Central America
Forum on money laundering and financial crimes to be held in Costa Rica
February 7th |
Costa Rica will host the World Compliance Forum in early March, which will address the most innovative tools against financial crime, organizers announced today.
The event, organized by the Foundation for the Study of Money Laundering (Felade), in alliance with the University for Peace, will be held on March 2 and 3, in person at the Costa Rica Marriott Hotel, but will also have a virtual space.
Felade and the University for Peace announced that 350 compliance officers and specialists from Latin America have already confirmed their attendance, while they added that the broad agenda of conferences and panels will be in charge of more than 20 outstanding specialists from Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Panama, Chile and Costa Rica.
According to the organizers, the Forum, whose theme will be The Age of Digital Compliance, is a unique window on the latest legislative developments and the most innovative tools to protect entities from money laundering, fraud and financial crime.
They also said that participants will address topics such as metaverse, cryptoassets, artificial intelligence for fraud prediction and detection and digital threats and vulnerabilities.
The president of Felade, José Quesada, said that the entry into the digital world has placed us in front of new threats and therefore, he said, it is very important that we begin to visualize the real risks that exist at the level of new digital platforms.
Beyond the clear knowledge we have of crimes on the physical level, we need to better understand where crimes are migrating to in the virtual part and that is why this Forum is focused on current issues such as cryptocurrencies and will analyze successful cases in the financial industry and the prevention of money laundering, Quesada said.
For his part, the rector of the University for Peace, Francisco Rojas, said that organized crime and its activities, such as money laundering, are the greatest threats to democracy in Latin America.
For this reason, the event represents an opportunity to debate these issues with experts and offer new perspectives on the fight against organized crime for professionals and decision makers in the region. The organizers said that among the most relevant conferences of the Forum are The use of artificial intelligence for fraud prediction and detection, Web3 and the metaverse and Cryptocurrencies and their tax treatment.
In addition, they added, there will be panels on illicit financial flows, tax transparency, the outlook for the legality of cryptoassets, and regulatory prospects for 2023.
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.
China calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International4 days agoOne survivor confirmed after Air India flight crashes with 242 on board
-
International4 days agoShark attacks child in Florida
-
International4 days agoOver 200 dead after London-Bound plane crashes in India
-
International4 days agoUncle Sam used in DHS poster calling for public to report immigrants
-
International2 days agoChina shows at the UN its “condemnation” of Israel for the “violation of Iran’s sovereignty”
-
International4 days agoAt least five others involved in attack on Miguel Uribe Turbay
-
International4 days agoHegseth dodges lawmakers’ questions on potential U.S. invasion plans for Greenland, Panama
-
International3 days agoICE under fire for detaining undocumented teen from Florida foster care
-
International4 days agoArgentine government says Cristina Fernández sentence was fair and free of political influence
-
International2 days agoDonald Trump’s government pauses its program of indiscriminate raides against migrants
-
Central America21 hours agoNicaraguan exile coalition urges Costa Rica to receive U.S. deportees fleeing Ortega regime
-
International2 days agoTrump says he knew “everything” about the attack on Iran and assures that the dialogue remains open
-
International3 days agoIsrael warns of retaliation after iranian missiles hit civilian areas
-
International2 days agoRight and far right leaders aspire to win the next elections in Latin America
-
International4 days agoEight Killed in Gaza as Hamas allegedly attacks Israel-Backed aid group
-
International3 days agoCalifornia sues Trump over deployment of military forces in immigration arrests
-
Central America21 hours agoFirst woman elected president in the Americas, Violeta Chamorro, dead at 95
-
International2 days agoMore than 2,000 protests in the US will condemn Donald Trump’s “authoritarianism” this Saturday
-
International2 days agoCriticism of ICE in Florida for arresting a minor from Honduras and taking him away from a foster family
-
Central America5 hours agoGuatemala cracks down on prison corruption with over 20 raids in recent weeks
-
International5 hours agoChina calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
-
International5 hours agoJudge to rule next week on injunction against Trump’s student visa restrictions
-
International5 hours agoSuspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
-
International5 hours agoTrump directs ICE to focus deportation efforts on democratic-led states
-
International5 hours ago40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
-
International5 hours ago
Israeli strike targets Iran’s state news agency amid escalating conflict
-
International5 hours agoNetanyahu: Israel is ‘changing the face of the Middle East’ amid Iran strikes