Feed MRSS-S el_salvador_a, english.elpais.com en-us https://english.elpais.com Mon, 30 Mar 2026 15:14:56 GMT https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-30/over-33000-people-arrested-in-bukeles-crackdown-were-not-listed-as-gang-members.html Mon, 30 Mar 2026 15:14:56 GMT https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-30/over-33000-people-arrested-in-bukeles-crackdown-were-not-listed-as-gang-members.html Bryan Avelar Internal intelligence documents reveal that 36% of those captured during the state of emergency were not profiled as criminals before the measure was implemented Internal intelligence documents reveal that 36% of those captured during the state of emergency were not profiled as criminals before the measure was implemented Nayib Bukele El Salvador FBI Guatemala Honduras Salvador Melendez (AP) Prisoners at CECOT in El Salvador, January 30. Prisoners at CECOT in El Salvador, January 30. <p>The government of Nayib Bukele has renewed its <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-01/felix-ulloa-vice-president-of-el-salvador-people-want-bukeles-state-of-emergency-they-feel-protected.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-01/felix-ulloa-vice-president-of-el-salvador-people-want-bukeles-state-of-emergency-they-feel-protected.html">controversial state of emergency</a> 48 times, promising not to stop until the last gang member is captured in El Salvador. However, official data reveals a significant discrepancy: while intelligence reports identified 58,270 gang members and collaborators at large before the state of emergency was implemented, authorities have arrested 91,628 people as of March 25. This means that more than 33,000 of those arrested (36%) were not previously listed as gang members in police records.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-30/over-33000-people-arrested-in-bukeles-crackdown-were-not-listed-as-gang-members.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-18/bukele-alters-constitution-to-endorse-life-imprisonment-in-el-salvador.html Wed, 18 Mar 2026 13:28:05 GMT https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-18/bukele-alters-constitution-to-endorse-life-imprisonment-in-el-salvador.html Bryan Avelar The government criticized a report by international legal experts that warns of crimes against humanity in the Central American country and lashed out at human rights organizations: ‘Go to hell’ The government criticized a report by international legal experts that warns of crimes against humanity in the Central American country and lashed out at human rights organizations: ‘Go to hell’ El Salvador Nayib Bukele Twitter San Salvador The Guardian Alex Peña (Getty Images) Nayib Bukele in San Salvador, in March 2025. Nayib Bukele in San Salvador, in March 2025. <p>The Legislative Assembly of El Salvador, dominated by the ruling party Nuevas Ideas (NI), on Tuesday approved a constitutional reform sent by President <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-03/bukele-a-trump-ally-leans-on-chinese-support-to-bolster-his-political-project.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-03/bukele-a-trump-ally-leans-on-chinese-support-to-bolster-his-political-project.html">Nayib Bukele</a> that allows life sentences for “murderers, rapists and terrorists.”</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-18/bukele-alters-constitution-to-endorse-life-imprisonment-in-el-salvador.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/usa/2026-03-16/salvadorans-deported-by-trump-to-bukeles-megaprison-fight-against-being-forgotten.html Mon, 16 Mar 2026 15:38:42 GMT https://english.elpais.com/usa/2026-03-16/salvadorans-deported-by-trump-to-bukeles-megaprison-fight-against-being-forgotten.html Nicholas Dale Leal At least five prisoners remain cut off from all contact in Salvadoran jails, a year after the US president ordered their unprecedented expulsion as alleged gang members At least five prisoners remain cut off from all contact in Salvadoran jails, a year after the US president ordered their unprecedented expulsion as alleged gang members El Salvador Venezuela Donald Trump Nayib Bukele CECOT ICE Presidencia de El Salvador (Anadolu vía Getty Images) Venezuela deportados US deports over 250 alleged gang members to El Salvador's mega-prison Deportees arrive at CECOT, in San Salvador on March 16, 2025. Deportees arrive at CECOT, in San Salvador on March 16, 2025. <p>On March 15, Herbert Sigarán turned 51. But no one celebrated at his home in Dallas. His wife, Karla, had asked him a few days earlier if he wanted at least a cake. He answered listlessly, but firmly. “No, no. I don’t want anything. All I want is to know about my son. It’s almost been a year since they took him.”</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2026-03-16/salvadorans-deported-by-trump-to-bukeles-megaprison-fight-against-being-forgotten.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-03/bukele-a-trump-ally-leans-on-chinese-support-to-bolster-his-political-project.html Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:35:20 GMT https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-03/bukele-a-trump-ally-leans-on-chinese-support-to-bolster-his-political-project.html Bryan Avelar The Salvadoran president has accepted multimillion-dollar donations from China for flagship projects while strengthening his alliance with Washington The Salvadoran president has accepted multimillion-dollar donations from China for flagship projects while strengthening his alliance with Washington Nayib Bukele El Salvador China Donald Trump Salvador Sánchez Cerén Xi Jinping Javier Aparicio (EFE) Bukele Nayib Bukele in El Salvador, on January 19. Nayib Bukele in El Salvador, on January 19. <p>Salvadoran President <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-08-04/nayib-bukeles-latest-power-grab.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-08-04/nayib-bukeles-latest-power-grab.html">Nayib Bukele</a> has turned his foreign policy into a balancing act between two major powers. In March 2019, before taking office, he traveled to Washington and disparaged Beijing: “China does not play by the rules; they do not respect the rules,” <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/world/responding-to-el-salvador-president-elect-china-denies-it-meddles-idUSKCN1QV3AN/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" title="https://www.reuters.com/article/world/responding-to-el-salvador-president-elect-china-denies-it-meddles-idUSKCN1QV3AN/">he said</a> in English in front of a conservative audience. “They are not a democracy, but they intervene in your democracy.” Six months later, already in the presidency, he celebrated an agreement with a “sister nation”: more than $500 million in non-reimbursable aid from Beijing for infrastructure projects that would boost his popularity.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-03/bukele-a-trump-ally-leans-on-chinese-support-to-bolster-his-political-project.