Central America in Minutes

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  Stripped of Nationality in Nicaragua, Then Detained by ICE 18.09.2026 9นาที

  Episode 89: Nicaraguan journalist Luis Galeano is detained by ICE despite his asylum case, adding to the list of exiles arrested under the Trump administration.An exiled Nicaraguan campesino leader survives an assassination attempt in Costa Rica, where the government has not commented on a string of attacks and murders.In Panama, unions and social organizations uncover police espionage which they allege is aimed at breaking resistance to mining and other policies under President José Raúl Mulino.This episode was written by Leyrian Colón Santiago, Yuliana Ramazzini, and Gabriel Labrador. Editing by Roman Gressier and sound design by Omnionn.Listen to Central America in Minutes on the KPFA Pacifica Evening News and participating Pacifica Network radio stations. Or stream it on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube.
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  Trump Stalls on TPS Decision for El Salvador 11.09.2026 9นาที

  Episode 88: TPS for El Salvador was set to expire this week, but DHS temporarily extended protections from deportation until a final decision is made “at the appropriate time.”DHS awards private contracts to collect fines from deported Guatemalans, Hondurans, and Mexicans for immigrant law violations. The fines add up to $423 million dollars.September 5 marked two years since 135 former Nicaraguan political prisoners were suddenly flown to Guatemala. Over two-dozen still live stateless in precarious conditions.This episode was written by Leyrian Colón Santiago, Yuliana Ramazzini, Gabriel Labrador, and Carlos Barrera. Editing by Roman Gressier and sound design by Omnionn.Listen to Central America in Minutes on the KPFA Pacifica Evening News and participating Pacifica Network radio stations. You can also stream the show on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube.
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  El Niño Drought Devastates Central America 04.09.2026 9นาที

  Episode 87: As extreme climate hits Central American crops, countries issue alerts and states of emergency while Nicaragua declares that the effects will be “limited.”Buoyed by high popularity and his constitutional rewrite allowing indefinite reelection, Nayib Bukele will seek a third term in 2027 facing no major opposition.Amid budget rollbacks and public sparring with the Judiciary, President Laura Fernández denies that “Bukelization” is taking place in her country.This episode was written by Gabriel Labrador, Yuliana Ramazzini, and Leyrian Colón Santiago. Editing by Roman Gressier and sound design by Omnionn.Listen to Central America in Minutes on the KPFA Pacifica Evening News and participating Pacifica Network radio stations. You can also stream the show on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube.
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  U.S. Deports Mexican Nationals to Central America 28.08.2026 9นาที

  Episode 86: In the last year, in its push for countries to receive third-country nationals, the U.S. deported over 2,000 Mexicans to Guatemala, Honduras, and Costa Rica.Trump reinstates the U.S. travel visas of three Salvadoran officials close to Bukele but pulls the visas of members of the board of Costa Rica’s newspaper of record.An Argentine advisor to right-wing politicians in Latin America, including the president of Honduras, is arrested in Bolivia on charges of attempted femicide.This episode was written by Leyrian Colón Santiago, Gabriel Labrador, and Yuliana Ramazzini. Editing by Roman Gressier and sound design by Omnionn.Listen to Central America in Minutes on the KPFA Pacifica Evening News and participating Pacifica Network radio stations. You can also stream the show on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube.
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  United States Tip-toes Around Military Cooperation with El Salvador 21.08.2026 9นาที

  Episode 85: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth touts military cooperation with Panama, Honduras, and Guatemala, but tip-toes around ties to El Salvador, despite reports of logistical support for U.S. boat strikes.The Honduran Ambassador in Washington calls the termination of TPS for thousands of Nicaraguans and Hondurans living in the United States a “humanitarian crisis.”El Salvador’s security minister announces the arrest of a fugitive Salvadoran gang leader whom El Faro interviewed last year on Bukele’s dealings with gangs.This episode was written by Gabriel Labrador, Leyrian Colón Santiago, Graciela Barrera, and Yuliana Ramazzini. Editing by Roman Gressier and sound design by Omnionn.Listen to Central America in Minutes on The KPFA Pacific Evening News and participating Pacifica Network radio stations. You can also stream the show on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube.
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  NYT and WOLA Indicate U.S. Boat Strikes Received Logistical Support from El Salvador 14.08.2026 8นาที

