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Thousands of soldiers fence off a Salvadoran neighborhood in pursuit of gang remnants
Read full article: Thousands of soldiers fence off a Salvadoran neighborhood in pursuit of gang remnantsMore than 2,000 soldiers and 500 police officers surrounded a dense neighborhood on the outskirts of El Salvador’s capital in an effort to quash the remnants of gangs the president said were trying to set up shop in the area.
Salvadorans honoring Saint Óscar Romero: During these difficult times, he is like a ray of hope
Read full article: Salvadorans honoring Saint Óscar Romero: During these difficult times, he is like a ray of hopeUp to 3,000 Salvadoran Catholics will participate in Saint Óscar Romero's pilgrimage, an annual event that kicks off in El Salvador each Aug. 1 to honor San Salvador’s archbishop, who was appointed saint by pope Francis in 2018.
El Salvador has arrested 3,319 minors and sentenced almost 600 as part of anti-gang crackdown
Read full article: El Salvador has arrested 3,319 minors and sentenced almost 600 as part of anti-gang crackdownA rights report says the government of El Salvador has arrested 3,319 underage suspects and sentenced 579 during the harsh 2 1/2 year-old crackdown on street gangs.
At least 261 people have died in El Salvador's prisons under anti-gang crackdown, rights group says
Read full article: At least 261 people have died in El Salvador's prisons under anti-gang crackdown, rights group saysThe human rights organization Cristosal says at least 261 people have died in prisons in El Salvador during President Nayib Bukele’s 2 1/2-year-old crackdown on street gangs.
US dampens criticism of El Salvador's president as migration overtakes democracy concerns
Read full article: US dampens criticism of El Salvador's president as migration overtakes democracy concernsThe Biden administration has sent a high-level delegation to El Salvador to attend President Nayib Bukele's inauguration to a second term.
Ecuadorians vote overwhelmingly in referendum to approve toughening fight against gangs
Read full article: Ecuadorians vote overwhelmingly in referendum to approve toughening fight against gangsEcuador’s fledgling president has won a resounding victory in a referendum that he touted as a way to crack down on criminal gangs behind a spiraling wave of violence.
Ecuadorians wanted an action man. President Noboa has fulfilled that role — embassy raid included
Read full article: Ecuadorians wanted an action man. President Noboa has fulfilled that role — embassy raid includedWhile world leaders have expressed shock over Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa’s decision to raid Mexico’s embassy, the unusual move — and Noboa’s relative silence about it — is unlikely to hurt him with constituents.
El Salvador extends anti-gang emergency decree for 24th time. It's now been in effect for two years
Read full article: El Salvador extends anti-gang emergency decree for 24th time. It's now been in effect for two yearsEl Salvador’s lawmakers have granted a request by President Nayib Bukele for the 24th consecutive one-month extension of an anti-gang emergency decree.
Trump meets with Hungary's leader, Viktor Orbán, continuing his embrace of autocrats
Read full article: Trump meets with Hungary's leader, Viktor Orbán, continuing his embrace of autocratsFormer President Donald Trump has met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a conservative populist whose crackdowns in Hungary have sparked criticism that he's eroding that country's democracy.
Can conservative Latin American populists motivate the Hispanic vote? Republicans are counting on it
Read full article: Can conservative Latin American populists motivate the Hispanic vote? Republicans are counting on itIn this U.S. election year, the Republican Party is aligning with some Latin American populists.
El Salvador's president gets rock-star welcome at conservative gathering outside Washington
Read full article: El Salvador's president gets rock-star welcome at conservative gathering outside WashingtonEl Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has received a rock-star welcome at a conservative gathering outside Washington as he urged people to “unapologetically fight” against what he called “dark forces.”.
El Salvador's Bukele wins supermajority in Congress after painstaking vote count
Read full article: El Salvador's Bukele wins supermajority in Congress after painstaking vote countEl Salvador President Nayib Bukele and his New Ideas party have won the supermajority the leader needs in Congress to govern as he pleases.
