DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

"We truly don't know whether it will be days or weeks or months," a U.S. government official told Reuters on background. Since 2016, when Tsai Ing-wen was elected Taiwan's president, Panama, El Salvador and most recently, Nicaragua, have changed sides. China does not allow countries to hold diplomatic ties with both itself and Taiwan, regarding the island as its territory. "If Honduras' switch to Beijing is formalized, Taiwan will have just 13 diplomatic allies, including Belize and Guatemala. Reporting by Sarah Kinosian in Mexico City and Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Dave Graham and Lincoln Feast.

☆ Taiwan, facing loss of ally Honduras, says it won't bow to China
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] The flags of Taiwan and Honduras flutter in the wind outside the Taiwan Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras March 15, 2023. On Tuesday, Honduran President Xiomara Castro announced the government would seek diplomatic ties with Beijing, which would come at the expense of Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory. "Over the years we have worked together with our diplomatic allies to support their national development plans in elevating the welfare of their people," he added. If Honduras ditched Taiwan, it would leave the island with only 13 diplomatic allies, mostly small and developing nations in Latin America, the Caribbean and Pacific. China says Taiwan is one of its provinces with no right to state-to-state ties, a view the democratically elected government in Taipei strongly rejects.

☆ Taiwan warns Honduras against 'poison' of aid from China
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The flags of Taiwan and Honduras flutter in the wind outside the Taiwan Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras March 15, 2023. Honduran President Xiomara Castro said on Tuesday she had asked her foreign minister to open official relations with China. Reina said Honduras had asked Taiwan to double its annual aid to $100 million but never received an answer. Taiwan denied that, saying comments from the Honduran foreign minister did not reflect facts of their communications. China does not allow countries with which it has diplomatic relations to maintain official ties with Taiwan, which it claims as its own territory with no right to state-to-state ties, a position Taiwan strongly disputes.

☆ Senior U.S. envoy to travel to Honduras as it considers China ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TEGUCIGALPA, March 16 (Reuters) - A high-ranking envoy of President Joe Biden will travel to Panama and Honduras this month, the U.S. Department of State said on Thursday, days after Taiwan ally Honduras said it would establish formal diplomatic ties with China. "China has been suppressing Taiwan's diplomacy, so it will invest funds related to specific countries in order to block Taiwan's diplomatic development," he said. "Therefore, we very much hope that Honduras can recognize the true nature of China and hope they maintain diplomatic relations and not be deceived." While the United States has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, it is Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier. China says Taiwan is one of its provinces with no right to state-to-state ties, a view the democratically elected government in Taipei strongly rejects.

☆ Honduras ditching Taiwan raises larger geopolitical concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The national flags of Honduras and Taiwan are seen at the Republic of China Square in Tegucigalpa on March 15, 2023. Stringer | AFP | Getty ImagesHonduras' decision to cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of China is yet another sign of growing Chinese influence in Latin America. But some of the few remaining in Latin America, like Paraguay and Guatemala, promised Wednesday to keep their support for Taiwan. "It is a complex decision, we understand, but Honduras' foreign policy should seek to benefit the people. In that sense, Tuesday's announcement also exemplifies the American government is "losing its grasp on" Latin America, said David Castrillon-Kerrigan, research-professor on China-related issues at Colombia's Externado University.

☆ Taiwan warns Honduras against 'poison' of taking aid from China
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The flags of Taiwan and Honduras flutter in the wind outside the Taiwan Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras March 15, 2023. Honduran President Xiomara Castro said on Tuesday she had asked her foreign minister to open official relations with China. "We remind the Honduran government that it should not quench its thirst with poison, even if fully parched by debt obligations," the Taiwan ministry said. Reina said Honduras had asked Taiwan to double its annual aid to $100 million but never received an answer. Taiwan denied that, saying comments from the Honduran foreign minister did not reflect facts of their communications.

