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Candidates in the final stretch of Guatemala’s presidential runoff election

Candidates in the final stretch of Guatemala's presidential runoff election
Photo: AP

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.

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“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.

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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.

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Central America

Honduras Warns of Possible New Dengue Epidemic as Cases Continue to Rise

Honduras could be on the verge of a new dengue epidemic, according to physician and Honduran lawmaker Carlos Umaña, who warned about the sustained increase in cases across the country.

“We are on the verge of a new dengue epidemic because cases have been rising steadily,” Umaña said, urging citizens to take preventive measures. “Let’s eliminate breeding sites so we do not face fatal consequences later,” he added.

According to official data cited by Honduran media, the country had recorded 5,780 dengue cases nationwide through epidemiological week 26, covering the period from June 28 to July 4.

Of that total, 1,362 patients developed dengue with warning signs, while at least 100 cases progressed to severe dengue, increasing pressure on the national healthcare system.

Although current figures represent a decline of nearly 39% compared with the same period in 2025, when more than 9,400 cases had been reported, health authorities continue monitoring the situation due to the risk of a new surge.

Umaña warned that if the spread of the virus is not contained, Honduras could face an increase in fatalities, particularly among vulnerable groups such as children and adolescents.

Health officials continue urging the population to remove mosquito breeding sites and strengthen prevention measures to reduce transmission of the disease.

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Central America

CDC Issues Level 2 Travel Alert for Costa Rica Amid Chikungunya Outbreak

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Level 2 travel notice for Costa Rica following an outbreak of chikungunya, a mosquito-borne viral disease, urging U.S. travelers to “take additional precautions”when visiting the country.

On July 1, 2026, Costa Rica’s Ministry of Health declared an active chikungunya outbreak after confirming four casesand classifying 17 additional infections as probable among Costa Rican citizens and foreign nationals.

So far in 2026, Costa Rica has reported a total of 16 confirmed cases, including those linked to the current outbreak.

Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes. Symptoms usually appear three to seven days after a bite and may include high fever, severe joint and muscle pain, headaches, swelling, and skin rashes.

Although most people recover within about a week, some patients may experience persistent joint pain that can last for months or even years.

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According to the CDC, there are currently no specific medications to treat chikungunya, but rest, adequate fluid intake, and over-the-counter pain relievers can help reduce symptoms.

The agency recommends that travelers visiting areas affected by chikungunya outbreaks consider vaccination as a preventive measure.

The CDC also warned that certain groups face a higher risk of developing severe illness, including newborns infected during birth, adults aged 65 and older, and people with underlying conditions such as diabetes or heart disease.

While chikungunya can cause significant health complications, the infection rarely results in death, health authorities said.

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Sports

MLS Awaits Blockbuster Debuts as Griezmann and Lewandowski Join the Spotlight

While Major League Soccer awaits Lionel Messi’s return, the league will experience a major spotlight moment on Wednesday with the highly anticipated debuts of two new global stars: Robert Lewandowski and Antoine Griezmann.

French forward Antoine Griezmann, 35, could make his first official appearance for Orlando City when the team visits the San Jose Earthquakes, one of the surprise performers of the current MLS season.

The attacker recently ended his long spell with Atlético Madrid and has already made an early impression with his new club, scoring one of the goals in Orlando’s 6-0 friendly victory over Tampa Bay Rowdies of the United States’ second division.

Orlando is counting on its new star to help turn around a difficult season that began with the dismissal of Colombian coach Oscar Pareja after the team lost its first three matches.

Under Argentine manager Martín Perelman, Orlando City currently sits 13th in the Eastern Conference with 14 points from 15 games, outside the playoff qualification positions.

The team entered the break for the North American World Cup after suffering a heavy 6-2 defeat against FC Cincinnati on May 23.

Meanwhile, Robert Lewandowski was originally expected to make his Chicago Fire debut last Thursday when MLS resumed play after the international break.

The Polish striker, who will turn 38 in August, was scheduled to step onto the Soldier Field pitch against the Vancouver Whitecaps, coached by Thomas Müller, his former teammate at Bayern Munich.

However, the match was postponed due to poor air quality in Chicago caused by smoke from wildfires in southern Canada.

Lewandowski has continued preparing for his first professional experience outside European football.

“One thing I can say about Robert is that he has an incredible work ethic,” Chicago Fire head coach Gregg Berhalter said on Tuesday.

“He joined us after dealing with jet lag throughout last week, and he was still demanding from his teammates during training. He does extra work afterward. You can see why he has scored more goals than anyone else in Europe over the last 15 years, because he is an absolute professional,” added the former United States national team coach.

The arrival of Griezmann and Lewandowski adds even more star power to an MLS season already boosted by international figures, as clubs continue attracting some of the biggest names in world football.

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