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Honduras braces for trouble as election begins

AFP

Honduras braced for potential violence as polls opened on Sunday to elect a new president to replace Juan Orlando Hernandez, a controversial figure accused of drug trafficking in the United States.

Voters queued up from dawn at some polling stations before they opened officially at 7:30 am (1330 GMT).

“I call on everyone to proceed with this process in peace, calm, without fear and without violence,” said National Electoral Council president Kelvin Aguirre.

More than five million people are registered to vote in what is expected to be a tight race.

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Leftist opposition candidate Xiomara Castro led opinion polls last month, but the ruling right-wing National Party (PN) — whose candidate is charismatic Tegucigalpa mayor Nasry Asfura — has had the benefit of better campaign organization and resources.

Opposition fears of a rigged poll and reports of pre-election intimidation have led to tension.

“If the PN wins the election, even legitimately, there will be a worrying level of violence,” political analyst Raul Pineda, a lawyer and former PN lawmaker, predicted to AFP.

Four years ago, Hernandez won an unconstitutional second successive term amid cries of fraud from the opposition and international observers.

That sparked a widespread month-long protest, with the subsequent government crackdown leaving more than 30 people dead.

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“We are afraid because we work close to where the votes are counted,” Luis Andino, 27, a Tegucigalpa street vendor, told AFP.

“We’re afraid of losing our jobs if there are riots … and we get kicked out of here.”

– ‘Preparing for war’ –

The concerns come for a country already ravaged by violent gangs, drug trafficking and hurricanes, in which 59 percent of the population of 10 million live in poverty.

“A kind of paranoia has developed, people are preparing for war” by stocking up on food and water, said Pineda.

But he insists that pressure from Washington — which wants to reduce the triggers for mass Central American mass migration to the US — along with a large corps of international observers, should at least ensure a transparent vote.

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The crucial moment will come three hours after polls close at 5:00 pm, when the National Electoral Council (CNE) is due to announce early results, Gustavo Irias, executive director of the Center for Democracy Studies, told AFP.

“To avoid (violence) will depend on the attitude taken by different political actors, election observers and the US embassy.”

Some 18,000 police and as many soldiers will be on duty around the country.

– ‘No narco-states, only narco-governments’ –

The PN has been in power since Manuel Zelaya — Castro’s husband — was ousted in a 2009 coup supported by the military, business elites and the political right.

Corruption and drug-trafficking scandals have engulfed Hernandez and many of his inner circle in recent years, including Asfura.

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Hernandez’s brother Tony is serving a life sentence in a US prison for drug trafficking.

Drug barons that the president helped extradite to the US have accused him of involvement in the illicit trade.

Asfura was accused in 2020 of embezzling $700,000 of public money and was also linked in the Pandora Papers to influence-peddling in Costa Rica.

The third major candidate of 13 in the presidential race, the Liberal Party’s Yani Rosenthal, spent three years in a US jail after admitting to laundering drug-trafficking money.

These scandals have played into former first lady Castro’s hands.

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“Honduras is internationally known as a narco-state but there are no narco-states, only narco-governments,” said analyst Pineda.

“People won’t vote for Xiomara (Castro), they will vote against Juan Orlando Hernandez and what he represents.”

Castro, of the LIBRE party, led some opinion polls in October by 12 to 17 percentage points.

Neighboring El Salvador’s populist President Nayib Bukele urged Hondurans on Twitter not to vote for Asfura.

– Unemployment –

For many voters, the main issue is jobs.

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Unemployment jumped from 5.7 percent in 2019 to 10.9 percent in 2020, largely because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a study by the Autonomous University.

The country was also ravaged by two hurricanes in 2020.

As he begged for money at a traffic light with his eight-month-old daughter in his arms, Elvin Aguilar, 32, said he was hoping the new government would provide “work and everything else.”

Hondurans will also elect the 128 members of the National Congress and 20 representatives of the Central American parliament.

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Central America

El Salvador and Chile Mark 150 Years of Relations With Expanded Bilateral Cooperation

El Salvador and Chile are strengthening their diplomatic and cooperation ties through the official visit of Salvadoran Deputy Foreign Minister Adriana Mira to the South American country.

