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
El Salvador’s MARN monitors ongoing seismic activity in La Unión department
Seismic activity in the Conchagua area and its surroundings, located in the department of La Unión, continues to accumulate events, surpassing 1,350 aftershocks as of Wednesday morning, according to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN).
As of 6:00 AM on December 18th, a total of 1,351 earthquakes have been recorded, of which 176 were felt, according to the data published by the Ministry of Environment. The seismic activity in this area of the eastern part of the country began on December 8th after a magnitude 5.8 earthquake was recorded at 9:50 PM. The magnitudes of the aftershocks have ranged between 2.5 and 5.0.
The Ministry of Environment continues to monitor seismic activity in this region and throughout El Salvador to take appropriate measures and ensure the safety of the Salvadoran population.
Sports
Real Madrid clinches fourth Intercontinental Cup with 3-0 victory over Pachuca
Real Madrid crowned themselves champions of their fourth Intercontinental Cup on Wednesday, defeating Mexican club Pachuca 3-0 in Doha, thanks to goals from Frenchman Kylian Mbappé and Brazilians Rodrygo and Vinicius.
The ‘Merengues’ thus capped off a spectacular 2024 year, winning five titles. Before this success in Qatar, they had already claimed the Spanish League, the UEFA Champions League, and the Super Cups of Spain and Europe.
Mbappé, who made his return after a minor muscle injury, capitalized on a pass from Brazilian Vinicius in the 37th minute, who dribbled past goalkeeper Carlos Moreno, to finish from close range. It was the first shot on target for Real Madrid.
The team doubled their lead with another brilliant goal from Rodrygo, who feigned a shot to beat his defenders and created enough space to take a strike from the edge of the area, beating Moreno in the 53rd minute.
For a few moments, the goal was under review after Venezuelan referee Jesús Valenzuela was called to check a potential offside by Jude Bellingham.
However, the referee concluded that the Englishman did not interfere with the play and the goal was allowed.
Five minutes later, Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had to use his hand to stop a dangerous ball, which Salomón Rondón almost put into the net.
Mbappé, who had scored a hat-trick in the 2022 World Cup final that was lost to Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the same Lusail stadium, left the pitch in the 62nd minute on the decision of Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, who lifted his 15th title with the club—one more than the legendary Miguel Muñoz.
When it seemed like the players of Uruguayan Guillermo Almada had gained some initiative, Oussama Idrissi fouled Lucas Vázquez inside the area, and the penalty was reviewed via VAR.
Vinicius converted the spot-kick in the 84th minute with a low, powerful shot that Moreno touched but could not save.
The newly named FIFA Player of the Year had another chance to score, while Ángel Mena managed to head the ball into the net before the 90-minute mark, but his goal was ruled offside.
Central America
Amnesty International condemns Nicaragua’s unprecedented repression of dissent
On Tuesday, Amnesty International (AI) stated that no one in Nicaragua is safe from the “repressive model” imposed by the government of Daniel Ortega, which threatens human rights in an “unprecedented” manner.
“Nicaragua’s repression leaves no one safe,” said Ana Piquer, AI’s Americas director, in a statement.
“From indigenous leaders, journalists, human rights defenders, and anyone seen as a risk to the government’s policies, the authorities continue to solidify the climate of fear in which dissent is punished with imprisonment, exile, or disappearance,” she added.
Since the anti-government protests in 2018, which Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, consider an attempted coup promoted by the United States, hundreds of people have been “unjustly imprisoned” and many have been forced into exile, according to AI.
At least 300 people died in the protests, according to the United Nations.
The human rights organization urged Ortega’s government to “immediately halt all repressive practices,” ensure human rights, and end the “criminalization of dissent.”
Recently, the NGO Colectivo Nicaragua Nunca Más reported over 2,000 arbitrary arrests and at least 229 cases of torture of detainees since 2018.
Additionally, Amnesty labeled imprisoned Miskito indigenous leader Brooklyn Rivera as a “prisoner of conscience” and demanded his release along with dozens of other detainees.
The Mechanism for the Recognition of Political Prisoners in Nicaragua currently lists 45 people detained for political reasons in the country.
Since February 2023, Ortega’s government has stripped about 450 politicians, businessmen, journalists, intellectuals, human rights activists, and religious figures of their Nicaraguan nationality after they were exiled or expelled from the country.
Amnesty demanded “an end to the practice of arbitrary deprivation of nationality, as well as the full restoration of the rights of those deprived of it,” and urged the international community not to remain “indifferent” to the situation in Nicaragua.
Ortega, a 79-year-old former guerrilla fighter who ruled Nicaragua in the 1980s and has been in power again since 2007, enacted a broad constitutional reform in November that stipulates that “traitors to the homeland” lose their Nicaraguan nationality, a charge leveled against most of the exiled individuals.
-
Central America4 days ago
Amnesty International condemns Nicaragua’s unprecedented repression of dissent
-
Sports4 days ago
Real Madrid clinches fourth Intercontinental Cup with 3-0 victory over Pachuca
-
Central America4 days ago
El Salvador’s MARN monitors ongoing seismic activity in La Unión department
-
International4 days ago
Mexico requests extradition of ‘Mini Lic’ for murder of journalist Javier Valdez
-
International3 days ago
The Court of the IADH rules out measures in favor of Gustavo Petro amid investigations into his campaign
-
International4 days ago
Mexican government to use church atriums for gun surrender program to combat violence
-
International3 days ago
Trump links Mike Johnson’s re-election to meeting his budget requirements
-
International3 days ago
The Constitutional Court of Peru annuls the sentence against the leader of Dina Boluarte’s former party
-
International4 days ago
Cuba’s government stresses openness to serious, respectful U.S. relations
-
International4 days ago
Begoña Gómez defends her actions as investigations into her role at Complutense University continue
-
International3 days ago
Guterres calls for “avoiding at all costs” the integration of AI into nuclear weapons
-
International4 days ago
NASA delays return of two astronauts stranded on ISS until at least March
-
International5 days ago
Austrian man arrested in Croatia with deceased woman as passenger in his car
-
International5 days ago
Homemade landmine explosion in Michoacán kills two soldiers, injures five
-
International5 days ago
Colombian nationals arrested for human trafficking and disappearance of migrant boat
-
International1 day ago
At least ten dead in Iran in a bus accident in the west of the country
-
International1 day ago
Helene, the violent hurricane that destroyed the southeastern United States
-
International4 days ago
Ukraine’s security a priority as NATO discusses future of conflict with Russia
-
International1 day ago
At least 21 dead and 61 injured after Israel’s last attacks in Gaza
-
International4 days ago
Patient hospitalized with severe avian flu case in Louisiana, CDC reports
-
International3 days ago
An appeals court disqualifies the prosecutor in the election case against Trump in Georgia
-
International1 day ago
Milei closed about 200 areas of the Public Administration in its first year of Government
-
International1 day ago
The piangua, the mangrove mollusk that empowers women in the Colombian Pacific
-
International3 days ago
The new French prime minister launches an ultimatum to the moderate parties and the left rejects his offer
-
International1 day ago
New Syrian leader addresses with the United States the lifting of sanctions for reconstruction
-
International5 days ago
Ecuador announces debt swap of $1.527 billion to protect Amazon rainforest
-
Internacionales7 hours ago
Sinaloa security secretary resigns amid wave of violence and cartel infighting
-
International7 hours ago
Putin vows retaliation following drone attack on luxury building in Kazan
-
International7 hours ago
Small plane crashes in Gramado, Brazil, killing nine people
-
International7 hours ago
Trump criticizes Panama Canal fees and demands U.S. control over strategic waterway