Central America

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

Photo: News in America

February 7^th |

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.

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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.

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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.

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Central America

Costa Rica closes embassy in Cuba, citing human rights concerns

The government of Costa Rica announced on Wednesday the closure of its embassy in Cuba, a move that signals a further deterioration in diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Foreign Minister Arnoldo André confirmed that Costa Rica has also requested the withdrawal of Cuban diplomatic personnel from San José, leaving only consular representation in place.

According to André, the decision is driven by concerns over the worsening human rights situation on the island, including increased repression against citizens and opposition figures.

He also noted that Cuba’s ongoing economic and social crisis—marked by shortages of food, medicine, and basic services—has made the operation of the embassy increasingly difficult.

President Rodrigo Chaves backed the measure, stating that his administration does not recognize the legitimacy of Cuba’s political system.

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In response, the Cuban government rejected the decision, calling it a “unilateral” move taken under pressure from United States.

“Under pressure from the United States, Costa Rica has limited its relations with Cuba to consular matters,” Cuba’s Foreign Ministry said, describing the action as “arbitrary.”

Despite the diplomatic setback, Cuban authorities stated that historical ties between the two nations would endure.

Central America

Costa Rica closes Cuba embassy as president escalates rhetoric

The president of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Chaves, escalated political rhetoric on Wednesday, stating that “the hemisphere must be cleansed of communists,” following his government’s decision to close its embassy in Cuba.

The remarks come as Costa Rica moves to downgrade diplomatic relations with the island, citing a sustained deterioration in human rights. Chaves reiterated that his administration does not recognize the legitimacy of the Cuban government, accusing it of repression and of maintaining poor living conditions for its population.

“We do not recognize the legitimacy of that government. We will not maintain a consulate there; services will be handled from Panama,” Chaves said during a press conference.

The president also argued that the communist model has “failed” not only in Cuba but in every country where it has been implemented, emphasizing that freedom is essential for development.

The decision was made in coordination with president-elect Laura Fernández, who is set to take office on May 8 and is expected to maintain the same foreign policy stance.

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Foreign Minister Arnoldo André confirmed the closure of the embassy in Havana and requested that Cuba withdraw its diplomatic personnel from San José, while maintaining limited consular functions.

Costa Rican authorities justified the move by pointing to increased repression against citizens, activists, and opposition figures, as well as restrictions on fundamental freedoms.

The closure marks a new point of tension in bilateral relations and comes amid growing international pressure on Cuba.

Central America

Analyst questions IACHR role over report on El Salvador emergency measures

Political analyst Óscar Martínez Peñate on Tuesday called for a review of the role currently played by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), arguing that it has undermined its credibility by hosting the presentation of a report critical of El Salvador.

Speaking during the interview program Panorama, Martínez questioned the commission’s decision to accept a report prepared by the Grupo Internacional de Expertas y Expertos para la Investigación de Violaciones de Derechos Humanos en El Salvador, which examines alleged human rights violations under the country’s state of emergency.

“We should examine what the current role of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is. How is it possible that they agree to host the presentation of a report whose premise is against a State, a government, a political system, and Salvadoran society?” Martínez said.

He added that by allowing the presentation of the report, the commission “automatically disqualifies itself.”

Martínez also questioned whether it is appropriate for the IACHR to serve as a “platform” for what he described as the defense of criminals, by treating the GIPES report as credible.

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According to the analyst, the commission is acting in a way that contradicts its mandate by enabling narratives that, in his view, go against Salvadoran society.