Women’s Rights and Femicide Cases
Central American News
In Brief
Earlier this week, The Inter-American Court of Human Rights initiated the first public hearing for the case of a Salvadoran woman. In 2013 Beatriz was prohibited from carrying out an abortion despite medical recommendations. Doctors advised her to terminate the pregnancy due to its high-risk of endangering her Life. Beatriz’s case became a symbol of the fight for reproductive rights in a country heavily opposed to abortion. Women and medical personnel who participate in the procedure are punished with jail time.
Meanwhile, Honduras was ranked first in femicides cases in the region by The Economic Commission for Latin America (CEPAL). With a rate of 4.6 female homicides per hundred thousand inhabitants, followed by the Dominican Republic, which is 2.7 and El Salvador that reaches 2.1. The country reported at least 58 femicide cases for the first two months of 2023. It is believed that a woman is killed every 20 hours in Honduras.
Greetings
The Central American News Team
Seeking volunteers
Want to join a growing team of Central Americans passionate about Central America? We are now seeking a Belize news curator (2h per week). Please send over your CV and a few paragraphs of why you want to join the project to centralamericannews@gmail.com by 31 March 2023.
Headlines
Migration
📰 Title 42: The Biden Administration’s expanded use of the Title 42 order has led to a 2-year record of low irregular border crossings. Some nongovernmental migrant shelters in the U.S. are no longer severely overcrowded.
📰 U.S. Border Budget: The Biden Administration’s 2024 budget would expand the work and capacity of Border Patrol agents, CBP officers, processing coordinators, and immigration judges to address future surges in asylum requests and irregular border crossings.
📰 Darién Gap: Record number of U.S.-bound migrants risk a perilous journey through Panama’s Darién Gap jungle. 2023 is on track to becoming the year with the highest recorded number of people crossing the Darién.
Central America
📰Best Airport: Tocumen International Airport was distinguished as the 'best' in Central America and the Caribbean for the second consecutive year. It is according to the satisfaction survey carried out by the consulting firm Skytrax, within the framework of the World Airport Awards 2023 presented at a ceremony held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
El Salvador
📰Abortion Case: On Wednesday, The Inter-American Court of Human Rights began the public hearing for the case of Beatriz, the woman to whom El Salvador prohibited abortion in 2013. It was despite doctors’ recommending the termination of her high-risk pregnancy. Her case became a symbol of the fight for reproductive rights in a country where women and medical personnel who participate in the procedure are punished with jail time.
📰Prison Sentence: Gang members are sentenced to more than 200 years in prison for extorting merchants and transport businessmen in San Miguel.
📰Labor Mobility: More than 23,000 Salvadorans may benefit from the Labor Mobility program promoted by the Government of Nayib Bukele. Allowing Salvadorans an opportunity for legal and safe migration.
Honduras
📰Violence Against Women: According to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL), Honduras leads in first place in femicides cases in the region. At least 58 women have been reported victims of femicide between the months of January and February.
📰Refuge Homes: In San Pedro Sula, victims of domestic violence are left with no refuge. Existing refuge homes have remained closed for over a year due to a debt the municipality has not yet paid. The city received over 1,800 emergency calls reporting cases of domestic violence in 2022.
📰Diplomatic Relations: Honduras denied that it had demanded $2.5 billion in aid from The Republic of China, Taiwan before announcing to seek open relations with The People’s Republic of China. Honduras Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina stated that the $2.5 billion figure was "not a donation," but rather "a negotiated refinancing mechanism."
Nicaragua
📰Vatican Shuts Embassy: The Vatican has closed its embassy in Nicaragua after the country’s government proposed suspending diplomatic relations. Monsignor Marcel Diouf, Vatican representative to Managua, left the country on Friday, 17 March.
📰Repression Against Journalists: The Nicaraguan government froze the bank accounts of expatriate journalists, including those of Wilfredo Miranda from Divergentes and Aníbal Toruño, director of Radio Darío. According to journalists' organizations, through these actions the regime seeks to silence journalists who report from exile.
