International

Daniel Ortega turns 79: 29 in power, 17 “governing from below”, and 7 in prison

The president of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, turns 79 this Monday, 29 of which he has celebrated in power, 17 “governing from below”, 7 as a prisoner in his years as a revolutionary, and 4 between clandestinity and exile as a guerrilla.

Ortega, one of the leaders of the armed insurrection that overthrew the dictatorship of the Somoza family, in 1979, reaches the age of 79 as the only survivor of his brothers after the death, on September 30, of retired General Humberto Ortega, former leader of the Sandinista Popular Army, who died at 77 “under the custody of the dictatorship,” according to the opponents, and as a “traitor to the homeland” for the Government.

The former guerrilla and revolutionary also celebrates his name-time turned-in, since the presidency he has held since 2007, the longest-in-power president in Nicaragua.

Born on November 11, 1945 in the municipality of La Libertad, department of Chontales (center), the former Marxist guerrilla, nostalgic confessed to the “Cold War”, surpassed Anastasio Somoza García, the father of that family dynasty against which the Sandinista leader fought until he overthrows her, as the longest president in power in Nicaragua.

Somoza García was president from 1937 to 1947 and from 1950 to 1956, while Ortega has accumulated so far 28 years and 7 months: six years that he coordinated a Government Board 1979-1985, five years -1985-1990- in which he presided over Nicaragua for the first time and 17 in power after being elected at the polls since 2006.

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He is the president with the most consecutive years in power in Latin America

Ortega is, along with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, from Brazil, the longest-serving head of state in Latin America.

He is also the president of Latin America with the most consecutive years in power (from January 10, 2007 to date, that is, 17 years, 9 months and 1 day).

He was one of the nine commanders of the Sandinista revolution and, after overthrowing the Somoza Debayle dictatorship with weapons on July 19, 1979, he was coordinator of the Governing Board and president from 1985 to 1990 for, 17 years later, where he “governed from below”, return to power, this time by the polls, repeating in 2011, 2016 and again in 2021.

Daniel Ortega, a disciple of Fidel Castro

Inspired by the Cuban revolution led by Fidel Castro and Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara, he began his political activity in 1960 as a member of the extinct Nicaraguan Patriotic Youth, and three years later he joined the ranks of the FSLN guerrilla group.

In prison for more than seven years for robbing a bank during the Somocist regime, which he fought with weapons, he was appointed, after his release, one of the nine members of the National Directorate of the FSLN.

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Ortega, after the triumph of the revolution, on July 19, 1979 he joined the National Reconstruction Board, and in March 1981 he was appointed as its executive coordinator.

In November 1984, in the first general elections after the fall of Somoza Debayle, and in which the main opposition group did not participate, Ortega was proclaimed president of Nicaragua.

He lost power in the elections of February 25, 1990 to Violeta Barrios de Chamorro – now exiled in Costa Rica – and added three consecutive defeats at the polls, until he won the presidential elections of November 2006 against a divided opposition and with the support of the late president of Venezuela Hugo Chávez.

Ortega resisted recognizing that defeat of 1990 and said in public that they were going to “govern from below” until they returned to power (1990-2007).

Hard hand against dissidents

In his second stage as ruler, his detractors accuse him of wanting to establish not only a one-party regime in the Central American country, but a new dynasty, after another, that of the Somoza family, was overthrown.

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Until April 2018, when a social and political crisis broke out, which Ortega maintains was an attempted coup d’état, he maintained a consensus alliance with big capital and with the unions, while he held the other powers of the State, Army and Police.

He resorted to force to crush those demonstrations that left hundreds of dead and tens of thousands in exile, imprisoned and expelled opponents, expropriated media, outlawed thousands of NGOs, suspended relations with the Vatican, with Brazil and with Israel, and humanitarian agencies pointed him out of committing crimes against humanity.

One of the scandals that have overshadowed Ortega’s public figure was the accusation in 1998 of Zoilamérica, daughter of Rosario Murillo, who claimed before a court that her stepfather sexually abused her since she was 13 years old.

Ortega, who received the support of his mother and Murillo, finally appealed to his parliamentary immunity and the judge of the case, Juana Méndez, now a magistrate of the Supreme Court, considered that he had prescribed and filed it.

Loved by some and hated by others

He married in September 2005 with Murillo, with whom he had been linked for 27 years and with whom he has had six children, in addition to the three that his partner already had, whom Ortega adopted.

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Known by the nickname “piñatín”, from a local humorous publication, Ortega was pointed out as the main person responsible for the Sandinista “piñata”, as the distribution of state assets among the main leaders of the FSLN is called in Nicaragua after the electoral defeat in 1990.

Ortega is compared by his former comrades with the “Somoza for ever,” as that dynasty that subjuged the Central American country for 40 years was defined, and his detractors call him a “dictator.”

