International
Guatemala concludes key election of the 13 members of the Supreme Court for the next five years
The deputies of the Guatemalan Congress elected this Thursday the new 13 members of the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) for the period 2024-2029, a transcendental designation for the fight against corruption in the Central American country.
The Guatemalan congressmen reached the necessary consensus to elect the new members of the Supreme Court 10 days before the deadline established in the law to define the substitutes of the current magistrates expired.
“Congress has made its decision and chosen the new magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice. Each deputy must take responsibility for his vote,” said the president of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo de León, in a message on the social network X after concluding the election.
Regain confidence in justice
The president recalled that “in the hands of the new CSJ is to fulfill the commitment that the people of Guatemala demand: to recover confidence in justice, respect for human rights and the frontal fight against impunity.”
“Beyond speculation, we need to see his vocation for justice in concrete facts. Never again courts that are not at the service of democracy, the rule of law and the construction of a better future,” he concluded.
Among the elected candidates stands out the re-election of three current magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice, headed by Gustavo Adolfo Morales Duarte, who in 2020 accused himself of participating in the rigging of the election of courts that year.
When the election of the magistrates ended, opposition deputies, such as Allan Rodríguez, with complaints of corruption, celebrated with applause and shouts the election of the magistrates.
“Despite the fact that the ruling party allied itself with organized crime, that yesterday they distributed money, that there was a list of vetoed by the embassy, despite the fact that there were pressures against deputies (…), today Guatemala won,” Rodríguez, who did not prove his accusations, told the press.
According to the deputy, it is a “balanced Supreme Court, not all with the same ideology, but it doesn’t matter, it’s professional people, who have demonstrated their ability, many of them magistrates with experience.”
The new magistrates of the Supreme Court of Guatemala
The new Supreme Court magistrates are: Carlos Lucero Paz, Claudia Paredes Castañeda, Gustavo Morales Duarte, Jenny Alvarado Tení, Igmaín García Pimentel, Flor Gálvez Barrios, Carlos Contreras Valenzuela, Flor García Villatoro, Clemen Juárez Midence, Teodulo Cifuentes Maldonado, Estuardo Cardenas, Luis Conrado Campos and René Girón Palacios.
The process of electing magistrates of the Guatemalan Supreme Court has been under the international magnifying glass, of entities such as the Organization of American States (OAS), due to the current deterioration of the country’s judicial system, reflected in cases of political persecution against journalists, prosecutors and activists.
According to the OAS, as well as international organizations such as Impunity Watch or Human Rights Watch (HRW), this Supreme Court election process was vital for “the rescue of Guatemala’s justice system.”
Members of the official bench, consulted by EFE during the vote, indicated that the election ended with “questionable” candidates elected and with others without precedents that this faction supported them for their integration.
Between 2014 and 2019, investigations were carried out on the rigging of court elections through the intervention of political operators, such as former ministers and presidential candidates who sought to place their relatives in these positions.
International
Colombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
The Colombian government stated on Thursday that it would have no reason to reject a potential asylum request from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro should he leave office, as regional tensions persist over the deployment of U.S. military forces in the Caribbean since August.
“In the current climate of tension, negotiations are necessary, and if the United States demands a transition or political change, that is something to be assessed. If such a transition results in him (Maduro) needing to live elsewhere or seek protection, Colombia would have no reason to deny it,” said Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio in an interview with Caracol Radio.
However, Villavicencio noted that it is unlikely Maduro would choose Colombia as a refuge. “I believe he would opt for someplace more distant and calmer,” she added.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro also commented on Venezuela’s situation on Wednesday, arguing that the country needs a “democratic revolution” rather than “inefficient repression.” His remarks followed the recent detention and passport cancellation of Cardinal Baltazar Porras at the Caracas airport.
“The Maduro government must understand that responding to external aggression requires more than military preparations; it requires a democratic revolution. A country is defended with more democracy, not more inefficient repression,” Petro wrote on X (formerly Twitter), in a rare public criticism of the Venezuelan leader.
