Central America
Honduras leader offers rebel deputy post to end congress crisis
AFP
Honduras’ president-elect Xiomara Castro made a last ditch attempt late Wednesday to solve a congressional crisis with hours left before her inauguration.
Last week two rival factions within her left wing Libre party elected their own duelling presidents of Congress.
Castro backs the claims of Luis Redondo of her coalition partner Savior Party of Honduras (PSH).
But Jorge Calix, a deputy within her own Libre party, has led a band of close to 20 rebels, with support from the right wing National and Liberal parties, to launch a rival claim.
Late on Wednesday, Castro tried to break the impasse by offering Calix a role in her cabinet.
“I proposed to Jorge Calix that he joins my government in the position of Cabinet Coordinator for the sake of uniting in the Reformation of Honduras,” Castro wrote on Twitter.
She did not, however, explain what the role entailed, although it appears to be something akin to a chief of staff.
“Thank you President @XiomaraCastroZ, it was a great pleasure speaking with you,” said Calix in a reply to her post on Twitter.
“For me and for anyone, it would be a great honor to form part of the government of resistence and national reconciliation. You will soon receive my answer,” he wrote.
The offer came a day after the two rival factions held competing first sessions presided over by their respective presidents.
Redondo took office as president of the Congress in the building that houses the legislative body.
In parallel and via video link, Calix was also installed as head of Congress by his own loyalist faction.
Calix was joined by around 70 deputies while only around 40 were in the parliament building, although the Redondo faction achieved a quorum as substitute lawmakers stood in for those that were absent.
The crisis broke out last week when a group of Libre dissidents ignored an agreement with the PSH, whose support was key to Castro winning the November elections.
Rival lawmakers came to blows in the dispute.
PSH leader Salvador Nasralla had agreed to withdraw his presidential candidacy and support Castro, in return for the position of vice president and a member of his party being named president of Congress.
But the dissidents argued that Congress should be led by the party with the most members — Libre has 50 deputies compared to just 10 for the Savior party.
Control of parliament is key to Castro’s anti-corruption and political reform platform in a country battered by poverty, migration and drug trafficking.
Central America
Nicaragua plummets to 172nd in RSF World Press Freedom Index
Nicaragua has been ranked 172nd in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and released on Friday. The country now finds itself at the bottom of the global ranking, positioned just above Russia, Belarus, Cuba, and Venezuela.
“At the bottom of the Index, Nicaragua (172) becomes the country with the worst score in Latin America, even behind Cuba (165),” RSF stated in its annual report.
RSF warned that the Sandinista regime led by Daniel Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo “has eradicated independent media, revoked the nationality of numerous journalists, and pushed hundreds into exile.”
Compared to 2024, Nicaragua dropped nine positions (from 163), among the 180 countries examined by the RSF ranking, which concluded that there is “no room for journalism” in the Central American nation.
Sports
Lautaro Martínez doubtful for UCL semifinal second leg after thigh injury
nter Milan captain Lautaro Martínez has suffered a muscle strain in his left thigh and will be evaluated on a day-to-day basis, the club announced Friday—just four days before the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal against Barcelona.
The Argentine World Cup winner is now in serious doubt for the crucial match against the Catalan giants, after being substituted at halftime due to the issue during Wednesday’s 3-3 first-leg draw.
“Lautaro Martínez underwent a series of medical tests this morning (Friday),” read a statement from the Nerazzurri. “The Argentine forward has been diagnosed with a hamstring strain in his left thigh.”
“His condition will continue to be monitored daily,” the club added.
Central America
Guatemala sees road blockades amid protests against lawmaker pay hikes
At least 16 points are blocked in Guatemala on Monday by the Committee for the Development of Rural Communities (Codeca), which is protesting the salary increase for members of Congress. The lawmakers are set to receive their third paycheck since the salary adjustment was approved in November 2024.
Although the Congressional Board of Directors announced the suspension of the salary increase at the end of March through an official document, it was later stated that the measure must be ratified by the full legislative body, requiring the approval of at least 81 of the 160 members. No reversal of this decision has been made so far. The salary of lawmakers has risen from GTQ 29,150 ($3,784) to GTQ 66,300 ($8,607). Their third elevated salary will be issued on Monday, according to local media.
The 23 deputies from the Semilla party, with which Bernardo Arévalo won the presidency, did not vote in favor of the proposal when it was presented. However, reports suggest that this may have been part of a negotiation with the opposition to approve a reform to the Law Against Organized Crime, aimed at ending legal persecution against them, as reported by the media outlet República. “The government must remember that the people defended it and it must serve the people,” stated Codeca’s official post on X (formerly Twitter).
Other grievances raised by the protesters include the rising cost of basic goods, demands to halt water privatization, an end to forced evictions, and the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras.
The Constitutional Court (CC) granted a provisional injunction on Sunday, ordering the government to allow free movement. While the court permitted the protest to proceed, it stated that the rights of the general public to mobility and access to commercial transport services should not be interrupted.
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