Central America
Early childhood is a high priority for the Salvadoran government in the area of education
October 3 |
The public investment contemplated in the draft General State Budget for 2024 amounts to $1,790.5 million, and includes a strong commitment to the education system in general, and specifically, to the protection and comprehensive care of early childhood and adolescence, according to figures presented by the Ministry of Finance.
As part of the emblematic projects in public investment, the Government of President Nayib Bukele will allocate $245 million for the early childhood programs Crecer y Aprender Juntos, and Nacer, Aprender y Crecer, which will be executed by the Ministries of Education and Health.
All the early childhood work has been led by the First Lady of the Republic, Gabriela de Bukele, with the support of public institutions, with the purpose of settling the historical debts left by the ARENA and FMLN parties, which governed for 30 years.
As part of the work in early childhood, the first lady met last week at the Presidential House with Afshan Khan, United Nations undersecretary and coordinator of the Global Movement for the Promotion of Nutrition, to whom she presented the work of the Government of President Nayib Bukele in favor of this segment of the population.
At the end of the meeting, Khan highlighted the work done by the Government and the First Lady for early childhood and remarked that El Salvador is one of the few countries that invest in this area. “The program of the First Lady, Gabriela de Bukele, is one of the best child development programs I have ever seen,” said the UN official during her visit.
As part of the strategic bet, next year’s state budget also allocates $140 million for the educational reform Mi Nueva Escuela, in addition to $16 million for the improvement of educational environments and $75 million for the program Creciendo Saludables Juntos, whose main objective is the integral development of early childhood.
The educational reform Mi Nueva Escuela, announced by the President of the Republic in September 2022, is part of the government’s strategy to transform the public education system that was abandoned by previous governments. The change of school curricula and textbooks, as well as the incorporation of technology and the construction and reconstruction of educational spaces, nutrition and health are part of the axes of this reform.
The sociologist and teacher Mauricio Rodríguez considers that the Ministry of Finance has presented a “balanced” state budget project, with “strategic investment lines” to solve the needs in each of the social areas, including education in the public sector.
“In the area of education there is a strong component with respect to what we know as early childhood”, said the analyst, and recalled that, together with the investment component, the Government is already implementing the Nacer con Cariño Law and the Crecer Juntos (Grow Together) Law. Both regulations were proposed by the Executive and approved by the Legislative Assembly.
“It makes sense that the general State budget be oriented more towards these areas, to lay the foundations for a country with people of a different type of preparation. What previous governments did was to strengthen the intermediate levels [of the educational system] and forgot about the base [early childhood],” the teacher stated.
In public investment, the budget also allocates $69 million for the integrated health program, to continue improving care at all levels of the public system; and $257 million for the purchase of medicines, medical supplies and vaccines.
Also, $138 million was budgeted for the execution of municipal infrastructure works through the National Directorate of Municipal Works (DOM) and $182 million for the Los Chorros highway viaduct and widening project. ANDA will also receive $26.7 million to execute the water sector resiliency program in prioritized areas.
Central America
El Salvador reports safest year in its history, security cabinet says
Officials from the institutions that make up El Salvador’s Expanded Security Cabinet on Monday, January 5, presented the results achieved through the country’s security strategies during 2025.
Authorities highlighted a significant reduction in homicides, the arrest of all perpetrators involved in killings, and the seizure of millions of dollars’ worth of illegal drugs throughout the past year.
“We have reached the day when, as the Expanded Security Cabinet, we present the national security report,” said Minister of Security Gustavo Villatoro.
Villatoro detailed the number of days with zero homicides recorded during the administration of President Nayib Bukele, as well as during the state of exception in 2025.
“We have accumulated 1,102 days without homicides during President Nayib Bukele’s administration, of which 988 occurred during the state of exception,” Villatoro explained.
The security minister underscored the government’s fight against impunity, noting that in 2025 authorities arrested those responsible for every homicide reported during the year.
“We closed 2025 with 82 homicides, all of which have been solved. That means we achieved a 100% homicide clearance rate and 0% impunity in homicide cases,” Villatoro said.
“These figures clearly show that the security measures promoted by the government were exactly what the country needed, and today we can say with full authority that we are the safest country in the entire Western Hemisphere,” he added.
