Central America
UN condemns closure of 1,500 NGOs in Nicaragua
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned on Tuesday the closure of 1,500 NGOs by Nicaraguan authorities, raising the total number of banned organizations, media outlets, and private universities in the country to over 5,000 since 2022.
According to the office led by High Commissioner Volker Türk, this mass closure of civil society organizations is “deeply alarming,” particularly in a country where civic space has been “severely eroded” in recent years.
The office also noted that undue restrictions are being imposed by the Nicaraguan government on religious freedom, as approximately half of the recently closed NGOs were religious associations.
“The severe impact of these measures on the rights to freedom of association and expression, as well as on religious freedom, is making it increasingly difficult to defend human rights in Nicaragua,” said UN spokesperson Liz Throssell.
She highlighted that many remaining civil society organizations in Nicaragua have opted for self-censorship or dissolution due to restrictive laws limiting their activities.
In light of this situation, the office reiterated its call for Nicaraguan authorities to stop imposing restrictions on civic and democratic spaces in the country and to ensure respect for human rights in accordance with their international obligations.
Nicaragua has been experiencing a political and social crisis since April 2018, which was exacerbated by the controversial general elections of 2021, where Daniel Ortega was re-elected for a fourth consecutive term, with his main opponents imprisoned, later expelled from the country, and stripped of their nationality.
Central America
Nicaragua’s Ortega and Murillo Mourn Pope Francis, Acknowledge ‘Difficult’ Relationship
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo, who also serve as co-leaders of the country, expressed their condolences on Monday following the death of Pope Francis, acknowledging that their relationship with the late pontiff had been “difficult” and “troubled.” Nicaragua officially suspended diplomatic ties with the Vatican during his papacy.
“Our relationship, as Nicaraguans who are believers, devoted and faithful to the doctrine of Christ Jesus, was difficult and troubled—unfortunately shaped by adverse and painful circumstances that were not always understood,” Ortega and Murillo wrote in a message of condolence.
“Despite the complexity and hardships, despite the manipulation we all know occurred, despite everything, we kept our hope alive through Christian faith,” they continued. “We understood the distance, and above all, the complicated and strained communication that prevented better relations. We also recognized the confusion caused by strident voices that disrupted any attempt at genuine interaction.”
Pope Francis had previously compared the Ortega regime to communist dictatorships and even to Hitler, a remark that further strained relations between Managua and the Holy See.
Central America
Cardinal Rodríguez to Attend Funeral of Pope Francis: “He Was Very Dear to Me”
Honduran Cardinal Óscar Andrés Rodríguez announced on Monday that he will attend the funeral services of Pope Francis, who passed away at the age of 88 at his residence in Casa Santa Marta due to a stroke.
“We will be there throughout the novena and then, God willing, at the burial,” Rodríguez said in a phone interview with HRN Radio in Tegucigalpa, apparently calling from Spain.
He added that the last time he saw Pope Francis was in October 2024, during and at the end of that year’s synod, and that they remained in contact through email. “Sometimes, the Pope would even call me,” said Rodríguez, who was born on December 29, 1942, and was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II on February 21, 2001.
Rodríguez expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Pope Francis, saying: “He was a very dear person to me.”
However, he also shared a message of hope, pointing out that the Holy Father passed away during Easter: “This is a sign. He gave his life completely like the Lord Jesus, and though he died, we believe in faith that he has risen, now with Christ in eternal life.”
Rodríguez, who for ten years coordinated the Vatican’s Council of Cardinals, was one of the eight cardinals selected by Pope Francis to help govern the Catholic Church and reform the Roman Curia.
In January 2023, upon turning 80, Rodríguez stepped down as Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, and Pope Francis appointed Spanish priest José Vicente Nácher Tatay as his successor.
Central America
Senator Van Hollen Meets with Deported MS-13 Member in El Salvador; Trump and Bukele React
U.S. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, representing the state of Maryland, held a meeting in El Salvador with deported MS-13 gang member Kilmar Ábrego García, a member of the criminal group classified by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization.
“Kilmar Ábrego García, miraculously resurrected from the ‘extermination camps’ and ‘torture chambers,’ now sipping margaritas with Senator Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!” wrote President Nayib Bukeleon X (formerly Twitter), sharing photos of Van Hollen, Ábrego García, and a lawyer sitting together at a Salvadoran hotel.
