Central America
U.S. residents ask Arevalo for consular improvements
November 12 |
President-elect, Bernardo Arévalo, held a two-day tour of Washington, United States, where he met with different sectors and U.S. officials and migrant organizations.
Improving consular services, maximizing remittances through banks and promoting electoral civic participation were some of the topics discussed of interest to the Guatemalan community in the United States. Between 25 and 30 leaders and representatives of migrant associations from Washington, Texas, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, among others, participated.
The president-elect was accompanied on the tour by Francisco Villagrán, Guatemala’s former ambassador to various international organizations. The three issues were put on the table, but there was no in-depth discussion on how they will be addressed by the Executive Branch during the next four years.
With respect to consular attention, according to Ben Monterroso, migrant leader, it was stated that the processing of passports at the consulates should be improved. He expressed that there is difficulty in scheduling appointments, there are no passport booklets or it takes several weeks to process them. This document is necessary to carry out procedures in the North American country, even to obtain a driver’s license in some states.
“We talked about the consulates, we are clear that we have to improve both the service and the documents, because we continue with the same pending as always, that there are no passport books, no passports or no appointments”, he indicated.
As a second point, the representatives expressed to Arevalo the interest in a way that remittances can be collected in Guatemala in a proper way. In that sense, it was said that these will be maximized through two banks, however at the moment it is not known which ones they will be.
Although there is no clarity on specific actions to comply with the request, Monterroso explained that this is necessary so that Guatemalan families can take advantage of them in a better way.
“To make sure that there is transparency in collections, all those kinds of things and to see how remittances can be maximized, not many details were discussed,” he said.
The third topic was to support the civic participation of Guatemalans abroad. Monterroso pointed out that they are aware that this function does not correspond to the Presidency, but he can lead an improvement in this sense.
“It is not entirely up to him, but he can be a leader and make sure that what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for is done in an appropriate manner,” Monterroso said.
In addition, he pointed out that it was made clear that they want to have more recognition, not only as Guatemalans abroad but as the different indigenous communities to which they belong,
“That it be recognized that Guatemala is no longer only in the 22 departments, we have a department called the United States,” he emphasized.
In the opinion of the migrants, they should receive special treatment like other groups that are benefited in the country.
The communication team of the elected government was asked for an opinion on the meeting, but did not respond.
Central America
Guatemala Police Arrest Prison Guard Caught in the Act of Extortion
Guatemala’s National Civil Police (PNC) arrested a suspected extortionist in the act during an operation carried out in the department of Quiché, authorities reported.
According to the police report, the arrest took place in Zone 1 of Santa Cruz del Quiché after officers responded to a citizen complaint. Agents from Precinct 71 identified the suspect as Encarnación “N”, 41, who was serving as a guard in the Guatemalan Penitentiary System.
The suspect was caught while attempting to collect a package simulating an extortion payment totaling 25,000 quetzales. Police intervened at the precise moment the money was being handed over, allowing authorities to document the crime in flagrante delicto.
Following the operation, the detainee was placed at the disposal of the competent courts to face criminal proceedings.
The PNC emphasized that such operations aim to dismantle criminal structures involved in extortion, regardless of whether those implicated are linked to state institutions, and urged the public to continue reporting these crimes through confidential channels.
Central America
Honduras swears in conservative president Asfura after disputed election
Conservative politician Nasry Asfura assumed the presidency of Honduras on Tuesday with an agenda closely aligned with the United States, a shift that could strain the country’s relationship with China as he seeks to confront the economic and security challenges facing the poorest and most violent nation in Central America.
Asfura’s rise to power, backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, marks the end of four years of left-wing rule and secures Trump another regional ally amid the advance of conservative governments in Chile, Bolivia, Peru, and Argentina.
The 67-year-old former mayor and construction businessman was sworn in during an austere ceremony at the National Congress, following a tightly contested election marred by opposition allegations of fraud and Trump’s threat to cut U.S. aid if his preferred candidate did not prevail.
Grateful for Washington’s support, Asfura—who is of Palestinian descent—traveled to the United States to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, before visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“We need to strengthen relations with our most important trading partner,” Asfura said after being declared the winner of the November 30 election by a narrow margin, following a tense vote count that lasted just over three weeks.
Central America
Bukele leads public trust rankings as UCA survey highlights gains in security
Results from the UCA Survey, conducted by the José Simeón Cañas Central American University (UCA), were presented on Tuesday, offering an assessment of the performance of the Government of El Salvador during 2025 and measuring public perception on key issues such as security and the economy.
According to the survey, President Nayib Bukele received an average score of 8.39 for his performance in 2025. In the category measuring levels of trust in national institutions and social actors, Bukele led the ranking with 77% public confidence, surpassing the Central Government (69.6%), the Armed Forces (69.1%), the National Civil Police (PNC), and the Catholic Church (58.4%), among others.
The survey also highlights an upward trend in the president’s evaluation. While Bukele scored 8.15 for his performance in 2024, the most recent assessment of his sixth year in office showed an increase to 8.39.
Meanwhile, the Government of El Salvador as a whole was rated 8.33 for its performance during 2025.
Respondents identified public security as the area showing the greatest progress in the country, with 62.7% recognizing improvements in this sector, according to the UCA survey released on Tuesday.
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