Two new corruption investigations into former Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) were approved by the supreme court on 23 September. One relates to an investigation launched by the Panamanian stock market regulator into whether Martinelli engaged in insider trading; the other relates to a pre-existing case, which alleges that a company contracted by Martinelli’s government was accepting bribes. In response to the latest allegations Martinelli tweeted that the supreme court had been pressured into “falsely accusing me”. Three other corruption investigations have already been approved. One centers on allegations that Martinelli approved multi-million dollar purchases of dried food at inflated…
Last year’s record levels of homicide look set to be beaten in 2015, according to the Judicial Investigations Agency (OIJ), a branch of the supreme court. A recent report by the newspaper Diario Extra revealed that the OIJ believes Costa Rica is on track to register 533 homicides this year, up from 471 in 2014 and 407 in 2012 and 2013. While the increased number still pales in comparison to many of Costa Rica’s Central American neighbours it is still sufficient to pass the “pandemic” violence threshold as determined by the World Health Organization. An estimated 45% of the murders…
A wide-ranging opinion poll carried out by the Centro de Investigación y Estudios Políticos (CIEP) of the Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR) in August and September found Costa Ricans increasingly pessimistic about the country’s future. Over 60% of respondents said the country was on a bad or very bad trajectory; a similar percentage rejected the government of Luis Guillermo Solís. Fears over the state of the country’s economy are on the rise: around 70% think the scenario is bad or very bad, with unemployment the chief concern. Amid the gloom, however, there are some positive points for the government, including…
In response to a request by the government led by President Juan Orlando Hernandez for “support in the strengthening and reform of the Honduran justice system”, the secretary general of the Washington-based Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, on 29 September announced a new Mission to Support the Fight Against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH). Representatives for the civic protest movement known as Los Indignados immediately rejected the MACCIH, on the grounds that it will be “diagnostic” only, with no investigatory or prosecutory powers. The Indignados insist that they want an international anti impunity commission for Honduras similar…
With monthly homicides spiralling to ever-more alarming heights, the government led by President Salvador Sánchez Cerén has presented a bill to the legislative assembly to raise additional tax revenue to finance its public security initiative ‘El Salvador Seguro’. The ruling left-wing Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (FMLN) is at present alone in supporting the unpopular bill and will need allies for it to pass. The official homicide figures for August showed that it was by far the bloodiest month on record in El Salvador [RC-15-09]. The fact that there were a total of 911 homicides, the number used…
Last month one person was killed and eight were wounded during clashes between members of the ruling Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (FSLN) and a local indigenous party, Yatama, in Waspán municipality, in the impoverished indigenous North Atlantic Autonomous Region (Raan). While the clashes were related to land disputes – the invasion of indigenous territory by people from other regions (colonos) - the response by security forces, who protesters accuse of protecting the colonos, come amid other complaints of repression by the national police (PNN) of government opponents. According to a PNN press release, the deadly violence took place on…
Former First Lady, Sandra Torres (2008-2012), of the Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza (UNE) party will have another stab at the presidency. Last month the supreme electoral court (TSE) announced the final results of the 6 September first round presidential elections confirming that Torres, who came second by a whisker, will face the surprise first round victor, Jimmy Morales, of the small conservative Frente de Convergencia Nacional (FCN-Nación) [RC-15-09], in the 25 October presidential run-off. The final results gave Morales 23.99% of the valid vote (1.152m in total); Torres, 19.75% (948,809 in total) and Manuel Baldizón of the main opposition…