  Episode 84: Multiple reports indicate that U.S. boat strikes, which have killed 221 people, “almost certainly” received logistical support from Salvadoran soil.In Guatemala, two high-profile Indigenous leaders are granted house arrest pending trial on terrorism and other charges stemming from their resistance against 2023 coup efforts.Costa Rica declares security spending a state secret as President Laura Fernández locks horns with the Judicial Branch, accusing magistrates of an “institutional coup.”This episode was written by Yuliana Ramazzini, Leyrian Colón Santiago, and Gabriel Labrador. Editing by Roman Gressier and sound design by Omnionn.Stream Central America in Minutes on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube.
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  Juan Orlando Hernández Returns to Honduras 31.07.2026 8นาที

  Episode 83: Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández returns to his country after Trump pardoned him last year. He now faces criminal charges of embezzlement.A couple recently forced to return to Guatemala is found dead in a field outside Retalhuleu, near the Mexican border. U.S. self-deportation totals are disputed.Seven months before national elections, Salvadoran opposition leader Claudia Ortiz urges her party to stay open to alliances, but party leaders remain more selective.This episode was written by Yuliana Ramazzini, Leyrian Colón Santiago, Megan Mandrachio, and Gabriel Labrador. Editing by Roman Gressier and sound design by Omnionn.Stream Central America in Minutes on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube.
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  Who Can Stop Murillo and Ortega in Nicaragua? 24.07.2026 8นาที

  Episode 81: Daniel Ortega’s announcement that “there will be no more elections” in Nicaragua sparks a wave of regional and international criticism.A Salvadoran fisherman’s body shows signs of violent death in prison that were ignored in an autopsy. He is one of over 500 confirmed deaths in custody under the state of exception.Benedicto Lucas, a former Guatemalan general accused of genocide against the Maya Ixil people, is granted house arrest. His trial has been frozen for two years.This episode was written by Leyrian Colón Santiago, Yuliana Ramazzini, and Megan Mandrachio. Editing by Roman Gressier and sound design by Omnionn. Stream Central America in Minutes on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube.
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  What Will Trump Decide on TPS for El Salvador? 17.07.2026 8นาที

  Episode 81: While Salvadoran TPS recipients hold their breath for a last-second renewal, Bukele meets with Trump after launching a bid for a third term.The Nicaraguan regime begins a new phase of persecution by selling off exiles’ properties and secretly revoking the licenses of an estimated 2,000 lawyers.Former President Juan Orlando Hernández is expected to return to Honduras on July 26, where he will face charges of fraud and money laundering before a Honduran court.This episode was written by Megan Mandrachio, Leyrian Colón Santiago, and Gabriel Labrador. Editing by Roman Gressier and sound design by Omnionn. Stream Central America in Minutes on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube.
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  Salvadoran Political Prisoner Ruth López’s Life Is At Risk 10.07.2026 9นาที

  Episode 80: Salvadoran human rights attorney Ruth López’s family fears for her life. They finally visited her following more than 400 days in prison.Guatemalan prosecutors stop trying to revoke the house arrest of newspaperman Jose Rubén Zamora, easing up on an emblematic case of lawfare against journalists in Latin America.Nicaragua has received dozens of third-country deportees since Donald Trump returned to office. Other Central American countries have, too, but Managua has been a low-key partner.This episode was written by Leyrian Colón Santiago, Yuliana Ramazzini, and Gabriel Labrador. Editing by Roman Gressier and sound design by Omnionn. Stream Central America in Minutes on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube.
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  Bukele Sets Stage for Third Term in El Salvador 03.07.2026 8นาที

