Central America
Honduran President inaugurates Museum of Memory
June 29 |
Honduran President Xiomara Castro inaugurated on Wednesday the Museum of Memory and Reconciliation in what used to be the Presidential House, located in downtown Tegucigalpa, 14 years after the coup d’état perpetrated against former President José Manuel Zelaya Rosales in 2009.
Castro stressed that the first act of his government was to approve the Law for the Reconstruction of the Constitutional Rule of Law and for the Events Not to Be Repeated, to condemn the coup d’état, compensate its victims and move towards reflection and historical memory.
“Today, with the opening of this Museum of Memory and Reconciliation, we create a space for reflection, a space for learning, a place to meet, to listen to the silenced voices and reconstruct the fundamental values of the creation of our Homeland. Building memory and reconciliation is a complex task,” he stressed.
The Head of State informed that the Secretariat of Human Rights formulated the project to establish the National Day of Truth, Memory and Justice, in addition to the approval of an Executive Decree through which the State assumes the responsibility to support the victims of the unconstitutional coup and their families.
“To those who with their sacrifice taught us that the liberation of our Homeland is not a gift, but a right that we must defend with all our strength, we are here to tell you that your names will remain engraved in the collective memory as a symbol of courage and resistance,” he recalled.
According to the Government Press Secretariat, the president joined the audience attending the evening to chant the names of the heroic men and women who gave their lives to oppose the breaking of the constitutional order, such as Isy Obed Murillo, Roger Vallejo, Wendy Ávila and others.
“Compatriots: together we can build the great Homeland, the dream of Morazán, of Bolívar, of Martí. Honduras today opens its fraternal arms to the solid altar of justice and democratic socialism that only on the basis of a fair and inclusive system can we build”, concluded the head of state.
The event was attended by former President Manuel Zelaya, the President of the Supreme Court of Justice, Rebeca Raquel Obando; the former President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, members of the National Congress and international guests who accompanied the people of Honduras during the 2009 coup.
Central America
Panama and OECD sign deal to boost investment climate and global integration
The Government of Panama and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) signed an agreement this Friday in Paris aimed at improving the country’s investment climate through data exchange, expert missions, and policy benchmarking.
“This is not a symbolic act. It is a strategic decision. A statement of intent. A commitment to transformation,” said Panama’s Foreign Minister, Javier Martínez-Acha, following the signing, according to an official statement.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by Martínez-Acha and OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann at the organization’s headquarters in the French capital.
According to Panama’s Foreign Ministry, the agreement establishes “a solid and forward-looking framework for cooperation,” enabling high-level technical collaboration through data sharing, comparative policy analysis, expert missions, and evidence-based recommendations.
Authorities stated that the initiative is expected to enhance the investment environment, boost competitiveness, and improve predictability, while also strengthening governance, fostering innovation, increasing human capital, and aligning the education system with global economic demands.
The agreement also opens the door for Panama to deepen its participation within OECD bodies, allowing the country to take part in discussions where global standards are defined.
Since taking office in July 2024, President José Raúl Mulino has prioritized efforts to remove Panama from international lists that label it as a tax haven, which his administration considers discriminatory.
As part of this strategy, the government restricted the participation of most European companies—except those from Spain, Italy, and Greece—in public tenders for major infrastructure projects, including a planned railway to the border with Costa Rica and a gas pipeline near the Panama Canal. This move came after the European Union kept Panama on its list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes.
Over the past year, Panama has made progress in this area, including its removal from the European Parliament’s money laundering list and Ecuador’s tax haven list.
Central America
Guatemala court overturns arrest warrants against former CICIG officials
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.
“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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