Central America
Guatemala’s TSE announces that it will officialize election results
July 11 |
The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) of Guatemala announced Monday that it will release the official results of the general elections held last June 25 once the pending administrative processes are concluded.
In a press conference, the magistrates of the TSE also indicated that all members of the entity are working to carry out smoothly the second round of elections to elect the president of the country, scheduled for next August 20.
“The TSE is interested in the population knowing the results of the voting. The Tribunal will inform of the official results at the conclusion of pending administrative processes”, the electoral body stated in a message published in its Twitter account.
The president of the TSE, Irma Palencia, pointed out that in the press conference that “what was instructed by the Constitutional Court was complied with, the circumstantial reports of the departmental electoral boards were accompanied, where the compliance of the second scrutiny review hearing is stated”.
This Monday, the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) of the Central American country cleared the way for the officialization of the results of the voting of June 25, after determining that the TSE complied with a second review of the scrutinies.
The CC ordered this second review after accepting some appeals presented by almost a dozen political parties which expressed their distrust in the election results issued in a preliminary manner by the TSE hours after the elections.
This review of the tally sheets was carried out by the departmental electoral boards from July 4 to 6 and in the end there were no significant changes to the preliminary results.
The presidential run-off is scheduled for next August 20 and will be disputed between the candidate of the opposition Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza (UNE), former first lady Sandra Torres, and Bernardo Arévalo De León, of the emerging Movimiento Semilla, who won first and second place, respectively, on June 25.
“The electoral calendar is being respected (…) we are in time to comply with the second round on August 20 (…) we are working hard to have the elections ready (…) we want to give the citizens a message of tranquility”, said Palencia.
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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