Petro also called for a general amnesty for political opponents and reiterated his call for forming a broad transitional government to address Venezuela’s prolonged crisis.
Since September, U.S. military forces have destroyed more than 20 vessels allegedly carrying drugs in Caribbean and Pacific waters near Venezuela and Colombia, resulting in over 80 deaths.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that attacks “inside Venezuela” will begin “soon,” while Maduro has urged Venezuelans to prepare for what he describes as an impending external aggression.
International
Cuba battles out-of-control dengue and chikungunya epidemic as death toll rises to 44
Cuba is facing a severe dengue and chikungunya epidemic that has already claimed at least 44 lives, including 29 minors, according to the Ministry of Public Health (Minsap). The outbreak—now considered out of control—has expanded across the entire country amid a critical shortage of resources to confront the emergency.
Authorities report more than 42,000 chikungunya infections and at least 26,000 dengue cases, though they acknowledge significant underreporting as many patients avoid seeking care in health centers where medicines, supplies, and medical personnel are scarce. The first cluster was detected in July in the city of Matanzas, but the government did not officially use the term “epidemic” until November 12.
Chikungunya—virtually unknown on the island until this year—causes high fever, rashes, fatigue, and severe joint pain that can last for months, leaving thousands temporarily incapacitated. Dengue, endemic to the region, triggers fever, muscle pain, vomiting, and, in severe cases, internal bleeding. Cuba currently has no vaccines available for either virus.
Minsap reports that of the 44 deaths recorded so far, 28 were caused by chikungunya and 16 by dengue.
The health crisis unfolds amid deep economic deterioration, marked by the absence of fumigation campaigns, uncollected garbage, and shortages of medical supplies—conditions that have fueled the spread of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the primary vector for both diseases. “The healthcare system is overwhelmed,” non-official medical sources acknowledge.
Beyond the health impact, the epidemic is heavily disrupting economic and family life. The intense joint pain caused by chikungunya has led to widespread work absences, while hospital overcrowding has forced relatives to leave their jobs to care for the sick. In November, authorities launched a clinical trial using the Cuban drug Jusvinza to reduce joint pain, though results have not yet been released.
International
Ecuador on track for record violence as homicides hit highest level in Latin America again
Violence in Ecuador is expected to reach historic levels by the end of 2025, with the country set to record the highest homicide rate in Latin America for the third consecutive year, according to a report released Thursday by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). The organization warns that criminal activity is not only persisting but could worsen in 2026.
Official figures show 7,553 homicides recorded through October, surpassing the 7,063 registered throughout all of 2024. ACLED estimates that 71% of the population was exposed to violent incidents this year, despite President Daniel Noboa’s declaration of an “internal armed conflict” in an attempt to confront powerful criminal groups.
According to the report, several factors are driving the deterioration of security: a territorial war between Los Chonerosand Los Lobos, the two most influential criminal organizations in the country; the fragmentation of other groups after the fall of their leaders; and Ecuador’s expanding role as a strategic hub for regional drug trafficking.
Since 2021, violence has forced the internal displacement of around 132,000 people, while more than 400,000 Ecuadorians — equivalent to 2% of the population — have left the country. Between January and November alone, violent deaths rose 42%, fueled by prison massacres and clashes between rival gangs.
The report warns that conditions may deteriorate further. Ecuador has been added to ACLED’s 2026 Conflict Watchlist, which highlights regions at risk of escalating violence. The expansion of Colombian armed groups such as FARC dissidents and the ELN, state weakness, and a potential rerouting of drug trafficking corridors from the Caribbean to the Pacific intensify the threat.
“The president is facing a wave of violence that shows no signs of easing,” the report concludes.
Colombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
Cuba battles out-of-control dengue and chikungunya epidemic as death toll rises to 44
Ecuador on track for record violence as homicides hit highest level in Latin America again
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
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