Nicaragua Politics & Democracy: Nicaragua’s Ortega used the July 19 Sandinista anniversary in Managua to warn that parties funded by the U.S. and seen as threatening “national security” won’t be allowed to participate in elections, while also signaling a hardening approach to foreign meddling. Illegal Mining & Wildlife Risk (Region): Costa Rica lawmakers advanced a plan to treat illegal mining and other serious environmental crimes as organized-crime offenses, aiming to hit networks behind gold extraction, logging, and wildlife trafficking—an issue that’s been especially visible near the Nicaraguan border in Crucitas. Conservation Science (Nicaragua): A new study using genetic analysis of traditional avocado varieties suggests domesticated avocados were carried from South America into Central America about 5,000 years ago, with landraces in lowland Nicaragua and Honduras linked to South American ancestors—useful context for protecting native biodiversity. Tech & Waste-Smart Reuse (Nicaragua): Stanbridge University donated about 215 repurposed Chromebooks to communities including Nicaragua, framing device reuse as both education access and environmental responsibility.