Guatemala has experienced a series of law enforcement operations and public incidents amid ongoing political tensions. On April 23, 2025, Luis Haroldo Pacheco Gutiérrez, the viceminister of Development and former president of the indigenous 48 Cantones of Totonicapán, was arrested by the Fiscalía contra el Crimen Organizado and the Policía Nacional Civil. Pacheco is accused of terrorism, association ilícita (criminal association), instigation to delinquency, sedition, and other related charges linked to protests in 2023 that demanded the resignation of the then-fiscal general Consuelo Porras and supported the presidential transition of Bernardo Arévalo. Pacheco and Héctor Manuel Chaclán Batz were detained and transferred to the Torre de Tribunales, where they await their first court hearing. The arrest has drawn condemnation from various indigenous groups, human rights organizations, and international figures including Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Organization of American States, who lamented the detention and recognized Pacheco's role in Guatemala's democratic transition. President Bernardo Arévalo described the arrest as an attack against the Guatemalan people and called on Congress to end what he termed a disproportionate persecution. The Ministerio Público, led by fiscal general Consuelo Porras, defended its autonomy and the legality of its actions, emphasizing that the investigation targets specific individuals and not the indigenous community as a whole. Concurrently, multiple police and fiscalía-led raids and arrests took place across various departments including Escuintla, Huehuetenango, Quiché, Santa Rosa, and Petén related to crimes such as extortion, homicide, sexual violence, and illegal weapons possession. Traffic disruptions were reported due to accidents and mechanical failures on major routes including CA-9 Sur, CA-1 Occidente, and CA-2 Occidente. Additionally, a nationwide teachers' strike began on April 23, with reports of reduced student attendance in schools across Guatemala and Panama, and protests involving teachers and police in Chiriquí. The Ministry of Education urged parents to send children to school despite the strike. Public demonstrations also occurred related to delays in scholarship payments and concerns over contaminated cough syrups. The situation reflects ongoing social and political challenges in Guatemala amid efforts to address inequality and governance under President Arévalo's administration.

A Guatemalan national previously convicted of sexual battery has been indicted by a grand jury for allegedly smuggling a 14-year-old unaccompanied minor girl into the United States and fraudulently obtaining custody of her by providing false information on documents, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The individual was unlawfully residing in the U.S. at the time of the alleged offenses. This indictment follows other recent criminal actions, including the sentencing of an MS-13 gang member to over 12 years in prison for kidnapping, witness retaliation, and firearms offenses.

Archaeologists have discovered a 1,500-year-old altar in Guatemala, believed to have been used for child sacrifice rituals by the Mayan and Teotihuacan cultures prior to Spanish colonization. The remains of three children, no older than four, were found buried next to the altar, indicating its use in rituals dedicated to deities like the Storm Goddess.

In Taiwan, a fossil jawbone from the Pleistocene era has been identified as belonging to a Denisovan, expanding the known range of these ancient humans. The jawbone was found by fishers in the Taiwan Strait and provides new insights into the Denisovans' adaptation to diverse climates.

Read more

Archaeologists have unearthed a 1,700-year-old altar in Guatemala's Tikal National Park, believed to have been used for child sacrifice rituals by the Mayan civilization. The altar was found with the remains of children under the age of four buried next to it, indicating its use in sacrificial practices.

The discovery highlights the cultural ties between the Maya and the Teotihuacan civilization from central Mexico. The altar, made of limestone and approximately one yard tall, was part of a residential complex that included rooms and an altar with a figure representing the Storm Goddess, suggesting a significant connection between the two cultures during the period between 300 and 500 A.D.

Werner Florencio Ovalle Ramírez has been elected as the new Superintendent of the Superintendencia de Administración Tributaria (SAT) in Guatemala for the period 2025-2030. The decision was made by the SAT's Board of Directors, which confirmed that Ovalle met all legal requirements and presented a proposal aimed at improving the administration. The election was officially announced by Jonathan Menkos, the Minister of Finance, and was unanimously supported by the Board. The new superintendent's appointment is expected to take effect by next Monday, as per the established schedule. The Cámara de Industria de Guatemala also extended congratulations to Ovalle following his selection.

