U.S. Vice President JD Vance issued a light-hearted but firm warning to international visitors planning to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

“We know we’ll have visitors, probably from close to a hundred countries. We want them to come. We want them to celebrate. We want them to enjoy the games,” said Vance during a press conference on Tuesday focused on the organization of upcoming major sporting events in the U.S.

“But when it’s over, they’ll have to go home,” he added.

Vance, speaking in a joking tone, also mentioned Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, saying, “Otherwise, they’ll have to speak with Secretary Noem.”

The comment came during the first joint working session aimed at preparing for the 2026 World Cup, which will feature 48 national teams and take place across multiple cities in North America.

Advertisement

20250509_dengue_728x90

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

20250501_vacunacion-influenza-728x90

20250501_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

Each year in Guatemala, an average of 2,000 girls aged 10 to 14 become mothers as a result of sexual violence, and 99% of these cases go unpunished, according to a report released Wednesday by the Human Rights Office of the Archdiocese (ODHAG).

“Girls in the country live under state abandonment. They are exposed to a judicial and health system that, upon becoming pregnant, forces them into motherhood and to abandon their life plans,” said Dr. Mirna Montenegro, lead researcher of the investigation, during a press conference.

Montenegro emphasized that between 2022 and 2024, the Ministry of Health recorded 5,937 births to girls aged 10 to 14.

“What’s most alarming is that only 1% of these cases have been brought to court since 2018—just around 100 cases—and this doesn’t mean the accused rapists were convicted,” she stressed.

The investigation also found that the government program “VIDA”, created to support girls who are victims of sexual violence, served only 129 minors in 2024, despite 1,953 pregnancies reported among girls in that age group.

Advertisement

20250509_dengue_728x90

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

20250501_vacunacion-influenza-728x90

20250501_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

In addition, the report noted that in 2023, 3,064 cases of sexual violence against minors under 19 were reported nationwide. The majority of victims were girls aged 10 to 13.

The areas most affected by child pregnancies include Huehuetenango, Alta Verapaz, and Quiché in the north, as well as Guatemala City in the central region.

According to the most recent Ministry of Health data, as of February 2024, 1,041 girls under 14 had already become mothers. Another 1,005 girls of mestizo origin were also reported to have become mothers due to sexual violence.

Experts issued an urgent call on Wednesday to confront the threats and systemic flaws that could endanger democracy and civil liberties in Honduras, as the country prepares for its general elections on November 30, when voters will elect a successor to President Xiomara Castro.

César Espinal, coordinator of the Corruption Observatory at the National Anti-Corruption Council (CNA), told EFE that it is crucial to overcome the “atmosphere of uncertainty” generated during the March primaries, which were marred by irregularities in the delivery of electoral materials, causing delays of over twelve hours at several polling centers.

Espinal emphasized that the lack of internal coordination and the institutional weakening of the National Electoral Council (CNE) present major challenges to rebuilding public trust and encouraging strong voter participation.

“We believe that the main challenge lies in the disagreements and lack of coordination within the National Electoral Council, as it is the council members who make key decisions to guide the upcoming electoral process — especially in adhering to the timeline and addressing the various stages from now until November,” he explained.