International
Guatemalan prosecutors and justice operators lack security guarantees in province
October 24 |
The kidnapping 29 days ago of a prosecutor and two investigators from the Public Ministry (MP) in Tajumulco, San Marcos, reveals the vulnerability of the investigators in the province.
This situation is caused by several factors, such as insufficient support from the National Civil Police (PNC) and the dominance that criminal structures have over municipal and departmental authorities, according to a former secretary of the Public Prosecutor’s Office and an analysis of the situation by the Pro-Justice Movement.
On September 25, a prosecutor and two investigators from the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) were kidnapped by residents of the village of Tuinimá, Tajumulco, San Marcos, who demanded the closure of the municipal headquarters of the MP in Tajumulco and the release of two people linked to the crime of an army colonel.
As of yesterday, the MP workers had been in this situation for 28 days. According to the official report of the auxiliary of the Human Rights Ombudsman’s Office, the reason for the kidnapping is because the victims were carrying out a field inspection related to the theft of electricity.
“Being a prosecutor at the municipal or departmental level is different from being a prosecutor in Guatemala City,” says Javier Monterroso, ex-secretary of the MP, who affirms that the prosecutors and investigators assigned in the province work with many “precariousnesses” and normally only investigate common crimes, so as not to enter into confrontation with the inhabitants or put themselves at risk from organized crime.
“Their work is more complicated because there are fewer PNC agents and MP personnel, but in addition, many members of the security forces themselves are committed to the powers that be, politicians and drug traffickers,” Monterroso said.
He also states that in the province, municipal and departmental authorities depend a lot on the criminal structures in the region, and for this reason, when it comes to investigating criminal structures, prosecutors are asked not to be from the department so that there are no reprisals, and they opt to bring prosecutors from the capital city, in addition to the support of the army.
“But even so, prosecutors are very vulnerable because of the above situations and when they are retained by the population, they are tied up and beaten on the orders of community leaders or organized crime,” says Monterroso.
The former secretary of the MP says that even some of the workers who have been retained have said that they are subjected to psychological abuse, when they are threatened that they will be burned and “they show them or gasoline”.
Retention of personnel, according to Monterroso, has occurred most frequently when investigating illegal electricity connections or when tracking poppy plantations.
For Carmen Aída Ibarra, director of Movimiento ProJusticia, these events are more recurrent in Huehuetenango and San Marcos, mainly in the border areas with Mexico, due to the presence of drug trafficking.
“In some places, the economy of the communities depends on illegal crops and contraband, and the physical integrity of the prosecutors is at risk,” said Ibarra.
The researcher and expert in the justice sector reiterates that there are communities where the population rejects the presence of the PNC and the MP and prefers to act according to their rules, often to defend the interests of organized crime or the community itself, “when the local economy is affected”.
Ibarra affirms that the lack of security guarantees for prosecutors and investigators of the MP in the province is compounded by the fear of being removed or dismissed.
“In 2021 there was a series of transfers and removals that affect them, because they are sent far from their residence. They live in fear, because they do not know when they will be transferred or dismissed,” said Ibarra.
International
Argentina’s Milei opens dialogue with parties to push “Second-Generation Reforms”
Empowered by his midterm election victory, Argentine President Javier Milei is relaunching his administration and opening dialogue with other political forces, focusing on three major reforms: tax, labor, and pension systems, which form the core of his ultra-liberal agenda.
The government approached the legislative elections amid financial turbulence, which eased following Milei’s triumph. It now faces the challenge of reviving a stagnant economy while consolidating its political project.
The first step will be negotiating the country’s first budget law in two years, with the vote likely postponed until December, when the government expects to have more favorable numbers in Congress.
Milei’s party will have an expanded bloc, but it will not gain full control of the legislature. Preliminary results indicate that, starting December 10, the administration will hold around 100 of 257 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 19 of 72 seats in the Senate.
To advance his so-called “second-generation reforms” in 2026, Milei has called for dialogue with provincial governors and other political parties.
International
Melissa leaves path of destruction in Caribbean, 735,000 evacuated in Cuba
Hurricane Melissa caused significant damage and widespread flooding in Cuba on Wednesday (October 29, 2025), following its devastating passage through Jamaica as the strongest storm to make landfall in the island in 90 years.
After striking Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane with violent winds and torrential rains, the Jamaican government declared the country a disaster zone. In Haiti, the cyclone has already caused 20 fatalities, although authorities expect the number to rise due to an unknown number of missing persons.
In Jamaica, there were three deaths, the same number reported in Panama, and one death in the Dominican Republic.
Melissa then made landfall in eastern Cuba with slightly reduced strength and maximum sustained winds of 195 km/h. “It has been a very difficult night. Significant damage has occurred, and Hurricane Melissa is still over Cuban territory,” said President Miguel Díaz-Canel in his first assessment of the situation.
In Santiago de Cuba, the second-largest city in the eastern region, the storm flooded homes and streets and knocked down trees, utility poles, and power lines. Cuban authorities reported that around 735,000 people were evacuated, particularly in the provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Holguín, and Guantánamo.
International
Jamaica faces widespread destruction as hurricane Melissa hits the island
Jamaican authorities reported on Tuesday that Hurricane Melissa, which weakened to a Category 4 storm just hours after making landfall in Jamaica, caused damage to six hospitals and left roads flooded, along with downed power lines and fallen trees, according to preliminary data.
Videos shared by local media and social media users show strong gusts of wind impacting Kingston in the southeast and southern municipalities of the island, causing power outages and damaging the roofs of several homes.
Flooded roads and damage to several medical institutions have also been reported. The Bustamante Children’s Hospital in Kingston experienced blocked access after a utility pole fell onto its premises. Part of the Savanna-la-Mar Public General Hospital in Westmoreland also suffered severe damage when hurricane-force winds ripped off its roof.
Additionally, Health and Wellness Minister Christopher Tufton reported on Tuesday that four hospitals sustained “significant damage” due to Melissa. The affected medical facilities are Noel Holmes Hospital in Hanover, Black River Hospital in Saint Elizabeth, Cornwall Regional Hospital in Saint James, and Falmouth Hospital in Trelawny.
At Cornwall Regional Hospital, damage was limited to staff areas, which have since been repurposed for other uses. The Ministry stated that it is actively coordinating with the Southern Regional Health Authority and emergency services to stabilize hospital operations.
Argentina’s Milei opens dialogue with parties to push “Second-Generation Reforms”
Melissa leaves path of destruction in Caribbean, 735,000 evacuated in Cuba
Jamaica faces widespread destruction as hurricane Melissa hits the island
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