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-02/nayib-bukeles-recipe-against-gangs-that-failed-in-honduras-were-safer-because-mara-salvatrucha-rules-here.html Mon, 02 Mar 2026 11:10:56 GMT https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-02/nayib-bukeles-recipe-against-gangs-that-failed-in-honduras-were-safer-because-mara-salvatrucha-rules-here.html Bryan Avelar Xiomara Castro imposed a state of emergency similar to El Salvador’s, restricting rights and deploying the army in the streets, but criminal groups control large areas of one of Central America’s most violent countries Xiomara Castro imposed a state of emergency similar to El Salvador’s, restricting rights and deploying the army in the streets, but criminal groups control large areas of one of Central America’s most violent countries El Salvador Nayib Bukele Honduras Xiomara Castro Nasry Asfura Moises Castillo (AP) Soldiers in San Pedro Sula, November 2019. Soldiers in San Pedro Sula, November 2019. <p>In the Rivera Hernández neighborhood of San Pedro Sula, Honduras, the government’s failed attempt to implement repressive measures against gangs similar to those imposed by <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-06-03/bukele-maintains-his-enormous-popularity-despite-his-image-as-a-dictator.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-06-03/bukele-maintains-his-enormous-popularity-despite-his-image-as-a-dictator.html">Nayib Bukele</a> in El Salvador is evident. At the entrance to this neighborhood, a taxi driver who asks to be identified as Mr. Jota explains the new nuances of his work: “Look, what we pay is no longer called extortion. It’s called ‘use of facilities.’ If you use the taxi stand, you have to pay the gang. If you don’t use it, you don’t pay. It’s that simple.” Mr. Jota lives in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Honduras and, for almost 50 years, he has witnessed gang violence firsthand. Now, he says, Rivera Hernández is one of the “safest” places in the country. The reason, however, seems contradictory: “Now we’re safer because <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-03-24/el-grenas-the-ms-13-leader-who-may-hold-the-key-to-bukele-and-trumps-prison-deal.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-03-24/el-grenas-the-ms-13-leader-who-may-hold-the-key-to-bukele-and-trumps-prison-deal.html">Mara Salvatrucha</a> [MS-13] rules here,” he says.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-02/nayib-bukeles-recipe-against-gangs-that-failed-in-honduras-were-safer-because-mara-salvatrucha-rules-here.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-01/felix-ulloa-vice-president-of-el-salvador-people-want-bukeles-state-of-emergency-they-feel-protected.html Sun, 01 Mar 2026 04:45:00 GMT https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-01/felix-ulloa-vice-president-of-el-salvador-people-want-bukeles-state-of-emergency-they-feel-protected.html Cecilia Ballesteros The politician from the Central American country defends the president’s ‘strong leadership’ model and, despite criticism from the international media, asserts that ‘everywhere, they want a Bukele’  The politician from the Central American country defends the president’s ‘strong leadership’ model and, despite criticism from the international media, asserts that ‘everywhere, they want a Bukele’  El Salvador Nayib Bukele Madrid Donald Trump CECOT Claudio Álvarez (EL PAÍS) Félix Ulloa Félix Ulloa, the vice president of El Salvador, on February 18 in Madrid. Félix Ulloa, the vice president of El Salvador, on February 18 in Madrid. <img src="https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v2/OPZ3MNK5ZFAMFGCYHIUE3TNFYQ.jpg?auth=05ac7427b5bd24693175988bcc32fe971e064d35389888a61a6f6ae28d024bae" width="6000" height="4002" alt="Félix Ulloa, the vice president of El Salvador, on February 18 in Madrid."></img><p>On his third visit to Spain as vice president of El Salvador, Félix Ulloa, 74, divides the world into those who oppose Nayib Bukele <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-09-24/claudia-ortiz-leader-of-the-opposition-to-bukele-el-salvador-is-moving-toward-an-authoritarian-regime.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-09-24/claudia-ortiz-leader-of-the-opposition-to-bukele-el-salvador-is-moving-toward-an-authoritarian-regime.html">and those who support him</a>. </p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-01/felix-ulloa-vice-president-of-el-salvador-people-want-bukeles-state-of-emergency-they-feel-protected.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p><img src="https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v2/JOH7ACD3MBDSVLZ525ZRQ3OCYY.jpg?auth=3fea0f3634fade763bee6528c8173045ea7e4f12d1bc1c4429995b2eb0b9e0ce" width="6000" height="4000" alt="Félix Ulloa, photographed at Casa de América, in Madrid."></img> https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-02-22/the-odyssey-of-the-first-cubans-deported-from-the-united-states-to-guantanamo.html Sun, 22 Feb 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-02-22/the-odyssey-of-the-first-cubans-deported-from-the-united-states-to-guantanamo.html Carla Gloria Colomé Over 50 migrants were transferred from Louisiana to the prison in December, believing they were being returned to Cuba. After several weeks stranded there, they were returned to the US and then deported to Havana Over 50 migrants were transferred from Louisiana to the prison in December, believing they were being returned to Cuba. After several weeks stranded there, they were returned to the US and then deported to Havana Cuba ICE Donald Trump Venezuela El Salvador Guatemala Texas EDUARDO RAMÓN (EL PAÍS) Cubans deported to Guantánamo. Cubans deported to Guantánamo. <img src="https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v2/7AR4PAOZ2FCI3GGMIU4H6LI74U.jpg?auth=1b315980982dd6859134234cc6932227700edb6010b53ab423ca319020321bb4" width="3200" height="1801" alt="Cubans deported to Guantánamo."></img><p>On January 31, during bathing time at Camp 6, the Cuban detainees at <a href="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2023-07-09/guantanamo-the-torture-legacy-21-years-later.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2023-07-09/guantanamo-the-torture-legacy-21-years-later.html">Guantánamo Bay</a> heard a loud crash in the shower area — the sound of a body collapsing. One of them, Vladimir Gago Soriano, fell heavily onto his ailing left leg, which had undergone eight surgeries and is barely functional since a motorcycle accident two years prior. He slipped on a puddle of water on the floor, and the detainees began shouting for help. The authorities, who took an hour to arrive, handcuffed him and put him in a kind of truck. From the loud noise of the engine, Vladimir guesses it was a large vehicle, although he isn’t certain because they blindfolded him so he would never know exactly where he was or what the maximum-security military installation looked like — the same installation where some of the world’s most wanted terrorists have been held, and where he, an Uber Eats delivery driver, had also found himself.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-02-22/the-odyssey-of-the-first-cubans-deported-from-the-united-states-to-guantanamo.