El Salvador opposition warns it may ask to nullify congressional election results
Read full article: El Salvador opposition warns it may ask to nullify congressional election resultsAs El Salvador’s electoral body begins a vote-by-vote count of the country’s elections last week, the political opposition warned they could ask to nullify results of the legislative elections due to irregularities.
'Coolest dictator' to 'philosopher king,' Nayib Bukele's path to reelection in El Salvador
Read full article: 'Coolest dictator' to 'philosopher king,' Nayib Bukele's path to reelection in El SalvadorEl Salvador’s Nayib Bukele has called himself the “world’s coolest dictator” or as his X profile read on election day, the “Philosopher King.”.
Salvadorans celebrating expected reelection of 'world's coolest dictator' as their president
Read full article: Salvadorans celebrating expected reelection of 'world's coolest dictator' as their presidentSalvadorans are packing the capital’s central square to celebrate the expected reelection of Nayib Bukele as president even before any official results from Sunday's election have been announced.
El Salvador's Bukele has everyone's attention as he seeks reelection in spite of the constitution
Read full article: El Salvador's Bukele has everyone's attention as he seeks reelection in spite of the constitutionTo many, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele is a national hero who took on the country’s violent gangs with an unrelenting hand.
El Salvador VP acknowledges mistakes in war on gangs but says country is 'not a police state'
Read full article: El Salvador VP acknowledges mistakes in war on gangs but says country is 'not a police state'Félix Ulloa, temporarily on leave as El Salvador’s vice president while he runs for reelection alongside Nayib Bukele, has denied accusations that their administration has made undemocratic moves to consolidate power.
Over 50 countries go to the polls in 2024. The year will test even the most robust democracies
Read full article: Over 50 countries go to the polls in 2024. The year will test even the most robust democraciesMore than 50 countries that together have half the world’s population are expecting national elections in 2024.
El Salvador's Nayib Bukele takes his presidential reelection campaign beyond the country's borders
Read full article: El Salvador's Nayib Bukele takes his presidential reelection campaign beyond the country's bordersEl Salvador’s Nayib Bukele has taken his presidential reelection campaign beyond the tiny Central American country’s borders to capitalize on his rising profile across Latin America.
Detainees in El Salvador's gang crackdown cite abuse during months in jail
Read full article: Detainees in El Salvador's gang crackdown cite abuse during months in jailThousands of detainees swept up in El Salvador's gang crackdown over the past 1 1/2 years have been released from pre-trial detention.
El Salvador's Miss Universe pageant drawing attention at crucial moment for president
Read full article: El Salvador's Miss Universe pageant drawing attention at crucial moment for presidentThe Miss Universe competition hosted by El Salvador is the latest spectacle touted by President Nayib Bukele in his efforts to change the reputation of his historically violence-torn nation.
El Salvador slaps a $1,130 fee on African and Indian travelers as US pressures it to curb migration
Read full article: El Salvador slaps a $1,130 fee on African and Indian travelers as US pressures it to curb migrationEl Salvador’s government has begun slapping a $1,130 fee on travelers from dozens of countries connecting through the nation’s main airport.
El Salvador is gradually filling its new mega prison with alleged gang members
Read full article: El Salvador is gradually filling its new mega prison with alleged gang membersWith tattoo-covered faces, wearing white shirts and shorts, gang members captured during El Salvador’s state of exception are gradually filling the country’s new mega prison.
State Department sanctions 2 former Salvadoran leaders, dozens of officials in Central America
Read full article: State Department sanctions 2 former Salvadoran leaders, dozens of officials in Central AmericaThe State Department says it's imposing sanctions on two former Salvadoran presidents and dozens of other officials and judges in Central America.
Honduras wants to build West's only island prison colony and lock gangsters inside
Read full article: Honduras wants to build West's only island prison colony and lock gangsters insideHonduras plans to build the only island prison colony in the Western Hemisphere and send its most-feared gangsters there.
