Central America
U.S. residents ask Arevalo for consular improvements
November 12 |
President-elect, Bernardo Arévalo, held a two-day tour of Washington, United States, where he met with different sectors and U.S. officials and migrant organizations.
Improving consular services, maximizing remittances through banks and promoting electoral civic participation were some of the topics discussed of interest to the Guatemalan community in the United States. Between 25 and 30 leaders and representatives of migrant associations from Washington, Texas, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, among others, participated.
The president-elect was accompanied on the tour by Francisco Villagrán, Guatemala’s former ambassador to various international organizations. The three issues were put on the table, but there was no in-depth discussion on how they will be addressed by the Executive Branch during the next four years.
With respect to consular attention, according to Ben Monterroso, migrant leader, it was stated that the processing of passports at the consulates should be improved. He expressed that there is difficulty in scheduling appointments, there are no passport booklets or it takes several weeks to process them. This document is necessary to carry out procedures in the North American country, even to obtain a driver’s license in some states.
“We talked about the consulates, we are clear that we have to improve both the service and the documents, because we continue with the same pending as always, that there are no passport books, no passports or no appointments”, he indicated.
As a second point, the representatives expressed to Arevalo the interest in a way that remittances can be collected in Guatemala in a proper way. In that sense, it was said that these will be maximized through two banks, however at the moment it is not known which ones they will be.
Although there is no clarity on specific actions to comply with the request, Monterroso explained that this is necessary so that Guatemalan families can take advantage of them in a better way.
“To make sure that there is transparency in collections, all those kinds of things and to see how remittances can be maximized, not many details were discussed,” he said.
The third topic was to support the civic participation of Guatemalans abroad. Monterroso pointed out that they are aware that this function does not correspond to the Presidency, but he can lead an improvement in this sense.
“It is not entirely up to him, but he can be a leader and make sure that what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for is done in an appropriate manner,” Monterroso said.
In addition, he pointed out that it was made clear that they want to have more recognition, not only as Guatemalans abroad but as the different indigenous communities to which they belong,
“That it be recognized that Guatemala is no longer only in the 22 departments, we have a department called the United States,” he emphasized.
In the opinion of the migrants, they should receive special treatment like other groups that are benefited in the country.
The communication team of the elected government was asked for an opinion on the meeting, but did not respond.
Central America
Arévalo calls corruption the “fuel of inequality” and reaffirms commitment to public transparency
Guatemala’s President, Bernardo Arévalo, stated on Friday that corruption is “the food of misery” in his country and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to continuing to strengthen public spending transparency.
During the first anniversary of the National Commission Against Corruption (CNC) established by his administration, the president expressed his satisfaction with the progress made.
“The road has been difficult,” he said, “but I am greatly satisfied with the fight against corruption, which is the fuel of inequality and the food of misery,” the president declared before members of the international community and government officials.
Arévalo also mentioned that the people who elected him in 2023 for a four-year term that began on January 14, 2024, “demand that we combat corruption.”
Central America
Zúñiga hopes CIDH experts can help investigate intellectual authors of Berta Cáceres’ murder
Bertha Zúñiga, daughter of the murdered Honduran environmentalist Berta Cáceres, expressed her hope on Friday to EFE that the expert group appointed by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH) will help investigate the authorship of the crime to “heal the wounds” and rebuild the social fabric in indigenous communities affected by the hydroelectric project her mother opposed.
The Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI) represents an “effort to exhaust the investigations” into the responsibilities of all individuals involved in Cáceres’ murder, as well as in the “violence suffered” from the implementation of the Agua Zarca hydroelectric project, led by the company Desarrollos Energéticos S.A. (DESA), emphasized Zúñiga.
“We hope that, with the collaboration of the prosecutorial entities, (the experts) will effectively collaborate to move forward on what we have proposed and demanded for many years: formally requiring the intellectual authors of this crime and analyzing the related crimes,” including corruption and other violations, as well as proposing a comprehensive reparation plan for the victims of the hydroelectric project,” Zúñiga explained.
The CIDH appointed a group of four experts from Argentina, Chile, the United States, and Guatemala on Friday to provide technical assistance to Honduras in investigating the intellectual authorship of Cáceres’ murder, which occurred on March 2, 2016, while she was sleeping in her home in La Esperanza, despite the multiple death threats she had reported due to her opposition to the Agua Zarca project.
Central America
Nicaragua’s family confinement program: 7.18% of released prisoners reoffend
Nicaraguan authorities have released a total of 48,964 common prisoners under the family confinement regime over the past ten years, with 7.18% of them reoffending by committing at least one crime, according to the country’s vice president, Rosario Murillo.
Murillo, who is also the wife of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and appointed “co-president” in a reform to the Constitution, stated through official media that “7.18% are individuals who have reoffended in criminal activity from 2015 to today, February 14, 2025.”
This means that 3,515 out of the 48,964 common prisoners with final sentences who have been granted family confinement privileges have returned to criminal activity, according to the report.
The early release of common prisoners has faced criticism, particularly from feminist organizations, who argue that these benefits have contributed to an increase in femicides and general crime in Nicaragua.
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