Central America
Brazilian deputies visit Cecot and highlight security results
December 18 |
Brazilian federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro highlighted yesterday on social networks the security results obtained by the government of President Nayib Bukele. The Brazilian legislator was part of the delegation of seven parliamentarians who visited the country to see the Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot) and all the security policies implemented in the last four years.
He also reiterated that President Bukele has a 90% approval rating from the population and that the security measures implemented with the Territorial Control Plan (PCT) and the exception regime have allowed El Salvador to accumulate more than 500 days without homicides during his administration, in which more than 75,000 criminals, mainly gang members, have also been arrested.
The implementation of security strategies, reforms to regulations so that criminals do not leave prisons, the alignment of powers and the dignification of the security forces are some of the aspects that Bolsonaro highlighted, so he reiterated that this has allowed President Bukele to achieve the transformation of El Salvador.
“What Nayib Bukele did is everything we proposed in terms of security in the Brazilian congress. The mentality is the same: arrested criminals do not commit crimes in society. With greater punishability, the economic theory of the criminal becomes more dangerous for him to commit a crime. Bukele managed to do this by electing a group of aligned parliamentarians and purging mainly the radical left in the elections,” Bolsonaro wrote in X.
The congressman stressed that, thanks to the exception regime, El Salvador went from being the most violent country in the world in 2015 to a benchmark in security and rivaling Switzerland for the number of homicides per 100,000 inhabitants.
“Today, if a police officer finds a notorious mafioso, he can arrest him for up to six months, the time the Public Prosecutor’s Office has to present the first evidence against the accused. The rule is that the accused responds to the arrested case (in Brazil it is the opposite). Between criminals and good people, today El Salvador cares about good citizens. That is why in Brazil there are criminals every day who have criminal records, who walk around the block and are arrested countless times; no longer in El Salvador,” he said.
President Bukele managed to decrease the criminal actions of gangs since he began his administration in 2019, and 2023 is about to close as the safest year in the history of El Salvador, an aspect that has paved the way for sectors such as the economy, tourism and education to develop and strengthen; to this effect the president considered important the dignification of law enforcement and has emphasized that none of the above would be possible without them.
Bolsonaro pointed out: “With more personnel, better salaries, with social security support, technology, support from the president and the population, as well as legal support, the police will fight the initial battle. Then comes social support: health, education, employment. Before, it made no sense to build schools in a gang-dominated area […]. Tourism also receives special attention as an economic engine.
Central America
Guatemalan suspect wanted for human smuggling network that transported 20,000 migrants
The U.S. Embassy in Guatemala has called for public assistance on social media to find and capture a Guatemalan man suspected of being involved in a human smuggling ring that transported 20,000 migrants to the United States. This comes as President Donald Trump continues his crackdown on irregular migration.
Helmer Obispo Hernández, who “is believed to be in Guatemala,” is accused of being “part of a people smuggling network,” the embassy stated on social media platform X, providing a link to report “any information about” the man.
Hernández, 41, is a “lieutenant” in the “criminal organization” led by Guatemalan Eduardo Renoj, who was arrested a few days ago in California, according to U.S. authorities.
Renoj is accused of leading “one of the largest human smuggling organizations in the U.S.,” the U.S. Attorney’s office in Los Angeles said in a statement on Monday.
Along with Renoj, 49-year-old Cristóbal Mejía, his “alleged right-hand man,” was also arrested.
Migrants smuggled from Guatemala reportedly paid between $15,000 and $18,000 to the ring, the embassy said.
Renoj’s organization is linked to a 2023 traffic accident in Oklahoma that resulted in seven deaths, including a four-year-old child. The driver of the vehicle involved is in custody.
“Identifying and dismantling these organizations makes our borders safer and creates a stronger and more prosperous region,” the U.S. embassy stated.
Guatemalan authorities have not provided any updates on Obispo as of now.
Like much of Central America, Guatemala was part of the route used by thousands of migrants to reach the United States, which has tightened its immigration policies since Trump returned to the presidency in January.
In recent weeks, there has been a reverse trend of migrants heading south through Central America after abandoning their plans to reach the U.S. due to fears of being deported.
Central America
Guatemalan surgeon sentenced after patient’s death and gruesome cover-up
A Guatemalan doctor was sentenced on Wednesday to three years and four months in prison for the death of a Honduran patient during a plastic surgery procedure, whose dismembered body was hidden in a forest in June 2023.
Dr. Kevin Malouf was convicted for the homicide and disappearance of Floridalma Roque, who had traveled from the United States to undergo the cosmetic surgery at a private clinic in Guatemala’s capital.