A newly discovered altar in the Guatemalan Mayan city of Tikal, dating back to between 400 and 450 AD, has revealed connections between the ancient Teotihuacan culture of Mexico and the Maya civilization. Archaeologists noted that the altar, adorned with imagery of gods and murals characteristic of Teotihuacan, challenges previous assumptions that Tikal was solely a Maya site. This finding highlights the cultural exchanges that occurred between these two pre-Hispanic societies. In a separate report, it was revealed that nearly $60 billion worth of assets were seized from Egyptian Jews during their expulsion in the 20th century, a modern-day exodus that remains largely overlooked. This report coincides with the upcoming Passover holiday, drawing attention to the historical injustices faced by the Jewish community in Egypt.

The Flamengo women's football team has appointed Rosana Augusto as its new head coach, marking the first time a woman has held this position in the club's history. Rosana Augusto, a former Brazilian national team player and multiple-time champion, will replace Mauricio Salgado. This change represents a historic milestone for Flamengo's women's football program. Meanwhile, international developments in women's football include Panama preparing for the 2025 CONCACAF Women's Futsal Championship and Guatemala announcing its squad for the 2025 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, scheduled from May 1 to 11 in Victoria, Mahé Island, Seychelles. Additionally, Brazil hosted the SIGA Summit, an event focused on female leadership in sports. Globally, efforts to grow women's football continue, with initiatives such as Panama's U-12 National Girls' League and Mauritius' FIFA Women's Football Campaign involving over 100 girls.

Traffic congestion and multiple incidents have disrupted the return journey to Mexico City following the Semana Santa holiday. Key highways including México-Puebla, México-Cuernavaca, and México-Querétaro are experiencing heavy traffic due to the influx of travelers. A truck fire occurred on the México-Querétaro highway near kilometer 102 in San Miguel de la Victoria, Jilotepec, causing significant delays. Subsequently, another truck crashed into a toll booth on the same highway, further exacerbating the situation and trapping vacationers for over 10 hours. Additionally, an overloaded trailer overturned on the Vía Corta a Morelia in Nicolás Romero near the Las Ánimas bridge. In Guatemala, mechanical issues caused a trailer to be removed from the cuesta de Villalobos and another trailer experienced mechanical problems in La Arenera, zone 12 of Villa Nueva, both incidents managed by local authorities.

Guatemala has experienced a series of law enforcement operations and public incidents amid ongoing political tensions. On April 23, 2025, Luis Haroldo Pacheco Gutiérrez, the viceminister of Development and former president of the indigenous 48 Cantones of Totonicapán, was arrested by the Fiscalía contra el Crimen Organizado and the Policía Nacional Civil. Pacheco is accused of terrorism, association ilícita (criminal association), instigation to delinquency, sedition, and other related charges linked to protests in 2023 that demanded the resignation of the then-fiscal general Consuelo Porras and supported the presidential transition of Bernardo Arévalo. Pacheco and Héctor Manuel Chaclán Batz were detained and transferred to the Torre de Tribunales, where they await their first court hearing. The arrest has drawn condemnation from various indigenous groups, human rights organizations, and international figures including Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Organization of American States, who lamented the detention and recognized Pacheco's role in Guatemala's democratic transition. President Bernardo Arévalo described the arrest as an attack against the Guatemalan people and called on Congress to end what he termed a disproportionate persecution. The Ministerio Público, led by fiscal general Consuelo Porras, defended its autonomy and the legality of its actions, emphasizing that the investigation targets specific individuals and not the indigenous community as a whole. Concurrently, multiple police and fiscalía-led raids and arrests took place across various departments including Escuintla, Huehuetenango, Quiché, Santa Rosa, and Petén related to crimes such as extortion, homicide, sexual violence, and illegal weapons possession. Traffic disruptions were reported due to accidents and mechanical failures on major routes including CA-9 Sur, CA-1 Occidente, and CA-2 Occidente. Additionally, a nationwide teachers' strike began on April 23, with reports of reduced student attendance in schools across Guatemala and Panama, and protests involving teachers and police in Chiriquí. The Ministry of Education urged parents to send children to school despite the strike. Public demonstrations also occurred related to delays in scholarship payments and concerns over contaminated cough syrups. The situation reflects ongoing social and political challenges in Guatemala amid efforts to address inequality and governance under President Arévalo's administration.

