Central America
Honduras repeals controversial secrecy law
AFP
Honduras has repealed a controversial secrecy law in a bid to battle corruption following a late-night parliamentary session Tuesday.
The law, which classified public documents allegedly related to security and national defense, was approved in 2013 when ex-president Juan Orlando Hernandez — who is sought by the United States for alleged ties with drug-traffickers — was the parliamentary leader.
The measure was widely criticized for providing politicians with a way of hiding evidence of the improper use of public funds.
“Historic day for Honduras. The National Congress repealed the nefarious secrecy law by a majority of votes and took one more step in the fight against corruption and impunity,” the legislature said in a Twitter post.
“A law that sheltered those that committed brazen acts of corruption in Honduras has been repealed,” said Congress president Luis Redondo.
Parliament approved the Classification of Public Documents Related to Security and National Defense Law a year before Hernandez became president in 2014.
Although Honduras bans re-election, Hernandez served two terms from 2014 to 2022, during which time he was linked by US prosecutors to drug-trafficking.
Last month the US State Department added Hernandez to its Corrupt and Undemocratic Actors list.
His successor, President Xiomara Castro, who was sworn in at the end of January, pledged during her campaign to repeal the secrecy law in an effort to support investigations into the alleged improper use of public funds.
The leftist leader has also asked the United Nations to create a special commission to investigate corruption and impunity in the Central American country.
Last month, Hernandez surrendered to Honduran authorities after an arrest warrant was issued following a request by Washington that he be extradited.
The US accuses him of involvement in the importation of 500 tons of cocaine into the US since 2004.
His brother Juan Antonio “Tony” Hernandez was convicted in March 2021 by a New York court to life in prison for drug-trafficking.
The former president Hernandez is due to face an extradition hearing on March 16.
Central America
Guatemala cracks down on prison corruption with over 20 raids in recent weeks
The Guatemalan government warned on Monday that it will not tolerate corruption within the prison system, highlighting that more than 20 raids conducted in recent weeks have helped regain control over its penitentiaries.
“We will not tolerate any acts of corruption from our personnel,” said José Portillo, Deputy Minister of Security at the Ministry of the Interior, during a press conference.
According to Portillo, 21 raids were carried out in the last 15 days with support from security forces across the penitentiary system, and a total of 140 raids have been conducted so far in 2025.
These operations have resulted in the confiscation of dozens of household appliances and cell phones, as well as weapons and other prohibited items inside the prisons.
“We are firmly controlling bribery and corruption,” emphasized the recently appointed deputy minister, adding that “we will be strong and decisive within the penitentiary system.”
Portillo explained that the purpose of these raids is to tackle structural causes within prisons, which are the origin of much of the violence affecting the Central American country, including contract killings and extortions.
He stated that the recent operations have helped reduce crime and identify “hot spots” in the country.
“We are impacting criminal structures,” the official said.
Data released on June 6 by the Director of the National Civil Police, David Custodio Boteo, reported 1,385 homicides in the first five months of the year, representing a 15 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
Experts on the subject point out that thousands of Guatemalan merchants fall victim to extortions that originate precisely within the prisons.
Central America
First woman elected president in the Americas, Violeta Chamorro, dead at 95
Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, former president of Nicaragua and the first woman in the Americas to be democratically elected head of state, passed away this Saturday in Costa Rica at the age of 95. A pivotal figure in Nicaragua’s transition to democracy, Chamorro achieved a historic victory over Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega in the 1990 elections, heading a broad opposition coalition.
The Chamorro Barrios family confirmed her death in a statement:
“Our mother, Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, former president of Nicaragua, passed away today, June 14, 2025, at 2:21 a.m. (08:21 GMT) in San José, Costa Rica, at the age of 95, after a long illness.”
“Doña Violeta died peacefully, surrounded by the love and affection of her children and the extraordinary care of those who looked after her. She is now in the peace of the Lord,” her children Pedro Joaquín, Claudia Lucía, Cristiana, and Carlos Fernando Chamorro Barrios wrote.
Chamorro’s victory in 1990 marked a significant turning point in Central American politics, ending more than a decade of Sandinista rule and initiating a fragile but hopeful democratic chapter in Nicaragua’s history.
Central America
Nicaraguan exile coalition urges Costa Rica to receive U.S. deportees fleeing Ortega regime
The Coalition of Nicaraguans in Exile urged Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves on Sunday to receive opponents and critics of the Ortega-Murillo regime currently residing in the United States who may be deported by the administration of Donald Trump.
“We appeal to you, Mr. President, to kindly consider, as an act of humanity and in accordance with the principles of international refugee law, the reopening of entry and temporary reception pathways for Nicaraguan citizens deported from the United States,” the coalition stated in a letter addressed to Chaves.
They specifically requested the reopening of entry for those Nicaraguans who had previously sought asylum or refugee status in Costa Rica and who express a well-founded fear for their lives and personal safety if returned to Nicaragua.
The organization, which identifies itself as committed to defending and promoting the human rights of Nicaraguans “forced into exile by the repression of the Sandinista dictatorship,” expressed its appeal with “urgency and deep concern.”
In the letter, the coalition emphasized the dramatic situation faced by thousands of Nicaraguans who fled political persecution under Daniel Ortega’s regime and are now at risk of deportation from the United States.
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