In Brief
The bodies of victims are being returned to their home countries and families following the tragic fire at the Mexican migrant detention center two weeks ago in Ciudad Juarez. On Tuesday, 6 of the 7 Salvadoran migrants were flown back to El Salvador. While 17 of the 19 Guatemalan migrant victims were flown back to Guatemala and another 2 bodies are expected to be returned today. The head of the detention center, Francisco Garduno, has also been charged in connection with the fire.
Even though many Central Americans migrate to the United States, inter-regional migration has increased. Costa Rica, Panama, and Belize have experienced a growing population of migrants and asylees over the last decade. It is a shift driven by a series of displacement crises, free-movement arrangements, and former emigrants returning with foreign-born children and spouses, among other trends.
Greetings,
The Central American News Team
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Headlines
Migration
📰DACA: The Biden Administration has announced it will expand healthcare coverage eligibility to include recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), allowing them to enroll in coverage through the ACA marketplace and Medicaid.
📰Remittances: In March, the Guatemalan diaspora sent a record-breaking amount of 1.66 billion USD in remittances, surpassing amounts sent in previous years. It's expected that remittances from Guatemalans living abroad, particularly in the United States, will continue to increase in 2023 due to the country’s rising emigration.
📰Intraregional Migration: Over the last decade, Latin America has emerged as a top migration destination, largely caused by intraregional movements. In Central America: Costa Rica, Panama, and Belize have experienced a growing population of migrants and asylees.
El Salvador
📰Mexico Detention Fire: On Tuesday, the bodies of six of the seven Salvadoran migrants who died in the recent Mexico detention fire were flown back to El Salvador to be reunited with their families. The head of the detention center, Francisco Garduno, was also charged in connection with the fire.
📰State of Exception: El Salvador is looking to extend the state of exception again for the 13th time. Minister of Justice and Security Gustavo Villatoro stated that it will last until “the last gang member” is captured. This week, the Inter American Commision on Human Rights and Amnesty International called on El Salvador to restore all rights suspended under the state of the exception.
📰El Mozote: Salvadoran retired military officer, Roberto Antonio Garay Saravia, was arrested for his involvement in the El Mozote Massacre.
Guatemala
📰 Election Integrity: Guatemala's upcoming general elections face growing public distrust, as the Supreme Electoral Tribunal has blocked several opposition candidates from running. Human Rights Watch has decried this “deterioration of the rule of law” and called for the protections of Guatemalans’ rights to vote in free and fair elections.
📰Taiwan: President Giammattei is set to speak at Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan next month. The visit comes after the diplomatic visits of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen to Guatemala and Belize. These visits were a result of Honduras severing diplomatic ties with Taiwan earlier in March.
📰Repatriation of Victims: Guatemala repatriated victims from Mexican detention fire incident in Juárez. From the 19 Guatemalan victims in the fire 17 were scheduled to return to Guatemala on April 11th.
Honduras
📰Migration: According to the International Organization for Migration (OIM), at least 368 Hondurans have been reported dead or declared missing since 2014. Deaths of migrants en-route to the U.S. are often caused by violence, car accidents, drowning, and lack of common necessities. National Organizations insist on ensuring that everyone is given equal opportunity in Honduras to prevent more people from fleeing and risking their lives.
📰National Security: Concerns continue to rise over President Xiomara Castro’s emergency response to the recent outbreak of four prison riots. National organizations like Conaprev warn against the militarization of the penitentiary system.
📰Environment: Tegucigalpa has reported more forest fires within the first months of 2023 than in all of 2021. La Tigra, commonly referred to as the ‘lungs of the capital,’ has had over 400 hectares of land destroyed from the most recent forest fire. The ICF claims that part of the issue is due to inaction during times of crisis, with many fires going unreported for too long.
Nicaragua
📰Kidnappings: The National Police launched a new wave of kidnappings during the first days of April, focused on the Holy Week activities of the Catholic Church. The “Monitoreo Azul y Blanco” observatory has documented that at least fifteen people were arbitrarily detained between April 1st and April 6, while the regime maintained its prohibition of processions.
