Will El Salvador end amnesty?
A 1993 amnesty agreement has meant that perpetrators of massacres during El Salvador’s civil war have gone free. But will a recent court ruling change that?
Will Venezuela curtail cheap oil for Cuba?
For more than a decade, Cuba has relied heavily on cheap Venezuelan oil and favorable terms of trade to keep its economy afloat.
Genocide trial of Guatemala dictator begins
The retired general is accused of ordering the execution of 1,771 members of the Ixil Maya people.
Argentina's Jorge Mario Bergoglio elected first pope from the Americas
Pope Francis I was elected after five rounds of voting.
El Salvador urges neighbors to solve gulf dispute
Presidents of El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua have agreed not to use force.
Guatemala court upholds genocide trial for ex-dictator Ríos Montt
Defense attorneys said Ríos Montt never knew the army was committing massacres.
Venezuela election fight to succeed Chávez begins
Acting President Nicolas Maduro says he will propose a constitutional amendment to move Chávez's body alongside South American independence hero Simón Bolivar in the national pantheon.
Indigenous leader killed in Guatemala
More than 1,000 people were killed in Guatemala in the first two months of 2013.
U.S. expels two Venezuelan diplomats: official
The U.S. retaliates after Venezuela ordered two U.S. officials out of its country last week.
Protests over planned dam turn violent in Panama
Government argues that oil-fueled plants have made energy costs too high.
Venezuela bids Chávez farewell
Chávez was showered with tributes from Latin American leaders and Russia, China and Iran also paid tribute to a man who had cultivated close ties with the bugbears of the West as a way of thumbing his nose at Washington.
Thousands of Venezuelans march alongside Chávez's coffin
Chavistas wearing red shirts crowded the capital streets of Caracas.
Costa Rica calls for negotiations with Nicaragua over border at sea
The Tico government suggested this week that a temporary border in the Atlantic Ocean be implemented pending final negotiations.
U.S. rejects Venezuelan conspiracy claims
Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro accused the U.S. of causing Chavez’s cancer and expelled two U.S. military officers.
Latin American leaders mourn Chávez’s death
An 86-year-old Fidel Castro outlives his “revolutionary son.”
Venezuela’s Chávez dies at 58, ending an era as polls loom
Officials promise a new election within 30 days.
Venezuela’s Chávez in ‘very delicate’ condition
Venezuelan official reveals severe new respiratory infection in wake of protests demanding truth about president's condition.
Obama administration refuses to rule out drone strikes on U.S. soil
Official: U.S. military and intelligence agencies currently have “no intention” of carrying out such an attack.
Slow political transition under way in Cuba
The National Assembly approved a second and final five-year term for Raúl Castro.
Central American ban on lobster fishing begins Friday
New rules aim to protect lobsters' main reproductive period.
More than 26,000 missing in Mexico drug war: official
Human Rights Watch criticized Mexican government for failing to investigate at least 249 "disappearances."
New study links extreme weather to climate change
Scientists traced weather events to a disturbance in the air currents in the northern hemisphere.
Nicaragua hopes to lure a ‘better’ tourist
Tourism Minister Mario Salinas said, “We have to bring two million tourists here a year, but we need them to spend $100-$130 per day.”
IDB issues $1.5 billion grant for development projects in region
The agency also will issue a $1.6 billion loan.
Venezuela irked by U.S. comments on Chávez
President Hugo Chávez returned home by surprise Monday.
U.S. warns of kidnapping plot
“The threat is credible and will extend through the end of February,” the U.S. Embassy in Peru reported.
Can Central American officials stop the coffee fungus?
Losses in regional coffee harvests could reach 4 million quintales (sacks of 46 kilos), experts say.
Crowds cheer as Chávez returns to Venezuela
U.S. officials say Venezuela should hold new elections if Chávez is unable to govern.
Costa Rica, Panama study open travel policy
Officials are meeting this week to discuss the proposal.
