Central America

Nicaragua opposition denounces detention of VP candidate

AFP

Nicaragua’s main opposition alliance hit out at authorities on Wednesday after revealing its candidate for the vice presidency has been held under house arrest without any justification.

Former beauty queen Berenice Quezada “was told by judicial authorities and the public ministry that from now on she was under house arrest without access to telephone communications and with restricted movement,” said the Citizen’s Alliance for Liberty (CXL) on its Twitter account.

The CXL said the 27-year-old had been told she is “barred from running for public office” and must remain at her home in the capital Managua under police guard.

Quezada, who was Miss Nicaragua in 2017, was a surprise choice for running mate for the CXL’s presidential candidate Oscar Sobalvarro.

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CEL

The 68-year-old former right-wing guerrilla was only picked to run in November’s election because five of the alliance’s presidential hopefuls were amongst more than 30 opposition figures detained by authorities over the last two months.

They are accused of treason and threatening the country’s sovereignty under a controversial law approved in December that has been widely denounced as a means of freezing out challengers and silencing opponents.

Critics have accused President Daniel Ortega’s government of trying to prevent any meaningful opposition from standing in November’s election.

Neither the police nor the public prosecutor’s office have confirmed Quezada’s detention.

It came hours after Ortega supporters filed a complaint against her for an “implicit call to violence and hatred,” and demanded that she be prevented from standing in the election.

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CEL

When enrolling on Monday for the election, Quezada vowed to campaign for the freedom of “political prisoners” and urged supporters to head out in droves to vote “as you did in the streets” in anti-government protests in 2018.

The brutal government repression of those protests left at least 328 people dead and 2,000 injured, according to rights groups.

“We need to show them on November 7 that Nicaragua does not want them in the country,” Quezada had said of Ortega and his wife, Vice-President Rosario Murillo.

Ortega, in power since 2007, is standing for a fourth consecutive term and Murillo is once again his running mate.

The Supreme Electoral Council has until August 9 to either validate or reject the candidates proposed by parties and alliances standing in the elections.

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CEL

Central America

Mass deportations begin: Central American migrants face unemployment and despair

Migrants from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua account for 38% of all individuals with deportation orders from the United States. If Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan is fully executed, more than 200,000 Central Americans could be sent back to their home countries in 2025 alone.

But are these governments prepared to receive them and withstand the economic blow of reduced remittances?

“Look at my wrists. They put the shackles so tight, all the way down,” described a Salvadoran migrant, recounting his harsh repatriation journey in late January. He was on one of the first deportation flights under Trump’s second term.

“I have nothing—no money, no job, none of the opportunities I dreamed of,” expressed a Honduran migrant, who was forcibly returned to his country in early 2025.

These testimonies, documented by Central American media, paint a picture of desperation and uncertainty among recent deportees.

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CEL

During his campaign, President Trump vowed to carry out “the largest mass deportation in history”. Since his return to the White House, images of deported migrants have dominated official channels, underscoring the high priority of this policy on his administration’s agenda.

Central America

Nicaragua rejects UN Human Rights Council following calls for ICJ Action

The government of Daniel Ortega announced on Thursday that Nicaragua is withdrawing from all activities related to the United Nations Human Rights Council. The decision comes after a report by the UN-appointed Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua, which urged the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to take action against the country for revoking the nationality of Nicaraguan citizens.

“Nicaragua conveys its sovereign and irrevocable decision to withdraw from the Human Rights Council and from all activities related to this Council and its associated mechanisms,” said Vice President Rosario Murillo, speaking through official state media.

Central America

Panama may cancel Chinese port contract as Trump threatens to ‘retake’ canal

Panama’s Attorney General’s Office has recommended annulling the 1997 concession granted to a Chinese company to operate two key ports at the entrances of the Panama Canal, citing constitutional violations. The move comes as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens to “retake” the waterway, claiming it is under Beijing’s control.

The request was made by Panama’s Chief Prosecutor, Luis Carlos Gómez, to the Supreme Court, which is currently reviewing two legal challenges against the concession contract awarded to Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Hutchison Holdings.

At the same time, the company is facing an audit by Panama’s Comptroller’s Office to determine whether it has fulfilled its financial obligations to the government.

According to Gómez, the contract is “unconstitutional”, and he has urged the court to invalidate it. In a document obtained by AFP, he argues that the agreement violates 15 articles of the Panamanian Constitution, as it “improperly transferred exclusive state rights, impacting social and public interests.”

Additionally, Gómez claims that the contract undermines free competition, grants unjustified tax exemptions, and that the automatic 25-year renewal in 2021 was agreed upon under unfair conditions for the public interest.

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CEL

The lawsuits seek to void the contract that allows Panama Ports Company to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal ports, located at the Pacific and Atlantic entrances of the canal, respectively. The plaintiffs argue that the company has evaded taxes and received illegal benefits in violation of the Constitution.

The legal battle unfolds as Trump raises concerns over China’s influence in the canal, which the U.S. built and operated until its handover to Panama in 1999. Trump has hinted at taking back control of the waterway, despite the fact that it is managed by an independent Panamanian authority.

Washington sees the presence of a Chinese company at the canal’s entry points as a national security risk, even though both the U.S. and China are the top users of the strategic trade route. The canal, which handles 5% of global maritime trade, underwent a major expansion in 2016 to accommodate larger vessels.