Central America

President Bukele’s government inaugurates Phase II of the El Salvador Hospital

Nayib Bukele, President of El Salvador, announced yesterday on national TV that on August 7, Phase II of the El Salvador Hospital had been inaugurated. The President said that there are already 25 patients being treated in this area.

“Many people wondered why we did not inaugurate Phase II of the El Salvador Hospital, and it was because the Director needed to use these beds immediately, since Phase I was already full. We did not organize an event, but the Salvadoran people inaugurated it,” said President Bukele.

The President added that 1,125 beds are available across the country’s public hospital network. “El Salvador has become the country with the most intensive-care beds in all of Central America. El Salvador has more ICU beds available than all the countries in Central America combined,” he added.

The country with the fewest COVID-19 cases

Despite no state of emergency and constant hold-ups by Deputies in the Legislative Assembly, El Salvador remains the country with the lowest number of coronavirus cases in Central America. Recent rates result from the early actions taken by President Nayib Bukele’s government.

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To date, El Salvador has 20,423 confirmed cases. Costa Rica has 22,802 cases, Honduras 46,973, Guatemala 56,189 and Panama 73,651. In Nicaragua, the information available is limited and doubtful.

Among the early actions taken by President Bukele’s government, even before the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic, are: Health controls at seaports, airports and land borders. This made it possible to identify the first cases and to contain the spread of the virus.

The quarantine also proved to be an effective measure. While it was in force, the infection curve was flat. However, since the quarantine was lifted and legal resources were taken away from the Executive, cases have been on the rise, with an average of 400 cases per day over the past two weeks.

“Despite the rulings, we will continue to fight the pandemic with what we have,” said President Bukele.

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Central America

Guatemalan police officer killed in mob riots over baby kidnapping

A police officer was killed during riots provoked by an enraged mob in a Guatemalan town following the kidnapping of a baby, the government reported on Wednesday.

The incidents began on Tuesday night and continued into the early hours of Wednesday in the town of San Vicente Pacaya, about 25 km south of the capital, according to Minister of the Interior Francisco Jiménez.

“There was an incident in San Vicente Pacaya where, unfortunately, a police officer died after being struck in the head with a stone. He passed away this morning,” Jiménez said in a press conference.

He explained that the unrest erupted following the arrest of two suspects in connection with the kidnapping of “a baby just a few months old,” including a woman with a criminal record.

Sports

Venezuela investigates 18 baseball players seeking asylum in Spain

Maduro calls on military to be alert to alleged plan by "fascist groups"

The Venezuelan government announced on Wednesday that it is investigating the case of 18 baseball players who are “under the supervision of Spanish authorities” after seeking protection.

In a statement, Venezuelan authorities said they are working to determine whether this case involves “a possible human trafficking scheme,” though they have not provided any evidence of such a crime.

The Venezuelan government emphasized its commitment to protecting the country’s athletes while also denouncing the use of international legal frameworks by certain governments allegedly seeking to discredit the administration.

CNN reached out to Spain’s National Police for a response to Venezuela’s claims. According to Spanish authorities, the 18 young athletes—including two minors—arrived in Spain to participate in a series of matches but had already planned to apply for asylum. Authorities confirmed on Tuesday that they had begun interviewing the players to process their international protection requests.

The team’s coach addressed the situation in a TikTok video, refuting local media reports that he had abandoned the athletes. He asserted that the players chose to remain in Barcelona to secure the necessary permits to sign with other teams and that their decision was unrelated to any political motivations.

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Sports

Filipe Luis debuts as coach in Copa Libertadores with Flamengo

A two-time Copa Libertadores champion with Flamengo during his playing days, Filipe Luis will make his managerial debut in the tournament this Thursday when the popular Rio de Janeiro club faces Venezuela’s Deportivo Táchira.

Placed in Group C alongside Táchira, Liga de Quito, and Argentina’s Central Córdoba, Flamengo starts as one of the favorites—a major challenge for the 39-year-old former player.

His early coaching career has been off to a strong start.

After retiring in 2023, Filipe Luis took over as Flamengo’s head coach on September 30. Just 41 days later, he won his first title, the Copa do Brasil. The year 2025 has already brought two more trophies: the Supercopa do Brasil, where Flamengo defeated Botafogo—current Libertadores and Brasileirão champions—3-1, and the Campeonato Carioca.

At 8:30 PM local time (00:30 GMT Friday), Flamengo under Filipe Luis will make its international debut at Estadio Pueblo Nuevo in San Cristóbal. Although Gerson, Uruguayan Giorgian de Arrascaeta, and Ecuadorian Gonzalo Plata are unavailable, the squad still boasts attacking firepower with Bruno Henrique and Everton.