Central America
Witness details how weapons entered prisons during the truce
May 2 |
Today, this public hearing continued with the appearance of the first six of 42 witnesses, the Specialized Sentencing Court C, in San Salvador, continued, this Tuesday, with the public hearing against former President Mauricio Funes and former Minister of Security, David Munguía Payés, in the case “Truce between gangs”, through which the FMLN government granted benefits to the gangs in exchange, allegedly, to stop attacking the Salvadoran population.
Among the first six witnesses are the heads of the monitoring and intelligence center, and the deputy directors of security at the Izalco prison in Sonsonate and the Zacatecoluca prison in La Paz. All the witnesses are part of a group of 30 people summoned by the Attorney General’s Office.
The six witnesses confirmed the granting of benefits for gang members held in both prisons and meetings to plan, together with the leaders in prison, the actions of the gang members who were on the street, all of which were endorsed by Munguia Payes and the former president.
“I want to denounce seven illegal acts committed by the authorities of the prisons, the Ministry of Security and the government during the period of the truce: One was the entry of mediators without registration; the departure of gang members, clique leaders, to other prisons to meet with other leaders; intimate visits without due permission and procedure; the entry of discos to entertain parties inside the prison; the entry of scantily clad dancers; the simulation of searches and the removal of machines that had information on everything carried out in the prison,” said the former deputy director of security at the Izalco prison.
According to the witness, all of these actions were endorsed by the director of the prison, Juan José Zepeda, and the director of prisons, Nelson Rauda, who received orders from both defendants.
“These people asked the so-called mediators of the truce, who at the beginning were Monsignor Fabio Colindres, Raul Mijango, Roberto Diaz and various street gang leaders, to enter without going through the three security rings,” the witness said.
As well as the deputy director of security at the Izalco prison, one of the people in charge of the monitoring and intelligence center at the prison also pointed out how the mediators, and those who met with the gang members, brought food and objects to Fabio Colindres, Raul Mijango, Roberto Diaz and Father Toño, as Antonio Rodriguez Tercero, a Passionist priest, is known.
In addition to detailing how these weapons would have been brought into the Izalco prison, through the punching bag, both said that the supposed mediators always arrived with briefcases and bags and that when they tried to be searched, they always made calls so that the security guards in charge of the prisons would be ordered to let them pass without any procedure or review.
“On one occasion a simulated search was carried out, these were not programmed, on that occasion 50 cell phones were located in sectors 1 and 2 of the Izalco prison, however, none of these were reported, and at the end of the search all were returned to the gang members,” said the deputy director of security at the Izalco prison.
The Specialized Sentencing Court C of San Salvador expects the public hearing to last five days. During this period, 30 witnesses are expected to appear, and one of Munguia Payes’ defense attorneys has reported that they will present between 10 and 12 witnesses to refute the accusation.
Central America
Guatemala Declares Highest Alert in Areas Affected by Fuego Volcano Eruption
Guatemalan authorities declared a red alert, the highest level of danger, on Tuesday in areas affected by the eruption of the Fuego Volcano, located about 35 kilometers from the country’s capital.
The most active volcano in Central America entered an eruptive phase on Monday morning, and its activity intensified overnight with lava emissions and large columns of gas and ash.
No fatalities have been reported, but the volcanic activity forced the evacuation of around 500 people as a precautionary measure.
The National Coordination for Disaster Reduction (Conred) declared a state of emergency in the departments of Sacatepéquez, Chimaltenango and Escuintla, the agency announced through its official X account.
The affected regions are home to approximately 1.6 million people. However, ashfall has so far impacted only about five municipalities.
Despite the increase in the alert level, authorities reopened a road leading to the city of Antigua, the country’s main tourist destination, after evaluating safety conditions in the area.
The Fuego Volcano is one of Guatemala’s most active geological formations and has a history of frequent eruptions, requiring continuous monitoring by national emergency agencies.
Central America
U.S. Defense Secretary to Close Multinational Military Exercises in Panama to Protect Canal
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will travel to Panama next week to close multinational military exercises involving more than 20 countries aimed at strengthening security measures for the Panama Canal against potential threats, a Panamanian government official announced Monday.
This will mark Hegseth’s second visit to Panama. The U.S. defense chief is expected to arrive on August 13 for the closing ceremony of the military drills, which began this week and have been conducted in the Central American country for more than two decades to support the protection of the interoceanic waterway, according to Panama’s Security Minister Frank Ábrego.
The exercises include participation from the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru and the United Kingdom, among other nations.
“The canal is a strategic infrastructure that connects markets and supports global supply chains. Its security and uninterrupted operation are of fundamental importance for Panama, the United States and the international community,” said U.S. Ambassador to Panama Kevin Marino Cabrera.
The drills include maritime training operations, exercises in jungle areas surrounding the canal, as well as virtual simulations focused on cybersecurity and strategic planning.
The Panama Canal, one of the world’s most important trade routes, handles approximately 5% of global maritime commerce, making its security a priority for international trade and logistics networks.
Ábrego emphasized that preparedness and international coordination are essential to maintaining stability.
“The best way to preserve peace and guarantee the continuity of global trade is to be prepared to respond in a coordinated and effective manner to any threat,” the Panamanian official said.
Central America
Prosecutors Accuse Ex-Defense Minister of Undermining Press Freedom in Honduras
Honduras’ Public Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday filed criminal charges against retired General Roosevelt Hernández, the country’s former defense minister and former chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, over his alleged role in actions that prosecutors say undermined press freedom and freedom of expression.
Prosecutors said the case was brought by the Special Prosecutor’s Office for the Protection of Journalists, Social Communicators, Human Rights Defenders and Justice Officials following an investigation into content published between 2025 and 2026 on a digital media platform operated by the Honduran Armed Forces.
According to the investigation, the publications were reported by journalists and the Honduran Journalists Association (CPH), which described them as part of an alleged campaign to discredit members of the press and media organizations.
The case dates back to May 2025, when the CPH filed complaints with national and international organizations after the Armed Forces referred to three journalists as “hitmen” in an article published by FF.AA. Digital. The association argued that the publication endangered the journalists’ safety and constituted an attack on press freedom.
The journalists identified in the publication as “hitmen of the truth” were Rodrigo Wong Arévalo, director of the television news program Abriendo Brecha; Dagoberto Rodríguez, director of Radio Cadena Voces; and Juan Carlos Sierra, president of the Honduran Journalists Association. The article also included photographs of the three journalists and the CPH’s logo.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office said the case file includes formal complaints, pretrial investigative proceedings, a specialized forensic analysis of audiovisual and digital material, and witness testimony gathered during the investigation to determine whether the publications violated freedom of expression and the exercise of journalism.
Authorities emphasized that freedom of the press and freedom of expression are protected under the Honduran Constitution as well as international treaties ratified by the country.
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