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p><h3>Map:</h3><p>Mónica Juárez Martín</p> https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-02-14/returning-to-guatemala-in-a-cardboard-box-after-a-migrant-life-in-the-united-states.html Sat, 14 Feb 2026 05:25:09 GMT https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-02-14/returning-to-guatemala-in-a-cardboard-box-after-a-migrant-life-in-the-united-states.html Simona Carnino Every day, people who have died in the US arrive at La Aurora Airport in a final migratory journey surrounded by scams, injustices, bureaucracy, and the unwavering will of their families Every day, people who have died in the US arrive at La Aurora Airport in a final migratory journey surrounded by scams, injustices, bureaucracy, and the unwavering will of their families Guatemala Nicaragua Honduras El Salvador Planeta Futuro Simona Carnino (EL PAÍS) Relatives carry Miguel Raymundo's coffin during his burial at the cemetery in Nebaj, Guatemala, February 2. Relatives carry Miguel Raymundo's coffin during his burial at the cemetery in Nebaj, Guatemala, February 2. Simona Carnino (EL PAÍS) Maya Ixil women, relatives of Miguel Raymundo Raymundo, hold his photograph during his funeral at the cemetery in Nebaj, Guatemala, on February 2, 2026. Maya Ixil women, relatives of Miguel Raymundo Raymundo, hold his photograph during his funeral at the cemetery in Nebaj, Guatemala, on February 2, 2026. Simona Carnino (EL PAÍS) Relatives carry Miguel Raymundo Raymundo's coffin during his burial at the cemetery in Nebaj, Guatemala, on February 2, 2026. Relatives carry Miguel Raymundo Raymundo's coffin during his burial at the cemetery in Nebaj, Guatemala, on February 2, 2026. Simona Carnino Relatives carry Miguel Raymundo Raymundo's coffin during his burial at the cemetery in Nebaj, Guatemala, on February 2, 2026. Relatives carry Miguel Raymundo Raymundo's coffin during his burial at the cemetery in Nebaj, Guatemala, on February 2, 2026. Simona Carnino Miguel Raymundo Raymundo's burial, laid to rest in his homeland after nearly 20 years in the U.S. Image taken in Nebaj, Guatemala, on February 2, 2026. Miguel Raymundo Raymundo's burial, laid to rest in his homeland after nearly 20 years in the U.S. Image taken in Nebaj, Guatemala, on February 2, 2026. Simona Carnino Francisco Marroquín, director of Asaunixil, attends the wake for Miguel Raymundo Raymundo, who died in the U.S. and was repatriated by his family. Nebaj, Guatemala, February 1, 2026. Francisco Marroquín, director of Asaunixil, attends the wake for Miguel Raymundo Raymundo, who died in the U.S. and was repatriated by his family. Nebaj, Guatemala, February 1, 2026. <img src="https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v2/C67UTT3QZ5D5DCKOUPEHHVFF6E.jpg?auth=5671a69284d5a60124067676e856c49aa6a41acf53229f6ad0277deb9590749f" width="2300" height="1533" alt="Relatives carry Miguel Raymundo's coffin during his burial at the cemetery in Nebaj, Guatemala, February 2."></img><p>At 11:10 p.m. on an unusually freezing night in late January, the last commercial flight from Houston, Texas, landed at <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-04-03/the-benefits-of-circular-migration-in-guatemala-a-round-trip-to-the-american-dream.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-04-03/the-benefits-of-circular-migration-in-guatemala-a-round-trip-to-the-american-dream.html">La Aurora Airport in Guatemala City</a>. Passengers and their luggage were immediately unloaded. Just when it seemed everyone had left, the cargo hold door opened and airline staff pulled out two white cardboard boxes. Inside, two coffins.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-02-14/returning-to-guatemala-in-a-cardboard-box-after-a-migrant-life-in-the-united-states.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p><img src="https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v2/PP6FNFNVXNHKFK5ZHNCSHZOKCI.jpg?auth=4ca612d3518262aa20e78fd88d4e1b658754b631b12689fe9d0b300901e6f6c9" width="2300" height="1533" alt="Funeral altar made by the family of Miguel Raymundo during his wake in Nebaj, Guatemala, February 1."></img><img src="https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v2/272V4BE4DNCGNGMQC7DADBCAS4.jpg?auth=c0af99cc119af325be9f8c42da8150595f2c569e7308c939a9086e1312107676" width="2300" height="1533" alt="A funeral procession accompanies Miguel Raymundo Raymundo's body to the evangelical church in Nebaj, Guatemala, February 2."></img><img src="https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v2/EK7T3PYNQZHUNB3RIZQ6Q3MHT4.jpg?auth=abc1d42a902892a0fc5212bf2498a5577f8652a025afac20e0866b94e21a14af" width="2300" height="1533" alt="Mario López, a journalist from Megavisión, broadcasts live on Facebook for the family of Miguel Raymundo in Nebaj on February 2."></img> https://english.elpais.com/technology/2026-02-12/duolingo-reports-a-35-increase-in-spanish-learners-following-bad-bunnys-super-bowl-halftime-show.html Thu, 12 Feb 2026 16:41:35 GMT https://english.elpais.com/technology/2026-02-12/duolingo-reports-a-35-increase-in-spanish-learners-following-bad-bunnys-super-bowl-halftime-show.html Joaquín Patiño The app shared a graph through its X account. According to a report from the learning tool, Spanish is the second most popular language in the world, behind only English The app shared a graph through its X account. According to a report from the learning tool, Spanish is the second most popular language in the world, behind only English Super Bowl Bad Bunny Texas California Arizona Tennessee Mississippi Puerto Rico Cuba El Salvador Cheng Xin (Getty Images) The Duolingo app offers more than 40 different languages. The Duolingo app offers more than 40 different languages. <p>Bad Bunny’s performance during the <a href="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2026-02-09/bad-bunny-triumphs-at-super-bowl-with-a-defense-of-america-beyond-the-united-states.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2026-02-09/bad-bunny-triumphs-at-super-bowl-with-a-defense-of-america-beyond-the-united-states.html">Super Bowl LX halftime show</a> has increased interest in Spanish. The language learning app Duolingo, one of the most popular worldwide, recorded a 35% increase in students learning the language compared to last week, just as the Puerto Rican artist walked toward one of the exits of the field of the Levi’s Stadium and sang “<i>Debí tirar más fotos de cuando te tuve</i>.” The platform shared a graph on its X account showing how, at around 17.00 on Sunday, February 8, there was a slight decline in the use of the app and, after 20.00, a significantly high peak. “Is this what a one-night stand feels like?” the message humorously asks, a characteristic feature of its marketing strategy. </p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/technology/2026-02-12/duolingo-reports-a-35-increase-in-spanish-learners-following-bad-bunnys-super-bowl-halftime-show.