THE SYSTEM OF CHECKS AND BALANCES IN THE STATES OF CENTRAL AMERICA

The article analyzes the system of checks and balances in the countries of Central America -Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.These states are presidential republics in terms of their form of government.Their constitutions enshrine a strict separation of powers.The system of supreme state bodies is divided into the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.The head of state is endowed with broad powers and exerts a decisive influence within the system of checks and balances.However, these countries have certain elements of checks and balances in place: the right of veto, impeachment procedures, the appointment of judges by the parliament or the president, among others.At the same time, there are significant differences among Central American countries.Costa Rica is characterized by stability, judicial independence, and the effectiveness of constitutional judicial review bodies.Panama possesses formal elements of checks and balances, though their effectiveness depends on the political context.In Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, the system of checks and balances functions poorly, hampered by an underdeveloped party system, corruption, and politicization of the judiciary.Nicaragua is marked by the concentration of power in the executive branch, to which both the parliament and the judiciary are subordinated.Based on the analysis of constitutional provisions and judicial practice, the article proposes recommendations for improving the system of checks and balances in Central American countries.These include the creation of independent judicial councils, guaranteed funding of the judicial apparatus, improvement of appointment procedures, and strengthening of parliamentary and civil oversight.These measures aim to ensure the independence of the judiciary from other branches, the rule of law, and the limitation of presidential powersprerequisites for sustainable political development in Central American countries (Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama).