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Infantino Says Football Is Growing Exponentially in Nicaragua

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said football is growing “exponentially” in Nicaragua, a country he visited ahead of a Concacaf congress on Sunday and where boxing and baseball have traditionally been the dominant sports. “What’s being done in Nicaragua is truly exceptional (…) Football is the king of sports in the world, and I have to say that here it’s growing exponentially as well,” Infantino said upon arriving in Managua on Friday night. He was received at Augusto C. Sandino International Airport by Maurice Ortega Murillo, son of co-presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, and by Manuel Quintanilla, president of the Nicaraguan Football Federation (FENIFUT), according to the state-run outlet El 19 Digital. Infantino’s visit was marked by tight secrecy from local authorities and comes in the context of the 41st Concacaf Ordinary Congress, which brings together leaders from the 41 federations in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. During his stay, Infantino playe...
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Chile’s Kast Looks to El Salvador’s Model for Prison Security

Chile’s president-elect, José Antonio Kast, visited El Salvador’s mega-prison for gang members on Friday and asked President Nayib Bukele for “cooperation” to improve security in Chile’s prisons. Visits to the Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot) are part of the usual protocol for Bukele’s special guests. Bukele has turned the prison into a symbol of the crackdown that pacified the country, but it has also become a target of allegations of human rights abuses. “We want to ask you for cooperation on improving our penitentiary system,” Kast said after meeting Bukele at the government palace, following a tour of Cecot that the Salvadoran president did not attend. However, the future far-right Chilean president added that “we don’t necessarily have to do the same thing because conditions are different,” as his country faces rising crime. For his part, Bukele said that, “differences aside” between the two countries, what El Salvador can do is “contribute its experience.” Kast, who said th...
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Costa Rican Artists Warn of Authoritarian Threats in Pre-Election Video

Over 30 Costa Rican artists have released a video titled “Voces por la democracia” to speak out against authoritarian threats facing the country. The release comes during the final days of the election campaign, just before the presidential vote on February 1, 2026. The video urges people to vote and highlights risks to press freedom. The production features artists such as Sebas Guillem, Pedro Capmany, María Torres, Erick Córdoba, Claudia Barrionuevo, Gladdys Alzate, Tamela Hedström, Ana Coralia Fernández, and Guadalupe Urbina. They share messages about the value of democracy passed down from past generations. The video opens with the line, “Sometimes it’s enough to stop staying silent; voices meet even from afar, and something starts to move.” Participants warn about dangers to freedom in Costa Rica. Tamela Hedström, who has lived in several countries, points out, “I have the privilege and pride of being Costa Rican. I’ve lived in more than four countries and know that democracy, t...
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Sabalenka and Rybakina Advance to Australian Open Final After Semifinal Wins

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Aryna Sabalenka moved one step closer to her third title at the Australian Open with a straight-sets win over Elina Svitolina in the semifinals on January 28, 2026. The top seed from Belarus defeated the Ukrainian player 6-2, 6-3 in 72 minutes on Rod Laver Arena, setting up a final against Elena Rybakina. Sabalenka broke Svitolina’s serve three times in the first set and kept her under pressure with deep groundstrokes. Svitolina, who returned to form after a career break for motherhood, held early but lost momentum as errors mounted. Sabalenka sealed the match with a forehand winner, improving her record at Melbourne Park to 18 straight wins. She spoke after the match about staying focused on each point, crediting her team for the steady preparation. In the other semifinal, Elena Rybakina outlasted Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6(7) in a match that lasted one hour and 45 minutes. The fifth seed from Kazakhstan took control in the first set with strong serving, breaking Pegula twice. The seco...
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Costa Rica Faces Job Losses as Amazon Slashes Thousands in Global Overhaul

Amazon confirmed that its latest round of job cuts has reached Costa Rica, where the company operates one of its largest hubs outside the United States. The reductions form part of a global plan to eliminate 16,000 corporate positions, affecting workers in areas like technology, human resources, and retail support. Local employees reported receiving layoff notices starting as early as 5 a.m. on Wednesday. Several anonymous staff members told Costa Rican media outlets that supervisors informed them during brief meetings, with some learning of their dismissals through emails sent the previous day. One worker described the process as abrupt, noting that access to company systems was revoked shortly after the notification. Amazon has offered affected employees the chance to apply for open internal roles, though sources indicate limited availability. Those unable to secure new positions will receive severance packages tied to their years of service, along with continued benefits for a set...
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Russian Family Deported from US Faces Ongoing Uncertainty in Costa Rica

A Russian family sent from the United States to Costa Rica under shifting U.S. immigration rules continues to navigate legal and personal challenges almost a year later. The family, who left Russia to escape political threats, had arranged an asylum hearing in the U.S. before a policy change led to their detention and sudden deportation. They arrived in Costa Rica without warning, where authorities held them for two months in a migrant center. Conditions there drew criticism, and the country’s Supreme Court later found that the detention breached their rights. Now free, they hold temporary humanitarian status while seeking resolution and possible compensation. The family has settled in Monteverde, a town known for its cloud forests and Quaker community. They work local jobs, study Spanish, and raise their child amid the area’s natural surroundings. “We adapt day by day,” the father said in a recent account, reflecting on their efforts to build stability. This case points to larger p...
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Costa Rica drug violence drives killings as election nears

Mauren Jiménez cleans houses and cares for sick patients to make ends meet. In her spare time, the 54-year-old community leader does work most people avoid: helping families in Alajuelita bury young men killed in Costa Rica’s drug-linked violence. In the steep streets of her hillside precario in the San José district of Alajuelita, Jiménez says shootings between rival dealers are part of daily life. When a teenager or young man is killed, she steps in to help relatives navigate the morgue, the paperwork, and the costs of a funeral. Last year alone, she assisted the families of about 20 young men, she said, including some who were 14 or 15 years old. Some were gang members; others were bystanders caught in the crossfire. Her goal, she said, is the same in each case: a dignified burial. Costa Rica, long viewed as one of the safer countries in Latin America, has seen a sharp rise in killings linked to drug trafficking. Seven out of ten murders are connected to the drug trade, according...
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