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-02-12/rodrigo-mudrovitsch-we-perceive-a-strong-disenchantment-with-human-rights-among-young-people.html Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:42:51 GMT https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-02-12/rodrigo-mudrovitsch-we-perceive-a-strong-disenchantment-with-human-rights-among-young-people.html Noor Mahtani Mahtani The Brazilian jurist begins his term as president of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights focusing on three key areas: climate action, bringing the court closer to citizens, and expediting measures The Brazilian jurist begins his term as president of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights focusing on three key areas: climate action, bringing the court closer to citizens, and expediting measures Costa Rica Corte IDH San José (Costa Rica) Guatemala El Salvador Venezuela Cedida Rodrigo Mudrovitsch Rodrigo Mudrovitsch in an undated photo. Rodrigo Mudrovitsch in an undated photo. <p>Rodrigo Mudrovitsch, 41, is the second-youngest jurist to preside over the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR). In January, he began a two-year term at the highest court of the Inter-American justice system, at one of the <a href="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-12-08/the-us-opens-a-new-era-of-interventions-in-latin-america.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-12-08/the-us-opens-a-new-era-of-interventions-in-latin-america.html">most politically turbulent periods</a> in recent memory. However, he has unwavering faith in the court’s strength and in the fresh energy that younger leadership can bring to modernizing an institution that feels abstract to many. His main objective, he acknowledges, is to bring young people closer to the court. “Young people can help us build a court with open doors,” he says in a video call with EL PAÍS. “We perceive a strong disenchantment with politics, human rights and the future among young people,” he laments.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-02-12/rodrigo-mudrovitsch-we-perceive-a-strong-disenchantment-with-human-rights-among-young-people.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-02-09/el-salvadors-attorney-general-freezes-a-moneylaundering-investigation-into-venezuelan-oil-funds-that-implicates-nayib-bukele.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 16:02:35 GMT https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-02-09/el-salvadors-attorney-general-freezes-a-moneylaundering-investigation-into-venezuelan-oil-funds-that-implicates-nayib-bukele.html Bryan Avelar According to the investigation, the president received nearly $3.3 million from companies linked to the Alba Petróleos consortium According to the investigation, the president received nearly $3.3 million from companies linked to the Alba Petróleos consortium Nayib Bukele El Salvador Venezuela PetroCaribe Pdvsa Jose Cabezas (REUTERS) Chile's President-elect Kast visits El Salvador Nayib Bukele in San Salvador on January 30. Nayib Bukele in San Salvador on January 30. <p>El Salvador’s attorney general and trusted ally of <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-06-02/bukele-i-dont-care-if-they-call-me-dictator-better-than-seeing-salvadorans-killed-on-the-streets.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-06-02/bukele-i-dont-care-if-they-call-me-dictator-better-than-seeing-salvadorans-killed-on-the-streets.html">President Nayib Bukele</a>, Rodolfo Delgado, has frozen a money‑laundering investigation into Alba Petróleos de El Salvador, a company financed with Venezuelan government funds whose operations extend to bank accounts linked to the president. Documents from the Attorney General’s Office show that Bukele received roughly $3.3 million — both personally and through three companies belonging to his family group — originating from Venezuelan oil money.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-02-09/el-salvadors-attorney-general-freezes-a-moneylaundering-investigation-into-venezuelan-oil-funds-that-implicates-nayib-bukele.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-02-01/guatemala-caught-between-gang-bloodshed-and-the-bukele-effect.html Sun, 01 Feb 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-02-01/guatemala-caught-between-gang-bloodshed-and-the-bukele-effect.html Jacobo García The Central American country is under a state of emergency after a massacre of police officers that calls into question the state’s ability to deal with the violence of an army of 30,000 gang members The Central American country is under a state of emergency after a massacre of police officers that calls into question the state’s ability to deal with the violence of an army of 30,000 gang members Guatemala Bernardo Arévalo Otto Pérez Molina Jimmy Morales Alejandro Giammattei Nayib Bukele El Salvador Claudia Sheinbaum Donald Trump Reuters La violencia paraliza a Guatemala Presos durante un motín la prisión Renovación, en Escuintla, Guatemala, el 17 de enero. Presos durante un motín la prisión Renovación, en Escuintla, Guatemala, el 17 de enero. <p>El Mezquital is neither a neighborhood nor a district. It started out as one, but now it’s a motley patchwork of gray houses and corrugated metal roofs on the outskirts of Guatemala City. From here, the capital’s buildings appear in the distance as tiny lights, as unattainable as green spaces, shopping malls, or health centers. Old yellow school buses burst noisily down the main street, belching smoke and carrying silent residents who travel with their cell phones hidden away. The <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-10-14/escape-of-20-barrio-18-gang-members-from-a-maximum-security-prison-sparks-crisis-in-guatemala.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-10-14/escape-of-20-barrio-18-gang-members-from-a-maximum-security-prison-sparks-crisis-in-guatemala.html">Barrio 18</a> and <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-04-06/the-invisible-exile-of-ms-13-in-mexico.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-04-06/the-invisible-exile-of-ms-13-in-mexico.html">Mara Salvatrucha</a> gangs, which have brought the country and the government of Bernardo Arévalo to its knees, emerged from here. Arévalo has declared a state of emergency in the country. Although the decree marked its first week in effect on January 25, in the streets of El Mezquital, only the old rules apply: “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.”</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-02-01/guatemala-caught-between-gang-bloodshed-and-the-bukele-effect.