Central America
Guatemalan president-elect warns of a coup d’état
December 10 |
The president-elect of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo, indicated “we are facing an absurd, ridiculous and perverse coup d’état”, after the Attorney General’s Office indicated that the elections held this year and in which he won with 58% of the votes, should be annulled due to alleged administrative irregularities of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal.
“The coup plotters are kicking the can down the road, the last shaky steps for a coup d’état”, said Arevalo, who added that these actions come from a group of high officials operating from the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP).
In the same sense, the 64 year old academic said that “the coup attempt is real and has brought us to a crucial moment for the history of our country”.
This group filed an investigation to try to prevent the presidential inauguration, on January 14, 2024, he argued.
“The coup group that occupies the MP has made very clear the intentions of the illegal actions they have carried out in the last year, they began with the repression to restrict the freedom of expression,” said the president.
According to the Guatemalan politician, these actions of the MP are part of a larger plan that the investigating entity has been greasing. “They continued with the persecution of the social and political organization, today they are exerting pressure and extortion against any official who opposes to follow their illegal instructions”, he denounced.
Among the accusations made by the MP are the alleged irregular affiliation to found the political party Movimiento Semilla, since the Prosecutor’s Office has a confirmatory statement from a former worker of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), who confessed to the alleged irregularities.
“We do not know what it is, we are simply listening to affirmations of the MP. I believe that their credibility does not exist anywhere without them demonstrating the things they are doing, we do not have access to the folder”, Arévalo emphasized.
Another of the specific accusations against the political group is an alert activated by the Intendencia de Verificación Especial (IVE) for an alleged suspicious transaction of 44,000 dollars, which in the opinion of the authorities could be a case of possible money laundering.
“The 44 thousand dollars that are reported are even known in a loan contract that we subscribed with a person who is affiliated to the party to be able to pay the fine imposed on us by the TSE, it is perfectly documented and registered”, he explained.
Lawyers of the group said they have a clear legal route, since they will have to respond to the new requests of pre-trial presented against the president elect and two deputies of the party.
Central America
Arrests and clashes in Tegucigalpa as vote count continues after Honduras election
Protesters affiliated with the ruling Liberty and Refoundation Party (Libre) gathered in a demonstration that led to several arrests, disturbances, the burning of tires, and left at least 15 people injured outside the center where votes from Honduras’ November 30 general election are still being counted.
The group assembled on Monday outside the National Institute for Professional Training (INFOP) in Tegucigalpa, after President Xiomara Castro called on supporters through social media, claiming that a “new coup d’état” was being plotted in Honduras.
“I call on the people, social movements, grassroots organizations, party militants and citizens to urgently and peacefully gather in Tegucigalpa to defend the popular mandate, reject any coup attempt and make it clear to the world that a new coup is taking shape here,” the president said.
Castro has stated that she does not recognize the partial election results, which currently place right-wing candidate Nasry Asfura in the lead with 40.54% of the vote, followed closely by liberal candidate Salvador Nasralla with 39.20%. The ruling party’s candidate, Rixi Moncada, remains in a distant third place with 19.30%, with no realistic chance of a comeback.
Both the Libre Party and the Liberal Party, led by Castro and Nasralla respectively, have alleged electoral fraud. On Tuesday, the two parties agreed to participate in the special review panels that the National Electoral Council (CNE) says will finalize the count by reexamining 1,081 polling records flagged for irregularities.
Former president Manuel Zelaya, Castro’s husband and a senior figure within Libre, said last week that according to his party’s own nationwide tally of presidential ballots, Nasralla—a former Libre member—won the election.
Central America
Bukele says AI partnership with xAI will transform public education in El Salvador
President Nayib Bukele stated on Monday that the implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI), with the support of Elon Musk’s company xAI, will help redefine the future of public education in El Salvador.
“El Salvador and xAI will redefine the future of public education. Children will not use Grok the same way we use it,” the president wrote on X.
Last week, Bukele and Musk announced a partnership to provide personalized tutoring through the AI assistant Grok for all students enrolled in public schools across the country.
This pioneering alliance between the Government of El Salvador and xAI represents the launch of the world’s first national education program powered by artificial intelligence.
“Grok will be used in all public schools in El Salvador over the next two years. More than one million students will receive personalized tutoring. Thousands of teachers will receive assistance and support as partners in the educational process,” the president explained.
Meanwhile, FMLN Secretary General Manuel Flores described the incorporation of AI into public school education as “reckless,” arguing that many schools still lack basic services such as electricity and internet access.
“Schools do not even have desks. They said: ‘All schools will have internet’; that promise was not fulfilled. And others used to say: ‘The only promises that matter are the ones that are kept,’” Flores said during his regular Monday press conference.
Flores questioned who would teach artificial intelligence classes, noting that in some areas schools lack televisions or electricity. “How are they going to have internet? Starlink [satellite internet service] has already been announced five times,” he added.
He further labeled the AI-driven education program promoted by President Bukele as “another lie,” comparing it to the “Two Schools a Day” initiative, which he claimed is “pure propaganda.”
The “Two Schools a Day” program was announced earlier this year and involves the construction or reconstruction of public schools nationwide to improve educational quality. The project is being implemented by government institutions such as the National Directorate of Municipal Works.
Central America
El Salvador ranks among top countries in the Americas in fight against organized crime
El Salvador has positioned itself as the country in the Americas with the strongest performance in the Global Organized Crime Index (GOCI), ranking 18th out of 35 countries in the region and 77th out of 193 nations worldwide that are engaged in the fight against organized crime.
According to the index, El Salvador outperforms Mexico, which ranks 2nd in the Americas and 3rd globally, as well as the United States, which holds the 14th position in the Americas and 60th worldwide.
The Global Organized Crime Index evaluates multiple indicators, including criminal markets, human trafficking and smuggling, extortion, arms trafficking, counterfeit goods trade, illicit trade in excisable goods, environmental crimes involving flora and fauna, crimes against non-renewable resources, heroin, cocaine, cannabis and synthetic drug trafficking, cyber-dependent crimes, financial crimes, mafia-style groups and criminal networks.
Within Central America, El Salvador surpasses Panama, which ranks 8th in the Americas and 21st globally; Costa Rica, ranked 13th in the region and 58th worldwide; Nicaragua, ranked 16th and 69th; Honduras, positioned 5th in the Americas and 13th globally; and Guatemala, which holds 9th place in the Americas and 25th worldwide.
Belize is the only Central American country ranked above El Salvador, placing 23rd in the Americas and 103rd globally. However, while El Salvador climbed 25 positions compared to its 2023 ranking—improving from 52nd to 77th—Belize dropped three positions, moving from 106th in 2023 to 103rd in the current index.
El Salvador’s progress in combating organized crime also surpasses that of several countries across the Americas, including Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Peru, Chile and Paraguay, all of which rank lower both regionally and globally.
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