His followers, on the other hand, call him “commander”, have a deep respect for him, believe him blindly and consider him a “chosen one” to govern Nicaragua.

International

Mexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027

Mexico and Guatemala agreed Tuesday on a 2027 Binational Plan built around five areas of cooperation, along with a schedule of meetings and initiatives aimed at making progress by the end of 2026 on security, border infrastructure, human mobility, development and technical and social cooperation.

The agreement was announced by the foreign ministers of both countries following a meeting in Mexico City.

Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco said the plan will establish the “direction and priorities” of bilateral relations for next year. His Guatemalan counterpart, Carlos Ramiro Martínez, said the meeting allowed both governments to make decisions, schedule activities and revitalize bilateral cooperation mechanisms.

Security and border infrastructure

In the area of security, the two governments have nearly completed negotiations on a new memorandum of understanding for the Mexico-Guatemala High-Level Security Group (Ganseg), which was reactivated in 2025.

The countries expect to sign the agreement in the coming months to strengthen coordination and their ability to respond to shared security threats.

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Regarding their nearly 1,000-kilometer shared border, Mexico and Guatemala agreed to advance infrastructure improvements at border crossings and continue work on a joint cargo clearance program between Ciudad Hidalgo and Tecún Umán, two border areas separated by the Suchiate River.

The measures are intended to facilitate bilateral trade while making cross-border exchanges safer and more efficient.

The two governments will also continue defining a route toward a railway connection between their countries through Line K of Mexico’s Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT), with the aim of strengthening economic and community ties.

Migration and development

On human mobility, Mexico and Guatemala will maintain coordination to ensure safe, orderly and dignified returns, while strengthening protection for people in transit.

The bilateral agenda also includes a second phase of the Sembrando Vida program in Guatemala, which is expected to benefit 10,000 people across 15 departments.

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Both countries will also advance initiatives under Juntos para el Bienestar, as well as six technical, scientific and energy cooperation projects approved by the Joint Commission.

The agreements seek to strengthen bilateral ties and establish concrete priorities for cooperation between Mexico and Guatemala during 2027.

International

France to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats Over Alleged Attack on French Officials

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced Tuesday, August 18, 2026, that France will expel two Iranian diplomats in response to what Paris described as an attack on two French representatives in Iran last month.

“Two French diplomats were scandalously and deliberately assaulted on July 19. I had announced that this intolerable act would have consequences. It has now happened. Two Iranian diplomats in France will be expelled in the coming days,” Barrot said in a message posted on X.

The two Iranian diplomats have been declared persona non grata and will be required to leave France within the coming days, according to the French foreign minister.

About a month ago, Barrot said that two members of the French diplomatic staff had been detained by Iranian security forces for several hours. One of them was also subjected to harassment, he said.

The French government described the incident as an “extremely serious act of intimidation” that violated diplomatic immunity.

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The two French embassy staff members were working on programs supporting Iranian civil society, particularly initiatives involving artists and researchers.

Iran has denied France’s allegations regarding the incident. The diplomatic dispute comes amid already strained relations between Paris and Tehran.

International

Heat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C

36 deaths reported due to heat wave in Nuevo Leon, Mexico

More than 70 million people remained under heat alerts Monday as an intense heat wave continued across the southern United States, particularly Florida and states along the Mexican border, where temperatures and heat indexes could reach as high as 46 degrees Celsius, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Several cities recorded or tied temperature records over the weekend and into Monday, including Miami and Fort Lauderdale in Florida; Laredo, Borger and Austin’s airport in Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina; and Memphis, Tennessee.

The NWS warned that the heat wave will continue affecting the southern and southeastern United States, with maximum temperatures expected to remain near 38°C to 40°C for several days. The heat index, which combines temperature and humidity to estimate how hot conditions feel, could reach 46°C.

The extreme heat is also spreading into the Southwest, where temperatures began rising again between Monday and Tuesday. Forecast highs in the region range from about 38°C to 43°C.

Heat alerts remain in effect across Nevada, Arizona and California, including areas in southern Arizona and California near the Mexican border, as authorities warn of the risks posed by prolonged extreme temperatures.

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The NWS urged residents to limit outdoor activity, stay hydrated, ensure access to air conditioning or cooling centers, and check on vulnerable friends, neighbors and family members.

The United States is experiencing a summer marked by above-average temperatures and repeated heat waves. One of the most intense episodes occurred during the July 4 weekend, when extreme heat was blamed for roughly 30 deaths.

July was the hottest month ever recorded in the United States since measurements began, with the average temperature across the contiguous country approaching 25°C, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The combination of extreme heat and drought conditions has also fueled wildfires. Nearly 3 million hectares have burned across the country so far in 2026, making it the largest area affected by wildfires in a decade.