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.
“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.
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.
“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.
Central America
U.S. and Panama hold joint jungle exercises to strengthen security ties
U.S. and Panamanian security forces carried out joint exercises in Panama’s jungle on Wednesday, focusing on the exchange of specialized knowledge as part of renewed bilateral cooperation in security and defense, according to official statements.
Joint operations between the two nations—Panama, which has had no standing army since 1990, and the United States—have been frequent since the 1989 U.S. invasion. The latest drills come after both countries renewed their security cooperation last April through a memorandum of understanding, which initially sparked some controversy in Panama due to provisions allowing greater temporary and rotational U.S. military presence.
The exercises also coincide with an unprecedented U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean, part of Washington’s expanded anti-narcotics campaign, which it links to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government—currently the target of a $50 million U.S. reward offer.
“We are simply focused on creating mutual understanding and shared experiences that can be beneficial for both countries, Panama and the United States,” said U.S. Colonel Ada Cotton during a press briefing.
The U.S. contingent, composed of Marines and an Army officer, participated at the invitation of the Panamanian government, which, according to Cotton, “has clearly defined what we can and cannot do” during the training exercises.
Central America
White House targets Nicaragua over human rights and labor violations
The White House is considering imposing new tariffs of up to 100% on Nicaragua or removing the country from the benefits of the CAFTA-DR free trade agreement, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) reported Monday.
The USTR determined that Nicaragua’s policies under the Ortega-Murillo regime regarding violations of labor and human rights, as well as the dismantling of the rule of law, are “unreasonable” and constitute a burden on commerce.
The resolution follows an investigation that began on December 10, 2024, when the USTR, based on recommendations from the Section 301 Committee and other advisory bodies, started reviewing the practices of Nicaragua’s government. The process included a public hearing and more than 160 comments and testimonies, including evidence of severe human rights abuses that have been forwarded to the U.S. State Department for evaluation and follow-up.
The report published Monday extensively documents how Nicaragua’s authoritarian practices — including the repression of fundamental freedoms — create a high-risk environment for U.S. businesses and investments.
Central America
Environmental groups denounce Nicaragua’s mining deals as ‘ecocide’ in protected areas
The Nicaraguan government has granted three new open-pit mining concessions to two Chinese companies, covering a total area of 21,303.15 hectares in the departments of Nueva Segovia and Boaco, according to an announcement published Friday in the Official Gazette La Gaceta.
The company Three Gold Coins Company S.A. received two permits to extract metallic and non-metallic minerals — one for the El Parquer site, covering 6,513.15 hectares in Wiwilí, Nueva Segovia, and another for the La Virgen site, covering 1,428.94 hectares in Quilalí, also in Nueva Segovia. The second firm, Little Stone Mine S.A., obtained the third concession for the El Triunfo site, spanning 13,361.06 hectares in Boaco.
These new authorizations add to nearly 30 mining concessions granted to Chinese companies over the past two years, now encompassing approximately 600,000 hectares, including areas within the Río San Juan Biosphere Reserve, according to official data.
The environmental organization Fundación del Río, led by exiled activist Amaru Ruiz, denounced the new concessions, arguing they violate the Law on Communal Property of Indigenous Peoples and Ethnic Communities. The NGO stated that the repeal of the regulation protecting natural reserves—replaced on May 6 by the new Law on Environmental Conservation and Sustainable Development Areas—has left key ecosystems without legal protection.
The group also warned about the expansion of illegal artisanal mining within the Río San Juan Reserve, claiming that these concessions effectively legalize extractive activities in protected areas.
Meanwhile, the Platform for Unity and Democracy (PUDE), a coalition of Nicaraguan opposition figures in exile, condemned the government’s massive handover of indigenous lands to Chinese companies, calling it an “ecocide.” The organization said some concessions directly threaten the Indio Maíz Biological Reserve and the Los Guatuzos Wildlife Refuge, both bordering Costa Rica.
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