Central America
Jailed Nicaraguan opposition figures face ill treatment, relatives say
AFP
Relatives of more than 180 jailed opponents of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s government on Monday denounced the ill treatment they said had been inflicted on the detainees, while Catholic leaders complained of “repression” and harassment by authorities.
Five organizations representing relatives of imprisoned opposition figures launched an “urgent appeal” for their immediate release because of their “extreme physical and mental deterioration.”
The imprisoned opponents are victims of a “policy of ill-treatment (…) in order to exhaust, exterminate or mutilate” them, said a joint press release.
More than 40 opposition figures accused of “undermining national integrity” and money laundering were arrested in the months running up to last November’s presidential election.
Seven of them were Ortega’s rivals in the presidential election, and their detention gave him an easy return to power for a fourth consecutive term.
The election was slammed as a “pantomime” in Brussels and Washington.
Since February, at least 45 opponents of the government have been sentenced to terms of up to 13 years in prison on charges of plotting to overthrow Ortega with US backing.
Relatives of the prisoners have frequently criticized conditions inside the prisons that sap the detainees’ health to the point where they need emergency hospitalization.
In February, Hugo Torres, a hero of the Sandinista guerrilla movement who fought with Ortega against the dictatorship of the Somoza dynasty but later turned against his old comrade in arms, died in hospital custody.
The organizations of prisoners’ relatives expressed particular concern over the health of Nidia Barbosa, a 66-year-old activist who suffers from “serious heart problems” and who was hospitalized last week.
The relatives also voiced solidarity with Rolando Alvarez, the bishop of Matagalpa in the north, who has been holed up in his church since Thursday and who started a hunger strike to protest the police surveillance he says he’s been the target of since denouncing the repression of the opposition.
Harvy Padilla, a parish priest in the southern city of Masaya, said that police are also preventing him from leaving his church, and that on Sunday they banned his congregation from attending mass.
Central America
Arévalo calls for ‘rescue’ of Guatemala’s Prosecutor’s Office amid leadership change
Bernardo Arévalo said on Monday that the next attorney general must prioritize “rescuing” the Ministerio Público de Guatemala, amid the ongoing process to replace current chief Consuelo Porras.
Speaking at a press conference, the president stressed that the country needs leadership capable of restoring the institution after years of criticism and controversy.
“What the country needs is someone who can rescue the Prosecutor’s Office from the abuses it has suffered as a result of being co-opted by criminal networks, and who can restore its ability to operate effectively and independently,” he stated.
His remarks come as a commission prepares to select six candidates for the position of attorney general later this week.
Arévalo will then be responsible for appointing the new head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office for the 2026–2030 term, in a decision seen as crucial for the country’s institutional future.
Central America
Panama and Costa Rica strengthen border alliance to combat organized crime
Panama and Costa Rica strengthened a strategic alliance on Saturday aimed at enhancing border security and jointly tackling transnational organized crime, following a high-level bilateral meeting held in Paso Canoas, in Panama’s Chiriquí province, according to Panama’s Ministry of Public Security.
“The effort strengthens digital border control and enables a more effective response to organized crime,” said Frank Abrego, Panama’s Minister of Public Security. He added that “operational integration between both countries increases anticipation and response capacity to threats.”
During the meeting, Abrego and his Costa Rican counterpart, Mario Zamora Cordero, reaffirmed their commitment to deepen bilateral cooperation, particularly in territorial protection and citizen security.
Paso Canoas is a key customs hub in the region, handling goods arriving in Panama through the Panama Canal and the Colón Free Zone, which are then distributed across Central America, as well as regional exports.
Zamora described the meeting as “effective and productive,” emphasizing the importance of sustained police cooperation to confront criminal structures operating in the region.
As part of the agenda, authorities inaugurated a new operations center for the National Border Service in the Progreso sector. The facility is designed to strengthen monitoring and control through surveillance technologies such as cameras and drones, as well as real-time information sharing between both countries.
Authorities also announced the delivery of eight vehicles to reinforce patrol operations, along with intensified joint operations at key border points.
Officials stated that these measures will increase operational presence, improve response capabilities, and enhance security for border communities.
Both ministers agreed that coordination between Panama and Costa Rica has helped maintain a “calm, stable, and developing” border, and announced further meetings, including one in San José, to advance new security agreements.
In this context, in February 2024, both countries inaugurated the Paso Canoas Integrated Control Center on the Costa Rican side, a 14,000-square-meter facility designed to streamline procedures and manage the daily flow of around 200 cargo trucks and 800 people crossing from Panama.
The meeting brought together senior officials from both nations’ security forces, who advanced joint strategies to combat threats such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, and smuggling, through coordinated action and intelligence sharing.
This bilateral effort underscores both countries’ commitment to ensuring citizen security and sends a clear message of joint action against organized crime.
Sports
Ancelotti leaves door open for Neymar’s return to Brazil’s 2026 World Cup squad
Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, current manager of the Brazil national football team, has opened the door to the possibility of Neymar being included in the final squad for the 2026 World Cup, according to an interview published Saturday by L’Equipe.
“At the moment, he is being evaluated by the Brazilian Football Confederation and by me. He still has two months to prove he has the conditions to play in the next World Cup,” Ancelotti said.
Neymar, 34, Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 128 appearances, was left out of the most recent national team call-up for friendlies against France and Croatia. He is also still working to regain full fitness with Santos FC.
Since returning to his club, Neymar has played only a handful of matches in the Brasileirão and the Copa Sudamericana, including an upcoming match against San Lorenzo on April 28. These games could be key for him to convince Ancelotti ahead of the final squad announcement on May 19.
“Neymar has made and continues to make history in Brazilian football. He is a great talent, and it is normal for people to believe he can help us win the next World Cup,” the Italian coach added.
When asked whether the former FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain player must be at full fitness to earn a call-up, Ancelotti admitted he does not have a definitive answer but believes Neymar “is capable of returning to 100%.”
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