tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38818658974769414122024-03-25T02:09:58.149-04:00Latin America Daily BriefingLatin America Daily Briefing is a blog sponsored by the Open Society Foundations (OSF). It aims primarily to give an overview of U.S. media coverage of Latin America, along with stories from the regional and international press, as well as analysis from think tanks, academics and other commentators. The selection of news, and the views expressed in the posts, are those of the moderator, and do not necessarily reflect OSF’s institutional positions.Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.comBlogger1774125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881865897476941412.post-7304085085454071602022-05-23T15:16:00.004-04:002022-05-23T15:16:46.345-04:00The Latin America Daily Briefing is Moving<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b> Dear Readers:</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Latin America Daily Briefing is moving to Substack, part of a broader redesign project that aims to get you the same content you know (and hopefully love) in better formats with fewer technical glitches. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you're already a subscriber, you don't need to do anything. If you are a new reader interested in subscribing or reading content online, please head to: https://latinamericadailybriefing.substack.com/ to check it out.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Thank you all!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><i>-- Jordana</i></span></p>Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881865897476941412.post-5882176298677934332022-05-23T13:35:00.001-04:002022-05-23T13:35:48.396-04:00Gang warfare in Haiti (May 23, 2022)<div style="color: #222222;"><div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">Gang warfare in Haiti's Port-au-Prince has reached new peaks of intensity and brutality. Experts say the scale and duration of gang clashes, the power criminals wield and the amount of territory they control has reached levels not seen before, reports the </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://apnews.com/article/politics-haiti-port-au-prince-assassinations-united-nations-d3f860d307fce40db1ad6fe7a79c8fc3?emci%3D169cbd89-aada-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f%26emdi%3D185b1b6a-abda-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f%26ceid%3D4606001&source=gmail&ust=1653413476214000&usg=AOvVaw05mjLWBzgzprOMOTTVVzFm" href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-haiti-port-au-prince-assassinations-united-nations-d3f860d307fce40db1ad6fe7a79c8fc3?emci=169cbd89-aada-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=185b1b6a-abda-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: verdana;" target="_blank">Associated Press</a><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">.</span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><br />The UN said that between April 24 and May 16, at least 92 people unaffiliated with gangs, and some 96 alleged gang members, were reportedly killed during coordinated armed attacks in the sprawling Haitian capital. Another 113 were injured, 12 reported missing, and 49 kidnapped for ransom, according to figures corroborated by UN human rights officers, although the actual number of those killed may be much higher. (See today's<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://caribbeannewsupdates.blogspot.com/2022/05/nearly-150-killed-in-haitis-recent-gang.html&source=gmail&ust=1653413476214000&usg=AOvVaw3dgsf23S-WRfpKEr--mIgk" href="https://caribbeannewsupdates.blogspot.com/2022/05/nearly-150-killed-in-haitis-recent-gang.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"> Just Caribbean Updates</a>)<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">The United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet, said last week armed violence has reached “unimaginable and intolerable levels” in Haiti and that the surge in violence is being fuelled by heavily armed gangs in Port-au-Prince. (<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/05/1118432&source=gmail&ust=1653413476214000&usg=AOvVaw0NJ11SQZ9dUEnJxZPrkFy8" href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/05/1118432" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">United Nations</a>)<br /></span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">Gangs also are recruiting more children than before, arming them with heavy weapons and forming temporary alliances with other gangs in attempts to take over more territory for economic and political gain ahead of the country’s general elections, reports the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://apnews.com/article/politics-haiti-port-au-prince-assassinations-united-nations-d3f860d307fce40db1ad6fe7a79c8fc3?emci%3D169cbd89-aada-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f%26emdi%3D185b1b6a-abda-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f%26ceid%3D4606001&source=gmail&ust=1653413476214000&usg=AOvVaw05mjLWBzgzprOMOTTVVzFm" href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-haiti-port-au-prince-assassinations-united-nations-d3f860d307fce40db1ad6fe7a79c8fc3?emci=169cbd89-aada-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=185b1b6a-abda-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Associated Press</a>.<br /></span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">The security situation has a direct impact on the country's political crisis, notes the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://boz.substack.com/p/haiti-negotiations-for-change-of?s%3Dr&source=gmail&ust=1653413476214000&usg=AOvVaw0KmzAfvzJ2wyEHg24sJeB9" href="https://boz.substack.com/p/haiti-negotiations-for-change-of?s=r" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Latin America Risk Report</a>: "Even accepting some level of electoral weakness if Haiti holds elections this year, elections under the current levels of gang violence and influence would not be accepted by much of Haitian society. Solving the security situation must be a priority."</span></div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">-------------------------</span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Haiti's Ransom</span></b></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/20/world/americas/takeaways-haiti-reparations-france.html&source=gmail&ust=1653413476214000&usg=AOvVaw341sAu0uudclLiqlMH35r2" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/20/world/americas/takeaways-haiti-reparations-france.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">New York Times</a> investigation -- The Ransom -- delves into the reparations paid by Haiti after it won its freedom from France. "What if? What if the nation had not been looted by outside powers, foreign banks and its own leaders almost since birth? How much more money might it have had to build a nation? Persistent corruption is one reason for Haiti's apparently perpetual crisis. But a history of crippling reparations and later extractivist policies by French financial institutions are critical to understanding Haiti's current woes.</span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">For more than a year, a team of Times correspondents scoured long-forgotten documents languishing in archives and libraries on three continents to answer that question, to put a number on what it cost Haitians to be free. For generations after independence, Haitians were forced to pay the descendants of their former slave masters, the world’s first and only country to do so. Loans from French banks were used to finance these payments, what became known as Haiti’s “double debt” — the ransom and the loan to pay it — a stunning load that boosted the fledgling Parisian international banking system and helped cement Haiti’s path into poverty and underdevelopment, reports the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/20/world/haiti-history-colonized-france.html&source=gmail&ust=1653413476214000&usg=AOvVaw3M29FZMFDFx58b5r048-rc" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/20/world/haiti-history-colonized-france.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">New York Times</a>, based on original historical records.</span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">A <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/20/world/french-banks-haiti-cic.html&source=gmail&ust=1653413476214000&usg=AOvVaw2tn31QUCFSKtCc97izK8T7" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/20/world/french-banks-haiti-cic.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">New York Times</a> investigation into historical records uncovers how Parisian bank Crédit Industriel et Commercial, which in 1880 set up Haiti's national bank, choked Haiti’s economy, taking much of the young nation’s income back to Paris and impairing its ability to start schools, hospitals and the other building blocks of an independent country. Crédit Industriel, known in France as C.I.C., is now a $355 billion subsidiary of one of Europe’s largest financial conglomerates.</span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">And the history continues to have significant repercussions: French diplomats admit that Jean-Bertrand Aristide's sudden calls for reparations in 2003, a bombshell that became a hallmark of his presidency, played a role in his eventual ouster in a coup supported by France and the U.S., reports the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/20/world/haiti-aristide-reparations-france.html&source=gmail&ust=1653413476214000&usg=AOvVaw0uyZ4X2NUSQKgLv_vuEOTR" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/20/world/haiti-aristide-reparations-france.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">New York Times</a>.</span></div><div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>News Briefs</b></span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><i>Region</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">There’s no single trajectory for how Latin American countries came to legalize abortion -- recent examples include laws passed by Congress, Supreme Court decisions and, soon, Chile might include the right in a new constitution, writes Omar G. Encarnación in <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.thenation.com/article/world/latin-america-abortion-rights/?emci%3D3aa3fbb4-47d8-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f%26emdi%3Db2caaf87-48d8-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f%26ceid%3D4606001&source=gmail&ust=1653413476214000&usg=AOvVaw3E4oD6B6Epb0susJkav3Ly" href="https://www.thenation.com/article/world/latin-america-abortion-rights/?emci=3aa3fbb4-47d8-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=b2caaf87-48d8-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">The Nation</a>. But, broadly speaking, Latin American activists have framed the question as one of human rights, rather than personal choice as in the U.S.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">Despite these significant advances, millions still live in a horrendous reality, writes Diana Cariboni in <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://nacla.org/how-latin-american-women-are-winning-battle-abortion-rights?emci%3D169cbd89-aada-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f%26emdi%3D185b1b6a-abda-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f%26ceid%3D4606001&source=gmail&ust=1653413476214000&usg=AOvVaw0fMtKCuziF7q4NXy7HOYGT" href="https://nacla.org/how-latin-american-women-are-winning-battle-abortion-rights?emci=169cbd89-aada-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=185b1b6a-abda-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Nacla</a>. Abortion is completely banned in the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Suriname. Raped girls and women are forced to give birth in the countries with total abortion bans, but also in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela. There seems little hope of any change to abortion restrictions in Central America, but the next big win could come in the region’s most populous country, Brazil.<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><i>Cuba</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">Cubans have been hit by mass shortages of basic goods as part of its pressing economic crisis -- lack of milk is one of the most potent symbols of the country’s precarious state, reports the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2022/cuba-economy-milk-shortage/&source=gmail&ust=1653413476214000&usg=AOvVaw3PD6KLoCMiZvtIddFq5UJz" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2022/cuba-economy-milk-shortage/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>.</span></li></ul><div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><i>Regional Relations</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">The U.S. Biden administration is considering inviting a Cuban representative to attend the upcoming Summit of the Americas as an observer, reports the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://apnews.com/article/biden-asia-mexico-cuba-caribbean-862eee3f6eddb21b017234fcf4a30a6d?emci%3D169cbd89-aada-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f%26emdi%3D185b1b6a-abda-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f%26ceid%3D4606001&source=gmail&ust=1653413476214000&usg=AOvVaw2kLaUOb1aI5Gwa-yfKT9vF" href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-asia-mexico-cuba-caribbean-862eee3f6eddb21b017234fcf4a30a6d?emci=169cbd89-aada-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=185b1b6a-abda-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Associated Press</a>. It’s unclear if Cuba would accept the invitation — which would be extended to someone in the foreign ministry, not the foreign minister himself — and whether that would assuage concerns among Latin American and Caribbean leaders who have threatened to boycott the meeting over Cuba and Venezuela's exclusion.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">Guyana will be attending the upcoming Summit of the Americas to discuss high-priority matters, highlighting the dilemma countries in the region face, as they threaten a boycott over the likely exclusion by the U.S. of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. (<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://newsroom.gy/2022/05/23/guyana-other-caricom-states-to-attend-summit-of-the-americas-as-concerns-being-addressed/&source=gmail&ust=1653413476214000&usg=AOvVaw376PFBdMa8oxyNA8GAxonH" href="https://newsroom.gy/2022/05/23/guyana-other-caricom-states-to-attend-summit-of-the-americas-as-concerns-being-addressed/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">NewsRoom</a>)</span></li></ul></div></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><i>Brazil</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">Even if Brazilians deny President Jair Bolsonaro a second term in October, it will take a generation to dismantle his many negative legacies, from loosened gun regulation to attacks on democratic institutions. But the most serious is Bolsonaro's example of negationism, write Conrado Hübner Mendes, Mariana Celano de Souza Amaral and Marina Slhessarenko Barreto in the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.washingtonpost.com/es/post-opinion/2022/05/23/elecciones-brasil-2022-bolsonaro-militar-lula-urnas-negacionismo-autoritarismo/&source=gmail&ust=1653413476214000&usg=AOvVaw1J5eaE6XPORR42wjBpyJGz" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/es/post-opinion/2022/05/23/elecciones-brasil-2022-bolsonaro-militar-lula-urnas-negacionismo-autoritarismo/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Post Opinión</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">Some of the world’s biggest mining companies have withdrawn requests to research and extract minerals on Indigenous land in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest, and have repudiated Bolsonaro’s efforts to legalize mining activity in the areas. (<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://apnews.com/article/climate-jair-bolsonaro-politics-brazil-14049d9a2c38f51500bfbdf4350d8fab?emci%3D169cbd89-aada-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f%26emdi%3D185b1b6a-abda-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f%26ceid%3D4606001&source=gmail&ust=1653413476214000&usg=AOvVaw3HM4mOqmbS7fBZwkDTvT54" href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-jair-bolsonaro-politics-brazil-14049d9a2c38f51500bfbdf4350d8fab?emci=169cbd89-aada-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=185b1b6a-abda-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Associated Press</a>)<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><i>Colombia</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">Four of the six presidential tickets in Colombia's May 29 election have an Afro-Colombian vice-presidential candidate — a remarkable shift in a country historically led by men from a small group of elite families, reports the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/05/21/francia-marquez-colombia-election/?emci%3D169cbd89-aada-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f%26emdi%3D185b1b6a-abda-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f%26ceid%3D4606001&source=gmail&ust=1653413476214000&usg=AOvVaw0d1i45-dCaBBES-82niVDZ" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/05/21/francia-marquez-colombia-election/?emci=169cbd89-aada-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=185b1b6a-abda-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>. But Francia Márquez, a Black environmental activist who has never held political office is by far the most visible: she won the third most votes in the country’s March presidential primary, and is now running alongside leftist frontrunner Gustavo Petro.</span></li></ul><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><i>Peru</i></span></div></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">Peruvian President Pedro Castillo named four new cabinet ministers yesterday -- including Interior and Mining. The latest of many Cabinet shuffles in less than a year in office comes amid rising tensions over protests in the country's mining regions. (<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/perus-castillo-shuffles-cabinet-again-replaces-mining-minister-2022-05-23/?emci%3D169cbd89-aada-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f%26emdi%3D185b1b6a-abda-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f%26ceid%3D4606001&source=gmail&ust=1653413476214000&usg=AOvVaw2KUsaV114fOL9_ggfJDvw-" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/perus-castillo-shuffles-cabinet-again-replaces-mining-minister-2022-05-23/?emci=169cbd89-aada-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=185b1b6a-abda-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Reuters</a>, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.infobae.com/america/peru/2022/05/23/pedro-castillo-anuncio-cambio-en-el-gabinete-y-tomara-juramento-a-4-ministros-este-domingo/&source=gmail&ust=1653413476214000&usg=AOvVaw1UdegqvC2pYpmnaGPCGjaV" href="https://www.infobae.com/america/peru/2022/05/23/pedro-castillo-anuncio-cambio-en-el-gabinete-y-tomara-juramento-a-4-ministros-este-domingo/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Infobae</a>)<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><i>Ecuador</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">Ecuador's former vice-president Jorge Glas, who served 4.5 years in prison on a bribery conviction before being released last month, was arrested on Friday by police under a court order to return him to jail. (<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/ecuador-tribunal-orders-former-vice-president-back-prison-2022-05-20/?emci%3D169cbd89-aada-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f%26emdi%3D185b1b6a-abda-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f%26ceid%3D4606001&source=gmail&ust=1653413476214000&usg=AOvVaw2SH4TdKaf_ldCRGbXTOGXQ" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/ecuador-tribunal-orders-former-vice-president-back-prison-2022-05-20/?emci=169cbd89-aada-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=185b1b6a-abda-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Reuters</a>)</span></li></ul></div></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><i>Critter Corner</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">An international team of 120 institutions has collected a massive archive of Amazon camera trap data— with records for over 150,000 snapshots taken between 2001 and 2020. It’s an attempt not just to get the information in one place but to enable researchers to study some of the biggest challenges that face the region. Many — such as climate change, deforestation and fire — are human-caused, reports the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2022/05/21/amazon-forests-camera-traps-dataset/&source=gmail&ust=1653413476214000&usg=AOvVaw3bR1PFQ3g2jal7kizFMvQl" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2022/05/21/amazon-forests-camera-traps-dataset/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>.<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><i style="font-weight: 700;">Did I miss something, get something wrong, or do you have a different take? Let me know ...</i><a href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><b>Latin America Daily Briefing</b></a></span></div></div></div></div><div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><div></div></div></div><div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="ltr" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><div></div></div><div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="ltr" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><div></div></div>Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881865897476941412.post-81720253480488075522022-05-20T13:04:00.001-04:002022-05-20T13:04:00.780-04:00U.S. navigates choppy diplomatic waters (May 20, 2022)<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">News Briefs</b></span></p><div class="Ar Au Ao" id=":1979"><div aria-label="Message Body" aria-multiline="true" class="Am Al editable LW-avf tS-tW tS-tY" g_editable="true" hidefocus="true" id=":197d" itacorner="6,7:1,1,0,0" role="textbox" spellcheck="false" style="direction: ltr; min-height: 328px;" tabindex="1"><div><div><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Regional Relations</i></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">U.S. failure to help Latin American democracies has contributed to the region's multiple democratic failures, and weakened U.S. influence, writes Scott Hamilton in <a href="https://theglobalamericans.org/2022/05/u-s-policy-in-latin-america-time-for-a-new-american-realism/">Global Americans</a>. Strengthening of democratic institutions and the promotion of democratic values should be the top U.S. national security priority everywhere in the region, he argues, which would align the U.S. with regional aspirations for democracy, economic opportunity, and social justice. "U.S. efforts to invest in security forces, nudge countries to “pick sides” in Great Power competition, or increase the use of sanctions for those that don’t follow its lead would only hasten the decline in U.S. influence."<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The U.S. Biden administration has several reasons for its newly announced (marginal) shifts towards moderation in its policies towards Cuba and Venezuela -- including concerns over migration and oil shortages related to conflict with Russia. But officials could also be aiming to counteract the threat of a regional boycott of the upcoming Summit of the Americas, motivated by its stance towards these countries. "Even if the Biden administration does not end up including Cuba and Venezuela in the summit, these new policies show that Washington is not unshakably wedded to a hard-line position toward the countries," writes Catherine Osborn in the <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/05/20/biden-cuba-venezuela-policy-sanctions-summit-americas-oil/">Latin America Brief</a>. (See <a href="https://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/05/us-encourages-venezuela-talks-may-18.html">Wednesday's post</a>.)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">U.S. officials accused Cuba of creating controversy about its possible exclusion from the US-hosted Summit of the Americas next month to portray Washington as the “bad guy” and distract attention from Havana’s human rights record at home. Kerri Hannan, deputy assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere Affairs, said countries that have threatened to skip the regional meeting if Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua are not invited should attend or else they would lose an opportunity to engage with the United States, reports <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/19/us-accuses-cuba-of-using-upcoming-summit-as-propaganda?emci=3aa3fbb4-47d8-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=b2caaf87-48d8-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Al Jazeera</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The Biden administration appeared set to renew its assessment that Cuba is among a handful of countries "not cooperating fully" with the United States in the fight against terrorism, reports <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/us-appears-set-deem-cuba-not-cooperating-fully-against-terrorism-document-2022-05-19/?emci=3aa3fbb4-47d8-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=b2caaf87-48d8-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Reuters</a>.<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">U.S. National Security Council Senior Director Juan González, one of President Joe Biden's top Latin America advisors, dismissed calls for the US to unilaterally lift sanctions against Venezuela, saying that any relief should be accompanied first by the Latin American government taking more democratic steps, reports <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-19/us-needs-to-see-more-from-maduro-to-ease-sanctions-on-venezuela?emci=3aa3fbb4-47d8-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=b2caaf87-48d8-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Bloomberg</a>. (See <a href="https://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/05/us-encourages-venezuela-talks-may-18.html">Wednesday's post</a>.)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Britain said it was launching talks over a free trade deal with Mexico, reports <a href="https://www.zawya.com/en/world/uk-and-europe/britain-launches-free-trade-deal-talks-with-mexico-o0bnt3iz">Reuters</a>.<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Mexico<br /></i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">More than 100,000 people have disappeared in Mexico since records started being kept in 1964 -- but most victims were added to the list after 2006. Activists, victims collectives and organizations of civil society reiterated calls to the government to respond to the crisis with integral policies, reports <a href="https://elpais.com/mexico/2022-05-17/mexico-supera-las-100000-personas-desparecidas.html">El País</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">"Disappearances are the fear that sneaks in like fog and eats away at the social fabric." <a href="https://quintoelab.org/fragmentos/cien-mil-despariciones-mexico/">Quinto Elemento Lab</a> illustrates the numbers and the deeper implications of Mexico's crisis of disappearances.<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>El Salvador</i></span></div></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">El Salvador's government negotiator with the MS-13, Carlos Marroquín, told the gang that he personally aided in the international escape of “Crook,” an MS-13 figurehead, despite a U.S. extradition request. The revelation is part of <a href="https://mailchi.mp/elfaro.net/elsalvador-crook-escape-6214508?e=be1190bdc0">El Faro</a>'s investigation into the negotiations between the Bukele administration and the street gang, and how their breakdown led to a spate of record killings in March. (See <a href="https://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/05/us-encourages-venezuela-talks-may-18.html">Wednesday's post</a>.)<br /></span></li></ul></div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Guatemala</i></span><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Guatemalans are paying attention to the ups and downs of their country’s institutions like never before -- "a momentous change in public attitudes, with the potential to reorient the country’s politics," writes Claudia Méndez Arriaza in <a href="https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/in-guatemala-a-president-tests-the-public/">Americas Quarterly</a>. President Alejandro Giammattei's decision to give attorney general Consuelo Porra a second term, earlier this month, has raised tensions among a public anxious to see the country's endemic corruption tackled, she writes.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Regional</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">A new <a href="https://insightcrime.org/investigations/cash-cows-cattle-trafficking-from-central-america-mexico/">InSight Crime</a> investigation delves into the illegal trafficking of cattle from the natural reserves of Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala to Mexico. This trade has resulted in the deforestation of thousands of hectares and numerous acts of violence against Indigenous communities. The growing economy both satisfies the growing global demand for beef and helps to mask other criminal activities held in parallel, including cocaine trafficking and money laundering.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.as-coa.org/articles/explainer-crypto-latin-america">AS/COA</a> looks at cryptocurrency proliferation and regulation in countries like Argentina, Brazil, and El Salvador.<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Brazil</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Programmed testing of Brazil's electronic voting system -- a three-day battery of attempted assaults by 20 would-be hackers -- ended last week without succeeding at disrupting the system, reports the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/jair-bolsonaro-technology-caribbean-voting-250bd402da603c183c351a3d771be179">Associated Press</a>. While the tests occur regularly, they have taken on particular relevance given President Jair Bolsonaro's insistent questioning of the electoral system's integrity.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Uruguay</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">A spate of gang-related killings in Uruguay’s capital of Montevideo, alongside violence throughout the country, is raising debate about the alleged success of the government's hardline security strategies towards microtrafficking, reports <a href="https://insightcrime.org/news/uruguay-security-strategies-homicides-record-microtrafficking/">InSight Crime</a>.<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Argentina</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">A landmark criminal trial in Argentina has found the state guilty of the massacre of more than 400 indigenous people nearly a century ago. (<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-61519794?emci=3aa3fbb4-47d8-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=b2caaf87-48d8-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">BBC</a>)<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Chile</i></span></div></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Nearly 22% of Chile’s electricity is generated by solar and wind farms, putting it far ahead of both the global average. But natural gas companies obtained government priority in the power market, undermining the country's push to renewables, reports the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-politics-and-environment-united-states-e8a8c99d7fa53d8138660cdd6028ec7b?emci=3aa3fbb4-47d8-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=b2caaf87-48d8-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Associated Press</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Chile's Constitutional Convention entered its final phase, a "harmonization" of the text put together by commissions and approved by the plenary of constitutional delegates. The delegates carrying out this final task did not form part of the other commissions that proposed norms for the draft magna carta, reports <a href="https://robotlabot.substack.com/p/-los-limites-de-la-edicion-constitucional?s=r">La Bot Constituyente</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Among the nerdier tasks, the Harmonization Commission heard from linguist Claudia Poblete who convinced delegates to jettison the legal text practice of excessive capitalization. (<a href="https://robotlabot.substack.com/p/-los-limites-de-la-edicion-constitucional?s=r">La Bot Constituyente</a>)</span></li></ul></div><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="ltr"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: 700;"><br class="gmail-Apple-interchange-newline" /></i><div dir="ltr"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: 700;">Did I miss something, get something wrong, or do you have a different take? Let me know ... </i><a href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Latin America Daily Briefing</span></b></a></div></div></div></div></div>Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881865897476941412.post-55395947627280165372022-05-19T14:06:00.001-04:002022-05-19T14:06:09.396-04:00Brazil Supreme Court rejects Bolsonaro complaint (May 19, 2022)<p><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">A Brazilian Supreme Court judge rejected a complaint filed by President Jair Bolsonaro in which he accused another justice of abusing his authority, the latest in an ongoing battle between Brazil's executive and judicial branches ahead of October's presidential elections. </span></p><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Bolsonaro filed a complaint arguing that Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes is slow-walking an investigation to determine whether a group of Bolsonaro allies are running a social media network aimed at spreading threats and fake news against Supreme Court justices. He said the pace is aimed at hurting his standing in an electoral year. Supreme Court Justice Dias Toffoli denied the request, arguing that the facts described “do not bring evidence, even minimal,” of a crime. (<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jair-bolsonaro-politics-social-media-brazil-8e7a745d5f28f26e67b662b17d7f20d9?emci=d8df50ec-81d7-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=df0c3a14-83d7-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Associated Press</a>)<br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Bolsonaro and associates have continued to cast doubt on the integrity of the elections, particularly the country's long-established electronic voting system. His son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, said that a loss in Bolsonaro's reelection bid would not be credible, and castigated the country's electoral court for rejecting military suggestions to improve transparency. Earlier this month, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) said several of the suggestions were already in practice, reports <a href="https://www1-folha-uol-com-br.translate.goog/poder/2022/05/flavio-bolsonaro-repete-o-pai-cobra-tse-e-cogita-instabilidade-nas-eleicoes.shtml?_x_tr_sl=pt&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp" style="color: #1155cc;">Folha de S. Paulo</a>.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Indeed, it is Brazil’s democracy and the independence of its judiciary are under threat from Bolsonaro's government, according to a group of 80 lawyers and legal experts, who yesterday appealed to the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Diego Garcia-Sayan, to visit Brazil and report on attacks on the Supreme Court and the TSE. (<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/18/bolsonaro-govt-threatening-brazilian-democracy-jurists-tell-un" style="color: #1155cc;">Al Jazeera</a>)</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">In a speech today, de Moraes said that the TSE currently has the same desire for democracy and the same courage to face those who do not believe in the democratic regime that it had when it was created 90 years ago. (<a href="https://noticias.uol.com.br/ultimas-noticias/reuters/2022/05/19/justica-eleitoral-tem-coragem-de-enfrentar-quem-nao-acredita-no-estado-democratico-diz-moraes.htm" style="color: #1155cc;">Reuters</a>)</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>More Brazil</i></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Bolsonaro -- along with unlikely allies Google and Facebook -- successfully postponed in Congress an omnibus bill that would establish moderation and transparency requirements for the internet platforms and payment for news content. Which means the so-called Fake News Bill is unlikely to enter into play before October's elections, writes Patricia Campos Mello at <a href="https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2022/an-unholy-coalition-torpedoes-social-media-reform-legislation-in-brazil/" style="color: #1155cc;">Poynter</a>. "Bolsonaro will likely head into the 2022 presidential campaign without any risk of restrictions on Telegram, WhatsApp and the social media platforms he uses to spread the Brazilian version of “Stop the Steal.”"<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>News Briefs</b></span></div></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Regional</i></span></div><ul style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Covid-19 cases in the Americas surged 27.2 percent last week over the prior one. Central America saw the largest percentage rise in cases, with infections soaring by 80%. The Pan American Health Organization warned that Covid is on the rise again in the region as many countries have abandoned measures like masking and social distancing and many lag in vaccination rates. (<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/covid-19-cases-americas-surge-driven-by-us-paho-says-2022-05-18/?emci=d8df50ec-81d7-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=df0c3a14-83d7-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Reuters</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Experts who track Conti -- the Russia-based ransomware gang that has held Costa Rica's tax collection and export systems hostage for over a month -- said the group had recently begun to shift its focus from the United States and Europe to countries in Central and South America, perhaps to retaliate against nations that have supported Ukraine, reports the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/17/us/politics/russia-hacking-costa-rica.html" style="color: #1155cc;">New York Times</a>.