A wave of political turbulence is rolling through Guatemala and other Central American countries
Read full article: A wave of political turbulence is rolling through Guatemala and other Central American countriesCentral America is experiencing a wave of unrest that is remarkable even for a region whose history is riddled with turbulence.
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele nominated for reelection despite constitutional questions
Read full article: El Salvador President Nayib Bukele nominated for reelection despite constitutional questionsPresident Nayib Bukele of El Salvador has been nominated by his New Ideas party to run for reelection in next year’s contest.
Honduras adopts El Salvador-style tactics in anti-gang crackdown on prison inmates
Read full article: Honduras adopts El Salvador-style tactics in anti-gang crackdown on prison inmatesHonduras has started an El Salvador-style mass sweep of prisons and arrested a suspect in a pool-hall shooting last week that killed 11 people.
El Salvador's president is running for reelection, though critics say the constitution prohibits him
Read full article: El Salvador's president is running for reelection, though critics say the constitution prohibits himEl Salvador's president has registered for reelection in next February’s contest even though legal experts and opposition figures say the country’s constitution prohibits it.
Hondurans see little hope for nation's prisons as details of cold-blooded massacre emerge
Read full article: Hondurans see little hope for nation's prisons as details of cold-blooded massacre emergeAuthorities in Honduras are beginning to hand over to relatives the hacked, burned corpses of 46 women killed in the worst riot at a women’s prison in recent memory.
Pastors find a role ministering to young men swept up in El Salvador's crackdown on gangs
Read full article: Pastors find a role ministering to young men swept up in El Salvador's crackdown on gangsOver the past 15 months, El Salvador’s security forces have jailed tens of thousands of people in a massive crackdown on the country’s notorious gangs.
Angry fans crash through gate at El Salvador soccer match in stampede that kills 12, injures dozens
Read full article: Angry fans crash through gate at El Salvador soccer match in stampede that kills 12, injures dozensOfficials and witnesses say that fans angry at being blocked from entering a Salvadoran soccer league match knocked down an entrance gate to the stadium, leading to a crush that killed 12 people and injured dozens.
El Salvador: 2,000 more to prison, vows will 'never return'
Read full article: El Salvador: 2,000 more to prison, vows will 'never return'El Salvador's government has sent 2,000 more suspects to a new prison built especially for gang members, and the justice minister vows that “they will never return” to the streets.
El Salvador bets safety on incarceration; unveils new prison
Read full article: El Salvador bets safety on incarceration; unveils new prisonWhen El Salvador began making mass arrests of people with suspected gang affiliations last year, President Nayib Bukele ordered the construction of what would be the largest prison in Latin America.
In El Salvador, a tough anti-gang crackdown proves popular
Read full article: In El Salvador, a tough anti-gang crackdown proves popularNine months into a state of emergency declared by President Nayib Bukele to fight street gangs, El Salvador has seen more than 1,000 documented human rights abuses and about 90 deaths of prisoners in custody.
El Salvador fights gangs by destroying members' tombstones
Read full article: El Salvador fights gangs by destroying members' tombstonesEl Salvador’s government has taken its efforts against the country’s powerful street gangs to another level by sending inmates into cemeteries to destroy the tombs of gang members at a time of year when families typically visit their loved ones’ graves.
Concern that Nicaragua repression could be "model" in region
Read full article: Concern that Nicaragua repression could be "model" in regionNicaragua President Daniel Ortega’s government has closed seven radio stations this week owned by the Roman Catholic church, as well as two other outlets serving the largely rural northern area with a history of opposition.
