Central America
Nicaragua dissident jailed under Ortega dies in prison: family
AFP
Former guerrilla Hugo Torres Jimenez, one of 46 opposition figures jailed since last year by the Nicaraguan government of President Daniel Ortega, died on Saturday, his family said in a statement.
He was 73.
The statement offered few details on Torres’ death but expressed his children’s “deep pain over the death of our beloved father.” It was released by the opposition coalition Blue and White National Unity (UNAB), of which Torres was a member.
A former Sandinista dissident, Torres had been held since June 13, 2021, in El Chipote prison, before being transferred in December to a hospital for treatment, sources said.
Torres had been vice president of the opposition Democratic Renovation Union (Unamos), formerly the Sandinista Renovation Movement, established in 1995 by militants unhappy with Ortega’s leadership.
A retired army general, Torres in 1974 undertook a risky operation to free a group of jailed politicians — including Ortega — being held under the Somoza dictatorship.
But Ortega, who himself has grown increasingly dictatorial as president and as head of the Sandinista National Liberation Front, has accused dozens of opposition figures of conspiring against his government with US backing.
Torres was hailed on Saturday as a “hero” by ex-guerrilla and exiled Sandinista dissident Monica Baltodano.
She told news website 100% Noticias that Torres was “a true hero of the struggles against the dictatorships that have dominated Nicaragua — the dictatorship of Somoza and now the dictatorship of Ortega, which is a brutal and criminal dictatorship.”
Unamos in January had reported that Torres’ health was deteriorating and demanded details from the government. It offered none.
The Washington-based Organization of American States said it “considers the fact of keeping political prisoners, with terminal illnesses and without necessary medical assistance, an abominable act.”
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said that for months Torres was “denied freedom in inhumane conditions and subjected to a legal process with no guarantees.”
Torres was one of 46 opposition figures detained last year, most of them before November elections in which Ortega was re-elected for a fourth consecutive term. Among the 46 were seven who had planned to run against Ortega.
All have been accused of undermining national integrity and promoting foreign interference in Nicaragua.
Eighteen have been found guilty in the past two weeks, and seven have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from eight to 13 years.
Central America
Nicaragua secures $214.9M in chinese loans for digital and port infrastructure projects
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo authorized the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit’s Capital Markets Advisor, Carlos Selva, to sign two loan agreements totaling $214.9 million with Chinese companies. The funds will be used to support a national digital connectivity project and to develop port infrastructure.
The first loan, amounting to $85.7 million, will be signed with China Zhengzhou Coal Mining Machinery Group Co., Ltd. (ZMJ) to supply products and services for the “Digital Connectivity of Nicaragua” project. The initiative will be implemented by the state-run National Electric Transmission Company (Enatrel), according to a presidential decree published in La Gaceta, Nicaragua’s official gazette.
The second loan, valued at $129.2 million, will be signed with China Iconic Technology Company Limited. These funds will go toward engineering studies and designs for the master plan and the initial 32-hectare phase of the construction, expansion, and modernization of the “Julia Herrera de Pomares” logistics hub. The National Port Authority (Empresa Portuaria Nacional) will oversee the project.
According to official figures, China has loaned Nicaragua $919.72 million for various projects so far in 2024.
Central America
Panama voices support for India’s permanent seat at UN Security Council
Panama supports India’s aspiration to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), said Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha during a meeting with Shashi Tharoor, Chair of the Indian Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, according to an official statement released Thursday.
“You [India] have carved out a place in global governance, and we believe that this governance should include more democratic actors like India in major global decisions. I have always said India must be a permanent member of the Security Council,” said Martínez-Acha during the official visit of an Indian parliamentary delegation to Panama on Wednesday evening.
Tharoor, a senior opposition leader and former candidate for UN Secretary-General, thanked Panama for its support amid what he described as “difficult times” for the Indian people. He emphasized zero tolerance for terrorism, a message he said was central to the delegation’s regional tour, which includes stops in Colombia, the United States, Guyana, and Brazil, according to a statement from Panama’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Indian delegation aims to explain to these countries the recent crisis between India and Pakistan, which began on April 22 when 26 civilians were killed in a terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan for the assault, triggering the most serious spike in tensions between the two nations since the 1999 Kargil War.
