Central America
Six officials detained for misusing municipal funds in Honduras, luxury goods found
The Honduran Public Prosecutor’s Office reported on Tuesday the arrest of six individuals accused of being part of a network led from prison by a former mayor of San Marcos, in the department of Santa Bárbara, who allegedly diverted millions in public funds for personal enrichment.
The arrests were carried out by the Special Prosecutor’s Office for Transparency and Combating Public Corruption (FETCCOP) Northern Region, with support from the Technical Agency for Criminal Investigation (ATIC) and the Military Police for Public Order (PMOP), during raids linked to an investigation into the embezzlement of public funds, according to a statement from the Honduran Prosecutor’s Office.
Those arrested include:
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Jesús Alberto Hernández, Head of Municipal Development and San Marcos mayoral candidate
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Sandra Perdomo, councilwoman and wife of former mayor Pedro Aguilar
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Dania Iveth Villalvir, municipal treasurer
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Ada Lizeth Pineda, municipal auditor
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Lourdes Borjas Maldonado, head of personnel
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Elisa Castellanos, municipal accountant
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the network manipulated municipal documents and accounts, authorized irregular payments, acquired luxury goods, and collected bribes in exchange for inflated contracts.
The operation was directed from prison by former mayor Pedro Aguilar, of the minor party Alianza Patriótica, who is currently under investigation for alleged ties to drug traffickers convicted in the United States.
Since 2023, the former mayor managed the organization by phone, despite being legally barred from public office and incarcerated at the Támara Penal Center, north of Tegucigalpa.
Investigations reveal that the network planned and used millions from the municipal budget to benefit Hernández, as well as acquiring two luxury vehicles, a home, firearms, and making a fake purchase of backpacks for social projects that were never delivered to the community.
All those involved face charges of abuse of functions, criminal association, money laundering, and complicity in embezzlement for the mismanagement of public assets, according to the Honduran Prosecutor’s Office.
Central America
Panama confirms drug contamination of El Salvador coffee shipment occurred on its territory
A container originating from El Salvador and carrying coffee for export was contaminated with more than 1,152 packages of drugs while in transit through Panama, according to official information confirmed by the Panamanian government this Tuesday.
The case, which had previously generated political controversy in April 2025 after opposition sectors attempted to link the Salvadoran government to drug trafficking, has now been clarified through renewed investigations.
Authorities confirmed that the container departed from the port of Acajutla after being properly inspected, with no illicit substances detected at the time of export.
According to statements previously provided by El Salvador’s Minister of Defense, René Merino Monroy, the shipment traveled first to the port of Balboa in Panama, where it remained stored for several days before being transferred to another vessel bound for Manzanillo in Colón.
It was at that terminal that Panamanian authorities discovered the drugs and identified tampering with the container seals, indicating that the illicit alteration occurred during its transit in Panama rather than in Salvadoran territory.
The findings align with earlier explanations provided by Salvadoran officials and confirm that the contamination of the cargo took place outside of El Salvador’s jurisdiction.
Central America
Uber Eats adds Puntarenas and Turrialba to growing Costa Rica network
Uber Eats announced that it is continuing to expand its presence in Costa Rica with the launch of operations in the cities of Puntarenas and Turrialba, further strengthening the company’s growth in the country.
With this expansion, the delivery platform is now available across all seven Costa Rican provinces and works with more than 6,000 partner businesses. Its offerings include prepared food, supermarkets, pharmacies, pet stores, and other specialty retailers.
As part of the announcement, Uber Eats also introduced Marco Nannipieri as its new Regional General Manager for the Andean Region, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Nannipieri will oversee the company’s operations in Costa Rica along with seven other countries in the region.
“Costa Rica is a key market for Uber Eats in the region, with growing adoption of technology among users and businesses. Over the past five years, more than 1,000 restaurants and merchants have joined the app, and today we are entering a new stage of expansion that will allow us to reach more cities outside the Greater Metropolitan Area, creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs across the country,” Nannipieri said.
Central America
Report questions direction of Nasry Asfura after 100 days in office
The Center for the Study of Democracy warned Tuesday that the government of Nasry Asfura, which marks its first 100 days in office on Wednesday, has failed to show a “significant change in direction” and continues to follow a model characterized by exclusion, inequality, and external dependence.
In its report titled “100 Days of the Nasry Asfura Government: Concerns and Demands,” Cespad stated that the administration has maintained an economic and political model that prioritizes debt payments, the promotion of extractive projects, and the strengthening of the security apparatus over social investment.
The organization argued that the current policies have not addressed structural problems affecting large sectors of the Honduran population and warned that inequality and economic dependence remain key challenges for the country.
Nasry Asfura won the general elections held on November 30, 2025, in a process marked by allegations of fraud and delays in the vote count that lasted nearly a month due to a series of technological failures.
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