Podcast
Central America in Minutes
Hosted by El Faro English · EN
Central America in Minutes is a short-form podcast from El Faro English delivering reported briefings and analysis on the politics shaping our region.
21episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
NYT and WOLA Indicate U.S. Boat Strikes Received Logistical Support from El Salvador
4d ago00:08:51Tap to summarizeEpisode 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
3w ago00:08:54Tap to summarizeEpisode 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?
4w ago00:08:51Tap to summarizeEpisode 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?
Jul 1700:08:49Tap to summarizeEpisode 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
Jul 1000:09:19Tap to summarizeEpisode 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
Jul 300:08:20Tap to summarizeEpisode 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
Jun 2600:08:52Tap to summarizeEpisode 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
Jun 1900:09:30Tap to summarizeEpisode 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
Jun 1200:09:47Tap to summarizeEpisode 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
Jun 500:07:59Tap to summarizeEpisode 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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