2020 in Central America

Michael E Nolan: heads of state & gov't

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[[File:Flag-map of Central America.svg|thumb|[[Guatemala]], [[El Salvador]], [[Honduras]], [[Nicaragua]], [[Costa Rica]], [[Panama]] and [[Belize]] are historically the seven nations in Central America politically, geographically and culturally.]]
[[File:CAmerica.gif|thumb|Central America geography]]
The following lists events that happened during '''[[2020]] in [[Central America]]''': [[Belize]], [[Costa Rica]], [[El Salvador]], [[Guatemala]], [[Honduras]], [[Nicaragua]], and [[Panama]]. The combined population of Central America is estimated at 44.53 million (2016).<ref></ref>


==Incumbents==

=== Belize ===
*Chief of state: Queen [[Elizabeth II]] (since 6 February 1952)<ref name=cia_belize>[https://ift.tt/2w5g6lJ The CIA World Fact Book: Belize] Retrieved Feb 9, 2020</ref>
*Represented by [[Governor-General of Belize|Governor-General]] Sir [[Colville Young]] (since 17 November 1993)<ref name=cia_belize></ref>
*Head of Government: [[List of prime ministers of Belize|Prime Minister]] [[Dean Barrow]] (since 8 February 2008)<ref name=cia_belize></ref>
**Deputy Prime Minister [[Patrick Faber (politician)|Patrick Faber]] (since 7 June 2016)<ref name=cia_belize></ref>

===Costa Rica===
*Chief of state and Head of Government: [[President of Costa Rica|President]] [[Carlos Alvarado Quesada]] (since 8 May 2018)<ref name=cia_costa>[https://ift.tt/2UHFtnR The CIA World Fact Book: Costa Rica] Retrieved Feb 9, 2020</ref>
**First [[Vice President of Costa Rica|Vice President]] [[Epsy Campbell Barr]] (since 8 May 2018)<ref name=cia_costa></ref>
**Second Vice President [[Marvin Rodríguez Cordero]] (since 8 May 2018)<ref name=cia_costa></ref>

===El Salvador===
*Chief of state and Head of Government: [[President of El Salvador|President]] [[Nayib Bukele|Nayib Bukele Ortez]] (since 1 June 2019)<ref name=cia_salvador>[https://ift.tt/2H81nst The CIA World Fact Book: El Salvador] Retrieved Feb 9, 2020</ref>
**Vice President [[Félix Ulloa|Felix Augusto Antonio Ulloa Garay]] (since 1 June 2019)<ref name=cia_salvador></ref>

===Guatemala===

*Chief of state and Head of government: [[President of Guatemala|President]]
**[[Jimmy Morales]] (until January 14, 2020)<ref name=cia_guatemala></ref>
**[[Alejandro Giammattei|Alejandro Eduardo Giammattei Falla]] (January 14, 2020—present)<ref name=cia_guatemala>
[https://ift.tt/31JPv9I CIA Fact Book: Central America: Guatemala] Retrieved Jan 9, 2020</ref>
*[[Vice President of Guatemala|Vice-President]]
**[[Jafeth Cabrera]] (until January 14, 2020)<ref name=cia_guatemala></ref>
**[[Guillermo Castillo Reyes|César Guillermo Castillo Reyes]] (January 14, 2020—present)<ref name=cia_guatemala></ref>

===Honduras===
*Chief of state and Head of Government: [[President of Honduras|President]] [[Juan Orlando Hernández|Juan Orlando Hernandez Alvarado]] (since 27 January 2014)<ref name=cia_honduras>[https://ift.tt/31FD3Yf The CIA World Fact Book: Honduras] Retrieved Feb 9, 2020</ref>
**[[Vice President of Honduras|Vice Presidents]]: Ricardo Alvarez, Olga Alvarado, Maria Rivera (since 26 January 2018)<ref name=cia_honduras></ref>

===Nicaragua===
*Chief of state and Head of government: [[President of Nicaragua|President]] [[Daniel Ortega]] (since 10 January 2007)<ref name=cia_nicaragua>[https://ift.tt/2SaB5Mq The CIA World Fact Book: Nicaragua] Retrieved Feb 9, 2020</ref>
**Vice President [[Rosario Murillo|Rosario Murillo Zambrana]] (since 10 January 2017)<ref name=cia_nicaragua></ref>