</span></li></ul><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Regional Relations</i></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has found an unlikely political lifeline thanks to geopolitical shifts caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Venezuelan political deadlock, which prompted a major policy rethink from the U.S. Biden administration, reports the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/19/venezuela-nicolas-maduro-us-relations?emci=d8df50ec-81d7-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=df0c3a14-83d7-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Guardian</a>. (See <a href="https://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/05/us-encourages-venezuela-talks-may-18.html" style="color: #1155cc;">yesterday's post</a>.)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said the country hopes to receive a response today or tomorrow regarding Mexico's proposal for all countries in the region to attend the Summit of the Americas, reports <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexico-expects-prompt-response-us-americas-summit-proposal-foreign-minister-2022-05-18/?emci=d8df50ec-81d7-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=df0c3a14-83d7-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Reuters</a>. A growing number of Latin American leaders have said they would not attend the conference or not attend if all countries in the region were not invited.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">U.S. President Joe Biden’s new Cuba measures "appear driven by the confluence of the migration crisis and Latin America’s rebellion over U.S. Cuba policies," writes William LeoGrande in <a href="https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/30548/biden-finally-moves-to-thaw-cuba-us-relations" style="color: #1155cc;">World</a><a href="https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/30548/biden-finally-moves-to-thaw-cuba-us-relations" style="color: #1155cc;"> Politics Review</a>. (See <a href="https://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/05/us-to-partially-lift-cuba-sanctions-may.html" style="color: #1155cc;">Tuesday's post</a> and <a href="https://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/05/us-encourages-venezuela-talks-may-18.html" style="color: #1155cc;">yesterday's</a>.)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The growing chorus of regional dissent regarding the U.S. decision to likely exclude Cuba from the Summit of the Americas is nothing new. "Obama’s 2014 decision to normalize relations was heavily influenced by the public scolding he received from Latin American heads of state at the Sixth Summit of the Americas in 2012. Even close U.S. allies warned that unless Cuba was invited to the 2015 summit, they would not attend." (<a href="https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/30548/biden-finally-moves-to-thaw-cuba-us-relations" style="color: #1155cc;">World</a><a href="https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/30548/biden-finally-moves-to-thaw-cuba-us-relations" style="color: #1155cc;"> Politics Review</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">U.S. First Lady Jill Biden is embarking on a high-stakes, six-day diplomatic tour of three Latin American countries: Panama, Ecuador and Costa Rica. (<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2022/05/18/jill-biden-panama-ecuador-costa-rica/?emci=d8df50ec-81d7-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=df0c3a14-83d7-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Washington Post</a>)<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Haiti</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry resumed negotiations with the opposition coalition, the “Montana Accord," which favors the creation of a transition government to bridge the gap between the Henry government and a government to eventually be democratically elected. Negotiations between the Haitian government and the group had been on hold since February 14, reports the <a href="https://boz.substack.com/p/haiti-negotiations-for-change-of?s=r" style="color: #1155cc;">Latin America Risk Report</a>.<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Chile</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Chile's congress voted to approve a 14.3 percent increase in the minimum wage yesterday, as the country struggles with soaring inflation, reports <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/chiles-congress-approves-minimum-wage-172113275.html" style="color: #1155cc;">Reuters</a>.<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Guatemala</i></span></div></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Guatemala's congress approved a $500 million loan from the World Bank that the government has said will be used to pay down debt, freeing up funds for social spending, reports <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/guatemalan-congress-approves-500-million-loan-world-bank-2022-05-19/?emci=d8df50ec-81d7-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=df0c3a14-83d7-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Reuters</a>.<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>El Salvador</i></span></div></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">El Salvador's big bet on bitcoin has closed some potential off-ramps from a current fiscal crisis that includes an upcoming major debt repayment, reports <a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/crypto-crash-leaves-el-salvador-with-no-easy-exit-worsening-crisis-2022-05-19/?emci=d8df50ec-81d7-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=df0c3a14-83d7-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Reuters</a>.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Argentina</i></span></div></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Argentina carried out its postponed 2020 Census yesterday. Infobae reports on the adventure of reaching one of the country's most remote inhabitants. (<a href="http://favors%20the%20creation%20of%20a%20transition%20government%20to%20bridge%20the%20gap%20between%20the%20henry%20government%20and%20a%20government%20to%20eventually%20be%20democratically%20elected./" style="color: #1155cc;">Infobae</a>)</span></li></ul></div><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="ltr" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i style="color: #444444; font-weight: 700;">Did I miss something, get something wrong, or do you have a different take? Let me know ... </i><a href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><b>Latin America Daily Briefing</b></a></span></div></div>Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881865897476941412.post-73781864814930209282022-05-18T10:19:00.007-04:002022-05-18T10:19:44.834-04:00U.S. encourages Venezuela talks (May 18, 2022)<p><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The U.S. Biden administration has slightly eased restrictions on Chevron's ability to negotiate with Venezuela's government.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Senior administration officials said the move was intended to support talks between the government of President Nicolás Maduro and the U.S.-backed opposition, reports the</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/05/17/venezuela-oil-sanctions-chevron/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Washington Post</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">. </span></p><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Senior U.S. officials said resumption of the negotiations were expected to be announced by Venezuelan officials late yesterday, reports the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/17/us/politics/us-venezuela-oil-sanctions.html" style="color: #1155cc;">New York Times</a>. The chairs of the negotiating teams for the Maduro government and the opposition Unitary Platform met yesterday, and tweeted about "rescuing the spirit of Mexico," in reference to talks suspended last year. (<a href="https://twitter.com/GRamsey_LatAm/status/1526705089485864961" style="color: #1155cc;">Twitter</a>)</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The U.S. Treasury Department license for Chevron, the main U.S. oil company with assets in Venezuela, is the first in what could be a series of steps toward oil sanctions relief, depending on the Maduro government’s cooperation, according to officials. Additionally, Carlos Erik Malpica-Flores — a former high-ranking PDVSA official and nephew of Venezuela’s first lady — will be removed from a list of sanctioned individuals, reports the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-venezuela-caribbean-united-states-f73616e984ab38e049c4881782a04959" style="color: #1155cc;">Associated Press</a>.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Delcy Rodríguez, a top senior Maduro administration official implied in a Twitter post that the sanction deal was broader than what was announced by the White House, and would allow foreign oil companies to restart operations in Venezuela.<br /><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">It remains unclear whether the U.S.'s limited allowances will be enough to entice Maduro to offer meaningful political concessions to the opposition, notes NYT. Further sanctions relief would be tied to progress at the talks in Mexico City, reports the <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article261520072.html" style="color: #1155cc;">Miami Herald</a>.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">U.S. officials told reporters the tiny concessions were made at the request of the opposition Unitary Platform. For example, <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article261520072.html" style="color: #1155cc;">McClatchy</a> reports that a senior U.S. official said "It is very important to stress that this was done in coordination with the interim president, Juan Guaidó, to move the talks forward. But the coalition denied the reports yesterday. (<a href="https://efectococuyo.com/politica/plataforma-unitaria-niega-que-negocio-levantamiento-de-sanciones-contra-maduro/" style="color: #1155cc;">Efecto Cocuyo</a>) The opposition said the request came directly from Maduro, reports the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/17/us/politics/us-venezuela-oil-sanctions.html" style="color: #1155cc;">New York Times</a>.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">U.S. officials were emphatic yesterday that the phased plan leaves the sanctions regime against Maduro in place -- an attempt to placate critics who include U.S. lawmakers from both parties who are opposed to any deal with Maduro.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The move, along with Monday's decision to ease certain sanctions against Cuba (see <a href="https://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/05/us-to-partially-lift-cuba-sanctions-may.html" style="color: #1155cc;">yesterday's post</a>), come as the U.S. Biden administration "is trying to take advantage of a closing window of opportunity in Latin America before midterm elections in November," and as Latin America shifts leftward, leaving the U.S. isolated in its approach to Venezuela and Cuba, reports the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/05/17/venezuela-oil-sanctions-chevron/" style="color: #1155cc;">Washington Post</a>.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Already the Biden administration is facing significant pushback in the region regarding the possible exclusion of Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua from the upcoming Summit of the Americas. (See <a href="https://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/05/us-summit-gatekeeping-offends-region.html" style="color: #1155cc;">May 12's post</a>, for example.) "Countries across the hemisphere are looking for ways to respond to the Venezuelan crisis that matches the reality on the ground, which is that Maduro retains de facto control of the territory," WOLA Venezuela analyst Geoff Ramsey told the WaPo. </span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>More Venezuela</i></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Several international airlines are looking at restarting flights to Caracas, which has been significantly isolated in recent years, reports <a href="https://www.lanacion.com.ar/el-mundo/de-aerolineas-argentinas-a-air-france-varias-companias-planean-volar-de-vuelta-venezuela-nid17052022/" style="color: #1155cc;">El País</a>.</span></li></ul></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">MS-13 confessed responsibility for March killings, response to breakdown of gov't negotiations</span></b></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br class="gmail-Apple-interchange-newline" /></b><i>Extracts from El Faro's exclusive investigation.</i><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">High-ranking Mara Salvatrucha-13 (MS-13) sources confessed to <a href="https://elfaro.net/en/202205/el_salvador/26177/Collapsed-Government-Talks-with-MS-13-Sparked-Record-Homicides-in-El-Salvador-Audios-Reveal.htm" style="color: #1155cc;">El Faro</a> their responsibility for the killings of 87 people between March 25 and 27 in El Salvador, including 62 of them on March 26, the most violent day in the past two decades. MS-13 spokespersons revealed that the murders were carried out in response to what they call a “betrayal” by President Nayib Bukele's administration of the covert pact that reduced homicides since 2019.<br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">As proof of their dialogue with the Bukele administration, MS-13 provided El Faro with seven audio files in which Carlos Marroquín, one of the negotiators on behalf of the president, speaks with at least one member of the gang during and after the violent weekend in March. In the recordings, Marroquín, the administration’s Director for the Reconstruction of Social Fabric, details to his MS-13 counterparts his efforts during the spike in homicides to convince Bukele to keep the agreement alive.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The recordings detail how the killings in late March were the way the Mara Salvatrucha exerted pressure on the government after its members' arrests, explains El Faro.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">In the six weeks following the spike in violence and the souring of the agreement between the Bukele administration and the gangs, authorities claim to have made over 31,000 arrests and the press has registered at least 11 in-custody deaths. Human rights groups have reported widespread arbitrary detentions and Bukele announced he would severely ration and limit prison meals.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">In one of the later recording Marroquín says: "Inside they’re torturing people, right? They’re suffering and being humiliated. They’re treating them like animals, and that’s not what we’ve been fighting for. We did it to generate better conditions for those inside and for the people on the street, the communities, the poorest people. Right now all I know, brother, from what they told me, is that it’s going to get worse in the communities. So yeah, put people on alert, brother, because things are going to get even more fucked."<br /><br />Ruling party legislators have called for a second 30-day extension of the emergency measures, currently set to expire on May 27.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>News Briefs</b></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Migration</i></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">A UK deportation flight to Jamaica took off today with seven people onboard. Home Office deportation flights to Jamaica are among the most contentious carried out by the department, reports the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/may/18/home-office-deportation-flight-jamaica-takes-off" style="color: #1155cc;">Guardian</a>, as many of those earmarked for removal have Windrush connections or have been in the UK since childhood, with children and other close relatives in the country.<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Regional</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">This year is likely to be the seventh consecutive above-average Atlantic hurricane season. (<a href="https://www.severe-weather.eu/tropical-weather/atlantic-hurricane-season-2022-forecast-mk/" style="color: #1155cc;">Severe Weather Europe</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Early investigations and intelligence indicate that the Mexico's Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación is striking partnerships with drug rings in Guatemala – active on the Pacific Coast and the western border with Mexico – that receive shipments of cocaine from Colombia and Venezuela and deliver them to the cartel, reports <a href="https://insightcrime.org/news/the-jalisco-cartels-quiet-expansion-in-guatemala/" style="color: #1155cc;">InSight Crime</a>.<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Mexico</i></span></div></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Mexican farmers have travelled to London to demand that mining company Fresnillo compensate them for illegal mining on their land and explain violence against anti-mining activists. (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/may/17/mexican-farmers-demand-redress-for-mining-and-violence-on-their-land" style="color: #1155cc;">Guardian</a>)</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Peru</i></span></div></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">A government proposal for Peru to purchase all the country’s coca production has generated fierce debate, but experts question whether it is even feasible, reports <a href="https://insightcrime.org/news/can-peru-counter-drug-trafficking-by-buying-all-the-coca/" style="color: #1155cc;">InSight Crime</a>.<br /></span></li></ul></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Arts</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">"Graphic Turn: Like the Ivy on a Wall" at Madrid's Reina Sofía explores how graphic art – whether on walls, posters, prints, flyers or fabric – has been used to confront political repression and demand social justice in Latin America and beyond over the past 50 years. (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/17/madrid-show-graphic-art-role-tool-resistance-latin-america" style="color: #1155cc;">Guardian</a>)<br /></span></li></ul></div><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><i style="color: #444444; font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Did I miss something, get something wrong, or do you have a different take? Let me know ...</span></i></div><div dir="ltr"><a href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Latin America Daily Briefing</span></b></a></div></div></div>Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881865897476941412.post-16061998183037111252022-05-17T13:35:00.001-04:002022-05-17T13:35:02.906-04:00U.S. to partially lift Cuba sanctions (May 17, 2022)<p><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The U.S. Biden administration announced a partial lifting of sanctions on Cuba yesterday. Changes will include restoring flights to Cuban cities other than Havana and reestablishing a family reunification program suspended for years. The changes also include relaxing the ban on remittances. A ban on non-family remittances will be eased to allow payment to independent Cuban entrepreneurs, and the Treasury Department has issued at least one license to allow direct equity investment in a private Cuban firm. The Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program, which has not taken new cases since 2016 and left 22,000 pending applications in limbo, will also be reinstated.</span></p><div class="Ar Au Ao" id=":3zo"><div aria-label="Message Body" aria-multiline="true" class="Am Al editable LW-avf tS-tW tS-tY" g_editable="true" hidefocus="true" id=":3zs" itacorner="6,7:1,1,0,0" role="textbox" spellcheck="false" style="direction: ltr; min-height: 328px;" tabindex="1"><div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The new policies follow the recommendations of a long-anticipated review of U.S. policy toward Cuba, launched after a Cuban government crackdown on widespread street protests on the island last summer, reports the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/05/16/biden-cuba-travel-remittances-visas/">Washington Post</a>. The moves are part of U.S. President Joe Biden's campaign promise to return to the Obama administration's diplomatic thaw with the island, after a significant reversal by the Trump administration. However, the Biden administration’s policy review concluded that the best way to bring about change in Cuba was direct engagement with its people — not its government — which had also been the underlying logic of President Barack Obama’s opening to Havana, reports the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/16/us/politics/biden-cuba-policy.html">New York Times</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">“Fundamentally, these policies are ones that are designed to advance our own national interests” rather than establish any new relationship with Cuba’s communist government, one U.S. government official told the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/05/16/biden-cuba-travel-remittances-visas/">Washington Post</a>.<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Cuba is facing the worst economic crisis since the Soviet Union collapsed, with widespread shortages of food and medicines, and thousands of Cubans trying to reach the United States, notes the <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article261493517.html">Miami Herald</a>.<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Other Obama-era policies, like Individual "people-to-people" travel will not be reinstated, for example. A senior administration official said the U.S. also would not remove entities from the Cuba Restricted List, the list of Cuban government- and military-aligned companies that U.S. companies are blocked from doing business with, reports <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/05/16/1099378855/biden-eases-restrictions-on-cuban-travel-and-remittances">NPR</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The United States will use "electronic payment processors" for remittances to avoid funds going directly to the Cuban government, officials said, adding that the United States had already engaged with the Cuban government "about establishing a civilian processor for this." (<a href="https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/u-s--revises-cuba-policy--eases-restrictions-on-remittances--travel/47599068">Reuters</a>)<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The changes elicited immediate backlash from U.S. politicians who believe that choking off the Cuban government's revenue is the best way to bring about democratization and respond to human rights violations.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguezcalled the Biden administration move "a limited step in the right direction." He added that the decision doesn’t change the embargo nor most of Trump's measures against the island. (<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-government-and-politics-cuba-donald-trump-havana-ec3c1bfca0caa7ae357ff2d68b45eefb">Associated Press</a>)<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b>News Briefs</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Costa Rica</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">A ransomware gang that infiltrated some Costa Rican government computer systems has upped its threat, saying its goal is now to overthrow the government, reports the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-government-and-politics-caribbean-gangs-381efc2320abb5356dee7f356e55e608?emci=e4664675-eed5-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=56481a1f-efd5-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Associated Press</a>. The Russian-speaking Conti gang tried to increase the pressure to pay a ransom by raising its demand to $20 million.</span></li></ul></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Brazil</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Brazilian Senate leaders are stepping up support for the country's Supreme Court, which has been repeatedly attacked by President Jair Bolsonaro who questions the integrity of the court-run voting system ahead of October's elections. A group of senators has arranged meetings between lawmakers and senior justices, successfully pressing Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco to take a more forceful public stand, reports <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazil-senate-leaders-offer-support-courts-facing-bolsonaro-attacks-2022-05-16/?emci=e4664675-eed5-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=56481a1f-efd5-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Reuters</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">"There is little doubt in Brazil that the upcoming elections are the most momentous since the military dictatorship ended almost four decades ago," reports <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2022-05-16/brazil-warms-up-for-game-changing-election.html">El País</a>, describing "a duel of epic proportions" between incumbent Bolsonaro and former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Presidential front-runner Lula has launched a charm offensive aimed at winning over Brazil's business community, with delegates emphasizing in dialogues with executives that Lula is a known quantity whose tenure in government was good for financial markets and the broader economy, reports the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/4397c849-ee0d-4d4f-becc-6d51ec46d78f">Financial Times</a>.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Guatemala</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The U.S. has barred Guatemala's Attorney General Consuelo Porras from entering the country, accusing her of being involved in corruption, reports the <a href="http://The U.S. has barred Guatemala's Attorney General Consuelo Porras from entering the country, accusing her of being involved in corruptio">BBC</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Guatemalan judge Miguel Ángel Gálvez received death threats after he ruled to send 9 military officials to trial in the 1980s "Death Squad Dossier" case, write Jo-Marie Burt y Paulo Estrada in <a href="https://elfaro.net/en/202205/centroamerica/26172/Guatemalan-Judge-under-Threat-after-Ordering-Trial-in-1980s-">El Faro</a>, delving into the many details of the case and how it affects one of Guatemala's most powerful families.<br /></span></li></ul></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Regional Relations</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador will receive a delegation from the U.S.-hosted Summit of the Americas organizers, in which his government will set out why it wants all countries in the region to take part. A chorus of voices in Latin America and the Caribbean has spoken out against U.S. plans to exclude Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. (<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexico-receive-us-delegation-discuss-americas-summit-2022-05-16/?emci=e4664675-eed5-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=56481a1f-efd5-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Reuters</a>)</span></li></ul></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Mexico</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">López Obrador has too often overlooked the most basic steps necessary to ensure women’s safety – and in some cases has undermined them entirely, writes Cecilia Farfán-Méndez in <a href="https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/why-gender-violence-in-mexico-persists-and-how-to-stop-it/">Americas Quarterly</a>. "The good news is that evidence-based solutions do exist, and there are steps the administration can take immediately to start to correct course."<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Mexico will waive import duties for one year on a range of household staples, mostly food, in a bid to curb inflation, reports <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-05-16/mexico-to-suspend-import-duties-on-foods-to-help-curb-inflation#:~:text=May%2016%2C%202022%2C%20at%208%3A38%20a.m.&text=MEXICO%20CITY%20(Reuters)%20%2D%20Mexico,the%20government%20said%20on%20Monday.">Reuters</a>.<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Migration</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The U.S. Coast Guard announced yesterday that it suspended the search for potential survivors of a capsized boat near Puerto Rico after finding 11 bodies and rescuing 38 migrants from a vessel that had carried an estimated 60 to 75 passengers. (<a href="https://apnews.com/article/caribbean-dominican-republic-puerto-rico-san-juan-us-coast-guard-f23c52037d7eb6971ebb6e2219ad28d6?emci=e4664675-eed5-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=56481a1f-efd5-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Associated Press</a>)<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Venezuela</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The Venezuelan Unitary Platform opposition faction announced plans to hold a primary contest next year to choose a presidential candidate for the planned 2024 election. (<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-venezuela-united-states-government-and-politics-79093b7a632c84e3d7231227b14de2c7?emci=e4664675-eed5-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=56481a1f-efd5-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Associated Press</a>)<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>El Salvador</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">More than 30,000 people have been arrested under a “state of exception” in El Salvador, police said yesterday. (<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/16/more-than-30500-arrested-in-el-salvador-gang-crackdown?emci=e4664675-eed5-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=56481a1f-efd5-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Al Jazeera</a>, see <a href="https://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/05/el-salvadors-crackdown-strains-prisons.html">yesterday's post</a>.)</span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Ecuador</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Ecuadorian gangs are stepping up targeted killings of police officers in drug trafficking hotspots, reports <a href="https://insightcrime.org/news/ecuador-police-being-assassinated-in-record-numbers/">InSight Crime</a>. "Ecuador’s criminal violence is rapidly outpacing law enforcement capacities, while bringing to light painful truths about corruption within their ranks."<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Peru</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Peru risks losing out on billions of dollars of mining investment if the government fails to defuse protests that are hitting the industry and denting production, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/peru-mining-protests-risk-clogging-53-bln-investment-pipeline-industry-warns-2022-05-17/?emci=e4664675-eed5-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=56481a1f-efd5-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Reuters</a>.<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: 700;">Did I miss something, get something wrong, or do you have a different take? Let me know ...</i></div><div dir="ltr"><a href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Latin America Daily Briefing</span></b></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881865897476941412.post-2222719885962975322022-05-16T13:58:00.004-04:002022-05-16T13:58:50.773-04:00El Salvador's crackdown strains prisons, gov't popularity<p><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">El Salvador authorities claim to have made over 30,000 arrests since roundups began March 27, the day El Salvador’s legislature approved emergency powers that loosened rules on arrests and curtailed civil liberties. The mass arrests are likely to strain El Salvador’s overstretched prisons and affect gang dynamics, though exactly how is difficult to discern from past crackdowns, reports </span><a href="https://insightcrime.org/news/elsalvador-arrests-overwhelm-prisons/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">InSight Crime</a><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">.</span></p><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">El Salvador's homicide rate in 2022 is on track to be the lowest on record. But "state violence has clearly replaced traditional crime," notes the <a href="https://boz.substack.com/p/el-salvador-state-of-emergency-updates?s=r" style="color: #1155cc;">Latin America Risk Report</a>. Over the past two months of a security state of emergency, rights groups have documented arbitrary arrests, excessive force by police and soldiers, enforced disappearances, deaths of detainees while in custody, among other wrongful acts. <br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br />Thus far the offensive has resulted in overloaded prisons and courts and sent a shockwave of apparent human rights violations, uncertainty, and financial strain through the country’s lowest-income communities, reports <a href="https://elfaro.net/en/202205/el_salvador/26163/At-Least-Five-In-Custody-Deaths-following-Mass-Arrests-in-El-Salvador.htm" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;">El Faro</a>. Human rights monitors and the press have documented the cases of at least five individuals who died in custody, one of them with signs of possible torture.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br />The mass arrests have left families reeling, with mothers massed outside the country's jails looking for their detained relatives. "But while the women searching for their sons in Salvadoran prisons are by no means an organized political group, their anger should not be underestimated," reports the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/12/world/americas/el-salvador-prison-gangs-bukele.html" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;">New York Times</a>. While mano dura was popular when the crackdown on gangs started, "the ubiquity of seemingly wrongful detentions is going to fray popular support for [President Nayib] Bukele," according to the <a href="https://boz.substack.com/p/el-salvador-state-of-emergency-updates?s=r" style="color: #1155cc;">Latin America Risk Report</a>.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>News Briefs</b></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Haiti</i></span></div></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><ul><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Nearly 150 people have been killed and scores wounded during gunfights between warring gangs in Haiti in recent weeks. Médecins Sans Frontières said that it had treated more than 96 people with gunshot wounds in its medical facilities in Port-au-Prince since 24 April. (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/may/13/haiti-gang-battles-dead-wounded-displaced" style="color: #1155cc;">Guardian</a>)<br /></span></li></ul></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Cuba</i><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><ul><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Cuban lawmakers approved a new penal code on Sunday. Some rights groups have criticized the reform, arguing its clause on foreign funding could be used to stifle dissent and independent journalism. The government said the new code is in line with the country's new constitution approved by referendum in 2019, as well as international treaties. (<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/cuban-lawmakers-pass-new-penal-code-critiqued-by-rights-media-groups-2022-05-16/?emci=03e41bb8-28d5-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=69bb39ad-29d5-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Reuters</a>)<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Colombia</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Colombia's last remaining recognized rebel group announced a 10-day ceasefire to allow presidential elections on May 29 to pass off peacefully. The ELN said it had taken the decision in its own interests to generate a "better atmosphere... so that we can see who could be the winning candidate." (<a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220516-colombian-rebels-announce-presidential-election-ceasefire" style="color: #1155cc;">AFP</a>)<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Regional</i></span></div></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><ul><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Chile joined a growing chorus of regional voices calling for Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela to be included in the upcoming Summit of the Americas hosted by the U.S. "Exclusion has not produced results in terms of human rights" in recent years, said foreign minister Antonia Urrejola. (<a href="https://www.dw.com/es/chile-defiende-que-cuba-nicaragua-y-venezuela-asistan-a-cumbre-de-am%C3%A9ricas/a-61808658" style="color: #1155cc;">Deutsche Welle</a>, see last <a href="https://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/05/us-summit-gatekeeping-offends-region.html" style="color: #1155cc;">Thursday's post</a> and <a href="https://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/05/hunger-in-latam-may-13-2022.html" style="color: #1155cc;">Friday's briefs</a>.)