Central America

Witness details how weapons entered prisons during the truce

Photo: DES

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.

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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.

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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 court overturns arrest warrants against former CICIG officials

Indigenous leaders in Guatemala announce increased protests

Colombian Attorney General Luz Adriana Camargo and current ambassador to the Vatican Iván Velásquez were both members of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, a UN-backed body created to investigate corruption networks within the Guatemalan state between 2007 and 2019.

Investigations led by the CICIG resulted in the imprisonment of high-ranking officials. According to international organizations, the arrest warrants issued against Camargo and Velásquez were seen as retaliation for their anti-corruption work.

In mid-2025, an appeals court in Guatemala ordered their detention after prosecutors accused them of obstruction of justice and influence peddling, among other charges. The ruling alleged that they had favored business figures linked to Odebrecht who were under investigation.

However, the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court later ruled that the lower court had “overstepped its authority” by issuing the arrest warrants illegally, according to local media reports.

Camargo and Velásquez had immunity due to their roles within a United Nations-backed entity.

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“A month before the end of the term of the corrupt attorney general, Consuelo Porras, it seems the situation is beginning to change in Guatemala,” Velásquez wrote on social media.

Porras—sanctioned by the United States Government and the European Union over allegations of corruption and anti-democratic actions—is set to leave office on May 16 unless she is reappointed by President Bernardo Arévalo, with whom she has been at odds after attempting to block his inauguration two years ago.

The CICIG was unilaterally dissolved by former Guatemalan president Jimmy Morales (2016–2020).

Central America

Honduras police launch high-impact operations amid security concerns

The director of the Policía Nacional de Honduras, Rigoberto Oseguera, presented a recent assessment of the country’s security situation and announced the deployment of high-impact operations in the department of Olancho.

The police chief identified the municipality of Choloma, in the department of Cortés, as one of the most critical areas for crime at a regional level. This comes despite an overall downward trend in violence across the Valle de Sula.

Oseguera also noted that the Central District—comprising Tegucigalpa and Comayagüela—records a high number of homicides. However, he explained that the rate remains comparatively low due to population density, although crime levels in Francisco Morazán still require special attention.

He added that the police have deployed five tactical intervention teams across key regions, including Valle de Sula, Olancho, Francisco Morazán, and the southern part of the country. In addition, authorities have identified multiple criminal incidents in the municipality of Concordia.

“It is a serious situation. These are long-standing social problems in the region, but it is time to act and not make excuses,” Oseguera emphasized.

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Central America

El Salvador and Paraguay approve 2026–2028 cooperation program

The governments of El Salvador and Paraguay approved the 2026–2028 Cooperation Program, which includes six joint development projects, according to Salvadoran Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Adriana Mira.

Mira stated that El Salvador will act as the “main provider of cooperation,” contributing five initiatives focused on road infrastructure, tourism, and local development. She also noted that one of the projects will be led by the Paraguayan side, although no further details were disclosed.

The agreement was reached during the Second Meeting of the Joint Commission on Technical and Scientific Cooperation between both countries.

According to Paraguay’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the First Meeting of the Political Consultation and Bilateral Coordination Mechanism was also held, with the participation of Vice Minister Víctor Verdún.

In an official statement, the Paraguayan government reported that both delegations agreed to identify mechanisms to promote competitiveness, economic growth, and market access. They also committed to signing agreements related to air transport cooperation.