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.
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.
Central America
U.S. extradites Iranian man over alleged sanctions evasion scheme
The United States has extradited from Panama an Iranian national accused of evading economic sanctions against Iran by illegally exporting U.S. technology. He is scheduled to appear this Monday before a court in Seattle.
Reza Dindar, 44, was extradited on April 17 after being detained in Panama since July 2025 on charges related to export control violations between 2011 and 2012, allegedly carried out through companies based in China.
The defendant appeared before a U.S. district court in Seattle, where he faces charges of violating sanctions imposed by the United States on Iran in 1995 during the administration of Bill Clinton. These sanctions prohibit the unauthorized export, re-export, or supply—directly or indirectly—of U.S. goods, technology, or services to Iran or its government.
According to the indictment, between 2010 and 2014, Dindar led the company New Port Sourcing Solutions in Xi’an, China, which allegedly concealed the procurement of U.S. products for shipment to clients in Iran.
Central America
Bukele administration surpasses 1,100 homicide-free days amid ongoing crackdown
On Saturday, April 18, the Policía Nacional Civil (PNC) reported that no homicides were recorded in El Salvador, bringing the total to 17 days without murders.
With this update, the country has accumulated 91 homicide-free days so far in 2026. January closed with 27 such days, followed by 24 in February and 23 in March, according to police data.
During the administration of President Nayib Bukele, a total of 1,193 days without homicides have been registered. Of those, 1,079 have occurred since the implementation of the state of exception.
This extraordinary security measure has been extended 49 times by the Asamblea Legislativa de El Salvador, with the latest extension in effect from April 1 to April 30, 2026. Under the measure, more than 91,700 gang members and collaborators have been detained and prosecuted for illicit association.
Central America
Panama and OECD sign deal to boost investment climate and global integration
The Government of Panama and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) signed an agreement this Friday in Paris aimed at improving the country’s investment climate through data exchange, expert missions, and policy benchmarking.
“This is not a symbolic act. It is a strategic decision. A statement of intent. A commitment to transformation,” said Panama’s Foreign Minister, Javier Martínez-Acha, following the signing, according to an official statement.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by Martínez-Acha and OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann at the organization’s headquarters in the French capital.
According to Panama’s Foreign Ministry, the agreement establishes “a solid and forward-looking framework for cooperation,” enabling high-level technical collaboration through data sharing, comparative policy analysis, expert missions, and evidence-based recommendations.
Authorities stated that the initiative is expected to enhance the investment environment, boost competitiveness, and improve predictability, while also strengthening governance, fostering innovation, increasing human capital, and aligning the education system with global economic demands.
The agreement also opens the door for Panama to deepen its participation within OECD bodies, allowing the country to take part in discussions where global standards are defined.
Since taking office in July 2024, President José Raúl Mulino has prioritized efforts to remove Panama from international lists that label it as a tax haven, which his administration considers discriminatory.
As part of this strategy, the government restricted the participation of most European companies—except those from Spain, Italy, and Greece—in public tenders for major infrastructure projects, including a planned railway to the border with Costa Rica and a gas pipeline near the Panama Canal. This move came after the European Union kept Panama on its list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes.
Over the past year, Panama has made progress in this area, including its removal from the European Parliament’s money laundering list and Ecuador’s tax haven list.
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