Central America

Fire breaks out at historic Panama Canal lock

Photo: Luis Acosta / AFP

| By AFP |

A small fire broke out Thursday in machines that operate the historic Miraflores Lock on the Panama Canal, which delayed the crossing of some ships but did not shut down interoceanic navigation.

The fire started in a tunnel where the machinery of the lock is housed, but the other locks continued working normally, said the Panama Canal Authority.

“A fire outbreak was recorded in one of the machinery tunnels in the upper chamber of the Miraflores locks,” the Authority said in a statement.

“No injuries were reported. However, the transit of ships through this lock has been temporarily suspended as a security measure,” it added.

The locks are huge concrete chambers that are filled with, then emptied of, millions of liters of water to raise or lower ships as they pass through the Canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Five percent of all global trade moves through the strategic waterway.

The Miraflores lock, more than a century old, is close to the Pacific and is visited daily by tourists from all over the world.

Central America

Panama’s former president Martinelli claims political enemies tried to kill him

Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli claimed on Friday that his political enemies intended to kill him once he departed for Nicaragua. Martinelli has been sheltering in Nicaragua’s embassy in Panama City for over a year to evade a money laundering conviction.

“They wanted to kill me,” Martinelli stated in a social media post, without specifying who he was referring to. His remarks came after the safe-conduct pass granted by the Panamanian government for his travel to Managua expired at midnight on Thursday.

In a statement, Panama’s Foreign Ministry announced that the permit had expired without Nicaragua officially agreeing to receive the former president. According to Martinelli, Nicaraguan authorities reconsidered the transfer, suspecting it was an “ambush” or a “trap.”

“It was a vile trap they were trying to set up. On one hand, they pretended to offer me a way out, but on the other, they wanted to ruin me by inventing all sorts of accusations,” Martinelli added, thanking Nicaragua and confirming that he will remain in asylum.

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.