Across Central America, feminist movements are confronting a renewed wave of authoritarian politics that is reshaping the region’s institutions, economies, and public life. From the closing of a pro-abortion feminist organization in El Salvador to growing debates over class, gender, and race under increasingly centralized power in Costa Rica, struggles over women’s rights and democratic freedoms are becoming key battlegrounds in the region’s political landscape.

This week’s Central American Drop also looks at the international forces intersecting with these shifts. Donald Trump has invited his Latin American allies to the proposed “Shield of the Americas” summit, signaling a new phase of geopolitical alignment and security discourse in the hemisphere. Meanwhile, economic extraction continues to cut across borders: Chinese companies operating in Nicaragua are reportedly purchasing gold illegally extracted from Costa Rica, raising questions about environmental exploitation, governance, and transnational capital.