El Salvador
Costa Rica embraces El Salvador's iron-fist model as drug violence surges
Costa Rica's decision to build a mega-prison modelled on El Salvador's controversial Cecot facility breaks sharply with the nation's democratic traditions and progressive criminal justice policies.
ECLAC raises Latin America growth forecast to 2.2% but warns of prolonged slowdown
The UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean has lifted its 2025 regional growth estimate to 2.2% from a previous 2.0% projection, whilst acknowledging that economic expansion remains constrained by global volatility
El Salvador removes presidential term limits as Bukele tightens grip on power
El Salvador's legislature has approved constitutional reforms that will allow President Nayib Bukele to seek indefinite re-election, marking the latest step in what critics describe as the Central American nation's slide towards autocracy.
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IMF says El Salvador's Bitcoin accumulation remains within programme limits
The IMF clarified El Salvador's Bitcoin accumulation remains consistent with its programme despite the nation's crypto portfolio swelling beyond $760mn as Bitcoin rallied above $120,000.
Nigel Farage proposes sending UK prisoners to El Salvador following Trump model
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has announced plans to send British prisoners to El Salvador if he becomes prime minister, mirroring a controversial arrangement between US President Donald Trump and his Salvadoran counterpart Nayib Bukele.
El Salvador's Bitcoin gamble pays off as reserves surge past $760mn
El Salvador's Bitcoin holdings have surged to more than $760mn as the cryptocurrency climbed above $120,000, vindicating President Nayib Bukele's controversial digital asset strategy while successfully navigating conditions imposed by the IMF.
Renewable energy surge puts Latin America on track for climate leadership
Latin America stands at a critical juncture in its energy evolution, with its largest economies showing both remarkable progress in renewable adoption and persistent challenges in weaning themselves off fossil fuels.
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El Salvador’s Bukele offers to ‘ship inmates to Paris’ following fashion week controversy
El Salvador’s government has sharply criticised a Paris Fashion Week show by designer Willy Chavarría for featuring outfits resembling the prison-issue uniforms used in the country’s maximum-security Terrorism Confinement Centre (CECOT).
El Salvador in “darkest moment” for press freedom since civil war, rights groups say
Seventeen international press freedom organisations have issued a joint statement expressing "deep alarm" at what they describe as an accelerated deterioration of press freedom in El Salvador under President Bukele.
Spanish-led right-wing alliance plots Latin American electoral sweep
A coalition of conservative and far-right parties from Spain and Latin America has declared its intention to secure victory in seven general elections across the region scheduled for this year and 2026.
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Latin America splits over Iran-Israel conflict
The escalating Iran-Israel conflict has exposed deep fractures across Latin America, with governments from Buenos Aires to Caracas staking out opposing positions that lay bare deep-rooted political divisions.
El Salvador president attacks NGOs and press in defiant anniversary speech
El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele delivered a defiant speech marking one year since his re-election, dismissing criticism of his authoritarian approach while doubling down on his controversial security policies.
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El Salvador’s Bitcoin splurge risks derailing $120mn IMF payout
The IMF struck a staff-level agreement with El Salvador, paving the way for nearly $120mn in funding pending executive board approval. But tensions persist as the country continues buying Bitcoin in defiance of the fund's conditions.
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Latin America faces investment drought as fiscal space shrinks, ECLAC says
ECLAC report highlights the region's struggle with low public investment amid mounting debt pressures.