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-31/from-the-panama-canal-standoff-to-honduras-trump-reasserts-washingtons-grip-on-central-america.html Sat, 31 Jan 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-31/from-the-panama-canal-standoff-to-honduras-trump-reasserts-washingtons-grip-on-central-america.html Carlos Salinas Maldonado,Armando Quesada Webb Under the US president’s approach, the region is once again subject to a relationship shaped by coercion and strategic calculation Under the US president’s approach, the region is once again subject to a relationship shaped by coercion and strategic calculation Donald Trump Washington D.C. El Salvador Nayib Bukele Nicaragua Daniel Ortega Rosario Murillo Honduras Nasry Asfura Panamá Justin Sullivan (Getty Images) 20-Year Drought Threatens Global Shipping Thoroughfare, The Panama Canal A container ship transits the Panama Canal on September 20, 2023. A container ship transits the Panama Canal on September 20, 2023. <p>When Donald Trump publicly questioned control over the Panama Canal, alarms went off across Central America. It was not just another bombastic statement in the Republican’s provocative style — it was the first visible sign of a policy that once again places the region under U.S. oversight. Trump revived old interventionist instincts by interfering in Honduras’s presidential election and threatening to cut aid to Central American governments as leverage to force them into <a href="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-06-27/trumps-migrant-deportations-to-central-america-run-into-legal-hurdles.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-06-27/trumps-migrant-deportations-to-central-america-run-into-legal-hurdles.html">agreements aimed at curbing migration</a>. Once again, the isthmus appears on Washington’s radar — not as a strategic partner, but as a backyard to be controlled.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-31/from-the-panama-canal-standoff-to-honduras-trump-reasserts-washingtons-grip-on-central-america.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p><img src="https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v2/P4Q5B4Y5JBB2VC7BSZUYCLXDLE.jpg?auth=9e2a43a8a59040cd44b3c9f3937a34c3478bea5903107245e0f5e9c86b455e35" width="5727" height="3818" alt="Polling station in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on November 30, 2025."></img> https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-30/pastors-union-members-and-minors-among-the-470-people-who-have-died-in-prisons-under-the-bukele-regime.html Fri, 30 Jan 2026 17:39:35 GMT https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-30/pastors-union-members-and-minors-among-the-470-people-who-have-died-in-prisons-under-the-bukele-regime.html Bryan Avelar A report by Humanitarian Legal Relief documents that 31.8% of the deceased died violently, while a similar number lost their lives due to lack of medical attention A report by Humanitarian Legal Relief documents that 31.8% of the deceased died violently, while a similar number lost their lives due to lack of medical attention Nayib Bukele El Salvador CECOT Presidencia El Salvador Prisoners in El Salvador, June 2024. Prisoners in El Salvador, June 2024. <p>The latest report from the Salvadoran organization Humanitarian Legal Aid (SJH) documents 470 deaths among people detained during the 45 months of the <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-10-10/bukeles-state-of-emergency-as-an-instrument-to-crush-dissention.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-10-10/bukeles-state-of-emergency-as-an-instrument-to-crush-dissention.html">state of emergency imposed by Nayib Bukele</a>. The investigation concludes that “a high percentage of people who entered the prison system healthy did not last even a month in prison and died; which indicates that they may have been murdered.”</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-30/pastors-union-members-and-minors-among-the-470-people-who-have-died-in-prisons-under-the-bukele-regime.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-24/sharks-become-easy-prey-for-criminal-groups.html Sat, 24 Jan 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-24/sharks-become-easy-prey-for-criminal-groups.html María Belén Arroyo,Arturo Torres Los Choneros, the reigning criminal organization in Manabí, Ecuador, is linked to shark hunting and finning, complimentary activities to its primary trade of drug and fuel trafficking Los Choneros, the reigning criminal organization in Manabí, Ecuador, is linked to shark hunting and finning, complimentary activities to its primary trade of drug and fuel trafficking Ecuador Michoacán México Guatemala El Salvador China Quito Marina del Ecuador Drug shipment seized on the high seas. Drug shipment seized on the high seas. <p>In February 2023, an article in the Mexican press announced the capture of a vessel some 195 nautical miles from the port of Lázaro Cárdenas in the state of <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-11-06/michoacan-untamed-territory-one-of-the-symbols-of-mexicos-security-crisis.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-11-06/michoacan-untamed-territory-one-of-the-symbols-of-mexicos-security-crisis.html">Michoacán</a>. It had been carrying nearly 700 pounds of cocaine packaged in plastic-wrapped bricks, in addition to 1,650 liters of hydrocarbons in 33 plastic containers.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-24/sharks-become-easy-prey-for-criminal-groups.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-22/barrio-18-gang-attacks-in-guatemala-expose-government-impotence-in-the-face-of-organized-crime.html Thu, 22 Jan 2026 11:20:15 GMT https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-22/barrio-18-gang-attacks-in-guatemala-expose-government-impotence-in-the-face-of-organized-crime.html Bryan Avelar The authorities have deployed the army to patrol the streets, but the response has had little impact on the gangs or a judicial system riddled with corruption The authorities have deployed the army to patrol the streets, but the response has had little impact on the gangs or a judicial system riddled with corruption Guatemala Bernardo Arévalo El Salvador Washington D.C. Nayib Bukele Moises Castillo (AP) Barrio 18 gang attacks in Guatemala Soldiers patrol in Guatemala, January 19. Soldiers patrol in Guatemala, January 19. <p>The day unfolds calmly in Guatemala City, and nothing seems to indicate that just 48 hours earlier, the <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-05-02/a-gang-leader-released-by-bukele-reveals-his-pacts-with-the-government-of-el-salvador.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-05-02/a-gang-leader-released-by-bukele-reveals-his-pacts-with-the-government-of-el-salvador.html">Barrio 18 gang</a> murdered 10 police officers in different parts of the country, prompting <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-09-10/bernardo-arevalo-we-have-reaffirmed-that-guatemala-can-have-a-government-that-doesnt-bend-the-knee-to-corruption.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-09-10/bernardo-arevalo-we-have-reaffirmed-that-guatemala-can-have-a-government-that-doesnt-bend-the-knee-to-corruption.html">President Bernardo Arévalo</a> to declare a state of emergency. On the main street of the capital’s Alameda neighborhood, a police checkpoint stops two young men riding a motorcycle without helmets. The officers check their documents, inspect the vehicle, and after 10 minutes, detect the infraction: the exhaust noise exceeds the permitted decibel level. There’s a fine. They let them go. “We know the gang members aren’t going to be caught at this checkpoint,” admits the officer in charge of the operation. “But the law doesn’t authorize us to go looking for them at their homes. We’re not allowed to do that.”