Central America
Honduran President inaugurates Museum of Memory
June 29 |
Honduran President Xiomara Castro inaugurated on Wednesday the Museum of Memory and Reconciliation in what used to be the Presidential House, located in downtown Tegucigalpa, 14 years after the coup d’état perpetrated against former President José Manuel Zelaya Rosales in 2009.
Castro stressed that the first act of his government was to approve the Law for the Reconstruction of the Constitutional Rule of Law and for the Events Not to Be Repeated, to condemn the coup d’état, compensate its victims and move towards reflection and historical memory.
“Today, with the opening of this Museum of Memory and Reconciliation, we create a space for reflection, a space for learning, a place to meet, to listen to the silenced voices and reconstruct the fundamental values of the creation of our Homeland. Building memory and reconciliation is a complex task,” he stressed.
The Head of State informed that the Secretariat of Human Rights formulated the project to establish the National Day of Truth, Memory and Justice, in addition to the approval of an Executive Decree through which the State assumes the responsibility to support the victims of the unconstitutional coup and their families.
“To those who with their sacrifice taught us that the liberation of our Homeland is not a gift, but a right that we must defend with all our strength, we are here to tell you that your names will remain engraved in the collective memory as a symbol of courage and resistance,” he recalled.
According to the Government Press Secretariat, the president joined the audience attending the evening to chant the names of the heroic men and women who gave their lives to oppose the breaking of the constitutional order, such as Isy Obed Murillo, Roger Vallejo, Wendy Ávila and others.
“Compatriots: together we can build the great Homeland, the dream of Morazán, of Bolívar, of Martí. Honduras today opens its fraternal arms to the solid altar of justice and democratic socialism that only on the basis of a fair and inclusive system can we build”, concluded the head of state.
The event was attended by former President Manuel Zelaya, the President of the Supreme Court of Justice, Rebeca Raquel Obando; the former President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, members of the National Congress and international guests who accompanied the people of Honduras during the 2009 coup.
Central America
Nicaragua’s Alliances With U.S. Rivals Could Trigger More Sanctions, Analysis Says
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to maintain political and economic pressure on the government of Nicaragua, led by Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, due to its growing alliances with Russia, China and Iran, according to an analysis released Monday by the Centro de Estudios Transdisciplinarios de Centroamérica (Cetcam).
The report states that tensions between Washington and Managua have increased since the beginning of Trump’s second term and could worsen amid the regional political climate, particularly because of developments in Venezuela and Cuba.
Cetcam researchers noted that since the second half of 2025, the U.S. government has intensified criticism of the Sandinista administration, mainly regarding political prisoners, human rights, religious freedom and what it describes as the authoritarian model established by Ortega and Murillo.
“With this background, it is possible to foresee that Washington will maintain pressure, including sanctions, against the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship,” the think tank stated in its report.
The study also warns that one of Washington’s main concerns is the strengthening relationship between Managua and countries considered strategic rivals of the United States, particularly Russia, China and Iran.
Among the developments highlighted is the recent ratification by the Russian Senate of a military cooperation agreement signed with Nicaragua in 2025. The deal is expected to strengthen strategic coordination and Russia’s presence in Central America for an initial five-year period.
According to Cetcam, the move will “hardly go unnoticed” by the United States.
Central America
Guatemala swears in new attorney general after controversial exit of Consuelo Porras
The new Attorney General of Guatemala, Gabriel García Luna, officially took office on Sunday and pledged to restore public confidence in the institution while strengthening efforts against corruption and organized crime.
“Today does not mark the beginning of just another administration. Today marks an opportunity to restore dignity to Guatemala’s criminal justice system,” said García Luna, who was appointed by President Bernardo Arévalo.
García Luna succeeds Consuelo Porras, whose tenure began in 2018 and became highly controversial due to accusations of undermining democratic institutions and obstructing anti-corruption investigations.
Porras was sanctioned by the United States, the European Union, Canada, and the United Kingdom, among others, over allegations related to corruption and interference in judicial processes.
Her administration was also criticized for allegedly attempting to block President Arévalo’s inauguration in 2024 and for pursuing legal actions against former anti-mafia prosecutors, judges, journalists, and Indigenous leaders, many of whom later went into exile.
During his inauguration speech, García Luna acknowledged that many Guatemalans had lost trust in the Attorney General’s Office.
“For years, many Guatemalans lost confidence in the institution, not because they stopped believing in justice, but because justice stopped believing in them. Today begins the duty to restore that trust,” he stated.
The new attorney general also admitted he inherited an institution “with deep wounds.”
The United States has accused Porras of obstructing anti-corruption investigations to protect political allies and secure political favors.
Critics argue that such actions benefited the so-called “pact of the corrupt,” an alleged network of political, economic, and criminal interests believed to exert influence over Guatemala’s justice system.
Central America
Mulino Vows Tougher Crackdown as Homicides Increase in Panama
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said Thursday that his administration will not negotiate with gangs in an attempt to curb the wave of violence that has recently shaken the country and fueled growing public concern over insecurity.
“I am not going to sit down, nor is the security minister going to sit down with the leader of any gang to negotiate,” Mulino stated while rejecting any possibility of dialogue with criminal organizations.
According to statistics from the Public Ministry of Panama, the country recorded 62 homicides in April, nearly double the 34 reported during the same month last year. In March, authorities registered 53 killings, representing a 20% increase compared to the same period in 2025.
Panamanian authorities say the country’s two main gangs, among more than 180 criminal organizations identified nationwide, are behind the recent escalation in violence.
The National Police of Panama stated that disputes over territorial control, recruitment of new members, and drug theft between rival gangs are driving the increase in murders and armed attacks.
Mulino also expressed concern about innocent civilians becoming victims of the violence.
“They are in restaurants, they are in schools, and they become victims of these shootings,” the president said.
The Panamanian leader further called for tougher judicial measures against gang leaders and drug trafficking operators, criticizing court decisions that grant house arrest to suspects linked to contract killings and organized crime.
“We are going to act as we must to defend the overwhelming majority of Panamanian citizens, who are not criminals and are not drug traffickers,” Mulino stated.
Authorities believe that rising cocaine production in South America and Panama’s role as a transit route for drugs destined for the United States and Europe continue to strengthen gangs involved in narcotics trafficking.
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