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☆ Honduras declares health emergency as Central America starts peak dengue season
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( Michael Rios | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Honduras has declared a national health emergency after reporting a rise in hospitalizations and deaths from dengue, the health ministry announced on Friday. The Honduran health ministry has reported 23,037 suspected cases of dengue in the first 20 weeks of the year. That’s one of the highest totals in the Americas, according to data collected by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). The entire region has already reported more than 8.65 million cases in the first five months of 2024 – almost twice as many as the more than 4.5 million cases reported in all of 2023, which was a record at the time. Get CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.

Persons: –, Dr, Sanjay Gupta Organizations: CNN, Pan American Health Organization, Central, CNN Health, World Health Organization, US Centers for Disease Control, Prevention Locations: Honduras, hospitalizations, Honduran, Americas, Brazil, Central America, Caribbean, “ Honduras, American Isthmus, Mexico

☆ A Former Guantánamo Prisoner’s New Life
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Carol Rosenberg | Natalie Keyssar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On the 15th night of Ramadan in a suburb of Belize City, Majid Khan and his family of four sat down for a traditional iftar meal to break the daylight hours fast. There was a leg of a lamb that Majid, a former Guantánamo detainee, had slaughtered himself, sweets brought by a sister in Maryland, dates from Saudi Arabia. The talk was small, about whether the biryani dish was too spicy and how the lamb was perfectly roasted. For two decades, this family meal was not possible. He pleaded guilty and became a government cooperator — and, all that time, his wife waited for him in Pakistan.

Persons: Majid Khan, Majid, Hamza, Rabia, Manaal, Khan, — Organizations: Central Locations: Belize City, Maryland, Saudi Arabia, Central American, Al Qaeda, Belize, Indonesia, United States, Guantánamo, Pakistan

☆ Panama elections: Mulino declared ‘unofficial’ winner of presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Juan Carlos Paz | Mia Alberti | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —José Raúl Mulino, a rightwing former public security minister, was declared the “unofficial” winner of Panama’s presidential election on Sunday, the country’s electoral court confirmed. “I receive with joy these results, which are the will of the majority of the Panamanian people in our democracy, which I assume with great responsibility and humility as a Panamanian,” Mulino said during his victory speech. He originally ran as the vice-presidential candidate of former President Ricardo Martinelli. After a court sentenced Martinelli to 11 years in prison for money laundering, Mulino moved to the top of the ticket. “To Ricardo Martinelli: my friend, mission accomplished Ricardo.

Persons: Mulino, Ricardo Lombana, ” Mulino, Ricardo Martinelli, Martinelli, “, Ricardo, ”, Matias Delacroix, Fitch, Panama that’s, El Nino Organizations: CNN, Central Locations: Central American, Panamanian, Nicaraguan, Panama’s, Panama City, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia

☆ Most Prominent Voice in Panama’s Election Isn’t on the Ballot
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Leila Miller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Panama is holding a presidential election on Sunday while facing an odd situation: The most prominent player in the race is not on the ballot. Ricardo Martinelli, a former president of the Central American nation and known to his supporters as “El loco,” or the crazy one, had been a top contender until he was disqualified because of a money laundering conviction. But from inside the Nicaraguan Embassy in Panama City where he was granted asylum, Mr. Martinelli has been strenuously campaigning for José Raúl Mulino, a former public security minister who was his running mate and took his place on the ballot. Mr. Mulino has led the polls in a field of eight candidates, vowing to return Panama to the economic growth it experienced under Mr. Martinelli, who was president from 2009 to 2014.

Persons: Ricardo Martinelli, El, Martinelli, José Raúl, Mulino Organizations: Central, Nicaraguan Embassy Locations: Panama, Central American, Nicaraguan, Panama City

☆ Global trade and immigration on the line in Panama’s presidential vote
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( David Shortell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Achieving Goals presidential candidate José Raúl Mulino speaks with reporters after meeting with members of the Electoral Observation Mission, in Panama City, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. The case of former President Ricardo Martinelli, who was disqualified from running by the courts because of a past corruption conviction, stands out. Once the favorite to win this year’s presidential race, Martinelli was disqualified from running by Panama’s electoral court in March because of the conviction and sentence. There are seven other presidential candidates, including current Vice-President José Gabriel Carrizo, former President Martín Torrijos, and Rómulo Roux, another former minister under Martinelli. Martinelli has thrown his support behind Mulino, even releasing campaign videos from inside the Nicaraguan embassy.

