Central America
Ortega and Murillo consolidate power with dual police leadership
Nicaragua will now have two police chiefs following a constitutional reform approved by Congress, mirroring the country’s unusual situation of having two presidents since February, the government announced Thursday.
The National Assembly, controlled by co-presidents and spouses Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, approved a constitutional amendment allowing the ruling couple to appoint two heads of the police.
Opposition figures in exile believe the reform could be used to increase persecution of government critics. The measure will take effect once ratified by Congress in 2026.
Police Director Francisco Díaz stated that the reform will make the institution “more efficient” in tackling organized crime, terrorism, drug and arms trafficking, cybercrime, and money laundering. Díaz, who is Ortega’s and Murillo’s relative by marriage and sanctioned by the United States, said the move will also “strengthen and protect peace.”
Murillo added that the two police chiefs will divide responsibilities for public security coverage. Exiled Nicaraguan media suggested that the reform could reduce Díaz’s authority, potentially making him a ceremonial chief, according to the newspaper La Prensa.
A UN Expert Group on Nicaragua previously identified 54 Nicaraguan officials, including Ortega, Murillo, and Díaz, as responsible for serious human rights violations and systematic repression. Díaz has led the police since 2018, during nationwide protests against the government, which Ortega characterized as a US-backed coup attempt. The repression reportedly left over 300 dead, according to UN reports.
Ortega, a 79-year-old former guerrilla who first ruled Nicaragua after the Sandinista revolution in the 1980s, has been in power since 2007, and critics accuse him and 73-year-old Murillo of running a “family dictatorship.”
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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