Central America
Costa Rican president Rodrigo Chaves faces new campaign finance accusation amid political tensions
Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves faces a new accusation involving alleged irregularities in the financing of his electoral campaign, a development that has intensified his confrontation with Attorney General Carlo Díaz and even led him to lead a march demanding Díaz’s removal.
“We came to change the rules of the game, to give you (the people) back one of the three branches of government, I assure you this with all my heart and without fear of Carlo Díaz’s threats and his absurd accusations against me,” the president said during his weekly press conference on Wednesday.
On Monday, the Attorney General’s Office filed an accusation with the Supreme Court against Chaves, First Vice President Stephan Brunner, Foreign Minister Arnoldo André, and four ruling party deputies: Pilar Cisneros, Luz Mary Alpízar, Paola Nájera, and Waldo Agüero. The request included lifting the immunity of those involved to open a trial.
According to an investigation launched in 2022, two parallel financing structures were allegedly used during the Social Democratic Progress Party (PPSD) campaign: a private trust and personal bank accounts under the name of a woman surnamed Agüero, who faces a separate criminal proceeding. Both mechanisms reportedly operated outside the control of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal and the party’s treasury.
Costa Rican law prohibits such maneuvers. The Electoral Code establishes that contributions to parties or campaigns must come only from identified national individuals and be channeled through official means.
This is the second time the Attorney General’s Office has requested the Supreme Court to lift the president’s immunity. In April, another accusation was filed against Chaves for extortion, related to alleged irregular hiring of communication services funded by the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI).
The Supreme Court must decide whether to forward the accusations to Congress, where the possible lifting of presidential immunity would be debated. No deadline has been set for this decision.
During his administration, Chaves has maintained a tense relationship with Congress, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, and the Judiciary, whom he has frequently accused of political bias and inefficiency.
The confrontation with Attorney General Díaz has been particularly hostile. In March, the president led a demonstration against Díaz, whom he called a “neighborhood bully” and a “puppet.” After the march, the attorney general denounced a “worrying attack on the separation of powers” and noted that the protest was linked to ongoing investigations against the president.
Central America
Analyst warns of cracks in Nicaragua’s inner circle as Ortega prepares succession
The falls of former Sandinista revolution commander Bayardo Arce and retired general Álvaro Baltodano, two longtime advisers to Nicaragua’s co-president Daniel Ortega, mark a significant fracture within the inner circles of power during the transition from “Orteguismo” to “Murillismo”, according to Nicaraguan political analyst Óscar René Vargas.
Vargas, a former adviser to the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), told EFE this week that the arrest of these former high-ranking officials, along with other close allies of the Sandinista leader, is linked to the “dynastic succession” led by Ortega and his co-president and wife, Rosario Murillo, who are allegedly paving the way for one of their sons to take power.
“There is a rupture within the circles of power during the transition from Orteguismo to Murillismo,” Vargas said.
Vargas, who was one of the 222 political prisoners exiled to the United States in February 2023 and stripped of his Nicaraguan nationality, explained that these internal divisions reveal the growing cracks and fractures inside Nicaragua’s power structure, which he believes are directly tied to Murillo’s increasing influence and ambitions.
Central America
Guatemalan police regain control of prisons after gang riots leave one guard dead
The Guatemalan police regained control on Saturday over several prisons where criminal gangs had staged riots for several days, resulting in the death of a prison guard, the country’s Interior Minister reported.
Since Thursday, members of the Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha gangs had been holding separate uprisings in the El Boquerón prison in the Santa Rosa department and Pavoncito prison, near Guatemala City, in protest against the transfer of gang leaders to other facilities.
Interior Minister Francisco Jiménez confirmed on Saturday that police have retaken control of both penitentiaries, according to the state news agency AGN.
Jiménez also stated that during the hostage situation gunfire occurred, resulting in the death of one prison officer.
In addition, six guards were released at El Boquerón and three at Pavoncito, according to the minister.
Central America
Honduran prosecutors charge three with terrorism and assassination plot against Manuel Zelaya
The Office of the Attorney General of the Republic, in coordination with the National Police and the Technical Agency for Criminal Investigation (ATIC) of Honduras, announced the arrest of three individuals accused of planning an attack against former president Manuel “Mel” Zelaya Rosales.
According to investigators, the suspects’ goal was to destabilize the current government and undermine the upcoming electoral process scheduled for November 30.
The operation was carried out simultaneously in Tegucigalpa, Comayagua, and San Pedro Sula. In Comayagua, authorities arrested Perfecto Jesús Enamorado Paz, 71, a former COPECO commissioner, while he was asleep at his home. His family claims the case is politically motivated.
In Tegucigalpa, ATIC agents and Special Forces detained Arcadio Corrales Estrada, 64, an electromechanic resident in the capital; Perfecto Jesús Enamorado Paz, 69, a merchant from Comayagua; and Antonio David Kattán, 53, a businessman from San Pedro Sula.
Authorities said they have collected audio recordings, forensic reports, and technical analyses that reveal a conspiracy. In the recordings, the suspects allegedly discussed assassinating Zelaya as a way to trigger political unrest and “put an end to the rage.”
The detainees will face charges of criminal conspiracy, terrorism, and attempted murder.
The Public Ministry stressed that investigations will continue to determine whether more individuals are involved and to ensure that the elections are held without violent interference.
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