Remittances to Guatemala increased by 14.5 percent in January
The increase was registered despite the deportation from the U.S. of 40,635 Guatemalans in 2012.
Guatemala mobs burn three suspected criminals
Public lynching has become a common crime in indigenous Mayan communities.
Pope’s departure raises hopes among Latin American critics
Many groups in the region praised the pontiff’s resignation.
Bikers honor Guatemala’s ‘Black Christ’
President Otto Pérez Molina greeted organizers of the event wearing a Harley Davidson biker jacket.
Former Guatemalan dictator’s trial set for Aug. 14
Efraín Ríos Montt and retired Gen. José Rodríguez face genocide charges.
Venezuelan Vice President accuses refugee of murder plot
Henry López has lived in Costa Rica since 2006, and in 2008, he obtained refugee status,
Colombia rebels want illicit drugs legalized
With an estimated 8,000 fighters, the FARC is the country’s largest and oldest rebel group.
CABEI grants $15 million loan to improve air traffic in the region
A new radar will be installed in Nicaragua.
Interpol announces results of major sweep of illicit drug labs in the region
A joint police operation was carried out in 11 countries.
1973 killing prompts extradition request
A court decision to seek the extradition of Pedro Pablo Barrientos Núñez, who is believed to live in Florida, was unanimous.
Is Nicaragua’s education system failing?
Six years have passed since the Nicaraguan government reintroduced free, public education. But as children prepare for a new school year in February, is the education system failing?
Landmark Guatemala trial to move forward
Former dictator Efraín Ríos Montt is accused of orchestrating the massacre of more than 1,750 indigenous Ixil Maya people.
Panama passes bill to rejoin Central American Parliament
The country left the regional forum in 2010 claiming it was a “a den of immunity” for corrupt politicians.
Hitmen assasinate deputy mayor of La Ceiba in Honduras
Ángel Salinas was killed on his way to work.
Can businesses curb gang violence?
The World Bank estimates that crime and violence costs El Salvador $2.5 billion annually, representing 10.8 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.
Case is snapshot of Nicaragua’s ‘Drug War’
A group of 17 fake journalist were sentenced to 30 years in prison and a $9.2 million fine.
Honduras to define sea border with Jamaica
Negotiations are still pending with Guatemala and Belize.
Nicaragua claims Tico border road threatened 600 animal species
Costa Rican foreign minister says Nicaragua is trying to discredit the country.
Magnitude-4.4 quake rattles Nicaragua and El Salvador
Epicenter was located off the Pacific coast of Nicaragua.
Nicaragua bets on energy ‘revolution’
In the National Development Plan, officials calculate that by 2017, 94 percent of the country’s electricity needs will be sourced from renewable energy.
Guatemala’s Otto Pérez Molina has 70 percent approval, poll finds
Guatemalans say insecurity, economy and unemployment are the country’s main problems.
Be kind to your seafood, study urges
Crabs and lobster are caught or reared for human consumption every year and treated in “very extreme ways.”
Six women killed Wednesday in Guatemala
Drug trafficking and gang fights are blamed for increasing violent crimes in the Central American nation.
Hondurans demand pay for expropriated lands
Government expropriated properties from 400 landowners for the construction of a hydroelectric plant in 2011, but paid only 40 percent of the agreed amount.
Venezuela stages inauguration rally without Chávez
It has been a month since Chávez has been seen in public.
Chávez is sick, but merchandising is not
Chávez face can be found all over: T-shirts, baseball hats, jackets, earrings and much, much more.
Venezuela’s top court upholds delay of Chávez oath
“This assembly grants you all the time that you need to attend to your illness,” National Assembly speaker Diosdado Cabello told the ailing leader.
Dozens hurt in New York ferry accident
Witnesses said the ferry was going too quickly when it approached the pier.
El Salvador homicides decrease over 40 percent in 2012
2012 was the least violent year in the country since 2003.