===Panama===
*Chief of state and Head of Government: [[List of heads of state of Panama|President]] [[Laurentino Cortizo|Laurentino "Nito" Cortizo Cohen]] (since 1 July 2019)<ref name=cia_panama>[https://ift.tt/31FkFig The CIA World Fact Book: Panama] Retrieved Feb 9, 2020</ref>
**Vice President Jose Gabriel Carrizo Jaen (since 1 July 2019)<ref name=cia_panama></ref>

==Monthly events==

===January===
*January 7: The [[Panama Canal]] watershed is at its fifth driest in 70 years, according to the [[Panama Canal Authority]].<ref></ref>
*January 9: Federal marshalls in [[Carson City]], United States, arrest Salvadoran Rene Antonio “Scrapy” Hernandez-Mejia, whom they say was part of a terrorist organization. They intend to deport him back to El Salvador.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2um7IxP Salvadoran accused of terrorism ties arrested in Carson City] AP, 9 Jan 2020, Retrieved 9 Feb 2020</ref>
*January 14: New President Alejandro Giammattei of [[Guatemala]] takes office after a five-hour delay due to protests. Outgoing president Morales is pelted with eggs.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2QS2q5y Turbulent inauguration day in Guatemala, outgoing president hit by eggs] by Sofia Menchu & Frank Jack Daniel, Reuters World News, 14 Jan 2020, Retrieved 9 Feb 2020</ref>
*January 16
**Guatemala breaks off diplomatic relations with [[Venezuela]].<ref>[https://ift.tt/2sC91YA Guatemala breaks off diplomatic relations with Venezuela] Al Jareeza, 16 Jan 2020, Retrieved 9 Feb 2020</ref>
**Arrest warrants on corruption charges are issued for eight politicians in Guatemala; former congresswoman Aracely Chavarria and former mayor Angel Ren of [[Chiché, Guatemala]], are arrested.<ref>[https://ift.tt/3afxsfe Guatemalan officials arrested for corruption after leaving office] by Sandra Cuffe, Al Jazeera, 16 Jan 2020, Retrieved 9 Feb 2020</ref>
*January 18
**The [[United States Border Patrol]] tries to deport a sick [[Honduras|Honduran]] woman and her two sick children, ages six and one, to Guatemala.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2SwvrmT U.S. seeks to deport Honduran mom, sick children to Guatemala] By Nomaan Merchant, Associated Press 18 January 2020, Retrieved 9 Feb 2020</ref>
**Mexico stops thousands of Honduran immigrants on the border with Guatemala.<ref></ref>
*January 20: Thousands of Honduran migrants and asylum-seekers battle with [[National Guard (Mexico)|Mexican National Guard]] and try to force their way across the [[Suchiate River]] near [[Ayutla, San Marcos]], Guatemala.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2GcABys Chaos at Guatemala-Mexico border as caravan tries to advance] by Jeff Abbott, Al Jazeera, 20 Jan 2020, Retrieved 9 Feb 2020</ref>
**The Guatemala government seizes two farms belonging to former Minister of Communications, Infrastructure, and Housing, Alejandro Sinibaldi.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2H9XraG Alejandro Sinibaldi pierde otras dos fincas que habrían sido adquiridas con los sobornos de Odebrecht ] Prensa Libre (Guatemala City), 20 Jan 2020, Retrieved 9 Feb 2020</ref>
*January 22: Guatemala is seen as the fifth most corrupt country in the world.<ref></ref>
*January 24: Calm returns to the Mexico-Guatemala border after 800 Honduran immigrants were arrested on January 23.<ref></ref>
*January 27: Guatemalan President Giammattei offers [[El Salvador]] an opportunity to build and operate a port in Guatemalan waters in the Atlantic.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2OH5T5z Guatemalan president offers El Salvador the chance to build a port in Guatemalan waters] Reuters, 27 Jan 2020, retrieved 9 Feb 2020</ref>
*January 31: Eighty armed individuals attack the indigenous community of Mayagna Sauni, Nicaragua, located 400 kilometers from Managua, burning houses while leaving six dead and ten missing.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2OG5AaO Asesinan líderes indígenas en Nicaragua ] 31 Jan 2020, Retrieved 9 Feb 2020</ref>