A Guatemalan national previously convicted of sexual battery has been indicted by a grand jury for allegedly smuggling a 14-year-old unaccompanied minor girl into the United States and fraudulently obtaining custody of her by providing false information on documents, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The individual was unlawfully residing in the U.S. at the time of the alleged offenses. This indictment follows other recent criminal actions, including the sentencing of an MS-13 gang member to over 12 years in prison for kidnapping, witness retaliation, and firearms offenses.

Archaeologists have discovered a 1,500-year-old altar in Guatemala, believed to have been used for child sacrifice rituals by the Mayan and Teotihuacan cultures prior to Spanish colonization. The remains of three children, no older than four, were found buried next to the altar, indicating its use in rituals dedicated to deities like the Storm Goddess.

In Taiwan, a fossil jawbone from the Pleistocene era has been identified as belonging to a Denisovan, expanding the known range of these ancient humans. The jawbone was found by fishers in the Taiwan Strait and provides new insights into the Denisovans' adaptation to diverse climates.

Read more

Archaeologists have unearthed a 1,700-year-old altar in Guatemala's Tikal National Park, believed to have been used for child sacrifice rituals by the Mayan civilization. The altar was found with the remains of children under the age of four buried next to it, indicating its use in sacrificial practices.

The discovery highlights the cultural ties between the Maya and the Teotihuacan civilization from central Mexico. The altar, made of limestone and approximately one yard tall, was part of a residential complex that included rooms and an altar with a figure representing the Storm Goddess, suggesting a significant connection between the two cultures during the period between 300 and 500 A.D.

Werner Florencio Ovalle Ramírez has been elected as the new Superintendent of the Superintendencia de Administración Tributaria (SAT) in Guatemala for the period 2025-2030. The decision was made by the SAT's Board of Directors, which confirmed that Ovalle met all legal requirements and presented a proposal aimed at improving the administration. The election was officially announced by Jonathan Menkos, the Minister of Finance, and was unanimously supported by the Board. The new superintendent's appointment is expected to take effect by next Monday, as per the established schedule. The Cámara de Industria de Guatemala also extended congratulations to Ovalle following his selection.

A newly discovered altar in the Guatemalan Mayan city of Tikal, dating back to between 400 and 450 AD, has revealed connections between the ancient Teotihuacan culture of Mexico and the Maya civilization. Archaeologists noted that the altar, adorned with imagery of gods and murals characteristic of Teotihuacan, challenges previous assumptions that Tikal was solely a Maya site. This finding highlights the cultural exchanges that occurred between these two pre-Hispanic societies. In a separate report, it was revealed that nearly $60 billion worth of assets were seized from Egyptian Jews during their expulsion in the 20th century, a modern-day exodus that remains largely overlooked. This report coincides with the upcoming Passover holiday, drawing attention to the historical injustices faced by the Jewish community in Egypt.

The Flamengo women's football team has appointed Rosana Augusto as its new head coach, marking the first time a woman has held this position in the club's history. Rosana Augusto, a former Brazilian national team player and multiple-time champion, will replace Mauricio Salgado. This change represents a historic milestone for Flamengo's women's football program. Meanwhile, international developments in women's football include Panama preparing for the 2025 CONCACAF Women's Futsal Championship and Guatemala announcing its squad for the 2025 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, scheduled from May 1 to 11 in Victoria, Mahé Island, Seychelles. Additionally, Brazil hosted the SIGA Summit, an event focused on female leadership in sports. Globally, efforts to grow women's football continue, with initiatives such as Panama's U-12 National Girls' League and Mauritius' FIFA Women's Football Campaign involving over 100 girls.

Traffic congestion and multiple incidents have disrupted the return journey to Mexico City following the Semana Santa holiday. Key highways including México-Puebla, México-Cuernavaca, and México-Querétaro are experiencing heavy traffic due to the influx of travelers. A truck fire occurred on the México-Querétaro highway near kilometer 102 in San Miguel de la Victoria, Jilotepec, causing significant delays. Subsequently, another truck crashed into a toll booth on the same highway, further exacerbating the situation and trapping vacationers for over 10 hours. Additionally, an overloaded trailer overturned on the Vía Corta a Morelia in Nicolás Romero near the Las Ánimas bridge. In Guatemala, mechanical issues caused a trailer to be removed from the cuesta de Villalobos and another trailer experienced mechanical problems in La Arenera, zone 12 of Villa Nueva, both incidents managed by local authorities.