Central America

Guatemala: Military veterans blocked streets in demand for compensation

Yesterday, former Guatemalan military blocked at least 15 stretches of road in the country. They were demanding compensation for their services during the civil war. A conflict that caused thousands of deaths between 1960 and 1996. Protesters want Congress to pass the so-called “Honoring Guatemalan Soldiers and their Families Act.”

Also, a group of approximately 150 former soldiers protested in front of the Guatemalan Congress. They removed most of the roadblocks after negotiations with the armed forces. However, the scenario was different in the Department of Retalhuleu. Where demonstrators threw stones at anti-riot police, who countered with tear gas.

Guatemala already has a compensation law for war victims, widows and orphans. However, the law does not include members of the armed forces.

Central America

Mexico’s president proposes regional economic summit at CELAC

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum held bilateral meetings on Wednesday with the presidents of Uruguay (Yamandú Orsi), Guatemala (Bernardo Arévalo), Brazil (Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva), and Colombia (Gustavo Petro) ahead of her participation in the IX Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in Honduras.

“Before the CELAC Summit, we met with the presidents of Uruguay, Guatemala, Brazil, and Colombia. We are sister nations that share a progressive vision,” Sheinbaum posted on social media.

During the meetings, Sheinbaum called for a Summit on Latin America’s Economic Wellbeing, in response to the ongoing U.S. tariff war. She stressed the urgent need for unity and solidarity among Latin American and Caribbean governments and peoples to deepen regional integration.

Amid the new round of tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, Sheinbaum reiterated her belief that the economic integration Mexico has with North America should be extended to the entire continent.

Central America

Colombia to host fourth EU-CELAC Summit in November

The Fourth Summit between the European Union (EU) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) will take place on November 9 and 10 in Santa Marta, Colombia, according to a joint statement released Wednesday by the Colombian government and the European Council.

The summit will be co-chaired by Colombian President Gustavo Petro, in his role as pro tempore president of CELAC, and European Council President António Costa, the statement added.

The last EU-CELAC summit took place in July 2023 in Brussels, when both blocs agreed to hold these meetings every two years.

The summit brings together the 27 EU member states and the 33 CELAC countries, representing 14% of the global population, 21% of global GDP, and one-third of the members of the United Nations, the communiqué noted.

Central America

CELAC condemns unilateral sanctions in ‘Tegucigalpa Declaration’

The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) formally rejected on Wednesday the “imposition of unilateral coercive measures that violate International Law, including those that restrict international trade.”

This position was expressed in the “Tegucigalpa Declaration,” which was “adopted by sufficient consensus among 30 member states” out of the 33 countries that make up the regional organization.

According to Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina, there was “sufficient consensus among 30 states” to adopt the declaration, with three countries distancing themselves from the resolution.

“Argentina, Paraguay, and Nicaragua decided not to adopt the declaration for their own reasons,” Reina explained.