Central America

Central American mayors visit El Salvador to discuss regional tech hub and municipal collaboration

Jorge Alejandro Aldana Bardales, the mayor of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and Mayer Mizrachi, the mayor of Panama City, are currently visiting El Salvador. On Thursday, August 1, they took the opportunity to participate in the Conga Bus, which led the Post Office Parade marking the start of the patronal festivities in the San Salvador district within the municipality of San Salvador Centro.

During their visit, the Central American mayors are scheduled to meet with Mario Durán, the mayor of San Salvador Centro, and Diego Miranda, the mayor of San José, Costa Rica. The agenda will focus on issues such as mobility, vulnerability, investment promotion, job creation, and most notably, the potential to develop a technological hub in Central America from local government efforts to attract digital investments in the region.

Jorge Aldana Bardales, mayor of the Central District of Honduras, which includes Tegucigalpa and Comayagüela, shared this information on his social media. Previously a journalist and activist, Aldana Bardales, who was elected mayor in 2021, has announced his intention to seek re-election for another term.

Meanwhile, Panamanian mayor Mayer Mizrachi Matalon has already met with Luis Rodríguez, the director of the San Salvador Metropolitan Area Council (Coamss). Rodríguez assured Mizrachi that he has a strong ally in Coamss.

“The operational system of the Salvadoran government is admirable. Efficiency and clearly defined priorities consistently over time,” Mizrachi commented after viewing project models during the meeting with Coamss’s director. Mizrachi, who has been Panama’s mayor since July 1, previously visited the “Chivopets” veterinary hospital founded in El Salvador, which he plans to replicate in Panama.

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Mizrachi, a businessman who won the Panama City mayoral election in May 2024 through a novel audiovisual and viral video campaign, presents himself on X as an entrepreneur and “Chacalde”—a blend of the words chacal and mayor. He is the political nephew of former Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli, and recently, a Panamanian high court dismissed a case related to money laundering known as “Criptext,” which had been open for nine years.

Related Topics:Costa Rica Guatemala Panamá San 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.