Central America
CIDH grants precautionary measures to Guatemala’s presidential binomial-elect
August 25|
Following a petition from the presidential couple elected in Guatemala, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights issued a resolution requesting Guatemala to adopt the necessary measures to protect the life and personal integrity of César Bernardo Arévalo de León and Karin Herrera Aguilar.
“The Commission considers that the information presented shows that Bernardo Arévalo de León and Karin Herrera Aguilar are in a serious and urgent situation, since their rights to life and personal integrity are at risk of irreparable harm,” the statement said.
The IACHR requested the State of Guatemala to agree with both elected candidates on the measures to be adopted and to report on the actions taken, in order to investigate the facts and avoid their repetition.
According to the document, on August 15, the president-elect’s security team received worrying information about a plan to assassinate him “with the participation of state agents and private individuals”.
The information came from at least three sources within state institutions, with a high degree of reliability, which would have warned about the existence of a plan called “Colosio”, which would be implemented to end Arevalo’s life.
However, this would not be the only threat.
On the night of the day of the second electoral round, after knowing the result of the vote, prosecutors from the Public Prosecutor’s Office met privately with the president-elect to inform him that the Prosecutor’s Office against the Crime of Extortion obtained privileged information, related to criminal gang structures, which could put Arévalo’s life and physical integrity at risk, so they proceeded to make the corresponding notification, in order to take the appropriate security measures.
The IACHR report adds that the requesting party, that is, the president-elect’s team, indicated that, despite the significant increase in danger, “the State had not deactivated the risks through an adequate investigation to determine those responsible for the plan, but, on the contrary, had limited itself to indicating that it had not received any complaints”.
In addition, it states that the presidential couple has a limited contingent granted by the Secretariat of Administrative and Security Affairs -SAAS, which is obliged to provide security to the presidential couple, for which reason they have resorted to private security, given the existing distrust with the State entities under the current context.
It is known that the security scheme consists of 20 agents distributed in shifts and not permanently. In addition, it explains that the president-elect uses a borrowed vehicle with a level 3 armor, below what is recommended by security experts for a person in his risky position, which would require a vehicle with level 7 armor.
And in the case of Karin Herrera, her borrowed vehicle also does not meet the necessary security conditions, while the other members of the Seed Movement do not have any security measures in their favor.
In this regard, in an interview to a television media, the president-elect confirmed that they requested the protection of the IACHR due to the “different forms of harassment, illegal tracking, suspicions of assassination and clear indications that there is some intention to attempt against their lives”.
“We have done so because we believe it is necessary to alert and we for our part are taking the necessary measures to increase security levels”, assured Arevalo.
He also confirmed that the government responded immediately to the IACHR’s request and has already met with the Minister of the Interior and the technical teams are developing the security measures that are necessary in this situation.
Meanwhile, he also indicated that, despite the threats, they are continuing with their agenda: “Karin and I are moving forward with our normal, daily work agenda, already in preparation for the government exercise that will be our turn after January 14.”
The government of Guatemala also issued a statement in which it confirms that, after the meeting with the president-elect, security arrangements will be strengthened and the number of elements will be increased according to the IACHR recommendation.
However, it also calls on the international entity to express itself objectively in order to guarantee impartiality, due to the consequences that its statements may generate.
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.
Central America
Panama begins reverse migration by sea for 109 stranded migrants
Panamanian authorities have transported a group of 109 migrants of various nationalities by sea to La Miel, a Caribbean town on the country’s border with Colombia, to continue their return journey to South America. The move comes after the migrants failed to settle in the United States, following stricter immigration policies implemented under the administration of former President Donald Trump.
The National Migration Service (SNM) of Panama announced in a statement on Tuesday that the transfer was carried out from the Caribbean port of Colón using a vessel from Panama’s National Aeronaval Service (Senan). The operation was part of the country’s so-called “reverse flow” initiative, aimed at facilitating the safe return of migrants.
The official report noted that the group included migrants from nine different nationalities, with 75 adults and 34 minors on board. Authorities emphasized the “inter-institutional commitment to safe and humanitarian reverse migration.”
A source familiar with the process, speaking anonymously to EFE, confirmed that the vessel departed on Monday. Many of the migrants had opted into the reverse flow program after arriving at the Temporary Attention Center for Migrants (CATEM) in Costa Rica, where coordination was made with Panamanian authorities for their return.
First woman elected president in the Americas, Violeta Chamorro, dead at 95
Nicaraguan exile coalition urges Costa Rica to receive U.S. deportees fleeing Ortega regime
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