Salvadoran leader rebuffs Blinken effort to bolster summit
Read full article: Salvadoran leader rebuffs Blinken effort to bolster summitIn the run-up to this week's Summit of the Americas, President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador rebuffed attempts by U.S. officials to set up a phone call with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Tackling migration, Harris backs investment in Latin America
Read full article: Tackling migration, Harris backs investment in Latin AmericaVice President Kamala Harris says the Biden administration's work to attract investment to Central America has generated $3.2 billion in private-sector commitments.
A crackdown in El Salvador, and fears of arbitrary arrests
Read full article: A crackdown in El Salvador, and fears of arbitrary arrestsOver the past 10 weeks, El Salvador’s security forces have arrested more than 36,000 people since the congress granted President Nayib Bukele the power to suspend some civil liberties to pursue powerful street gangs.
Rights Commission urges El Salvador to respect rights
Read full article: Rights Commission urges El Salvador to respect rightsThe Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is calling on the government of El Salvador to respect human rights, after authorities declared a state of emergency and rounded up 14,000 suspected gang members.
El Salvador president's mass arrests 'punitive populism'
Read full article: El Salvador president's mass arrests 'punitive populism'El Salvador's security forces have arrested more than 10,000 suspected gang members in just over two weeks under rules that free them from having to explain an arrest or grant access to a lawyer.
Miami’s crypto craze on full display at bitcoin conference
Read full article: Miami’s crypto craze on full display at bitcoin conferenceThousands of cryptocurrency enthusiasts are gathering in Miami as the city builds its reputation as one of the key locations to develop the blockchain technology despite its underdog status.
El Salvador forces encircle neighborhoods in gang crackdown
Read full article: El Salvador forces encircle neighborhoods in gang crackdownSecurity forces have intensified operations against El Salvador’s street gangs with mass arrests, the cordoning off of neighborhoods and house-by-house searches under a state of emergency that has raised concerns among some organizations it could open the door to human rights abuses.
Salvadoran women tell of unjust treatment under abortion law
Read full article: Salvadoran women tell of unjust treatment under abortion lawFour Salvadoran women all had sought medical help for obstetric emergencies, and each ended up in prison sentenced to 30 years on aggravated homicide convictions for allegedly terminating their pregnancies.
IMF urges El Salvador to scale back its Bitcoin push
Read full article: IMF urges El Salvador to scale back its Bitcoin pushThe International Monetary Fund says that El Salvador should dissolve the $150 million trust fund it created when it made the cryptocurrency Bitcoin legal tender and return any of those unused funds to its treasury.
IMF urges El Salvador to drop Bitcoin as legal tender
Read full article: IMF urges El Salvador to drop Bitcoin as legal tenderThe International Monetary Fund wants El Salvador to drop the highly volatile cryptocurrency Bitcoin as legal tender and strictly regulate the electronic wallet the government has pushed adoption of across the country.
El Salvador frees three women convicted of abortions
Read full article: El Salvador frees three women convicted of abortionsAbortion rights groups say President Nayib Bukele’s government has freed three Salvadoran women who were sentenced to 30 years in prison under the nation’s strict anti-abortion laws after suffering obstetric emergencies.
Leftist millennial vows to remake Chile after historic win
Read full article: Leftist millennial vows to remake Chile after historic winFormer student leader Gabriel Boric will be under quick pressure from his youthful supporters to fulfill his promises to remake Chile after the millennial politician won the country’s presidential runoff.
EXPLAINER: Gang negotiations sensitive topic in El Salvador
Read full article: EXPLAINER: Gang negotiations sensitive topic in El SalvadorAllegations from the U.S. government that El Salvador President Nayib Bukele’s administration negotiated with the country’s powerful street gangs touched a sensitive topic.
'Foreign' agents pitch has El Salvador civil society on edge
Read full article: 'Foreign' agents pitch has El Salvador civil society on edgeEl Salvador President Nayib Bukele has pitched a proposed law requiring people and organizations who receive foreign funding to register as “foreign agents,” following the lead of countries like the United States.
