Central America
US cancels visas for 300 Guatemalans including 100 anti-democratic deputies
December 12 |
The United States announced yesterday the cancellation of visas for some 300 Guatemalans, including a hundred deputies, and condemned attempts to “undermine” democracy by the country’s Attorney General’s Office, a body that has tried to overturn in court the presidential victory of social democrat Bernardo Arévalo.
“The United States strongly condemns the anti-democratic actions of the Guatemalan Public Ministry and other malicious actors that are undermining the rule of law in Guatemala,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
The visa restrictions affect some “300 Guatemalan nationals, including more than 100 members of Congress, as well as private sector representatives and their families,” the statement said.
These sanctions come in a context of tension over the results of the August presidential elections in which Arévalo, who promises to fight corruption in the country, won a surprise victory.
On Friday, Guatemala’s Attorney General’s Office stated that the elections should be annulled due to alleged irregularities in the first round.
On the same day, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal assured that the election results were “official and unalterable”, and affirmed that Arevalo will take office on January 14, as scheduled.
Washington warned that it will continue to “take steps to impose such restrictions on anyone who undermines Guatemala’s democracy”, ensuring “that the will of the Guatemalan people is respected”, according to the State Department statement.
The United States reproached that these actions, which are “clearly inconsistent” with the Inter-American Democratic Charter, “constitute evidence of their clear intent to delegitimize Guatemala’s free and fair elections and prevent the peaceful transition of power.”
“These brazen measures follow a long list of other anti-democratic actions including: lifting the immunity of electoral magistrates, political attacks against opposition members, intimidation of peaceful protesters, raids on storage facilities housing election results records, and opening boxes at polling centers,” the U.S. Department of State reiterated.
Miller reiterated that the announced visa restrictions reinforce previous U.S. government measures to promote accountability of corrupt actors and support the will of the people: “The Guatemalan people have spoken. Their voices must be respected.
The Constitutional Court (CC) yesterday received a complaint against the Public Prosecutor’s Office which considers that the prosecuting agency has failed to comply with an injunction issued on October 7 by the CC itself ordering it to respect the outcome of the presidential elections.
“We are going to ask for assistance for the due execution of the injunction because we were granted a provisional injunction on October 7, when the CC said it urged all bodies to respect the alternation in power and the election results,” explained constitutional lawyer Edgar Ortiz.
The ambassador of the European Union in Guatemala, Thomas Peyker, announced on Sunday that the 27 are preparing a new package of “sanctions”.
1.- Objective
Like the US, the European Union will target restrictive measures against those responsible for the attempted coup d’état in Guatemala.
Condemnation
The EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, condemned “the attempts to annul the elections in Guatemala.
3.- In the spotlight
The Public Ministry of Guatemala has requested the annulment of the entire electoral process due to alleged irregularities of the Seed Movement.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) adopted yesterday resolution 03/2023, referring to the respect for human rights and the “instrumentalization of the justice system in Guatemala”, regarding the political crisis caused by the actions of the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) against the electoral process and the elected authorities. In its resolution, the IACHR alerts the OAS Member States and the international community about an “imminent rupture of the constitutional order due to the abuse of power” of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The Attorney General’s Office of Guatemala delivered yesterday to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) a report of a questioned investigation on alleged anomalies for which it considers “null and void” the elections won by the opposition Bernardo Arévalo.
The TSE affirmed that it will analyze the investigation file of the Special Prosecutor’s Office against Impunity (FECI) on elections; on the subject, the presiding magistrate, Blanca Alfaro, reiterated that the electoral results “are validated, officialized and unalterable”.
Central America
Guatemala Declares Highest Alert in Areas Affected by Fuego Volcano Eruption
Guatemalan authorities declared a red alert, the highest level of danger, on Tuesday in areas affected by the eruption of the Fuego Volcano, located about 35 kilometers from the country’s capital.
The most active volcano in Central America entered an eruptive phase on Monday morning, and its activity intensified overnight with lava emissions and large columns of gas and ash.
No fatalities have been reported, but the volcanic activity forced the evacuation of around 500 people as a precautionary measure.
The National Coordination for Disaster Reduction (Conred) declared a state of emergency in the departments of Sacatepéquez, Chimaltenango and Escuintla, the agency announced through its official X account.
The affected regions are home to approximately 1.6 million people. However, ashfall has so far impacted only about five municipalities.
Despite the increase in the alert level, authorities reopened a road leading to the city of Antigua, the country’s main tourist destination, after evaluating safety conditions in the area.
The Fuego Volcano is one of Guatemala’s most active geological formations and has a history of frequent eruptions, requiring continuous monitoring by national emergency agencies.
Central America
U.S. Defense Secretary to Close Multinational Military Exercises in Panama to Protect Canal
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will travel to Panama next week to close multinational military exercises involving more than 20 countries aimed at strengthening security measures for the Panama Canal against potential threats, a Panamanian government official announced Monday.
This will mark Hegseth’s second visit to Panama. The U.S. defense chief is expected to arrive on August 13 for the closing ceremony of the military drills, which began this week and have been conducted in the Central American country for more than two decades to support the protection of the interoceanic waterway, according to Panama’s Security Minister Frank Ábrego.
The exercises include participation from the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru and the United Kingdom, among other nations.
“The canal is a strategic infrastructure that connects markets and supports global supply chains. Its security and uninterrupted operation are of fundamental importance for Panama, the United States and the international community,” said U.S. Ambassador to Panama Kevin Marino Cabrera.
The drills include maritime training operations, exercises in jungle areas surrounding the canal, as well as virtual simulations focused on cybersecurity and strategic planning.
The Panama Canal, one of the world’s most important trade routes, handles approximately 5% of global maritime commerce, making its security a priority for international trade and logistics networks.
Ábrego emphasized that preparedness and international coordination are essential to maintaining stability.
“The best way to preserve peace and guarantee the continuity of global trade is to be prepared to respond in a coordinated and effective manner to any threat,” the Panamanian official said.
Central America
Prosecutors Accuse Ex-Defense Minister of Undermining Press Freedom in Honduras
Honduras’ Public Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday filed criminal charges against retired General Roosevelt Hernández, the country’s former defense minister and former chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, over his alleged role in actions that prosecutors say undermined press freedom and freedom of expression.
Prosecutors said the case was brought by the Special Prosecutor’s Office for the Protection of Journalists, Social Communicators, Human Rights Defenders and Justice Officials following an investigation into content published between 2025 and 2026 on a digital media platform operated by the Honduran Armed Forces.
According to the investigation, the publications were reported by journalists and the Honduran Journalists Association (CPH), which described them as part of an alleged campaign to discredit members of the press and media organizations.
The case dates back to May 2025, when the CPH filed complaints with national and international organizations after the Armed Forces referred to three journalists as “hitmen” in an article published by FF.AA. Digital. The association argued that the publication endangered the journalists’ safety and constituted an attack on press freedom.
The journalists identified in the publication as “hitmen of the truth” were Rodrigo Wong Arévalo, director of the television news program Abriendo Brecha; Dagoberto Rodríguez, director of Radio Cadena Voces; and Juan Carlos Sierra, president of the Honduran Journalists Association. The article also included photographs of the three journalists and the CPH’s logo.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office said the case file includes formal complaints, pretrial investigative proceedings, a specialized forensic analysis of audiovisual and digital material, and witness testimony gathered during the investigation to determine whether the publications violated freedom of expression and the exercise of journalism.
Authorities emphasized that freedom of the press and freedom of expression are protected under the Honduran Constitution as well as international treaties ratified by the country.
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