Central America

Costa Rica’s president elect apologizes for sexual harassment

AFP

Costa Rica’s president elect Rodrigo Chaves publicly apologized on Monday to two former World Bank colleagues who accused him of sexual harassment.

Economist Chaves was demoted in 2019 over the accusations and left the World Bank shortly afterwards following a 30-year career with the global financial institution.

Chaves previously insisted it had been merely “jokes” that were “misinterpreted due to cultural differences.”

“I deeply regret the things that happened more than 15 years ago and that affected my former colleagues at the World Bank, in such a way that they felt the need to file a harassment complaint against me,” said Chaves in a video shared on social media.

20251101_amnistia_mh_cuotas_728x90

20251101_amnistia_mh_sin_intereres_728x90

20251101_amnistia_mh_sin_multas_728x90

20250701_dengue_728x90

20250901_vacunacion_vsr-728x90

20250901_minsal_tetra_-728x90

20250701_vacunacion-influenza-728x90

20250701_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20250715_donacion_sangre_central_728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

“I once again offer my sincere apologies to these colleagues, without reservation,” he said, adding that the cases had already been dismissed.

However, a World Bank report published by La Nacion newspaper in 2021 said that while the original complaint was dismissed, it had since been reopened following new accusations.

He was accused of improper conduct towards two young subordinates between 2008 and 2013.

According to the World Bank report, Chaves apparently tried to kiss one of the women on the lips before insisting on having a goodbye kiss on the cheek.

One woman accused him of making unwanted proposals and of questioning her about her private life.

20251101_amnistia_mh_cuotas_728x90

20251101_amnistia_mh_sin_intereres_728x90

20251101_amnistia_mh_sin_multas_728x90

20250701_dengue_728x90

20250901_vacunacion_vsr-728x90

20250901_minsal_tetra_-728x90

20250701_vacunacion-influenza-728x90

20250701_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20250715_donacion_sangre_central_728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

The sexual harassment charge earned him a demotion in October 2019 to a position with no responsibilities and no prospects of a salary rise for three years.

He resigned around a month later, and took on the role of finance minister in President Carlos Alvarado’s government.

The charges were brought up frequently by his opponents and feminist organizations during the presidential campaign but his reputation was not hurt enough to prevent him from winning.

Central America

Arévalo accuses Porras and judge of undermining democracy in Guatemala

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo denounced a new attempt at a “coup” orchestrated by the Attorney General’s Office. He also requested an extraordinary session at the Organization of American States (OAS) to address the country’s ongoing political crisis.

The president has been at odds with Attorney General Consuelo Porras, who has been sanctioned by the United States and the European Union for being “corrupt” and “anti-democratic.” Since 2023, Arévalo has accused Porras of launching investigations against his party, Semilla, and the 2023 elections as part of a scheme to prevent his inauguration in January 2024.

From the presidential office, Arévalo has said he continues to “resist” the “coup plotters,” but tensions escalated last Friday when Judge Fredy Orellana, at the request of the Attorney General’s Office, ordered the electoral court to annul the Semilla party’s promoter group. Arévalo interpreted this as an attempt to revoke the positions won by the party.

“Orellana, a hitman who distorts the law in service of Consuelo Porras, is attempting to force […] the unconstitutional removal of a mayor, 23 elected deputies […], the vice president, and the president of the country,” Arévalo said in a televised address on Sunday.

“We call on the international community not to turn a blind eye to the coup being attempted in Guatemala,” he added, speaking alongside his cabinet and congressional members at the National Palace in Guatemala City.

20251101_amnistia_mh_cuotas_728x90

20251101_amnistia_mh_sin_intereres_728x90

20251101_amnistia_mh_sin_multas_728x90

20250701_dengue_728x90

20250901_vacunacion_vsr-728x90

20250901_minsal_tetra_-728x90

20250701_vacunacion-influenza-728x90

20250701_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20250715_donacion_sangre_central_728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

Arévalo requested that the Organization of American States hold an extraordinary session to present “the serious threats” to the Guatemalan Constitution and democracy perpetrated by Porras and Orellana.

Yesterday, Guatemalan Foreign Minister Carlos Ramiro Martínez reaffirmed the president’s statements, emphasizing the need “to go and expose the situation” Guatemala has been facing since last week due to the actions of the Attorney General’s Office.

Central America

New dismembered bodies found in San Juan river days after mass killing in Palencia

On the morning of Monday, October 27, Guatemala’s Volunteer Firefighters confirmed the discovery of two bodies and two human heads inside plastic bags in the San Juan River, located in the Zacualpía village at kilometer 21 of the Atlantic Highway, in the jurisdiction of Palencia.

The remains were found by personnel from Companies 85, 50, and Central, who responded after receiving a report about suspicious bags floating in the water. The gruesome discovery was made just a few meters from the site where eight tortured bodies were found under the San Juan Bridge on Friday, October 24.

Local authorities do not rule out a connection between both incidents and suspect they may be tied to the same criminal organization. Investigators from the Public Ministry and the National Civil Police arrived at the scene to gather evidence and transfer the remains to the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (Inacif).

According to data from the National Economic Research Center (CIEN), Guatemala recorded 2,154 homicides between January and August 2025, an increase compared to the 1,816 reported during the same period in 2024.

Central America

Four guatemalan soldiers arrested for stealing weapons from Northern Air Command

Four soldiers were arrested in connection with the theft of weapons from the Northern Air Command of the Ministry of Defense in Petén, Guatemala, following operations conducted by the Public Ministry (Prosecutor’s Office).

“During the operations, criminal scenes were processed, analyzed, and documented photographically, possible escape routes were identified, surveillance cameras were located, and potential witnesses were interviewed,” the Prosecutor’s Office explained in a social media post.

The detained soldiers were identified as Ludwin Jónathan Cardona Baltazar, charged with illicit association, dereliction of duty, and aggravated theft; and Josué Israel Pérez Jerónimo, Alain Omar Marroquín Soch, and Carlos Ernesto Ibarra Corrales, charged with dereliction of duty, according to Guatemala’s Prensa Libre.

The military personnel reportedly stole 55 rifles, 14,420 rounds of 5.56 mm ammunition, 92 magazines of 35 rounds each, 19 magazines of 20 rounds each, and three grenade launchers, “which were allegedly moved from the arms warehouse to the outside for illicit sale.”

The Ministry of Defense stated that it will keep its internal control mechanisms active to prevent similar incidents.