Central American News
Nicaraguan Political Prisoners, both deported and in captivity, are stripped away from their nationality.
In Brief
The Ortega regime, through the President of the First Chamber of the Court of Appeals of Managua, ordered the "immediate and effective deportation” of political prisoners in Nicaragua. The National Assembly amended the Political Constitution to strip them of their nationality. As a result, political prisoners were released and deported to the US and stripped of their nationality. However, Monsignor Rolando Álvarez who did not board the plane was given a 26-year and four months sentence and was also stripped from his nationality. While in Guatemala, the absence of Government pushed Garífuna women in Livingston to be activists despite facing challenges such as prejudices and the lack of political will in their communities.
Costa Rica is experiencing drought, which has affected the demand for water to exceed the water supply in communities such as Guanacaste, one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. It has caused a deputy manager along with the Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers to call for an intervention. In Belize, Prime Minister John Briceno stated that public worker increments would remain on hold until his party’s third fiscal year in office, and pension reform (for contributory pension) would accompany any restoration. This comes after the rise in the tax-free base salary received by Belize’s High Court, causing joint unions to demand yearly increments to be restored by April 1, 2023. While El Salvador’s magistrate of the Supreme Court of Justice, Paula Patricia Velásquez, revealed in a letter that she was spied on through Pegasus software on her phone.
In Honduras, the National Institute of Migration reported a stark increase at the end of January 2023 of at least 17,113 migrants from the 1,766 entered in January 2022. Haiti, Ecuador, Cuba, and Venezuela were among the top-origin countries of migrants entering the country. The Panamanian government is under pressure after the UN accused government officials of violating the rights of US-bound migrants from Ecuador, Haiti, Venezuela, and Colombia crossing the Darién Gap. They rejected these allegations and said they will carry out necessary investigations. This is all happening while the deputy mayor of Panama City resigned from her position emphasizing to the president of the Municipal Council that “firm gestures [are] needed to restore credibility in politics.”
The Central American News Team
Photo credit to AFP via Getty Images
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Headlines
Migration
📰 Title 42: Against the backdrop of an expiring COVID-19 emergency in the U.S., the Biden administration is urging the Supreme Court to dismiss a largely Republican-led lawsuit that challenges the end to the pandemic-era immigration order known as Title 42. The justices are scheduled to hear arguments about the order on March 1.
📰 Human Rights Abuses: The Panamanian government is under pressure after the UN accused government officials of violating the rights of U.S.-bound migrants from Ecuador, Haiti, Venezuela, and Colombia crossing the Darién Gap. Panama rejects these allegations and claims it will carry out necessary investigations.
📰 Refuge in Honduras: In response to the influx of northbound migrants crossing the isthmus, the Honduran government has opened a temporary refuge center for migrants crossing through the city of Danlí. Although government officials recognize its limited capacity to support 150 people, beneficiary migrants receive shelter, transportation support, and medical attention.
Nicaragua
📰Deportation of political prisoners: On 9 February, the Nicaraguan regime stripped the nationality of 222 people who had been arrested as political prisoners and then released and deported to the United States. The same day, to legitimize the actions of the Ortega regime, the President of the First Chamber of the Court of Appeals of Managua (TAM) ordered their "immediate and effective deportation.” The National Assembly amended the Political Constitution to strip their nationality.
📰 Monsignor Álvarez: The Ortega regime transferred Monsignor Rolando Álvarez to the “La Modelo” prison after he refused to board the plane that took the political prisoners to the U.S. On 10 February, the Monsignor was sentenced to 26 years and four months in prison and stripped of his nationality.
📰Nicaragua-US Relation: On February 10, Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with the Nicaraguan Foreign Minister about the importance of constructive dialogue between the U.S. and Nicaragua “to build a better future for the Nicaraguan people.”
Honduras
📰Supreme Court: The election for 15 new magistrates to the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ), has received another extension. Current magistrates carry on until the election of new magistrates. According to Article 311 of the Constitution, if no consensus is reached, 45 candidates are to be submitted for a direct vote.
📰Migration: According to the National Institute of Migration (INM), nearly 19,000 migrants entered Honduras in January. It is a stark increase of at least 17,113 people from the 1,766 migrants that entered in January of 2022. Haiti, Ecuador, Cuba, and Venezuela were among the top countries of origin for migrants entering the country.
📰Investigations: Data from Honduras’ Security Secretariat show that 80% of homicides in Honduras are not investigated. At the end of 2022, only 19.5% of murder cases were registered at the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP). The lack of investigations serves as a safety net for violence committed in the state, with crimes like kidnappings, rape, and murder going unpunished.
El Salvador
📰IMF: The International Monetary Fund visited El Salvador last week and in a statement noted the need for transparency in the country’s use of Bitcoin.
📰Espionage: Paula Patricia Velásquez, the magistrate of the Supreme Court of Justice, revealed in a letter that she was spied on through Pegasus software on her phone.
📰 Historic Center Revitalization: As part of Phase 3 for the Revitalization of the Historic Center of San Salvador program, more than 4,000 vendors are expected to be evicted.