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Latin America's Pink Tide 2.0 is far greener than that headed by the original "resource nationalist" set of leftist leaders. Colombian presidential front-runner Gustavo Petro fits the mold of the new wave of environmentally-minded leaders, along the lines of Chile's Gabriel Boric, while Brazilian front-runner Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva remains more of a wild card, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/how-new-latin-america-left-is-seeking-greener-future-2022-05-16/?emci=03e41bb8-28d5-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=69bb39ad-29d5-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Reuters</a>.<br /></span></li></ul></div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Chile</i></span><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><ul><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">After 10 months of fraught negotiations, Chile's Constitutional Convention finalized the draft of a new magna carta that could replace the country's current dictatorship-era charter. María Elisa Quinteros, the president of the gender-equal, 154-member assembly will formally present the draft at a ceremony in the port city of Antofagasta today. "This is an ecological and equal constitution with social rights at its very core," she said in an interview with the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/16/chile-constitution-new-draft-pinochet" style="color: #1155cc;">Guardian</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Chilean Constitutional Convention delegates rejected multiple variations of a proposal that would have given the state exclusive mining rights over lithium, rare metals and hydrocarbons and a majority stake in copper mines. A separate clause, article 25, which states that miners must set aside “resources to repair damage” to the environment and harmful effects where mining takes place, did get a supermajority on Saturday and will be in the draft constitution. (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/15/chiles-constitutional-assembly-rejects-plans-to-nationalise-parts-of-mining-sector" style="color: #1155cc;">Reuters</a>)</span></li></ul><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Brazil</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Many Brazilian agribusiness giants, who support President Jair Bolsonaro's October reelection bid, have rallied behind his proposal to mine Amazon potassium reserves in order to make up for potential fertilizer shortcomes related to the Ukraine conflict, reports <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/16/ukraine-war-global-fertilizer-crunch-pressures-brazils-amazon?emci=03e41bb8-28d5-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=69bb39ad-29d5-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Al Jazeera</a>. (Though it's important to note that so far, the shortages have not materialized, see last <a href="https://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/05/gulf-clan-carried-out-4-day-paro-armado.html" style="color: #1155cc;">Monday's briefs</a>.)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Dazzling oratory has always been one of Lula's political strengths, but he has made a series of uncharacteristic gaffes in recent weeks, leading some to wonder if he's lost his touch, according to the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/05/15/brazil-lula-abortion-bolsonaro/?emci=03e41bb8-28d5-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=69bb39ad-29d5-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Washington Post</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Brazil's access to information law (LAI) is a decade old today, and has taken root, despite significant challenges, write Gregory Michener and Francisco Gaetani in Folha de S. Paulo. Defending the law is more relevant than ever, they argue, as "never before has the LAI suffered assaults such as those undertaken during the administration of President Jair Bolsonaro." (In English at <a href="https://brazilresearchinitiative.org/threats-to-the-freedom-of-information-act-on-its-tenth-birthday/" style="color: #1155cc;">Brazil Research Initiative</a>.)</span></li></ul></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Regional Relations</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Lifting U.S. and European sanctions against Venezuela's Maduro administration would strengthen the country's autocratic government and, by extension, Russia, according to a delegation of Venezuelan opposition politicians currently touring Europe. Lifting sanctions must be tied to clear advances in negotiations for free and fair elections, they argue. (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/14/west-must-not-lift-sanctions-on-maduro-says-venezuelan-opposition" style="color: #1155cc;">Guardian</a>)<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Venezuela</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Nearly three-quarters of transactions in Venezuela are carried out in dollars -- what some have dubbed "improvised dollarization." Most purchases are made in cash, but increasingly buyers use electronic alternatives (such as wire transfers and Zelle), reports <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidbirch/2022/05/12/what-the-zelle-is-going-on/?sh=24bb5fce465b" style="color: #1155cc;">Forbes</a>.</span></li></ul></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Honduras</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Honduran police captured Herlinda Bobadilla, accused of leading the Montes drug trafficking clan with four of her sons, after a shoot-out. Authorities said they received many tip-offs after the U.S. State Department offered the multi-million dollar reward two weeks ago, reports the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-61464573?emci=03e41bb8-28d5-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=69bb39ad-29d5-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">BBC</a>.</span></li></ul><div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Mexico</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The identity of Mexico's Indigenous Seri people is integrally tied to their natural environment, which in recent years has been susceptible to an increasing number of existential threats, reports the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/16/travel/comcaac-seri-people-mexico.html" style="color: #1155cc;">New York Times</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Female-led projects are helping Mexican communities face an ongoing drought exacerbated by the climate crisis, reports the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/gallery/2022/may/13/every-drop-is-precious-the-mexican-women-saving-water-for-their-villages" style="color: #1155cc;">Guardian</a>.<br /></span></li></ul></div><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: 700;">Did I miss something, get something wrong, or do you have a different take? Let me know ...</i><a href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Latin America Daily Briefing</span></b></a></div></div></div>Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881865897476941412.post-3576040998952399882022-05-13T13:00:00.006-04:002022-05-13T13:00:41.883-04:00Hunger in LatAm (May 13, 2022)<p><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">News Briefs</span></b></p><div class="Ar Au Ao" id=":3xt"><div aria-label="Message Body" aria-multiline="true" class="Am Al editable LW-avf tS-tW tS-tY" g_editable="true" hidefocus="true" id=":3xp" itacorner="6,7:1,1,0,0" role="textbox" spellcheck="false" style="direction: ltr; min-height: 328px;" tabindex="1"><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Regional</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://elpais.com/internacional/2022-05-08/el-hambre-contra-america.html">El País</a> has a deep-dive on hunger in Latin America: of 660 million people in the region, more than 60 million suffer hunger. Another 220 million don't know if they'll eat tomorrow.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Indian investment in Latin America is tiny compared to China's, but has particular benefits for the region. India has an edge over China in value-added sectors in Latin America, specifically in manufacturing, healthcare, information technology (IT) and services. Its impact is felt through employment generation and the diversification of the economy to value-added sectors, particularly in services, writes Hari Seshasayee in <a href="https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/whats-ahead-for-india-and-latin-america/">Americas Quarterly</a>.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>El Salvador<br /></i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The Salvadoran government claims to have jailed almost 27 thousand people in an unprecedented, six-week crackdown on gangs. Thus far the offensive has resulted in overloaded prisons and courts and sent a shockwave of apparent human rights violations, uncertainty, and financial strain through the country’s lowest-income communities, reports <a href="https://elfaro.net/en/202205/el_salvador/26163/At-Least-Five-In-Custody-Deaths-following-Mass-Arrests-in-El-Salvador.htm">El Faro</a>. Human rights monitors and the press have documented the cases of at least five individuals who died in custody, one of them with signs of possible torture. <br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The mass arrests have left families reeling, with mothers massed outside the country's jails looking for their detained relatives. "But while the women searching for their sons in Salvadoran prisons are by no means an organized political group, their anger should not be underestimated," reports the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/12/world/americas/el-salvador-prison-gangs-bukele.html">New York Times</a>.<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Guyana</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Guyanese environmentalists say ExxonMobil indifferent to the dangers of an oil spill off the country's coast, while Guyanese politicians have accused Exxon of fleecing the country of billions of dollars by bouncing an ill-experienced government into a contract that pays far less than other countries earn from their oil, reports the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/may/12/exxon-oil-deal-guyana-climate?emci=c4186102-d9d2-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=7895f4cc-dad2-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Guardian</a>.</span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Regional Relations</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">A growing chorus of discontent in Latin America and the Caribbean over the upcoming Summit of the Americas to be held in the U.S. -- the invites still haven't been sent out -- underscores the challenges facing the U.S. Biden administration in advancing its interests in the region, reports the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/12/world/americas/summit-americas-boycotts.html">New York Times</a>. (See <a href="https://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/05/us-summit-gatekeeping-offends-region.html">yesterday's post</a>.)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">While the U.S. Biden administration recently announced that it is resuming “limited” consular functions at the U.S. Embassy in Havana, it still appears unlikely to restart the normalization process. The Biden administration has placed electoral politics ahead of U.S. interests and appears unlikely to do more, write Fulton Armstrong and Philip Brenner at the <a href="https://aulablog.net/2022/05/13/u-s-cuba-putting-the-sonic-attacks-myth-behind-us/">AULA</a> blog.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Russia’s disinformation machinery has been particularly successful in Latin America, particularly Actualidad RT, Russia Today’s Spanish-language subsidiary, which effectively pushes Russia’s preferred narratives in region, stoking anti-Americanism and praising authoritarian regimes, all under the veil of a supposedly objective platform, writes León Krauze in the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/05/08/russia-today-propagandist-latin-america-change-of-heart/">Washington Post</a>.<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Migration</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">At least 11 people died after a makeshift boat overloaded with migrants capsized between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. (<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/05/12/puerto-rico-migrant-boat-capsizes/">Washington Post</a>)<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Chile</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Tomorrow will be the last day Chile's Constitutional Convention votes on norms to be included in the country's draft magna carta, which on Monday will be handed over to the Harmonization Commission which will create a final text for voters to approve or reject in a September plebiscite. (<a href="https://robotlabot.substack.com/p/-asi-se-termina-de-escribir-el-borrador?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjozNTA0NjM2LCJwb3N0X2lkIjo1NDYzMjE1NiwiXyI6Ind6OHhRIiwiaWF0IjoxNjUyNDQ5NDM0LCJleHAiOjE2NTI0NTMwMzQsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0zODE2NjIiLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.pA0VVNc8qM4UisIX0Nngm9w4Fsxl4T_-wMXx1LULByU&s=r">LaBot Constituyente</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The latest additions to the proposed constitution include the rights to decent work, memory, food, and informational self-determination (the right to protection of personal data). (<a href="https://robotlabot.substack.com/p/-asi-se-termina-de-escribir-el-borrador?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjozNTA0NjM2LCJwb3N0X2lkIjo1NDYzMjE1NiwiXyI6Ind6OHhRIiwiaWF0IjoxNjUyNDQ5NDM0LCJleHAiOjE2NTI0NTMwMzQsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0zODE2NjIiLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.pA0VVNc8qM4UisIX0Nngm9w4Fsxl4T_-wMXx1LULByU&s=r">LaBot Constituyente</a>)</span></li></ul></div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Colombia</i></span><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The multi-day "armed strike" imposed by Colombia's Gulf Clan last week in over 100 municipalities over a wide geographic area shows that the criminal group is on par with the ELN in terms of personnel, logistics, coordination and willingness to act in defiance of the national government, writes James Bosworth in the <a href="https://boz.substack.com/p/colombia-paro-armado?s=r">Latin America Risk Report</a>. (See <a href="https://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/05/gulf-clan-carried-out-4-day-paro-armado.html">Monday's post</a>.)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Colombia’s presidential candidates commented on the paro armado, offering a preview of how each would approach security policy if elected, writes Catherine Osborn in Foreign Policy's <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/05/13/brazil-election-lula-alckmin-bolsonaro-left-center-alliance/">Latin America Brief</a>. "Conservative Federico Gutiérrez tweeted he would “arrive with authority” in gang-controlled areas, consistent with his hard-line tough-on-crime stance," while leftist Gustavo "Petro said he would focus on rooting out the social causes of crime—such as a lack of decently paying jobs—rather than addressing it with military force."<br /><br clear="all" /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Petro is polling nearly double the support of his closest rival, Gutierrez, and would beat him in a runoff, according to a YanHaas poll released this week. (<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-05-11/former-guerrilla-petro-would-win-colombias-presidency-in-runoff-poll?emci=c4186102-d9d2-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=7895f4cc-dad2-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Reuters</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Petro not only faces rival candidates, but also mounting death threats. "If he were to be killed it would be a moral indictment of Colombian democracy that would risk a downward spiral into violence," argues the <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2022/05/13/the-front-runner-for-colombias-election-faces-death-threats">Economist's</a> Bello column.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Haiti</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Unidentified suspects broke into one of Haiti’s main courthouses, ransacked judges’ offices and stole items including cell phones, reports the <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/official-suspects-break-haiti-court-ransack-offices-84675143?emci=c4186102-d9d2-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=7895f4cc-dad2-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Associated Press</a>. Government officials said evidence and documents linked to cases including the July 7 presidential slaying of Jovenel Moïse and the August 2020 killing of Monferrier Dorval, head of the bar association of Port-au-Prince, were not taken because they’re in a secure location elsewhere.<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Venezuela</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Venezuela's gradual shift to the U.S. dollar is widening inequality between its public and private sector workers, as those paid in foreign currency enjoy greater purchasing power while others face prohibitive prices, reports <a href="https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2022-05-09/in-venezuela-inflation-and-dollarization-deepen-schism-between-private-and-state-employees">Reuters</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">A group of 18 progressive U.S. Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to lift all sanctions against Venezuela that “exacerbate the humanitarian situation” in the country. (<a href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/3487036-house-democrats-urge-biden-to-lift-venezuela-sanctions/?emci=c4186102-d9d2-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=7895f4cc-dad2-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">The Hill</a>)<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Brazil</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Will former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's alliance with the center -- epitomized by his careful phrasing in a campaign launch speech last weekend -- bolster his bid to return to the presidency, or sully his leftist credentials, asks Osborn in the <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/05/13/brazil-election-lula-alckmin-bolsonaro-left-center-alliance/">Latin America Brief</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Evangelical or born again Christians make up around a third of Brazil’s electorate -- in 2018 they overwhelmingly voted for President Jair Bolsonaro, and one poll found that 52% of evangelicals would vote for Bolsonaro in the first round in October, compared with 30% for Lula. (<a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2022/05/14/evangelicals-are-key-to-brazils-upcoming-election">Economist</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Brazilian First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro, is emerging as a powerful weapon in Bolsonaro's reelection bid -- targeting the female voters the president is particularly unpopular with. (<a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220513-women-don-t-like-brazil-s-bolsonaro-cue-the-first-lady?emci=c4186102-d9d2-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=7895f4cc-dad2-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">AFP</a>)<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Paraguay</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Organized crime in Paraguay has become more sophisticated in recent years due to the country's increasing role as a major hub for cocaine and marijuana trafficking -- and the assassination of its leading anti-crime prosecutor in a foreign country marks a startling escalation in the reach of organized crime, reports <a href="https://insightcrime.org/news/paraguay-grapples-changing-criminal-landscape-prosecutor-assassination/">InSight Crime</a>.<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Honduras</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Honduran lawmakers' decision to repeal a law permitting private city-states within the country has left the existing zones — known as ZEDEs or Zones for Employment and Economic Development — in legal limbo, reports <a href="https://restofworld.org/2022/crypto-libertarian-prospera-lost-legal-battle-honduras/">Rest of World</a>.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Art</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Mexico's groundbreaking natural art gallery, SFER IK Uh May, is part building, part tropical grove, and aspires to be a new kind of museum, at harmony with its surroundings and open to the kinds of art that would never make their way into MoMA or Tate, reports the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/may/11/welcome-to-the-jungle-inside-mexicos-groundbreaking-natural-art-gallery">Guardian</a>.</span></li></ul></div><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Did I miss something, get something wrong, or do you have a different take? Let me know ... <a href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><b>Latin America Daily Briefing</b></a></span></div></div></div></div></div>Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881865897476941412.post-6117439092976907442022-05-12T11:59:00.001-04:002022-05-12T11:59:35.133-04:00U.S. Summit gatekeeping offends region (May 12, 2022)<p><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Some countries in the region that condemn nondemocratic regimes in Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba still feel the Summit of the Americas invite-list kerfuffle is "yet another reminder of what they see as U.S. hubris when it comes to the hemisphere," reports the </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/05/11/us-americas-summit-boycott/" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Washington Post</a><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">. (See </span><a href="https://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/05/mexico-threatens-to-skip-summit-may-11.html" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">yesterday's post</a><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">.)</span></p><div class="Ar Au Ao" id=":2x6"><div aria-label="Message Body" aria-multiline="true" class="Am Al editable LW-avf tS-tW tS-tY" g_editable="true" hidefocus="true" id=":2x2" itacorner="6,7:1,1,0,0" role="textbox" spellcheck="false" style="direction: ltr; min-height: 328px;" tabindex="1"><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Cuba, particularly, is a flashpoint for governments nettled by U.S. gatekeeping: "CARICOM countries take the view that the Summit of the Americas is not a United States summit, which it isn’t. It is a summit of all the countries of the Americas, of which the United States is only one," Ambassador Ronald Sanders of Antigua and Barbuda told the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/05/11/us-americas-summit-boycott/">Washington Post</a>. “Does hosting the summit give you the right to decide who should or should not be representing countries of the Americas? ... Many have come to the conclusion that ... everybody should be there. That must include Cuba.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br />Honduran President Xiomara Castro joined the growing chorus of voices demanding broader inclusion. "If all the nations are not present, it is not the Summit of the Americas," she said. (<a href="https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Honduras-Rejects-Exclusion-of-Countries-in-Americas-Summit-20220512-0002.html?emci=0006866e-f7d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=984161ab-f8d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Telesur</a>)<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">"But what feels to many like Latin American solidarity, or a golden opportunity to stick it in Uncle Sam’s eye, also tells a less flattering story about the region’s current political reality—namely, a wavering commitment to democracy," writes Brian Winter in <a href="https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/what-the-summit-of-the-americas-mess-really-tells-us/">Americas Quarterly</a>. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Beyond the invite list, many fear the agenda will be thin, reports <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/11/biden-americas-summit-boycott-threats-00031717?emci=0006866e-f7d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=984161ab-f8d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Politico</a>, with few concrete plans to improve the region’s economy and trade links, while dealing more with U.S. concerns about migration. "Among Latin America hands, there’s a sense that Biden just doesn’t prioritize the region, home to some of the United States’ biggest trading partners, including Mexico."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>News Briefs</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Haiti</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Haitian gang members raped women and girls and burned people alive during turf wars over the past coupe of weeks near Port-au-Prince, the Haitian National Human Rights Defense Network said in a report detailing the bloody conflict between the rival Chen Mechan and 400 Mawozo gangs. The battles left 148 people dead, some of whom were hacked to death with machetes or died when their homes were set on fire. (<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-05-11/haiti-gangs-raped-women-burned-people-alive-during-turf-wars-rights-group?emci=0006866e-f7d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=984161ab-f8d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Reuters</a>)<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Venezuela</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Venezuelan oil production is set to get a boost from record inflows of Iranian crude, which is mixed with local production, a lifeline for the Maduro government, reports <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-11/record-iranian-oil-flows-to-venezuela-signal-production-rebound?emci=0006866e-f7d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=984161ab-f8d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Bloomberg</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Some Venezuelan public companies will offer a small portion of their shares on the local stock market, as a way of boosting resources and maintaining operations, President Nicolás Maduro announced yesterday. (<a href="https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/venezuela-to-sell-up-to-10-of-shares-in-some-state-companies-maduro">Reuters</a>)</span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Regional</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The brazen killing of Paraguayan prosecutor Marcelo Pecci on a Colombian beach has shocked people in both countries. The assassination of a key South American partner of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration appeared to underscore the dangers of investigating drug trafficking in Latin America, reports the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/05/11/colombia-paraguay-prosecutor-marcelo-pecci/">Washington Post</a>. (See <a href="https://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/05/mexico-threatens-to-skip-summit-may-11.html">yesterday's briefs</a>.)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Brazil’s consumer prices in April rose 12.13 percent over the same period a year ago, the highest inflation rate the country has faced since 2003. Headline inflation also topped forecasts in Peru, Colombia and Chile, reports <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-11/brazil-s-consumer-prices-rise-more-than-forecast-on-food-costs?srnd=fixed-income&emci=0006866e-f7d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=984161ab-f8d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Bloomberg</a>.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Brazil</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has spearheaded land-titling distribution, particularly in the country's agricultural south, in an effort to shore up rural voter support, reports <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-11/bolsonaro-looks-to-brazil-s-south-to-shore-up-election-support">Bloomberg</a>. In Bolsonaro’s first three years in office, more deeds were distributed than in 13 years of Workers' Party governments.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The Nobel prize-winning author Mario Vargas Llosa has declared a preference for Bolsonaro over Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as Brazil prepares to head to the polls later this year, reports the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/12/author-mario-vargas-llosa-backs-bolsonaro-over-lula-in-brazil-election">Guardian</a>.<br /></span></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Costa Rica<br /></i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves took office on Sunday. The former minister and World Bank economist launched his mandate with a series of decrees that all addressed economic issues including the cost of energy, the cost of food, the cost of medicine, the composition of the country’s tax basket, and aiding agricultural supply chains. -- <a href="https://boz.substack.com/p/politics-and-polls-11-may-2022?s=r">Latin America Risk Report</a></span></li></ul><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Peru</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Peruvian President Pedro Castillo signed a 45-day extension to the state of emergency order that has been in place in five provinces of La Libertad Department, the country's illegal coal mining heartland, after regional leaders requested help to stop a wave of gang violence, reports <a href="https://insightcrime.org/news/gangs-kill-take-over-illegal-coal-mining-in-western-peru/">InSight Crime</a>.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>El Salvador</i></span></div></div></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Credit agencies are increasingly concerned that El Salvador could default, though President Nayib Bukele said there was "zero risk." Bukele announced that his government had bought 500 bitcoins, its largest purchase of the cryptocurrency to date, as the cryptocurrency value has plummeted more than 50% from its all-time highs. (<a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2022-05-11/el-salvador-reveals-plans-for-bitcoin-city-amid-fears-of-default.html?emci=0006866e-f7d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=984161ab-f8d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">El País</a>)</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Mexico<br /></i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Thousands of women in Mexico took to the streets on Sunday, Mothers' Day, to demand government action in response to their relatives' disappearances. Relatives of Mexico’s disappeared march every year, but this year, they were joined by a caravan of Central American mothers searching for loved ones who went missing while on their journey to the United States, reports <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/10/mexico-women-march-to-demand-justice-answers-for-disappeared?emci=0006866e-f7d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=984161ab-f8d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Al Jazeera</a>. <br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">An estimated 3 million peach trees across 6,000 hectares in Mexico's Zacatecas state have been abandoned by farmers fleeing cartel violence in the area, reports <a href="https://insightcrime.org/news/mexican-peach-farmers-displaced-amidst-violence-zacatecas/">InSight Crime</a>.<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Regional Relations</i></span><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Argentine President Alberto Fernández said "protectionism" in some European sectors was the biggest challenge for a free trade agreement between the Mercosur bloc, and the European Union. (<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/argentina-president-says-protectionism-some-european-sectors-biggest-challenge-2022-05-11/?emci=0006866e-f7d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=984161ab-f8d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Reuters</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has stopped stationing a plane in Mexico for anti-narcotics operations for the first time in decades, after Mexican officials rescinded its parking spot, reports <a href="https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/crime-pmn/u-s-anti-drugs-agency-pulls-plane-from-mexico-in-fresh-cooperation-blow?emci=0006866e-f7d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=984161ab-f8d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Reuters</a>. It's the latest hit to joint cooperation against drug crime between the two countries.</span></li></ul></div></div></div><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: 700;">Did I miss something, get something wrong, or do you have a different take? Let me know ... </i><a href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Latin America Daily Briefing</span></b></a></div></div></div></div></div>Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881865897476941412.post-38876718711338075782022-05-11T12:27:00.003-04:002022-05-11T12:27:20.044-04:00Mexico threatens to skip Summit (May 11, 2022)<p><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said he would not attend next month’s Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles if the Biden administration excludes Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. Mexico's leader said he wants all the countries in the region to be invited. It is unclear whether the US will invite Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. (</span><a href="https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202205/1265349.shtml?emci=5775751e-36d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=ece96145-37d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Reuters</a><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">, see </span><a href="https://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/04/cuba-accuses-us-of-excluding-from.html" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">April 26's post</a><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">)</span></p><div class="Ar Au Ao" id=":4d7"><div aria-label="Message Body" aria-multiline="true" class="Am Al editable LW-avf tS-tW tS-tY" g_editable="true" hidefocus="true" id=":4d3" itacorner="6,7:1,1,0,0" role="textbox" spellcheck="false" style="direction: ltr; min-height: 328px;" tabindex="1"><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">He is the latest leader to voice concern over the invite list, after Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders discussed a collective boycott of the summit if nations are excluded and criticized the U.S. plan to invite Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó. Today Bolivia's President Luis Arce joined AMLO's stance. Argentina, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, also issued an appeal this month to avoid excluding any governments. (<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuba-mexico-venezuela-nicaragua-marcelo-ebrard-ce3ce6d649de9ee19b5c6484ae785ba8?emci=5775751e-36d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=ece96145-37d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Associated Press</a>, <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/bolivias-arce-warns-may-not-152734257.html">Associated Press</a>, and <a href="https://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/05/nicaragua-to-shut-down-further-50-ngos.html">Friday's briefs</a>)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Separately, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has told his aides he won't be going, but gave no reason why, reports <a href="https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202205/1265349.shtml?emci=5775751e-36d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=ece96145-37d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Reuters</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Despite the voices of protest, most leaders who are invited will likely attend, predicts James Bosworth at the <a href="https://boz.substack.com/p/region-the-pre-summit-mess?s=r">Latin America Risk Report</a>. "The expected controversy is that there is a fight over who is invited, who is not invited and who may or may not attend. This happens at essentially every regional meeting."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>More Summit</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Lack of excitement about the meeting in general is perhaps "testimony to a hemisphere exhausted by the pandemic, record migration, political polarization and the worsening effects of climate change," according to <a href="https://americasquarterly.org/article/new-aq-california-dreaming-ambition-needed-at-summit-of-the-americas/">Americas Quarterly</a>, which dedicated its latest issue to opportunities for cooperation that could bolster the meeting's agenda.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">A renewed commitment to democracy could also help stop the erosion of freedoms and institutions being seen in many countries, writes <a href="https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/at-bidens-summit-leaders-should-summon-the-spirit-of-1994/">AS/COA’s Eric Farnsworth</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/this-can-be-done-in-honduras-farmers-adapt-to-a-changing-climate/">John Otis</a> writes about how some Honduran farmers are adapting to climate change instead of migrating. But funding is scarce for strategies that include crop rotation, diversification, and other adjustments.