</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-22/barrio-18-gang-attacks-in-guatemala-expose-government-impotence-in-the-face-of-organized-crime.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/usa/2026-01-19/the-year-the-world-peered-into-the-authoritarian-abyss-of-donald-trump.html Mon, 19 Jan 2026 11:57:07 GMT https://english.elpais.com/usa/2026-01-19/the-year-the-world-peered-into-the-authoritarian-abyss-of-donald-trump.html Iker Seisdedos García The first anniversary of the Republican’s second term is marked a broken country and an international panorama at the mercy of the unpredictable White House show The first anniversary of the Republican’s second term is marked a broken country and an international panorama at the mercy of the unpredictable White House show Donald Trump China MAGA Elon Musk USAID El Salvador Minneapolis Vladimir Putin Israel Hamás Nicolás Maduro Volodimir Zelenski María Corina Machado Charlie Kirk Evelyn Hockstein (REUTERS) Authoritarian abyss of Donald Trump Donald Trump visits a Ford production center in Dearborn, Michigan, January 13, 2026. Donald Trump visits a Ford production center in Dearborn, Michigan, January 13, 2026. <p>January 20 will mark one year since the United States embarked on a flight toward the abyss: Donald Trump’s second coming. <a href="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-11-08/promises-made-promises-kept-between-illusion-and-reality-trump-forges-ahead-with-his-authoritarian-project.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-11-08/promises-made-promises-kept-between-illusion-and-reality-trump-forges-ahead-with-his-authoritarian-project.html">Twelve months of dizzying authoritarianism</a> followed that inauguration. The crossing of one unthinkable Rubicon after another without time to look back. A year in which the entire world has witnessed the deterioration — perhaps irreparable — of one of its oldest democracies, always at the mercy of the unpredictable mind of the most powerful man on the planet, who also happens to be one of the most capricious.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2026-01-19/the-year-the-world-peered-into-the-authoritarian-abyss-of-donald-trump.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/opinion/2026-01-02/2026-the-year-democracy-is-put-to-the-test.html Fri, 02 Jan 2026 12:22:19 GMT https://english.elpais.com/opinion/2026-01-02/2026-the-year-democracy-is-put-to-the-test.html Máriam Martínez-Bascuñán The most unsettling issue is not that the authoritarians are winning. It’s that those who should be opposing them seem to have forgotten why The most unsettling issue is not that the authoritarians are winning. It’s that those who should be opposing them seem to have forgotten why Donald Trump Opinión Nayib Bukele Emmanuel Macron Giorgia Meloni Evgeny Morozov Marine Le Pen Lula da Silva Zohran Mamdani Mette Frederiksen Keir Starmer El Salvador Olaf Scholz Alex Brandon (AP) Trump New Year's Eve Donald Trump during the New Year's Eve party at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. Donald Trump during the New Year's Eve party at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. <p>On July 4, 2026, the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of its founding. Rarely has a milestone coincided so precisely with the exhaustion of the very idea that made it possible. It will be like toasting a world that no longer exists. The nation that for decades presented itself as the guarantor of global democratic order has, according to the most rigorous political scientists, crossed the line separating democracy from competitive authoritarianism. This is neither a metaphor nor rhetorical exaggeration. In 2025, <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-12-27/from-hungarys-orban-to-chiles-kast-how-trump-helps-turbo-charge-the-far-right.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-12-27/from-hungarys-orban-to-chiles-kast-how-trump-helps-turbo-charge-the-far-right.html">the number of autocracies</a> in the world surpassed that of democracies for the first time. While the guardian has become the arsonist, others watch and wait. But the most troubling thing is not that authoritarians are gaining ground — it is that those who should oppose them seem to have forgotten why.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/opinion/2026-01-02/2026-the-year-democracy-is-put-to-the-test.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-12-25/how-migrants-in-the-united-states-are-spending-christmas-there-is-no-reason-to-celebrate.html Thu, 25 Dec 2025 08:58:23 GMT https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-12-25/how-migrants-in-the-united-states-are-spending-christmas-there-is-no-reason-to-celebrate.html Carla Gloria Colomé Separated couples, deported children, detained parents... The consequences of the Donald Trump administration’s anti-immigrant crackdown will mark the holiday season for thousands of families across the country Separated couples, deported children, detained parents... The consequences of the Donald Trump administration’s anti-immigrant crackdown will mark the holiday season for thousands of families across the country Donald Trump ICE Miami Cuba El Salvador CECOT Cortesía ESTADOS UNIDOS - NAVIDAD MIGRANTES - PABLO Pablo Casanella, a Cuban migrant, with his family. Pablo Casanella, a Cuban migrant, with his family. <p>Pablo Casanella, the son of Cuban scientist and activist Oscar Casanella, wrote a letter to Santa Claus with two requests. “I’ve been very good all year. I’ve studied a lot. Forgive me if I sometimes play too much Minecraft and watch too much [sic] YouTube videos,” he told him, before asking for a Lego set. But that was his second request. The first, “and most important,” is a wish Casanella never wanted to read in his eight-year-old son’s Christmas letter: “Please grant my dad political asylum so we aren’t deported from the United States and so the Cuban military doesn’t arrest him, beat him, or imprison him.”</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-12-25/how-migrants-in-the-united-states-are-spending-christmas-there-is-no-reason-to-celebrate.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-12-24/cbs-in-crisis-after-pulling-a-report-on-trumps-deportations-to-el-salvador-which-later-leaked-online.html Wed, 24 Dec 2025 09:00:07 GMT https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-12-24/cbs-in-crisis-after-pulling-a-report-on-trumps-deportations-to-el-salvador-which-later-leaked-online.html Iker Seisdedos García Bari Weiss, the new anti-woke head of CBS News, removed a ‘60 Minutes’ segment at the last minute after the White House declined to comment Bari Weiss, the new anti-woke head of CBS News, removed a ‘60 Minutes’ segment at the last minute after the White House declined to comment CBS Donald Trump Venezuela CECOT El Salvador Nayib Bukele Presidencia de El Salvador (Anadolu vía Getty Images) Venezuela deportados US deports over 250 alleged gang members to El Salvador's mega-prison Venezuelans deported from the United States at the CECOT facilities in El Salvador, on March 16. Venezuelans deported from the United States at the CECOT facilities in El Salvador, on March 16. <p>The final blow to a decidedly unpleasant year for the press in the United States was a scandal over a decision by the new head of CBS News, the <a href="https://english.elpais.com/economy-and-business/2025-10-07/appointment-of-anti-woke-bari-weiss-to-head-cbs-news-confirms-shift-to-the-right-of-mainstream-media.