  Episode 79: Nayib Bukele registers to run for a third term in El Salvador’s 2027 election after scrapping term limits. If he achieves his goal, he’s set to stay in power until 2033.Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to Guatemala, heralded by the opposition, steps down without public explanation following months of turmoil over U.S. policy in Guatemala.Trump's threat to “take back the canal” looms over Panama as concerns grow about the country's neutrality and whether there will be enough water to keep the canal operational.This episode was written by Megan Mandrachio, Gabriel Labrador  and Leyrian Colón Santiago. Editing by Roman Gressier and sound design by Omnionn. Stream Central America in Minutes on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube.
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  Trump Diplomats Depart an OAS Mission in Turmoil 26.06.2026 8นาที

  Episode 78: A string of U.S. officials departs Trump’s mission to the OAS amid ideological tensions and a financial crisis that are roiling the hemisphere’s oldest multilateral.The World Bank projects El Salvador’s economy will grow in 2026 by a hair. The ruling party celebrates, while economists say it’s fueled by tens of millions of dollars in remittances.A year after the murder in Costa Rica of Nicaraguan refugee Roberto Samcam, prosecutors finally file charges against the suspects. A trial is expected to begin in 2027.This episode was written by Yuliana Ramazzini, Leyrian Colón Santiago and Megan Mandrachio, who’s interning with El Faro English from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. Editing by Roman Gressier and sound design by Omnionn. Stream Central America in Minutes on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube.
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  Honduras Cracks Down on Protests Tied to Land Conflicts 19.06.2026 9นาที

  Episode 77: Honduras expands the definition of terrorism to include legally registered organizations and cracks down on protests tied to land conflict.Costa Rican President Laura Fernández proposes a reform to slow Nicaraguan migration. Amid mounting criticism, she asserts Nicaraguans have the government “they chose.”In our magazine Beacon: an investigation in El Salvador; an interview with Guatemala’s defense chief; chronicles from Louisiana and the Balkans; and fiction on Mars.This episode was written by Yuliana Ramazzini, Gabriel Labrador, and Leyrian Colón Santiago, with editing by Roman Gressier and sound design by Omnionn. Stream Central America in Minutes on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube.
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  Nicaraguan Political Prisoners Keep Dying in Regime Custody 12.06.2026 9นาที

  Episode 76: In Nicaragua, the United States sanctions more than 100 officials after naming the Ortega-Murillo regime as responsible for the death of political prisoner Brooklyn Rivera.In Guatemala, the new attorney general halts the three-year prosecution of a group of journalists and columnists for obstruction of justice, in a landmark win for press freedom.In El Salvador, search groups question official homicide figures due to differences in how murders are registered in the country.This episode was written by Leyrian Colón Santiago, Gabriel Labrador, and Graciela Barrera, with editing by Roman Gressier and sound design by Omnionn. Stream Central America in Minutes on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube.
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  Arévalo Downplays Report of Imminent Joint U.S. Military Strikes 05.06.2026 7นาที

  Episode 75: In Guatemala, Arévalo downplays New York Times reporting that joint military strikes against cartels are set to begin in June as U.S. officials push to put boots on the ground.In Nicaragua, six relatives of Indigenous leader Brooklyn Rivera are detained by Sandinista police while claiming his body. Rivera had died in regime custody.In El Salvador, a campaign to save a major city forest gathers over half a million signatures. The government moves ahead with plans to build a new convention center.This episode was written by Yuliana Ramazzini, Leyrian Colón Santiago, and Gabriel Labrador, with editing by Roman Gressier and sound design by Omnionn. Stream Central America in Minutes on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube.
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  Sweeping Abuses in Costa Rica Against U.S. Deportees 29.05.2026 9นาที