El Salvador explores bitcoin mining powered by volcanos
Read full article: El Salvador explores bitcoin mining powered by volcanosAt a geothermal power plant near El Salvador’s Tecapa volcano, 300 computers whir inside a trailer as they make complex mathematical calculations day and night verifying transactions for the cryptocurrency bitcoin.
Glitches still plague bitcoin rollout in El Salvador
Read full article: Glitches still plague bitcoin rollout in El SalvadorSalvadorans trying to pay for a cup of coffee or receive money sent from relatives in the United States using the cryptocurrency bitcoin continued struggling to perform transactions, a day after El Salvador made it legal tender.
Loved and decried, El Salvador's populist leader is defiant
Read full article: Loved and decried, El Salvador's populist leader is defiantIn El Salvador, most are not bothered by President Nayib Bukele’s dictatorial maneuvers -- sending armed troops into congress to coerce a vote, or ousting independent judges from the country’s highest court, paving the way to control all branches of government.
El Salvador president wants Bitcoin as legal tender
Read full article: El Salvador president wants Bitcoin as legal tenderEl Salvador President Nayib Bukele has announced in a recorded message played at a Bitcoin conference in Miami that next week he will send proposed legislation to the country’s congress that would make the cryptocurrency legal tender in the Central American nation.
US urging Central America to tackle poverty, corruption
Read full article: US urging Central America to tackle poverty, corruptionU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is trying to entice Central American nations to tackle the corruption and poverty that have helped drive a surge of migrants to the U.S.-Mexico border and presented an early challenge for the Biden administration.
US report: Allies of El Salvador's president deemed corrupt
Read full article: US report: Allies of El Salvador's president deemed corruptSalvadoran President Nayib Bukele's Cabinet chief and other allies have been included in a list of senior officials in Central America deemed corrupt by the U.S. State Department.
AP Sources: El Salvador president snubs visiting Biden envoy
Read full article: AP Sources: El Salvador president snubs visiting Biden envoyAides to El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele say he's refused to meet with a visiting senior U.S. diplomat over what he sees as a pattern of slights from Democrats and the Biden administration.
Mexico: Woman who died in police custody also was abused
Read full article: Mexico: Woman who died in police custody also was abusedYoung women place flowers on the perimeter wall of the Quintana Roo state offices sprayed with graffiti that reads in Spanish "Justice for Victoria," during a protest in Mexico City, Monday, March. The demonstrators were protesting the police killing in Tulum, Quintana Roo state, of Salvadoran national Victoria Esperanza Salazar when a female police officer knelt on her back to cuff her. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)MEXICO CITY – A Salvadoran woman who died in police custody over the weekend in a Caribbean beach resort had also suffered abuse by her companion, who has been arrested, Mexican authorities said Tuesday. Quintana Roo state Gov. Salazar's death increased tensions in Quintana Roo, where police used live ammunition to ward off a throng of about 100 demonstrators in Cancun in November.
Outrage grows over police custody death in Mexico
Read full article: Outrage grows over police custody death in MexicoYoung women place flowers on the perimeter wall of the Quintana Roo state offices sprayed with graffiti that reads in Spanish "Justice for Victoria," during a protest in Mexico City, Monday, March. “She was brutally murdered by Tulum police officers in Quintana Roo, Mexico,” the president wrote. In the southern Mexico city of Tapachula, near the Guatemala border, Salazar requested and received refugee status. AdProtest marches were scheduled for later Monday in Tulum, Mexico City and San Salvador. AdThe woman’s death seemed likely to ignite tensions in Quintana Roo, where police used live ammunition to ward off a throng of about 100 demonstrators in Cancun in November.
