Central America
EU sanctions Nicaraguan leader’s wife, son over repression
AFP
The EU imposed sanctions Monday on Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s wife Rosario Murillo, who is his vice president, as well as one of his sons and six more officials.
The measures expand a previous sanctions list to now count a total of 14 individuals held “responsible for serious human rights violations in Nicaragua and/or whose actions undermined democracy or the rule of law” over ongoing repression in the Central American country.
“The detention of a seventh potential presidential candidate… sadly illustrates the magnitude of the repression in Nicaragua and projects a grim picture for the upcoming elections,” the European Council said.
The sanctions prohibit travel and transit in the EU for those targeted, a freeze on any EU-based assets and a ban on EU businesses or citizens from doing business with them.
Ortega, 75, is expected to run for re-election in November 7 polls.
After a first stint as president between 1984 and 1990, he returned to power in 2007 and has stayed in office ever since. He made his wife his vice president in 2017.
In 2018, demonstrations against their rule were brutally put down by government forces, leaving more than 300 dead and pushing thousands into exile according to rights bodies.
In a clampdown that began on June 2, Ortega’s government has rounded up political rivals in a series of house raids and night-time arrests on charges of threatening Nicaragua’s sovereignty.
Ortega has called them seditious “criminals” and “agents of the Yankee empire”.
Seven opposition presidential hopefuls are among 31 people detained. The latest was Noel Vidaurre, seized on July 24 and put under house arrest.
Despite pressure from the European Parliament, EU member states did not add Ortega himself to the growing sanctions list.
“These measures are targeted at individuals and are designed in this way not to harm the Nicaraguan population or the Nicaraguan economy,” the EU statement said.
It added that it “firmly condemned the repression of political opponents, demonstrators, independent media and civil society” continuing in Nicaragua.
In June, the United States announced sanctions against four Nicaraguan officials allied to Ortega, including his daughter.
The EU and US are calling on Ortega to immediately release those arrested and for his government to hold dialogue with the opposition.
Central America
Guatemala cracks down on prison corruption with over 20 raids in recent weeks
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.”
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.
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.
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