  Episode 74: Costa Rican authorities find 200 migrants deported there from the U.S. in 2025 were subject to de facto deprivation of liberty, passport retention, discrimination, and physical injury due to the prolonged use of shackles.Despite a constitutional mandate to promote home ownership, El Salvador has a shortage of around 400,000 homes, with many living in precarious housing called mesones.In Panama, hundreds protest the reopening of an open-pit copper mine with a thermoelectric power plant, falling short of international commitments on decarbonization.This episode was written by Gabriel Labrador,  Leyrian Colón Santiago, and Yuliana Ramazzini, with editing by Roman Gressier and sound design by Omnionn. Stream Central America in Minutes on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube.
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  Political Prisoner Ruth López Hits One Year in Bukele’s Dungeons 23.05.2026 9นาที

  Episode 73: One year after her arrest by the Salvadoran regime, Ruth López’s family, international organizations, and groups in exile call for her release and for information on her health.Audio published by Hondurasgate and amplified by international media allege an international plot in favor of Juan Orlando Hernández, but skip journalistic due diligence.Guatemala’s new attorney general ends the eight-year tenure of Consuelo Porras, sanctioned by more than 40 countries and known for criminalizing journalists, judges, and political foes. This episode was written by Yuliana Ramazzini, Leyrian Colón Santiago, and Gabriel Labrador, with editing by Roman Gressier and sound design by Omnionn. Stream Central America in Minutes on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube.
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  A Friend to Trump, Netanhayu, and Bukele Takes Office in Costa Rica 15.05.2026 9นาที

  Episode 72: Laura Fernández is sworn in as president of Costa Rica, promising an El Salvador-style crackdown on crime. The Israeli government says Costa Rica is willing to open an embassy in Jerusalem. rU.N. experts demand proof of life for Nicaraguan Indigenous leader and political prisoner Brooklyn Rivera. They denounce forced disappearances, inhumane conditions, and dozens of remaining political prisoners under the Ortega-Murillo regime.New reporting shows the government of El Salvador tried to acquire spyware through an international web of intermediaries around 2024, after the deployment of Pegasus against civil society was revealed in the country in early 2022.This episode was written by Yuliana Ramazzini and Leyrian Colón Santiago, with editing by Roman Gressier and sound design by Omnionn. Stream Central America in Minutes on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube.
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  Guatemala Turns the Page After Eight Years of Consuelo Porras 08.05.2026 9นาที

  Episode 71: Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo names Gabriel García Luna, a career judicial official working for the Executive, as attorney general. After years of selective justice, he will take office May 17 barring legal challenges.In Guatemala, the murder of journalist Carlos Humberto Cal Ical draws calls for a swift investigation and end to impunity, amid growing threats to the press from governments and criminal groups alike across Central America.El Faro announces that the Treasury Ministry in El Salvador froze personal assets of partners of the company that founded El Faro three decades ago, as part of a long-running tax crackdown.This episode was written by Gabriel Labrador and Roman Gressier, with sound design by Omnionn. Stream Central America in Minutes on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube.
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  Mass Trial for Collective Gang Crimes Begins in El Salvador 24.04.2026 8นาที

  Episode 70: El Salvador begins a mass trial of 486 alleged MS-13 members following a dramatic rewriting of judicial procedure. The men will be tried for collective, not individual crimes. New penalties of life in prison will take effect on Sunday.After months of avoiding direct confrontation with Washington, Ortega calls Trump “mentally deranged” just as new U.S. sanctions are imposed on his inner circle for human rights abuses and issues related to the gold mining sector.Guatemala’s internationally sanctioned attorney general is cut out of the final list of nominees for the next AG, appearing to upend her reelection bid — until the Constitutional Court rules a last-second do-over, keeping her still in play.This episode was written by Gabriela Cáceres, Yuliana Ramazzini, and Leyrian Colón Santiago, with editing by Roman Gressier and sound design by Omnionn. Stream Central America in Minutes on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube.