Central America
Another opposition leader arrested in Nicaragua
AFP
Nicaraguan opposition leader Yubrank Suazo, who took part in protests against President Daniel Ortega’s government in 2018, was violently arrested on Wednesday, a local human rights group said.
Suazo will be held for at least 48 hours in Managua at the notorious El Chipote jail pending an investigation, the Nicaraguan Human Rights Center (CENIDH) said.
CENIDH said Suazo was “kidnapped with violence.”
“We condemn this act and demand his immediate release and respect for his personal integrity.”
Over the weekend, the 31-year-old claimed police were watching his parents’ house — where he lives — in the southwestern city of Masaya, as well as a church run by a priest critical of the government.
Suazo is a director of the opposition Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy coalition and took part in the 2018 anti-government protests in Masaya.
The city had declared itself in rebellion against ex-guerrilla Ortega’s government as part of massive nationwide street protests.
The government’s crackdown on the demonstrations left 355 dead.
Suazo was arrested and only released in June 2019 following negotiations between the government and opposition that led to the liberation of 600 people.
He is “one of the most persecuted” people in the country, Suazo’s lawyer Yonarqui Martinez told the Articulo 66 website.
A Nicaraguan NGO campaigning for political prisoners says there are 182 opposition figures detained in the country.
Some 45 opposition figures, including seven presidential hopefuls, were arrested last year ahead of the November elections, in which Ortega benefitted from the lack of credible opposition to win a fourth successive term in office.
They were sentenced this year to up to 13 years in prison for allegedly “undermining” national security.
Ortega accuses his opponents of trying to oust him with help from Washington, which has hit him and his inner circle with sanctions.
Central America
Honduras election crisis deepens as CNE president denounces intimidation attempts
Tegucigalpa remains engulfed in a deep post-electoral crisis, marked by the absence of final results from the general elections held on November 30. On Thursday, the presiding counselor of the National Electoral Council (CNE), Ana Paola Hall, publicly denounced acts of intimidation that she warned could jeopardize the final phase of the process.
Following a meeting with the G-16+ diplomatic corps, Hall expressed concern over two specific incidents: a call by former president Manuel Zelaya summoning supporters of the Libre Party to gather outside the INFOP facilities—where electoral records and materials are being safeguarded—and a statement issued by the Permanent Commission of Congress accusing her and counselor Cossette López of alleged electoral crimes, an action she described as “baseless and outside their jurisdiction.”
Hall reaffirmed her institutional commitment and warned that she will not allow interference in the announcement of the results. “Honduras comes first,” she emphasized, underscoring her intention to defend the electoral process as a cornerstone of democracy.
Meanwhile, the preliminary results place Nasry ‘Tito’ Asfura, candidate of the National Party, in the lead with 40.52%of the vote, followed closely by Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party, with 39.48%. The ruling party’s candidate, Rixi Moncada of Libre, is in third place with 19.29%. Around 0.6% of the tally sheets—many of them showing inconsistencies—have yet to be reviewed.
The Organization of American States (OAS) called an extraordinary session of its Permanent Council to analyze the situation, while civil organizations and governments such as Paraguay’s urged respect for the popular will.
Honduran President Xiomara Castro accused the United States, and specifically former president Donald Trump, of obstructing the process, while also denouncing threats from gangs against voters aligned with her party.
Central America
OAS and EU urge honduran political actors to respect vote results and avoid unrest
The Electoral Observation Missions of the Organization of American States (OAS/EOM) and the European Union (EU EOM) issued an urgent call on Wednesday urging political actors in Honduras to respect the will expressed at the polls on November 30 and to refrain from inciting public disorder while the vote count is being finalized.
Both missions called on candidates, political parties, and authorities to act responsibly and maintain “active vigilance” over the vote-counting process.
So far, the National Electoral Council (CNE) has processed 99.4% of the tally sheets, but 2,773 still show inconsistencies, representing more than 500,000 unverified votes. The electoral body has not set a date for the special review, though it could begin later this week.
“The OAS/EOM reminds that electoral authorities are the only ones empowered to validate the results and reiterates its rejection of any call to disrupt public order,” the mission said in an official statement.
Central America
U.S. finds no evidence of fraud in Honduras election despite delays
The United States government said on Tuesday that it has found no evidence of electoral fraud in Honduras’ presidential election, despite several days of delays in the vote count caused by technical issues.
“We are not aware of any credible evidence supporting a call for annulment,” a State Department spokesperson told EFE in response to complaints over the slow release of official results. Washington emphasized that the elections were monitored by international observers, including representatives from the Organization of American States (OAS), the European Union (EU), and national entities, which it said strengthens the legitimacy of the process.
In the current tally, conservative candidate Nasry “Tito” Asfura—backed by U.S. President Donald Trump—remains in the lead with 1,298,835 votes (40.52%), while his rival, Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party, has 1,256,428 votes (39.48%). The difference of 42,407 ballots is based on the latest report from the National Electoral Council (CNE), with 99.40% of the tally completed.
According to the Trump administration, the vote reflects a clear rejection of the governing leftist Libre party, led by outgoing President Xiomara Castro.
“The CNE should certify the election results promptly,” the spokesperson said, urging all political actors to respect the independence of electoral institutions and comply with Honduras’ legal framework.
The vote count—now stretching past four days—has fueled tension and uncertainty among the population. CNE president Ana Paola Hall attributed the delays to unspecified “technical problems.”
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