Central America
Panama remembers 33 years of the U.S. invasion: “Causa Justa”, a dark chapter in its history
December 20 |
Today marks the 33rd anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Panama, known as “Just Cause”, a military operation that left a deep mark on the history of the Central American country. On December 20, 1989, 25,000 U.S. troops, along with troops stationed near the Panama Canal, carried out this intervention with the objective of capturing then President Manuel Antonio Noriega.
Noriega, once an ally of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), became an enemy of Washington by challenging U.S. interests, especially by announcing the departure of the School of the Americas, known for its controversial record.
The official justification for the invasion included the protection of U.S. citizens in Panama, the restoration of the democratic system, the security of the Panama Canal and the capture of Noriega to face U.S. justice. However, documents later revealed additional motives, such as abrogating Canal-related treaties and guaranteeing control beyond the year 2000, as well as canceling contracts with Japan for alternatives to the Canal and slowing Panama’s rise on the world stage.
The invasion had devastating consequences. The Catholic Church recorded 655 deaths, according to data that included both military and civilians, while Panama’s Institute of Legal Medicine reported 255 deaths and 93 disappearances. Panamanian human rights organizations and collectives have estimated even higher figures, reaching around 4,000 victims.
In addition to human losses, the country’s infrastructure suffered significant damage, leaving thousands homeless. Despite promises of compensation, many of those affected did not receive sufficient aid.
In the years that followed, Panama experienced a boom in the financial sector, but poverty rates did not show significant improvements. The current situation reflects the coexistence of skyscrapers and substandard housing in the cities.
Despite the time that has passed, the victims and their families continue to demand justice on each anniversary of the invasion. This dark chapter in Panama’s history continues to resonate in the country’s collective memory, reminding us of the need to address the consequences of those events and ensure that justice is done.
Central America
El Salvador to host World Cup qualifiers vs. Guatemala and Panama at Estadio Cuscatlán
El Salvador’s national football team will host its final round World Cup qualifying matches against Guatemala and Panama at Estadio Cuscatlán, the honorary president of the National Sports Institute (INDES), Yamil Bukele, announced Thursday via a statement on his X account.
The official explained that this decision comes after the American rock band Guns N’ Roses, originally scheduled to perform at Estadio Cuscatlán on Saturday, October 4, will now hold their concert at Estadio Jorge “El Mágico” González. This change allows both of La Selecta’s qualifying matches to be played at the “Coloso de Monserrat.”
“After a series of efforts and in response to popular demand, we are pleased to announce that our senior national team’s CONCACAF World Cup qualifying matches next October (Oct. 10 vs. Panama and Oct. 14 vs. Guatemala) will take place at Estadio Cuscatlán,” the statement reads.
Bukele also thanked the event promoters and the band for agreeing to the stadium change. “We sincerely thank Guns N’ Roses and StarTicket for agreeing to move the concert originally scheduled for October 4 at Estadio Cuscatlán,” the statement adds.
Additionally, Bukele expressed gratitude to the FESFUT Regularization Commission for their efforts with CONCACAF to make this possible, and he urged fans to stay tuned to official channels to purchase tickets and support La Selecta in their World Cup qualifying campaign.
Central America
Honduran president Xiomara Castro suspends activities due to influenza
Honduran President Xiomara Castro announced on Thursday that she has “temporarily” suspended her public activities due to a severe influenza virus.
“A strong influenza virus requires me to rest, trusting that I will be fully recovered for the grand celebration of our National Independence Day” next Monday, Castro stated on the social media platform X.
The president had planned to participate in several inaugurations across the northern, central, and eastern regions of the country throughout the week. She added that “these events will be rescheduled for new dates.”
Central America
Nicaragua’s government expels bishops, priests, and nuns in religious persecution
At least 261 religious figures, including the president of the Nicaraguan Episcopal Conference, Carlos Enrique Herrera, have been expelled as part of the persecution by Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo’s regime against the Catholic Church, reported the NGO Colectivo Nicaragua Nunca Más in its report Faith Under Fire.
The report details that among those expelled are bishops Silvio Báez, Rolando Álvarez, Isidoro Mora, as well as the Apostolic Nuncio in Managua, Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag, along with approximately 140 priests, over 90 nuns, ten seminarians, and three deacons from different dioceses in the country.
“Since the expulsion of Nuncio Sommertag in March 2022, relations between Nicaragua and the Vatican have significantly deteriorated,” the NGO noted.
The report also documents the closure of 5,609 non-profit organizations, of which 1,294 were religious, including churches, universities, schools, clinics, and humanitarian organizations. Most of these had their assets confiscated by the Sandinista government. Additionally, the telecommunications regulator TELCOR shut down 54 media outlets, including 22 religious radio stations and TV channels.
Repression has extended to other religious denominations, with forced disappearances and criminalization of evangelical pastors, control over temples, media censorship, fiscal pressure, property confiscation, and the cancellation of legal status for the Moravian Church. Pastor Rudy Palacios remains in detention as part of this pattern of persecution.
The NGO emphasized that churches, especially the Catholic Church, played a key role in the 2018 national dialogue, denouncing abuses and providing refuge to injured protesters, which fueled the government’s hostility.
In 2023, Pope Francis described Ortega’s regime as a “blatant dictatorship”, to which the Nicaraguan president responded by dissolving the Society of Jesus and labeling the Church as a “mafia” and “anti-democratic.”
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