===February===
*February 1: The [[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement|United States deported]] a record 4,171 Guatemalans (3,000 men, 692 women, 479 minors), a 2.27% increase over 2019, during the month of January, according to the ''Instituto Guatemalteco de Migración'' (Guatemalan Institute of Migration, IGM).<ref>[https://ift.tt/31HgL8Q El número de guatemaltecos deportados de EEUU alcanza nuevo récord en enero ] AFP, 1 Feb 2020,Retrieved 9 Feb 2020</ref>
*February 2: Young people and adults denounce torture and other human rights violations by the Nicaraguan paramilitary groups.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2OH5Pml Nicaragua: human rights violations by paramilitary groups are denounced ] 2 Feb 2020, Retrieved 9 Feb 2020</ref> At least six cases of torture are documented.<ref>https://ift.tt/37gffvg Organismos defensores de derechos humanos han documentado al menos 8 casos de tortura en Nicaragua ] 6 Feb 2020, Retrieved 9, 2020</ref>
*February 3: Convicted prisoner Gilberto Ventura Ceballos escapes from [[La Joyita Prison]] in [[Pacora|Pacora, Panama]] for the second time. The government has offered a US $50,000 reward for his recapture.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2SaB7Uy A $50 mil se incrementa la recompensa por la información sobre Gilberto Ventura Ceballos {in lang|es}] La Prensa (Panama), 5 Feb 2020, retrieved 8 Feb 2020</ref>
*February 4
**200,000 people participate in an earthquake drill held on the 44th anniversary of the [[1976 Guatemala earthquake]] in which 22,000 people died.<ref>[https://ift.tt/31oxFbS Ciudad de Guatemala realiza un simulacro de respuesta a un sismo de 7,6 grados ] Sputnik, 4 Feb 2020, Retrieved 9 Feb 2020</ref>
**A Costa Rican judge nullifies a [[same-sex marriage]] between two women and fires the [[Civil law notary]] who performed the marriage in 2015.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2UlEaec Anulan matrimonio entre dos mujeres en Costa Rica ] CNN en Español, 4 Feb 2020, Retrieved 9 Feb 2020</ref>
**Oscar Dávila, 44, is appointed to head the investigations into government corruption in Guatemala.<ref></ref>
*February 5
**Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo fires Security Minister Rolando Mirones and Government Minister Carlos Romero after the February 3 prison escape of Gilberto Ventura Ceballos.<ref>[https://ift.tt/37bOrwf Fugue of convict Ventura Ceballos triggers resignation of two ministers] La Estrella de Panamá, 5 Feb 2020, Retrieved 9 Feb 2020</ref>
**The government of El Salvador says it is not ready to accept asylum-seekers and will not accept them from the United States.<ref>[https://ift.tt/3btB7qC El Salvador says it’s not ready to receive asylum seekers] AP, 5 Feb 2020, Retrieved 9 Feb 2020</ref>
*February 6: In a visit to the [[Senate of the Republic (Mexico)|Mexican Senate]], the [[President of Guatemala]], [[Alejandro Giammattei]] suggests the two countries construct ‘’Muros de Prosperidad’’ ("Prosperity Walls") in the form of an investment bank in the Mexican states of [[Chiapas]] and [[Tabasco]] and the Guatemalan departments of [[San Marcos Department|San Marcos]], [[Quiché Department|Quiché]], and [[Huehuetenango Department|Huehuetenango]] in order to stem migration.<ref></ref>
*February 7
**The government of [[Nicaragua]] lifts its 500-day blockade of paper and ink against ''[[La Prensa (Managua)|La Prensa]],'' [[Managua|Managua's]] oldest newspaper. <ref> </ref>
**The [Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights|The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)]] provides US $4.1 million for Nicaraguan and [[Venezuela|Venezuelan]] asylum seekers in [[Costa Rica]].<ref></ref>
**The United States offers thousands of [[H-2B visa|H-2B visas]] to temporary agricultural workers from Guatemala and El Salvador.<ref> </ref>
**[[Human Rights Watch]] reports that at least 138 Salvadoran migrants who have been repatriated from the United States have been killed.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2HbVZVo Algunos salvadoreños deportados de EE.UU. son asesinados según Human Rights Watch] CNN en Español, 7 Feb 2020, Retrieved 9 Feb 2020</ref>
*February 8
**According to the [[Climate Change Performance Index|Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI)]], Honduras was the second-most country affected by climate change. The town of [[Cedeño, Honduras| Cedeño]] loses 122 centimeters (48”) of land to the sea every year. Like Honduras, certain Caribbean islands of [[Panama]] appear in red on maps published by the UN’s [[Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change| Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)]].<ref></ref>
**The government of El Salvador tries to recover three million plastic bottles in a two-day recycling program. <ref>[https://ift.tt/3btB7H8 La campaña "Reto Recicla" en El Salvador busca recaudar tres millones de botellas plásticas] CNN en Español, 8 Feb 2020, Retrieved 9 Feb 2020</ref>
*February 9
**Municipal elections in Costa Rica: Only 9 of 82 candidates for mayor are women, according to the ‘’Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres’’ (“National Institute of Women”), (INAMU).<ref>[https://ift.tt/2uzOJQd Costa Rica: Low Voting for Female Candidates Generates Change Initiatives ] Retrieved 9 Feb 2020</ref>
**Legislators and the executive in El Salvador dispute a US $109 million loan earmarked for the police and military.<ref></ref>
**The Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP) requests that foreigners be allowed to work in the country in order to promote economic development.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2OH5RdX Panama businessmen ask to open a labor market to qualified foreigners ] La Estrella de Panamá, Retrieved 9 Feb 2020</ref>