Salvadoran president appears to win control of congress
Read full article: Salvadoran president appears to win control of congressPresident Nayib Bukele holds his ballots as he prepares to vote in local and legislative elections, at a polling station in San Salvador, El Salvador, Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021. El Salvador went to the polls in legislative and mayoral elections that could break the congressional deadlock that has tied the hands of President Nayib Bukele. AdBukele has blamed congress for blocking his efforts in everything from controlling crime to managing the coronavirus pandemic. Two years ago, Bukele sent heavily armed soldiers to surround the congress building during a standoff over security funding, earning rebukes internationally. “The story is not unique to El Salvador — Democratic elections have yielded antidemocratic leaders and governments, of the right and the left elsewhere in Latin America.
El Salvador election could remake political landscape
Read full article: El Salvador election could remake political landscapeFILE - In this Feb. 17, 2021 file photo, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele speaks before the start of vaccination of medical staff with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the Atlacatl Medical Unit of the Salvadoran Social Security Institute in San Salvador, El Salvador. That could change Sunday when Salvadorans go to the polls in local and legislative elections that observers and surveys suggest could remake the country’s political landscape. Anger with the parties that ruled El Salvador for nearly three decades swept Bukele into office in 2019, and frustration remains. “In El Salvador, there is selective justice, an unjust, circular, vicious system where only the wealthy are favored,” Pastor said. “The people have placed their hopes in President Bukele who has changed preconceptions and like it or not, has helped the people.”
The Latest: Hong Kong ease pandemic rules as cases decline
Read full article: The Latest: Hong Kong ease pandemic rules as cases declineFILE - In this Feb. 7, 2020 file photo, people wearing masks attend a vigil for Chinese doctor Li Wenliang, in Hong Kong. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)HONG KONG — Hong Kong is reducing social distancing rules following a sharp drop in new coronavirus cases, including restarting indoor dining and reopening gyms. More than two-thirds of the new cases were in Seoul area, home to half of South Korea’s 51 million people. The company has contracted to provide 100 million doses — enough for 100 million Americans — by the end of June. “We just need the vaccine to arrive.”___ATLANTA — Snowy and icy weather across much of the nation has “significantly” delayed shipments of COVID-19 vaccine to Georgia, state health officials said Wednesday.
Sources: Biden officials snub Salvadoran leader in DC trip
Read full article: Sources: Biden officials snub Salvadoran leader in DC tripFILE - In this Feb. 9, 2020 file photo, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, accompanied by members of the armed forces, speaks to supporters outside Congress in San Salvador, El Salvador. The Biden administration turned down a meeting request with El Salvador's president on an unannounced trip to Washington on the first week of Feb. 2021. But like other world leaders befriended by Trump, he faces an uphill climb pivoting to the Biden administration, which is seeking to undo those policies and has signaled its relationship with El Salvador is under review. Bukele insisted that the trip was private and that he didn't request any meeting with Biden officials. Legislation passed last year and supported by Democrats curbs U.S. foreign aid to El Salvador to fund the purchase of U.S. military equipment.
El Salvador kept paying DC lobbyist after claim he was fired
Read full article: El Salvador kept paying DC lobbyist after claim he was firedIn this image take from UNTV video, Nayib Armando Bukele, President of El Salvador, speaks in a pre-recorded video message during the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, at U.N. headquarters in New York. The tweet was widely shared in El Salvador. More recently, Stryk teamed up with another DC firm, Rational 360, which is run by veteran Democratic operatives including Joe Lockhart. El Salvador in October hired Rational 360 for $65,000 per month. Bukele’s government has also awarded a $780,000 contract to a newly formed U.S.-based entity called Invest El Salvador.
