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.
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.
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.
Central America
Guatemala arrests first escaped gang member after Barrio 18 prison break
Guatemala’s Ministry of the Interior confirmed early Monday the arrest of one of the 20 inmates affiliated with the Barrio 18 gang who escaped from prison over the weekend, a situation authorities uncovered after conducting an inmate count.
The detainee, identified as Byron Eduardo Fajardo Revolorio, also known as “Black Demon,” was captured early Monday in the eastern department of Santa Rosa, along with members of his family.
On Sunday, the national prison system reported that 20 inmates were missing following an inspection at the facility. The U.S. government designated Barrio 18 as a terrorist organization in September, citing its role in widespread violence and insecurity across the region.
In a statement, the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala described the mass escape as “completely unacceptable” and urged authorities to swiftly recapture all fugitives.
Interior Minister Francisco Jiménez confirmed to The Associated Press that he had dismissed the director of the National Penitentiary System, Ludin Godínez, as well as the warden of the facility where the escape occurred. Complaints have been filed to determine those responsible.
During a press conference, Jiménez added that nine officials in total were removed from their posts, including directors and deputy directors of the Fraijanes II, Mariscal Zavala, Izabal, and Renovación I prisons.
The minister also warned that, following the U.S. designation of Barrio 18 as a terrorist group, anyone found aiding its members will face prosecution. He announced rewards of up to $20,000 for information leading to the capture of each escaped inmate.
Central America
Fraijanes II prison in Guatemala reports gradual escape of 18th Street gang inmates
The Director of the Guatemalan Penitentiary System, Ludin Astolfo Godínez, confirmed the escape of 20 members of the 18th Street gang who were serving sentences at the Fraijanes II Preventive Detention Center for Men.
During a press conference on Sunday, Godínez stated that the escape was not simultaneous, but occurred gradually, in pairs or individually. Authorities are still investigating the exact details of how the incident took place.
The official noted that a headcount revealed the absence of 20 inmates, all affiliated with the 18th Street gang.
Godínez also indicated that corruption or bribery may have facilitated the escape, and investigations are ongoing to clarify this aspect.
“This is an escape from justice. The inmates bypassed the control, registration, and security systems. There may have been involvement from administrative personnel responsible for their custody, and we will not rule that out,” said Godínez.
Central America
U.S. suspends Venezuela talks as Trump considers next phase of military campaign
U.S. President Donald Trump has suspended diplomatic efforts with Venezuela and instructed his special envoy, Richard Grenell, to halt all negotiations, a senior U.S. official confirmed on Monday. The move comes amid growing fears of a military escalation between the two countries and after Trump stated on Sunday that there were “no boats left in the Caribbean,” referring to previous attacks, adding that he might “have to start looking on land.”
Speaking from the Oval Office alongside senior military officials last Thursday, Trump directed Grenell to stop all diplomatic initiatives with Caracas. The decision, revealed later by a U.S. official, confirms that the administration has abandoned the diplomatic path for now.
When asked whether Trump was considering military action inside Venezuela, the official, quoted by Reuters, said the president had not yet decided whether to move his campaign into a second phase.
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