Tsunami Alerts in Latin America After 8.8 Quake in Russia

An 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Far East coast on Wednesday, one of the most powerful quakes ever recorded, triggering tsunamis with waves up to four meters high and evacuation alerts from the United States to Colombia. Russian authorities reported minor injuries from the earthquake but no deaths. Officials in the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s …

Guatemala’s Gang War Funeral Attack Leaves 7 Dead and 13 Injured

At least seven people were killed and 13 wounded in an armed attack Tuesday night at a funeral in downtown Guatemala City, which authorities have linked to gang disputes. Guatemala has long been plagued by the notorious Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gangs. Interior Minister Francisco Jiménez attributed the massacre to their ongoing rivalry. …

Costa Rica Embraces IHRA to Combat Antisemitism in Region

Costa Rica has formally adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. This step positions the country as the sixth in Latin America to take such action, after Argentina, Colombia, Guatemala, Panama, and Uruguay. The announcement came from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, highlighting the move as part of ongoing efforts to …

Judicial Corruption Exposed in Costa Rica’s Latest Drug Bust

Costa Rican authorities took down a cocaine smuggling operation Tuesday that moved drugs from South America to the United States, with a judicial worker caught in the mix. Police arrested about ten people, including the group’s leader, his family, a traffic officer, and the judicial employee. They faced charges of tipping off the group about …

Nicaragua Places Bayardo Arce Under House Arrest Amid Power Struggle

The Nicaraguan government has placed historic Sandinista commander Bayardo Arce, economic adviser to President Daniel Ortega, under house arrest, according to exiled opposition members and Nicaraguan media in exile on Tuesday. Arce, a 76-year-old former guerrilla, had served as a presidential adviser since 2007. However, in recent years, he had been sidelined from his duties …

Costa Rica’s PPSO Backs Laura Fernández to Continue Rodrigo Chaves’s Agenda

Former Minister of Economy Francisco Gamboa and attorney Douglas Soto will join Laura Fernández for the 2026 elections, representing the Sovereign People’s Party (PPSO), chosen as the new political party to continue President Rodrigo Chaves’ work. The announcement was made Monday morning at the party’s headquarters in Barrio Escalante, San José, where Fernández also officially …

Costa Rica Surpasses 500 Homicides as Gang Violence Escalates

Costa Rica has officially surpassed 500 homicides so far this year, according to figures released Monday by the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ). As of July 28, the country had recorded 502 killings, averaging 2.4 murders per day, an alarming figure. Authorities project that by the end of 2025, the total number of homicides will range …

El Salvador Retries Environmentalists Over 1989 Wartime Killing

A new trial against five Salvadoran environmentalists, accused of murdering a woman in 1989 during the civil war, will take place on Tuesday, announced the NGO they belong to, denouncing the case as a form of “persecution” for their anti-mining activism. The environmentalists, who were guerrilla fighters at the time of the crime, were acquitted …

Honduras Reinstates Mask Mandate Amid Rise in Respiratory Illnesses

Honduran health officials have reinstated a nationwide mask mandate following a spike in respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, flu, and a fast-spreading Omicron subvariant known as XFG. The new rules were announced last week as case numbers climbed steadily. Under updated guidelines, masks are now required in all hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities. …