Rain-fueled landslide in El Salvador kills 9; 35 missing
Read full article: Rain-fueled landslide in El Salvador kills 9; 35 missingWomen take pictures of an area destroyed by a deadly landslide in Nejapa, El Salvador, Friday, Oct. 30, 2020. The slide occurred Thursday night when earth from the upper part of the San Salvador volcano was set in motion, sweeping up trees and homes. (AP Photo/Salvador Melendez)
Rain-fueled landslide in El Salvador kills 9; 35 missing
Read full article: Rain-fueled landslide in El Salvador kills 9; 35 missingWomen take pictures of an area destroyed by a deadly landslide in Nejapa, El Salvador, Friday, Oct. 30, 2020. The slide occurred Thursday night when earth from the upper part of the San Salvador volcano was set in motion, sweeping up trees and homes. (AP Photo/Salvador Melendez)SAN SALVADOR – At least nine people were killed and 35 were missing after a landslide during torrential rains in El Salvador, civil defense officials said Friday. Local resident Roxana Ruíz came to the search area looking for news of her cousin; she later learned her body had been found. “We believe that we can find people alive and we are not going to rest,” said Interior Minister Mario Durán.
The Latest: Mali notable in its absence from UN meeting
Read full article: The Latest: Mali notable in its absence from UN meetingAs late as last week, the United Nations still listed the deposed president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, as an upcoming speaker. But the final countries addressed the U.N. gathering on Tuesday afternoon with no word from Mali. Before this latest coup, extremists were moving south into more densely populated areas, adding to the frustrations that fed massive protests in the weeks ahead of the coup. He delivered a prerecorded address Tuesday to the U.N. General Assembly’s annual meeting of global leaders, being held virtually this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Emirati foreign minister also warned against what he said were “the expansionist ambitions of some countries in the region."
El Salvador's next US envoy met Trump at Miss Universe
Read full article: El Salvador's next US envoy met Trump at Miss UniverseSAN SALVADOR – El Salvador's next ambassador to Washington is someone President Donald Trump might remember from his days as a beauty pageant boss. While Bukele has endeared himself to Trump by backing his hardline immigration policies, he's faced criticism among human rights and pro-democracy activists for defying El Salvador's supreme court and congress. Bukele last year signed a bilateral agreement that would allow the U.S. to send asylum seekers from other countries to El Salvador. Mayorga was a top 10 finalist at the 1996 Miss Universe won by Alicia Machado, a former Miss Venezuela who campaigned against Trump in the 2016 campaign. Machado accused Trump of labeling her with a sexist nickname — “Miss Piggy” — that caused her shame and humiliation after she was crowned Miss Universe.
Push within El Salvador to advance priest massacre case
Read full article: Push within El Salvador to advance priest massacre caseFILE - In this Nov. 15, 2008 file photo, people hold banners depicting six Jesuit priests massacred in 1989, during a memorial to mark the 19th anniversary of their death, in San Salvador. For years, attempts within El Salvador to investigate and prosecute the masterminds of the massacre during that countrys civil war have been delayed and deflected by legal maneuvers. (Edgar Romero/AP Photo File)
El Salvador prosecutors search prisons in pact investigation
Read full article: El Salvador prosecutors search prisons in pact investigationImprisoned gang members, wearing protective face masks, look out from behind bars during a media tour of the prison in Quezaltepeque, El Salvador, Friday, Sept. 4, 2020. President Nayib Bukele denied a report Friday that his government has been negotiating with one of the countrys most powerful gangs to lower the murder rate and win their support in mid-term elections in exchange for prison privileges. (AP Photo/Salvador Melendez)
El Salvador prosecutors search prisons in pact investigation
Read full article: El Salvador prosecutors search prisons in pact investigationImprisoned gang members, wearing protective face masks, look out from behind bars during a media tour of the prison in Quezaltepeque, El Salvador, Friday, Sept. 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Salvador Melendez)SAN SALVADOR Prosecutors in El Salvador said Monday they have searched two prisons to investigate whether the administration of President Nayib Bukele had negotiated with one of the countrys most powerful gangs to lower the murder rate and win their support in mid-term elections in exchange for prison privileges. The prosecutors' office said agents searched two prisons where gang members are held to look for documents or other evidence of the allegations. Multiple former officials from previous administrations are currently being prosecuted for allegedly participating in a similar deal with the gangs. During his first year in office, he earned recognition as El Salvadors notoriously high murder rate began to fall.