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">And in Haiti, the international community should reconfigure its approach to aid, and target micro-loans to small-scale farmers, argues <a href="https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/haitians-deserve-a-rethink-on-international-aid/">Michèle Duvivier Pierre-Louis</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The U.S. Biden administration is working on a proposal to bolster economies in Latin America and strengthen ties with the region ahead of the summit meeting, reports <a href="https://batimes.com.ar/news/economy/us-seeks-to-bolster-latin-american-economies-to-curb-migration.phtml">Bloomberg</a>. The framework would seek to set a new course for economic integration with the region and create an environment of stability to help attract private investment in countries where a lack of development and opportunities have spurred outward migration.</span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">---------------------------------------------------------------------</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Bolsonaro's fight against the Brazil's electoral system</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">In their influential 2018 book “How Democracies Die” Levitsky and Ziblatt argued that rather than staging an open coup, modern leaders may subvert the democratic process by repeatedly undermining institutions. In the runup to the October election, President Jair Bolsonaro appears to be following their script closely, reports the <a href="https://brazilresearchinitiative.org/bolsonaros-increasing-electoral-mischief/">Brazil Research Initiative</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Since 2018 Bolsonaro and his supporters have stoking baseless rumors about the integrity of the voting process, and particularly focused on sabotaging the reputation of Brazil’s well-regarded electronic voting system. The president alone is accused of making more than 5,000 false or distorted statements to date, including repeated attacks against the country's electoral court and the Supreme Court. (<a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/05/04/bolsonaro-brazil-election-2022-disinformation-misinformation-digital-social-media/">Foreign Policy</a>)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Bolsonaro's questioning of Brazil's electronic voting system and clashes with the judiciary have cost him the votes of Brazilian moderates and stalled recent gains, according to a Genial/Quaest poll released today. In fact, Bolsonaro's persistent allegations against the country's long-established electronic voting system have not lessened voter faith in it: distrust of electronic voting machines among Brazilians has fallen, to 22% of the electorate from 27% in September. (<a href="https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/bolsonaro-attacks-on-brazil-voting-system-losing-him-moderate-voters--poll-says/47584436">Reuters</a>)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Another Bolsonaro move that drove away moderate voters was granting a pardon to his ally Congressman Daniel Silveira hours after the Supreme Court sentenced him to jail for threats against the judiciary and Brazil's democratic system. The poll showed 45% of voters disagreed with the pardon while 30% approved of it. (<a href="https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/bolsonaro-attacks-on-brazil-voting-system-losing-him-moderate-voters--poll-says/47584436">Reuters</a>)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>More Brazil</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Brazilian presidential candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva remains firmly in the lead for October's election, with 40.6 percent of voter intentions against 32 percent for Bolsonaro according to a new opinion poll by CNT/MDA released yesterday. But Bolsonaro gained ground in recent polls. (<a href="https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/reuters/lula-s-lead-narrows-in-brazil-election-race--mda-poll/47582058">Reuters</a>)</span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>News Briefs</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Regional Relations</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">U.S. government officials in March asked Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobras whether it could increase crude output after Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent global prices soaring, but were told that output levels respond to business strategy rather than diplomacy, reports <a href="https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2022-05-10/exclusive-u-s-asked-brazils-petrobras-if-it-could-raise-oil-output-it-said-no-sources">Reuters</a>. Petrobras officials reportedly also said that a significant short-term production boost would not be logistically possible.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said he prevented “dangerous things” from happening during the time President Donald Trump was in office, including military intervention in Venezuela and a blockade of Cuba. “At various times, certainly during the last year of the administration, folks in the White House were proposing to take military action against Venezuela," Esper said in an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes. At some point, he said, “somebody proposed we blockade Cuba.” (<a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article261257882.html?emci=5775751e-36d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=ece96145-37d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Miami Herald</a>)</span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Honduras<br /></i></span><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández pleaded not guilty to drug charges in a U.S. federal court yesterday. Prosecutors allege he was part of an international trafficking network that moved 500 tons of cocaine over two decades. (<a href="https://insightcrime.org/news/former-honduras-president-pleads-not-guilty/,">InSight Crime</a>, see <a href="https://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/05/44-killed-in-ecuador-prison-riot-may-10.html">yesterday's briefs</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Also yesterday, former Honduras National Police Chief Juan Carlos Bonilla Valladares, better known as “El Tigre,” was extradited to the U.S. to face drug charges in the same New York court. The two cases "offer a stark display of how drug money infiltrated the highest rungs of government and law enforcement in Honduras," according to <a href="https://insightcrime.org/news/former-honduras-president-pleads-not-guilty/">InSight Crime</a>. (See <a href="https://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/05/44-killed-in-ecuador-prison-riot-may-10.html">yesterday's briefs</a>.)<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Haiti</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">U.S. authorities charged a leader of a violent Haitian gang with conspiracy to commit hostage-taking for his alleged role in the brazen kidnapping of 16 American missionaries with an Ohio-based charity in the Haitian capital last year. (<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/05/10/haiti-kidnapping-germine-joly-charged/?emci=5775751e-36d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=ece96145-37d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Washington Post</a>)<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Mexico</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Eleven journalists have been killed in Mexico so far this year, a significant increase in violence even in a country that has long been one of the most dangerous in the world for media workers. There is no single cause, reports the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/05/10/mexico-journalists-killed/?emci=5775751e-36d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=ece96145-37d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Washington Post</a>. "Instead, the deaths point to the wide range of threats that journalists here face daily — and the impunity that allows their killers to act without fear of consequence."</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Ecuador</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Imprisonment is nearly “a death sentence” in Ecuador, warned Amnesty International yesterday, after 44 prison inmates were killed in a jail massacre on Monday. (<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/10/ecuador-imprisonment-almost-a-death-sentence-amnesty?emci=5775751e-36d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=ece96145-37d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Al Jazeera</a>, see <a href="https://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/05/44-killed-in-ecuador-prison-riot-may-10.html">yesterday's post</a>.)<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>El Salvador</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">A woman in El Salvador has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the death of her unborn child following an obstetric emergency. El Salvador is known for its draconian prohibitions against abortion, which have resulted in decades-long sentences for women who suffered obstetric complications, but this case is the first of its kind in the past seven years in the country, reports <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/10/el-salvador-woman-jailed-following-obstetric-emergency-rights-group?emci=5775751e-36d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=ece96145-37d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Al Jazeera</a>.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Colombia</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Colombia's highest court legalized abortion in February, the latest in a regional string of reproductive rights victories. But the court's narrow 5-4 decision legalizing abortion has also provoked backlash, illustrating some of the green wave's challenges, reports <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/05/10/1097570784/colombia-legalized-abortions-for-the-first-24-weeks-of-pregnancy-a-backlash-ensu?emci=5775751e-36d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=ece96145-37d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">NPR</a>.</span></li></ul></div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Argentina<br /></i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Argentine President Alberto Fernández responded to criticisms from Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who said last week that the government has "disappointed" its voters. Her view is partial and doesn't take into account pandemic difficulties, Fernández told <a href="https://elpais.com/argentina/2022-05-10/alberto-fernandez-la-de-cristina-es-una-mirada-parcial-que-desatiende-que-vivimos-una-pandemia.html">El País</a> in an interview, in which he welcomed debate but demanded mutual respect.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">A group of Argentine ruling party lawmakers presented a bill to create a "universal basic salary," which would apply for unemployed people and low-income workers. The proposal has the backing of the social development ministry, but not the economic ministry, highlighting the government's internal rifts, reports <a href="https://www.baenegocios.com/politica/Diputados-oficialistas-presentaron-un-proyecto-de-Salario-Basico-Universal-20220510-0173.html">Bae Negocios</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Fernández said yesterday that he will seek reelection during the 2023 presidential elections. (<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-05-10/argentinas-president-fernandez-says-he-will-seek-reelection-in-2023?emci=5775751e-36d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=ece96145-37d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Reuters</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Fernández and the first lady, Fabiola Yánez, offered to pay three million pesos in damages for a birthday party held in the official residence while Argentina was in strict Covid-19 lockdown in 2020. (<a href="https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/fabiola-yanez-ofrecio-1400000-para-cerrar-la-causa-judicial-por-el-festejo-de-su-cumpleanos-en-nid10052022/">La Nación</a>)</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Paraguay</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Paraguay’s prosecutor of organized crime and drug trafficking cases was slain Tuesday by gunmen on a Colombian beach. (<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-colombia-social-media-drug-trafficking-0efaccd71df5e6c301d665d3c4792a8c?emci=5775751e-36d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=ece96145-37d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Associated Press</a>)<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Peru</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Peru will increase public spending in mining regions in a bid to de-escalate social conflicts that have impacted mining output, announced the country's finance minister yesterday. (<a href="https://kfgo.com/2022/05/10/peru-to-increase-public-spending-in-mining-regions-to-curb-social-conflicts/?emci=5775751e-36d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=ece96145-37d1-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=4606001">Reuters</a>)</span></li></ul></div><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="ltr"><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: 700;"><br class="gmail-Apple-interchange-newline" /></i><div dir="ltr"><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: 700;">Did I miss something, get something wrong, or do you have a different take? Let me know ... </i></div><div dir="ltr"><a href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Latin America Daily Briefing</span></b></a></div></div></div></div></div>Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881865897476941412.post-32943238876203276682022-05-10T10:23:00.000-04:002022-05-10T10:23:50.804-04:0044 killed in Ecuador prison riot (May 10, 2022)<p><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">At least 44 inmates were killed in Ecuador's latest prison riot, yesterday. The uprising started in the morning and ended in the afternoon when more than 200 police commandos retook control of the maximum-security wing of the Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas prison. Gruesome pictures on social media showed mutilated bodies strewn in a courtyard in the jail, images that have become almost commonplace in Ecuador. It was the country's sixth prison massacre since the beginning of 2021, with a collective death toll of nearly 400 inmates. The most recent prison uprising was last month, in which 20 inmates were killed. (</span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/09/ecuador-prison-riot-leaves-scores-dead" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Guardian</a><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="https://apnews.com/article/prisons-caribbean-ecuador-prison-riots-quito-a0ec20dc9e32da2e3eee7588a45a5b21" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Associated Press</a><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">)</span></p><div class="Ar Au Ao" id=":1g1"><div aria-label="Message Body" aria-multiline="true" class="Am Al editable LW-avf tS-tW tS-tY" g_editable="true" hidefocus="true" id=":1fx" itacorner="6,7:1,1,0,0" role="textbox" spellcheck="false" style="direction: ltr; min-height: 328px;" tabindex="1"><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Authorities said 220 prisoners escaped during yesterday's violence, of which 112 had been recaptured. Most of those killed were stabbed to death, according to Patricio Carrillo, Ecuador’s interior minister, who noted that the riot was caused by a conflict between criminal gangs. (<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/09/world/americas/ecuador-prison-riot.html">New York Times</a>) On April 30, Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso declared a state of emergency in three coastal provinces: Esmeraldas, Guayas and Manabí. Throughout 2021 and this year, violence between drug gangs in these areas has soared, reports <a href="https://insightcrime.org/noticias/colombian-and-mexican-cartels-pick-sides-in-ecuadors-drug-war/">InSight Crime</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The violence has spiked to unprecedented levels fuelled by rivalry between international drug trafficking gangs vying for control of lucrative cocaine trade routes. The evolution of Ecuador's violent clashes between criminal groups follows the evolution of rivalries at the heart of Colombia's and Mexico's drug wars have evolved over the years, according to <a href="https://insightcrime.org/noticias/colombian-and-mexican-cartels-pick-sides-in-ecuadors-drug-war/">InSight Crime</a>, with a repeating pattern of splintering groups, changing leaders and evolving trafficking routes.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">But massive overpopulation in penitentiaries contributes to violence, reported <a href="https://insightcrime.org/news/ecuadors-prison-slaughterhouse-a-warning-to-rest-of-latin-america/">InSight Crime</a> last year. The country's prisons house 35,000 people and are overcrowded at about 15% beyond maximum capacity. A government committee created last year to study conditions in the country's prisons found that despicable conditions had turned prisons into "human warehouses and centers of torture." </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has said the system is blighted by state abandonment and the absence of a comprehensive policy, as well as poor conditions for inmates. (<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/ecuadors-latest-prison-riot-leaves-least-43-dead-2022-05-09/">Reuters</a>) At least 316 people died while incarcerated in Ecuador in 2021, according to a report in March released by the commission. The majority of those killed were young and accused of minor crimes, and some were waiting to be released, the report found. (<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/05/09/ecuador-prison-riot-gangs-los-lobos-r7/">Washington Post</a>)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Some advocates also say government apathy towards inmates is behind the violent scenes. Even in instances when intelligence networks or family members have warned of imminent bloodshed, authorities have been slow to take action, Vianca Gavilanes, a lawyer for the inmates' rights NGO Dignity Foundation, told <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220407-ecuador-s-deadly-prison-riots-show-no-signs-of-slowing">AFP</a> last month.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">At the time of yesterday's riot, the Santo Domingo de las Tsáchilas prison housed more than 1,600 detainees, nearly double its original capacity of 905, according to official records. Only 25 officers were on duty for the entire prison<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">In February, President Guillermo Lasso began a new policy aimed at increasing access to food, health care and work, among other things, for prisoners. To help reduce overcrowding, he also ordered the release of about 5,000 prisoners, including those who had committed minor crimes and had served more than half their sentence. (<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/09/world/americas/ecuador-prison-riot.html">New York Times</a>)<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>News Briefs</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Regional</i></span><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The potential overturning of Roe v Wade in the U.S. has put a spotlight on Latin American feminist movements. In Argentina the legalization of abortion in 2020 builds on a long history of activism, and massive mobilizations that included demands for reproductive rights along with broader protests against multiple forms of gender violence, writes Verónica Gago, a Ni Una Menos leader, in the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/may/10/abortion-roe-v-wade-latin-america">Guardian</a>.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Mexico</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Two more Mexican media workers, Yesenia Mollinedo Falconi and Sheila Johana García Olivera, were assassinated yesterday – taking the 2022 death toll to 11, in what has long been one of the most dangerous countries in the world for reporters. Advocates accuse President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of failing to respond to the ongoing media security crisis, while critics say his public attacks on journalists have fueled the violence. (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/09/mexico-journalists-killed-slaughter-amlo">Guardian</a>)<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Regional Relations</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said the country would hire over 500 Cuban doctors to help make up for a shortage of medical professionals, and that it will purchase COVID-19 vaccines from Cuba. Cuba and Mexico signed an agreement to expand cooperation in public health, this weekend, when AMLO visited the island. (<a href="https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/reuters/mexico-president-says-hiring-cuban-doctors--praises-cuban-counterpart/47578670">Reuters</a>)<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Honduras</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández is due to appear in U.S. federal court for the first time today for his arraignment, where he is expected to plead not guilty to three counts of drug trafficking and illegal use of weapons. His defense team plans to call high-profile witnesses -- including Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Donald Trump -- to prove he was an ally in the war on drugs, reports <a href="https://www.univision.com/univision-news/united-states/former-honduran-president-hernandez-legal-dream-team-new-york">Univisión</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Former Honduran police chief Juan Carlos Bonilla is scheduled to be deported to the U.S. today, where he faces drug trafficking and weapons charges. Better known as "El Tigre," he faced allegations of human rights abuses during his time in command. (<a href="https://www.efe.com/efe/america/sociedad/el-exdirector-de-la-policia-honduras-sera-extraditado-a-ee-uu-martes/20000013-4802203">EFE</a>)</span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Brazil</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Social media mobs, with the blessings of Brazil’s “cabinet of hate,” are trolling the Amazon rainforest, write Robert Muggah and Mac Margolis in the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/05/09/brazil-climate-change-misinformation-catastrophe-amazon-basin/?request-id=90d751a7-f329-43d6-a77a-1601945cb0d0&pml=1&pml=1">Washington Post</a>. "Throw in Brazil’s penchant for culture wars and caustic polarization, along with one of the planet’s worst environmental crises, and you have the makings of a climate misinformation catastrophe."<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">A second term for Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro would be even more disastrous than the first has been, argues Oliver Stuenkel in <a href="https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/why-reelection-would-embolden-bolsonaro/">Americas Quarterly</a>. "He would likely use a second term to intensify his most aggressive postures, following the example of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, leaders for whom Bolsonaro has expressed support."</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Costa Rica</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles started his term by declaring a national emergency this weekend — a belated response to a ransomware attack by the Russia-based Conti gang that has disrupted government agencies for more than a month, reports the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/10/costa-rica-shows-damage-ransomware-can-do-country/">Washington Post</a>.<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Bolivia</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The trial against Bolivia's former interim president Jeanine Añez was suspended last week in response to an unconstitutionality appeal submitted by the defense, and no date to resume the trial has been announced. The problematic trial lays bare the country’s political polarization and lack of due process, write James Bosworth and Lucy Hale in the <a href="https://boz.substack.com/p/bolivia-the-trial-of-jeanine-anez?s=r">Latin</a><a href="https://boz.substack.com/p/bolivia-the-trial-of-jeanine-anez?s=r"> America Risk Report</a>.<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Language</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Inclusive language is increasingly becoming a hot-button issue in the so-called culture wars raging throughout much of Latin America, write Ezequiel González Camaño and Rich Brown in <a href="https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/hola-a-todes-language-becomes-a-political-battleground-in-latin-america/">Americas Quarterly</a>.<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">--<br /></span></div></div><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><a href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Latin America Daily Briefing</span></b></a></div></div></div></div></div>Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881865897476941412.post-56057132273302313172022-05-09T11:59:00.003-04:002022-05-09T11:59:18.051-04:00Gulf Clan carried out 4 day paro armado (May 9, 2022)<p><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Colombia's feared Gulf Clan cartel shut down cities, towns and villages across the country's north for four days, starting last Thursday, in retaliation for the extradition to the United States of its former leader, Dairo Antonio Úsuga, better known as Otoniel. At least six people were killed and 180 vehicles attacked as part of the move, reports</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="https://www.infobae.com/america/colombia/2022/05/09/clan-del-golfo-anuncio-el-fin-del-paro-armado-invitamos-a-nuestra-base-social-a-continuar-sus-actividades-cotidianas/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Infobae</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">. The armed group imposed strict curfews on communities, burning vehicles and blocking off highways. Militiamen blocked main roads and forbidden everyone to venture out, even to buy food, reports the</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/08/gulf-clan-cartel-armed-strike-colombia-otoniel-dairo-antonio-usuga" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Guardian</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">. The group, which calls itself the Autodefensas Gaitanistas, lifted the measure today.</span></p><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">It is not the first time the Urabeños, as the Gulf Clan is also known, have mounted such nationwide demonstrations of force, reports <a href="https://insightcrime.org/news/urabenos-seek-to-paralyze-parts-of-colombia-after-otoniels-extradition/" style="color: #1155cc;">InSight Crime</a>. Indeed, "the paro armado has been a common way for Colombian armed actors to show their power when their leaders are killed or arrested, when they face military operations or ahead of national elections."</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">But previous shutdowns haven't reached the same levels of violence and simultaneity in multiple regions as this one. Analysts say the Gulf Clan's move evinces the failure of President Iván Duque's security strategy, reports <a href="https://www.france24.com/es/am%C3%A9rica-latina/20220508-colombia-paro-armado-clan-del-golfo-otoniel-elecciones-violencia" style="color: #1155cc;">France 24</a>.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Otoniel’s capture was hailed by U.S. and Colombian authorities as a major blow against drug traffickers, but police say that two of his lieutenants, known as Gonzalito and Chiquito Malo, have taken command of the militia, which is believed to have as many as 2,000 fighters, and in addition to drug trafficking is also involved in people trafficking, extortion, kidnapping for ransom, and forced recruitment of children. (See <a href="https://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/05/nicaragua-to-shut-down-further-50-ngos.html" style="color: #1155cc;">Friday's briefs</a>.)<br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>News Briefs</b></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Brazil</i></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva formally launched his much anticipated presidential bid for Brazil's October elections, this weekend. The former leader is challenging incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro, and posited Brazilians' choice as one between democracy or authoritarianism; truth or lies; tolerance or obscurantism; education or automatic rifles; environmental preservation or depredation. "Never was it easier to choose – and never was it so important to make the right choice," he said. (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/08/how-lula-allies-hope-he-will-end-bolsonaro-era" style="color: #1155cc;">Guardian</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon surged to record levels for the month of April, to 1,012.5 square km.Preliminary data for last month shows that nearly double the area of forest was removed as in the same month last year, which was already a record, reports <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/07/record-after-record-brazils-amazon-deforestation-hits-april-high-nearly-double-previous-peak" style="color: #1155cc;">Reuters</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Brazilian buyers have managed to continue purchasing Russian fertilizer, a crucial commodity for the country's food production, despite dire predictions that Russia's invasion of Ukraine and ensuing sanctions would lead to agricultural shortages, reports the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/08/world/americas/brazil-russian-fertilizer-sanctions.html" style="color: #1155cc;">New York Times</a>.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Cuba</i></span></div></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">At least 31 people were killed and a further 54 injured in a powerful explosion that destroyed parts of a luxury hotel in central Havana on Friday morning. Speaking at the scene soon afterwards, the Cuban president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, ruled out a bomb, and said the Hotel Saratoga blast was likely caused by a gas leak. The hotel was under renovation and not open to guests at the time. (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/06/havana-explosion-cuba-latest-hotel-saratoga" style="color: #1155cc;">Guardian</a>, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-business-health-explosions-cuba-6514f487aa8e789f8bb7947c44de02eb" style="color: #1155cc;">Associated Press</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/06/world/americas/cuba-explosion-havana-hotel.html" style="color: #1155cc;">New York Times</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The explosion comes as Cuba struggles to relaunch its economically crucial tourist industry after Covid-19, reports the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/06/cuba-tourism-recovery-pandemic" style="color: #1155cc;">Guardian</a>.</span></li></ul></div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Regional Relations</i></span><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador carried a five-day, migration-themed tour of four Central American countries and Cuba, reports <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220508-mexican-president-presses-for-end-to-us-sanctions-on-cuba?emci=f7c7a71d-a3cf-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=25846d1f-a4cf-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">AFP</a>. In Havana yesterday he called for an end to US sanctions against Cuba.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">AMLO met with El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, on Friday. Comments on their meeting focused on concerns about immigration and the Mexican president's desire for development aid so that people in Central America won't feel forced to emigrate, reports the <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/mexican-leader-meets-salvador-president-amid-crackdown-84554779?emci=f7c7a71d-a3cf-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=25846d1f-a4cf-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Associated Press</a>. Concerns about rights violations in El Salvador in relation to Bukele's massive crackdown on street gangs did not come up publicly.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Yesterday in Havana AMLO said he will emphasize to his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden that no country should be left out of the U.S.-hosted Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles in June, reports <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexico-president-says-no-country-should-be-excluded-americas-summit-2022-05-08/?emci=f7c7a71d-a3cf-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=25846d1f-a4cf-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Reuters</a>. (See <a href="https://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/05/nicaragua-to-shut-down-further-50-ngos.html" style="color: #1155cc;">Friday's briefs</a>.)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">If the U.S. Supreme Court votes to overturn Roe v Wade, many U.S. residents in need of surgical abortion could be forced to travel across international borders, a return to practises of many decades ago. Options now would include the northern border to Canada and the southern one to Mexico, reports the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/may/09/canada-mexico-abortions-american" style="color: #1155cc;">Guardian</a>. Mexican advocates are preparing for an increase U.S. residents visiting to access abortion services.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Guatemala</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">A Guatemalan judge ruled Friday that nine former police and military officers will stand trial for a range of alleged crimes, including forced disappearances, torture and killings during the country’s civil war, reports the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/ex-guatemala-officers-to-stand-trial-for-civil-war-crimes/2022/05/06/0f3d0ee0-cd77-11ec-b7ee-74f09d827ca6_story.html?emci=f7c7a71d-a3cf-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=25846d1f-a4cf-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Associated Press</a>.<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Peru</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Peru's Congress rejected a bill presented by President Pedro Castillo to call a referendum to change the constitution, on Friday. The proposal, which fulfilled a Castillo campaign promise, called for a constitutional assembly to redraft Peru's Constitution of 1993. It was rejected by a congressional commission with 11 votes against and six votes in favor, reports <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/peruvian-congress-rejects-presidents-bill-change-constitution-2022-05-06/?emci=f7c7a71d-a3cf-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=25846d1f-a4cf-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Reuters</a>.</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Ecuador<br /></i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Ecuador’s Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric project has become a lightning rod for debate around China’s preferred form of international cooperation -- loans for large infrastructure projects. "Critics of Chinese global economic expansion have seized on Coca Codo Sinclair as a symbol of the danger of China’s influence in Latin America," writes Julie Radomski at the <a href="https://aulablog.net/2022/05/06/ecuador-is-coca-codo-sinclair-a-bellwether-for-china-in-latin-america/" style="color: #1155cc;">AULA blog</a>. While "other observers argue that the project’s downsides are a result of national institutional failures, irrespective of the “Chineseness” of its finance, engineering, and construction."<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Belgium has refused to extradite Ecuador's former president Rafael Correa, after Brussels recently granted him asylum. Correa was sentenced in absentia to eight years in prison in Ecuador in relation to a corruption case, reports <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/belgium-denies-ecuadors-extradition-request-093812293.html?emci=f7c7a71d-a3cf-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=25846d1f-a4cf-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">AFP</a>.<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Chile</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Chilean President Gabriel Boric's honeymoon ended abruptly after just a month in office -- three April surveys found that more people now disapprove of the leader than support him. The drop is partially related to voter discontent as the government ends pandemic-era financial aid, reports the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/7e815895-db44-4fcf-abf3-6cf3b518baa3?emci=f7c7a71d-a3cf-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=25846d1f-a4cf-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Financial Times</a>.</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Argentina<br /></i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Argentine Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner lambasted her own government’s management of the economy in a speech on Friday, fueling already high tensions with President Alberto Fernández, reports <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-06/argentina-vice-president-kirchner-slams-government-over-economy?emci=f7c7a71d-a3cf-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=25846d1f-a4cf-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Bloomberg</a>.