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
Honduras arrests former military leaders over 2009 killings
Former Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of Honduras, General Romeo Vásquez, was arrested on Sunday as the alleged person responsible for the 2009 killings of two individuals by military personnel, just days after leading the coup against former President Manuel Zelaya.
Along with him, the Deputy Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Venancio Cervantes, and the former commander of the Joint Operations Command were also detained, according to the Secretary of State for Security (Interior), Gustavo Sánchez, on his social media account X.
“The three arrests were made moments ago by the Honduran Police in coordination with the Public Ministry in Tegucigalpa and La Paz (west),” Sánchez said.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office had issued an arrest warrant for the three ex-military officials “on charges of homicide and aggravated assault” against Obed Murillo and Alex Zavala, who were attacked by “members of the Armed Forces,” according to the Public Ministry.
Sports
AC Milan defeats Juventus to secure Supercoppa Italiana final spot
AC Milan will take on Inter Milan in the Supercoppa Italiana final on Monday following a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory against Juventus in the second semifinal held in Riyadh on Friday.
Turkish sensation Kenan Yildiz, a late addition to Juventus’ starting lineup, opened the scoring in the 21st minute with a powerful strike that caught French goalkeeper Mike Maignan off guard.
However, AC Milan, under new Portuguese coach Sérgio Conceição—who replaced his compatriot Paulo Fonseca earlier this week—delivered a much-improved second-half performance.
The ‘Rossoneri’ leveled the game in the 71st minute through a penalty converted by American star Christian Pulisic. Just four minutes later, their winning goal came via an own goal by Juventus defender Federico Gatti, who accidentally sent the ball past his goalkeeper, who was caught out of position.
Central America
Honduras to send delegation in place of president Castro for Maduro ceremony
Honduran President Xiomara Castro will not attend Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s inauguration on January 10, an official source confirmed Friday in Tegucigalpa.
In brief statements to journalists, Honduran Deputy Foreign Minister Gerardo Torres said that Castro “will not go to Venezuela” and that a delegation will likely be sent to represent Honduras at Maduro’s swearing-in ceremony.
Regarding the $100,000 reward announced by Venezuelan police for information on the whereabouts of opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, Torres remarked that it is an internal matter for Venezuela. However, he noted that the situation “reflects a tense political climate ahead of Nicolás Maduro’s inauguration.”
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