By pleading guilty to the charges, the surgeon received a reduced sentence of three years and four months, which he may avoid by paying a fine of approximately $750, according to Guatemalan law. Two of the doctor’s assistants, one acting as an anesthetist and the other as a nurse, received similar sentences.
“This is a sentence in accordance with the law,” said Judge Pedro Laynez as he read the ruling.
Initially, the doctor had been charged with aggravated homicide, which carries a sentence of up to 40 years in prison, but he was ultimately tried for manslaughter (negligence or recklessness causing another person’s death).
The investigation revealed that the 59-year-old patient worsened during the surgery and died hours later, but at the surgeon’s orders, her body was taken out of the clinic in a wheelchair to make it appear as though she were still alive.
The patient’s body, who had paid about $10,000 for the procedure, was dismembered with saws and buried in a grave in a forest in southern Guatemala.
After her disappearance, her children traveled from the United States to Guatemala and filed a report with authorities. The remains of the Honduran woman were found a year later in the wooded area.
Judge Laynez also disqualified the three convicted individuals from practicing their professions for six years and seven months.
Central America
Guatemalan court’s ruling against Zamora labeled as an assault on press freedom by IAPA
he Inter American Press Association (IAPA) on Wednesday described as an “assault on press freedom” the decision by a Guatemalan appeals court to revoke the house arrest of journalist José Rubén Zamora, founder of El Periódico.
The Guatemalan Appeals Court ordered the journalist to return to prison amid the criminal proceedings that the Public Ministry (Prosecutor’s Office) has ongoing against him, although this decision is not yet final.
“The court’s decision is a direct affront to freedom of expression and the citizens’ right to be informed,” emphasized José Roberto Dutriz, President of the IAPA, in a statement.
He added that the measure is “without legitimate grounds” and confirms “a pattern of persecution orchestrated against José Rubén Zamora.”
Guatemalan suspect wanted for human smuggling network that transported 20,000 migrants
Guatemalan surgeon sentenced after patient’s death and gruesome cover-up
U.S. and Mexico intensify border security measures amid ongoing migration crisis
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Ecuador prison riot leaves at least 43 dead
-
Sports4 days agoManchester United knocked out of FA Cup after penalty shootout loss to Fulham
-
Central America3 days agoBernardo Arévalo: US deportations could exacerbate Guatemala’s economic crisis
-
Internacionales4 days agoRussia calls Zelensky’s Washington visit a “complete failure” after altercation with Trump
-
International3 days agoUK investigates TikTok over teen data use in content recommendations
-
International3 days agoJapan deploys troops as wildfire ravages coastal city
-
International3 days agoLula invites Mexico, Colombia, and Uruguay to BRICS Summit in Brazil
-
Central America1 day agoGuatemalan court’s ruling against Zamora labeled as an assault on press freedom by IAPA
-
International4 days agoPope Francis thanks global faithful for their prayers during hospital stay
-
International2 days agoPedro Castillo faces trial in Peru for attempted coup and public disturbance
-
International1 day agoChile’s President Boric reiterates support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, condemns Russia’s aggression
-
International3 days agoVenezuela grants 110 additional prison releases after verifying arrests linked to election protests
-
International3 days agoNavy warship saves lithuanian adventurer caught in Pacific Storm
-
International1 day agoChile and Germany reaffirm commitment to multilateralism amid global challenges
-
International3 days agoSouth African mother on trial for allegedly selling missing daughter
-
International3 days agoColombian President Gustavo Petro requests full legalization of cannabis
-
International2 days agoBrazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, and Uruguay support Suriname’s Albert Ramdin for OAS chief
-
International1 day agoVenezuelan government marks 12th anniversary of Hugo Chávez’s death with vows of loyalty
-
International2 days agoShakira cancels second Chile concert due to stage issues
-
International6 hours agoProsecutor orders investigation into potential ties between Milei and Libra crypto collapse
-
Centroamérica2 days agoHonduras extradites José Sosa to U.S. on cocaine trafficking charges
-
International1 day agoU.S. introduces visa restrictions targeting officials responsible for facilitating illegal immigration
-
International3 days agoPope Francis faces respiratory crises again
-
International1 day agoPedro Castillo faces trial for rebellion without a defense lawyer
-
International3 days agoSantiago Peña hosts german president Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Paraguay’s capital
-
International6 hours agoU.S. and Mexico intensify border security measures amid ongoing migration crisis
-
Central America6 hours agoGuatemalan surgeon sentenced after patient’s death and gruesome cover-up
-
Central America5 hours agoGuatemalan suspect wanted for human smuggling network that transported 20,000 migrants