Central America
El Salvador and Qatar enhance friendship and cooperation
September 14 |
The governments of El Salvador and Qatar signed yesterday important agreements on security, health and agriculture, which further strengthen bilateral relations and the strategic alliance and cooperation between the two nations.
These mutual cooperation agreements were signed after a working meeting held at the Presidential House between the President of the Republic, Nayib Bukele, and the Emir of the State of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in the framework of an official visit of the Qatari Sheikh to the country.
“We discussed relations with El Salvador and mainly talked about different projects and ideas in common,” said Al Thani after the bilateral meeting.
The agreements and arrangements reached will strengthen cooperation in the fields of security, health and agriculture.
The Qatari sheikh also congratulated Bukele for the achievements he has had during his administration that have led El Salvador to position itself in the concert of nations.
“I want to thank and congratulate everything he has done in his country, especially on the issue of security. I think the whole world recognizes this,” he said.
Al Thani arrived in El Salvador on Tuesday afternoon in response to Bukele’s invitation to him in 2019, when he went to the State of Qatar on an official mission.
The emir sent a message upon his return: “We aspire to more bilateral cooperation and we both have compatible visions about ways to take advantage of the opportunities and the great potential that our countries have. I thank you for the hospitality with which you received me and the delegation that accompanied me”.
Prior to the bilateral meeting, the Salvadoran government formulated proposals for investment projects through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other government institutions. The agreements were signed by Foreign Minister Alexandra Hill and the Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Al-Khulaifi.
The visit of His Royal Highness to El Salvador “will allow to deepen the proposals for joint work in sectors such as passenger and cargo transportation, ports and airports, and mass passenger transportation, among others”, informed the Salvadoran Government.
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Adriana Mira visited Qatar a few months ago to begin exploring the possibilities of mutual support and also to strengthen ties of friendship.
With the visit of the Qatari sheikh, the economic and commercial ties between the Arab nation and El Salvador are also strengthened – within the framework of the agreements signed – by means of approaches between the private sectors of both countries.
Since his arrival to the Executive, President Bukele began to work for a new foreign policy that would allow El Salvador to have new strategic partners for the development and welfare of its inhabitants.
El Salvador established diplomatic relations with Qatar in 2003, and the State visit of Emir Al Thani addressed “issues of cooperation and common interest to further strengthen bilateral relations”.
The Embassy of the State of Qatar in El Salvador praised the visit of His Royal Highness: “The relations between the two countries are deep and developed. The visit of His Highness the Emir of the State of Qatar will contribute to expand relations towards broader horizons”.
Food trade and investment have been explored with Qatari partners. The Pacific Train and Pacific Airport have been of interest to the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA). Qatar Airways has also expressed interest in establishing a cargo and passenger route.
The Emir of the State of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, left the country yesterday afternoon, after finishing his official visit that began last Tuesday. He was seen off at the San Oscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport of El Salvador by Vice President Felix Ulloa.
Central America
U.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
The United States, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago issued a joint statement in support of Panama’s sovereignty, arguing that China’s recent actions represent an attempt to politicize maritime trade and undermine the sovereignty of nations in the hemisphere.
“We are closely monitoring China’s selective economic pressure and recent actions affecting vessels flying the Panamanian flag,” the statement released Tuesday said. “Panama is a pillar of our maritime trading system and, as such, must remain free from undue external pressure.”
The statement comes amid growing tensions surrounding the Panama Canal and the operation of key ports linked to global trade.
At the end of January, Panama’s Supreme Court invalidated the legal framework supporting the 1997 concession that granted Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, the right to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals located on the Pacific and Atlantic entrances of the Panama Canal.
The ruling followed mounting pressure from the United States to curb Chinese influence around the strategic waterway, through which roughly 5% of global maritime trade passes.
CK Hutchison, which managed the ports for nearly three decades, rejected the court’s decision and accused Panamanian authorities of illegally confiscating its assets. The company has launched international arbitration proceedings against Panama, seeking more than $2 billion in damages.
Following the court ruling, reports emerged of increased detentions and inspections of Panamanian-flagged vessels in China, actions widely viewed as retaliatory measures.
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the joint statement as “completely unfounded and misleading,” accusing the United States of politicizing port operations and warning that Beijing would take steps to protect its interests in Panama.
Central America
International Project Tackles Gender Violence in Indigenous Communities in Panama
Efforts to combat machismo and gender-based violence in Panama’s indigenous communities are advancing through international cooperation projects, including an initiative presented this week that is evolving from women’s empowerment toward a new phase focused on educating husbands and sons.
The project, led by the organization HIAS with support from the Spanish Cooperation Agency, is being implemented in the Emberá-Wounaan indigenous territory in the Darién jungle region near the Colombian border.
Originally created to bring state services closer to remote communities, the initiative focused on access to healthcare — particularly sexual and reproductive health services — but later expanded to promote broader access to fundamental rights.
“The project emerged from the understanding that strengthening the rights of the population as a whole was essential to achieving fairer, more cohesive and inclusive societies capable of fighting poverty,” Itziar González, general coordinator of Spanish Cooperation in Panama, told EFE.
HIAS Country Director in Panama Oliver Bush explained that the initiative includes “a very strong component of empowerment for women and adolescent girls in the Emberá-Wounaan communities, aimed at recovering the historical worldview in which women have always played a fundamental role in decision-making within their communities.”
The program also includes prevention, mitigation and response mechanisms against gender-based violence, an area that will be reinforced during the project’s second phase.
“It will include a component focused on positive masculinities, where we will work with men, because men are an important factor in the prevention and mitigation of gender violence,” Bush said.
According to Bush, the initiative seeks not only to eliminate stigmas and forms of everyday sexism that are often socially and culturally ingrained in men, but also to encourage men to recognize themselves as sensitive human beings capable of contributing to healthier and more equal communities.
Central America
Guatemala’s President to Hold Private Interviews for Attorney General Candidates
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo de León announced that he will privately interview the six candidates for attorney general this week, breaking with the public format used by former President Alejandro Giammattei.
Speaking during a press conference on Monday, Arévalo said the interviews would not be open to the public because he intends to question candidates about their plans to recover the Attorney General’s Office from what he described as “political-criminal networks.”
Under Guatemalan law, the president is responsible for appointing the country’s attorney general.
The position has been held since 2018 by Consuelo Porras, whose term is set to expire on May 16 after two consecutive terms marked by local and international allegations of corruption.
Arévalo is expected to select the new attorney general later this week from a shortlist recently submitted by a nomination commission.
The Guatemalan president has repeatedly criticized the Public Prosecutor’s Office, claiming it has been compromised by corrupt political interests.
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