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>More Colombia</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Colombian vice presidential candidate Francia Márquez has cracked open a discussion about race and class in a manner rarely seen in the country's national politics, reports the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/06/world/americas/francia-marquez-colombia-vp.html" style="color: #1155cc;">New York Times</a>.</span></li></ul><div><b><i><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Thank you to Jordi Amaral and Arianna Kohan for their expert work on the Briefing last week. Glad to be back!</span></i></b></div></div><div><a href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Latin America Daily Briefing</span></b></a></div></div>Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881865897476941412.post-4368335664574161232022-05-06T10:28:00.004-04:002022-05-06T10:28:28.433-04:00Nicaragua to shut down a further 50 NGOs (May 6, 2022)<p><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nicaragua’s Ortega-allied parliament voted on Wednesday to shut down 50 non-profit organizations due to alleged non-compliance with established regulations, reports </span><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-61333797?emci=c7559162-77cc-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=473d0684-78cc-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=9780675" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">BBC</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. One pro-government lawmaker claimed, “many of these NGOs, which also operate as microfinance companies and have lucrative activities, can perfectly continue to operate under the regulation of the Ministry of Commerce,” reports </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/nicaragua-shuts-down-more-than-two-dozen-ngos-critical-ortega-2022-04-20/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reuters</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. In reality, however, these NGOs mainly focus on human rights, education, and medical care, and have routinely and publicly criticized the Ortega government. Furthermore, BBC notes that “representatives of some of the NGOs closed down under previous decrees said that they had tried to hand in the required documents but that the relevant authorities had refused to receive them.” 144 total organizations have been banned so far this year, most of which have criticized the regime at some point or another. </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-f4d00261-7fff-3301-dcaf-7caca3460eba"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last August, the Nicaraguan legislature had ordered the closure of 15 NGOs, resulting in a total of 45 NGOs closed down by the government canceling their permits for operation in the month of August 2021 alone (</span><a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-caribbean-nicaragua-705301837f2701bfbd2ecf95fbcb6da5" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">AP</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">). 55 total NGOs had been shut down at the time, with the other 10 coming after the outbreak of protests in 2018. Ortega won a highly criticized 4th term last November in an election which was widely viewed as neither free nor fair, with many of his top opponents either jailed or forced into exile. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">More Nicaragua</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">US sanctions on Russia and Venezuela have left Daniel Ortega and his inner circle without their usual sources for economic relief as they suffer under their own US-imposed sanctions. This has prompted Laureano Ortega, son of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo and expected eventual successor to the regime, to reach out to the US to resume diplomatic negotiations, reports the </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/05/world/americas/nicaragua-ruling-family-us.html?referringSource=articleShare" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">New York Times</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></p></li></ul><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">News Briefs</span></h2><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Americas</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Catherine Osborn covers the green wave and abortion rights victories in Latin America in </span><a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/05/06/mexico-argentina-brazil-abortion-united-states-roe-wade-green-tide/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Foreign Policy</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’s Latin America Brief. </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">El Salvador</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">El Salvador’s National Police announced yesterday on </span><a href="https://twitter.com/pncsv/status/1522350747370799104?s=21&t=tefX-u9HTRuEKAiyCXVqxg" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Twitter</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> that they received a large quantity of arms and equipment from the country’s Ministry of Security. The weaponry delivery is ostensibly to help the police as they crack down on gang members in urban areas.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Brazil</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bolsonaro continues to attack Brazil’s Supreme Court, write Jordi Amaral and James Bosworth at the </span><a href="https://boz.substack.com/p/brazil-bolsonaros-feud-with-the-stf?s=w" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Latin America Risk Report</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, diving into their growing feud. “All indications are that Bolsonaro will continue to ramp up his attacks on institutions over the coming months, doing his best to muddy the waters prior to the upcoming October elections.” </span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bolsonaro announced yesterday that his party would hire a private company to run a private audit of the upcoming presidential elections, says </span><a href="https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/poder/2022/05/bolsonaro-diz-que-fara-auditoria-privada-nas-urnas-e-adota-tom-de-ameaca-ao-tse.shtml" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Folha</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. This comes amid Bolsonaro’s misleading claims of the potential of election fraud and his attacks on the electoral court. </span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">More than 2 million 16- to 18-year olds registered to vote between January and April of this year, reports </span><a href="https://www.estadao.com.br/politica/brasil-ganha-2-milhoes-de-eleitores-entre-16-e-18-anos-em-quatro-meses/?utm_source=estadao:twitter" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Estadão</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. This is an increase in comparison to the same period prior to the previous two presidential elections in 2018 and 2014. Youth voters are more likely to support Lula than Bolsonaro. </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mexico</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Luis Enrique Ramirez becomes the 9th journalist killed in Mexico this year, amidst rising press-related violence in the country, says </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/ninth-journalist-killed-mexico-this-year-foreign-criticism-mounts-2022-05-05/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reuters</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. 34 journalists have been killed during the AMLO administration, and the violence shows no signs of stopping.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mexico has declined to publish a report by Norwegian firm DNV that analyzes the collapse of Line 12 of the Metro due to an alleged conflict of interest, according to local governor Claudia Sheinbaum. (</span><a href="https://www.animalpolitico.com/2022/05/gobierno-cdmx-informe-linea-12-empresa-dnv/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Animal Politico</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Argentina</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Argentina’s central bank banned financial institutions from offering digital assets, forcing the two of the country’s largest banks to retract their recent statements about allowing clients to buy Bitcoin and other digital currencies. (</span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-05/argentina-slams-brake-on-crypto-banning-purchases-through-banks" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bloomberg</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A new </span><a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/espionage-tangos-with-terror-in-amazon-series-about-argentinas-unresolved-bombings/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Amazon</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> series follows the story of an undercover spy who may have inadvertently aided in the 1992 and 1994 terrorist attacks against Jewish communities in Buenos Aires.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Climate change and urban development have caused capybaras (the world’s largest rodents) to take over private neighborhoods in Buenos Aires and elsewhere around the city, reports </span><a href="https://time.com/6173837/capybaras-argentina-climate-change/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Time</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Caribbean</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries will not attend the upcoming Summit of the Americas, citing “disrespect [of] the Democratic Charter” by part of the US after not inviting Venezuela, Cuba, or Nicaragua to the meetings. (</span><a href="https://en.ultimasnoticias.com.ve/news/world/caricom-countries-will-not-attend-the-summit-of-the-americas/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ultimas Noticias</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Following the arrest of British Virgin Islands’ Premier Andrew Fahie on drug charges, the UK, which already controls the islands’ defense and foreign policies, is considering taking over the country’s domestic policy and budgets as well, reports </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/29/british-virgin-islands-direct-rule-andrew-fahie-drug-arrest" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Guardian</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://theglobalamericans.org/climate-change-caribbean/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Global Americans</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> has launched a research project to assess the political, economic, and social consequences of climate change in the Caribbean.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Colombia</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Only 40 families have governed Colombia in over 200 years of history, up until 2018, according to a report from left-wing senators. (</span><a href="https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-61327962" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">BBC</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Migration</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cuban and Nicaraguan migrants stopped at the border will be taken in by Mexico who will then carry out deportation flights, according to the </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/05/04/us-border-mexico-cubans-nicaraguans/?emci=c7559162-77cc-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=473d0684-78cc-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=9780675" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Washington Post</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. As both countries struggle with the influx of migrants, thousands of Cubans and Nicaraguans are expected to be sent back to their home countries.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Venezuelan migrants arriving in Peru find themselves unable to pay extremely high fines as they seek to regularize their residency and remain in the country legally, reports </span><a href="https://www.ntn24.com/america-latina/venezuela/venezolanos-en-peru-se-enfrentan-a-multas-impagables-para-regularizar" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">NTN24</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Paraguay </span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">600 days have passed since the Paraguayan People’s Army (EPP), a Marxist rebel group, have kidnapped former vice President Óscar Denis. (</span><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-61307340?emci=c7559162-77cc-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=473d0684-78cc-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=9780675" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">BBC</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chile</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chile’s Constitutional Convention voted on Wednesday to approve topics related to land restitution for indigenous tribes to be included in the new draft of the constitution, reports </span><a href="https://www.latercera.com/politica/noticia/pleno-de-la-convencion-aprueba-que-el-estado-debera-tener-un-mecanismo-preferente-de-restitucion-de-tierras-a-pueblos-indigenas/7NRFKCGAYJDQFDSTJBHYRP7LO4/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">La Tercera</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Venezuela</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Despite negotiations and increased diplomatic forays under the Biden administration, “there are no serious signs so far that the administration intends to ease these sanctions in the slightest,” according to Daniel Larison at </span><a href="https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2022/05/06/blinken-signals-zero-change-from-failed-trump-venezuela-policy/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Responsible Statecraft</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. He argues that “the United States remains wedded to a failed Trump-era policy towards Venezuela, but it is no closer to achieving its regime change goals today than when it started more than three years ago.” </span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://cronica.uno/foro-civico-invito-plataforma-unitaria-construir-agenda-social-derechos/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Crónica Uno</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> reports that members of the Civic Forum (Foro Cívico) met virtually yesterday with members of the Unitary Platform, highlighting the importance of dialogue and negotiation and inviting the Platform to build a social and rights agenda. </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jordi Amaral is a freelance researcher and writer currently working as a Research Analyst at</span><a href="https://www.hxagon.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hxagon</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and as an independent consultant with the Latin America and the Caribbean Initiative at the</span><a href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/programs/latin-america-caribbean-initiative" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Migration Policy Institute</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arianna Kohan is a Research Analyst at</span><a href="https://www.hxagon.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hxagon</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and a current M.A. student in International Relations at the Universidad Torcuato di Tella in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She previously worked as a Program Coordinator with the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (</span><a href="https://www.csis.org/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CSIS</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">). </span></p><br /></span>Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881865897476941412.post-33691009330723231862022-05-05T10:34:00.004-04:002022-05-05T10:39:48.143-04:00The failures of the Kingpin Strategy in Mexico (May 5, 2022)<p><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The </span><a href="https://www.crisisgroup.org/content/crime-pieces-effects-mexicos-%E2%80%9Cwar-drugs%E2%80%9D-explained" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">International Crisis Group</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (ICG) recently published a report addressing the failures of the “kingpin strategy” in the effort to combat Mexico’s illegal drug trade. The strategy, intended to remove those at the helm of cartels, has instead resulted in an increase in the number of armed groups, as lower-level leaders and other organizations seek to fill the power vacuum left by the capture of the drug lord(s). </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-55f417bd-7fff-b9d8-3de1-7f653e057103"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Since 2008, Mexico and the US have cooperated on security issues aimed at tackling transnational organized crime (TOC) and drug trafficking through the </span><a href="https://mx.usembassy.gov/the-merida-initiative/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mérida Initiative</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Begun under Mexico’s Calderón administration, the initiative largely failed to prevent drug-related violence, improve citizen security, and disrupt transnational criminal organizations. The election of Joe Biden prompted a new “Bicentennial Framework” between Mexico and the US which, in the words of Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, signified that the two countries were “leaving the Mérida Initiative behind.” Though meant to be a new framework for security cooperation, the US’ announcement that it was targeting four of El Chapo’s son’s, known as “Los Chapitos,” for holding leadership positions within the Sinaloa Cartel, signaled a continuation of the ineffective “kingpin strategy.” The fragmentation of crime syndicates caused by the absence of drug lords has contributed to the increase in violence both within and among these organizations, shows the 2021 </span><a href="https://justiceinmexico.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/OCVM-21.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Justice in Mexico</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> report published by the University of San Diego.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Leaders both in Mexico and the US have struggled to come up with alternative strategies for combating TOC. The ICG recommends increasing state and federal support for local intermediaries whose work focuses on establishing dialogue between non-state actors and criminal groups. They also suggest severing ties between state officials and criminal groups, an ever-present corruption that has increased the difficulties of holding these organizations accountable under the law. Finally, the ICG mentions the level of international cooperation needed to stave off violence; with many criminal groups receiving arms and ammunition from abroad - principally from the US and Europe - a coordinated effort to cut off these supplies could have an important impact on the ability of these organizations to carry out their activities. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">News Briefs</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Colombia</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Though killings of human rights defenders in Colombia declined in 2021 compared to the previous year, threats, disappearances, and sexual violence have increased, reports </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/killings-colombia-human-rights-defenders-fell-2021-still-concern-ngo-2022-05-05/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reuters</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/04/us/dario-usuga-otoniel-extradition-united-states/index.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CNN</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> reports the extradition of Colombian drug lord Dario Usuga “Otoniel” to the US. He is believed to be the boss of the “Clan del Golfo” cartel.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Following reports of a gang threat of killing Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s government has decided to provide the left-wing presidential candidate with additional security. (</span><a href="https://whbl.com/2022/05/03/colombia-to-provide-leftist-presidential-candidate-petro-with-extra-security/?emci=e1d45a12-b5cb-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=c456ad2c-b6cb-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=9780675" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">WHBL</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Central America</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hurricane Mitch, the 1998 natural disaster that decimated cities and killed thousands, hit Central America at a time of economic growth and regional cooperation efforts. The Hurricane dealt a severe blow to the region’s increasingly democratic tendencies, a blow from which countries are still recovering from, reports </span><a href="https://americasquarterly.org/article/central-america-is-still-recovering-from-hurricane-mitch/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Americas Quarterly</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Haiti</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dominican diplomat Carlos Guillén has returned “safe and sound” following his abduction by Haitian gang 400 Mawozo, reports </span><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-61315533" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">BBC</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Americas</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Social inclusion—most notably in the form of investments in education, gender diversity, and digital connectivity—should be key priorities for the upcoming Summit of the Americas, writes Susan Segal at </span><a href="https://americasquarterly.org/article/social-inclusion-should-be-a-priority-at-the-summit-of-the-americas/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Americas Quarterly</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">New polls show a tightening presidential race in Colombia, persistent support for AMLO despite disapproval of key issues, and sinking public opinion of Boric in Chile (</span><a href="https://boz.substack.com/p/politics-and-polls-4-may-2022?s=r" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Latin America Risk Report</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">).</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ecuador</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A spike in gang-related crime and murders in three western provinces in Ecuador prompted the government to declare a two month state of emergency. Following the declaration, crime hotspots were raided by soldiers and police officers. (</span><a href="https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/16281-ecuador-declares-emergency-as-gang-related-murders-surge" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">OCCRP</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Costa Rica</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rodrigo Chaves is set to be sworn in as president on May 8, but is unlikely to have much of a honeymoon period. Despite Chaves’s populist campaign rhetoric, strong institutions are likely to preserve Costa Rica’s quality of democracy, while the incoming president’s agenda is unlikely to be fully implemented, writes Oliver Steunkel at the </span><a href="https://carnegieendowment.org/2022/05/04/costa-rica-s-new-populist-president-could-be-lesson-in-democracy-or-worrying-trend-pub-87037" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Carnegie Endowment for International Peace</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mexico</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/04/world/americas/mexico-cartels-michoacan.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">New York Times</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> explores criminal groups in the state of Michoacán, focusing on their exploitation of the avocado industry and the CJNG and Viagras cartels.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Regional Relations</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The United States is woefully underprepared” for the Summit of the Americas this June, writes Christopher Sabatini at </span><a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/05/04/summit-americas-biden-united-states-oas-ambassadors-migration-sanctions/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Foreign Policy</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. He argues that a lack of ambassadors in the region and strategy to counter key issues highlight a waning US influence in Latin America. </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Migration</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken hopes to secure a regional agreement on migration at the Summit of the Americas in June, reports </span><a href="https://www.infobae.com/america/eeuu/2022/05/03/cumbre-de-las-americas-blinken-espera-cerrar-un-pacto-migratorio-beneficioso-para-toda-la-region/?outputType=amp-type" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Infobae</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Brazil</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last year, CIA Director William Burns “told senior Brazilian officials that President Jair Bolsonaro should stop casting doubt on his country's voting system ahead of the October election,” says </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/exclusive-cia-chief-told-bolsonaro-government-not-mess-with-brazil-election-2022-05-05/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reuters</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Human rights organization </span><a href="https://www.conectas.org/publicacao/financiamento-publico-de-comunidades-terapeuticas-brasileiras-entre-2017-e-2020/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Conectas</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> published a new report this week on public financing for “therapy communities,” which are centers for treating drug addictions. They found a lack of oversight and transparency for this industry. </span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Vanessa Barbara investigated far-right Telegram groups in Brazil for the </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/04/opinion/bolsonaro-brazil-telegram-misinformation.html?emci=e1d45a12-b5cb-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=c456ad2c-b6cb-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=9780675" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">New York Times</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, finding that “unregulated, extreme and unhinged, these groups serve to slander the president’s enemies and conduct a shadow propaganda operation.” </span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-03/brazil-s-inflation-is-so-bad-even-central-bank-workers-protest?emci=e1d45a12-b5cb-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=c456ad2c-b6cb-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=9780675" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bloomberg</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> reports that Brazilian inflation was over 12% a year in early April. The situation is so bad that workers in the country’s central bank have staged a walkout to demand higher wages. </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Argentina</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The shirt worn by Diego Maradona at the 1986 World Cup vs. England - the shirt in which he scored the “Hand of God” and the “Goal of the Century” - was auctioned off for $9.3 million, reports </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-04/maradona-world-cup-jersey-sells-for-9-3-million-breaking-babe-ruth-record" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bloomberg</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. It broke Babe Ruth’s existing record for the highest-ever price paid for a sports memorabilia item.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (</span><a href="https://www.cepal.org/en/news/eclac-and-government-argentina-signed-agreement-holding-xv-regional-conference-women-latin" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ECLAC</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) has announced that Argentina will host the XV Regional Conference on Women in LAC, in coordination with UN Women. </span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Danish manufacturer Vestas has announced it will supply turbines to onshore wind farms in Brazil and Argentina as both countries seek to grow their sources of renewable energy. (</span><a href="https://www.windpowermonthly.com/article/1754947/vestas-secures-onshore-wind-turbine-orders-500mw-brazil-argentina" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wind Power Monthly</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Venezuela</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Maduro regime has implemented a 3% tax on purchases made with US dollars in an effort to revitalize the Bolivar, reports </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-03/venezuela-reins-in-dollarization-in-risky-bid-to-revive-bolivar?emci=e1d45a12-b5cb-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=c456ad2c-b6cb-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=9780675" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bloomberg</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li></ul><br /><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jordi Amaral is a freelance researcher and writer currently working as a Research Analyst at</span><a href="https://www.hxagon.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hxagon</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and as an independent consultant with the Latin America and the Caribbean Initiative at the</span><a href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/programs/latin-america-caribbean-initiative" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Migration Policy Institute</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arianna Kohan is a Research Analyst at</span><a href="https://www.hxagon.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hxagon</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and a current M.A. student in International Relations at the Universidad Torcuato di Tella in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She previously worked as a Program Coordinator with the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (</span><a href="https://www.csis.org/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CSIS</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">). </span></p><div><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881865897476941412.post-50809651763472535512022-05-04T12:01:00.000-04:002022-05-04T12:01:11.343-04:00Reporters Without Borders releases World Press Freedom Index (May 4, 2022)<p><a href="https://rsf.org/en/rsfs-2022-world-press-freedom-index-new-era-polarisation" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reporters Without Borders</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> published the 20th annual World Press Freedom Index yesterday, finding increased polarization in the information landscape, both within and between countries. Disinformation and withering press freedoms have grown at a global level, perhaps most notably within Latin America. A new methodology has been included in the report in comparison to 2021, making comparisons over time difficult, but it is clear that much of the region is facing an increasingly difficult press environment. Even countries such as Uruguay and Chile—democratic stalwarts in the region—dropped down the rankings this year by nearly 30 slots each. </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-c57396a6-7fff-1ffc-3e6b-b6ca53d0d34f"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Uruguay dropped from 18th in the world in press freedoms to 44th this year, a reflection of growing human rights tensions in the country with the Ley de Urgente Consideración (LUC) reform </span><a href="https://es.euronews.com/2022/03/28/uruguay-decidio-no-derogar-la-ley-de-urgente-consideracion-este-domingo" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">narrowly approved</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by referendum this past March. The LUC has received criticism for restricting rights to protest and expression (see </span><a href="https://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/03/uruguayans-to-vote-on-penal-code-march.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">March 21st LADB</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">). </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In Chile, the organization notes that violence from law enforcement against protesters and journalists during civil unrest has been a key concern, as has the legal framework of the current Pinochet-era constitution. The potential of a new constitution offers the opportunity to “guarantee the right to information.”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">El Salvador, meanwhile, dropped from 82nd to 112th, as President Nayib Bukele continues to consolidate power and the country experiences human rights abuses with increasing frequency. This week, </span><a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/05/02/el-salvador-evidence-serious-abuse-state-emergency" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Human Rights Watch and Cristosal</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> reported that “there is mounting evidence that El Salvadoran authorities have been committing serious human rights violations since adopting a state of emergency on March 27, 2022,” including arbitrary arrests, a lack of due process, and the deaths of two people in custody. Furthermore, the online newspaper El Faro was hacked using the Israeli spyware Pegasus over the past year, as revealed this past January (see </span><a href="https://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/01/el-faro-extensively-hacked-jan-13-2022.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">January 13th LADB</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">), with a not-insignificant amount of people believing that the government itself was behind the hack due to El Faro’s repeated criticisms of the Bukele administration and the president’s social media attacks against the organization.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Eight journalists have been killed in Mexico so far this year, according to the index, with the country ranked 127th in the world. This is an improvement from 143rd last year, although that may have more to do with changes in the index’s methodology than actual improvements on the ground. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Brazil notably sits at 110th in the ranking, on the cusp between “problematic” and “difficult.” Journalists have been increasingly under attack; last month, for example, TV Globo’s journalist Gabriel Luiz was stabbed at night near his home in Brasília, although the motive was alleged to be robbery and non-political (</span><a href="https://g1.globo.com/df/distrito-federal/noticia/2022/04/15/ataque-contra-jornalista-gabriel-luiz-da-tv-globo-em-brasilia-o-que-se-sabe-sobre-caso.ghtml" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Globo</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">).</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While the report ranks Costa Rica as the region’s best when it comes to press freedoms, sitting at 8th on the global index and followed closely by Jamaica at 12th, many countries in the region sit near the bottom of the global ranking. Venezuela, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Cuba are all ranked 159th or worse, with Cuba at 173rd, 8th worst in the world. </span></p><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">News Briefs</span></h2><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cyber Attacks</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Recent ransomware attacks on Peru’s intelligence agency and Costa Rica’s finance and labor ministries by Russian cybercrime group Conti highlight technological deficiencies among many of the region’s governments, according to </span><a href="https://insightcrime.org/news/major-ransomware-attacks-in-peru-and-costa-rica-spell-more-trouble-for-region/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Insight Crime</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Regional Relations</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In </span><a href="https://aulablog.net/2022/03/31/latin-america-is-there-a-constructive-side-to-u-s-policy/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aula Blog</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, Fulton Armstrong lays out many of the US’ recent engagements with the hemisphere and suggests a broader US engagement strategy for the region.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">James Bosworth analyzes the critical challenges facing the region that should be addressed at the upcoming Summit of the Americas in the </span><a href="https://boz.substack.com/p/region-measuring-what-matters-at?s=r" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Latin America Risk Report</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Argentina</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Argentina’s government has sent Congress an initiative to increase maternity leave to 126 days, and paternity leave to 90 days, reports </span><a href="https://elpais.com/sociedad/2022-05-03/argentina-busca-ampliar-la-licencia-por-paternidad-hasta-los-90-dias.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">El Pais</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Current paternity leave in the country is only for two days.