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Costa Rica receives nuns expelled from Nicaragua by Daniel Ortega

Costa Rica receives nuns expelled from Nicaragua by Daniel Ortega
Photo: Courtesy

April 13 |

Costa Rica received on Wednesday two nuns of the Dominican Congregation of the Annunciation who left Nicaragua after being expelled by the government of President Daniel Ortega.

The bishop of the Diocese of Tilarán-Liberia, Monsignor Manuel Eugenio Salazar, expressed his willingness to provide any support required by these nuns, who also have Costa Rican nationality, as well as their families and the rest of the congregation.

“The two religious sisters of the Dominican congregation of the Annunciation, Isabel and Cecilia Blanco Cubillo, expelled from Nicaragua, were received by their sister Violeta Blanco Cubillo together with her husband, Carlos Vargas, after 2 p.m., today, Wednesday 12”, informed the diocese in a communiqué.

The women were in charge of the Lopez Carazo Foundation Home for the Elderly, in the city of Rivas, in the south of Nicaragua, on the Pacific coast. However, the Ortega government gave the nuns 72 hours to leave the country, reported Confidencial, directed by journalist Carlos Fernando Chamorro.

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Along with the Costa Rican nuns there was also a Salvadoran woman in charge of the Home for the Elderly.

The Nicaraguan government has not made any statement on the expulsion of the nuns.

Voice of America asked for comments from the expelled missionaries, but they declined to talk about it.

The López Carazo home for the elderly was founded in 1916, according to local media, and the land where it is built was donated by the family of former president Evaristo Carazo.

Nicaragua is going through a political crisis which on April 18 will be five years old, with no way out in sight.

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Ortega has undertaken a persecution against the Catholic Church, according to human rights organizations, and has expelled the Vatican envoy in Nicaragua, Waldemar Stanislaw Sommmertag. He is also keeping in jail an important bishop accused of “emitting false news”, among other crimes.

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Central America

U.S. and Guatemala Sign Trade Deal Granting Zero Tariffs to Most Exports

The United States signed a reciprocal trade agreement with Guatemala on Friday, under which 70.4% of Guatemalan exports will enter the U.S. market tariff-free.

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo highlighted the importance of the agreement, stating that it creates a framework of cooperation, certainty, and new opportunities for producers, workers, and entrepreneurs in the country. His remarks were shared in a video published on his official social media channels.

In 2025, 30.3% of Guatemala’s total exports were destined for the United States, amounting to approximately $4.3 billion. As a result, the agreement is expected to directly benefit key sectors of the Guatemalan economy, including agribusiness, manufacturing, and the textile industry.

“Today we have taken another step toward consolidating a country that, when it moves forward united, generates confidence, attracts investment, and creates real development opportunities for all its people,” Arévalo added.

The agreement with Guatemala follows a similar trade deal signed by the United States with El Salvador on Thursday, which includes the elimination of a 10% tariff on Salvadoran imports.

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Central America

Panama Supreme Court Strikes Down Panama Ports Concession as Unconstitutional

Panama’s Supreme Court of Justice has ruled unconstitutional the concession contract granted in 1997 to Panama Ports Company (PPC), a subsidiary of the Chinese conglomerate CK Hutchison, which operates two strategic ports along the interoceanic canal. The decision was announced on Thursday, January 29, 2026, following two lawsuits filed by the Comptroller General’s Office.

The ruling directly affects the management of the ports of Balboa, on the Pacific coast, and Cristóbal, on the Atlantic side, both of which have been operated by the company for nearly three decades. According to Panama’s Comptroller General, Anel Flores, an audit uncovered irregularities in the contract that resulted in more than $1.3 billion failing to enter state coffers.

“It is a predatory contract, abusive to the interests of the country,” Flores stated.

The Supreme Court determined that Law 5 of 1997, its subsequent amendments, and the automatic extension granted in 2021 are unconstitutional. The ruling noted that the contract renewal took place without adequate oversight and amid allegations of corruption, despite the Panamanian state holding only a 10% stake in the company.

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Central America

Guatemala President Says Starlink Terminal Found Inside Prison

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo revealed on Tuesday that a Starlink terminal was discovered inside a prison in the country, highlighting corruption and the illegal introduction of advanced communication technology into the penitentiary system.

Arévalo did not specify which prison the device was found in but stressed that Starlink’s ability to connect directly to low-orbit satellites makes it particularly difficult to disrupt, posing a serious security risk.

The disclosure was made during a press conference attended by Interior Minister Marco Antonio Villeda and Defense Minister Henry Sáenz.

On January 6, specialized units of Guatemala’s National Civil Police (PNC), members of the Army and prison security personnel carried out Operation Sentinel at the Renovación 1 Maximum Security Prison for Men, located in Escuintla. According to the Interior Ministry, the operation aimed to reduce criminal activity, prevent illicit acts and stop the trafficking of prohibited items inside the prison.

During the operation, authorities also dismantled businesses operating near several prisons after detecting routers that were allegedly used to redirect internet signals into penitentiary facilities, according to local outlet Emisoras Unidas.

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Tensions escalated further over the weekend of January 17 and 18, when inmates affiliated with gangs staged riots in three prisons. During the unrest, they took prison guards and a psychologist hostage, demanding extra-large beds, air conditioning, transfers to other facilities and access to the internet.

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