☆ U.S. warns Honduras that China makes many unfulfilled promises
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

March 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department on Wednesday said China makes many promises that are unfulfilled after Honduras announced it would seek official relations with Beijing and cut them with Taiwan. "The Honduran Government should be aware that the PRC (People's Republic of China) makes many promises that are unfulfilled," a State Department spokesperson said. "We will continue to monitor next steps closely." Reporting by Costas Pitas in Los Angeles; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Cocaine production is taking root in a new region
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Gavin Voss | Insight Crime | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The countries are still not major cocaine producers, but the seizures reflect the crop's hardiness. Honduras, on the other hand, has shown minimal cocaine production capabilities, with rudimentary labs capable of producing small amounts of cocaine. While they have limited cocaine production ability, increasing coca cultivation in traditionally non-producing countries could be a sign of bigger things to come. For anti-narcotics authorities around the region, the danger posed by up-and-coming coca producers is palpable. The US State Department has recognized this in its latest report, dubbing coca production in Honduras and Venezuela "troublesome."

☆ Factbox: Taiwan's diplomatic allies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 15 (Reuters) - Taiwan faces losing another diplomatic ally after Honduran President Xiomara Castro said on Tuesday she had instructed the country's foreign minister to bring about the opening of official relations with China. China views democratically governed Taiwan as part of its territory with no right to state-to-state ties, a position Taiwan's government strongly disputes. Over the years, China has slowly whittled away at the number of countries which maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan. If Honduras does end relations with Taiwan, it will leave the island with only 13 diplomatic allies. Here is a list of the states that still maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan:LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEANBelizeGuatemalaHondurasParaguayHaitiSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesPACIFICMarshall IslandsNauruPalauTuvaluAFRICAEswatiniEUROPEVatican CityWriting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Himani SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

TEGUCIGALPA, March 15 (Reuters) - Honduras' decision to seek official relations with China and cut them with Taiwan on Tuesday was about "pragmatism, not ideology," driven by rising debt and investment needs, Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina said on Wednesday. China does not allow countries to hold diplomatic ties with both itself and Taiwan as it claims Taiwan as its own territory with no right to state-to-state ties, which Taiwan disputes. Speaking on local television, Reina said Honduras was "up to its neck" in financial issues and debt - including the $600 million it owes Taiwan - and this had partly motivated Honduras' decision to open relations with China. Honduras' decision puts pressure on Taiwan ahead of a visit by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen to the U.S. and Central America. Honduras intends to keep trade ties with Taiwan, however, Reina added during his television appearance.

☆ Honduras president says govt to seek official relations with China
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TEGUCIGALPA, March 14 (Reuters) - Honduras President Xiomara Castro said on Tuesday she had instructed the country's foreign minister to bring about the opening of official relations with China. Honduras' foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the announcement. China does not allow countries with which it has diplomatic relations to maintain official ties with Taiwan. If Honduras breaks off its relations with Taiwan, it would leave it with formal diplomatic ties with only 13 countries. Taiwan's foreign ministry said it was "in the process of understanding" the situation, without giving further details.

☆ Honduras lifts decade-long ban on 'morning after pill'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Castro, the country's first female president, took office last year after running on the promise of rolling back the country's restrictive reproductive policies. Honduras, a heavily Catholic nation, banned the use and sale of the morning after pill in 2009, arguing the emergency contraception would cause abortions. Castro, who signed the order on International Women's Day, tweeted that the morning after pill was "part of women's reproductive rights, and not abortive," citing the World Health Organization. The year before Castro took office, Honduras' Congress passed a constitutional reform to protect anti-abortion laws, requiring a three-fourths vote to change them. Between 50,000 to 80,000 clandestine abortions occur each year in the country, according to a 2019 estimate from local rights groups.

☆ 103 unaccompanied minors found in abandoned trailer in Mexico, govt says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, March 6 (Reuters) - Mexican authorities found 103 unaccompanied minors mostly from Guatemala inside an abandoned truck trailer in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz, the government said on Monday, in one of the biggest recent discoveries of migrant children traveling through Mexico. In addition to the 103 children, authorities found 212 adults from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Ecuador in the trailer, the National Migration Institute (INM) said in a statement. Another 28 migrants traveling as families from Guatemala and El Salvador were also in the trailer, bringing the total number of passengers to 343. It was outfitted with fans, a partially ventilated roof and a structure that created a second level inside the trailer. Earlier this year, Mexican authorities found 57 unaccompanied minors from Guatemala at a checkpoint near the U.S.-Mexico border, and 20 other unaccompanied minors in a group of mostly Central Americans in the southern state of Chiapas.