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cuba</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“President Joe Biden finally has taken some baby steps toward re-engaging with Cuba on the issue of migration,” but domestic political concerns remain regarding further engagement, writes William LeoGrande at </span><a href="https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2022/04/28/biden-cracks-the-door-open-to-cuba/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Responsible Statecraft</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Migration</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In </span><a href="https://americasquarterly.org/article/the-summit-is-a-great-chance-for-better-cooperation-on-migration/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Americas Quarterly</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, Betilde Muñoz-Pogossian offers three proposals for addressing the challenges of migration at the Summit of the Americas: establishing an umbrella forum, documenting the irregular, and standardizing language and policies to improve regional coordination. </span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Honduras</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As the increasingly dire effects of climate change continue to disrupt agriculture habits, farmers in Central America are turning to crop rotation and adaptation to survive. (</span><a href="https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/this-can-be-done-in-honduras-farmers-adapt-to-a-changing-climate/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Americas Quarterly</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chile</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Violence is becoming the new norm in every sense,” says Gabriel Boric following a shooting during a workers’ protest during Chile’s “Day of the Worker” on Sunday (</span><a href="https://www.latercera.com/politica/noticia/boric-tras-incidentes-en-marcha-del-dia-del-trabajador-lo-que-esta-pasando-es-inaceptable-se-esta-naturalizando-la-violencia-en-todo-sentido/VH2Y5KEU2VBXRJUDACZZIQ3CNI/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">La Tercera</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">). </span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">President Gabriel Boric’s plans for a “Plan B” should the Constitutional Convention be rejected by the plebiscite this September have created tensions with his allies, says </span><a href="https://www.latercera.com/politica/noticia/declaraciones-de-boric-por-un-plan-b-ante-eventual-triunfo-del-rechazo-le-abren-flanco-con-el-oficialismo/RDTGTJD3XFBATDSCEDZ5TETYKQ/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">La Tercera</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This Tuesday, the Chilean Constitutional Convention approved an article to prohibit “the ‘forcible return to the borders’ of people who have requested asylum or are foreign refugees,” notes </span><a href="https://selecciondenoticias.com/seccion/Internacionales/52437/la-constituyente-de-chile-propone-prohibir-la-devolucion-de-refugiados" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Selección de Noticias</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Guyana</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Guyana is heavily investing in healthcare and education to avoid overdependence on its newly-discovered oil, according to the </span><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/cc2642c5-7779-41c8-adb1-d86c1f01b6f1" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Financial Times</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">US-Mexico Border</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A new documentary short, “American Scar,” by the </span><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-documentary/the-ecological-destruction-from-the-border-wall-in-american-scar" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">New Yorker</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> filmmaker Daniel Lombroso, investigates the environmental impact of the US-Mexico border wall. </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Venezuela</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Following three years of interviews and field work, </span><a href="https://insightcrime.org/investigations/venezuelas-cocaine-revolution/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">InSight Crime</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> released a new five-part investigation on cocaine in Venezuela. They note “the Maduro regime has positioned itself as the gatekeeper to the country’s drug trade, controlling access to cocaine’s riches not only for drug traffickers but also for corrupt politicians and the military-embedded trafficking network known as the Cartel of the Suns.’”</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://cronica.uno/por-temor-a-represalias-menos-de-40-de-los-medios-reportan-la-crisis-politica-y-economica-del-pais/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Crónica Uno</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> reports that less than 40% of Venezuelan media report on the country’s political and economic crisis for fear of repression. </span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with opposition leader Juan Guaido on Monday, “and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to talks between Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government and the opposition Unitary Platform,” notes </span><a href="https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/blinken-holds-talks-with-venezuelas-opposition-leader-guaido?emci=b4e4bd5b-efca-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=73dd11ba-f0ca-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=9780675" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reuters</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Brazil</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Brazil’s Supreme Court has rescinded an invitation to the European Union to observe the country’s October elections following objections from Bolsonaro and the Foreign Affairs Ministry, says </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazil-cancels-invite-eu-observers-after-bolsonaro-objection-2022-05-03/?emci=b4e4bd5b-efca-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=73dd11ba-f0ca-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=9780675" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reuters</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://time.com/6172611/brazil-president-lula-interview/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_term=world_&linkId=163587859" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TIME</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> explores Lula’s political trajectory from president to prison to the campaign trail once more. The author notes that “Bolsonaro has taken a hammer” to the transformative policies Lula enacted as president, remarking that Lula is “riding out of his political exile like a white knight.” </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Amazon</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Indigenous groups in Brazil were able to share evidence of environmental crime - in this case, illegal gold mining - on social media via recently-acquired access to cell phones, reports </span><a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-spacex-technology-entertainment-business-62848dbcffc7df4892233414d359a025" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Associated Press</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. For communities that relied on radio communication, these quicker methods of contact allow them to record and address grievances more broadly and effectively. </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mexico </span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mexico, a country with no commercial lithium production but with potential viable lithium deposits, seeks to create a lithium association with Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile, reports </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexico-seeks-lithium-association-with-argentina-bolivia-chile-2022-05-03/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reuters</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.animalpolitico.com/2022/05/juzgado-segunda-suspension-tramo-5-tren-maya/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Animal Politico</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> reports a court order halting all construction of “Tramo 5” of the Tren Maya, set to go from Cancún to Tulum.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Colombia</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Colombian prosecutor in the city of Neiva is arguing that protestors who participated in anti-government demonstrations last year must be tried as organized crime groups, says </span><a href="https://colombiareports.com/colombia-claims-organized-protest-equates-to-organized-crime/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Colombia Reports</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Juliana Martinez’s recent book analyzes Colombian literature, film, and art through the lens of “spectral realism,” addressing the impact of violence that has plagued the country for decades on Colombia’s artistic pursuits. (</span><a href="https://aulablog.net/2022/04/27/spectral-realism-in-colombian-film-literature-and-art/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aula Blog</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jordi Amaral is a freelance researcher and writer currently working as a Research Analyst at</span><a href="https://www.hxagon.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hxagon</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and as an independent consultant with the Latin America and the Caribbean Initiative at the</span><a href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/programs/latin-america-caribbean-initiative" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Migration Policy Institute</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arianna Kohan is a Research Analyst at</span><a href="https://www.hxagon.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hxagon</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and a current M.A. student in International Relations at the Universidad Torcuato di Tella in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She previously worked as a Program Coordinator with the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (</span><a href="https://www.csis.org/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CSIS</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">). </span></p></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881865897476941412.post-11521363857063156102022-05-03T11:31:00.004-04:002022-05-03T11:31:43.337-04:00Iranian oil minister meets with Venezuela’s Maduro (May 3, 2022)<p><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Iranian oil minister Javad Owji met with Tareck El Aissami, his Venezuelan counterpart, during a rare visit to Caracas, reports </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/irans-oil-minister-visits-venezuelan-counterpart-video-shows-2022-05-02/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reuters</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The Iranian official also met with Nicolás Maduro, where the two discussed “strengthening ties of brotherhood and cooperation in energy matters,” wrote Maduro on </span><a href="https://twitter.com/NicolasMaduro/status/1521286655747014657" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Twitter</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Though exact details of the meeting are unknown, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-01/iran-oil-minister-travels-to-venezuela-for-energy-deals" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bloomberg</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> reported the expected signing of energy cooperation deals.</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-971c46de-7fff-801b-76d1-bb4c4b847e2f"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Energy-related commitments between the two countries in recent years, including </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-iran-fuel/third-iranian-fuel-cargo-reaches-venezuelan-waters-others-unloading-data-idUSKBN23233I" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">fuel shipments</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> from Iran to Venezuela, have grown increasingly more common as both attempt to work around US sanctions. Notably, however, US senior officials </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/05/world/americas/venezuela-russia-usa.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">visited Caracas</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in early March 2022 - the highest-level visit in years - as part of an effort to drive a wedge between Russia and one of its key allies and to discuss “energy security”. Though </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/venezuelas-maduro-says-work-agenda-agreed-with-us-delegation-2022-03-08/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reuters</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> reported little concrete progress towards reaching a deal, some US politicians and analysts had expressed disapproval over the potential for lifting sanctions on Venezuela to import the country’s oil following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent disruption of global oil supply. Others, however, viewed it as a welcome step towards negotiations and easing the country’s dire humanitarian situation.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Venezuela’s latest meeting with Iranian officials has sparked alarm in the US, with Iran another one of Russia’s key allies. Considering Iran’s expansion in the crude oil market, as evidenced by its </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/skorea-iran-hold-talks-resuming-iranian-oil-imports-unfreezing-iranian-fund-2022-02-16/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">talks with South Korea</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> earlier this year, the US hopes to break the global network of oil trade from and between US-sanctioned countries. As the West continues to try and isolate Russia from its global allies, Venezuela could play a key role in shaping US sanctions policy towards Russia and even Venezuela itself.</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">News Briefs</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Americas</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://americasquarterly.org/article/a-2022-overview-of-latin-america-key-indicators/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Americas Quarterly</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> released key indicators for 10 countries in the region ahead of the Summit of the Americas. </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Migration</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/93b4vv/border-patrol-abuse-migrant-children" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">VICE News</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> recently obtained complaints filed against US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) filed on behalf of thousands of migrant children. Abuses included verbal and physical abuse, routine denial of medical care, and prolonged detainment in ice boxes, among others.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Argentina</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Banco Galicia, Argentina’s largest private bank, reported on Monday that it now allows buying and selling cryptocurrencies. It is the first bank to offer these services in the country. (</span><a href="https://www.bloomberglinea.com/2022/05/02/criptomonedas-el-banco-privado-mas-grande-de-argentina-ya-permite-la-compraventa/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bloomberg Linea</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A community of nuns in the northern province of Salta have accused an archbishop and other church officials of gender-based psychological and physical violence. The court date, originally set for today, was cancelled yesterday due to the defendant being out of the city, </span><a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/ap-argentine-buenos-aires-latin-america-roman-catholic-church-b2070202.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Independent</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> reports.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ambassador Javier Figueroa, Argentina’s Ambassador to the UK, said that the Falklands War is an “open wound” for Argentina, reports </span><a href="https://en.mercopress.com/2022/05/03/falklands-war-was-instrumental-in-accelerating-the-return-of-democracy-in-argentina-ambassador-figueroa" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">MercoPress</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chile</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Several measures aimed at curbing energy price hikes, with a focus on electricity, kerosene, and LPG, were announced by Chile’s Ministry of Energy. (</span><a href="https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/chile-announces-measures-to-curb-energy-price-hike-impacts-on-households" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">BN Americas</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) $40 million will be added to the country’s fuel stabilization fund, according to President Gabriel Boric. (</span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-02/chile-s-boric-takes-aim-at-high-fuel-costs-as-inflation-runs-hot" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bloomberg</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Indigenous Selk’nam community, long said to be extinct in Chile, may be about to be legally recognized following an opportunity offered through Chile’s redrafting of its constitution, reports </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/03/chile-indigenous-selknam-not-extinct-constitution" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Guardian</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chile’s Environmental Assessment Service (SEA) formally rejected the environmental permit application from global mining company Anglo American, who wanted to expand existing activities at Los Bronces mine, out of potential risk to public health. (</span><a href="https://www.miningweekly.com/article/chile-formally-rejects-anglos-application-to-extend-copper-mine-2022-05-03" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mining Weekly</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Brazil</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Former president and current presidential candidate Lula Da Silva would push for a regional currency if he wins the elections in October, reports </span><a href="https://en.mercopress.com/2022/05/03/lula-s-advisors-insist-on-unified-currency-for-latin-america" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">MercoPress</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The move, argued Lula and his economic advisors, would seek to stabilize the regional economy and reduce dependence on the US dollar. </span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61b7a607abe2b45e18150232/t/626b6793b4c1367b5b2a5280/1651206036100/WBO+-+2022+BRAZIL+REPORT.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Washington Brazil Office</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> released a new report last week ahead of Brazil’s elections in October. The report touches on 4 major themes: democracy and human rights; the Amazon, environment, and climate change; socio-economic issues and challenges; and the role of social movements. </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Colombia</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Presidential frontrunner Gustavo Petro canceled his scheduled campaign events on Monday following an alleged plan of attack from La Cordillera gang, say </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/colombia-presidential-candidate-petro-says-gang-planned-attack-him-campaign-2022-05-02/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reuters</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and </span><a href="https://colombiareports.com/citing-assassination-plot-frontrunner-in-colombias-election-race-suspends-rallies/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Colombia Reports</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">South African mining company AngloGold’s permit request for a Quebradona copper-gold project was rejected by Colombian authorities. (</span><a href="https://www.elcolombiano.com/antioquia/la-anla-volvio-a-archivar-el-proyecto-minero-quebradona-en-jerico-GA17350521" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">El Colombiano</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><a href="https://www.mining.com/colombia-rejects-anglogolds-appeal-over-quebradona-license-shelving/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mining.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Haiti</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">”Today’s Haitian peasants are the descendants of a population of former slaves who fought for the country’s independence, but soon afterward were marginalized for refusing to return to the plantation system and work for miserable wages,” writes Michèle Duvivier Pierre-Louis at </span><a href="https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/haitians-deserve-a-rethink-on-international-aid/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Americas Quarterly</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, recommending that international development aid create a new focus on small-scale farmers and micro-loans. </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">El Salvador</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.hrw.org/es/news/2022/05/02/el-salvador-evidencias-de-graves-abusos-durante-el-regimen-de-excepcion" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Human Rights Watch</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> reports growing evidence of serious violations of human rights by Salvadoran authorities following the administration’s enactment of emergency powers in late March. </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Guatemala</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Starbucks opened its 12th coffee shop in Guatemala and its 1,500th branch in the region as Antigua becomes the latest city to host the coffee shop chain. (</span><a href="https://www.bloomberglinea.com/2022/05/03/starbucks-opens-its-1500th-branch-in-latam-in-key-coffee-supplier-guatemalas-antigua/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bloomberg Linea</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mexico</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The</span><a href="https://boz.substack.com/p/mexico-femicide-in-monterrey-sparks?s=r" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Latin America Risk Report</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> covered the outrage in Mexico sparked by a young woman’s disappearance and murder in Monterrey. The report also addressed the growing rates of femicide in the country, particularly in the state of Nuevo León, in comparison to declining homicide rates country-wide.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rising demand for electric vehicles has led to a boom for the lithium market, and Mexican lithium has “untapped potential,” according to Andrew Rudman and Cecily Fasanella of the Wilson Center in a new article for </span><a href="https://www.innovationnewsnetwork.com/breaking-ground-opportunities-mexican-lithium/20680/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Innovation News Network</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The country’s 36 lithium mining concessions are all held by foreign companies, but the potential of the sector is hindered by AMLO’s energy reform and agenda, as well as insecurity, technical barriers, and environmental concerns. </span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">AMLO promised lower medication prices on the campaign trail, but his administration has instead overseen dramatic shortages in medication. One in ten prescriptions goes unfilled in public hospitals, a nearly tenfold increase since when AMLO took office, reports the </span><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/scarcity-of-medicines-in-mexico-leaves-trail-of-suffering-11651327200" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wall Street Journal</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Peru</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At first, Pedro Castillo’s presidency brought hope to rural, indigenous, and poor sectors in Peru, but thus far it has yet to materialize in real change. Government mismanagement, multiple cabinet restructurings, protests, and more have led to crisis in the country, writes Alejandra Dinegro Martínez at </span><a href="https://nacla.org/peru-broken-dream-transformative-government" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">NACLA</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></p></li></ul><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Jordi Amaral is a freelance researcher and writer currently working as a Research Analyst at</span><a href="https://www.hxagon.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Hxagon</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> and as an independent consultant with the Latin America and the Caribbean Initiative at the</span><a href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/programs/latin-america-caribbean-initiative" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Migration Policy Institute</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Arianna Kohan is a Research Analyst at </span><a href="https://www.hxagon.com/" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hxagon</span></a> <span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; white-space: pre-wrap;">and a current M.A. student in International Relations at the Universidad Torcuato di Tella in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She previously worked as a Program Coordinator with the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (</span><a href="https://www.csis.org/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CSIS</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; white-space: pre-wrap;">).</span></p></span>Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881865897476941412.post-28682213125849973502022-05-02T12:04:00.000-04:002022-05-02T12:04:01.833-04:00US beef consumption harms Brazilian Amazon (May 2, 2022)<p><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A new </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2022/amazon-beef-deforestation-brazil/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Washington Post</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> investigation reveals the key relationship between beef consumed in the United States and deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon. Since the US began to allow imports of raw Brazilian beef two years ago, the country has become Brazil’s second-biggest buyer. </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-eaa07419-7fff-475e-c02c-4d4f3b7001f4"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One prominent example of the issue is JBS, the world’s largest meat processing company and a Brazilian giant—the company is the principal supplier of Brazilian beef to the US. A recent study by environmental groups found that the company’s carbon emissions have grown more than 50 percent over the last five years, according to the </span><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/92904829-3a28-4d6e-aab7-467c625497c7?accessToken=zwAAAYCFlDEqkdOSkEgpOihNbtOqt0Z8YlSXxw.MEUCIQDOwx2UWjMfq6AetPDIVKxQJGUhRgjTHk73chpC-VvAtQIgPuCB11Fn9YL-6mL_8VcMuH0cUx3yKwDBH3uibdVKQU0&sharetype=gift?token=32b6b1fc-2cbc-4979-b36b-c3798046b1f9" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Financial Times</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Despite repeated accusations from environmentalists of buying cattle from deforested land, JBS has created an environmental “good guy” image, claiming to prioritize the environment and blocking deals with those not complying with company standards. But the Post’s investigation found that JBS is not as environmentally friendly as it claims, with JBS often indirectly buying cattle from illegally deforested ranches. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cattle raised on deforested land goes through a system of “cattle laundering” in order to land on the US consumer’s table. Through a complex web of indirect suppliers, ranchers move cattle raised on deforested land between ranches until it ends up at a “clean” ranch with environmental credentials. From there, it is bought by processors such as JBS, who can feign ignorance, and eventually exported to the US. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is able to occur for a few key reasons. For starters, “cattle are not tracked individually in Brazil, as they are in neighboring Argentina and in Europe. All that ranchers with embargoed land have to do is ship their cattle to properties with clean environmental records.” Moreover, “the US agency that authorizes Brazil’s meatpacking plants to export to the United States says it doesn’t try to determine whether the operations cause environmental damage,” and deregulation in recent years have allowed grocers to withhold country of origin information from consumers. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Perhaps most importantly, despite significant gains in combating deforestation during the 2000s and early 2010s, the Bolsonaro administration has worked to dismantle the Brazilian state apparatus to protect the Amazon and prevent deforestation. Despite promising to fight deforestation in international forums, Bolsonaro has cut environmental budgets throughout his tenure, reports the </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/24/bolsonaro-slashes-brazils-environment-budget-day-after-climate-talks-pledge#:~:text=Brazil's%20President%20Jair%20Bolsonaro%20has,increase%20spending%20to%20fight%20deforestation." style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Guardian</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The government has sought to downplay deforestation and Bolsonaro has even promoted internal migration to the interior of the country, seeing these populations as a key part of his electoral base. Indeed, “a network of social media accounts with ties to the Brazilian military… posed as fake non-profits to play down the dangers of deforestation” over the past year before being taken down by Meta, Facebook’s parent company, notes the </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/apr/07/brazil-military-posed-as-ngos-on-social-media-to-play-down-deforestation?emci=9f21cef0-45b7-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=56f075f9-46b7-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Guardian</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Deforestation in the Amazon has grown greatly in recent years, particularly under the Bolsonaro administration, reaching a 15-year high during the 2020-2021 period, says </span><a href="https://www.axios.com/amazon-deforestation-brazil-worst-15-years-7c883fb2-74e1-4998-9555-212a70866c36.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Axios</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">More Brazil</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Former Brazilian president and current frontrunner for the upcoming elections, Lula, said at an event last Saturday that if elected, he would close shooting clubs, instead replacing them with reading clubs. “We will replace arms with books,” he remarked, according to </span><a href="https://www.metropoles.com/brasil/eleicoes-2022/lula-promete-fechar-clubes-de-tiro-e-substituir-por-clubes-de-livros" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Metrópoles</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></p></li></ul><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">News Briefs</span></h2><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Colombia</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.las2orillas.co/racismometro/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Las2orillas.co and Observatorio de Discriminación Racial de la Universidad de los Andes</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> have developed a new platform to monitor racist attacks in media and social media against candidates in the country’s upcoming presidential elections. Francia Márquez, the running mate of leftist frontrunner Gustavo Petro, has been the victim of nearly 500 such attacks as of April 1. </span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Federico "Fico" Gutiérrez, the second-leading candidate for the presidency, asserted in an interview with </span><a href="https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/video/politica-colombia-venezolanos-elecciones-presidenciales-fico-oppenheimer-cnne/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CNN</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> that he would “continue to be generous” with Venezuelans in Colombia, continuing policies from the Duque administration. </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mexico</span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">AMLO has pressed for greater energy independence, including the construction of a major Pemex oil refinery currently being built, but failing to meet budgetary and timeline expectations. </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/exclusive-pemex-refinery-priority-mexico-president-runs-billions-over-budget-2022-04-29/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reuters</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> reports that “two sources with direct knowledge of the project's finances say the latest cost estimate has reached $14 billion, or some $5 billion over budget.” </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Argentina</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In Tierra del Fuego, an already weak energy infrastructure is at risk of collapse due to crypto mining efforts in the southern province, according to </span><a href="https://batimes.com.ar/news/economy/crypto-miners-threaten-frail-energy-grid-at-the-end-of-the-world.phtml" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Buenos Aires Times</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">British fintech firm Revolut has set up a waiting list for Argentines interested using the newly-released Beta version of its banking services app. The firm has already hired country managers in Brazil and Mexico, reports </span><a href="https://www.bloomberglinea.com/2022/04/29/british-fintech-revolut-eyes-expansion-into-argentina/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bloomberg Linea</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chile</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Following two years of border closures, Chile has reopened the remaining 22 land borders with Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru, reports </span><a href="https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/latin-america/chile-reopens-land-borders-two-years-after-the-start-of-pandemic.phtml" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Buenos Aires Times</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Honduras</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">President Xiomara Castro has been facing increased pressure from activists and civil rights organizations to advance women’s rights in the country, with specific calls to enact her campaign promise of legalizing emergency contraception. Some supporters of the initiative worry about the impact the Catholic Church may have on the President’s decision. Pro-life activists strongly oppose the use of emergency contraception. (</span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/01/world/americas/honduras-xiomara-castro-womens-rights.