Central America

Gang shootout leaves at least five dead in Honduran prison

AFP

Rival gangs staged a gunfight Thursday in a maximum security prison in Honduras, leaving at least five people dead, authorities said.

Authorities have not been able to enter the prison because the situation is still too dangerous, said Yuri Mora, a spokesman for the justice department.

The gunfight between members of the Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha street gangs was unfolding in the prison in La Tolva, 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of the capital Tegucigalpa.

A hospital in the capital said it had admitted 15 wounded people from the prison.

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Hundreds of distraught relatives of prisoners gathered at the hospital and outside the prison seeking information on their loved ones, press reports said.

On social media, audio of gunfire and explosions inside the prison circulated.

Members of Barrio 18 and MS-13 control large areas on the outskirts of some cities in Honduras and even rural areas, and fight each other over territory for drug trafficking, weapons, auto theft and other crimes, police say.

The country’s 28 overcrowded prisons housing some 22,000 people have been described by experts as being essentially crime schools, from which murder, extortion, kidnappings and other crimes are ordered, allegedly with help from prison staff.

The country’s worst prison tragedy came in 2012 when a fire killed 362 people at a prison in Comayagua, 50 km north of Tegucigalpa.

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The government has built three new prisons including the one in La Tolva in an effort to ease overcrowding in the poor Central American country’s aging and decrepit penal facilities.

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.