📰 Republicans Bar Migration: Florida republicans aim to push through a bill that bars companies that transport migrants into the state and sanctuary cities. // Texas and other U.S. states are suing the Biden administration to halt the Central American Minors (CAM) Program, which reunites Central American youth with parents and guardians in the U.S.

📰 World Migration: The U.S. southern border is seeing an increase of migrants from other parts of the world beyond Mexico and Central America. // Mexico detained 78% more migrants in January than the same time last year.

📰 Citizenship Pause: U.S. citizenship applications remain locked down and unprocessed in federal records centers since the pandemic broke out with no anticipated plans to re-open.

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Belize

📰 Maya Leadership: Maya Leaders reject Belizean government's Free, Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) Protocol as "despite the appearance, or what the perception out there might be, it is very clear that this government is attempting to remove and erase the traditional governance institution of the Maya people," Maya spokesperson Cristina Coc said.

📰 Reopening: Belize reopens its land borders on February 1, a month later than initially planned.

📰 Garifuna Leadership: In light of increasing polarization in Belmopan politics, the Garifuna Nation presents itself as a mediator for reconciliation.

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Costa Rica

📰 2022 Elections: With less than a week to go before the country’s presidential and legislative elections, there is no candidate with a clear lead in the presidential race. José María Figueres, Lineth Saborío y Fabricio Alvarado are in a technical tie in the latest CIEP-UCR poll. Almost a million voters are still undecided and two thirds say they will make their decision in the final week.

📰 President Vetoes Cannabis: President Carlos Alvarado partially vetoed the medical cannabis law passed by the legislative assembly last week. While Alvarado says he supports most of the bill, he asked the legislative caucuses to make changes to strengthen regulation of cannabis for “self-consumption and self-cultivation.”

📰Forest of Friendship: The governments of Costa Rica and France inaugurated an area called the Forest of Friendship in the country’s Alajuela province last week. President Carlos Alvarado’s office indicated that it’s a tree-planting and vegetative enrichment project meant to restore native plant species in the area and generate economic opportunities.

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El Salvador

📰 Bitcoin, Moving Forth: El Salvador rejected the IMF’s recommendation to drop Bitcoin as legal tender. //Attorney Nelson González presented his case to annul the law that made Bitcoin legal tender, however, the Constitutional Chamber declared it inadmissible.

📰 Surveillance: The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and two other human rights groups called for an investigation regarding the situation where Salvadoran journalists' and activists’ phones were infected with Pegasus spyware.

📰 COVID-19: Amidst the beginning of what is believed to be the fourth wave of the pandemic, doctors are claiming that cases are underreported and criticizing the government for providing positive COVID-19 persons with Ivermectin, a d rug that the World Health Organization advises against using.

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Guatemala

📰 Corruption: After being a fugitive for a year, José Luis Benito, a former minister in the government of President Jimmy Morales, turned himself in and was charged with fraud. His case is related to the discovery of US $ 15.6 million in cash found in suitcases in October 2020. While he evaded justice, the Prosecutor's Office changed; two of the main investigators in the case were transferred and the judge criticized the Public Ministry for being "complacent."

📰 Attorney General: The race to elect the new Attorney General of Guatemala began and a protest has already been registered to demand an independent professional and protest against the possibility of reelection of Prosecutor Consuelo Porras, sanctioned by the United States Department of State.

📰 Trans Rights: The Congress is discussing a bill that would leave the trans population in Guatemala more vulnerable. The project, which according to experts, would violate international agreements and several articles of the Guatemalan Constitution, has already received a favorable opinion from one of the three congressional commissions, the previous step to be approved in the plenary session of the Legislative.

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Honduras

📰 Inauguration: Xiomara Castro was sworn-in to the presidency, becoming the first female president of Honduras. Castro noted education, health, security and employment to be the anchors of the development of Honduras. In attendance were many diplomats and foreign politicians including U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado, Taiwan Vice President William Lai, and King Phillip VI of Spain.

📰 New Administration: President Xiomara Castro asked Congress to reform the General Law of the Electricity Industry, so that citizens living in poverty could have free access to energy. // The gender inequity gap continues in Xiomara’s cabinet appointments, as it includes 10 women and 30 men.

📰 JOH: Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who has deep ties with the drug-trafficking industry, was sworn in as a Congressman to the Parlacen. Through this appointment, he obtains prerogative, privilege and immunity.

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Nicaragua

📰 Human Rights: Relatives of 100 political prisoners (out of a total of 170) support a dialogue with the government to achieve the prisoners' release. // The Public Ministry announced that trials against political prisoners -- whom they called "criminals and felons" will resume in February.

📰 Social housing: China will continue a social housing program previously sponsored by Taiwan for the next three years in 84 cities, but funding and details are yet to be announced.

📰 Economy: International investment grew by 136% in 2021compared to 2020. The biggest growth came from the mining industry, which invested $401.8 million dollars in the country and has become its largest exporter.

📰 Public Health: Study identifies 28,000 cases of dementia in Nicaragua, and the figure could reach 117,000 patients in the coming decades. Among the causes of dementia are smoking, obesity, high blood sugar levels and low educational level.

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Panama

📰 State Funds: The Comptroller of the Republic, Gerardo Solís, suspended on January 20 the mobilization payments to all mayors and representatives of the country. Some of these payments ranged between 4,000 per month, an amount that was questioned by citizens.

📰 Carnival, Cancelled: The Ministry of Health announced the cancellation of Carnivals this year due to the pandemic.

📰 Pollera: The National Assembly approved in third debate the bill 606, which recognizes July 22 as National Pollera Day. According to the initiative, all public and private institutions will be able to use that day to commemorate the cultural and historical importance of the garment.

Pablo Hernández

Pablo Hernández, a recently murdered indigenous leader, ha denounced corruption networks in western Honduras. In the photo below, Radio Tenán community radio station members and former colleagues of Hernandez. (Read the story on Contracorriente.)

Astrálabe

"Because neither tyranny nor stupidity stops, then why should we?" This is the motto that motivates Salvadoran artist group Astrálabe to create impactful pieces and help young Salvadoreans gain new perspectives on art. (Euronews)

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