Central America
Guild rejects Panamanian president’s threats about protests
November 19 |
Panama’s Sindicato Único de Trabajadores de la Construcción y Similares (Suntracs) rejected Thursday the threats made the day before by President Laurentino Cortizo regarding the protests and demonstrations promoted by the union against the mining contract.
In this regard, they announced that they filed a precautionary measure before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to order the Panamanian government to guarantee the right to association and demonstration, especially to the 14 members of the board of directors.
In the complaint before the IACHR, the union points out that both President Laurentino Cortizo, as well as the Minister of Security, Juan Manuel Pino, have stated that the union has “hidden agendas and that they seek to destabilize the country.”
Consequently, Suntracs requests the Commission that the Panamanian State adopt measures to guarantee the free exercise of the right to demonstrate in the country.
The threats of Cortizo and his government come after the previous day the Alianza Pueblo Unido por la Vida, the Alianza Nacional del Pueblo Organizado (Anadepo) and leaders of some of the other bastions of struggle of the native groups carried out a 24-hour nationwide shutdown on Thursday, November 16, an action they announced they would repeat on Monday, November 20.
Since October 23, social organizations, unions, teachers and inhabitants in general have been demonstrating against the contract, ratified by President Laurentino Cortizo and Minera Panamá, a subsidiary of the Canadian company First Quantum Minerals (FQM), which grants the concession, for 20 years renewable, to exploit almost 13,000 hectares in Coclé del Norte, province of Colón, where it would devastate tropical forests which are part of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor.
Local media report that, as of last weekend, more than 1,000 people have been arrested in the protests. Among them, it is noted, are 134 minors. According to official reports, the detainees are accused of vandalism, damage to property and other administrative offenses.
The protests continue in expectation that the Supreme Court of Justice will rule on the claim of unconstitutionality of said law. By November, mobilizations have been increasing to demand that the president call for extraordinary sessions of the Assembly of Deputies and present the repeal of Law 406.
Central America
Opposition leader highlights migration crisis in Panama speech
Opposition leader María Corina Machado recalled on Monday, during her final day in Panama, the thousands of Venezuelan migrants who crossed the dangerous Darién Gap jungle on their journey toward North America in search of better living conditions.
Speaking before Panama’s National Assembly, Machado stated that “more than 500,000 Venezuelans have crossed the Darién in search of freedom,” adding that many did not survive the journey.
Her remarks highlighted the Darién Gap as a central route in the recent regional migration crisis, where thousands of migrants—mostly Venezuelans—have attempted to travel north through one of the most dangerous jungle passages in the Americas.
According to migration data cited in recent years, the Darién route has seen daily flows of over a thousand migrants at its peak, reflecting the scale of the humanitarian challenge in the region.
Central America
Nicaragua’s Alliances With U.S. Rivals Could Trigger More Sanctions, Analysis Says
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to maintain political and economic pressure on the government of Nicaragua, led by Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, due to its growing alliances with Russia, China and Iran, according to an analysis released Monday by the Centro de Estudios Transdisciplinarios de Centroamérica (Cetcam).
The report states that tensions between Washington and Managua have increased since the beginning of Trump’s second term and could worsen amid the regional political climate, particularly because of developments in Venezuela and Cuba.
Cetcam researchers noted that since the second half of 2025, the U.S. government has intensified criticism of the Sandinista administration, mainly regarding political prisoners, human rights, religious freedom and what it describes as the authoritarian model established by Ortega and Murillo.
“With this background, it is possible to foresee that Washington will maintain pressure, including sanctions, against the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship,” the think tank stated in its report.
The study also warns that one of Washington’s main concerns is the strengthening relationship between Managua and countries considered strategic rivals of the United States, particularly Russia, China and Iran.
Among the developments highlighted is the recent ratification by the Russian Senate of a military cooperation agreement signed with Nicaragua in 2025. The deal is expected to strengthen strategic coordination and Russia’s presence in Central America for an initial five-year period.
According to Cetcam, the move will “hardly go unnoticed” by the United States.
Central America
Guatemala swears in new attorney general after controversial exit of Consuelo Porras
The new Attorney General of Guatemala, Gabriel García Luna, officially took office on Sunday and pledged to restore public confidence in the institution while strengthening efforts against corruption and organized crime.
“Today does not mark the beginning of just another administration. Today marks an opportunity to restore dignity to Guatemala’s criminal justice system,” said García Luna, who was appointed by President Bernardo Arévalo.
García Luna succeeds Consuelo Porras, whose tenure began in 2018 and became highly controversial due to accusations of undermining democratic institutions and obstructing anti-corruption investigations.
Porras was sanctioned by the United States, the European Union, Canada, and the United Kingdom, among others, over allegations related to corruption and interference in judicial processes.
Her administration was also criticized for allegedly attempting to block President Arévalo’s inauguration in 2024 and for pursuing legal actions against former anti-mafia prosecutors, judges, journalists, and Indigenous leaders, many of whom later went into exile.
During his inauguration speech, García Luna acknowledged that many Guatemalans had lost trust in the Attorney General’s Office.
“For years, many Guatemalans lost confidence in the institution, not because they stopped believing in justice, but because justice stopped believing in them. Today begins the duty to restore that trust,” he stated.
The new attorney general also admitted he inherited an institution “with deep wounds.”
The United States has accused Porras of obstructing anti-corruption investigations to protect political allies and secure political favors.
Critics argue that such actions benefited the so-called “pact of the corrupt,” an alleged network of political, economic, and criminal interests believed to exert influence over Guatemala’s justice system.
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