Persons: Daniel Zovatto, El Nino, Fitch, ”, José Raúl, José Raúl Mulino, Matias Delacroix, Mulino, Panama that’s, Ricardo Martinelli, Martinelli, José Gabriel Carrizo, Martín Torrijos, Rómulo Roux, “ Organizations: CNN, Central, Latin America, Wilson, Americas Society, Panamanian, Gallup, Nicaraguan Locations: Panama, Central American, Panama City, United States, Venezuela, Panamanian, Colombia, Mulino, Americas, Nicaragua’s, Nicaraguan

☆ UN’s top court rejects call for Germany to immediately halt arms exports to Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The United Nations’ top court struck down a demand by Nicaragua that Germany immediately halt its arms exports to Israel on Tuesday, saying it cannot issue emergency measures against Berlin under the current circumstances. However, the court also rejected Germany’s demand to strike the lawsuit from its list, meaning the case will now move on. The ruling on Tuesday only concerned whether or not Berlin should be ordered to immediately stop selling arms to Israel. Germany “welcomed the ICJ ruling” according to a statement posted by the German Foreign Ministry on X shortly after the announcement. The ICJ is still considering whether Israel is guilty of violating the Genocide Convention, a legal process that could take years.

Persons: “, Nawaf Salam, Salam, Netherlands Carlos Jose Arguello Gomez, Alain, Piroschka Van De Wouw, Germany “, Israel, CNN’s Abel Alvarado, Tamar Michaelis Organizations: CNN, United Nations ’, Berlin, International Court of Justice, The Hague, Reading, Central, Israel, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, Reuters, UN, German Foreign Ministry Locations: Nicaragua, Germany, Israel, The, Netherlands, Berlin, Gaza, Central American, Nicaraguan, Reuters Germany, South Africa

☆ How moving from the US to Costa Rica’s ‘blue zone’ transformed this family’s life forever
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

They initially mulled over relocating to four potential destinations – Ghana, Sweden, Mexico, and of course, Costa Rica. There’s something energetic about being in Costa Rica.”‘Serendipitous’ move"There’s something energetic about being in Costa Rica," says Ward-Hopper. The community really looked out for each other.”New additionTheir son Nicolai was born in Costa Rica in 2020. “So for us it is more affordable, it’s getting more expensive as more people move to Costa Rica. “I guess we’re more nomadic than stationary, but Costa Rica feels like home.”

Persons: Kema, Hopper, Nicholas Hopper, Aaralyn, ”, “, I’d, Hurricane Harvey, Houston, Ward, they’d, we’ve, Nicolai, ” “, it’s, she’s, “ I’m, Costa, Costa Rica Organizations: CNN, Central American, CNN Travel, Loma Locations: Costa Rica, Houston , Texas, Houston, Ghana, Sweden, Mexico, “ Costa Rica, – Costa Rica, ”, Pueblo Nuevo, California, Sardinia, Okinawa, Nicoya, Costa Rican, Latin America, Colombia, Brazil, Costa

☆ A boomer who moved to Panama after years as a bartender in the Hamptons and New Mexico outlines the pros and cons of living in Central America
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

George Stumpp, a retired bartender, lives comfortably in Panama after moving from New Mexico. He said Panama has robust infrastructure, a lower cost of living, and many of the same stores as the US. AdvertisementGeorge Stumpp, 65, worked as a bartender and bar supervisor in Long Island and New Mexico for decades. He's enjoying retirement in a country with a lower cost of living and high-quality healthcare, and he said he's enjoyed adapting to Panamanian culture. As his kids got older, he started to vacation in Central America, traveling to Costa Rica, Belize, and Panama.