Villatoro also reported the homicide rate per 100,000 inhabitants at the end of the year.
“In 2024, we closed with a homicide rate of 1.9 per 100,000 inhabitants. In 2025, we reduced it to 1.3, which represents 32 fewer homicides compared to the previous year,” he said.
According to official data, of the 82 homicides recorded in 2025, 43 were linked to social intolerance, 31 to family-related disputes, and eight to criminal activity. Villatoro emphasized that El Salvador is the only country able to report a reduction of more than 50% in street and violent crimes, including theft, assault, rape, extortion, vehicle theft and robbery.
“2025 represents the safest year in our national history, and all of this is due to the daily efforts of thousands of men and women in uniform and in public service,” Villatoro stated.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister René Francis Merino Monroy noted that another key factor behind the country’s low crime figures has been the strengthened security shield implemented by authorities in the fight against drug trafficking.
Central America
Honduras: Zelaya Calls for Mobilization Amid Dispute Over Tegucigalpa Mayoral Race
Manuel Zelaya, general coordinator of Honduras’ ruling Liberty and Refoundation Party (Libre, left-wing), on Saturday called on party supporters to mobilize next Monday in support of Tegucigalpa Mayor Jorge Aldana, who claims he is being defrauded in his bid for re-election.
“If the people do not mobilize because it is Christmas, then Libre party militants, out of conscience, must mobilize this Monday at 4:00 p.m. (22:00 GMT) at the INFOP (National Institute for Professional Training) to support Aldana in a peaceful, non-violent and democratic resistance against what they are already applying as the ‘Trump Algorithm 2025 – Honduras-style elections,’” Zelaya wrote on social media platform X.
Aldana, who considers himself the winner of the capital’s mayoral race following the general elections held on November 30, has been camping for 19 days outside the INFOP facilities, where all election materials are stored under military and police protection. The National Electoral Council (CNE) has already declared Nasry Asfura, of the conservative National Party, president-elect.
According to Aldana, who is seeking re-election under the Libre banner, the tally sheets in his possession confirm his victory. However, National Party mayoral candidate Juan Diego Zelaya is reportedly leading by a margin of around 600 votes.
While acknowledging that the margin is extremely narrow, Aldana is demanding a full review of more than 400 tally sheets, which he believes will ultimately confirm his win.
On Friday, Aldana told EFE that the protest camp was established “to raise a voice of protest, grounded in truth.” He added, “I am a journalist, and journalism teaches us to report truthfully, to live by the truth and to die for the truth. Here I am with the tally sheets in hand and the 492 inconsistencies identified by the CNE.”
Although uncertainty surrounding the presidential election results has subsided after Asfura—who is backed by U.S. President Donald Trump—was declared president-elect, tensions persist in municipal and legislative races due to inconsistencies in tally sheets across several of Honduras’ 18 departments.
The situation remains highly complex, as the special vote count has been paralyzed for three consecutive days. The process, which began on December 18 with a five-day delay, involves 2,792 tally sheets with reported inconsistencies.
According to CNE council members Ana Paola Hall (president) and Cossette López, representatives of the Liberal and National parties respectively, the paralysis is the result of a political party “boycott” at the Electoral Logistics Center (CLE).
The full CNE board, which also includes Marlon Ochoa of the Libre Party, held meetings on Friday and again on Saturday, virtually, to address delays in the special count of municipal and legislative election results.
Central America
International leaders congratulate Honduras’ president-elect Asfura
The United States government was among the first to congratulate the president-elect, through Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press briefing that Beijing “is willing to work with Honduras to jointly promote the continued development of bilateral relations.”
The European Union also expressed its commitment and interest in working with Asfura to advance “shared priorities aimed at deepening bilateral ties.”
In addition, the foreign ministries of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay issued messages congratulating the president-elect.
Presidents from Panama and Paraguay, as well as the government of Chile, also extended their congratulations to Asfura. Furthermore, the governments of Argentina, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and the Dominican Republic released a joint statement saying: “We reaffirm our solidarity with the Honduran people and express our hope that the transition will take place in a peaceful and orderly manner.”
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