☆ Yellen says EV battery mineral trade pacts can likely bypass Congress
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BENGALURU, Feb 24 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Yellen said on Friday that she expects that future limited free trade agreements focused on battery minerals with the European Union and other trusted allies would not need approval from Congress. The law specified that the tax credits were only available to North American-assembled vehicles that meet certain local battery production and mineral extraction processing standards. Countries with U.S. free trade agreements can also access the credits, and this is a provision that the Biden administration hopes to exploit by negotiating limited trade deals focused on battery minerals. Over time, she said she hoped that trade agreements would allow more sold vehicles to qualify over time. The Treasury in March is due to put out guidance on the sourcing of battery minerals and Yellen said this will include guidance on free trade areas that can qualify.

☆ Honduras extends, expands state of emergency for second time
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TEGUCIGALPA, Feb 21 (Reuters) - The Honduran government extended its state of emergency for a second time on Tuesday, while also expanding it to cover a growing portion of the Central American country, as part of leftist President Xiomara Castro's crackdown on gangs. The state of emergency, initially covering the country's two largest cities, now covers 123 municipalities. "The success of the operation is measured by the number of lives saved, not by the number of arrests, weapons seized or drugs seized," Sanchez added. The state of emergency allows authorities to restrict freedom of movement and assembly, as well as to search homes and make arrests without a warrant. Honduras' crackdown follows a nearly year-old state of emergency in neighboring El Salvador, which has widespread public support but has swelled the prison population and drawn allegations of human rights abuses.

☆ Ex-Honduras president bribed by prominent family, U.S. prosecutors say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez was bribed by the country's prominent Rosenthal family, which owned a "massive" group of businesses in the Central American country, U.S. prosecutors said on Friday. Marlon Duarte, a lawyer for the Rosenthal family in Honduras, denied the allegations. The wealthy and politically connected Rosenthal family once controlled businesses including a soccer club, an automobile importer and one of the country's largest banks through their Grupo Continental conglomerate. Duarte noted that Hernandez was president when the Honduran government seized Grupo Continental's assets. "Juan Orlando Hernandez was against all the Rosenthals," Duarte told Reuters in a telephone interview, arguing that prosecutors would struggle to prove the family bribed Hernandez.

☆ Netflix clamps down on password sharing in four countries
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Netflix (NFLX) has extended its crackdown on password sharing to Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain. Users in these countries will now have to pay to give people they don’t live with access to their account, after similar rules were trialed in Latin America last year. Netflix started introducing the change last year in Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. The streaming giant, which suffered heavy subscriber losses last year, said in a blog post Wednesday that password sharing hurt its revenues and therefore limited its ability to invest in new content. The company, which has turned a blind eye to password sharing for a number of years, said there was “confusion” among users about “when and how” they could share their accounts.

☆ U.S. imposes sanctions on MS-13 gang members in Nicaragua, Honduras
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Wednesday on two members of the international criminal gang MS-13, accusing them of involvement in drug trafficking and murder in Central America and the United States. The sanctions against the two individuals -- an MS-13 leader in Honduras and an associate with the gang in Nicaragua -- are part of a broader U.S. government effort to disrupt the group's activities and financing, the department said in a statement. "Treasury's sanctions against MS-13 aim to interrupt its use of the financial system to launder illicit proceeds," department official Brian E. Nelson said. The leader in Honduras, Archaga Caria, has distributed cocaine from that country to the United States, and has ordered the murders of rival gang members, the department said. The MS-13 associate, Campbell Licona, used businesses the gang owned or controlled to launder drug proceeds, including through U.S. banks, the department said.