Persons: George Stumpp, —, he's, we've, Stumpp, it's, Long, there's Organizations: Service, Panama City, Central, Business, Hamptons, Sante Locations: Panama, New Mexico, Long Island, Panamanian, Colombia, Thailand, St, Maarten, Long, Sante Fe, Santa Fe, Central America, Costa Rica, Belize, Ontario, Canada

☆ Opinion: ‘Civil War’ is more than a reflection on America’s divisions
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Opinion Noah Berlatsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Noah Berlatsky Noah BerlatskyAlex Garland’s “Civil War” has mostly been discussed as a reflection of, and a warning about, America’s current partisan divisions. Unlike the actual US Civil War, this one doesn’t seem to have any particular racial or racist connotations. But it’s the same kind of cop out that powers most of Hollywood’s most iconic Vietnam war movies. Hollywood Vietnam war movies generally aren’t about whether America did the right thing, nor are they about how America’s choices affected people in Vietnam. Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket" (1987), starring Matthew Modine as Joker, is based on the events of the Vietnam war.

Persons: Noah Berlatsky, CNN —, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Noah Berlatsky Noah Berlatsky Alex Garland’s “, ”, he’s, Garland, Nick Offerman, Lee, Kirsten Dunst, Joel, Wagner Moura, Jessie, Cailee, Sammy, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Lee Wagner, Trump, Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi, Jesse Plemons, that’s, Francis Ford Coppola’s, Stanley Kubrick’s, don’t, —, Dawn ”, Stanley Kubrick's, Matthew Modine, It’s, transfixed Organizations: CNN, Union, Hollywood, America, Central, Warner Bros Locations: Chicago, Vietnam, Viet, American, Washington, California, Texas, Hollywood Vietnam, American Vietnam, Hollywood

☆ Massive genocide trial reopens old wounds in Guatemala, 40 years after indigenous slaughter
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Tara John | Ivonne Valdés | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

In 2018, a Guatemalan court ruled that the army committed acts of genocide, but no one was convicted. Lucas García, 91, was meant to face trial this year with former military intelligence chief Manuel Callejas y Callejas. Robert Nickelsberg/Archive Photos/Getty ImagesBurt said this “expression of racism is extremely profound,” and its knock-on effects are evident in Guatemala today. Survivors from the civil war gather outside the Supreme Court, prior to a hearing in the Ixil Genocide trial, in Guatemala City, Guatemala March 25, 2024. When the trial was due to start at the end of March, Lucas García’s lawyers announced their resignation.

Persons: CNN — Juan Brito López, Brito López, Manuel Benedicto Lucas García, Lucas García, Benedicto Lucas Garcia, Johan Ordonez, Lucas García’s, AJR, Fernando Romeo Lucas García, “ Lucas García, Manuel Callejas y, Callejas, Jesús Silvio, Romeo Lucas García’s, ” Jo, Marie Burt, ”, Robert Nickelsberg, Burt, Efrain Rios Montt, Tiziano Breda, Claudia Paz y Paz, CICIG, ” Silvio, ” Will Freeman, Cristina Chiquin, Bernardo Arévalo, Public Ministry –, Consuelo Porras , hasn’t, Michelle Liang, “, Brito López’s, Catarina Chel, tormenter, Silvia, ” CNN’s Tara John, Ivonne Valdés Organizations: CNN, United, Getty, Association for Justice, Reconciliation, Human, Washington Office, UN, Guatemalan Army, “, Central American, International, Commission, Council, Foreign Relations, Reuters CNN, Public Ministry, US, Network, Solidarity, ” CNN Locations: Pexla, Guatemala City, United Nations, Guatemalan, Guatemala, America, ”, Santa Cruz de Quiche, of Guatemala, New York, Mexico City

☆ Former president of Honduras convicted in U.S. of aiding drug traffickers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Former Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez testifies during his trial on U.S. drug trafficking charges in federal court in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S., March 6, 2024 in this courtroom sketch. Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández was convicted Friday in New York of charges that he conspired with drug traffickers and used his military and national police force to enable tons of cocaine to make it unhindered into the United States. The jury returned its verdict at a federal court after a two week trial, which has been closely followed in his home country. The scene in the courtroom was subdued and Hernandez seemed relaxed as the verdict on three counts was announced by the jury foreperson. In remarks to the jury before they left the courtroom, Judge P. Kevin Castel praised jurors for reaching a unanimous verdict, which was necessary for a conviction.