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/economy-and-business/2025-10-07/appointment-of-anti-woke-bari-weiss-to-head-cbs-news-confirms-shift-to-the-right-of-mainstream-media.html">anti-woke columnist Bari Weiss</a>, who was hired after U.S. President Donald Trump pressured the network. Weiss unexpectedly canceled the broadcast of a report on the deportation of more than 200 Venezuelans by the U.S. government without due process. They were sent directly to the <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-07-25/the-hell-of-module-8-in-nayib-bukeles-mega-prison-they-would-beat-us-over-anything.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-07-25/the-hell-of-module-8-in-nayib-bukeles-mega-prison-they-would-beat-us-over-anything.html">Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT)</a>, Nayib Bukele’s brutal maximum-security prison in El Salvador.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-12-24/cbs-in-crisis-after-pulling-a-report-on-trumps-deportations-to-el-salvador-which-later-leaked-online.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-12-15/trump-administration-ends-family-reunification-parole-for-seven-countries.html Mon, 15 Dec 2025 18:16:24 GMT https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-12-15/trump-administration-ends-family-reunification-parole-for-seven-countries.html Jordi Alonso Martínez Yañez Thousands of beneficiaries from Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras will have to leave the country in the coming weeks Thousands of beneficiaries from Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras will have to leave the country in the coming weeks América Kristi Noem Donald Trump Florida Colombia El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Cuba Haití Gregory Bull (AP) Migrants wait at the border between Mexico and the United States in January 2023. Migrants wait at the border between Mexico and the United States in January 2023. <p>Another blow for Latino immigrants. The Trump administration has announced the definitive cancellation of all Family Reunification Parole programs, a migration mechanism that allowed citizens of seven countries —Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti and Honduras — to enter the United States temporarily to reunite with close family members while awaiting the resolution of other <a href="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-12-11/trumps-new-restrictions-leave-no-migrant-safe-being-a-legal-resident-in-the-us-is-being-a-second-class-citizen.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-12-11/trumps-new-restrictions-leave-no-migrant-safe-being-a-legal-resident-in-the-us-is-being-a-second-class-citizen.html">immigration procedures</a>. The decision, announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and formalized through a notice in the Federal Register, will affect thousands of people.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-12-15/trump-administration-ends-family-reunification-parole-for-seven-countries.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-12-14/the-colombian-who-was-imprisoned-in-el-salvador-on-trumps-orders-being-tortured-for-four-months-when-youre-innocent-is-a-nightmare.html Sun, 14 Dec 2025 04:00:00 GMT https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-12-14/the-colombian-who-was-imprisoned-in-el-salvador-on-trumps-orders-being-tortured-for-four-months-when-youre-innocent-is-a-nightmare.html Diego Stacey Brayan Palencia was one of more than 200 migrants sent by the United States to Nayib Bukele’s mega-prison CECOT for alleged links to criminal gangs Brayan Palencia was one of more than 200 migrants sent by the United States to Nayib Bukele’s mega-prison CECOT for alleged links to criminal gangs Donald Trump El Salvador CECOT Nayib Bukele Colombia Venezuela Tren de Aragua ANDRÉS GALEANO (EL PAÍS) COLOMBIA-Brayan Palencia-VENEZOLANO Brayan Palencia, in Bogotá, on December 2. Brayan Palencia, in Bogotá, on December 2. <img src="https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v2/GMX23D3TCFAVZCUXYIVXDWZFSI.jpg?auth=24ddab273bdb9cddcf4ee0a385fef867f1ee447adf7da9645e1bb3624ae86eb7" width="5278" height="3519" alt="Brayan Palencia, in Bogotá, on December 2."></img><p>Like hundreds of thousands of others, Brayan Palencia decided to migrate to the United States to financially support his family. He didn’t earn much in Colombia and had a daughter to look after. He <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-12-21/crossing-the-hell-of-darien.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-12-21/crossing-the-hell-of-darien.html">crossed the Darién Gap</a> with an injured knee; he paid bribes to cartels in Mexico so that he would be allowed to continue his journey. Even so, he emphasizes, nothing compares to what he experienced at the <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-07-25/the-hell-of-module-8-in-nayib-bukeles-mega-prison-they-would-beat-us-over-anything.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-07-25/the-hell-of-module-8-in-nayib-bukeles-mega-prison-they-would-beat-us-over-anything.html">Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT)</a>, the mega-prison in El Salvador built by President Nayib Bukele. That’s where he was sent — <a href="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-04-20/being-venezuelan-is-now-a-crime-the-terror-behind-the-illegal-deportation-of-238-migrants-to-el-salvadors-infamous-prison.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-04-20/being-venezuelan-is-now-a-crime-the-terror-behind-the-illegal-deportation-of-238-migrants-to-el-salvadors-infamous-prison.html">along with more than 200 other men</a> — after being accused by U.S. President Donald Trump of being members of the <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-04-06/truths-lies-and-myths-about-tren-de-aragua.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-04-06/truths-lies-and-myths-about-tren-de-aragua.html">Tren de Aragua criminal gang</a>. </p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-12-14/the-colombian-who-was-imprisoned-in-el-salvador-on-trumps-orders-being-tortured-for-four-months-when-youre-innocent-is-a-nightmare.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p><img src="https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v2/MGCXFTNKCBFDNB5UUEB2GLNMLY.jpg?auth=2e7385667301592ef3530d9a27eae730a8de0100948541508e5880d22b831242" width="5472" height="3648" alt="Brayan Palencia, in Bogotá."