Dean Barrow swept into power on an anti-corruption ticket and so far he appears intent on keeping his campaign pledge. The United Democratic Party (UDP) has been quick to make decisive moves on key issues such as dubious sales of national land, an undeclared US$10 million loan from Venezuela among others. One revelation after another has emerged as the new administration lifts the lid on a web of corruption under the Musa administration. Perhaps the most serious of all is the discovery of a secret US$10 million loan from the the Venezuelan Bank for Economic and Social Development (BANDES) which was purportedly used to pay a debt originating from the United Health Service (UHS). This extra loan may never have been made public had the PUP been re-elected.

A recent change to Guatemalan environmental protection law will allow communities to veto projects that have a negative impact on their natural surroundings. A clause stating that popular consultations "could" be taken into account when drawing up environmental impact studies now reads that communities "must" be listened to. This may seem like nothing more than a slight change in wording but for indigenous communities and environmental organizations, it is a huge step forward as it means that at least in theory, corporate interests can no longer override the concerns voiced by civil society. New Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources, Luis Ferrraté, has sought to distance himself from the Berger administration, which came under fire for excluding communities from environmental policy-making. Environmental organizations have welcomed the move but have said that for the new minister to make a real difference he must ensure compliance with the law and bring transnational corporations to account.

By Asier Andrés Fernández

Translated by Louisa Reynolds

The government announced in late February that the Negotiable Investment Certificates (CENIS) have been renegotiated, despite the fact that they were subject to recent inquiry by the Attorney General. The state has been paying the CENIS for six years, and President Daniel Ortega even announced at the end of last year that he would freeze payment for 2008 when it become evident that heavy rainfall would strain government coffers. But now he is insisting that the bonds be paid, even as the Attorney General wants them to be suspended for suspected irregularities. The director of the Central Bank has had the final word, announcing that the renegotiation will reduce the government's total debt by US$12 million.

The Bush administration recently nominated five State Department officials to serve as ambassadors in Central America. One of them – Robert Callahan, nominated for the post in Nicaragua – has already received heat in the press, as he served in the Contra-funding mission to Honduras in the 1980's. Among the others is Stephen McFarland, a career diplomat nominated to the Guatemalan post, whom the Bush administration has charged with carrying out some of its most controversial policies.

Emigration from Honduras has reached record numbers and undergone important changes over the past five years. Men are no longer the only people looking for better opportunities, as women and the children more frequently abandon their homes. More and more emigrants are risking these dangerous journeys, creating a vicious cycle with an increase in deportations and a decrease in remittances.