Honduras ambassador forced to resign after wild embassy party
Holiday party turned into a booze-fueled orgy with prostitutes.
Venezuela's Chávez fighting severe lung infection
Chávez's top aides accused the opposition and the media of using the president's poor health to wage a "psychological war" to destabilize the country.
'Stormin Norman' Schwarzkopf dead at 78
US general retired from active service in August 1991.
Nicaragua issues preventive alert for volcano activity
San Cristóbal volcano became active spewing ash columns of up to 500 meters high.
With Chávez sicker, Venezuela axes New Year party
Information Minister Ernesto Villegas urged Venezuelans "to ring in the New Year at home, praying and expressing hope for the health" of Chávez.
Venezuela's Chávez swearing in could be delayed by illness
Vice President Nicolás Maduro said Monday that Chávez could be sworn in by Supreme Court justices.
Prosecutor, 6 others killed in Guatemala
Modus operandi of the attackers corresponds to drug trafficking groups, officials said.
Mayans today face discrimination, poverty
There are currently an estimated 20 to 30 million direct descendants of the ancient civilization.
U.S. regional strategy discussed
While 20 or 30 years ago, some current Latin American leaders fought for freedom of expression against military dictatorships, some now are closing or censoring independent media.
Guatemala’s Pacaya Volcano spits ash, gases
Authorities issued a preventive alert on Wednesday.
Venezuela's Chávez stable after respiratory infection
Chávez experienced "complications" from his most recent surgery, including bleeding, aides confirmed.
Hugo Chávez's party sweeps Venezuelan state elections
The ruling socialist party won in 20 of Venezuela’s 23 states.
Amnesty International: Violations not prosecuted
Attacks aren’t only committed by criminals and organized crime, but also, in many cases, by authorities.
V.P.: Chávez recovery will be ‘difficult’
Without formally handing over the presidency, Chávez delegated the country’s “high political command” to vice president Nicolás Maduro.
Latin American economies to grow 3.8 percent in 2013
“The region has shown some resilience,” ECLAC Executive Secretary Alicia Bárcena said.
Guatemala expels McAfee to the United States
McAfee's lawyer successfully fought his deportation back to Belize.
Chávez cancer surgery successful, says Venezuelan vice president
The Venezuelan president's cancer surgery lasted at least six hours.
U.S. official outlines Obama’s strategy in Latin America
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roberta Jacobson did not speculate as to the future of a Venezuela without Hugo Chávez.
Software pioneer McAfee expects to be freed soon
Anti-virus guru John McAfee has sold the rights for a TV movie about his bizarre life.
Human rights court condemns El Salvador for El Mozote massacre
Court ruling brings 31 years of impunity to an end.
Taiwan gives 4 helicopters to Guatemala
Donation was made during the 91st anniversary of the creation of the Guatemalan Air Force.
Dollar dips as investors expect new Fed stimulus
Stubborn high unemployment and the looming fiscal cliff are pushing the Fed to expand stimulus efforts.
Chávez departs to Cuba for more cancer surgery
President delivers televised speech urging Venezuelans to vote for Vice President Nicolas Maduro should anything happen to the current leader, whose health is quickly declining.
Venezuela’s Chávez admits cancer relapse, designates heir apparent
Cuban medical team says treatment of Venezuelan leader is “urgent.”
Drug submarine sinks in Panama after pursuit, 1 dead
One of the vessel’s occupants was dead when Costa Rican officials arrived on the scene.
Eccentric tech guru McAfee arrested, hospitalized in Guatemala
John McAfee was rushed to a hospital with a heart condition on Thursday, his lawyer said.
Absence of Venezuela’s Chávez sparks more rumors
The Venezuelan president hasn’t been seen in public in three weeks.
Climate talks deadlocked as countdown starts for final week
Can the world’s nations reach an agreement on climate change goals?
Guatemala extends state of emergency due to earthquake damage
Repairs will cost an estimated $207 million, U.N. agency says.
