Central America

Government of El Salvador registers 226 fallen trees, 42 landslides and 142 roads obstructed due to rains

This Monday, officials who make up the National Civil Protection Commission provided a balance on the emergencies attended during the temporary rains that register El Salvador, which have caused damage due to floods, landslides and falling trees in different areas of the country.

The Minister of the Interior and Territorial Development, Juan Carlos Bidegain, explained that they have 117 shelters distributed throughout El Salvador to take care of families affected by the rains. In addition, he pointed out that of this total of shelters, 34 of them are currently enabled, in which they serve 324 families who were evacuated from risk areas.

Bidegain explained that in total there are 882 people housed in the enclosures enabled throughout the country, in addition to explaining that the Salvadorans who have been evacuated from their homes have the guarantee that teams of the National Civil Police and the Armed Forces will take care of the belongings they left in their homes and thus prevent theft or loss.

The Minister of Public Works, Romeo Rodríguez, pointed out that since last Thursday, June 13, 226 fallen trees, 42 landslides and 142 blocked roads have been counted. During these interventions, Civil Protection teams, Firefighters, relief teams, National Civil Police and Armed Forces have participated.

Luis Amaya, director of Civil Protection, also reported that due to different circumstances arising from the rains, a total of 11 people have already died, who lost their lives due to circumstances such as falling land slopes and fallen trees.

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For his part, the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources (Marn), Fernando López, explained that the western area, specifically Apaneca, in Ahuachapán is the area that has recorded the most water accumulation in the last 24 hours, with a record of 385.6 millimeters.

López indicated that the heavy rains of the temporary type will be maintained this day and on Tuesday the 18th, and although he detailed that the storms will continue throughout the week, from Wednesday the 19th there could be a slight decrease in the constancy and intensity of these rains.

Related Topics:Government of El Salvador

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Central America

Panama Will Not Be Threatened, President Says Amid Rising Tensions With China

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino warned on Thursday that his country “will not allow itself to be threatened,” while expressing hope that tensions with China will ease following the cancellation of a contract allowing a Hong Kong-based company to operate ports along the Panama Canal.

Earlier this week, China, through its Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, said Panama would pay “a high price” for annulling the concession that has allowed a subsidiary of CK Hutchison Holdings to manage two ports on the interoceanic waterway since 1997.

The decision has angered Beijing, which, according to Bloomberg, has urged its state-owned companies to suspend negotiations on new projects with the Central American country.

“Panama is a dignified country and will not allow itself to be threatened by any nation on Earth,” Mulino said during a press conference when asked about China’s warnings.

However, the president added that he hopes the situation will not escalate. “I hope this does not spiral further; there is no reason for it to do so,” he said.

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The ruling by Panama’s Supreme Court came amid pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has threatened to reclaim the Panama Canal—built by the United States—arguing that it is “under Beijing’s control.”

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian warned on Wednesday that Beijing “will firmly defend the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies.”

Central America

Bukele’s Approval Rating Climbs to 91.9% in El Salvador, Survey Shows

Approval of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele reached 91.9% at the end of 2025, up from 85.2% recorded in midyear, according to a survey conducted by the research unit of La Prensa Gráfica (LPG Datos) and published on Thursday.

According to the newspaper, the high approval rating is “mainly driven by improvements in security.” Of those surveyed, 62.8% said they “strongly approve” of Bukele’s performance, while 29.1% said they “somewhat approve.”

The main reasons cited for approving the president were the perception that security in the country has improved (33%), followed by the belief that the government has delivered changes and overall improvements (14.3%), and the view that Bukele has done a good job in general (11%), the report said.

Meanwhile, 5.9% of respondents said they disapprove of Bukele’s administration. Among them, 25.4% said that improvements have been limited solely to security, 5.6% cited a lack of transparency, and 2.8% pointed to arbitrary detentions.

“The approval of President Nayib Bukele stands at one of the highest levels since the start of his administration,” La Prensa Gráfica noted. According to the survey’s historical data, Bukele’s peak popularity was recorded in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, when his annual average approval reached 92.5%, a figure even higher than that seen during the state of emergency.

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Regarding campaign promises, 64.2% of Salvadorans believe that Bukele “is fulfilling the promises he made,” while 22.9% say he has “partially fulfilled” them, and 6.6% say he has “not fulfilled his commitments.”

When asked about the main “failure” of the president’s administration, 37% said there were none, while 10% pointed to the economy.

Central America

Laura Fernández Says She Will ‘Never’ Allow Authoritarianism in Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s president-elect, right-wing leader Laura Fernández, said she will “never” allow authoritarianism under her government, in her first speech after winning Sunday’s presidential election.

Fernández, the political heir of outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves, has been accused by her opponents of seeking to steer the country toward authoritarian rule through her hardline proposals against drug trafficking and plans to reform state institutions.

“I, as the new president of the Republic, will never allow authoritarianism or arbitrariness—things that no one wants in Costa Rica,” Fernández said to cheers from her supporters gathered at a hotel in the capital.

The 39-year-old political scientist criticized her rivals for centering their campaign on what she described as a narrative of “authoritarianism and dictatorship.”

“They tried to scare voters, but the electorate did not fall into the trap,” she said.

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Without offering details, Fernández acknowledged that her administration will seek to change the country’s “political rules of the game,” in what she described as a necessary step for Costa Rica, one of Latin America’s most stable democracies.