Central America

Congress of El Salvador approves extension of emergency regime

Photo: @AsambleaSV

May 17 |

The Congress of El Salvador approved this Tuesday the request presented by President Nayib Bukele to extend, for the fourteenth consecutive time, the emergency regime, with 67 votes in favor, six against and four abstentions according to the Legislative Assembly.

The measure will suspend constitutional rights until June 15. This was adopted at the end of March last year as part of President Bukele’s security strategy to confront the crisis of violence caused by gangs.

“I know that this extension of the exception regime is not to the liking of some people in this country and it is logical, it is understandable that these people were benefiting from the pain of our people. Since the first day of the President’s administration, we have accompanied the National Civil Police, we began to look for criminals and in less than four years we have achieved 365 days with zero homicides”, highlighted the Minister of Defense, René Francis Merino Monroy.

The Minister of Security, Gustavo Villatoro, affirmed that more than 6.3 million Salvadorans support the exception regime and at least 3 million Salvadorans are satisfied with the transformation of the country in terms of security.

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The president of the Legislative Assembly, Ernesto Castro, will extend the security measure “as many times as necessary” until the country is free of gang members.

The Central Government’s work to combat gangs is internationally recognized. Local media affirmed that the mayoral candidate of Cali, Colombia, Jaime Arizabaleta, said that the Salvadoran president had the capacity to turn El Salvador into the safest country in Latin America.

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.