Central America
Nicaragua arrests banking executive as clampdown tightens
AFP
Nicaraguan police have arrested a top banking executive as a clampdown on opposition figures and would-be challengers to long-term leader Daniel Ortega tightened ahead of November presidential elections.
Luis Rivas Anduray, executive president of the private Banco de la Produccion (Banpro) — one of Nicaragua’s largest — was arrested Tuesday for “inciting foreign interference,” a police statement said.
His arrest is the latest under a law initiated by Ortega’s government and approved by parliament in December to defend Nicaragua’s “sovereignty.” It is criticized by opponents and rights bodies as a means of freezing out political challengers.
Rivas, also the operations director of the Grupo Promerica — a conglomerate of central American financial institutions — is the 14th person to be arrested in a roundup that started early this month.
Of the detainees, four had declared they would stand in the November elections, in which Ortega is widely expected to also run.
According to the police statement, Rivas is under investigation for “proposing and managing blockades of economic, commercial and financial operations” and for backing sanctions against Nicaragua.
Banpro said in a statement that it operated in adherence with Nicaraguan laws, and was “confident” that Rivas’s “situation will be clarified.”
His arrest is the second of a business figure under the new law. Jose Adan Aguerri, head of the CCIE business federation, was detained on similar charges last week.
Nicaragua has come under fire internationally for the campaign, which began on June 2 when Cristiana Chamorro, the daughter of former president Violeta Barrios de Chamorro was ordered held in house arrest.
The older Chamorro had beaten Ortega in presidential elections in 1990.
The Organization of American States on Tuesday adopted a resolution calling on Nicaragua to “immediately release” those arrested “in the current wave of repression.”
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the resolution which he said concluded that conditions for free and fair elections “do not exist.”
“It is time for the Ortega-Murillo regime to change course… and allow the Nicaraguan people to fully exercise their rights — including their right to choose their leaders in free and fair elections,” he said in a statement.
Rosario Murillo is Ortega’s wife and Nicaragua’s vice president.
The government in Managua on Tuesday defended the arrests of opposition figures it said were “usurpers” funded by the United States to topple Ortega.
Ortega governed Nicaragua from 1979 to 1990, then returned to power in 2007. He has won two successive reelections since then.
Now 75, he is accused by the opposition and NGOs of increasing authoritarianism.
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
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.
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.
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