Central America

Emir of Qatar meets with President Nayib Bukele

September 13 |

On Wednesday, September 13, the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, held a meeting with President Nayib Bukele at Casa Presidencial. During the visit of His Royal Highness to El Salvador, bilateral issues will be discussed in order to strengthen relations between the two countries.

Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani arrived at the International Airport of El Salvador last Tuesday, and was received by an official delegation among which was the Vice President of the Republic Felix Ulloa.

“Welcome to our home”, wrote the Salvadoran president in his account on the social network X. The meeting, between the emir and President Bukele was held to discuss ways to promote bilateral relations and the possibilities of cooperation in various areas for the development of El Salvador.

They will also sign agreements and memorandums of understanding in different fields of cooperation, and will address different regional and international issues of common interest for both countries.

A few months ago, President Bukele’s government sent the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Adriana Mira, to Qatar, to begin exploring the possibilities of mutual support. This working tour also strengthened the bond of friendship that unites both cultures.

On that occasion, Mira met with the executive director of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), Mansoor Ebrahim Al-Mahmoud, to discuss logistics infrastructure and transportation of people and goods.

The Pacific Train and Airport were of interest to QIA and a working visit was agreed upon. In addition, the CEO of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Bakeuna, expressed to Mira the interest in establishing a cargo and passenger route. Trade and food investment are other approaches that Salvadoran authorities have explored with their Qatari partners.

Central America

Panama’s former president Martinelli claims political enemies tried to kill him

Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli claimed on Friday that his political enemies intended to kill him once he departed for Nicaragua. Martinelli has been sheltering in Nicaragua’s embassy in Panama City for over a year to evade a money laundering conviction.

“They wanted to kill me,” Martinelli stated in a social media post, without specifying who he was referring to. His remarks came after the safe-conduct pass granted by the Panamanian government for his travel to Managua expired at midnight on Thursday.

In a statement, Panama’s Foreign Ministry announced that the permit had expired without Nicaragua officially agreeing to receive the former president. According to Martinelli, Nicaraguan authorities reconsidered the transfer, suspecting it was an “ambush” or a “trap.”

“It was a vile trap they were trying to set up. On one hand, they pretended to offer me a way out, but on the other, they wanted to ruin me by inventing all sorts of accusations,” Martinelli added, thanking Nicaragua and confirming that he will remain in asylum.

Central America

Guatemalan police officer killed in mob riots over baby kidnapping

A police officer was killed during riots provoked by an enraged mob in a Guatemalan town following the kidnapping of a baby, the government reported on Wednesday.

The incidents began on Tuesday night and continued into the early hours of Wednesday in the town of San Vicente Pacaya, about 25 km south of the capital, according to Minister of the Interior Francisco Jiménez.

“There was an incident in San Vicente Pacaya where, unfortunately, a police officer died after being struck in the head with a stone. He passed away this morning,” Jiménez said in a press conference.

He explained that the unrest erupted following the arrest of two suspects in connection with the kidnapping of “a baby just a few months old,” including a woman with a criminal record.

Sports

Venezuela investigates 18 baseball players seeking asylum in Spain

Maduro calls on military to be alert to alleged plan by "fascist groups"

The Venezuelan government announced on Wednesday that it is investigating the case of 18 baseball players who are “under the supervision of Spanish authorities” after seeking protection.

In a statement, Venezuelan authorities said they are working to determine whether this case involves “a possible human trafficking scheme,” though they have not provided any evidence of such a crime.

The Venezuelan government emphasized its commitment to protecting the country’s athletes while also denouncing the use of international legal frameworks by certain governments allegedly seeking to discredit the administration.

CNN reached out to Spain’s National Police for a response to Venezuela’s claims. According to Spanish authorities, the 18 young athletes—including two minors—arrived in Spain to participate in a series of matches but had already planned to apply for asylum. Authorities confirmed on Tuesday that they had begun interviewing the players to process their international protection requests.

The team’s coach addressed the situation in a TikTok video, refuting local media reports that he had abandoned the athletes. He asserted that the players chose to remain in Barcelona to secure the necessary permits to sign with other teams and that their decision was unrelated to any political motivations.