Central America
Nicaraguan newspaper manager, Ortega opponent jailed
AFP
The manager of a Nicaraguan opposition newspaper was sentenced to nine years’ jail for money laundering Thursday, his outlet reported, becoming the latest opponent of President Daniel Ortega to receive a lengthy prison term.
Juan Lorenzo Holmann Chamorro, a cousin of jailed former opposition presidential hopeful Cristiana Chamorro, was sentenced after a three-day trial held behind closed doors at a prison in the Central American country’s capital of Managua.
“I am strong and that is how I will remain. This was going to happen,” Holmann said after hearing the verdict, which also placed facilities used by his La Prensa de Nicaragua newspaper into the “custody” of authorities.
Holmann was arrested on August 14 after a police raid on La Prensa, which has been critical of the Ortega government since it took power in 2007.
Details of the money-laundering charges against him are unknown due to the closed nature of the trial.
The Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights, which confirmed the sentence, issued a statement expressing its “strong condemnation” of the ruling.
Founded almost a century ago, La Prensa has operated with few remaining staff or resources after its bank accounts were frozen by the government.
Holmann’s cousin Cristiana Chamorro was sentenced last week to eight years in prison for money laundering and other crimes.
Prosecutors alleged the would-be presidential challenger had committed the crimes through a free speech foundation she had directed. She has denied the charges.
Her brother Pedro Joaquin Chamorro and two former employees of the foundation were also sentenced to jail.
Before her arrest, Cristiana, daughter of former president Violeta Barrios de Chamorro (1990-1997), had emerged as a potential rival to Ortega.
But with numerous challengers and political opponents — including Holmann — detained before the presidential poll, Ortega coasted to a fourth consecutive term in a 2021 election slammed as fraudulent by the United States and the EU.
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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