===Predicted and scheduled events===
*September 10: Battle of St. George's Caye Day, Belize<ref name=cia_belize></ref>
*September 15
**Independence Day, Costa Rica<ref name=cia_costa></ref>
**Independence Day, El Salvador<ref name=cia_salvador></ref>
**Independence Day, Guatemala<ref name=cia_guatemala></ref>
**Independence Day, Honduras<ref name=cia_honduras></ref>
**Independence Day, Nicaragua<ref name=cia_nicaragua></ref>
*September 21: Independence Day, Belize<ref name=cia_belize></ref>
*October 19 – Guatemala: [[Días Patrios (Guatemala)|Day of the 1944 Revolution]]
*November 3 – Separation Day, Panama<ref name=cia_panama></ref>

==Culture==

===Literature===

===Sports===
*Janaury 9: It was announced that Costa Rica will play the United States and [[Dominica]] in qualifying rounds for the [[2022 FIFA World Cup qualification]] and that [[Canada]], El Salvador, [[Haiti]], and Honduras will play in Group. B.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2tIYaMR US men face Mexico, Costa Rica in Olympic qualifiers] AP, Retrieved Feb 9, 2020</ref>
*February 7–10: Ultramarathon Xocomil in [[Lake Atitlán]], Sololá Department<ref>[https://ift.tt/31JPwKO Ultramaratón Xocomil: la carrera de montaña que se celebra en el Lago de Atitlán ] Guatemala.com, Retrieved Feb 9, 2020</ref>
*February 22-March 8: ''Campeonato Femenino Sub-20 Concacaf 2020'' (Concacaf 2020 Under-20 Women's Championship) in the [[Dominican Republic]]<ref>[https://ift.tt/39jL47Y Cómo será la participación de Guatemala en el Campeonato Femenino Sub-20 Concacaf 2020 ] By Juan Diego, Guatemala.com, Retrieved Feb 9, 2020</ref>

==Deaths==
*January 2: Ricardo Rosales Román, 85, politician ([[Guatemalan Party of Labour]]) and ''guerrilla'' ([[Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity]]) (b. 1934)<ref>[https://ift.tt/36nS8PS Fallece Ricardo Rosales Román, exdirigente de URNG y firmante de los Acuerdos de Paz de 1996 ] Prensa Libre, 2 Jan 2020, Retrieved 9 Feb 2020</ref>
*January 5: [[David Albin Zywiec Sidor]], 72, American-Nicaraguan Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Siuna|Siuna]] (since 2017), brain tumour.<ref>[https://ift.tt/37fiuD8 Fallece el obispo de Siuna, David Albin Zywiec] Confidencial, Retrieved Feb 9, 2020</ref>

==See also==
*[[2020 in Guatemala]]
*[[2020 in politics and government]]
*[[2020s]]
*[[2020s politics]]

==External links==
*[https://ift.tt/38fkEEa El Universal (Mexico) in English]
*[https://ift.tt/31JPxhQ Al Jazeera (Latin America) in English]
*[https://ift.tt/2UD1q7z Associated Press (Latin America)]

==References==




[[Category:2020 in Central America]]
[[Category:2020s in Central America]]
[[Category:Years of the 21st century in North America]]
[[Category:Years of the 21st century in Central America]]
[[Category:2020 in North America]]
[[Category:2020 in Central America]]
[[Category:2020 in Latin America]]

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