The Government of Costa Rica expressed satisfaction after being accepted as a candidate to join the Pacific Alliance, a bloc in which the Central American country hopes to boost its economy and promote exports.

“We are convinced that with eventual membership in this trade bloc, we will promote the dynamization of our economy and the generation of jobs,” said Costa Rican Minister of Foreign Trade, Manuel Tovar, in a statement. The official emphasized that joining the Pacific Alliance would lead to increased and facilitated intra-regional trade and investment, while also allowing Costa Rica to project itself to the world as a bloc for the promotion of exports, investment, and the strengthening of regional value chains.

The Council of Ministers of the bloc, meeting in Santiago, Chile, approved Costa Rica’s candidacy for full membership, although a special protocol must still be developed in 2025 to finalize the Central American country’s accession.

The Costa Rican government explained that with the guidance of a roadmap created by the working group responsible for the matter, it will follow a process of exchange with the Pacific Alliance to agree on the Protocol in the coming year.

Honduran authorities have seized more than 26 tons of cocaine so far in 2024, reported Friday the Secretary of Security, Gustavo Sánchez.

During a promotion ceremony for National Police officers in the city of La Paz, in western Honduras, Sánchez highlighted “the progress in the fight against organized crime in Honduras,” which includes “the seizure of more than 26 tons of cocaine, the destruction of over 11 million coca bushes, and the removal of more than 15,000 firearms from the streets.”

He added that these achievements have been reached with the support of the Armed Forces.

The police ceremony was led by Honduran President Xiomara Castro, who emphasized that during her administration, which began on January 27, 2022, “the National Police and Armed Forces have dealt significant blows to the drug state inherited from the previous regime, seizing the largest amount of drugs in recent years and destroying thousands of hectares of drug plantations and laboratories.”

Castro also stated that by the end of her term on January 27, 2026, “the police force will meet the United Nations’ recommended standards of 300 police officers for every 100,000 inhabitants.”

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The Secretary of Security mentioned that with the new recruits joining the National Police, the total force has risen to 21,500, 25% of whom are women.

According to Sánchez, 2024 has seen the lowest rate of criminal violence in the last 20 years, although the perception from various sectors differs from official figures.

Human rights organizations report that the country experiences between ten and twelve homicides daily, despite a partial and temporary state of emergency declared in December 2022.

A fire destroyed around 100 small businesses in a popular market in Honduras’ capital early Friday, according to firefighters.

The blaze at the Las Américas Market broke out around 1:00 a.m. local time (07:00 GMT), but the alarm was not raised until hours later, explained fire department spokesperson Oscar Triminio. The flames were brought under control after sunrise.

“When we arrived, we saw it was a large-scale fire in an area where shoe shops, clothing vendors, and general merchandise sellers operate,” Triminio stated. He estimated that around 100 shops were destroyed.

The fire caused no casualties but resulted in significant financial losses for the merchants, he added.