The deported gang member is seen wearing a plaid shirt and a flat-brimmed cap, seated at a table with glasses and coffee cups. The senator also shared images of the meeting on his own social media accounts.
Bukele reaffirmed that Ábrego will remain in El Salvador and will not be returned to the United States.
“Now that his health has been confirmed, he has earned the honor of remaining under the custody of El Salvador,” Bukele added.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the senator’s meeting with Ábrego on Truth Social, calling Van Hollen “a fool” for advocating for Ábrego’s return to the U.S.
The Pope’s funeral procession through the center of Rome worries the Italian authorities
A group of the poor and a delegation of migrants will participate in the funeral and burial of the pope on Saturday
The Arab League supports Hamas handing over control of Gaza and weapons to the Palestinian Authority
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
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
Central America4 days agoSenator Van Hollen Meets with Deported MS-13 Member in El Salvador; Trump and Bukele React
-
Central America3 days agoCardinal Rodríguez to Attend Funeral of Pope Francis: “He Was Very Dear to Me”
-
Central America3 days agoNicaragua’s Ortega and Murillo Mourn Pope Francis, Acknowledge ‘Difficult’ Relationship
-
International4 days agoPope Francis Appears for Easter Blessing, Calls for Peace and Religious Freedom
-
International3 days agoDominican Republic Declares Three Days of Mourning for Pope Francis
-
International3 days agoDHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s Purse Stolen in D.C. Restaurant Heist
-
International1 day agoFrom the transfer of the coffin to the funeral, three days to say goodbye to Pope Francis
-
International2 days agoPope Francis and Trump, a relationship of disagreements marked by migration
-
International3 days agoPope Francis: The Quiet Architect Behind the U.S.-Cuba Thaw
-
International2 days agoWithin Francis’ private wake: respect and prayer for the deceased pope
-
International1 day agoA very heterogeneous and divided conclave will elect the new pope
-
International1 day agoModi returns to India and shortens his visit to Saudi Arabia after a deadly attack in Kashmir
-
International2 days agoTrump’s emissary will visit Russia this week for consultations on the arrangement in Ukraine
-
International2 days agoThe pope last called the Gaza parish on Saturday and asked about the children
-
International2 days agoAmerican universities and colleges sign a letter against Trump’s policy
-
International2 days agoCardinal Becciu’s enigma: will he enter the conclave?
-
International2 days agoMaradona’s house arrest is again a focus of tension in the trial for his death
-
International2 days agoEl Salvador formalizes the proposal for the exchange of Venezuelan deportees, according to Bukele
-
International2 days agoThe Government of Colombia presents twelve questions that it will propose in a popular consultation to promote its reforms
-
International2 days agoBurma’s military junta extends ceasefire until April 30 due to the earthquake
-
International2 days agoA candidate for the Supreme Court denounces an unequal dispute in the judicial election of Mexico
-
International2 days agoThe Peruvian Public Ministry denounces the former attorney general for an alleged corruption case
-
International2 days agoRoyal quinoa, the superfood that grows in front of the largest salt flat in the world in Bolivia
-
International2 days agoInternational leaders begin to confirm their presence at Pope Francis’ funeral
-
International2 days agoA judge orders the Trump Government to restore Voice of America services
-
International2 days agoChurch charges ceased or resigned in the papacy of Francis for cases of pedophilia
-
International2 days agoDonald Trump will visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in mid-May
-
International2 days agoThe president of the World Bank underlines his intention to lift his veto on nuclear energy
-
International2 days agoMarco Rubio reorganizes the State Department to eliminate offices and jobs
-
International2 days agoThe Brazilian Supreme Court opens trial against six others accused of leading the coup attempt
-
International2 days agoA judge in the United States stops the deportation to El Salvador of a hundred Venezuelans
-
International50 mins agoMigrants want to stay on Mexico’s southern border because of Sheinbaum’s industrial plan
-
International41 mins agoThe Arab League supports Hamas handing over control of Gaza and weapons to the Palestinian Authority
-
International56 mins agoThe pope’s doctor reveals his last moments of life and that he wanted to “die at home”
-
International25 mins agoThe Pope’s funeral procession through the center of Rome worries the Italian authorities
-
International46 mins agoFrom email to marriage: the day Pope Francis married a Uruguayan couple
-
International30 mins agoA group of the poor and a delegation of migrants will participate in the funeral and burial of the pope on Saturday