Central America
Honduras repeals controversial secrecy law
AFP
Honduras has repealed a controversial secrecy law in a bid to battle corruption following a late-night parliamentary session Tuesday.
The law, which classified public documents allegedly related to security and national defense, was approved in 2013 when ex-president Juan Orlando Hernandez — who is sought by the United States for alleged ties with drug-traffickers — was the parliamentary leader.
The measure was widely criticized for providing politicians with a way of hiding evidence of the improper use of public funds.
“Historic day for Honduras. The National Congress repealed the nefarious secrecy law by a majority of votes and took one more step in the fight against corruption and impunity,” the legislature said in a Twitter post.
“A law that sheltered those that committed brazen acts of corruption in Honduras has been repealed,” said Congress president Luis Redondo.
Parliament approved the Classification of Public Documents Related to Security and National Defense Law a year before Hernandez became president in 2014.
Although Honduras bans re-election, Hernandez served two terms from 2014 to 2022, during which time he was linked by US prosecutors to drug-trafficking.
Last month the US State Department added Hernandez to its Corrupt and Undemocratic Actors list.
His successor, President Xiomara Castro, who was sworn in at the end of January, pledged during her campaign to repeal the secrecy law in an effort to support investigations into the alleged improper use of public funds.
The leftist leader has also asked the United Nations to create a special commission to investigate corruption and impunity in the Central American country.
Last month, Hernandez surrendered to Honduran authorities after an arrest warrant was issued following a request by Washington that he be extradited.
The US accuses him of involvement in the importation of 500 tons of cocaine into the US since 2004.
His brother Juan Antonio “Tony” Hernandez was convicted in March 2021 by a New York court to life in prison for drug-trafficking.
The former president Hernandez is due to face an extradition hearing on March 16.
Central America
Panama confirms drug contamination of El Salvador coffee shipment occurred on its territory
A container originating from El Salvador and carrying coffee for export was contaminated with more than 1,152 packages of drugs while in transit through Panama, according to official information confirmed by the Panamanian government this Tuesday.
The case, which had previously generated political controversy in April 2025 after opposition sectors attempted to link the Salvadoran government to drug trafficking, has now been clarified through renewed investigations.
Authorities confirmed that the container departed from the port of Acajutla after being properly inspected, with no illicit substances detected at the time of export.
According to statements previously provided by El Salvador’s Minister of Defense, René Merino Monroy, the shipment traveled first to the port of Balboa in Panama, where it remained stored for several days before being transferred to another vessel bound for Manzanillo in Colón.
It was at that terminal that Panamanian authorities discovered the drugs and identified tampering with the container seals, indicating that the illicit alteration occurred during its transit in Panama rather than in Salvadoran territory.
The findings align with earlier explanations provided by Salvadoran officials and confirm that the contamination of the cargo took place outside of El Salvador’s jurisdiction.
Central America
Uber Eats adds Puntarenas and Turrialba to growing Costa Rica network
Uber Eats announced that it is continuing to expand its presence in Costa Rica with the launch of operations in the cities of Puntarenas and Turrialba, further strengthening the company’s growth in the country.
With this expansion, the delivery platform is now available across all seven Costa Rican provinces and works with more than 6,000 partner businesses. Its offerings include prepared food, supermarkets, pharmacies, pet stores, and other specialty retailers.
As part of the announcement, Uber Eats also introduced Marco Nannipieri as its new Regional General Manager for the Andean Region, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Nannipieri will oversee the company’s operations in Costa Rica along with seven other countries in the region.
“Costa Rica is a key market for Uber Eats in the region, with growing adoption of technology among users and businesses. Over the past five years, more than 1,000 restaurants and merchants have joined the app, and today we are entering a new stage of expansion that will allow us to reach more cities outside the Greater Metropolitan Area, creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs across the country,” Nannipieri said.
Central America
Report questions direction of Nasry Asfura after 100 days in office
The Center for the Study of Democracy warned Tuesday that the government of Nasry Asfura, which marks its first 100 days in office on Wednesday, has failed to show a “significant change in direction” and continues to follow a model characterized by exclusion, inequality, and external dependence.
In its report titled “100 Days of the Nasry Asfura Government: Concerns and Demands,” Cespad stated that the administration has maintained an economic and political model that prioritizes debt payments, the promotion of extractive projects, and the strengthening of the security apparatus over social investment.
The organization argued that the current policies have not addressed structural problems affecting large sectors of the Honduran population and warned that inequality and economic dependence remain key challenges for the country.
Nasry Asfura won the general elections held on November 30, 2025, in a process marked by allegations of fraud and delays in the vote count that lasted nearly a month due to a series of technological failures.
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