Central America

Guatemala acknowledges state responsibility in 1980 spanish embassy massacre

The Guatemalan government acknowledged on Friday its responsibility for the 1980 assault and fire at the Spanish Embassy, carried out by security forces during the country’s civil war (1960-1996), which left 37 people dead.

“In memory of the victims and their dignity, the Government of Guatemala recognizes state responsibility for this crime against humanity,” reads a golden inscription on a green marble plaque, unveiled by the Presidential Commission for Peace at the former site of the diplomatic mission in the capital.

On January 31, 1980, military and police forces stormed the embassy, which had been occupied hours earlier by Maya leaders and students protesting against human rights abuses committed in the fight against leftist guerrillas. During the raid, a devastating fire broke out inside the building.

At the site where the embassy once stood, a group of Indigenous Maya leaders held an ancestral ceremony to honor the victims. Additionally, peasant and human rights organizations issued a statement lamenting that the root causes of the armed conflict—racism, exploitation, inequality, and land dispossession—remain unresolved.

Among the 37 people killed were Spanish consul Jaime Ruiz del Árbol, former Guatemalan Vice President Eduardo Cáceres, former Foreign Minister Adolfo Molina, and Vicente Menchú, father of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Rigoberta Menchú and a prominent Maya leader.

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In 2015, a Guatemalan court sentenced Pedro García Arredondo, the former head of a special command unit of the now-defunct National Police, to 90 years in prison for his role in the attack. His unit was responsible for carrying out repressive actions and forced disappearances of political opponents.

Guatemala’s 36-year civil war resulted in approximately 200,000 deaths and disappearances, according to official reports.

Central America

Panama begins reverse migration by sea for 109 stranded migrants

Panamanian authorities have transported a group of 109 migrants of various nationalities by sea to La Miel, a Caribbean town on the country’s border with Colombia, to continue their return journey to South America. The move comes after the migrants failed to settle in the United States, following stricter immigration policies implemented under the administration of former President Donald Trump.

The National Migration Service (SNM) of Panama announced in a statement on Tuesday that the transfer was carried out from the Caribbean port of Colón using a vessel from Panama’s National Aeronaval Service (Senan). The operation was part of the country’s so-called “reverse flow” initiative, aimed at facilitating the safe return of migrants.

The official report noted that the group included migrants from nine different nationalities, with 75 adults and 34 minors on board. Authorities emphasized the “inter-institutional commitment to safe and humanitarian reverse migration.”

A source familiar with the process, speaking anonymously to EFE, confirmed that the vessel departed on Monday. Many of the migrants had opted into the reverse flow program after arriving at the Temporary Attention Center for Migrants (CATEM) in Costa Rica, where coordination was made with Panamanian authorities for their return.

Central America

Ombudsman: Tear gas overused in Arimae protest crackdown

Panama’s Ombudsman Office stated on Tuesday that the National Police (PN) used excessive tear gas to disperse a protest in the indigenous community of Arimae, which escalated into a violent clash lasting several hours and leaving multiple people injured on both sides.

After a two-day visit to Arimae, a town in the Darién province about 200 kilometers from Panama City, Ombudsman Eduardo Leblanc reported that “there was clear evidence of the excessive use of tear gas in the community, which has caused various health issues among the population.”

The confrontation occurred on June 5, when police forces arrived to clear a section of the Pan-American Highway — which spans the entire country — that had been blocked by residents using tree trunks. The blockade was part of a protest against a newly enacted social security reform.

According to EFE, police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets, while demonstrators hurled rocks, sticks, arrows, and even Molotov cocktails.

Central America

Honduras sees 7.8% rise in external public debt year-on-year

Honduras’ public sector external debt reached $9.96 billion by the end of April 2025, marking a 7.8% increasecompared to the same period in 2024, according to a report released Tuesday by the country’s Central Bank (BCH).

The figure represents a rise of $725.8 million compared to the $9.24 billion recorded between January and April 2024.

However, the debt balance decreased by $243.2 million compared to December 2024, when it stood at $10.2 billion. This reduction was primarily due to higher principal payments totaling $410.8 million, while new disbursements reached only $87.4 million, resulting in a net amortization of $323.4 million. This effect was partially offset by unfavorable exchange rate fluctuations, which increased the debt balance by $80.2 million.

By institution, the general government holds 90.8% of the debt (approximately $9.05 billion), followed by the monetary authority with 7.7% ($770 million), non-financial public enterprises with 1.3% ($126.6 million), and public financial institutions with 0.2% ($16.5 million), the BCH detailed.