Central America
Protesting indigenous people achieve investment in their comarca in Panama
August 9|
Indigenous groups unblocked early Tuesday morning points of the Inter-American highway in Panama, after negotiations with a high-level government commission, which agreed to an investment of up to $ 150 million in infrastructure projects in their territories.
The Minister of Public Works, Rafael Sabonge, confirmed that “after 15 hours of conversations with the pro-road groups (…) we have managed to reach an agreement to significantly improve the quality of the roads in the Ngäbe Buglé region and, likewise, improve the quality of life of the residents (…) and as a consequence of this, lift the closure of the road”.
In the agreement it was established to improve the quality of the road network of the region and that the first meeting to follow up on these agreements was to be held this Tuesday.
“We hope that this commitment for the construction of infrastructure in the “most remote areas” of the country will be fulfilled to the letter”, “we trust in God, more than anything else, and again we put our faith in the Government to keep its word in these terms of time”, declared the spokesman of the protesters, Joel Franceschi.
The Panamanian authorities “have been signing agreements for a long time and they have not complied with them and the population has had to resort to this pressure measure so that the Government pays attention”, declared on Monday another spokesman of the demonstrators in San Juan Oriente, Aquilino Montezuma.
Press media reported that on Tuesday morning there were no longer blockades in one of the protest points set up by the indigenous groups, San Juan Oriente, belonging to the western province of Chiriqui, bordering Costa Rica.
The blockades began at noon on Monday and generated long lines of vehicles on the Interamerican highway, which crosses all of Panama and connects the country with Central America; it is considered a neuralgic route for the transportation of people and merchandise arriving through the Panama Canal and the national ports system.
The demonstration raised fears of food shortages in the Central American country, as occurred a little more than a year ago due to indigenous blockades in the same area of Chiriqui, demanding the high cost of living.
Central America
Panama’s president accuses U.S. Embassy official of visa threats amid China tensions
Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino on Thursday accused a U.S. embassy official of threatening to revoke visasfor government officials and civilians amid discussions about the Central American country’s ties with China.
“It’s true, and I have information from several sources, that an official from the embassy is going around threatening to take away visas. That is not consistent with the good relationship I aspire to maintain with the United States,” the president said during his weekly press conference, without naming the U.S. official.
Mulino made the remarks in response to a journalist’s question about alleged pressure from the embassy on lawyers, lawmakers, and ministers in his administration.
“They are free to grant or revoke visas as they see fit, but not by threatening that if you don’t do something, your visa will be taken away. Whether they revoke it or not, I don’t know. But the bilateral problem we cannot ignore is the U.S.-China issue, which ultimately does not benefit Panama,” Mulino said.
He added that Panama should not get involved in disputes between other countries.
“Much less should we accept this kind of pressure, if it exists, to undermine legal certainty regarding contracts or business operations in Panama,” the president stressed. “All I aspire to is respect,” he concluded.
In early September, the U.S. announced a new visa restriction policy targeting Central American citizens with ties to the Chinese Communist Party. In a press release, the U.S. State Department said the country “is committed to countering China’s corrupt influence in Central America and preventing its attempts to subvert the rule of law.”
Central America
Nicaragua grants 2,500-hectare mining concession to chinese firm in protected region
The Nicaraguan government has granted a new open-pit mining concession to the Chinese company Toyar Inversión Minera S.A., covering a total area of 2,500 hectares in the South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region, according to an announcement published Thursday in the Official Gazette La Gaceta in Managua.
The Ministry of Energy and Mines authorized the concession for the extraction of metallic and non-metallic mineralsin the area known as “Nuevos Encuentros,” located in the municipality of Nueva Guinea, under a ministerial agreement.
In total, the administration led by Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo — Nicaragua’s co-presidents — has granted more than 20 mining concessions to Chinese companies over the past two years, covering over 500,000 hectares, including some within the San Juan River Biosphere Reserve.
The Fundación del Río, an environmental organization headed by denationalized activist Amaru Ruiz, warned that these concessions violate the Law on the Communal Property Regime of Indigenous Peoples and Ethnic Communities of Nicaragua’s Atlantic Coast.
According to the NGO, the approval of the Environmental Conservation and Sustainable Development Areas Law on May 6 effectively repealed the decree regulating protected areas in the country, weakening environmental safeguards.
Fundación del Río has also denounced the expansion of illegal artisanal mining within the San Juan River Biosphere Reserve, claiming that the new concessions could legalize mining activity in what should remain a protected area.
Meanwhile, Nicaraguan opposition organizations in exile, grouped under the Platform for Unity and Democracy (PUDE), accused the Ortega-Murillo government last week of massively handing over indigenous territories to foreign companies, particularly Chinese investors.
Central America
Guatemala arrests first escaped gang member after Barrio 18 prison break
Guatemala’s Ministry of the Interior confirmed early Monday the arrest of one of the 20 inmates affiliated with the Barrio 18 gang who escaped from prison over the weekend, a situation authorities uncovered after conducting an inmate count.
The detainee, identified as Byron Eduardo Fajardo Revolorio, also known as “Black Demon,” was captured early Monday in the eastern department of Santa Rosa, along with members of his family.
On Sunday, the national prison system reported that 20 inmates were missing following an inspection at the facility. The U.S. government designated Barrio 18 as a terrorist organization in September, citing its role in widespread violence and insecurity across the region.
In a statement, the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala described the mass escape as “completely unacceptable” and urged authorities to swiftly recapture all fugitives.
Interior Minister Francisco Jiménez confirmed to The Associated Press that he had dismissed the director of the National Penitentiary System, Ludin Godínez, as well as the warden of the facility where the escape occurred. Complaints have been filed to determine those responsible.
During a press conference, Jiménez added that nine officials in total were removed from their posts, including directors and deputy directors of the Fraijanes II, Mariscal Zavala, Izabal, and Renovación I prisons.
The minister also warned that, following the U.S. designation of Barrio 18 as a terrorist group, anyone found aiding its members will face prosecution. He announced rewards of up to $20,000 for information leading to the capture of each escaped inmate.
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