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August 28, 2025

#5 | Military Uniforms in Classrooms, Prisoners discriminated: inside Central America’s authoritarianism

This news package traces the ways authoritarianism, state violence, and impunity continue to shape Central America’s present. From El Salvador’s deepening embrace of military rule—where education itself is being placed under the command of uniformed officials—to Nicaragua’s ongoing persecution of Indigenous political prisoners, the reports gathered here highlight how authoritarian governance is no longer an exception but increasingly the norm. In Honduras, the criminalization of land defenders like Juan López exposes how communities protecting their territories are treated as enemies of the state.

At the same time, the region continues to grapple with the legacies of past abuses. A Guatemalan court’s long-awaited sentencing of six officials for the 2017 fire that killed 41 girls represents a rare, though fragile, moment of accountability. By connecting these stories, this Drop offers a window into the systemic erosion of rights across Central America—where authoritarian practices, discrimination, and violence against the most vulnerable remain at the center of political life.

Authoritarianism as El Salvador’s Default A historical overview tracing the country’s cycles of dictatorship and military control, showing how dictatorships have been the political norm rather the exception

Justice Delayed for Juan Lopez The murdered Honduran land defender’s case remains tied up in court, reflecting the riks faced by environmental activist

Discrimination Against Indigenous Prisoners in Nicaragua Indigenous political detainees report systemic abuse, neglect, and racism inside Nicaragua’s prisons, exposing how repression intersects with ethnic discrimination

A Military Captain to Lead Education in El Salvador The appointment of Karla Trigueros as Minister of Education deepens concerns over the militarization of civilian institutions under Nayib Bukele’s rule

Accountability in Guatemala’s 2017 Shelter Fire A court sentences six officials for their role in the blaze that killed 41 girls in a state-run youth shelter, a landmark case un a country where impunity has long prevailed

Staff Picks

Staff picks is our cultural corner to share works that are inspiring us right now. From novels to poetry, music, and films. This selection reflects the richness and diversity of Central America’s cultural / art production in the present times 

This week, we want to share the upcoming trailer of a documentary about recording and translating some of the last living singers of Wanaragua, a type of music manifesting a history of resistance against colonizers, in the endangered Garifuna language of Honduras. This work is co-directed by Philadelphia-based documentary filmmaker Eli Laban and Cesar Vargas Sabio, a Honduran researcher and dancer specializing in the Garifuna language.

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