Central America in January 2026: the most important developments in politics
Central America's politics in January 2026 were marked by US influence in the region. On January 27, Nasry Asfura, a businessman backed by Donald Trump, was sworn in as president of Honduras. On January 15, the Honduran president had ordered a transition to the rival after a delay, and on January 18 Israel's Gideon Sa'ar hosted Asfura as the two sides eyed new cooperation.
In Panama, a court ruled on January 30 that the contract of a Hong Kong port operator violated the constitution, and the United States welcomed the ruling against Chinese port concessions. China and the United States had clashed over influence at the Panama Canal on January 14.
Nicaragua freed dozens of prisoners on January 10 amid pressure from the Trump administration. A Republican senator said on January 7 that the US would 'fix' Cuba and Nicaragua. On January 28, El Salvador was confirmed as the 27th country represented on Trump's Board of Peace. Costa Rica headed into elections at month's end, with a fragmented opposition pushing for a runoff.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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