Central America
Nicaraguan opposition leader Suazo sentenced to 10 years in jail: group
AFP
Nicaraguan opposition leader Yubrank Suazo, who took part in protests against President Daniel Ortega’s government in 2018, was sentenced on Wednesday to 10 years in prison, his group said.
A court in the capital Managua sentenced Suazo to five years in jail for “conspiring to undermine national integrity” and another five years for spreading fake news, according to the Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy, where he served as a director.
Suazo was “prosecuted and sentenced without having committed any crime, nor having any link with criminal structures,” the group said in a statement.
The 31-year-old hails from the southern city of Masaya, which was shaken by large anti-government protests in 2018.
The city had declared itself in rebellion against ex-guerrilla Ortega’s government as part of massive nationwide street protests.
The government’s crackdown on the demonstrations left 355 dead.
Suazo was detained in 2018 but released in 2019 as part of an agreement with the government mediated by the Catholic Church, which also saw several hundred other opposition figures freed.
But in May Suazo was arrested again and put on trial.
A Nicaraguan NGO campaigning for political prisoners says about 190 opposition figures have been detained.
About 45 opposition figures, including seven presidential hopefuls, were arrested last year ahead of elections in which Ortega benefitted from the lack of credible opposition to win a fourth successive term.
They were sentenced to up to 13 years in prison for allegedly undermining national security.
Ortega accuses his opponents of trying to oust him with help from the United States, which has hit him and his inner circle with sanctions.
Central America
Panamanian farms take action to reduce jaguar attacks and promote coexistence
A growing number of farms in Panama are taking steps to reduce jaguar attacks on livestock, showing that coexistence between humans and these American felines is possible, a UN agency said on Friday.
The jaguar (Panthera onca) holds a prominent place in Mayan and Aztec mythology, but many farmers kill them after livestock attacks.
Ninety-six percent of jaguar deaths in Panama from 1989 to 2019 occurred following attacks on livestock, according to the NGO Fundación Yaguará. Additionally, the prized jaguar hide made them targets for poachers, causing the population to decline by 20 to 25% since 2000, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
“Conserving the jaguar is not just about protecting an iconic species; it also involves safeguarding and restoring critical ecosystems, and improving water management and biodiversity,” Juan Bello, Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), told AFP.
Fundación Yaguará, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and UNEP are running a program to “reduce conflicts between communities and wildlife” in Panama.
Through this innovative project, many farms have adopted measures to reduce livestock attacks and avoid retaliatory killings of jaguars, demonstrating that coexistence is indeed possible.
Central America
Police confirm multiple victims and fire after church shooting in Grand Blanc, Michigan
A new mass shooting shook the United States this Sunday, this time at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saintslocated on McCandlish Rd. in Grand Blanc, Michigan.
The Grand Blanc Township Police Department confirmed that there were multiple victims, though their identities and the extent of their injuries have not yet been disclosed. Authorities have not specified whether there are fatalities.
According to the official report, the attacker “is down” and the threat has been neutralized.
“There are multiple victims, and the shooter is down. There is NO threat to the public at this time. The church is actively on fire,” the department said in a statement.
In addition to the shooting, a fire is consuming the temple, prompting police to urge residents to avoid the area as emergency operations continue.
Central America
Bukele and Trump highlight joint fight against gangs and terrorism
U.S. President Donald Trump thanked the Government of El Salvador for its collaboration in imprisoning criminals who had entered U.S. territory irregularly. The Republican leader acknowledged the work of his ally during his address at the 80th United Nations General Assembly taking place this week in New York.
“I want to thank El Salvador for the successful and professional work it has done in receiving and imprisoning so many criminals who entered our country. Under the previous administration [of Joe Biden], the numbers reached record levels, and now we are expelling them all,” Trump stated.
For his part, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele expressed his gratitude to the U.S. leader for his remarks and for officially designating the 18th Street gang as a terrorist group.
“In El Salvador, we had already taken that step by formally labeling them terrorists, and although some organizations have criticized us, the majority of their members are currently imprisoned at Cecot, the Terrorism Confinement Center, designed specifically to confront these threats,” Bukele said.
He added that both countries share a common vision in the fight against terrorism. “We are convinced that cooperation between our nations is key to eradicating these criminal structures and ensuring a future of peace and security for our people,” Bukele emphasized.
Supreme Court backs Trump move to end TPS for over 300,000 venezuelans
U.S. government shutdown likely to continue into next week amid Senate deadlock
Trump plans permanent federal cuts amid partial government shutdown
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
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International4 days agoTropical storm Imelda leaves one dead and thousands displaced in eastern Cuba
-
International3 days agoRenowned mexican stylist Miguel de la Mora fatally shot in Polanco
-
International3 days agoTrump pledges to restore ‘Warrior Spirit’ of U.S. military in rare meeting with Top Officers
-
International4 days agoU.S. President: Israel will have full support if Hamas rejects peace proposal
-
Central America4 days agoPanamanian farms take action to reduce jaguar attacks and promote coexistence
-
International3 days agoMaduro to gain expanded defense powers in case of U.S. attack, government confirms
-
International4 days agoRussia to draft 135,000 young men for autumn military service, not Ukraine
-
International3 days agoUN Security Council expands Haiti mission into major anti-gang force
-
International1 day agoTrump administration warnings prompt Bad Bunny to skip U.S. stops on World Tour
-
International2 hours agoSupreme Court backs Trump move to end TPS for over 300,000 venezuelans
-
International2 hours agoU.S. government shutdown likely to continue into next week amid Senate deadlock
-
International1 day agoTrump plans permanent federal cuts amid partial government shutdown