Central America
Threats from the migratory route in Guatemala: dengue, arrests and climate change
Thousands of migrants cross the border between Honduras and Guatemala daily on their way to the United States, facing the threat of tropical diseases such as dengue, the arrest of security forces and their subsequent deportation or the impact of a route hit by climate change.
On the border of El Corinto, between Guatemala and Honduras, the country’s Red Cross serves migrants who need medical assistance.
“Our job is to alleviate the suffering a little and dignify the lives of people who are in transit,” explains to EFE Mariana Bonilla, who works with the Red Cross at the Care Center for Migrants and Refugees (CAPMIR), located on the Guatemalan side of the border.
Every morning, Bonilla, 31, and the rest of her team, track the border road surrounded by African palm, banana plantations and the imposing Motagua River, the largest in Guatemala, in search of groups of migrants to guide them and indicate the points where they can receive support.
Within its center of attention, supported by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), migrants receive both medical and psychosocial assistance. “Many come with traumas from their passage through the Darién jungle” between Colombia and Panama, explains Bonilla.
Two kilometers after crossing the border, on the migratory route, is the village of Jimeritos, a community made up of farmers dedicated mainly to the cultivation of bananas that for six years has turned its small communal room into a refuge for migrants to rest.
“We are motivated to work with migrants. They leave their countries to seek an improvement for their family and here we give them what we can, because we do not know when we will have the same need,” explains Felicita Palencia, a resident of Jimeritos who was trained by the Red Cross to take care of migrants.
The community lounge has a bedroom with capacity for 12 people and, according to the leaders of the village, there are nights where they receive up to 30 migrants who seek refuge before continuing their journey to the Mexican border of Tecún Umán, located about 540 kilometers at the other end of the country.
Community community members pay attention despite the difficulties they are going through, such as strong dengue epidemics that affect the department of Izabal, where in 2023 more than 500 cases were registered and the region was put on red alert by the health authorities, a disease from which migrants are not freed either.
On May 2, in the community room, the Red Cross gathered the children of the Jimeritos public primary school to give them a talk about hygiene and sanitation measures to eliminate the mosquito that transmits dengue, as well as tools to identify the symptoms of this disease.
Carlos Linares, who has lived in this migrant host village for 42 years, assures EFE that the biggest concern for them is climate change, since the rainy season is approaching and in years such as 2001 and 2020 many houses were destroyed by storms.
“This part of the road is the most difficult to get to the United States, because there are a lot of police and they can return us to Honduras,” Mario Alvarado, a Honduran migrant who decided to look for the “American dream,” explains to EFE.
With temperatures of 40 degrees, Alvarado crossed the border, bordering the Motagua River and the African palm plantations, to end up arrested by the Guatemalan authorities.
Alvarado is the third time he has been on his way to the United States. He does it with his compatriot Danny Gámez, the same one with whom a few months ago they were deported from Texas, United States, after a journey that allowed them to work in the North American nation as painters.
Like Alvarado and Gámez, thousands of migrants seek to cross Guatemala every year and so far in 2024 alone, almost 8,000 have been arrested by the security forces for their subsequent deportation, according to figures from the Guatemalan Migration Institute (IGM).
“It doesn’t matter how many times we are deported. If there are no conditions to live in Honduras, we will always find a way to leave again,” Alvarado reiterates, before moving away between the path of a plantation with his journey companion.
Central America
Washington calls for oversight as Honduras faces allegations of electoral interference
The United States government urged members of the Organization of American States (OAS) on Tuesday to support a transparent electoral process in Honduras, free from intimidation, interference, or fraud, just days before the general elections scheduled for this Sunday.
The call was made by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau during an extraordinary session of the OAS Permanent Council. The meeting was convened at the request of the United States in response to reports of irregularities marking the final stretch of Honduras’ electoral process. Landau expressed concern over the situation in the country, warning that Honduras is facing an institutional crisis. “I fear that Honduras faces an uncertain future. Therefore, I urge you to use your collective voice to warn Honduran officials about the consequences of interfering in the electoral process,” he stated.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed its support for electoral integrity and called on Hondurans to exercise their right to vote. “We hear you and we stand with you. Go out and vote on November 30 to be part of the democratic future of this country,” Landau said in Spanish during his remarks.