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">New York Times</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Venezuela</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Iran and Venezuela are expected to sign energy cooperation deals today following a rare visit to Caracas from Iranian oil minister Javad Owji, reports </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-01/iran-oil-minister-travels-to-venezuela-for-energy-deals" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bloomberg</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Military operations by the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) aimed at carrying out anti-drug actions allegedly violated Colombian air and land space, according to the Colombian Ministry of Defense. The Bolivarian government strongly denies these allegations and emphasized its willingness to defend national sovereignty, reports </span><a href="https://www.plenglish.com/news/2022/05/01/venezuela-denies-violation-of-colombian-air-and-land-space/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">La Prensa Latina</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Peru</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Indigenous protestors were not expelled from the Chinese-owned Las Bambas mine within the 15 day deadline that requires taking the matter to court, in accordance with Peruvian law, reports </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-29/mmg-strives-to-complete-peru-protest-eviction-as-deadline-looms" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bloomberg</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The mine accounts for 2% of the world’s copper supply and 1% of Peru’s GDP. (</span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-owned-las-bambas-fails-evict-indigenous-peruvian-community-mine-2022-04-29/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reuters</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Following a Binational Cabinet meeting in which Presidents Guillermo Lasso and Pedro Castillo were present, Peru and Ecuador agreed to strengthen cooperation on border area development with a particular focus on water projects and road integration, among other issues. (</span><a href="https://www.macaubusiness.com/ecuador-peru-agree-to-enhance-cooperation-in-border-area-development/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Macau Business</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">President Pedro Castillo returned to his country by car after a visit to Ecuador to avoid impeachment. Had he failed to return to Peru by midnight on Friday, the deadline set to him by Congress, he would have risked facing his third impeachment attempt in nine months. (</span><a href="https://www.ibtimes.com/perus-president-races-home-car-avoid-impeachment-motion-3490672" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">International Business Times</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Haiti</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Haiti’s 400 Mawozo gang, one of the gangs involved in the country’s recent uptick in violence, kidnapped Dominican trade attaché Carlos Guillen on Friday, reports </span><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-61297538" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">BBC</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dominican Republic</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">According to the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD), Dominican authorities seized 700 packages of cocaine on Sunday. The intended origin and destination of the drugs are not yet known. (</span><a href="https://www.plenglish.com/news/2022/05/01/dominican-republic-seizes-700-packages-of-drugs/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">La Prensa Latina</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Caribbean</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The president of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) proposed a new energy-focused initiative to help the region advance energy transition and make progress towards reaching the UN-backed Sustainable Development Goals. (</span><a href="https://stluciatimes.com/cdb-urges-bold-urgent-actions-to-transform-the-regions-energy-landscape/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">St. Lucia Times</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ecuador</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">President Guillermo Lasso declared a state of emergency in the provinces of Guayas, Manabi and Esmeraldas last Friday, citing drug-related violence, reports </span><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/30/ecuador-declares-emergency-in-three-provinces-over-drug-violence" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Al Jazeera</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. This is the second time Lasso has declared a state of emergency to counter violence in the country, which he blames on drug traffickers. Drug trafficking organizations have used Ecuador as a transit country, primarily for cocaine, for shipments en route to North America via Mexico and Central America.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Guatemala</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Since 2018, twenty-two Guatemalan judges and anti-corruption prosecutors have gone into exile,” reports </span><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/the-exile-of-guatemalas-anti-corruption-efforts" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The New Yorker</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The long-form piece explores their stories, additionally noting that Guatemalan officials lobbied Republican lawmakers in the United States during the Trump administration, seeking to portray anti-corruption and transparency efforts as “a vehicle for the left.” </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">El Salvador</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nayib Bukele has arrested over 19,000 suspected gang members in April. Nine out of ten Salvadorans approve of his increased security policies, reports </span><a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2022/04/30/el-salvadors-president-has-locked-up-19000-people-in-a-month" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Economist</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, despite concerns over human rights abuses and lack of due process.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Costa Rica</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Costa Rica’s Ministry of Science, Innovation, Technology, and Telecommunications (Micitt) reported over 4 million cyber-attacks on the country’s public institutions in the span of 24 hours. No encryption or data theft has been detected. (</span><a href="https://www.plenglish.com/news/2022/05/02/more-than-four-million-cyber-attack-attempts-against-costa-rica/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">La Prensa Latina</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jordi Amaral is a freelance researcher and writer currently working as a Research Analyst at </span><a href="https://www.hxagon.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hxagon</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and as an independent consultant with the Latin America and the Caribbean Initiative at the </span><a href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/programs/latin-america-caribbean-initiative" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Migration Policy Institute</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arianna Kohan is a Research Analyst at </span><a href="https://www.hxagon.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hxagon</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and a current M.A. student in International Relations at the Universidad Torcuato di Tella in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She previously worked as a Program Coordinator with the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (</span><a href="https://www.csis.org/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CSIS</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">). </span></p><br /></span>Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881865897476941412.post-56001091943491443162022-04-29T11:59:00.000-04:002022-04-29T11:59:35.640-04:00Peru’s Indigenous communities evicted from Las Bambas mine (April 29, 2022)<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Indigenous Huancuire and Fuerabamba communities have been evicted from the Chinese-owned Las Bambas copper mine for a second day, following evictions that began on Wednesday, reports </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/peru-police-carry-out-second-day-evictions-halted-las-bambas-mine-2022-04-28/" style="font-family: verdana; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reuters</span></a><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The communities, claiming the corporation MMG had not fulfilled its previous agreements under its 2011 sale of the land and demanding just compensation for environmental and social impacts, were expelled from the property under the Peruvian law allowing property owners to forcibly remove trespassers. </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-6cba0c64-7fff-7bbc-48d0-6ded8b782121"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tensions between the two have been high in recent months, with </span><a href="https://www.business-humanrights.org/de/latest-news/per%C3%BA-comuneros-denuncian-intento-de-desalojo-de-protesta-por-incumplimientos-de-mmg/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">violent attempts</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to evict indigenous communities involving local police becoming a recurring pattern. The country’s National Police were involved in supporting the company’s most recent evictions, though the government itself was not a participant.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As the world’s 2nd largest copper producer, Peru’s mining industry is a critical source of tax revenue. Las Bambas itself supplies </span><a href="https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/reuters/peru-evictions-enter-second-day-at-halted-las-bambas-mine/47553600" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2% of the world’s copper</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. With the suspension of the mine’s operations on April 20 following the settlement of the indigenous communities, the country has lost an estimated loss of $1.4 million per day, according to </span><a href="https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Peruvian-Police-Violently-Evict-Activists-from-Las-Bambas-Mine-20220428-0010.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">local media</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Castillo, a political outsider and former union leader, was originally seen as a beacon of hope for the country’s rural and indigenous communities. His discussions of nationalizing the country’s gas industry and promising greater state intervention in mining practices has lowered business confidence in Peru, but was seen as a win for the indigenous communities who had been harmed by private companies taking over indigenous land, reported </span><a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/americas_perus-indigenous-hope-voice-last-under-new-president/6207857.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Voice of America</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Now, Castillo’s lack of support for indigenous communities and his enactment of a state of emergency in Las Bambas mine (among others) signal a shift in policy that only increases his national disapproval (</span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/peru-declares-state-emergency-restore-copper-production-cuajone-mine-2022-04-20/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reuters</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">). </span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">More Peru</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pedro Castillo faces yet another political setback, this time from within his own political party, from a proposed bill to have the presidential and congressional terms end in July 2023, rather than the scheduled July 2026, reports </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/perus-ruling-party-turns-castillo-calls-president-step-down-2023-2022-04-29/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reuters</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. With a disapproval rate of 63%, according to </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-11/peru-president-s-approval-ratings-plunge-after-inflation-riots" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bloomberg</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, Castillo has survived two impeachment attempts in his only nine months in office, and has faced a cabinet rotation four different times. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">News Briefs</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Survey</span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dear readers: We always do appreciate your spontaneous comments and feedback. Jordana asks you to take a </span><a href="https://osflap.formstack.com/forms/latin_america_daily_brief_survey" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">brief survey about the Briefing</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, in order to better understand how it's useful to you and in hopes of, perhaps, finding ways to improve the product so that it better meets your needs.</span></span></p></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Amazon</span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://apublica.org/mapadosconflitos/en/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Publica</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> has created a new “Map of Conflict” platform, detailing statistics and cases of violence and injustice in the Amazon over the last decade. The site is available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese and includes an interactive map.</span></span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Brazil was the country with the greatest destruction of tropical forest in the world in 2021, says </span><a href="https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/ambiente/2022/04/brasil-lidera-derrubada-de-florestas-tropicais-no-mundo.shtml" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Folha de São Paulo</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The country was responsible for 40% of global tropical deforestation, according to data from Global Forest Watch. </span></span></p></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Brazil</span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/equilibrioesaude/2022/04/cresce-uso-de-opioides-no-brasil-e-prescricao-inadequada-leva-pacientes-a-vicio.shtml?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsfolha" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Folha de São Paulo</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> reports on increasing use of opioids in Brazil. A 2019 study found that 2.9% of the country’s population have used opioids illegally, in comparison to less than 1% in the cases of crack or cocaine. Methadone and oxycodone use was 29% higher in the first half of 2021 than the entirety of 2020. </span></span></p></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">US-Mexico Border</span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://borderoversight.org/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">WOLA</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> has created a new “Border Oversight” platform, compiling research on human rights issues along the US-Mexico border and including a database of alleged abuses and troubling events that have occurred in the region since 2020, highlighting the lack of oversight and accountability for Border Patrol. </span></span></p></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Migration</span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.refugeesinternational.org/reports/2022/4/25/pushed-into-the-shadows-mexicos-reception-of-haitian-migrants" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Refugees International</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> has published a new report on the experiences of Haitian migrants in Mexico. They find that Mexico’s immigration policy changes have failed to consider the differentiated needs of Haitians, while the country also accepts a disproportionately low number of asylum applications from Haitians. </span></span></p></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Bahamas has become a key transit country for migrants seeking to get to the US. Smugglers use rudimentary, often unsafe boats to transport migrants to Florida, says </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/tourist-hub-bahamas-sees-spike-migrant-smuggling-by-boat-united-states-2022-04-29/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reuters</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span></p></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Argentina</span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oil and gas production in Argentina’s Vaca Muerta from Mexican energy firm Vista has increased 29% in the first quarter of 2022, as compared to 2021, reports </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/vista-reports-29-increase-oil-gas-production-argentina-2022-04-28/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reuters</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The country exported 33% of its petroleum volume. (</span><a href="https://mase.lmneuquen.com/vista/vista-aumento-un-29-su-produccion-total-hidrocarburos-n906912" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Más Energía</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) </span></span></p></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Argentina’s food prices have risen 20% in just over three months, hurting the wallets of the country’s over 5.5 million people who are food insecure. The government, whose recent agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) requires it to cut public spending, will have to make a difficult decision with regards to its large social assistance network aimed at putting food on the tables of Argentines. (</span><a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220429-with-inflation-rising-millions-in-argentina-rely-on-food-aid" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">France24</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></p></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Following a statement from the political party Juntos Por el Cambio that specifically opposed future collaboration with current legislator and opposition leader Javier Milei, PRO president Patricia Bullrich lamented the targeted exclusion of the popular libertarian political outsider, reports </span><a href="https://www.clarin.com/politica/patricia-bullrich-cuestiono-decision-juntos-cambio-cerrarle-puerta-javier-milei-buena-estrategia-_0_PVXyXWSsCD.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Clarin</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Bullrich claimed Milei’s exclusion was a “total error.” </span></span></p></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">El Salvador</span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The government of El Salvador has begun to turn to local financial institutions to help pay off its debt through Letras del Tesoro (LETES) and Certificados del Tesoro (CETES). The Treasury Ministry auctioned $84.5 million in CETES, of which only $67.7 million were bought among seven buyers. Placing the country’s debt on the public market further highlights foreign institutions’ understanding of the ever-increasing risk of investing in El Salvador. (</span><a href="https://www.eleconomista.net/economia/Deuda-de-corto-plazo-continua-presionando-al-Gobierno-salvadoreno-20220428-0003.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">El Economista</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></p></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Haiti</span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency (DPA) reported that rival gangs Chen Mechan and 400 Mawozo killed at least 20 people and forced thousands more to leave their homes to flee from the violence in part of the capital. The fights, caused by the power void left in the country following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse last July, have left families camping in parks in dire need of food, water, and supplies. (</span><a href="https://www.infobae.com/america/agencias/2022/04/28/haiti-lucha-entre-pandillas-deja-20-muertos-y-desplazados/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Infobae</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article260832922.html#storylink=mainstage_card" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Miami Herald</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) </span></span></p></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">British Virgin Islands</span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Andrew Fahie, Premier of the British Virgin Islands, was arrested Thursday on drug trafficking and money laundering charges. Authorities report that the elected head of government conspired to allow cocaine slip through the country en route to the US with an upfront payment of $500,000. (</span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/28/us/british-virgin-islands-premier-arrested.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">New York Times</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></p></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ecuador</span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">President Guillermo Lasso has begun a cabinet shuffle as he moves towards his second year in office. The Secretary of Human Rights and Ministers of Energy, Agriculture, and Defense have all resigned, says </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/ecuador-energy-minister-juan-carlos-bermeo-resigns-2022-04-28/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reuters</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span></p></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Caribbean</span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Evan Ellis dives into the strategic importance and geopolitics of the Caribbean in a new report for </span><a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/caribbean-crossfire" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CSIS</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. He writes that the region is key to US security interests but China plays an increasingly important role, particularly with investments in infrastructure and tourism projects. The Caribbean faces increased economic strains due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with several elections coming up over the course of the next year. </span></span></p></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Chile</span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://chileupdate.substack.com/p/chile-constitutional-updates-april-36f?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo4NzIyMjMwMiwicG9zdF9pZCI6NTMwNTM4MTcsIl8iOiJHU1Z5QiIsImlhdCI6MTY1MTIzOTQ3MywiZXhwIjoxNjUxMjQzMDczLCJpc3MiOiJwdWItNDAzODI5Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.eB4lDQUuH7Gob-Z0raWFd25bLcw0NQmBwbChXWpkDuk&s=r" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is an update on where Chile’s Constitutional Convention stands. It notes that polls look increasingly negative for the constitutional rewrite, although they may improve once the final draft is complete. </span></span></p></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Suriname</span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chevron and Suriname's state oil firm Staatsolie “have signed a production sharing contract for exploring and producing oil at an offshore block,” reports </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/chevron-staatsolie-sign-production-sharing-contract-surinams-block-7-2022-04-27/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reuters</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></span></p></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Regional Relations</span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Colombian guerrilla group the ELN has become increasingly co-dependent with Maduro, with the group “now committed not only to undermining the Colombian state, but also to supporting Maduro,” according to a former ELN commander interviewed by </span><a href="https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/a-major-roadblock-in-future-u-s-venezuela-talks-the-eln/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Americas Quarterly</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The group’s forces have doubled since 2016 and their increasing role in Colombia and Venezuela may pose a threat to US-Venezuela talks. </span></span></p></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jordi Amaral is a freelance researcher and writer currently working as a Research Analyst at </span><a href="https://www.hxagon.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hxagon</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and as an independent consultant with the Latin America and the Caribbean Initiative at the </span><a href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/programs/latin-america-caribbean-initiative" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Migration Policy Institute</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arianna Kohan is a Research Analyst at </span><a href="https://www.hxagon.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hxagon</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and a current M.A. student in International Relations at the Universidad Torcuato di Tella in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She previously worked as a Program Coordinator with the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (</span><a href="https://www.csis.org/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CSIS</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">). </span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881865897476941412.post-37061524029386029962022-04-28T11:56:00.004-04:002022-04-28T11:56:55.323-04:00Colombian general confesses in false positives case (April 28, 2022)<p><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">A Colombian military general and 10 others acknowledged that they had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. They spoke yesterday before families of victims in the country’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace, a long-awaited testimony in the "false positives" scandal. The general, nine other military officials and a civilian admitted to orchestrating the killings of at least 120 civilians and trying to pass them off as rebel combatants, part of a military policy aimed at inflating combat kills. </span></p><div class="Ar Au Ao" id=":h89"><div aria-label="Message Body" aria-multiline="true" class="Am Al editable LW-avf tS-tW tS-tY" g_editable="true" hidefocus="true" id=":h85" itacorner="6,7:1,1,0,0" role="textbox" spellcheck="false" style="direction: ltr; min-height: 302px;" tabindex="1"><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The "false positives," which were used to bolster the country’s argument that it was winning the war, have become one of the most emblematic human rights violations of the country’s traumatic internal conflict, reports the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/27/world/americas/colombia-war-crimes.html?emci=81256ec6-00c7-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=283b74c0-01c7-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001">New York Times</a>. The killings confessed to yesterday are just a small fraction of those murdered under the false positives policy between 2002 and 2008. In all, the court said in a recent investigative report that the military is responsible for killing 6,402 civilians and claiming they were rebels.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Yesterday's testimony marks the first time that officials have admitted to committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in a tribunal established through a peace agreement, reports the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/28/colombia-military-false-positives/">Washington Post</a>. Under the terms of the special court, those admitting to committing crimes will not receive prison sentences but instead will be given so-called restorative sanctions, like house arrest or hard labor. Facing their victims in the hearings is part of the process.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Victims' families called for the accused to share information about who orchestrated the scheme, but the hearing did not answer the question of who was ultimately responsible for the policy carried out under the former President Álvaro Uribe.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The advances of the special tribunal, including in other cases, demonstrate persistent patterns in crimes committed by military forces, such as reporting civilian deaths as combat kills, covering up evidence of wrongdoing, and collaborating with paramilitary groups, reports <a href="https://www.lasillavacia.com/historias/silla-nacional/los-cinco-patrones-que-se-repiten-en-los-crimenes-de-militares-ante-la-jep/">La Silla Vacía</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>More Colombia</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">A Colombian judge has rejected a request by the attorney general's office to halt an investigation into former President Alvaro Uribe, who is being investigated in a case involving allegations that he established and ran a paramilitary group of his own. (<a href="https://www.dw.com/en/colombia-probe-into-ex-president-uribe-to-go-on-rules-judge/a-61615816?emci=81256ec6-00c7-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=283b74c0-01c7-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001">Deutsche Welle</a>)<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The Urabeños are losing their grip on power in Colombia, reports <a href="https://insightcrime.org/news/united-stand-divided-fall-urabenos-losing-grip-colombia/">InSight Crime</a>.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b>News Briefs</b></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Survey</i></span></div><div><ul><li><i style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Dear readers: I always do appreciate your spontaneous comments and feedback. I wanted to ask you to take a <a href="https://osflap.formstack.com/forms/latin_america_daily_brief_survey" style="color: #4495ff; text-decoration-line: none;">brief survey about the Briefing</a>, in order to better understand how it's useful to you and in hopes of, perhaps, finding ways to improve the product so that it better meets your needs.</span></i></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Regional Relations</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">While many analysts have (somewhat gleefully) hailed a new Cold War, this time starring the U.S. and China as superpowers, from a "Latin American viewpoint, such a new era of confrontation must be avoided," writes Juan Gabriel Tokatlian in <a href="https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/latin-america-doesnt-want-a-new-cold-war/">Americas Quarterly</a>. The original Cold War exacerbated many negative trends in the region and created many new problems: "Latin America today—severely affected by social instability, political polarization, economic deterioration, and diplomatic fragmentation—does not want to be a battleground for a new Cold War."</span></li></ul></div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>El Salvador</i></span><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Human rights groups have denounced that El Salvador's ongoing state of emergency violates fundamental freedoms and opens the door to potentially thousands of arbitrary detentions. But most Salvadorans are willing to tolerate a measure of autocracy in the context of wearying gang violence, according to the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/28/world/americas/el-salvador-bukele-gangs.html">New York Times</a>. (See <a href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/04/el-salvadors-ongoing-emergency-april-27.html">yesterday's post</a>.)</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Mexico</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Mexico’s government proposed a dramatic overhaul of the nation’s electoral system and the agency that oversees it. The reform would create a federal elections board chosen by voters, potentially politicizing what has been an independent body. The proposal would also reduce the size of Congress -- the lower chamber would go from 500 deputies to 300, while the Senate would have 96 seats rather than 128. (<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/mexico-president-proposes-dramatic-electoral-reforms/2022/04/28/cb58c56e-c6fc-11ec-8cff-33b059f4c1b7_story.html?emci=81256ec6-00c7-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=283b74c0-01c7-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001">Associated Press</a>, <a href="https://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/presenta-lopez-obrador-su-reforma-electoral-hoy-la-envia-al-congreso/1512232">Excelsior</a>)</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Brazil<br /></i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Huge fluctuations in Twitter’s follower numbers after Elon Musk negotiated a $44 billion takeover deal of the social media giant played out in Brazil, where President Jair Bolsonaro gained over 101,000 followers between Monday and Wednesday. Members of the Bolsonaro family gained 200,000 followers in the same time period. (<a href="https://politica.estadao.com.br/noticias/geral,familia-bolsonaro-ganha-seguidores-twitter-musk-nprp,70004050200">Estadao</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">During a “Free Speech” event yesterday, Bolsonaro suggested a possible suspension of the 2022 elections if there is “something abnormal.” He also spoke about a “secret room” of the TSE, where, without evidence, he insinuated electoral officials fabricate results. (<a href="https://www.correiobraziliense.com.br/politica/2022/04/5003734-bolsonaro-defende-suspensao-de-eleicoes-caso-ocorra-algo-anormal.html">Correio Brazilense</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Brazilian Defense Minister General Paulo Nogueira disputed statements by Supreme Court Judge Luis Roberto Barroso who said the military was being encouraged to discredit the country's voting system. (<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-04-25/brazil-defense-ministry-rejects-judges-comments-on-anti-democratic-guidance">Reuters</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The U.N. human rights committee said that corruption proceedings against former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva that led to his imprisonment and prevented him from running for the top job in 2018 violated due process. (<a href="https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/crime-pmn/brazils-ex-president-lulas-rights-violated-in-corruption-probe-u-n-committee">Reuters</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Earth saw more than 97,500 square miles of tree cover vanish last year. In addition to forest fires, logging and insect infestations, the relentless expansion of agriculture fueled the disappearance of critical tropical forests in Brazil and elsewhere at a rate of 10 soccer fields a minute, according to a new satellite-based survey by the University of Maryland and Global Forest Watch. (<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2022/world-forest-loss-wildfires/">Washington Post</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Lula da Silva is not planning on appointing an all-powerful economic minister, along the lines of the current head of the portfolio, reports <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-27/lula-to-end-super-minister-role-for-brazil-s-economy-ally-says?emci=81256ec6-00c7-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=283b74c0-01c7-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001">Bloomberg</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Brazil's lower house approved a measure that makes permanent the Auxilio Brasil monthly welfare program for families in poverty situations, months ahead of the country's October presidential election. The proposal must now be approved by the Senate within two weeks, reports <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazils-lower-house-approves-measure-make-welfare-program-permanent-2022-04-27/?emci=81256ec6-00c7-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=283b74c0-01c7-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001">Reuters</a>.<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Argentina<br /></i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Argentine officials say they seek to attract some $10 billion in private investment to help it jump start exports of liquefied natural gas, as the country battles a deep and costly energy deficit, reports <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/argentina-seeking-10-bln-investment-jump-start-lng-exports-minister-says-2022-04-27/?emci=81256ec6-00c7-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=283b74c0-01c7-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001">Reuters</a>.<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Peru</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Peruvian police said they had evicted an indigenous community whose protest camp in a huge open pit owned by Las Bambas copper mine forced MMG to halt operations. Peru's government had declared a state of emergency in the area earlier yesterday, meaning a suspension of civil liberties such as the right to assembly and protest. (<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/peru-govt-declares-state-emergency-near-mmgs-las-bambas-mine-stand-off-continues-2022-04-27/?emci=81256ec6-00c7-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=283b74c0-01c7-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001">Reuters</a>)<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Migration</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The U.S. Coast Guard stopped a total of 84 people from Cuba migrating by sea off the Bahamas and the Florida Keys last week. South Florida is in the midst of a surge in maritime migration from both Cuba and Haiti, notes the <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/florida-keys/article260827387.html">Miami Herald</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Mexico detained almost 6,000 foreign migrants in a four-day span, the country's National Migration Institute (INM) said on Monday. (<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/mexico-detains-almost-6-000-003223592.html">Reuters</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">According to official data from the Panama government shared with the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/apr/28/risking-it-all-migrants-brave-darien-gap-in-pursuit-of-the-american-dream">Guardian</a>, more than 13,000 people illegally crossed from Colombia into Panama via the Darién Gap in the first three months of 2022: nearly triple the number during the same period last year. About 133,000 people made the journey in 2021 – the highest on record for any year by far.<br /></span></li></ul></div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>I will be off for a week, starting tomorrow. The Briefing will be in the very capable hands of Jordi Amaral and Arianna Kohan. See you soon!