Central America
Blinken calls for global cooperation on migration in Panama trip
AFP
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday sought greater cooperation in Latin America on migration, taking on a cause of growing political headaches that has only been exacerbated by the crisis in Ukraine.
The top US diplomat was paying a two-day trip to Panama, his first to Latin America this year, weeks before President Joe Biden’s administration ends pandemic restrictions that allowed swift expulsions to Mexico.
Opening talks with a generous dinner at the foreign ministry, Blinken and US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas met with counterparts from more than 20 countries in the Western Hemisphere.
“This issue is a priority for the United States,” Blinken said, calling for a “safe, orderly and humane” way of migration.
“We care about the well-being of millions of people across the hemisphere who have made the desperate decision to leave their homes and communities in search of a better life,” he said.
“All of us bring our concerns to this discussion but also the shared sense of responsibility to meet the migration challenges throughout our region.”
Nearly 100 million people have fled their homes worldwide — a figure that Blinken noted is the highest since World War II.
The global crisis has been worsened by the startlingly fast displacement of millions of Ukrainians since Russia invaded in February.
In the United States, authorities apprehended more than 221,000 people on the Mexican border in March, the highest for a single month in more than two decades — an issue sure to be high on the agenda of Biden’s Republican rivals in upcoming congressional elections.
The spike comes as people from El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti and Honduras flee dire poverty, rampant violence and natural disasters aggravated by climate change.
– Refocusing on region –
But the United States is far from the only nation in the hemisphere experiencing migration strains. Venezuela’s economic and political crisis has triggered an exodus of more than six million people, with neighboring Colombia taking the most.
Blinken signed with Panama an agreement to work together on migration, the second such pact after one last month with Costa Rica.
Panamanian Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes said that the trading nation — home to the dangerous Durian Gap that connects North and South America — saw a record of more than 130,000 migrants last year.
She doubted that migration would ease, pointing to the effects of climate change and the invasion of Ukraine.
“The difficult and harsh reality — our reality — puts us all in a scenario that demands collaboration,” she said.
“Coordinating our efforts is no longer optional. It’s a necessity.”
Brian Nichols, the top US diplomat for Latin America, said the Panama talks would seek to boost support to nations that welcome refugees, including through multinational institutions.
The Panama trip will also help lay the groundwork for a summit of Latin American leaders that Biden will lead in Los Angeles in June.
With Latin America rarely seen as a global security hotspot, the international community spends more than 10 times on each refugee from Syria compared with each Venezuelan migrant, according to a Brookings Institution study.
“There’s going to be less and less appetite from the international community to support migrants in the Western Hemisphere while we have a major migration crisis being provoked by Russia,” said Jason Marczak, an expert on Latin America at the Atlantic Council.
“We need to avoid that becoming an afterthought for the global community, so it’s really important to have Secretary Blinken along with Secretary Mayorkas there in Panama.”
Ukrainian refugees have received a warmer welcome in much of the West than did mostly Muslim migrants from Syria and Afghanistan.
Biden has promised to welcome 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, drawing few protests from former president Donald Trump’s Republican Party, which has generally made opposition to immigration a core issue.
Central America
Guatemala isolates Barrio 18 leader after attacks that killed 11 police
Guatemalan authorities have placed a leader of the Barrio 18 gang in an isolated cell without الكهرباء or “privileges” after he was accused of triggering a recent wave of violence that left 11 police officers dead, the government said on Sunday.
Members of Barrio 18, which is designated as a “terrorist” organization by both the United States and Guatemala, carried out the killings on January 18 in retaliation for the government’s takeover of three prisons that had been under the control of inmates linked to the group.
In response to the attacks, President Bernardo Arévalo declared a month-long state of siege, arguing that gang members were seeking better conditions in prison or transfers to lower-security facilities.
In a message posted on X alongside photographs, Arévalo announced the isolation of Aldo Dupie, also known as “El Lobo,” one of the gang leaders who allegedly directed the uprisings.
Images released by the government show Dupie inside a small cell with narrow windows, built from metal containers, in a secured area of the Renovación I prison in southern Guatemala — the same facility where the hostage-taking riot took place.
With a shaved head and a stern expression, the gang leader appears alone and in handcuffs, according to the photographs.
Guatemala’s prison system said the “new area,” protected by metal fencing and barbed wire, will house high-risk inmates who will remain without privileges or electricity.
Sports
Shakira ignites El Salvador with near sold-out residency at Mágico González Stadium
The recently renovated Jorge “Mágico” González Stadium is rolling out the red carpet for Colombian superstar Shakira, whose string of concerts has sold out almost entirely, confirming the powerful bond between the artist and Salvadoran fans.
The scale of the experience begins as soon as attendees arrive at the venue. Outside the stadium, organizers have installed several photo spots so concertgoers can capture a souvenir from the major event.
Fans attending the Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour will witness a top-tier visual production, where technology and robotic lighting effects will shape an atmosphere that shifts dramatically from one segment of the show to another — moving from the intensity of ’90s rock to the festive explosion of urban pop.
Security and crowd management have been top priorities, with a coordinated operation aimed at ensuring smooth entry and exit, allowing spectators to focus solely on enjoying hits that have defined generations.
Beyond the music, the event marks a milestone for the country’s live-entertainment industry, positioning El Salvador as a destination capable of hosting artist residencies once reserved for cities such as Las Vegas or London.
The excitement is already visible across the capital: hotels are at full capacity and local businesses are riding the wave of enthusiasm sparked by the latest songs from the Colombian star.
Central America
Salvadoran fans plan birthday surprise for Shakira at historic show
The president of Shakira’s Fan Club in El Salvador was interviewed by Diario El Salvador on Saturday as she made her way to her entrance gate at Jorge “Mágico” González Stadium, ahead of the historic concert the Colombian superstar is set to perform in the country.
Before the first of the five shows that make up Shakira’s Salvadoran residency, the fan leader revealed that supporters had prepared a special surprise for the singer, who turned 49 on February 2.
“Today I’m here around the stadium with the props we made for her celebration, with postcards and her songs. We also have kits ready to sing ‘happy birthday’ to our She Wolf,” she said.
She explained that the group used social media to ask fans seated in the Ultra Platinum and Platinum sections to find them and pick up birthday pennants, party headbands, balloons and whistles. The idea is to sing “happy birthday” while Shakira introduces her band, offering what they describe as a special Central American welcome.
“For me, she has been a megastar since the first time I saw her in 1996. I saw her again in 2006, here at the stadium. Last year we traveled to Colombia three times to see her, and today I’m beyond excited that she chose El Salvador,” the fan said.
She added that visitors from across Central America and other countries have traveled for the concerts and will also have the opportunity to discover the country. “I’m very excited about everything she makes us feel,” she said.
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