Central America
US Congressman Gaetz praises El Salvador’s transformation under President Bukele
Matthew Louis Gaetz, a Republican Congressman from the United States, highlighted in an interview how El Salvador, under the presidency of Nayib Bukele, has transitioned from a “failed state” to positioning itself as the Singapore of the Western Hemisphere.
The American official recalled his recent visit to the country for President Bukele’s inauguration ceremony, marking the beginning of his second term on June 1st.
“I just returned from El Salvador. I was at Bukele’s inauguration. He is one of the most impressive people I’ve ever met. I saw a country that was basically a failed state and now is positioned to be the Singapore of the Western Hemisphere,” Gaetz said.
He added that if El Salvador, with a population of 6 million, has managed to reach this position “by simply imprisoning 70,000 people, then I’m not convinced that Canada is so dominated by globalists that it can’t overcome them.”
President Bukele’s security strategy, implementing the Territorial Control Plan, reinforced by the state of emergency, is the most successful in the country’s history and an example to the world. Last year, the homicide rate closed at 2.4 per 100,000 inhabitants; there was also a decline in crimes such as extortion, robbery, theft, and assaults nationwide. By the end of the first quarter of 2024 (January-March), it was 1.5.
In response to the interviewer’s comments about the need for countries to choose leaders “who believe in their citizens and want to support them,” Congressman Gaetz noted, “That’s right, although it must be more enduring than that. It has to last longer than just one person, but I think in every great movement, there are people who become the vanguard.”
“I saw people in the congress [Legislative Assembly], in the government, in the diplomatic corps, for whom Bukelism is emerging as a concept […] and I think that’s what attracts the younger generation,” the congressman reflected.
He mentioned that President Bukele showed him a photo depicting how students in a public school no longer aspire to be gang members or thieves but rather police officers, chefs, and entrepreneurs. “Compare that with our situation,” he said, expressing his admiration for discovering in a Salvadoran karaoke that Father’s Day is celebrated throughout June.
Central America
Panama confirms drug contamination of El Salvador coffee shipment occurred on its territory
A container originating from El Salvador and carrying coffee for export was contaminated with more than 1,152 packages of drugs while in transit through Panama, according to official information confirmed by the Panamanian government this Tuesday.
The case, which had previously generated political controversy in April 2025 after opposition sectors attempted to link the Salvadoran government to drug trafficking, has now been clarified through renewed investigations.
Authorities confirmed that the container departed from the port of Acajutla after being properly inspected, with no illicit substances detected at the time of export.
According to statements previously provided by El Salvador’s Minister of Defense, René Merino Monroy, the shipment traveled first to the port of Balboa in Panama, where it remained stored for several days before being transferred to another vessel bound for Manzanillo in Colón.
It was at that terminal that Panamanian authorities discovered the drugs and identified tampering with the container seals, indicating that the illicit alteration occurred during its transit in Panama rather than in Salvadoran territory.
The findings align with earlier explanations provided by Salvadoran officials and confirm that the contamination of the cargo took place outside of El Salvador’s jurisdiction.
Central America
Uber Eats adds Puntarenas and Turrialba to growing Costa Rica network
Uber Eats announced that it is continuing to expand its presence in Costa Rica with the launch of operations in the cities of Puntarenas and Turrialba, further strengthening the company’s growth in the country.
With this expansion, the delivery platform is now available across all seven Costa Rican provinces and works with more than 6,000 partner businesses. Its offerings include prepared food, supermarkets, pharmacies, pet stores, and other specialty retailers.
As part of the announcement, Uber Eats also introduced Marco Nannipieri as its new Regional General Manager for the Andean Region, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Nannipieri will oversee the company’s operations in Costa Rica along with seven other countries in the region.
“Costa Rica is a key market for Uber Eats in the region, with growing adoption of technology among users and businesses. Over the past five years, more than 1,000 restaurants and merchants have joined the app, and today we are entering a new stage of expansion that will allow us to reach more cities outside the Greater Metropolitan Area, creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs across the country,” Nannipieri said.
Central America
Report questions direction of Nasry Asfura after 100 days in office
The Center for the Study of Democracy warned Tuesday that the government of Nasry Asfura, which marks its first 100 days in office on Wednesday, has failed to show a “significant change in direction” and continues to follow a model characterized by exclusion, inequality, and external dependence.
In its report titled “100 Days of the Nasry Asfura Government: Concerns and Demands,” Cespad stated that the administration has maintained an economic and political model that prioritizes debt payments, the promotion of extractive projects, and the strengthening of the security apparatus over social investment.
The organization argued that the current policies have not addressed structural problems affecting large sectors of the Honduran population and warned that inequality and economic dependence remain key challenges for the country.
Nasry Asfura won the general elections held on November 30, 2025, in a process marked by allegations of fraud and delays in the vote count that lasted nearly a month due to a series of technological failures.
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