Central America

Health authorities in Costa Rica are concerned about inns

Health authorities in Costa Rica are concerned that the inns, commonly known as quarter houses, have become focal points for the spread of the Coronavirus. According to Marcelo Solano, director of the San José municipal police, quarter houses are one of the main sources of spread of the virus in San José.

When a positive case is identified, the Police will set up sanitary fences around the houses. So that people stay on the premises for 15 or 21 days. Director Solano said that until August, they had intervened at least 31 quarter houses in the capital.

“The coronavirus has exposed a problem present in many Costa Rican cities, and that is precarious housing, a qualitative and quantitative deficit for a population without access to a house,” Solano said. The San José metropolitan area and neighboring cities have been the most affected by the virus in Costa Rica, which reports more than 24,000 cases and more than 250 deaths.

Central America

Guatemala cracks down on prison corruption with over 20 raids in recent weeks

More than 215 gang members deported from Guatemala and Mexico in war on gangs

The Guatemalan government warned on Monday that it will not tolerate corruption within the prison system, highlighting that more than 20 raids conducted in recent weeks have helped regain control over its penitentiaries.

“We will not tolerate any acts of corruption from our personnel,” said José Portillo, Deputy Minister of Security at the Ministry of the Interior, during a press conference.

According to Portillo, 21 raids were carried out in the last 15 days with support from security forces across the penitentiary system, and a total of 140 raids have been conducted so far in 2025.

These operations have resulted in the confiscation of dozens of household appliances and cell phones, as well as weapons and other prohibited items inside the prisons.

“We are firmly controlling bribery and corruption,” emphasized the recently appointed deputy minister, adding that “we will be strong and decisive within the penitentiary system.”

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Portillo explained that the purpose of these raids is to tackle structural causes within prisons, which are the origin of much of the violence affecting the Central American country, including contract killings and extortions.

He stated that the recent operations have helped reduce crime and identify “hot spots” in the country.

“We are impacting criminal structures,” the official said.

Data released on June 6 by the Director of the National Civil Police, David Custodio Boteo, reported 1,385 homicides in the first five months of the year, representing a 15 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

Experts on the subject point out that thousands of Guatemalan merchants fall victim to extortions that originate precisely within the prisons.

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Central America

First woman elected president in the Americas, Violeta Chamorro, dead at 95

Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, former president of Nicaragua and the first woman in the Americas to be democratically elected head of state, passed away this Saturday in Costa Rica at the age of 95. A pivotal figure in Nicaragua’s transition to democracy, Chamorro achieved a historic victory over Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega in the 1990 elections, heading a broad opposition coalition.

The Chamorro Barrios family confirmed her death in a statement:
“Our mother, Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, former president of Nicaragua, passed away today, June 14, 2025, at 2:21 a.m. (08:21 GMT) in San José, Costa Rica, at the age of 95, after a long illness.”

“Doña Violeta died peacefully, surrounded by the love and affection of her children and the extraordinary care of those who looked after her. She is now in the peace of the Lord,” her children Pedro Joaquín, Claudia Lucía, Cristiana, and Carlos Fernando Chamorro Barrios wrote.

Chamorro’s victory in 1990 marked a significant turning point in Central American politics, ending more than a decade of Sandinista rule and initiating a fragile but hopeful democratic chapter in Nicaragua’s history.

Central America

Nicaraguan exile coalition urges Costa Rica to receive U.S. deportees fleeing Ortega regime

The Coalition of Nicaraguans in Exile urged Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves on Sunday to receive opponents and critics of the Ortega-Murillo regime currently residing in the United States who may be deported by the administration of Donald Trump.

“We appeal to you, Mr. President, to kindly consider, as an act of humanity and in accordance with the principles of international refugee law, the reopening of entry and temporary reception pathways for Nicaraguan citizens deported from the United States,” the coalition stated in a letter addressed to Chaves.

They specifically requested the reopening of entry for those Nicaraguans who had previously sought asylum or refugee status in Costa Rica and who express a well-founded fear for their lives and personal safety if returned to Nicaragua.

The organization, which identifies itself as committed to defending and promoting the human rights of Nicaraguans “forced into exile by the repression of the Sandinista dictatorship,” expressed its appeal with “urgency and deep concern.”

In the letter, the coalition emphasized the dramatic situation faced by thousands of Nicaraguans who fled political persecution under Daniel Ortega’s regime and are now at risk of deportation from the United States.