Colombian rebels face deadline for peace deal
President Juan Manuel Santos: Less than a year remains for negotiations.
Latin America poverty levels lowest in 3 decades
Despite the positive outlook, the rate of poverty reduction slowed in the last year, according to the Economic Commission for Latin America.
Colombia renounces world court jurisdiction over boundary disputes
Nicaragua: Colombia's move is “desperate” and meaningless.
U.S. offers Honduras help in fighting crime
A high-level bilateral meeting took place on Wednesday to address Honduras’ sky-high murder rate and other issues.
Nicaragua patrols its new Caribbean maritime territory
No Colombian Navy ships were spotted in what is now considered Nicaraguan territory.
Guatemala protects coast with artificial reefs
Local fishermen hope this will help fish reproduction.
Two dead in landslide as floods hit Panama
Some 800 homes were damaged and 94 people were evacuated.
Regional drug control experts to meet in Costa Rica
Costa Rica will take over the presidency of the OAS Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission.
U.S. warns citizens about crime in Honduras
In 2011, Honduras registered 92 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, the highest in the world.
Nicaragua’s Ortega declares victory in world court ruling; Colombia’s Santos complains
A decades-long dispute over Caribbean territory claimed by Nicaraguan and Colombia has come to an end.
72 tons of food aid for quake-stricken Guatemala: WFP
Forty-four Guatemalans died from the magnitude-7.4 quake on Nov. 7.
World court grants Colombia disputed Caribbean islands
Nicaragua challenged Colombia in 2001 at the International Court of Justice over the sovereignty of the islands.
Belize seeks antivirus software guru John McAfee for questioning in murder case
McAfee and a neighbor allegedly had a recent dispute over dogs.
El Salvador seeks funds to develop coastal areas
More than half of the country’s coastal residents live in poverty.
U.S. places two suspected Guatemalan drug traffickers on sanctions list
Two other relatives of the suspects already are under U.S. sanctions for their suspected criminal activity.
Homophobic crime increasing in Nicaragua
As the Second Central American Conference for Sexual Diversity meets in Nicaragua’s capital, participants note that 2012 has been one of the most violent years for homophobic crimes in the country.
Nicaragua extreme poverty cut in half
According to government figures, extreme poverty in Nicaragua has been reduced from 11.2 percent to 5.5 percent over the past five years. But is this enough for Central America’s poorest country?
U.S. sanctions El Salvador’s ‘extremely dangerous’ MS-13 gang
With some 30,000 members in the U.S. and Central America, Mara Salvatruchas have been expanding their presence, participating in murders, racketeering, drug trafficking and sex trafficking, the U.S. government said.
Guatemala seeks investment from Spain and China
The Central American country will sell itself as an ideal business and logistic center in the region.
Panama approves record-setting $16.3 billion budget for 2013
The budget earmarks almost $8 billion for education, health, jobs, housing and other social services.
Alleged Zetas members to stand trial for 2011 massacre of Guatemalan farmworkers
Members of the drug cartel decapitated 27 farmworkers in the northern Petén region.
Route honors Archbishop Romero
Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes announced that he would inaugurate the tourist route this week to draw people interested in learning about “the life, pastoral work and prophetic message of our archbishop and martyr, Monsignor Oscar Arnulfo Romero.”
Diplomats warn Guatemala against army use
“It’s sad that a legitimate protest has ended with deaths” the U.N.’s representative in Guatemala for the High Commission on Human Rights, Alberto Brunori, said.
Winners and losers in Nicaragua’s ‘Grand Canal’ project
The cost of the project has been estimated at $30 billion and is likely to take over a decade to complete.
Chavez wins another six-year term in Venezuela
In the closest election of his 14-year tenure, Hugo Chavez beat opposition party leader Henrique Capriles to remain in power. In San José, Costa Rican supports of Chavez clashed with police outside the Venezuelan embassy.