From May 7 to May 10, the crisis peaked when India and Pakistan exchanged missile and drone strikes along several parts of their shared border, particularly in Kashmir, a region claimed by both countries since their partition after independence from the British Empire in 1947.
“Mr. Tharoor, your presence here demonstrates a shared commitment to the fight against terrorism and a willingness to stand together in difficult circumstances. We condemn what happened in Kashmir and every act of terrorism anywhere in the world. Such acts must be denounced every time they occur,” Martínez-Acha stated.
Central America
First female Defense Minister of Honduras steps down to seek presidency
Honduras’ Defense Minister, Rixi Moncada, resigned from her position this Tuesday to run as the presidential candidate for the ruling left-wing party in the November 30 elections.
This 60-year-old lawyer was the first woman to lead the Defense Ministry in the country, a post she took on September 1, 2024, amid a scandal that affected Xiomara Castro’s government.
In her resignation letter, Moncada wrote that her decision “is framed” by the results of the ruling Libre party’s primaries on March 9, where she was chosen as the presidential candidate for the 2026–2030 term.
Her main rivals are right-wing candidates Salvador Nasralla, a 72-year-old TV presenter from the Liberal party, and Nasry Asfura, a 66-year-old former mayor of the capital from the National party.
“I reaffirm my commitment to the socialist democratic project for the refoundation of Honduras,” Moncada said in her letter, which she read before the press.
According to the Constitution, she was required to leave her post at least six months before the elections.
The winner of the elections must take office on January 27, 2026.
Elon Musk slams NYT over drug allegations and Russiagate reporting
Milei to meet Pope, Netanyahu and Macron during june diplomatic tour
Taiwan responds to U.S. sanctions on Harvard with special loans for affected students
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
Central America3 days agoNayib Bukele achieves historic approval ratings with 86% favorability, CID Gallup reports
-
Central America3 days agoHuman Rights Watch calls U.S. deportations to Costa Rica “unjust” amid migrant detentions
-
Central America2 days agoPanama voices support for India’s permanent seat at UN Security Council
-
International4 days agoMass shooting on charter boat in Little River leaves 10 injured
-
International4 days agoMexican President condemns Gaza bombings but avoids comment on Israel ties
-
International3 days agoAmnesty: Hamas forces beating and threatening peaceful protesters in Gaza
-
Central America3 days agoFirst female Defense Minister of Honduras steps down to seek presidency
-
Central America4 days agoTwo guatemalan police officers injured in ambush during Alta Verapaz operation
-
Central America3 days agoNicaraguan government shuts down 15 NGOs amid ongoing crackdown
-
International4 days agoInvestigation in Guanajuato uncovers 17 bodies; five identified as missing
-
International3 days agoClimate disasters to cost trillions more without prevention, UN warns
-
International3 days agoTwo police officers in Jalisco arrested for recruiting youths into criminal groups
-
Central America3 days agoGuatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora receives diplomatic visit amid unresolved charges
-
International2 days ago
Costa Rica approves first-ever extradition of nationals for drug trafficking and terrorism
-
Central America4 days agoUN experts label Nicaragua’s repression as crimes against humanity
-
International4 days agoFrance takes major step toward legalizing assisted dying for terminal patients
-
International4 days agoBrazilian congressman accuses Supreme Court of State persecution, seeks U.S. sanctions
-
International4 days agoMental health crisis grows among migrants stranded at Mexico’s southern border
-
International2 days agoJoe Biden speaks on democracy and unity in first public appearance since cancer news
-
International2 days agoBudget rift with Trump prompts Elon Musk to leave U.S. government post
-
Central America2 days agoNicaragua secures $214.9M in chinese loans for digital and port infrastructure projects
-
International2 days agoBogotá unveils new tax increases as fiscal deficit deepens
-
International2 days agoTaiwan responds to U.S. sanctions on Harvard with special loans for affected students
-
International13 hours agoElon Musk slams NYT over drug allegations and Russiagate reporting
-
International14 hours agoMilei to meet Pope, Netanyahu and Macron during june diplomatic tour
-
International2 days agoArgentine president Milei to visit Israel