Central America

The Red Cross says Central America still needs help after hurricanes Eta and Iota

According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), millions of people in Central America and Colombia still require immediate humanitarian help. Because of the passage of the powerful hurricanes Iota and Eta in November.

“Millions of people still need (…) shelter, medical care, psychosocial support, access to food, clean water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities,” said Felipe del Cid, Head of the IFRC’s Disaster Response Unit in the Americas.

He added that what happened in the isthmus was a huge disaster, exacerbating an already ruinous combination of COVID-19, poverty and inequality in the region. The passage of hurricanes Eta and Iota caused approximately 200 deaths, disappearances and millions of dollars lost in infrastructure and crops across the region, especially in Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

Central America

Colombia to host fourth EU-CELAC Summit in November

The Fourth Summit between the European Union (EU) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) will take place on November 9 and 10 in Santa Marta, Colombia, according to a joint statement released Wednesday by the Colombian government and the European Council.

The summit will be co-chaired by Colombian President Gustavo Petro, in his role as pro tempore president of CELAC, and European Council President António Costa, the statement added.

The last EU-CELAC summit took place in July 2023 in Brussels, when both blocs agreed to hold these meetings every two years.

The summit brings together the 27 EU member states and the 33 CELAC countries, representing 14% of the global population, 21% of global GDP, and one-third of the members of the United Nations, the communiqué noted.

Central America

CELAC condemns unilateral sanctions in ‘Tegucigalpa Declaration’

The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) formally rejected on Wednesday the “imposition of unilateral coercive measures that violate International Law, including those that restrict international trade.”

This position was expressed in the “Tegucigalpa Declaration,” which was “adopted by sufficient consensus among 30 member states” out of the 33 countries that make up the regional organization.

According to Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina, there was “sufficient consensus among 30 states” to adopt the declaration, with three countries distancing themselves from the resolution.

“Argentina, Paraguay, and Nicaragua decided not to adopt the declaration for their own reasons,” Reina explained.

Sports

Neymar Returns to Santos Training After Month-Long Injury Layoff

Neymar returned to full training on Tuesday with the Santos squad after spending a month recovering from a left thigh injury, the Brazilian club reported.

The number 10 joined warm-up activities with the team and later took part in a ball control and passing drill. According to the sports outlet Ge, he “did not show any discomfort from the injury” during the 30-minute session that was open to the press.

The Brazilian star had spent the past month undergoing physiotherapy, recovery work, and muscle strengthening due to the injury that had kept him out of Santos matches and even from the Brazilian national team. He had initially been called up, but was later withdrawn from the squad ahead of the World Cup qualifying matches against Colombia and Argentina.

Santos will continue daily training sessions this week ahead of their upcoming match against Fluminense on Sunday in the Brazilian Championship.