The purpose of the visit is to expand economic exchanges, promote new cooperation opportunities, and strengthen the bonds of friendship between both nations, according to El Salvador’s Foreign Ministry.

During her visit, Mira held a meeting with her Chilean counterpart, Patricio Torres, where they discussed issues of common interest and actions aimed at further advancing bilateral relations.

The agenda included initiatives to promote trade, encourage investment in strategic sectors, and strengthen joint efforts in different areas of cooperation.

As part of this process, both countries are preparing the 5th Meeting of the Joint Commission for Technical and Scientific Cooperation, where they are expected to establish a new framework for bilateral collaboration aimed at creating mutual benefits.

The meeting also carried a historic significance, as El Salvador and Chile are commemorating 150 years of diplomatic relations in 2026.

Representatives from both governments highlighted the importance of continuing to deepen their ties of friendship and cooperation to support shared development goals.

El Salvador’s Foreign Ministry emphasized that the relationship between both countries seeks to advance greater economic, commercial, and technical integration while taking advantage of new opportunities for collaboration.

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International

Cristiano Ronaldo Makes History as First Player to Score in Six World Cups

Cristiano Ronaldo made football history on Tuesday by becoming the first player ever to score in six different editions of the FIFA World Cup.

The Portuguese forward opened the scoring in Portugal’s Group K match against Uzbekistan in Houston. Just six minutes into the game, Ronaldo found the back of the net with a right-footed strike from inside the box, sending the Portuguese fans into celebration.

The “Commander” sparked excitement throughout the stadium with his iconic celebration, as supporters joined in with his famous “Siuuu!” chant to honor another milestone in the career of one of football’s greatest stars.

At 41 years old, Ronaldo has now scored in Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, Qatar 2022, and North America 2026. With his two goals in this tournament, he has surpassed Lionel Messi’s record, as the Argentine has scored in every World Cup he played except South Africa 2010.

The Portuguese captain has also reached nine World Cup goals, matching Eusébio as Portugal’s all-time top scorer in the history of the tournament.

Ronaldo’s achievement came just one day after Messi also made history by becoming the outright leading scorer in World Cup history, reaching 18 goals after scoring twice in Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria.

With his appearance at the 2026 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo has also extended another remarkable record by becoming the first player to participate in six consecutive editions of the tournament, further cementing his legacy as one of the most influential players in football history.

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Central America

Costa Rica Launches Largest Police Operation in History, Dismantles Major Drug Cartel

Costa Rican judicial authorities on Tuesday announced the largest police operation in the country’s history, resulting in the dismantling of a major local drug trafficking organization allegedly led by a man who was extradited to the United States earlier this year.

More than 1,500 law enforcement officers carried out 97 raids across different regions of the country, targeting 41 suspects and seizing assets valued at nearly $22 million, according to Michael Soto, director of the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ).

Speaking in a video statement, Soto described the operation as unprecedented in scale and coordination.

“This is the largest operation we have ever conducted. Never before have we carried out so many raids with our officers working alongside prosecutors from the Public Ministry and security forces from the Executive Branch. It is historic,” Soto said.

The operation, dubbed “Riverside,” was the result of months of investigations conducted with support from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Authorities said the large-scale crackdown dismantled one of the country’s most significant criminal organizations involved in international drug trafficking, a major contributor to the security crisis affecting the Central American nation, long known for its stability and tourism industry.

According to investigators, the operation focused on uncovering the multimillion-dollar business activities of a Costa Rican criminal network allied with a Colombian group known as “Los Costeños.”

The alleged leader of the organization was identified as Edwin Pérez, also known as “Pecho de Rata,” who was extradited to the United States on March 20 alongside former Security Minister and former Supreme Court magistrate Celso Gamboa.

Both men were arrested on June 23, 2025, shortly after a legislative reform came into effect allowing Costa Rican citizens suspected of drug trafficking to be extradited to foreign jurisdictions.

Among those detained during the operation were two prison officers, two former professional football players and a model. Prosecutors indicated that the suspects could face charges including domestic and international drug trafficking, arms trafficking, possession of explosives, smuggling drugs into correctional facilities, money laundering and participation in organized criminal activities.

Authorities stated that the investigation remains ongoing and that additional arrests and asset seizures could follow as prosecutors continue to examine the network’s operations and financial structure.

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