Persons: Juan Orlando Hernandez, Juan Orlando Hernández, Renato Stabile, Hernandez, P, Kevin Castel Organizations: Central, Defense Locations: Honduras, Manhattan, New York City, U.S, Honduran, New York, United States, Central American, Tegucigalpa

☆ Cocaine and Consequences: A Honduran President’s Trial in New York
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Corey Kilgannon | Wesley Parnell | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the clamor of the New York City news cycle, the criminal case currently playing out in Lower Manhattan against former President Juan Orlando Hernández of Honduras hardly registers. To Hondurans, it is a rare chance for national justice. “He sent our country to hell,” said Flavio Ulises Yuja, 62, who had traveled from Honduras to Florida for a vacation but abruptly changed plans and flew to New York to attend the trial. The trial is a spotlight on the woes of a country plagued by corruption, poverty and lawlessness. And even as Americans debate weaknesses in their own democracy and justice system, Hondurans see American courts as a venue for something unavailable back home: a fair trial and a measure of justice.

Persons: Juan Orlando Hernández, Hernández, “, ”, Flavio Ulises Yuja Organizations: New York, Court Locations: New York City, Lower Manhattan, Honduras, American, Florida, New York

The fear of the ongoing crackdown by President Daniel Ortega – on the Catholic Church in particular but not sparing evangelicals – has become so pervasive that it is silencing criticism of the authoritarian government and even mentions of the repression from the pulpit. Her work recording hundreds of instances of church persecution recently won her an International Religious Freedom Award from the U.S. State Department. “If it’s dangerous to pray the rosary in the street, it is exceedingly so to report attacks,” Molina said. Despite the growing fear, many faithful continue to attend church services – where they remain available. “The dictatorship, what it wants is to completely eliminate the Catholic faith, because they haven’t succeeded in making the church kneel before them,” Molina said.

Persons: Daniel Ortega –, –, ”, Martha Patricia Molina, ” Molina, ’, Ortega, Nicaragua’s, ” Ortega, Rosario Murillo, Alicia Quiñones, It’s, Molina, Mother Teresa’s, didn’t, Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, Silvio Báez, Pope Francis, Dolly Mora, “ It’s, they’re, “, haven’t, Nicole Winfield Organizations: MIAMI, Central American, Catholic Church, U.S . State Department, Associated Press, “, . government’s, PEN International, Ortega’s Sandinista, Liberation, University of Central America, Jesuit, Vatican, AP, Lilly Endowment Inc Locations: Nicaragua, Nicaraguan, United States, Americas, America, –, Rome, Managua’s, Miami, ”

☆ The Bucket List Family: How to travel the world with three kids
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“I never had the thought in my brain that ‘I want to travel around the world,’” Gee, from Denver, Colorado, tells CNN Travel. They soon began planning an extended trip to Southeast Asia and decided to launch an Instagram page, The Bucket List Family, to collate their adventures. “The little bit of traveling turned into three years full-time,” adds Gee, who has just released a travel guidebook, The Bucket List Family Travel, in partnership with National Geographic. The family went on to visit dozens of countries across the world, including Germany, Morocco, Japan, Brazil, Guatemala and Dominica. Family favoritesThe family of five have traveled to more than 90 countries.

Persons: Jessica Gee, Walt, ”, Garrett, Dorothy, Manilla, “, ” Gee, Gee, Jessica, Garrett Gee, who’ve, Callihan, Calihan, Geographic Gee, you’re, Gee’s, – that’s, it’s, They’ve, don’t Organizations: CNN, Walt Disney, CNN Travel, National Geographic, Gee, Central, East, Rwanda, Geographic, Disney Locations: Europe, Florida, Denver , Colorado, Vladivostok, Russia, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Singapore , New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Tonga, Germany, Morocco, Japan, Brazil, Guatemala, Dominica, Belize, Central American, Alaska, East African, Rwanda, Hawaii, Africa, Antarctica, China, Borneo

☆ U.S. Mends Fences With El Salvador's Bukele as China Lurks
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Now, more than ever, the U.S. needs Central American nations like El Salvador to curb migration to the southern border. In October, the State Department's top Latin America diplomat, Brian Nichols, visited El Salvador and posed for photos with Bukele. WAITING IN THE WINGSAt the same time, there are growing ties between China and El Salvador. Although of limited commercial importance in itself, El Salvador offers China a foothold in Central America, and in 2017 broke relations with Taiwan in favor of China. "El Salvador wants to do trade with everyone," Bukele said during his victory speech on Sunday night.

