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Nicaragua opposition leader Chamorro sentenced to 8 years in prison: NGO

AFP

Nicaragua’s main opposition figure and would-be presidential challenger to Daniel Ortega was sentenced Monday to eight years in prison after being found guilty of financial crimes, a human rights group said.

Cristiana Chamorro, 68, will remain under house arrest, as she has been since she was detained in June, according to the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH).

The charges brought by President Ortega’s government had prevented her from running in the November presidential election in which she was regarded as the favorite.

Chamorro was accused by the state of laundering money, property and assets through her media foundation as well as promoting “ideological falsehood” and destabilizing the government. 

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Chamorro’s brother Pedro Joaquin Chamorro and two former employees of her free speech foundation, as well as her driver, were also convicted by a court last week.

Pedro Joaquin Chamorro was sentenced to nine years in prison and is being held at the Judicial Assistance Directorate (DAJ) of the police. 

The three others also received sentences of up to 13 years.

CENIDH said Cristiana Chamorro and the others were also slapped with “million-dollar fines” that are “impossible to pay, and if they are commuted, it would be the equivalent to life imprisonment.”

Chamorro has denied the charges against her and said they were only brought to block her from running against Ortega, the 76-year-old former guerrilla who has governed since 2007 and who won a fourth consecutive term in November.

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“They want to stain my name, but they will not succeed,” she told the court at the end of the trial, according to 100% News, an online media outlet critical of the government. “They will never succeed in staining the name of my father or my mother, because I am innocent.”

A journalist not aligned with any political party, Chamorro is one of seven former presidential candidates and nearly 40 opposition figures arrested last year in the run-up to the November 7 election.

She is the daughter of former president Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, who defeated Ortega at the polls in 1990, and of journalist Pedro Joaquin Chamorro, was shot dead in Managua in 1978 for opposing the Somoza dictatorship, which ruled Nicaragua for nearly half a century until the victory of Ortega’s Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) in 1979.

During Chamorro’s seven-day, closed-door trial, the government alleged financial crimes were committed through the Violeta Barrios de Chamorro Foundation, a press freedom training and defense center that Chamorro directed for 20 years and which has since been shuttered. 

The state said the foundation was used to receive money from abroad to go towards destabilizing the government of Ortega and his vice-president and wife Rosario Murillo.

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Central America

Bukele Tops Latin America’s Presidential Approval Ranking in June, Survey Finds

President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador, President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, and President Laura Fernández of Costa Rica are the three highest-rated leaders in Latin America, according to the latest June 2026 presidential approval survey conducted by CB Global Data. The study places Peru’s interim president, José María Balcázar, at the bottom of the regional ranking.

Bukele leads the list with a 69.1% approval rating and a 27.6% disapproval rate, improving on the 67.5% positive image recorded in May. The Salvadoran president has maintained a state of emergency since March 2022 as the cornerstone of his anti-gang security strategy, a policy that continues to shape public perceptions of his administration.

Sheinbaum, Mexico’s first female president, ranks second with a 65.5% approval rating and 31% disapproval. Although she remains among the region’s most popular leaders, her support declined from the 67.8% approval registered in May.

Completing the top three is Costa Rican President Laura Fernández, who recently assumed office and now records a 56.1% favorable rating against 37.1% negative opinion. Her approval has risen significantly from the 52.7% reported a month earlier.

At the opposite end of the ranking is Peru’s interim president, José María Balcázar, who received only 18.2% positive approval while 71.7% of respondents expressed a negative view of his administration. Despite remaining last in the survey, he showed a slight improvement compared to previous measurements.

Second from the bottom is Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, with a 29.5% approval rating and 64.8% disapproval. Nevertheless, she registered the largest increase in positive perception among all leaders surveyed, gaining more than five percentage points compared with the previous month.

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo rounds out the group of lowest-rated leaders, posting a 33.1% approval rating against 63% disapproval. His support level declined from 36.9% in May.

