Central America

Nicaragua opposition leader flees to Costa Rica to avoid detention

AFP

The head of Nicaragua’s opposition party Citizens Alliance for Liberty said Tuesday she had left the country for Costa Rica, fearing she would be added to the list of rival politicians arrested by President Daniel Ortega’s government.

“Nobody is safe anymore,” said Carmella Rogers, also known as Kitty Monterrey, in a televised interview with Telenoticias in Costa Rica — her first public appearance in several days.

“(Staying) didn’t make sense, they were going to take me to jail or they were going to deport me.”

Last week, officials canceled the CxL head’s national identity card and passport.

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“I’ve been in hiding since Friday,” Monterrey said. “I was looking for a way out that had to be gradual to get here in a safe way. It was difficult and I’m tired, but here I am.”

The 71-year-old’s exile comes after her right-wing party on Friday was disqualified from standing in November’s election by the electoral court, which is dominated by the ruling party.

The party’s vice-presidential candidate Berenice Quezada had been placed under house arrest that week.

With three months to go before the country’s elections, Nicaragua’s government has detained 32 opposition politicians that they accused of treason.

Among them are seven potential candidates who could run against Ortega, who is seeking a fourth consecutive term.

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The 75-year-old former guerilla first took office in 2007 as part of the left-wing Sandinista National Liberation Front.

His government faces sanctions from the United States and the European Union, which accuse him of humans rights violations and the repression of opposition figures, which began with anti-government protests in 2018.

Ortega accuses the opposition of trying to overthrow him with the support of the United States.

Despite her presence in Costa Rica, Monterrey, who has an American father and Nicaraguan mother, said: “I am never going to stop being Nicaraguan. I am going to continue to fight for Nicaragua, this does not end here.”

She will seek to legalize her stay in Costa Rica under her US citizenship.

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“I think I will stay in Costa Rica if possible,” she said. “I want to be close to my country.”

Monterrey’s opponents blame her for blocking efforts by Nicaragua’s opposition parties and other social forces to mount a unified fight against Ortega.

“It’s not that we are divided, it’s that there have been different opinions,” said Monterrey, who has said the CxL is best-suited to lead the charge.

Even though it was clear the government “was committing fraud, we had to continue doing the impossible within the civic route,” she said.

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Central America

Panama and OECD sign deal to boost investment climate and global integration

The Government of Panama and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) signed an agreement this Friday in Paris aimed at improving the country’s investment climate through data exchange, expert missions, and policy benchmarking.

“This is not a symbolic act. It is a strategic decision. A statement of intent. A commitment to transformation,” said Panama’s Foreign Minister, Javier Martínez-Acha, following the signing, according to an official statement.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by Martínez-Acha and OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann at the organization’s headquarters in the French capital.

According to Panama’s Foreign Ministry, the agreement establishes “a solid and forward-looking framework for cooperation,” enabling high-level technical collaboration through data sharing, comparative policy analysis, expert missions, and evidence-based recommendations.

Authorities stated that the initiative is expected to enhance the investment environment, boost competitiveness, and improve predictability, while also strengthening governance, fostering innovation, increasing human capital, and aligning the education system with global economic demands.

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The agreement also opens the door for Panama to deepen its participation within OECD bodies, allowing the country to take part in discussions where global standards are defined.

Since taking office in July 2024, President José Raúl Mulino has prioritized efforts to remove Panama from international lists that label it as a tax haven, which his administration considers discriminatory.

As part of this strategy, the government restricted the participation of most European companies—except those from Spain, Italy, and Greece—in public tenders for major infrastructure projects, including a planned railway to the border with Costa Rica and a gas pipeline near the Panama Canal. This move came after the European Union kept Panama on its list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes.

Over the past year, Panama has made progress in this area, including its removal from the European Parliament’s money laundering list and Ecuador’s tax haven list.

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Central America

Guatemala court overturns arrest warrants against former CICIG officials

Indigenous leaders in Guatemala announce increased protests

Colombian Attorney General Luz Adriana Camargo and current ambassador to the Vatican Iván Velásquez were both members of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, a UN-backed body created to investigate corruption networks within the Guatemalan state between 2007 and 2019.

Investigations led by the CICIG resulted in the imprisonment of high-ranking officials. According to international organizations, the arrest warrants issued against Camargo and Velásquez were seen as retaliation for their anti-corruption work.

In mid-2025, an appeals court in Guatemala ordered their detention after prosecutors accused them of obstruction of justice and influence peddling, among other charges. The ruling alleged that they had favored business figures linked to Odebrecht who were under investigation.

However, the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court later ruled that the lower court had “overstepped its authority” by issuing the arrest warrants illegally, according to local media reports.

Camargo and Velásquez had immunity due to their roles within a United Nations-backed entity.

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“A month before the end of the term of the corrupt attorney general, Consuelo Porras, it seems the situation is beginning to change in Guatemala,” Velásquez wrote on social media.

Porras—sanctioned by the United States Government and the European Union over allegations of corruption and anti-democratic actions—is set to leave office on May 16 unless she is reappointed by President Bernardo Arévalo, with whom she has been at odds after attempting to block his inauguration two years ago.

The CICIG was unilaterally dissolved by former Guatemalan president Jimmy Morales (2016–2020).

Central America

Honduras police launch high-impact operations amid security concerns

The director of the Policía Nacional de Honduras, Rigoberto Oseguera, presented a recent assessment of the country’s security situation and announced the deployment of high-impact operations in the department of Olancho.

The police chief identified the municipality of Choloma, in the department of Cortés, as one of the most critical areas for crime at a regional level. This comes despite an overall downward trend in violence across the Valle de Sula.

Oseguera also noted that the Central District—comprising Tegucigalpa and Comayagüela—records a high number of homicides. However, he explained that the rate remains comparatively low due to population density, although crime levels in Francisco Morazán still require special attention.

He added that the police have deployed five tactical intervention teams across key regions, including Valle de Sula, Olancho, Francisco Morazán, and the southern part of the country. In addition, authorities have identified multiple criminal incidents in the municipality of Concordia.

“It is a serious situation. These are long-standing social problems in the region, but it is time to act and not make excuses,” Oseguera emphasized.