In response, Honduras’ ambassador to the OAS, Roberto Quesada, rejected the allegations and said there is no evidence of election-related crimes. “We are surprised that a Permanent Council meeting was called when no crime has been committed,” the diplomat said, dismissing reports of repression against journalists. “These narratives are invented because, as we know, fake news runs wild on the internet,” he added.
The session was also requested by Argentina, Ecuador, and Paraguay, whose governments expressed concern over the direction of the Honduran elections.
The process has been questioned due to the actions of the Public Ministry and the Armed Forces, both accused of interfering in matters under the exclusive authority of the National Electoral Council (CNE). The Attorney General’s Office has opened investigations into senior electoral officials, while the military has been accused of improperly intervening in civilian affairs.
Marlon Ochoa, a CNE councilor, maintained that despite the pressure, “general elections will be held despite the conspiracy that has been attempted against the electoral process,” and confirmed that all logistical materials are ready.
Colombia’s ambassador, Luis Vargas, announced that his country will provide “accompaniment” during the election, while Argentina’s representative, Carlos Bernardo, stressed that “there is no room for rigged electoral processes” in the region.
The main presidential contenders are Rixi Moncada of the Libre party, Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party, and Nasry Asfura of the National Party.
Central America
Panama reinforces security with new helicopters and Super Tucano Aircraft purchases
The government of Panama confirmed on Wednesday the purchase of two Bell 407 GXi helicopters for $10.49 million, aimed at strengthening the patrol and surveillance operations of the National Aeronaval Service (Senan), according to an official statement from the Presidency.
The funds used for the acquisition come from an insurance payout related to the crash of the AN-141 helicopter on September 10, 2023, an accident in which three Senan officers died. Panama received $13.4 million from the insurance claim, and the remaining balance will be allocated to three additional operational projects that have not yet been disclosed. “These two new aircraft are essential for Senan, as they will enable the protection of the country’s airspace, maritime domain, continental platform, as well as river and lake areas,” the statement emphasized. The government justified the purchase as necessary due to the deterioration of current aircraft and the reduced operational capacity of the security force.
In addition to the helicopters, President José Raúl Mulino’s administration announced the purchase of four A-29 Super Tucano aircraft from Brazilian manufacturer Embraer, valued at $76.3 million. These military-grade planes will bolster aerial and maritime surveillance and are intended to support operations against drug trafficking and organized crime.
According to Panamanian authorities, nearly 70% of homicides recorded in the country are linked to organized crime, especially gangs involved in drug trafficking. As Panama serves as a key transit point for narcotics moving from South America to the United States and Europe, strengthening its aerial capabilities forms part of its broader national security strategy.
Central America
Trump urges hondurans to back conservative candidate Nasry Asfura in november elections
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Honduran citizens to support conservative candidate Nasry Asfura, of the National Party, in the upcoming November 30 elections. In a message posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump warned that Asfura’s rivals represent “communist expansion” and claimed that their victory could open the door to figures like Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro.
Trump described Asfura as “the only true friend of freedom in Honduras” and said that together they could “fight the narco-communists.” The U.S. president took direct aim at the other two presidential candidates: Rixi Moncada of the ruling Liberty and Refoundation (Libre) party, whom he accused of being “aligned with communism,” and Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party, whom he claimed was part of a scheme to “deceive the people” and split the opposition vote. Trump also praised Asfura’s tenure as mayor of Tegucigalpa, highlighting his efforts to “bring water to millions of people.”
A day before Trump’s comments, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau had urged member countries of the Organization of American States (OAS) to demand a transparent electoral process free of fraud and intimidation.
The electoral process in Honduras has come under intense scrutiny over alleged institutional interference. The Attorney General’s Office has launched investigations into senior electoral officials, while the Armed Forces have been accused of intruding into responsibilities reserved exclusively for the National Electoral Council (CNE).
In his message, Trump warned that “narcoterrorists like Maduro” could expand their influence into other countries, including Honduras, “just as happened in Venezuela and Cuba,” if voters do not choose clearly.
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Trump urges hondurans to back conservative candidate Nasry Asfura in november elections