☆ U.S. VP Harris highlights $4.2 bln private sector investment in Central America
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Ted Hesson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstWASHINGTON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Private companies have committed to invest $4.2 billion in northern Central America as part of an effort by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris to reduce migration by targeting economic development, the White House said on Monday. In her remarks on Monday, Harris said migrants come to the United States to flee harm or because they cannot meet basic economic needs. Before a meeting with U.S. officials and private sector representatives, Harris announced a new phase of the effort called Central America Forward, which will focus on broader economic development, corruption and labor rights. Arrivals from northern Central America have steadily declined following a sharp rise in 2021 after Biden took office. Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Mica Rosenberg, Chizu Nomiyama and Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. VP Harris touts $4.2b private sector investment in Central America
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Ted Hesson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Private companies have committed to invest $4.2 billion in northern Central America as part of an effort by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris to reduce migration, the White House said on Monday. Harris focused her efforts on addressing the factors that led migrants to leave the three countries, known as the northern triangle, including a lack of economic opportunity. Corruption and governance concerns in the three nations have limited the effectiveness of the Harris push, leading to the cancellation or suspension of projects likely worth millions of dollars. Arrivals from northern Central America have steadily declined since mid-2021. Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Mica Rosenberg and Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Peru recalls ambassador to Honduras for 'unacceptable interference' as diplomatic spat deepens
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Peru's President Dina Boluarte speaks as she meets with foreign press, in Lima, Peru January 24, 2023. REUTERS/Angela PonceJan 26 (Reuters) - Peru withdrew its ambassador to Honduras, Jorge Raffo, due to Honduras' "unacceptable interference" in the internal affairs of Peru, the South American nation's foreign ministry said on Thursday. The step is part of a deepening showdown between Peru President Dina Boluarte and her regional peers, including the leftist leaders of Mexico, Bolivia and Honduras. "As a consequence of the position adopted by Honduras, bilateral relations with said country will be maintained, indefinitely, at the level of chargé d'affaires," the foreign ministry said on Twitter. Boluarte became president in December after Castillo attempted to illegally dissolve Congress, was ousted and detained.

☆ Taiwan VP new ruling party boss sets stage for presidential run
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Taiwan Vice President William Lai was elected as the new chairman of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on Sunday, setting the stage for him to run in presidential elections early next year. President Tsai Ing-wen resigned as party chairwoman in November after the DPP was trounced at local elections. Lai has not directly said whether he intends to run in the presidential vote but is widely expected to do so now he is DPP chairman. A former premier and mayor of the southern city of Tainan, Lai has been Tsai's vice president since 2020 following the DPP's landslide election win. The DPP won the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections by a landslide by pledging to defend Taiwan against China and not submit to Beijing's threats.

☆ Ex-Honduras president says current government impeding U.S. defense case
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Jan 10 (Reuters) - A lawyer for Juan Orlando Hernandez, the former Honduran president who is facing U.S. drugs and weapons charges, on Tuesday accused the Central American country's current government of setting up obstacles to his defense. In a hearing on Hernandez's case in Manhattan federal court, defense lawyer Raymond Colon said individuals in Honduras he was hoping to speak with were "being intimidated," without providing evidence. Gerardo Torres, Honduras' deputy foreign minister, denied Colon's claims. "I don't know where that accusation against the government of Honduras comes from," Torres told Reuters. Honduran President Xiomara Castro, a leftist who replaced Hernandez last year after beating a candidate from his right-leaning National Party, has pledged to tackle corruption.

[1/3] Julio Marquez and Yalimar Chirinos, migrants from Venezuela, display signs near the border between the United States and Mexico, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, January 7, 2023. He has the same message for U.S. President Joe Biden, who visits the Texas city of El Paso, just across the border, on Sunday. "We hope he helps us, that he lets us pass, since we're suffering a lot here in Mexico," said Marquez, 32. "Send me wherever you want, I'll come back," said Jonathan Tovar, 29, speaking on Friday from behind the fence of Mexico's migration office in Ciudad Juarez. "I want the president of the United States to give me and my family a chance."

☆ Explainer: Why migrants are crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in record numbers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Mica Rosenberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

What is happening at the U.S.-Mexico border now and why are there record numbers of crossings? U.S. Border Patrol made more than 2.2 million arrests at the U.S.-Mexico in the 2022 fiscal year, which ended last September, the most ever recorded. The number of Venezuelans crossing the border plummeted after Mexico agreed to accept expulsions of Venezuelan migrants last October. The Biden administration has said it wants to surge resources to process more claims quicker but faces budgetary and other constraints. The Biden administration also set a goal of resettling 125,000 refugees in 2022 who apply from abroad after Trump dramatically slashed admissions during his term.

Search resuls for: "Honduras"

25 mentions found