Persons: Diego Oré, Sarah Kinosian, Nelson, Nayib Bukele, Jean Manes, Bukele's, Brian Nichols, Antony Blinken, Bukele, Manes, Ana Maria Mendez, Salvadorans, El Salvador, El, Margaret Myers, Diego Ore, Nelson Renteria, Christian Plumb, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: SALVADOR, Reuters, El Salvador, Central American, U.S, U.S ., Central, State Department's, El, U.S . State Department, Washington Office, U.S . Customs, USAID, The U.S, Inter, Huawei, Washington, Diego Locations: United States, U.S, El Salvador, Latin America, America, China, Honduras, Washington, China's, San Salvador, Central America, Taiwan, Mexico City

☆ Bukele Landslide Shifts El Salvador to One-Party State, Amplifies Democracy Fears
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

By Sarah Kinosian and Nelson RenteriaSAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - The landslide re-election of El Salvador President Nayib Bukele was cheered by supporters of his gang crackdown, but has worried opponents who fear the country is sliding into a de facto one-party state. El Salvador had "made history" for electing a single party "in a fully democratic system," he said. But rights groups said they are worried about where the country is headed and forecast further curbs on civil rights. They are just grateful he crushed the gang violence plaguing El Salvador for decades and that they can go outside after dark again. "Democratic spaces are closing in El Salvador, civil society is closing down and there is an environment of fear to speak out," said Claudia Ortiz, a lawmaker who has clashed with Bukele and ran for the upstart Vamos party.

Persons: Sarah Kinosian, Nelson, Nayib Bukele, Bukele, El Salvador, Gabriela Santos, State Anthony Blinken, Daniel Ortega, Gladis Munoz, Claudia Ortiz, Nelson Renteria, Drazen Jorgic, Christian Plumb, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: SALVADOR, Reuters, El Salvador, U.S, Human Rights, University of Central America, El, State, Bukele Locations: El Salvador, U.S, Central America, El, Nicaragua, Venezuela

☆ El Salvador election results delayed, despite president’s declaration of victory
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Stefano Pozzebon | Martin Goillandeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —El Salvador’s Supreme Electoral Court on Monday said it had asked polling stations across the country to manually record the results of Sunday’s presidential election after electronic transmission of results stopped updating overnight at around 31%. Voters line up at a polling station during general elections in San Salvador, El Salvador, on Sunday. El Salvador now has the world’s highest incarceration rate. El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, left, accompanied by his wife Gabriela Rodriguez, waves to supporters from the balcony of the presidential palace in San Salvador, El Salvador, after polls closed on Sunday. A lopsided win for Bukele would likely give the young leader more leeway to reform El Salvador in his heavy-handed vision.

Persons: CNN — El, Nayib Bukele, Bukele, Moises Castillo, Bukele’s, El, Gabriela Rodriguez, autocrats, ” –, CNN’s David Shortell Organizations: CNN, Sunday, AP, El Salvador, Bukele Locations: San Salvador , El Salvador, El Salvador, American

☆ Voting underway in El Salvador, where strongman president’s victory is all but assured
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( David Shortell | Stefano Pozzebon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Polls are open in El Salvador, where the strongman president Nayib Bukele is expected to easily win a second term amid a dramatic turnaround in the country’s once-sky high levels of violence. Bukele, 42, faced little in the way of organized opposition and enjoys one of the highest favorability ratings in the region, regularly polling above 70% in independent surveys. His supporters trumpet a crackdown on criminal gangs in the country that resulted in a dramatic fall in the murder rate, once the highest in the world. But the mass arrests – El Salvador now has the world’s highest incarceration rate – have also triggered outcry from human rights groups, who allege Bukele’s government has detained innocent people and subjected prisoners to dehumanizing conditions behind bars, including torture. A lopsided win for Bukele would likely give the young leader more leeway to reform El Salvador in his heavy-handed vision.

