Central America
More than 178 Salvadorans applied for residency in Panama in four months of 2023
June 8 |
Panama’s National Migration Service reported that during the first four months of 2023, a total of 188 Salvadorans have applied for residency in that country, but of that number only 178 people received legal approval to reside in Panama, while the other eight applications were rejected.
According to the data of the migratory institution, published by the newspaper La estrella de Panamá, El Salvador ranks 14th among the countries with the highest number of residency applications processed between January and April 2023.
The data also reveals that most of these procedures are for permanent residence conditions, permits for work issues in multinational companies, renewal of permits for six years, study reasons, retirements, marriages and renewal of two-year permits.
In addition, it should be noted that along with Salvadoran citizens there are people from countries such as Colombia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, United States, China, Dominican Republic, Peru, India, Mexico, Cuba, Argentina, Brazil and Italy, who also register a high number of requests for residence in the Central American country.
In total during the first four months of the year, Panama reported that the immigration authorities processed a total of 10,338 applications for residence permits, of which 9,862 were approved and 476 denied.
The former director of the National Institute of Statistics and Census (Inec) of Panama, Raul Moreira, considers that this high number of residency applications may be influenced by the new immigration policies implemented by the United States, because as entry to the United States has become more complicated, many people from around the world consider it feasible to migrate to Panama to form “their new American dream”.
“Evidently the political and economic stability of our country, together with a quality of life superior to many of their countries of origin, constitutes a desirable destination for many foreigners…. This situation is what makes us fear that if the possibilities of entering the United States continue to become more complicated, then they will begin to see Panama as the place to fulfill their new American dream”, said Moreira, in declarations reported by the Panamanian media.
Central America
U.S. Defense Secretary to Close Multinational Military Exercises in Panama to Protect Canal
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will travel to Panama next week to close multinational military exercises involving more than 20 countries aimed at strengthening security measures for the Panama Canal against potential threats, a Panamanian government official announced Monday.
This will mark Hegseth’s second visit to Panama. The U.S. defense chief is expected to arrive on August 13 for the closing ceremony of the military drills, which began this week and have been conducted in the Central American country for more than two decades to support the protection of the interoceanic waterway, according to Panama’s Security Minister Frank Ábrego.
The exercises include participation from the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru and the United Kingdom, among other nations.
“The canal is a strategic infrastructure that connects markets and supports global supply chains. Its security and uninterrupted operation are of fundamental importance for Panama, the United States and the international community,” said U.S. Ambassador to Panama Kevin Marino Cabrera.
The drills include maritime training operations, exercises in jungle areas surrounding the canal, as well as virtual simulations focused on cybersecurity and strategic planning.
The Panama Canal, one of the world’s most important trade routes, handles approximately 5% of global maritime commerce, making its security a priority for international trade and logistics networks.
Ábrego emphasized that preparedness and international coordination are essential to maintaining stability.
“The best way to preserve peace and guarantee the continuity of global trade is to be prepared to respond in a coordinated and effective manner to any threat,” the Panamanian official said.
Central America
Prosecutors Accuse Ex-Defense Minister of Undermining Press Freedom in Honduras
Honduras’ Public Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday filed criminal charges against retired General Roosevelt Hernández, the country’s former defense minister and former chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, over his alleged role in actions that prosecutors say undermined press freedom and freedom of expression.
Prosecutors said the case was brought by the Special Prosecutor’s Office for the Protection of Journalists, Social Communicators, Human Rights Defenders and Justice Officials following an investigation into content published between 2025 and 2026 on a digital media platform operated by the Honduran Armed Forces.
According to the investigation, the publications were reported by journalists and the Honduran Journalists Association (CPH), which described them as part of an alleged campaign to discredit members of the press and media organizations.
The case dates back to May 2025, when the CPH filed complaints with national and international organizations after the Armed Forces referred to three journalists as “hitmen” in an article published by FF.AA. Digital. The association argued that the publication endangered the journalists’ safety and constituted an attack on press freedom.
The journalists identified in the publication as “hitmen of the truth” were Rodrigo Wong Arévalo, director of the television news program Abriendo Brecha; Dagoberto Rodríguez, director of Radio Cadena Voces; and Juan Carlos Sierra, president of the Honduran Journalists Association. The article also included photographs of the three journalists and the CPH’s logo.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office said the case file includes formal complaints, pretrial investigative proceedings, a specialized forensic analysis of audiovisual and digital material, and witness testimony gathered during the investigation to determine whether the publications violated freedom of expression and the exercise of journalism.
Authorities emphasized that freedom of the press and freedom of expression are protected under the Honduran Constitution as well as international treaties ratified by the country.
Central America
EU Urges Nicaragua to Hold Free and Transparent Elections Amid Proposed Electoral Reforms
The European Union on Saturday called on Nicaragua to hold elections “in accordance with international standards” after the country’s co-president, Daniel Ortega, promoted electoral reforms that critics say would prevent opposition groups from participating in future elections.
Nicaragua’s National Assembly, which is controlled by allies of President Ortega and Co-President Rosario Murillo, announced on Wednesday that it would draft a package of constitutional and electoral reforms to be voted on in August. Legislative President Gustavo Porras said the changes are intended to prevent what he described as the “terrible manipulation by empires and their lackeys” in the country’s electoral process, referring to opposition groups.
In a statement issued on behalf of the European Union’s 27 member states, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas urged the Nicaraguan authorities to preserve democratic principles.
“We call on the authorities to convene elections and ensure that they are held as originally scheduled and conducted in a transparent, inclusive, and credible manner, in accordance with international standards,” Kallas said.
The European Union also reiterated its condemnation of what it described as the Nicaraguan government’s “systemic repression.” Kallas called for dialogue between Ortega’s administration and opposition groups before any electoral reforms are implemented.
Ortega, who has been in power for nearly two decades, has faced repeated criticism from the international community over restrictions on political opponents and civil liberties.
In response to the growing international criticism, the Nicaraguan government announced on Friday that it will brief foreign diplomats on the proposed reforms, seeking to explain the objectives and scope of the legislative package before it is debated in Congress next month.
Iran Rejects Negotiations With U.S. as Strait of Hormuz Remains Blocked Amid New Attack
U.S. Defense Secretary to Close Multinational Military Exercises in Panama to Protect Canal
Lula Launches Re-Election Campaign Amid Rising Tensions With Trump
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 agoEU Faces Migration Crisis After 60,000 Migrants Arrive in Spain’s Ceuta Enclave
-
International17 hours agoIran Rejects Negotiations With U.S. as Strait of Hormuz Remains Blocked Amid New Attack
-
International3 days agoTruck bomb attack near police station in Colombia leaves 14 injured ahead of presidential inauguration
-
International1 day agoLula Launches Re-Election Campaign Amid Rising Tensions With Trump
-
Central America17 hours agoU.S. Defense Secretary to Close Multinational Military Exercises in Panama to Protect Canal