Hezbollah rumors continue to hound Nicaragua
Israeli news media and members of the U.S. Congress started a whirlwind rumor that Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah is operating military training camps in northern Nicaragua. The Tico Times examines the truth behind the gossip.
Nightmare is over for released U.S. man
Former Peace Corps volunteer Jason Puracal was released last week after spending two years in a Nicaraguan prison for a crime he says he didn’t commit. The Tico Times talks to Puracal about his first days of freedom.
Nicaragua exits from U.S. military school
President Daniel Ortega said he expected backlash from the U.S. over the decision.
Mitt Romney’s Salvadoran links questioned
U.S. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney had some questionable business associates when founding Bain Capital in the 1980s. A recent story highlights ties between Bain investors and El Salvadoran death squads.
Rich-poor gap grows in Latin America
Despite some progress recorded over the past decade, 124 million people live in poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Remembering Esquipulas, 25 years later
In effect, while Republicans thought they had pulled one over on Wright, the wily House speaker, by virtue of knowing what was happening on the ground in Central America, had out-witted the administration.
Archaeologists unravel mysteries of the Mayans in Honduras
Archeologists have discovered 3,450 structures.
U.S. Marines begin ‘Operation Hammer’ in Guatemala
The Marines intend to help the Guatemalan military curb drug trafficking during the two-month operation.
Is Nicaraguan democracy ‘disintegrating’?
Former Sandinista revolutionary-turned-capitalist Humberto Ortega -the Nicaraguan president's younger brother- has some surprising thoughts on drug trafficking, organized crime and the future of his country's democratic development.
Region’s leaders call for new social pact
Central American presidents met last week in Nicaragua to commemorate the peace accords, which put an end to decades of bloody civil war in the region.
U.S. drug czar: Legalization is ‘wrong’
If the U.S. is going to solve its problem with illicit drugs, it's not going to be through legalization, says R. Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
DNA tests vindicate ‘Comandante Cero’
Edén Pastora said the paternity test clamor was part of a smear campaign by political adversaries.
The Nicaragua Canal: An impractical joke?
To experts, the proposed $30 billion Nicaragua Canal sounds like a real laugher.
U.S. Labor boss pushes for immigrants’ rights
In high school, her guidance counselor told her to forget about college. Today, Hilda Solís is the United States labor secretary, and she’s fighting for the rights of Central American immigrants.
Accused U.S. child molester nabbed in Guatemala
Jeffrey Parish, on the run for 18 years, was finally apprehended in Guatemala.
Guatemalan linked to bishop’s murder released
Retired army Col. Byron Disrael Lima Estrada, who had served 11 years of his 20 year sentence, received an early release due to his age and behavior.
Meet the region’s top crime fighter
It may be the poorest country in the region, but Nicaragua ranks at the bottom of the list in terms of Central American crime statistics.
Can we avoid the ‘Putinization’ of Mexico?
Peña Nieto’s rise represents an alliance of oligarchs, vested monopolistic interests, the forces of order, and a population that has become disillusioned with electoral democracy.
Ortega in old form after U.S. aid cuts
He didn’t have a lot of friends in the U.S. during the Contra war of the 1980s, but now, President Daniel Ortega seems to have even fewer northern allies now that the United States is threatening to cut off aid to the Central American country.
Is Nicaragua canal bid an attempt to deflect from country’s poverty?
Analysts are skeptical a proposed canal project will see the light of day, largely due to the international economic crisis and Nicaragua’s own political instability.
Panama’s Martinelli backs down
Faced with mounting protests and violence, Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli withdrew this week two bills from the National Assembly that would have sold off state assets in mixed public utility companies and created a new court chamber for “constitutional guarantees.”
Homicide rate drops to lowest in region
“In 2012, we want to pull the country out of what the World Health Organization calls a ‘violence epidemic,’ Public Security Minister Mario Zamora said.
Official: El Salvador ‘not falling apart’
Murders April and May are down 60 percent from the first months of 2012.
