Central America
Forum on money laundering and financial crimes to be held in Costa Rica

February 7th |
Costa Rica will host the World Compliance Forum in early March, which will address the most innovative tools against financial crime, organizers announced today.
The event, organized by the Foundation for the Study of Money Laundering (Felade), in alliance with the University for Peace, will be held on March 2 and 3, in person at the Costa Rica Marriott Hotel, but will also have a virtual space.
Felade and the University for Peace announced that 350 compliance officers and specialists from Latin America have already confirmed their attendance, while they added that the broad agenda of conferences and panels will be in charge of more than 20 outstanding specialists from Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Panama, Chile and Costa Rica.
According to the organizers, the Forum, whose theme will be The Age of Digital Compliance, is a unique window on the latest legislative developments and the most innovative tools to protect entities from money laundering, fraud and financial crime.
They also said that participants will address topics such as metaverse, cryptoassets, artificial intelligence for fraud prediction and detection and digital threats and vulnerabilities.
The president of Felade, José Quesada, said that the entry into the digital world has placed us in front of new threats and therefore, he said, it is very important that we begin to visualize the real risks that exist at the level of new digital platforms.
Beyond the clear knowledge we have of crimes on the physical level, we need to better understand where crimes are migrating to in the virtual part and that is why this Forum is focused on current issues such as cryptocurrencies and will analyze successful cases in the financial industry and the prevention of money laundering, Quesada said.
For his part, the rector of the University for Peace, Francisco Rojas, said that organized crime and its activities, such as money laundering, are the greatest threats to democracy in Latin America.
For this reason, the event represents an opportunity to debate these issues with experts and offer new perspectives on the fight against organized crime for professionals and decision makers in the region. The organizers said that among the most relevant conferences of the Forum are The use of artificial intelligence for fraud prediction and detection, Web3 and the metaverse and Cryptocurrencies and their tax treatment.
In addition, they added, there will be panels on illicit financial flows, tax transparency, the outlook for the legality of cryptoassets, and regulatory prospects for 2023.
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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