Central America
Ortega to declare April 19 as “National Peace Day” in Nicaragua
April 14 |
The government of Daniel Ortega will declare April 19 as “National Day of Peace”, on the fifth anniversary of the beginning of the protests against the president, which were violently repressed, leaving at least 300 dead and thousands of exiled, according to human rights organizations.
Ortega’s wife and also vice-president, Rosario Murillo, announced in the pro-government media that the decree will be issued by the National Assembly in the coming days during a special session and said that with it “they seek to safeguard peace in all its forms”.
“We have decreed this month of April as the month of peace, harmony, tranquility, security, stability and progress against poverty,” said the official who was sanctioned by the United States, which accuses her of having led the repression in Nicaragua in April 2018.
The opposition has scheduled a series of demonstrations next weekend precisely in remembrance of the date. In doing so, they assure that they will demand justice for the victims of state repression in the Central American country.
In Miami, the diaspora announced at least two demonstrations on Sunday, as well as in San José, Costa Rica. In Mexico, Canada and Spain there will also be vigils and concerts alluding to April 2018.
Ortega, who has been in power for more than 15 consecutive years, has branded the protests that erupted in Nicaragua as a coup attempt and has said without evidence that they were sponsored by the United States and the international community.
The president has also launched a crusade against critics and 222 Nicaraguan opponents were banished to the United States and had their citizenship revoked, including seven people who aspired to run in the 2021 presidential elections, which have been labeled as “a farce” by a large part of the international community.
Nicaragua is experiencing its worst political and social crisis in the last 30 years as a consequence of Ortega’s repression. The US has imposed sanctions on a dozen officials close to Ortega for this reason and maintains Nicaragua as “a threat to national security”.
Central America
Guatemala’s President to Hold Private Interviews for Attorney General Candidates
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo de León announced that he will privately interview the six candidates for attorney general this week, breaking with the public format used by former President Alejandro Giammattei.
Speaking during a press conference on Monday, Arévalo said the interviews would not be open to the public because he intends to question candidates about their plans to recover the Attorney General’s Office from what he described as “political-criminal networks.”
Under Guatemalan law, the president is responsible for appointing the country’s attorney general.
The position has been held since 2018 by Consuelo Porras, whose term is set to expire on May 16 after two consecutive terms marked by local and international allegations of corruption.
Arévalo is expected to select the new attorney general later this week from a shortlist recently submitted by a nomination commission.
The Guatemalan president has repeatedly criticized the Public Prosecutor’s Office, claiming it has been compromised by corrupt political interests.
Central America
Guatemala Court Voids List of Candidates for Top Prosecutor Position
Constitutional Court of Guatemala on Thursday annulled the shortlist of six candidates for attorney general and head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, ordering authorities to repeat the evaluation phase of the selection process.
The ruling came in response to a legal appeal filed by Raúl Amílcar Falla Ovalle, who challenged the way professional experience had been assessed for some applicants, particularly those with careers in the judiciary.
As a result of the decision, the selection process has been suspended, and the Postulation Commission must return to the stage in which the original 48 applicants were evaluated.
According to the ruling, the commission must reapply the grading criteria without automatically counting years served as judges as equivalent to the professional experience required for the position.
“The Postulation Commission for the election of the Attorney General and Head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office is ordered to reassess the applicants by strictly applying the approved grading table,” the resolution states.
The Constitutional Court also stressed that the process must guarantee merit, competence, and suitability, while ensuring greater transparency in the assignment of scores.
Central America
U.S. extradites Iranian man over alleged sanctions evasion scheme
The United States has extradited from Panama an Iranian national accused of evading economic sanctions against Iran by illegally exporting U.S. technology. He is scheduled to appear this Monday before a court in Seattle.
Reza Dindar, 44, was extradited on April 17 after being detained in Panama since July 2025 on charges related to export control violations between 2011 and 2012, allegedly carried out through companies based in China.
The defendant appeared before a U.S. district court in Seattle, where he faces charges of violating sanctions imposed by the United States on Iran in 1995 during the administration of Bill Clinton. These sanctions prohibit the unauthorized export, re-export, or supply—directly or indirectly—of U.S. goods, technology, or services to Iran or its government.
According to the indictment, between 2010 and 2014, Dindar led the company New Port Sourcing Solutions in Xi’an, China, which allegedly concealed the procurement of U.S. products for shipment to clients in Iran.
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