Belize
📰Retired Public Officers: On Wednesday, retired public officers protested in front of the National Assembly building during the 2023-2024 Budget debate. They demanded increments that were withheld from them for two years almost three decades ago. At the time, they were given shares that are managed by the Public Sector Worker’s Trust at the Belize Telemedia Limited. It is estimated that the money has grown to somewhere around nine million dollars.
📰Mayan Culture: Cultural activist Juan Caal uses social media as a tool to spread awareness about his culture and people. The Maya Culture Belize Facebook page features traditional foods made from recipes passed down through generations, cultural attire, traditional languages, music, and dances. Caal sees modernization as an opportunity to advance the Mayan culture.
📰Diplomatic Visit: Tsai Ing-Wen, President of the Republic of China (Taiwan), to visit to Belize in early April 2023. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Immigration will be hosting an exhibition to highlight the Women Economic Empowerment Project, which it co-implements with the Government of Taiwan.
Costa Rica
📰Drug Violence: Current and former public officials are sounding the alarm on drug-related violence in the country. International reports are highlighting the increase of homicides in the Puntarenas province, a popular destination for both tourists and residents. Rodrigo Arias, president of the Legislative Assembly, urged legislators to act quickly on the growing drug problem or the government could “lose control.”
📰Earthquake: On Monday, a 5.2 magnitude earthquake shook large portions of Costa Rica with no reported injuries or structural damages. The earthquake was registered near the Pacific Ocean on the country’s southern coast. A small 2.6 magnitude quake followed moments later.
📰Affordable Housing: Rent prices for housing continue to increase across the country, mostly impacting young people and middle-class households. The Center for Financial and Real Estate Business Studies found that prices jumped by at least 5.7% and are expected to continue climbing.
Central American Art
Good Reads
📌Indigenous People: UN denounces new attacks on indigenous people in Nicaragua’s largest reserve. (Mongabay)
📌Indigenous Lands: Lauded as a Green Model, Costa Rica faces unrest in its forests. (E360)
📌El Salvador: Nayib Bukele’s permanent state of emergency. (EL PAÍS)
Good News
✨Ecological transport: Antigua Guatemala has new electric and ecological buses. The zero emission electric buses have solar panels to run the air conditioning and screens. Also, the buses will be used for different municipal programs including the transfer of senior citizens who are benefited by projects of the city.
✨Happiest Country: Costa Rica has been ranked as the happiest country in Latin America, the third happiest in the American continent and the twenty-third in the world. This is according to the World Happiness Report which is carried out each year by the Sustainable Development Network (SDSN), an association that includes more than 100 specialists in Psychology, Anthropology, Economics, and politics.
✨Honorary Ambassador: Cesia Sáenz has been named Honduras’ honorary ambassador of Art and Culture in Mexico.
Events
📅Exhibition: “MUJERES (IN)VISIBLES” a tribute to those who fought to win the vote and representation in political life and who continue to fight for human rights and equal opportunities. Open at the Museo de la Libertad in Panama until 2 April.
📅Mayan Festivity: Santa Rita Day will be held on 25 March from 10am to 4pm at the Santa Rita Archaeological Reserve in the Corozal District. A day to experience Mayan Culture.
“according to Panamanian authorities, the percentage of minors crossing the Darién jungle has reached a record high this year.”
- Juan Pappier, Human Rights Watch
History
The Baron Bliss Lighthouse pays tribute to one of Belize's greatest benefactors, Baron Henry Edward Earnest Victor Bliss, better known as "Baron Bliss". In 1926, Bliss simply dropped anchor and fished while on his boat “Sea King II.” Despite not setting foot in the country, he befriended local fishermen and, apparently fond of them, decided to give the value of over a million dollars to Belize when he passed away on 9 March 1926. In his will he stipulated thorough details of how he was to be commemorated. From the specific material used for his tomb to the iron railing that was to be erected around it. It also stipulated that the fund could only be used for specific things, such as only the interest could be spent, and only agricultural and/or vocational schools could be built with the money.
Every 9th of March, the country celebrates Baron Bliss Day, now National Heroes and Benefactors Day. Today, many monuments have been reared in honor of him. One of them, the Baron Bliss Lighthouse, which faces the harbor where he stayed while in Belize.
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