Central America
Guatemala: Volcano of Fuego activity increases
May 4 |
In the Special Volcanological Bulletin BEFGO #019-2023, issued at 5:10 a.m. Insivumeh details that the volcanic surveillance network and reports from Insivumeh field observers confirm a progressive increase in the volcanic activity of Volcán de Fuego as of 2:00 a.m. this Thursday.
“So far a new eruptive stage of predominantly effusive characteristics has been observed, which is expressed through the formation of a lava flow in the direction of the Ceniza ravine,” reads the bulletin.
It adds that the eruptions generate constant avalanches, incandescence over the crater and constant sounds are reported accompanying the gas and ash column that so far is dispersed in a southwest direction.
“This activity is expected to increase in the next minutes to hours, forming gas and ash columns of greater height, violent explosions loaded with ash, lava flows in other directions and pyroclastic flows towards the Ceniza and Las Lajas ravines, which may travel distances between 5 and 7 kilometers. It is not discarded that these flows also descend by any other ravine, so you should not stay near or within the ravines of the volcano,” it is mentioned.
According to Insivumeh, it maintains permanent visual and instrumental surveillance through seismic stations and OVFGO observers.
According to the SSG, during the early morning of May 4, an increase of activity in the Fuego volcano was observed through the Crelosa camera.
It points out that this activity has originated an accumulation of volcanic material in the direction of the Ceniza ravine, forming a lava flow in this area.
He adds that the activity persists “with moderate and strong explosions that generate ballistic fall, ash columns and rumblings that are sensitive to the population located in the surroundings of the volcano. Due to the constant activity, avalanches and pyroclastic flows may be generated in this and other directions”.
He points out that the ash dispersion, according to the wind direction record, shows ash displacement in a southwest direction. The maximum projected length according to wind speed is 8 km for deposits that can reach up to 10 mm in thickness and 30 km for those areas that can be affected by deposits of up to 1 mm.
Central America
Mulino Vows Tougher Crackdown as Homicides Increase in Panama
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said Thursday that his administration will not negotiate with gangs in an attempt to curb the wave of violence that has recently shaken the country and fueled growing public concern over insecurity.
“I am not going to sit down, nor is the security minister going to sit down with the leader of any gang to negotiate,” Mulino stated while rejecting any possibility of dialogue with criminal organizations.
According to statistics from the Public Ministry of Panama, the country recorded 62 homicides in April, nearly double the 34 reported during the same month last year. In March, authorities registered 53 killings, representing a 20% increase compared to the same period in 2025.
Panamanian authorities say the country’s two main gangs, among more than 180 criminal organizations identified nationwide, are behind the recent escalation in violence.
The National Police of Panama stated that disputes over territorial control, recruitment of new members, and drug theft between rival gangs are driving the increase in murders and armed attacks.
Mulino also expressed concern about innocent civilians becoming victims of the violence.
“They are in restaurants, they are in schools, and they become victims of these shootings,” the president said.
The Panamanian leader further called for tougher judicial measures against gang leaders and drug trafficking operators, criticizing court decisions that grant house arrest to suspects linked to contract killings and organized crime.
“We are going to act as we must to defend the overwhelming majority of Panamanian citizens, who are not criminals and are not drug traffickers,” Mulino stated.
Authorities believe that rising cocaine production in South America and Panama’s role as a transit route for drugs destined for the United States and Europe continue to strengthen gangs involved in narcotics trafficking.
Central America
Arévalo Announces Overhaul of Guatemala’s Prison System Amid Security Crisis
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo said Thursday that his administration is working on a major transformation of the country’s prison system in an effort to end what he described as a “feast of corruption” inside Guatemala’s jails.
Speaking during an official ceremony in which Guatemala received 20 new inmate transport vehicles with support from the United States and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), Arévalo stressed that prisons must no longer remain under the control of criminal organizations.
“Prisons should not be places where crime is perfected, but places where rehabilitation becomes possible,” the president said during his speech.
Arévalo explained that the addition of the new vehicles will strengthen security, surveillance, and operational control within the penitentiary system, which is considered one of the most overcrowded in the region.
Guatemala’s prisons currently hold more than 25,000 inmates in facilities originally designed for approximately 7,000 people, representing overcrowding levels exceeding 300%. Authorities acknowledge that these conditions have enabled gangs and criminal groups to coordinate extortion schemes, murders, and other crimes from inside prison facilities.
The crisis reached one of its most critical moments in January, when government attempts to regain control of several prisons triggered riots in three detention centers across the country.
Following the operations, members of the Barrio 18 gang allegedly carried out armed attacks in different areas of the country, leaving 11 officers from Guatemala’s National Civil Police dead.
Central America
Panama confirms drug contamination of El Salvador coffee shipment occurred on its territory
A container originating from El Salvador and carrying coffee for export was contaminated with more than 1,152 packages of drugs while in transit through Panama, according to official information confirmed by the Panamanian government this Tuesday.
The case, which had previously generated political controversy in April 2025 after opposition sectors attempted to link the Salvadoran government to drug trafficking, has now been clarified through renewed investigations.
Authorities confirmed that the container departed from the port of Acajutla after being properly inspected, with no illicit substances detected at the time of export.
According to statements previously provided by El Salvador’s Minister of Defense, René Merino Monroy, the shipment traveled first to the port of Balboa in Panama, where it remained stored for several days before being transferred to another vessel bound for Manzanillo in Colón.
It was at that terminal that Panamanian authorities discovered the drugs and identified tampering with the container seals, indicating that the illicit alteration occurred during its transit in Panama rather than in Salvadoran territory.
The findings align with earlier explanations provided by Salvadoran officials and confirm that the contamination of the cargo took place outside of El Salvador’s jurisdiction.
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