Central America
Honduras leader offers rebel deputy post to end congress crisis
AFP
Honduras’ president-elect Xiomara Castro made a last ditch attempt late Wednesday to solve a congressional crisis with hours left before her inauguration.
Last week two rival factions within her left wing Libre party elected their own duelling presidents of Congress.
Castro backs the claims of Luis Redondo of her coalition partner Savior Party of Honduras (PSH).
But Jorge Calix, a deputy within her own Libre party, has led a band of close to 20 rebels, with support from the right wing National and Liberal parties, to launch a rival claim.
Late on Wednesday, Castro tried to break the impasse by offering Calix a role in her cabinet.
“I proposed to Jorge Calix that he joins my government in the position of Cabinet Coordinator for the sake of uniting in the Reformation of Honduras,” Castro wrote on Twitter.
She did not, however, explain what the role entailed, although it appears to be something akin to a chief of staff.
“Thank you President @XiomaraCastroZ, it was a great pleasure speaking with you,” said Calix in a reply to her post on Twitter.
“For me and for anyone, it would be a great honor to form part of the government of resistence and national reconciliation. You will soon receive my answer,” he wrote.
The offer came a day after the two rival factions held competing first sessions presided over by their respective presidents.
Redondo took office as president of the Congress in the building that houses the legislative body.
In parallel and via video link, Calix was also installed as head of Congress by his own loyalist faction.
Calix was joined by around 70 deputies while only around 40 were in the parliament building, although the Redondo faction achieved a quorum as substitute lawmakers stood in for those that were absent.
The crisis broke out last week when a group of Libre dissidents ignored an agreement with the PSH, whose support was key to Castro winning the November elections.
Rival lawmakers came to blows in the dispute.
PSH leader Salvador Nasralla had agreed to withdraw his presidential candidacy and support Castro, in return for the position of vice president and a member of his party being named president of Congress.
But the dissidents argued that Congress should be led by the party with the most members — Libre has 50 deputies compared to just 10 for the Savior party.
Control of parliament is key to Castro’s anti-corruption and political reform platform in a country battered by poverty, migration and drug trafficking.
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.
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.
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.
Mass deportations begin: Central American migrants face unemployment and despair
Parliament approves national celebration for Venezuela’s first saint
Nicaragua rejects UN Human Rights Council following calls for ICJ Action
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Ecuador prison riot leaves at least 43 dead
-
International3 days agoBomb attack on Police Station in Colombia leaves 17 injured
-
International3 days agoArmed group kills eight in Mexico’s most violent state, Guanajuato
-
International3 days agoConcerns persist as Pope Francis faces complications amid hospitalization
-
Internacionales2 days agoUkraine to sign deal with U.S. on joint mineral wealth exploitation this friday
-
International2 days agoPope Francis health remains critical but stable, Vatican reports
-
International3 days agoNewborn dies after being thrown from hotel window in Paris
-
International2 days agoTren de Aragua registered as terrorist entity in Argentina’s RePET Registry
-
Central America1 day agoEl Salvador records 845 homicide-free days under President Bukele’s administration
-
International2 days agoU.S. targets visa restrictions on cuban medical mission exploiters
-
International1 day ago
Trump announces 25% tariffs on EU products, including cars
-
International1 day agoColombian Education Minister fails master’s thesis for lack of rigor
-
Internacionales9 hours agoMexico extradites 29 alleged drug traffickers to the U.S. Amid Trump’s pressure
-
International1 day agoTexas reports first measles-related death as outbreak surpasses 130 cases
-
Internacionales9 hours agoParliament approves national celebration for Venezuela’s first saint
-
Central America9 hours agoPanama may cancel Chinese port contract as Trump threatens to ‘retake’ canal
-
International1 day agoNASA confirms asteroid 2024 YR4 poses no threat to Earth
-
Central America9 hours agoMass deportations begin: Central American migrants face unemployment and despair
-
Central America9 hours agoNicaragua rejects UN Human Rights Council following calls for ICJ Action