Persons: Nayib Bukele, – El, Bukele’s, ” Jackelyne Zelaya, Bukele, autocrats, ” –, Latinobarometro Organizations: CNN, Bukele, El Salvador, courant Locations: El Salvador, – El Salvador, American, Honduras, Ecuador, Latin America

☆ In El Salvador, self-styled ‘world’s coolest dictator’ Nayib Bukele heads for re-election amid human rights concerns
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Stefano Pozzebon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Employees of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal load boxes containing electoral material for the presidential and legislative elections at the Electoral Organization Directorate in San Marcos, El Salvador, on February 2, 2024. He adopted Bitcoin as legal tender in El Salvador in 2021 and invited the tech-bros of the world to surf in the Pacific. Under Bukele, El Salvador’s homicide rate has plummeted. So, while El Salvador no longer faces record murder rates, it now boasts the highest incarceration rate in the world. Camilo Freedman/AFP/Getty ImagesA tale of two victimsJackelyne Zelaya does not see the enduring state of emergency as a problem.

Persons: Jocelyn Zelaya, ”, Jackelyne, ” Jackelyne Zelaya, Marcela, Jocelyn, Mara Salvatrucha, Zelaya, “, isn’t, Nayib, Yuri Cortez, Bukele, El, Camilo Freedman, Jackelyne Zelaya, won’t, Maria, tipster, Marvin Reyes, EFE, Guillermo Villatoro, Villatoro, Salvadorean Sandra Hernandez, Jose Dimas Medrano, Stringer, ‘, ’, Ilhan Omar, Samuel Rodriguez of MOVIR, “ Bukele, Daniel Noboa, Latinobarometro, she’s, Maria ’, ” Maria Organizations: CNN, World Bank, El, Employees, Electoral, Getty, FMLN, Civil, Justice Department, Army, “, Congress, Police, National Police, Security Ministry, Human Rights, Democratic, Barrios, Washington DC Locations: San Salvador, Zelaya, El Salvador, American, San Marcos, AFP, America, Latin America, United States, New York, El Salvador’s, Santa Ana, El Rosario, Honduras, WOLA, Washington, Ecuador, El

☆ China comes just shy of Japan as the world's largest car exporter
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"In the first eleven months of 2023, auto shipments to Russia rose about six times that of 2022 in value terms." While he said it's still unclear exactly why Chinese cars are growing so quickly in Mexico, part of the reason is international automakers. Germany's Volkswagen was among the foreign car companies on track for their worst China market sales in years. Local vs. overseas marketsChinese car makers will likely increase their share of the domestic auto market to 75% by 2030, said Francoise Huang, senior economist at Allianz Trade. That would result in a nearly 40% drop in European car sales in China, she said.

Persons: Sarah Tan, Tan, Jorge Guajardo, Guajardo, it's, they've, BYD, Francoise Huang Organizations: Publishing, Getty, Ministry of Commerce, Moody's, D.C, Dentons Global Advisors, CNBC, Volkswagen, China, Allianz Trade, European Union Locations: LIANYUNGANG, CHINA, Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China, BEIJING, Japan, Russia, Ukraine, Mexico, Belgium, Washington, U.S, Europe

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s government has acknowledged that at least two well-known Mayan ruin sites are unreachable by visitors because of a toxic mix of cartel violence and land disputes. The explosion of drug cartel violence in Chiapas since last year has left the Yaxchilán ruin site completely cut off, the government conceded Friday. They say that to get to yet another archaeological site, Lagartero, travelers are forced to hand over identification and cellphones at cartel checkpoints. Though no tourist has been harmed so far, and the government claims the sites are safe, many guides no longer take tour groups there. The guide said the ruin sites have the added disadvantage of being in jungle areas where the cartels have carved out at least four clandestine landing strips to fly drugs in from South America.

