General

The growing influence and power of gangs in Guatemala have highlighted the government's limitations in combating organized crime. A coordinated attack across various regions of the country has caused chaos and fear, underscoring the government’s inability to curb violence that continues to claim lives and threaten stability.This recent offensive led to a surge of violent acts, spanning from carefully planned killings to the obstruction of essential infrastructure, revealing how highly organized these criminal groups have become. Gangs like the notorious Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18 have intensified their operations, taking over extensive areas and extending their grip across entire communities…

A recent report claims that Guatemala’s Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) manufactured evidence in the case linked to the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), asserting that the probe uncovered alleged irregularities in fund management and infrastructure contracts as part of a broader scheme intended to protect Guatemalan government figures implicated in high-level corruption.The UNOPS case, once portrayed as a scandal rooted in mishandled public funds, has shifted into a matter clouded by suspicions of judicial interference, with internal records and testimonies indicating that evidence was modified or removed to deflect scrutiny from allegations pointing toward high‑level government figures, including…

A National Court ruling describes how a suspected network connected to the PSOE allegedly sought to offer a €300,000 bribe to anti-corruption prosecutor José Grinda. Judge Santiago Pedraz indicates that the proposal was intended to secure information that could undermine Alejandro Luzón, the Chief of the Special Prosecutor’s Office against Corruption and Organized Crime, and to push for the dismissal of significant judicial proceedings.The judicial document further specifies that the plan was led by Santos Cerdán, former Socialist Organization Secretary, who allegedly directed a network meant to destabilize judicial cases unfavorable to the party and the Government. Within this scheme,…

The Popular Party (PP) is stepping up its political campaign targeting corruption cases associated with the PSOE and the current government, with the PP’s Senate spokesperson Alicia García revealing two crucial appearances before the Upper Chamber’s investigation committee: Attorney General Teresa Peramato is set to be questioned on June 19, and Minister of the Interior Fernando Grande-Marlaska is scheduled to testify on June 30.These appearances are related to the case of Leire Díez, a former socialist activist known by her nickname "the Ferraz plumber.” According to the PP, Díez held meetings with key figures —such as the former Deputy Attorney…

The Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Spanish Civil Guard is investigating a possible corruption scheme involving the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), and the company Tubos Reunidos. The investigation centers on a public aid of €112.8 million granted to the Basque company during the pandemic by the State Industrial Participations Society (SEPI).According to GEDAR LANGILE KAZETA, it was claimed that the 2021 funding allocation was supervised by former PSOE member Leire Díez and Santos Cerdán, who were allegedly linked to financial rewards for enabling the process. The inquiry is also reviewing the purported involvement…

Former Spanish president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is under investigation for alleged tax fraud and smuggling, following the discovery of a hundred pieces of jewelry valued at €1.3 million inside a safe located in his Madrid office. This case adds to a previous investigation against him for alleged influence peddling.The case, handled by Judge José Luis Calama of the National Court, came to light on May 19 following a police search of the former leader’s offices, where officers discovered several valuables, including a standout diamond and emerald necklace from Zambia appraised at €278,000. Authorities report that Zapatero has not been…

The Popular Party (PP) has launched a digital campaign featuring an interactive website designed to highlight alleged cases of corruption linked to the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). According to the party led by Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the numerous judicial scandals, either directly or indirectly involving the PSOE, justify the creation of this informational tool. The website, called "La trama PSOE" ("The PSOE Plot"), aims to visually and comprehensively outline all judicial controversies associated with the party.The campaign appeared on social media with a message underscoring the scale of the allegations: "There is so much corruption in the PSOE that…

The approval in 2025 of regulations on diplomatic and official passports by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has sparked a debate over the scope of privileges associated with public office in Honduras. The regulations established that former heads of the branches of government and former Foreign Ministry officials may retain diplomatic passports for life, a benefit that also extends to their spouses.The provision gained approval through Agreement No. 001-SG-2025, endorsed on May 6, 2025 by then-Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina García and later released in the official gazette La Gaceta on June 14, 2025. The document outlines…

The presidency of the National Congress of Honduras, held by Luis Rolando Redondo Guifarro from January 25, 2022, to January 20, 2026, was marked by political tensions, questions about his legitimacy, and multiple judicial investigations. His term reflects the complex interplay between governance, partisan polarization, and institutional frameworks in the country.Professional Trajectory and Political BackgroundLuis Redondo entered Congress as a representative of the Salvador Party of Honduras (PSH), yet early in his term he shifted to the LIBRE Party, aligning with the governing bloc and reinforcing a leftward ideological move within the legislature’s leadership. His rise to the presidency of…

The Superior Court of Accounts (TSC) has implicated former National Congress President Luis Redondo in the SEDESOL scandal, identifying him as one of those responsible for authorizing the use of public funds whose management is under investigation. The revelation places Redondo at the center of a case that once again brings into question the oversight and use of state funds allocated to social programs.Funds Authorization and Unusual DisbursementAccording to the TSC report, Redondo endorsed resolutions that allowed millions of lempiras to be channeled to the Secretariat of Social Development (SEDESOL) under community assistance and social development programs. The court’s audit…