Just outside the top three is President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic, who achieved a 54.8% approval rating and 42.2% disapproval, despite a decline from the 60.2% support recorded a month earlier.

Paraguayan President Santiago Peña follows with a 48.3% favorable rating and 48.2% disapproval, improving slightly compared with May. Meanwhile, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ranks sixth with a 47.6% approval rating and 48.1% disapproval, down from 49.5% the previous month. Lula is expected to seek another term in Brazil’s presidential election scheduled for October 2026.

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz fell to seventh place after experiencing the largest decline in the survey. His approval rating dropped to 46.4%, while disapproval climbed to 52.3%, representing a loss of more than nine percentage points compared with May.

The CB Global Data survey, conducted across 18 Latin American countries, reflects shifting public sentiment toward regional leaders and highlights the growing influence of Central American presidents among the continent’s most highly rated governments.

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Central America

Civil Protection Reports Dozens of Weather-Related Incidents Following Weekend Storms

El Salvador’s National Director of Civil Protection, Luis Amaya, on Monday presented a preliminary assessment of the impacts caused by heavy rainfall recorded between June 5 and June 7, which was linked to a low-pressure system that generated intense precipitation across parts of the country.

According to the report, authorities responded to five landslides, 38 fallen trees, 34 blocked roads, and 55 flooded homes. Officials also recorded three houses with minor damage, six urban flooding incidents, and 11 vehicles affected by floodwaters.

The severe weather also caused two rivers in the department of Santa Ana to overflow, increasing concerns about potential flooding in nearby communities.

Authorities urged residents to exercise caution when crossing rivers and streams, warning that water levels can rise suddenly even if rainfall is not occurring in the immediate area. Officials noted that precipitation upstream can rapidly increase river flow and create dangerous conditions.

Amaya stated that all institutions within the National Civil Protection System remain fully activated and prepared to respond to emergencies generated by the ongoing weather conditions.

Public Works Minister Romeo Rodríguez said the government has more than 1,300 pieces of equipment available to clear roads and respond to infrastructure-related emergencies.

“We are ready to ensure that the country’s roads remain accessible. We will be monitoring conditions closely to keep highways and roads open,” Rodríguez said.

The minister also renewed calls for the public to avoid throwing garbage onto streets and drainage systems, stressing that improper waste disposal contributes significantly to urban flooding, particularly in densely populated areas.

Authorities continue to monitor weather conditions as forecasts indicate the possibility of additional rainfall in the coming days.

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Central America

Civil Protection Urges Immediate Evacuations as Tropical Storm Cristina Brings Flooding Risks

El Salvador’s Civil Protection authorities urged residents living in high-risk areas to comply immediately with evacuation orders as Tropical Storm Cristina continues to bring heavy rainfall and dangerous conditions across the country.

Civil Protection Director Luis Amaya announced on Monday that 180 pre-equipped shelters are ready to receive families living in vulnerable communities, providing temporary refuge while the threat from the storm persists.

“If authorities ask you to evacuate, please do not refuse,” Amaya said. “While flooding may cause material losses, protecting human life and ensuring people’s safety must remain the top priority.”

Heavy rains and increased wave activity along the Pacific coast have already caused flooding in parts of La Libertad. According to official forecasts, Tropical Storm Cristina is expected to influence weather conditions throughout the week.

Amaya noted that the populations most at risk are those living near rivers, streams, and areas prone to landslides or slope failures.

To address concerns about personal property, the official stated that the National Civil Police and the Armed Forces have joined the emergency response plan to safeguard homes and belongings left behind by evacuees.

“We can guarantee that their belongings will remain safe and that their possessions will be protected while they stay in the shelters,” Amaya said.

He also highlighted the participation of several government institutions in the emergency response, including the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, the Office of the First Lady, the National Civil Police, and the Armed Forces, among others.

As part of the National Contingency Plan, authorities have activated evacuation routes and shelter networks across the country to facilitate the safe relocation of residents from areas exposed to flooding, landslides, and other storm-related hazards.

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