Novelist Carlos Fuentes dies at 83
He will be remembered as one of the most influential Latin American novelists of all time. Mexico's Carlos Fuentes died on Tuesday at 83. Hundreds of fans and friends bade farewell in a ceremonious Wednesday.
Nicaragua sets pace for region under CAFTA
When the Central America-U.S. Free Trade Agreement was first proposed, Nicaragua's Sandinistas called it a "Yankee" trick to economically dominate the region. Since then, Nicaragua has outperformed other countries in economic growth under the agreement.
For Guatemalan officials, a new menace: meth
Last year, authorities seized 1,600 tons of chemical precursors, more than their Mexican counterparts.
Are we a ‘hotspot’ for global warming?
Central America accounts for only 0.5 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions, yet is considered a “hotspot” for climate-related damages in the future.
U.S. urges more cooperation in drug fight
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime ranked Honduras the most violent nation.
Nicaraguan opposition wants political deal
The only group to come out strongly against the forthcoming talks is former President Arnoldo Alemán’s PLC,
Regional drug summit draws tepid support
While leaders agreed a new policy is needed, their absence during the presentation of the new proposals was notable.
U.S., Latin American officials talk security
Coast guard and navy officials from Latin America and the United States meet in Costa Rica to plan strategies to fight drug trafficking in the region.
Historic film traces Guatemala’s bloody past
“Granito: How to Nail a Dictator” tells the story of Guatemala’s brutal 36-year internal war.
Documentary targets lucrative arms trade
Filmmaker Pamela Yates footage is helping tell the truth about those responsible for genocide.
At least 350 dead in Honduras prison fire
Central American prisons in countries like Honduras are notoriously overcrowded as authorities fight drug traffickers and gangs.
For Guatemala’s victims, justice is overdue
A judge’s decision last week to try ex-dictator Efraín Ríos Montt for genocide has brought hope to many indigenous Mayan victims that justice may finally be served.
Guatemalan Mayans take fight to the airwaves
The Guatemalan government is cracking down on the country’s hundreds of pirate radio stations. Indigenous leaders say the 1996 Peace Accords give them the right to broadcast.
Guatemala murder rate blamed on drug trade
In 2011, more than 100 gang-related massacres left almost 500 dead.
HSBC sells Central America banks for $801 million
Europe’s biggest bank pulls out of Costa Rica, El Salvador and Honduras.
Ex-Nica Times editor launches new website
Veteran Nicaragua reporter Tim Rogers will start a new online newspaper about Nicaragua. The site launches Monday.
Swede puts La Penca past to rest with documentary
Documentary “Last Chapter: Goodbye Nicaragua” blames Sandinistas for La Penca bombing; crime never prosecuted.
Iran leader calls for ‘solidarity,’ ‘justice’ during Nicaragua visit
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad laughs off Western accusations of a growing nuclear program during Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s inauguration.
Will Central America legalize illicit drugs?
U.S. denounces new Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina’s statement raising the idea of legalizing drugs in the country.
New Guatemala leader orders military to join drug war
Otto Pérez Molina believes Mexico’s Zetas drug cartel is trying to take over the drug trade in Guatemala. He is seeking to confirm reports that rival drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman has been in Guatemala.
Power surge from Costa Rica leaves most of Nicaragua in the dark
In another strange incident between neighbors, a power overload from Costa Rica accidentally caused a blackout in almost all of Nicaragua on Tuesday night.
Ex-dictator Ríos Montt to face genocide charges for 1980s abuses
Tens of thousands died during the former Guatemala strongman's rule from 1982-1983.
Tourists rescued from indigenous villagers in Guatemala
Five U.S. citizens were part of the group held for 14 hours in a Guatemalan pueblo.
Deadly Panama protests end
Panama border traffic returns to normal.
‘Good riddance, Hugo Chávez’
Opinion: To most people north of the Río Grande, Chávez was a comically anti-American villain.