Belize
📰Bilateral Agreements: On Sunday, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermúdez made a historic state visit as the first Cuban president to visit Belize. Two cooperation agreements were signed for Cultural cooperation and the Exchange of Migratory Alerts and Security Information. Prime Minister John Briceno called on the US to end the embargo on Cuba.
📰AML Committee: The National Anti-Money Laundering Committee held its first Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism conference. The event aims to engage people from the public and private sectors on the risks identified in Belize’s last Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing risk assessment.
📰Pension Reform: The Prime Minister recently stated that public workers’ increments would remain on hold until the PUP’s third fiscal year in office, and pension reform (for contributory pension) would accompany any restoration. The rise of tax-free base salary received by Belize’s High Court has angered public workers. Joint workers’ unions are demanding increments to be restored by 1 April.
Guatemala
📰Hogar Seguro Case: Almost six years after the fire at the Hogar Seguro Virgen de la Asunción, where 41 girls and adolescents died and another 15 were seriously injured, the case continues in impunity, stuck in legal labyrinths and logistics in the hearings. While the mothers and relatives of the victims insist that justice be done.
📰Indigenous Rights: The Government’s absence is a problem that Guatemalan Garífuna women face with active citizenry, despite stereotypes, prejudices, machismo and the lack of political will in their communities. The Garífuna population is less than 1% of the national population, there are 19,529 living in Livingston, and a little more than half are women.
📰Justice: The judge of the 9th Criminal Sentencing Court, Carlos Ruano, joins the list of judges who have denounced violations of judicial independence in Guatemala. However, will face a pre-trial process for complaints from the Foundation against Terrorism.
Costa Rica
📰 Health Minister Resigns: Joselyn Chacón Madrigal submitted her letter of resignation as the minister of public health. It follows controversial allegations of her involvement with an online troll to attack journalists. Chacón was criticized for her “anti-public health” policy and is one of several officials that resigned or were dismissed in the first nine months of the Chaves administration.
📰 Water Deficit: A deputy manager along with the Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers is calling for an intervention in water demand. It is exceeding supply in the province of Guanacaste, one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. The central and southern Caribbean region is experiencing drought due to a rainfall deficiency.
📰 EU Gray List: The European Union plans to add Costa Rica to its “gray list” of tax havens, which includes Russia and the Marshall Islands, due to a “harmful foreign source of income exemption regime.” The former European Union ambassador blamed Chaves’ administration for inaction on the country’s tax policy.
Panama
📰Politics: Judy Meana resigned as deputy mayor of Panama City. She accused Mayor José Luis Fábrega of being arbitrary. In her resignation letter, she addresses the president of the Municipal Council, Yoira Perea, emphasizing that "firm gestures are needed to restore credibility in politics".
📰Banks: Banks increase their interest rates for mortgages, personal loans, and credit cards. It is in response to international rate increases. Interest rates are expected to rise close to 5%.
📰Prisons: On 10 February, a prisoner and a policeman died during a confrontation between rival gangs in La Joya and La Nueva Joya penitentiaries. The following day, the Ministry of Security reported that 20 firearms, ammunition, silver plates, illicit substances, and cash, among other prohibited items, were seized.
Central American Art
Buena Vista Village is a small farming community located in the Cayo District. The village primarily produces citrus and bananas. Now the women in the village are creating a trade of their own. The artisans are weaving tapestries made from banana fibers.
Good Reads
📌Politics: Rep. Norma Torres talks guns, threats on her life and the end of Roe (Roll Call)
📌El Salvador: Teenage mothers of confinement in El Salvador (Gato Encerrado)
Good News
✨ Valentine's Day: Children in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala celebrated Valentine’s Day in a planet-friendly manner by exchanging organic products as gifts.
Events
📅Envision Music Festival: Near the end of this month, a four-day festival in Costa Rica will commence, celebrating different cultures living together harmoniously. Participants will be engaging in different activities involving spirituality, art, dance, music, education, yoga, and regenerative strategies; all related to connection to nature.
📅Tribal Gathering: From all over the world, 60 tribes will come together in Panama for a festival dedicated to celebrating diversity and acknowledging different cultures. There will be over 150 international music entertainment acts.
“Si volviera a nacer, volvería a nacer garífuna”
- Diana Martínez Leyva, Garifuna activist in Guatemala
History
The first ever Nauat dictionary is being created by the Make Art Not War organization. In order to preserve a language that is at risk of disappearing, with less than 200 native speakers. The Nahuat of El Salvador is the last living indigenous language of the country. This is a special project given that all the information published by the Nahuat has been written by foreign authors.
Photo credit to @Timumachtikan Nawat on Twitter
The Team
Editorial team: Mindrid Tesucum and Vanessa Lobo-Gradiz
Coordinating team: Karla Saenz Porras, Kayla Alamilla, Shahrazad Encinias
Social media: Abigail Galvez-Aguirre
News curators: Pablo Arauz (Costa Rica), Jody García (Guatemala), Kirsten Cintigo (El Salvador), Luna Cordóba (Nicaragua), Rodrigo Medina and Joan Collins (Panama), Allison Aguilar (Honduras), Oliver Martínez López (Migration)
Film curator: Robert Zuniga