></img> https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-12-06/organized-crime-is-strangling-latin-america.html Sat, 06 Dec 2025 04:45:00 GMT https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-12-06/organized-crime-is-strangling-latin-america.html Pablo Ferri ,Patricia San Juan As drug production and trafficking increase across the continent, criminal groups of all sizes are diversifying their operations and increasing their firepower. Governments, meanwhile, stumble between hard-line policies and paralysis As drug production and trafficking increase across the continent, criminal groups of all sizes are diversifying their operations and increasing their firepower. Governments, meanwhile, stumble between hard-line policies and paralysis México Chile Venezuela Ecuador Colombia El Salvador Nayib Bukele Río de Janeiro Pablo Escobar Medellín (Colombia) Donald Trump Los Zetas Costa Rica José Betanzos Zárate (Cuartoscuro) MÉXICO-SINALOA-CULIACÁN-NARCOVIOLENCIA Members of the Mexican Army guard a vehicle with at least five people killed in Culiacán, Sinaloa, in September 2024. Members of the Mexican Army guard a vehicle with at least five people killed in Culiacán, Sinaloa, in September 2024. <p>A small green piece of paper, with a phrase written in capital letters, summed up the crime problems plaguing Latin America. It appeared in Guerrero, on Mexico’s battered southern Pacific coast, but it could just as easily have been in Santiago, Chile, in Medellín, Colombia, or in any area of Guayaquil, Ecuador. It was a warning, a sheet pasted on corners and lampposts, a threat to merchants in a handful of neighborhoods, announcing that starting in December they would have to begin paying a “fee.” “This neighborhood has an owner,” the anonymous notice concluded.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-12-06/organized-crime-is-strangling-latin-america.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p><img src="https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v2/OKAMCAIA7FGKXOHDCYFGRQTKKE.JPG?auth=fcedd8dae7ba88d671156c1e9f63d9f868b05bc94f32881cb04a7f46e82c5bd7" width="1732" height="1155" alt="Agents recover a body at the scene of an attack in northern Cali on August 21, 2025."></img><img src="https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v2/VYJONRWEOFABXKXMUHDHLU3SFI.jpg?auth=03c4f84ec0af61f1adf558cbdf7e65cc14a0b26ae6574c8a0472dedca9f3e8c8" width="1920" height="1080" alt="."></img> https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-12-06/oscar-naranjo-hardline-strategies-are-not-sustainable-in-the-long-term-and-devalue-democratic-values.html Sat, 06 Dec 2025 04:45:00 GMT https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-12-06/oscar-naranjo-hardline-strategies-are-not-sustainable-in-the-long-term-and-devalue-democratic-values.html Javier Lafuente ,Juan Lewin The former vice president of Colombia, who is a leading security experts in Latin America, analyzes the critical moment the region is facing and its key challenges The former vice president of Colombia, who is a leading security experts in Latin America, analyzes the critical moment the region is facing and its key challenges Colombia Gustavo Petro México Claudia Sheinbaum Andrés Manuel López Obrador El Salvador Nayib Bukele Óscar Naranjo NATHALIA ANGARITA COLOMBIA - OSCAR NARANJO Oscar Naranjo in Bogotá, on November 22, 2023. Oscar Naranjo in Bogotá, on November 22, 2023. <p>For more than four decades, General Óscar Naranjo has been one of the most authoritative voices on understanding the anatomy of violence in Latin America. His career is, in itself, a map of both the transformation and the limitations of states in the face of organized crime: he played a key role in the downfall of <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-11-02/soccer-emeralds-and-cocaine-the-new-colombian-drug-lords-with-ties-to-spain.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-11-02/soccer-emeralds-and-cocaine-the-new-colombian-drug-lords-with-ties-to-spain.html">Colombia’s major cartels</a> in the 1990s; led the intelligence services during the moments of greatest threat to his country; spearheaded police reforms that professionalized criminal investigations; and, as vice president, participated in the construction of peace agreements that marked a turning point in Colombia’s recent history. This combination of operational experience, strategic vision, and political skill made him an authority in the hemisphere, consulted by governments, international organizations, and academic centers seeking to understand why, despite years of effort, Latin America remains the most violent region in the world.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-12-06/oscar-naranjo-hardline-strategies-are-not-sustainable-in-the-long-term-and-devalue-democratic-values.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-11-24/four-salvadorans-deported-by-trump-and-held-without-charges-located-in-bukeles-prisons.html Mon, 24 Nov 2025 09:18:46 GMT https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-11-24/four-salvadorans-deported-by-trump-and-held-without-charges-located-in-bukeles-prisons.html Bryan Avelar The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights demands information from the Central American leader regarding their situation The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights demands information from the Central American leader regarding their situation El Salvador CECO Donald Trump Nayib Bukele Venezuela SECOM (via REUTERS) U.S. deports alleged members of the Tren de Aragua to be imprisoned in El Salvador Police officers escort a deported prisoner at CECOT, in El Salvador, in April 2025. Police officers escort a deported prisoner at CECOT, in El Salvador, in April 2025. <p>Four Salvadorans <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-11-12/venezuelans-deported-to-bukeles-mega-prison-reveal-torture-and-other-abuses-they-said-we-would-only-leave-in-a-black-bag.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-11-12/venezuelans-deported-to-bukeles-mega-prison-reveal-torture-and-other-abuses-they-said-we-would-only-leave-in-a-black-bag.html">deported by the Donald Trump administration</a> last March, who had been <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-10-05/deported-by-trump-disappeared-in-bukeles-jails.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-10-05/deported-by-trump-disappeared-in-bukeles-jails.html">reported missing by their families</a>, were finally located in different prisons within the Central American country’s penitentiary system, according to official documents obtained by EL PAÍS. They are José Osmín Santos Robles, Brandon Bladimir Sigarán Cruz, William Alexander Martínez Ruano, and Irving Geovani Quintanilla García, who were deported in March 2025 along with <a href="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-04-20/being-venezuelan-is-now-a-crime-the-terror-behind-the-illegal-deportation-of-238-migrants-to-el-salvadors-infamous-prison.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-04-20/being-venezuelan-is-now-a-crime-the-terror-behind-the-illegal-deportation-of-238-migrants-to-el-salvadors-infamous-prison.html">more than 238 Venezuelans</a>, accused of being members of terrorist networks without the Republican administration providing evidence against them.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-11-24/four-salvadorans-deported-by-trump-and-held-without-charges-located-in-bukeles-prisons.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p>