📰Hate crime: A transgender woman known as "La Mendoza" (36 years old) is the most recent victim of hate crime in Nicaragua. According to preliminary information, the body was found on Friday, 7 April, "semi burned" and with signs of violence, eight days after she was reported missing.
📰Journalism: According to a report by the regional network Voces del Sur, and its partner organization Fundación por la Libertad de Expresión y Democracia (FLED), at least 185 journalists have left Nicaragua since April 2018 due to security reasons.
Costa Rica
📰Kidnapping Case: President Rodrigo Chaves stated that there will be “consequences” if officials find that there has been negligence by the National Children’s Board (PANI) in the case of a kidnapped infant in the Cartago province. The 9-month-old baby was kidnapped on Sunday, April 9 and the family of the 13-year-old mother is demanding justice for her and the baby.
📰Inés Sánchez de Revuelta: Television personality and world record-holder Inés Sánchez de Revuelta died Friday, April 7 at 91-years-old. She migrated from Cuba to Costa Rica in 1961 and held the Guinness World record for the longest-running program on the air, Teleclub. The show ran for 55 years.
📰Electoral Crimes: The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) in Costa Rica issued a ruling indicating that formal presidential candidates and pre-candidates cannot finance their campaign with private trusts. Legislative deputies are now saying that President Rodrigo Chaves and his campaign committed electoral crimes in the 2022 presidential election.
Panama
📰Oldest Person: An indigenous woman from the Emberá-Wounaan Comarca could be the world's oldest person. Mercedes Chami Dogirama was born on March 13, 1898 and this year she turned 125 years old, according to the country's Population Census.
📰Land purchase: The congresswoman and presidential pre-candidate of the Cambio Democrático party, Yanibel Ábrego, is accused of buying hundreds of hectares of land in Panama Oeste at penny-ante prices. So far, the National Land Administration Authority (ANATI) denied that the purchase was directly with the State, but was the result of an agreement between the congresswoman and the seller.
📰National bird: The Parque Municipal Summit invites all citizens to celebrate this Sunday, April 16, "Panama", the harpy eagle that lives in the park. Harpy Eagle Day is usually celebrated on April 10 in Panama.
Belize
📰Climate Investment: The Ministry of Agriculture signed a Memorandum of Understanding with four relevant departments for a Climate Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture Project funded by the World Bank. The main goal is to develop a climate-smart method of farming, which will assist more than seven thousand households, primarily with technology.
📰Transportation: The Cabinet Office approved the return of Fuente del Norte and A.D.O. bus services in Belize. Through the restoration of their road service permit, A.D.O. buses will provide services from Belize City to Merida and Cancun, starting 1 May. Fuente del Norte will provide services from Belize City to Flores and Guatemala City starting 21 April. The Ministry of Transport assured the public and Belizean bus operators that the Bus lines will operate under strict conditions, including international road service permits.
Central American Culture
Good Reads
📌Darien Gap: U.S., Panama, Colombia aim to stop migrants from crossing the dangerous Darien Gap (Time).
📌Bitcoin: Bitcoin Is rallying but El Salvador’s holdings are still down 29% (Bloomberg).
Good News
✨Headline: María Mercedes Coroy won Best Actress at the Caracas Iberoamerican Film Festival, for her participation in the film La Alberca de los Nadies.
Events
📅Survival Day: The University of Belize Garifuna Survival Day Celebration will take place on April 19, 2023, 10AM, at the UB Conference Center, Belmopan Campus.
📅Entre aserrín: Exhibition "Entre aserrín" in Guatemala City. One of the most deeply rooted religious and cultural manifestations in the country. Through photographs, posters, and a beautiful carpet, this exhibition reveals important information about Holy Week. Located on Paseo La Sexta, between 6a. and 8a. street in zone 1 of Guatemala City, it is open to the public free of charge.
History
The Stann Creek district’s hidden gems and the Garifuna culture. From sandy beaches to nature parks, lively performances, and savory cuisine.
The Team
Editorial team: Mindrid Tesucum
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