28th October 2022

Central American judges have issued a plea for independence to carry out their functions. Supreme court elections are currently ongoing in Costa Rica and Panama against a backdrop of interference in El Salvador and Guatemala. Of the 25 members of Guatemala’s judicial service that have fled the country in the past 18 months, the majority are either judges or prosecutors. El Salvador has seen alleged illegal appointment of Supreme Court magistrates and the enforced retirement of those over 60. The Seattle International Foundation has warned of increasing authoritarianism in Central America at a forum in Tegucigalpa. Director Adriana Beltrán warned about the criminalization of human rights, the restriction of press freedom and of expression in the region.

Photo by Michael Dziedzic

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