Central America
Candidates in the final stretch of Guatemala’s presidential runoff election
August 16|
Guatemala is preparing for the second round of the presidential election on Sunday between Sandra Torres, of the Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza Party, and Bernardo Arévalo, of the Semilla Movement, who according to the last poll published by the Libertad y Desarrollo foundation, leads the voting intention.
Both were preparing the campaign closings for the next hours to comply with the calendar imposed by law.
“It is 36 hours before the electoral event. Therefore, the campaign by the two political parties that are in contention ends on Friday, August 18 at noon”, explained Luis Gerardo Ramírez, spokesman of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal.
In the meantime, the shipment of the boxes with the electoral ballots to the farthest points of the country was being expedited.
“We are at 50% progress. We have concluded with several distant departments; in total there are 10 departments plus vote abroad. We are already distributing 12,000 electoral boxes”, said electoral director Gloria López.
The vote abroad will take place, as in the first round, in 15 cities of the United States. The electoral board in charge expects an increase in the number of Guatemalans that go to the polls and surpass the affluence of June 25.
“We have very high expectations, people are participating more in this second occasion. In the first one we did not have many volunteers, (but) now we are having more volunteers, declared the president of the electoral board for voting abroad, Nelly Arteaga.
According to Arteaga, there were around 1,452 voters in the U.S. and it is expected that the figure could be surpassed.
“People are already more informed, some consulates are doing DPI delivery days so that they can all be ready with their DPI -identity document- to get to vote,” she said.
More than 3,400 voting centers will be set up on Sunday, August 20 to receive more than 9 million Guatemalans eligible to elect the next president and vice-president of the country. In addition, municipal elections will be repeated in 5 municipalities of the country.
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
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.
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.
Guatemalan police officer killed in mob riots over baby kidnapping
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