Central America

El Salvador president requests state of emergency extension

AFP

El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele asked lawmakers to extend the country’s state of emergency for a month on Sunday, as police said that more than 16,000 gang members had been arrested since it was imposed.

“I am calling the Council of Ministers to ask the Legislative Assembly to extend the (state of emergency) for another 30 days,” Bukele said on Twitter.

Ernesto Castro, president of the Legislative Assembly — controlled by Bukele’s ruling party — summoned members to a plenary session on Sunday at 2.00 pm (2000 GMT).

On March 27, El Salvadoran lawmakers declared a state of emergency at Bukele’s request, expanding police powers and curtailing civil liberties.

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The move followed a weekend in which 87 people were killed in gang-related violence.

The measure restricted free assembly, allowed for arrests without a warrant, and increased sentences for gang membership to up to 45 years.

Police said they captured 590 gang members Saturday, and had made 16,053 arrests since the start of the crackdown.

“More than 16,000 terrorists taken off the streets, in only 29 days. We continue… #WarAgainstGangs,” Bukele tweeted on Sunday.

The wave of detentions is unprecedented in a country that has suffered decades of violent crime driven by powerful gangs such as Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18.

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The country’s gangs have about 70,000 members in El Salvador, of which 32,000 are now incarcerated as a result of the crackdown, according to authorities.

As part of the crackdown, lawmakers approved a reform that allows jail terms of up to 15 years for disseminating gang-related messages in the media, which journalists warned could criminalize certain forms of reporting.

This week, El Salvadoran NGOs asked the judiciary to declare the reform unconstitutional.

The same day, El Salvador’s Congress approved a law to speed construction of new prisons, as incarcerated populations swell with gang-related arrests.

Bukele said Thursday that “91 percent of Salvadorans support our actions against gang members, according to the latest poll published today by Gallup.”

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Central America

Guatemala Declares Highest Alert in Areas Affected by Fuego Volcano Eruption

Guatemalan authorities declared a red alert, the highest level of danger, on Tuesday in areas affected by the eruption of the Fuego Volcano, located about 35 kilometers from the country’s capital.

The most active volcano in Central America entered an eruptive phase on Monday morning, and its activity intensified overnight with lava emissions and large columns of gas and ash.

No fatalities have been reported, but the volcanic activity forced the evacuation of around 500 people as a precautionary measure.

The National Coordination for Disaster Reduction (Conred) declared a state of emergency in the departments of Sacatepéquez, Chimaltenango and Escuintla, the agency announced through its official X account.

The affected regions are home to approximately 1.6 million people. However, ashfall has so far impacted only about five municipalities.

Despite the increase in the alert level, authorities reopened a road leading to the city of Antigua, the country’s main tourist destination, after evaluating safety conditions in the area.

The Fuego Volcano is one of Guatemala’s most active geological formations and has a history of frequent eruptions, requiring continuous monitoring by national emergency agencies.

Central America

U.S. Defense Secretary to Close Multinational Military Exercises in Panama to Protect Canal

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will travel to Panama next week to close multinational military exercises involving more than 20 countries aimed at strengthening security measures for the Panama Canal against potential threats, a Panamanian government official announced Monday.

This will mark Hegseth’s second visit to Panama. The U.S. defense chief is expected to arrive on August 13 for the closing ceremony of the military drills, which began this week and have been conducted in the Central American country for more than two decades to support the protection of the interoceanic waterway, according to Panama’s Security Minister Frank Ábrego.

The exercises include participation from the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru and the United Kingdom, among other nations.

“The canal is a strategic infrastructure that connects markets and supports global supply chains. Its security and uninterrupted operation are of fundamental importance for Panama, the United States and the international community,” said U.S. Ambassador to Panama Kevin Marino Cabrera.

The drills include maritime training operations, exercises in jungle areas surrounding the canal, as well as virtual simulations focused on cybersecurity and strategic planning.

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The Panama Canal, one of the world’s most important trade routes, handles approximately 5% of global maritime commerce, making its security a priority for international trade and logistics networks.

Ábrego emphasized that preparedness and international coordination are essential to maintaining stability.

“The best way to preserve peace and guarantee the continuity of global trade is to be prepared to respond in a coordinated and effective manner to any threat,” the Panamanian official said.

Central America

Prosecutors Accuse Ex-Defense Minister of Undermining Press Freedom in Honduras

Honduras’ Public Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday filed criminal charges against retired General Roosevelt Hernández, the country’s former defense minister and former chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, over his alleged role in actions that prosecutors say undermined press freedom and freedom of expression.

Prosecutors said the case was brought by the Special Prosecutor’s Office for the Protection of Journalists, Social Communicators, Human Rights Defenders and Justice Officials following an investigation into content published between 2025 and 2026 on a digital media platform operated by the Honduran Armed Forces.

According to the investigation, the publications were reported by journalists and the Honduran Journalists Association (CPH), which described them as part of an alleged campaign to discredit members of the press and media organizations.

The case dates back to May 2025, when the CPH filed complaints with national and international organizations after the Armed Forces referred to three journalists as “hitmen” in an article published by FF.AA. Digital. The association argued that the publication endangered the journalists’ safety and constituted an attack on press freedom.

The journalists identified in the publication as “hitmen of the truth” were Rodrigo Wong Arévalo, director of the television news program Abriendo Brecha; Dagoberto Rodríguez, director of Radio Cadena Voces; and Juan Carlos Sierra, president of the Honduran Journalists Association. The article also included photographs of the three journalists and the CPH’s logo.

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The Public Prosecutor’s Office said the case file includes formal complaints, pretrial investigative proceedings, a specialized forensic analysis of audiovisual and digital material, and witness testimony gathered during the investigation to determine whether the publications violated freedom of expression and the exercise of journalism.
Authorities emphasized that freedom of the press and freedom of expression are protected under the Honduran Constitution as well as international treaties ratified by the country.