Central America
Nicaraguan government strips nearly a hundred opponents of their nationality
16 de febrero | Redacción |
The Nicaraguan justice on Wednesday withdrew the nationality of at least 94 people critical of President Daniel Ortega, accused of the crime of “treason”, informed magistrate Ernesto Rodríguez in official media.
Rodríguez read out a resolution in which he indicated that these persons were imposed “accessory penalties” which include absolute and special disqualification to hold public office, as well as to hold elected office and the loss of their citizenship rights “in perpetuity”.
The list includes opposition members, journalists, former ambassadors and former deputies; among them stand out the poet Gioconda Belli and the former vice-president of Nicaragua Sergio Ramírez.
Other journalists include Wilfredo Miranda, correspondent for El País; Carlos Fernando Chamorro, director of Confidencial and son of former Nicaraguan President Violeta Barrios de Chamorro; and Lucía Pineda Ubau, a former political prisoner.
“This is something I expected since 2018 when they stole our TV Channel, 100%Noticias,” Ubau told VOA. “But God will return everything to me, I put it in God’s hands, my house cost me and when God chooses the moment when they will return everything to me it will be better.”
Nicaragua’s former diplomat to the OAS, Arturo McFields, who is also on the list, reacted on Twitter after the court’s decision and said that being declared a traitor to the homeland “means that we are fighting for the return of democracy to Nicaragua”.
Also on the list are Supreme Court Justice Rafael Solís; as well as priests Silvio José Báez, Uriel Vallejos and Edwin Román.
The measure was announced a week after the Nicaraguan government released 222 political prisoners who were also stripped of their nationality, in a measure criticized by human rights organizations.
The U.S. government was quick to react to the announcement and, through Undersecretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols, described the action as “deplorable”.
“We condemn today’s action by the government of Nicaragua stripping 94 more Nicaraguan citizens of their nationality,” Nichols said on social media. “This deplorable act represents a step in the opposite direction of the democracy that the people of Nicaragua deserve.”
Central America
Arévalo accuses Porras and judge of undermining democracy in Guatemala
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo denounced a new attempt at a “coup” orchestrated by the Attorney General’s Office. He also requested an extraordinary session at the Organization of American States (OAS) to address the country’s ongoing political crisis.
The president has been at odds with Attorney General Consuelo Porras, who has been sanctioned by the United States and the European Union for being “corrupt” and “anti-democratic.” Since 2023, Arévalo has accused Porras of launching investigations against his party, Semilla, and the 2023 elections as part of a scheme to prevent his inauguration in January 2024.
From the presidential office, Arévalo has said he continues to “resist” the “coup plotters,” but tensions escalated last Friday when Judge Fredy Orellana, at the request of the Attorney General’s Office, ordered the electoral court to annul the Semilla party’s promoter group. Arévalo interpreted this as an attempt to revoke the positions won by the party.
“Orellana, a hitman who distorts the law in service of Consuelo Porras, is attempting to force […] the unconstitutional removal of a mayor, 23 elected deputies […], the vice president, and the president of the country,” Arévalo said in a televised address on Sunday.
“We call on the international community not to turn a blind eye to the coup being attempted in Guatemala,” he added, speaking alongside his cabinet and congressional members at the National Palace in Guatemala City.
Arévalo requested that the Organization of American States hold an extraordinary session to present “the serious threats” to the Guatemalan Constitution and democracy perpetrated by Porras and Orellana.
Yesterday, Guatemalan Foreign Minister Carlos Ramiro Martínez reaffirmed the president’s statements, emphasizing the need “to go and expose the situation” Guatemala has been facing since last week due to the actions of the Attorney General’s Office.
Central America
New dismembered bodies found in San Juan river days after mass killing in Palencia
On the morning of Monday, October 27, Guatemala’s Volunteer Firefighters confirmed the discovery of two bodies and two human heads inside plastic bags in the San Juan River, located in the Zacualpía village at kilometer 21 of the Atlantic Highway, in the jurisdiction of Palencia.
The remains were found by personnel from Companies 85, 50, and Central, who responded after receiving a report about suspicious bags floating in the water. The gruesome discovery was made just a few meters from the site where eight tortured bodies were found under the San Juan Bridge on Friday, October 24.
Local authorities do not rule out a connection between both incidents and suspect they may be tied to the same criminal organization. Investigators from the Public Ministry and the National Civil Police arrived at the scene to gather evidence and transfer the remains to the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (Inacif).
According to data from the National Economic Research Center (CIEN), Guatemala recorded 2,154 homicides between January and August 2025, an increase compared to the 1,816 reported during the same period in 2024.
Central America
Four guatemalan soldiers arrested for stealing weapons from Northern Air Command
Four soldiers were arrested in connection with the theft of weapons from the Northern Air Command of the Ministry of Defense in Petén, Guatemala, following operations conducted by the Public Ministry (Prosecutor’s Office).
“During the operations, criminal scenes were processed, analyzed, and documented photographically, possible escape routes were identified, surveillance cameras were located, and potential witnesses were interviewed,” the Prosecutor’s Office explained in a social media post.
The detained soldiers were identified as Ludwin Jónathan Cardona Baltazar, charged with illicit association, dereliction of duty, and aggravated theft; and Josué Israel Pérez Jerónimo, Alain Omar Marroquín Soch, and Carlos Ernesto Ibarra Corrales, charged with dereliction of duty, according to Guatemala’s Prensa Libre.
The military personnel reportedly stole 55 rifles, 14,420 rounds of 5.56 mm ammunition, 92 magazines of 35 rounds each, 19 magazines of 20 rounds each, and three grenade launchers, “which were allegedly moved from the arms warehouse to the outside for illicit sale.”
The Ministry of Defense stated that it will keep its internal control mechanisms active to prevent similar incidents.
Sexual assault attempt on Mexico’s president sparks outrage in historic center
Longest government shutdown in U.S. history deepens airport and aid crisis
Deadly fire in bosnian nursing home leaves 11 dead and dozens injured
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 agoFloods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
-
International5 days agoHurricane Melissa kills over 30, leaves thousands displaced in the Caribbean
-
International17 hours agoShootout in Sinaloa leaves 13 gunmen dead as authorities rescue kidnapping victims
-
International5 days agoU.S. considering airstrikes on military sites in Venezuela, reports say
-
International3 days agoAt least 23 killed in Sonora supermarket blast, including minors
-
International5 days agoTrump sets historic low refugee cap at 7,500, prioritizes white South Africans
-
International1 day agoU.S. uses $4.65 billion in emergency funds to sustain SNAP benefits amid shutdown
-
International5 days agoUNICEF: Over 700,000 children affected by Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean
-
International4 days agoFBI foils ISIS-Inspired attack in Michigan, arrests five teens
-
International1 day agoFour suspected PCC members killed in Police shootout in Florianópolis
-
International3 days agoU.S. strike in Caribbean kills three suspected drug traffickers
-
International5 days agoPope Leo XIV revives Global Compact on Education to confront cultural crisis
-
International5 days agoU.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
-
International17 hours agoTrump alleges “massive fraud” in California redistricting vote without evidence
-
International17 hours agoSheinbaum maintains 70% approval despite growing discontent in Mexico
-
International17 hours agoFormer U.S. vice president Dick Cheney dies at 84
-
International2 hours agoDeadly fire in bosnian nursing home leaves 11 dead and dozens injured
-
International2 hours agoSexual assault attempt on Mexico’s president sparks outrage in historic center
-
International2 hours agoLongest government shutdown in U.S. history deepens airport and aid crisis