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Central America

Sex workers leave fear behind to earn a living, despite COVID-19

The need is greater than the fear. Sex workers in Costa Rica are aware of this. Their trade involves doing the opposite to avoid coronavirus infections. But they cannot telework. Their way of earning a living is not regulated, nor can they opt for aid like other workers affected by the pandemic.

Ana, not her actual name, started working again in a park in San José. Or at least she is trying to. In the last few months, she has had to change her attire. It is still flashy. But now she wears a mask. However, she wears it below her jaw. She must show her face. She says that in her job everything is about the looks.

Customers hardly ever come close. The last few months have been bad. Fear of contagion, the shrinking economy, and vehicle restrictions may be some factors affecting them. Clients have decreased dramatically. However, she says, I could not stop working. Reinventing yourself after 38 years in the trade is difficult.

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Central America

Thousands protest in Panama against Trump’s Canal claims and U.S. Secretary’s visit

Popular and labor sectors in Panama held a “patriotic day” protest this Sunday in response to Donald Trump’s threats to reclaim the interoceanic canal and against the presence of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who met with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino earlier that morning.

The demonstrators, called by the Alliance of the United People for Life, marched peacefully from the central Porras Park to the Panamanian Presidency building, where the meeting between Mulino and Rubio took place. However, several sections of the route leading to that location had been closed off by the police and riot control units as a preventive measure.

“One territory, one flag!”, “This homeland is not for sale!”, “Panama is not for sale!” were some of the slogans shouted by participants in the march, which included members of the National Union of Construction and Similar Workers (Suntracs).

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Central America

Guatemala acknowledges state responsibility in 1980 spanish embassy massacre

The Guatemalan government acknowledged on Friday its responsibility for the 1980 assault and fire at the Spanish Embassy, carried out by security forces during the country’s civil war (1960-1996), which left 37 people dead.

“In memory of the victims and their dignity, the Government of Guatemala recognizes state responsibility for this crime against humanity,” reads a golden inscription on a green marble plaque, unveiled by the Presidential Commission for Peace at the former site of the diplomatic mission in the capital.

On January 31, 1980, military and police forces stormed the embassy, which had been occupied hours earlier by Maya leaders and students protesting against human rights abuses committed in the fight against leftist guerrillas. During the raid, a devastating fire broke out inside the building.

At the site where the embassy once stood, a group of Indigenous Maya leaders held an ancestral ceremony to honor the victims. Additionally, peasant and human rights organizations issued a statement lamenting that the root causes of the armed conflict—racism, exploitation, inequality, and land dispossession—remain unresolved.

Among the 37 people killed were Spanish consul Jaime Ruiz del Árbol, former Guatemalan Vice President Eduardo Cáceres, former Foreign Minister Adolfo Molina, and Vicente Menchú, father of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Rigoberta Menchú and a prominent Maya leader.

In 2015, a Guatemalan court sentenced Pedro García Arredondo, the former head of a special command unit of the now-defunct National Police, to 90 years in prison for his role in the attack. His unit was responsible for carrying out repressive actions and forced disappearances of political opponents.

Guatemala’s 36-year civil war resulted in approximately 200,000 deaths and disappearances, according to official reports.

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Sports

The prince is back: Neymar’s homecoming to Santos draws thousands of fans

Neymar was greeted by thousands of fans at his childhood club, Santos, on Friday, with a concert at the local stadium and a sign that read, “The Prince is Back.”

The Brazilian star’s private jet landed in São Paulo from Saudi Arabia in the morning, but Neymar requested a few hours of rest before being flown to Santos by helicopter.

The 32-year-old forward is expected to sign a short-term contract with Santos as he aims to regain his standing in Brazil ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Posters saying “The Prince is Back” were being sold for 10 reais (about $1.50) around the 20,000-seat Vila Belmiro Stadium, located on the outskirts of São Paulo.

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