Persons: —, “ It’s, ”, Andrés Manuel López, “, López Obrador, Mexico — Organizations: MEXICO CITY, “, National Institute of Anthropology, Central Americans, National Guard Locations: MEXICO, Chiapas, Guatemala, Tonina, Gaza, Lagartero, Mexico, Palenque, Frontera Comalapa, Darien, South America, Central America, U.S, Cuba, Asia, Africa, Sinaloa, Jalisco

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico wants an urgent investigation into how U.S. military-grade weapons are increasingly being found in the hands of Mexican drug cartels, Mexico's top diplomat said Monday. Mexico’s army is finding belt-fed machine guns, rocket launchers and grenades that are not sold for civilian use in the United States. “The (Mexican) Defense Department has warned the United States about weapons entering Mexico that are for the exclusive use of the U.S. army,” Foreign Relations Secretary Alicia Bárcena said. While the Mexican army and marines still have superior firepower, the drug cartels' weaponry often now outclasses other branches of Mexican law enforcement. Mexico argued the companies knew weapons were being sold to traffickers who smuggled them into Mexico and decided to cash in on that market.

Persons: Alicia Bárcena, Luis Cresencio Sandoval, Sandoval, Ken Salazar, ” Salazar, Mexico’s, Bárcena, ” Bárcena, “ Organizations: MEXICO CITY, ) Defense Department, U.S ., Foreign, National Guard, Jalisco New, Mexico's Defense Department, U.S, Arms, Appeals, Foreign Affairs Ministry, Central America, South American, Central, Department, CBP Locations: MEXICO, Mexico, United States, Jalisco, Sinaloa, U.S, States, Central America, Boston , Massachusetts, South

☆ Several Hundred Honduran Migrants Prepare to Travel North - Local Media
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Several hundred migrants have gathered at a bus terminal in northern Honduras in preparation to head towards the United States, local television reported on Friday, seeking to flee poverty and a lack of jobs in the Central American nation. Hoy Mismo news channel estimated that about 300 people had gathered at the Gran Terminal bus station in the northern city of San Pedro Sula, largely young people and families holding children. The caravan, expected to leave on Saturday, would mark the first such group of Honduran migrants traveling north during the administration of leftist President Xiomara Castro, who took office at the start of 2022. The government of Honduras estimates that about 64% of the country's 10 million inhabitants live in poverty. The Honduras migration and security ministries did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Hoy, San Pedro Sula, Xiomara Castro, Wilfredo Bonilla, Gustavo Palencia, Sarah Morland, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Central, Gran Locations: TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, United States, Central American, San Pedro

☆ 9 underrated travel destinations that will be popular this year, according to a travel planner
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Jennifer Greene | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

BelizeBelize is a country in Central America. Matyas Rehak/ShutterstockThe small Central American country is stunning. There are white-sand beaches and lush tropical jungles to explore. And as the home to the Belize Barrier Reef, snorkeling and diving enthusiasts will find plenty to do. Tourists can even check out Mayan ruins or come up close with native birds and monkeys in Belize.

Persons: Matyas Rehak Locations: Belize Belize, Central America, American, Belize

WHO IS GUATEMALA'S ATTORNEY GENERAL? She first became attorney general in 2018 with the support of then-President Jimmy Morales, replacing Thelma Aldana. With a doctorate in law, Porras' reputation was hit by a plagiarism scandal during her first term as attorney general. During Giammattei’s time as president, Porras left many accusations against him uninvestigated, including a corruption scandal involving COVID-19 vaccines. Now, the attorney general can be removed only for a conviction for a malicious offense.

Persons: Bernardo Arévalo, Consuelo Porras, Arévalo, Porras, Luis Almagro, Jimmy Morales, Thelma Aldana, Alejandro Giammattei, Arévalo’s, —, Claudia Paz y, ” Paz y Paz, “, Paz y Paz, Juan Francisco Sandoval, Paz y, ”, Sandoval Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, WHO, United, Organization of American, U.S, Party, Claudia Paz y Paz, Porras, Paz y Paz Locations: GUATEMALA, American, United States, Organization of American States, America, United Nations

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