</i></b><br /></span><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><a href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Latin America Daily Briefing</span></b></a></div></div></div></div></div>Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881865897476941412.post-8329668723220865702022-04-27T10:18:00.001-04:002022-04-27T10:18:40.150-04:00El Salvador's ongoing emergency (April 27, 2022)<p><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">In addition to extending El Salvador's state of emergency on Sunday, lawmakers also seized the moment to temporarily exempt security spending from legal oversight, reports </span><a href="https://elfaro.net/en/202204/el_salvador/26144/Will-the-State-of-Exception-Be-the-New-Normal.htm" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">El Faro English</a><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">. (See </span><a href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-iccs-venezuela-investigation-april.html" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Monday's briefs</a><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">.) And, despite widespread flak from human rights groups as evidence accumulates of police abuses and arbitrary detentions, President Nayib Bukele’s party passed legislation to allow for government land expropriation to build more prisons. </span></p><div class="Ar Au Ao" id=":evu"><div aria-label="Message Body" aria-multiline="true" class="Am Al editable LW-avf tS-tW tS-tY" g_editable="true" hidefocus="true" id=":f3f" itacorner="6,7:1,1,0,0" role="textbox" spellcheck="false" style="direction: ltr; min-height: 302px;" tabindex="1"><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">While the original excuse for the state of emergency was a surge in gang violence, the trend dramatically reversed after a few days, notes <a href="https://elfaro.net/en/202204/el_salvador/26144/Will-the-State-of-Exception-Be-the-New-Normal.htm">El Faro</a>. Bukele renewed the state of exception despite the fact that from April 1 through last Sunday the country registered just 0.8 homicides per day, far below last year’s average of 3.1.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br />El Salvador's defense minister said the emergency measures are having a "positive" effect in the battle against rampant gang violence and that more than 17,000 suspected gang members had been arrested since the state of emergency was declared a month ago. (<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-61229116">BBC</a>)<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">News Briefs</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Haiti</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The head of Haiti's disarmament commission narrowly escaped harm when his car was hit with a spray of gunfire yesterday, and a United Nations helicopter was reportedly hit with a bullet while parked on a runway in Port-au-Prince. It is part of growing violence in the country due to armed clashes between warring violent gangs, reports the <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article260775917.html">Miami Herald</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">“Haiti is blocked,” said Pierre Espérance, of the National Human Rights Defense Network. “We are in a situation where the only thing you can think about is your security. Not schooling, not anything else. There is no living here. The insecurity situation has paralyzed the country. ... If you don’t have a need to go out in Haiti, you don’t go out.” (<a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article260775917.html">Miami Herald</a>)<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Regional</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Elon Musk isn't particularly focused on Latin America, but his acquisition of Twitter could have far-ranging impact on the region, where the social media network is the platform that defines the region’s political narrative, writes James Bosworth in the <a href="https://boz.substack.com/p/twitters-ownership-change-will-alter?s=r">Latin America Risk Report</a>. " It is a primary communications and political battlefield at the moment and is likely to remain so for at least the next few years."<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Over the past two decades, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean lost the equivalent of 1.7% of a year’s GDP due to climate-related disasters and up to 5.8 million people could be pushed into extreme poverty in the region by 2030, according to a World Bank report published this month. (<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/latin-america-disasters-poverty-us-b2065252.html?emci=dbd4e154-69c5-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=118e0e8c-6ac5-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001">Independent</a>)<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Mexico</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">At least 52 women have been reported missing in Mexico's Nuevo León state this year, the majority in or around the capital, Monterrey. The latest was 18-year-old Debanhi Susana Escobar Bazaldúa, whose disappearance and apparent murder have rekindled devastating memories of a wave of killings in the border city of Ciudad Juárez two decades ago, reports the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/apr/26/murder-young-woman-mexico-femicide">Guardian</a>. (See <a href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-iccs-venezuela-investigation-april.html">Monday's briefs</a>.)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Escobar’s body was found last Thursday night in an abandoned underground water tank on the grounds of a motel in northern Mexico, which authorities had already searched four different times. The case has sparked outrage and protests over femicides and disappearances of women in Mexico, reports the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/27/world/americas/debanhi-escobar-mexico.html">New York Times</a>.<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Brazil</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">A Brazilian federal court upheld the suspension of an environmental license for what would be the largest open-pit gold mine in the nation’s Amazon rainforest. The ruling is a blow for Canadian Belo Sun Mining Corp., which was appealing a 2017 ruling, which found that the company’s consultation with local Indigenous peoples and study on the project’s socio-environmental impacts didn’t meet the criteria required by the National Indian Foundation. (<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-environment-forests-brazil-belo-sun-mining-corp-132865d50e57bb5c50b4a0b7e9d2c80e">Associated Press</a>)<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Colombia</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Ten retired members of Colombia’s military implicated in the false-positives scandal began testifying to a special tribunal yesterday. They confessed to victims’ families their roles in the assassination of 120 civilians that were later presented as rebels killed in combat, reports <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20220427-retired-colombian-soldiers-confess-to-murdering-scores-of-civilians">AFP</a>.<br /></span></li></ul></div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Guatemala</i></span><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The family of Emil Bustamante López, a Guatemalan activist who was arrested and disappeared in 1982, filed a case with the UN human rights committee. It is the first time the committee has been asked to look into a case of enforced disappearance in Guatemala, reports the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/27/emil-bustamante-lopez-disappeared-guatemala-military-dictatorship">Guardian</a>.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>More El Salvador</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Most people in El Salvador who downloaded the state-run bitcoin wallet last year don't engage significantly with the app, according to a report published by the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research. (<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/six-10-salvadorans-quit-using-061137697.html">Coindesk</a>)</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Caribbean</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Food security in the English and Dutch speaking Caribbean has been significantly affected by Covid-19 pandemic, and will be worsened by the impact of the war in Ukraine, according to a newly released report by the United Nations World Food Program and Caricom. (<a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article260765142.html">Miami Herald</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Government support for citizens over the past two years has, in many cases, resulted in increased national debt. According to the report, governments' ability to sustain this support is under threat, and requires innovative financing solutions to navigate the compounded impacts of the pandemic, the climate crisis, economic hardship, and most recently, reverberating global impacts of the war in Ukraine -- <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article260765142.html">Miami Herald</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Far-right French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen lost to incumbent Emanuel Macron this weekend, but finished far ahead in some of France’s overseas territories. Analysts say the polls demonstrate protest against Macron, but also a sustained drive for votes by the far-right party in the overseas territories, where social deprivation is significantly higher than on the mainland, reports the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/25/le-pen-thanks-forgotten-france-after-election-gains-in-overseas-territories?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other">Guardian</a>.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Argentina</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Dollarization proposals are flourishing once more in Argentina as a “disruptive” shortcut to put an end to inflation -- and will likely have electoral impact in next year's presidential race, though economically the plans leave much to be desired, argue Eduardo Levy Yeyati and Marina dal Poggetto in <a href="https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/dollarization-is-no-silver-bullet-for-latin-americas-inflation-woes/">Americas Quarterly</a>.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Chile</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Authorities in Chile are sounding the alarm over repeated seizures of small quantities of arms being trafficked through Argentina, reports <a href="https://insightcrime.org/news/chile-increasingly-worried-about-weapons-trafficking-from-argentina/">InSight Crime</a>.<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Migration</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The U.S. Biden administration's plan to lift the Title 42 policy will likely swell the border with migrants who view it as easier to come to the United States and claim asylum -- the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/03/30/what-is-title-42/">Washington Post</a> analyzes potential consequences.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Human Rights</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Kenneth Roth will step down from Human Rights Watch, after nearly three decades of leading the organization. "Roth has been an unrelenting irritant to authoritarian governments, exposing human rights abuses with documented research reports that have become the group’s specialty," reports the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/26/world/americas/kenneth-roth-human-rights-watch.html">New York Times</a>.</span></li></ul><div><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Dear readers: I always do appreciate your spontaneous comments and feedback. I wanted to ask you to take a <a href="https://osflap.formstack.com/forms/latin_america_daily_brief_survey" style="text-decoration-line: none;">brief survey about the Briefing</a>, in order to better understand how it's useful to you and in hopes of, perhaps, finding ways to improve the product so that it better meets your needs.</span></i></div></div></div><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><a href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Latin America Daily Briefing</span></b></a></div></div></div></div></div>Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881865897476941412.post-57786582116312044362022-04-26T13:22:00.002-04:002022-04-26T13:22:12.450-04:00Cuba accuses U.S. of excluding from Summit (April 26, 2022)<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Cuban officials accused the U.S. of excluding the island's government from the upcoming Summit of the Americas, which will be held in Los Angeles in June. Cuban foreign affairs minister Bruno Rodríguez said the U.S. Biden administration is also putting pressure on countries in the hemisphere who oppose excluding Cuba from the largest regional gathering of hemispheric leaders, reports the </span><a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article260740487.html" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Miami Herald</a><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Rodríguez said US officials were already leaving Cuba out of pre-summit conversations on such issues as a regional health strategy and migration, both of vital interest to the island’s leaders, and noted that Cuba has attended the past two Summit of the Americas meetings. (<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/25/cuba-accuses-us-of-trying-to-exclude-it-from-regional-summit" style="color: #1155cc;">Al Jazeera</a>)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The U.S. said no invitations have been issued for the Summit from the White House at this time.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The statements came after the U.S. and Cuba held migration talks in Washington, D.C., last week amid soaring Cuban migration to the U.S. 80,000 Cubans were apprehended at the border between October and April, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Last week’s meeting amounted to the highest-level talks between the two countries in over four years. While Rodríguez celebrated the meeting as a positive sign, U.S. policy toward Cuba is "incoherent" and "contradictory" because, he said, the U.S. tightens the embargo "and at the same time restricts migration." (<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/cuba-blasts-us-first-talks-migration-years-rcna25838?emci=dbd4e154-69c5-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=118e0e8c-6ac5-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">NBC</a>)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>News Briefs</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>More Regional Relations</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">U.S. State Department officials held their first high-level talks with the Brazilian government since 2019 yesterday. The meeting comes despite the two governments' differences over the Ukraine war, reports <a href="https://wtvbam.com/2022/04/25/u-s-looks-for-closer-ties-to-brazil-at-a-time-of-turmoil-and-war/?emci=dbd4e154-69c5-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=118e0e8c-6ac5-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Reuters</a>. Asked about President Jair Bolsonaro’s criticism of the Brazilian voting system ahead of his re-election campaign this year, the U.S. said the United States had confidence in Brazil’s strong democratic institutions.<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Brazil</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's lead in Brazil's presidential race narrowed again, according to a new FSB Pesquisa poll that gives Lula 41 percent compared to 32 percent for incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. (<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/lula-lead-narrows-bolsonaro-rejection-steady-new-brazil-poll-2022-04-25/?emci=dbd4e154-69c5-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=118e0e8c-6ac5-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Reuters</a>)</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Mexico</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Mexico's Michoacán state was the original focus of the country's war on drugs, and demonstrates the failure of the policy, according to a new <a href="https://facesofconflict.crisisgroup.org/on-the-front-lines-of-the-hot-land-mexicos-incessant-conflict/" style="color: #1155cc;">Crisis Group</a> report that delves into the Tierra Caliente heartland of the state's organized crime. Over the past fifteen years, "at least fourteen illegal armed outfits have carved up power, political sway and territories among them, each one digging in too deep for its competitors to oust it completely. The result has been a state of perpetual low-intensity armed violence. A viable strategy to reduce this violence has yet to be found."<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he will present a plan aimed at buffering Mexican food prices from global price swings that caused soaring inflation this year, reports <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-25/amlo-plans-measures-to-shield-mexico-from-food-price-volatility?emci=dbd4e154-69c5-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=118e0e8c-6ac5-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Bloomberg</a>.</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Chile<br /></i></span></div><div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Perceptions among Chileans that Chile is on the wrong path rose 18 points between March and April, according to a new Cadem poll. Citizens are increasingly dour on the new constitution, which will be put to plebiscite on Sept. 4. For the fourth consecutive week, the poll found that more respondents would reject the new magna carta than approve it. (<a href="https://www.cnnchile.com/pais/cadem-aprobacion-presidente-boric-cae-36_20220425/" style="color: #1155cc;">CNN</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Experts have cautioned, however, that negative perceptions about the new magna carta could dissipate after the Constitutional Convention finishes drafting the new text. Last week delegates adopted a series of “fundamental rights” into the text of the proposed constitution, including, among others, the right to health care and social security, the right to unionize, strike and collectively bargain and “the right to a dignified and adequate home.” This could counter some criticisms that the convention has failed to tackle the problems underlying broad social unrest that led to the drafting process in the first place, reports <a href="https://www.ciperchile.cl/2022/04/22/%f0%9f%a4%96-un-nuevo-catalogo-de-derechos/" style="color: #1155cc;">La Bot Constituyente</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">If the articles approved last week make it to a successful magna carta, it would be the first time positive social rights will be included in the Chilean constitution, writes Nicholas C. Scott in the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2022/04/26/chile-is-writing-new-chapter-its-history/?emci=dbd4e154-69c5-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=118e0e8c-6ac5-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Washington Post</a>. "The invocation of “dignity” is important and it signals that the vote in the convention forms part of a much longer history of Chileans’ struggle to achieve a dignified life."<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Just six weeks in office, President Gabriel Boric faces his own political problems, his disapproval rating has shot way up, in part due to gaffes from a team with little governance experience, according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-26/just-six-weeks-in-chile-s-leftist-leader-is-in-big-trouble?emci=dbd4e154-69c5-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=118e0e8c-6ac5-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Bloomberg</a>. Boric is under fire from both the left, where communists say he isn't serious about dismantling the country's neoliberal system, and from the right, concerned about the country's status with investors. </span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Colombia</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Colombian vice presidential candidate Francia Márquez is the major revelation of this year's campaign, according to the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/1d8a6209-615b-4a26-9a68-08e36432be89" style="color: #1155cc;">Financial Times</a>. If leftist Gustavo Petro's bid is successful, Márquez would take an additional role heading a new ministry dedicated to eradicating inequality of race and gender in one of Latin America’s most class-ridden societies.</span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Migration</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Asylum seekers from around the world, including Latin America, are increasingly entering Canada after the country lifted Covid-19 restrictions in December. (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/25/canada-asylum-seekers-numbers-covid-restrictions" style="color: #1155cc;">Guardian</a>)</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Antigua and Barbuda</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Antigua and Barbuda plans on pursuing, eventually, plans to become a republic, Prime Minister Gaston Browne told visiting British royals the Earl and Countess of Wessex this week. The country is the latest in the Caribbean to announce intentions to possibly split from the British monarchy, reports the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-61221706?emci=dbd4e154-69c5-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=118e0e8c-6ac5-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">BBC</a>.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Ecuador</i></span></div></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Former Ecuador president Rafael Correa said the political asylum he has been granted in Belgium is proof he is persecuted by his country’s authorities and did not rule out a return to politics in an interview with the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/exiled-ex-ecuador-president-doesnt-exclude-political-return/2022/04/25/2b57eeb2-c4b5-11ec-8cff-33b059f4c1b7_story.html?emci=dbd4e154-69c5-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=118e0e8c-6ac5-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Associated Press</a>.<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Regional</i></span></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Governments in Latin America should provide targeted and temporary fiscal support to help poor families cope with higher food and energy prices and reduce the risk of social unrest from soaring inflation, according to the International Monetary Fund. (<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-26/imf-urges-latin-america-to-address-inflation-to-curb-unrest-risk?emci=dbd4e154-69c5-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=118e0e8c-6ac5-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Bloomberg</a>)<br /></span></li></ul></div><i><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Dear readers: I always do appreciate your spontaneous comments and feedback. I wanted to ask you to take a <a href="https://osflap.formstack.com/forms/latin_america_daily_brief_survey" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;">brief survey about the Briefing</a>, in order to better understand how it's useful to you and in hopes of, perhaps, finding ways to improve the product so that it better meets your needs.</span></i><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><a href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Latin America Daily Briefing</span></b></a></div></div></div></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="ltr"></div></div></div>Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881865897476941412.post-26983690196836463122022-04-25T13:12:00.002-04:002022-04-25T13:12:29.361-04:00The ICC's Venezuela investigation (April 25, 2022)<p><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan plans to continue his office's investigation into possible crimes against humanity in Venezuela, overriding a request by Venezuela's government to defer, based on allegations that domestic authorities were already investigating these crimes. On April 20, Khan notified a panel of ICC judges of Venezuela’s request and indicated that his office would soon ask the judges to reject the request. Khan’s office also said it will seek to engage with victims and their legal representatives. The investigation is on hold until the judges rule on Khan’s forthcoming request.</span></p><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">“The ICC prosecutor’s expressed intention to proceed with his investigation, pending judicial approval, is a positive sign,” said Tamara Taraciuk Broner, acting Americas director at <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/04/22/venezuela-maduro-government-seeks-delay-icc-investigation" style="color: #1155cc;">Human Rights Watch</a>. “Moving forward, it’s essential for the ICC prosecutor to meaningfully engage with victims, affected communities, and the civil society groups seeking justice for Venezuelans’ suffering.”<br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Venezuela’s judiciary has failed to adequately investigate widespread abuses despite compelling evidence, and impunity for human rights abuses remains the norm, Human Rights Watch said. Recent measures to reform Venezuela’s justice system are not adequate to address the profound lack of judicial independence in the country, and may even aggravate it.<br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The developments build on a three-day Caracas trip by Khan in March, which concluded with the announcement that the ICC would open an office in Venezuela as it advances the investigation it began last year into human rights violations committed by Venezuelan authorities and government supporters since 2017. The ICC said it seeks to “deepen cooperation” with the Venezuelan government through the opening of the national office to facilitate the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding signed in November, and to support efforts to investigate crimes at the national level. (<a href="https://www.venezuelablog.org/venezuela-update-icc-developments-civic-engagement-and-human-rights/" style="color: #1155cc;">Venezuela Update</a>)</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">On April 5, a group of civil society activists met with President Nicolás Maduro to present a series of demands for meaningful democratic and judicial reforms. The group published the letter that they presented to Maduro, which includes a list of demands regarding the need to establish independence in Venezuela’s justice system and the Supreme Court (TSJ) and the urgency of returning to negotiations in Mexico City. Following backlash to the meeting from the opposition and others critical of the notion of negotiating with Maduro, participants in the meeting have publicly emphasized the importance of taking the opportunity to establish spaces for dialogue and engage with those in power to advance institutional reform—while not abandoning their commitment to human rights. (<a href="https://www.venezuelablog.org/venezuela-update-icc-developments-civic-engagement-and-human-rights/" style="color: #1155cc;">Venezuela Update</a>)<br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>More Venezuela</i></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Last week, a group of Venezuelan civil society leaders, economists and analysts called on the United States, Maduro’s government and Venezuela's opposition to restart political talks in order to ease oil sanctions that would alleviate the humanitarian crisis. (<a href="https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/latin-america/us-and-venezuela-should-restart-talks-to-ease-oil-sanctions-group-says.phtml" style="color: #1155cc;">Bloomberg</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Some experts posit that easing sanctions is critical to tackle the country's humanitarian crisis -- 25 percent of the country's population is malnourished and 94 percent lives in poverty, according to some statistics -- while others counter that it would strengthen Maduro's government, reports <a href="https://efectococuyo.com/politica/una-flexibilizacion-sanciones-economicas-favoreceria-maduro/" style="color: #1155cc;">Efecto Cocuyo</a>.</span></li></ul></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="ltr"><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b>News Briefs</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>El Salvador </i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">El Salvador’s congress voted yesterday to extend an anti-gang emergency decree for another 30 days, in response to a request from President Nayib Bukele. Bukele has used emergency powers to round up about 16,000 suspected gang members following a spate of killings a month ago, raising significant concerns among human rights groups. (<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nayib-bukele-el-salvador-san-gangs-00654a76350681707a43a937c6ff3c1a?emci=fc7d5e2d-99c4-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=285608df-9dc4-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Associated Press</a>)<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Amazon</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">An ecosystem of organized crime threatens the Amazon, and global climate action, warn Robert Muggah and Mac Margolis in <a href="https://news.trust.org/item/20220425092759-d6kci/" style="color: #1155cc;">Reuters</a>. "For all the talk about how destruction in the Amazon leads to greenhouse gases, there is less discussion about how to rein in the increasingly agile cabal of criminal entrepreneurs" that has spurred a regional public security crisis in parallel to the raging climate emergency.<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Brazil</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been touring the country in an effort to project strength and popularity and win back millions of voters who abandoned him. He remains the underdog in October's presidential elections, but his polling has improved in recent weeks, and a second mandate is not impossible, reports the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/25/jair-bolsonaro-brazil-president-claws-back-support-after-poor-covid-response-" style="color: #1155cc;">Guardian</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Brazil held Carnival celebrations this weekend, with a two month delay due to coronavirus concerns. Many saw the revelry as chance to vent their spleen at Bolsonaro, reports the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/24/carnival-is-politics-revellers-bring-anti-bolsonaro-sentiment-to-rios-streets" style="color: #1155cc;">Guardian</a>.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Regional Relations</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Brazil’s pragmatic, at times ambivalent, stance towards the Russia-Ukraine war is motivated by national interests, diplomatic traditions and electoral concerns for Bolsonaro, reports <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/22/russia-ukraine-war-whats-behind-brazils-neutral-position" style="color: #1155cc;">Al Jazeera</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Nicaragua's government said it had completed its withdrawal from the Organization of American States (OAS). The OAS countered that Nicaragua's rejection of the group could not go into effect until the end of 2023 given the country's status as an active member. Nicaragua's government also said it had closed the local OAS office and revoked the credentials of several OAS representatives as part of an "unwavering decision" to leave the organization. (<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/nicaragua-quits-oas-over-ortega-re-election-criticism-says-it-is-not-colony-2022-04-25/?emci=fc7d5e2d-99c4-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=285608df-9dc4-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Reuters</a>)<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Mexico</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Hundreds of women marched through downtown Mexico City yesterday to protest the horrifying death of 18-year-old Debanhi Escobar, whose body was found Thursday in a cistern at a motel in Monterrey, almost two weeks after she had gone missing. (<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-caribbean-city-monterrey-796f915b66fbf35d90a4a9b3aa299912?emci=fc7d5e2d-99c4-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=285608df-9dc4-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Associated Press</a>)<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Peru</i></span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Peruvian President Pedro Castillo said he will submit to Congress a bill to allow Peruvian citizens to be consulted on the drafting of a new Constitution. The issue of a new constitution, and how to draft it, has been on Castillo's agenda since his election campaign, but with varying degrees of emphasis, in the midst of a growing political crisis and frequent cabinet changes. (<a href="https://www.infobae.com/en/2022/04/23/castillo-will-submit-to-the-peruvian-congress-a-bill-for-a-referendum-on-a-new-constitution/" style="color: #1155cc;">Europa Press</a>, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-22/peru-s-president-proposes-referendum-for-new-constitution?emci=fc7d5e2d-99c4-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=285608df-9dc4-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Bloomberg</a>)</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Honduras</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Honduras' Congress unanimously repealed a law which allowed for the creation of special economic zones exempt from some national laws and taxes throughout the country, known as Zones for Employment and Economic Development (ZEDEs), reports <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/honduran-congress-unanimously-nixes-special-economic-zones-2022-04-21/?emci=fc7d5e2d-99c4-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=285608df-9dc4-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Reuters</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president of Honduras, appeared virtually for his initial US court appearance Friday on federal drug trafficking and firearms possession charges, reports <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2022/04/22/us/honduras-juan-orlando-hernandez-us-court-appearance/index.html?emci=fc7d5e2d-99c4-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=285608df-9dc4-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">CNN</a>. (See last <a href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/04/johs-linked-to-notorious-drug.html" style="color: #1155cc;">Friday's post</a>.)<br /></span></li></ul></div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Colombia<br /></i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Colombian presidential candidate Gustavo Petro extended his lead ahead of next month's elections in the latest CNC poll published by Semana: in the most likely runoff scenario Petro would get 44.8% of votes versus 36.9% for former Medellin mayor Federico “Fico” Gutierrez. (<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-22/petro-extends-lead-one-month-from-colombia-presidential-election?emci=fc7d5e2d-99c4-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=285608df-9dc4-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Bloomberg</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Leftist former Bogotá mayor Petro is in his his third attempt at the presidency -- but this is his best shot at victory. "Colombians are frustrated with the status quo and for many Petro speaks credibly about the ills facing the country," writes Benjamin Russell for <a href="https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/the-evolution-of-colombias-gustavo-petro/" style="color: #1155cc;">Americas Quarterly</a>.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Argentina</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Argentine economy minister Martin Guzmán said that a $45 billion debt deal with the International Monetary Fund will not be modified, following a meeting with IMF head Kristalina Georgieva, Friday. (<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/argentina-will-not-modify-45-bln-debt-with-imf-finance-minister-2022-04-23/?emci=fc7d5e2d-99c4-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=285608df-9dc4-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Reuters</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Thousands of Argentine farmers protested in Buenos Aires this weekend against President Alberto Fernández, particularly his policies aimed at containing food prices in the midst of rampant inflation, reports <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/thousands-farmers-stage-anti-tax-protest-argentine-capital-2022-04-23/?emci=fc7d5e2d-99c4-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=285608df-9dc4-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;">Reuters</a>.<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Dear readers: I always do appreciate your spontaneous comments and feedback. I wanted to ask you to take a <a href="https://osflap.formstack.com/forms/latin_america_daily_brief_survey" style="color: #1155cc;">brief survey about the Briefing</a>, in order to better understand how it's useful to you and in hopes of, perhaps, finding ways to improve the product so that it better meets your needs.</span></i></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr"><a href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Latin America Daily Briefing</span></b></a></div></div></div>Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881865897476941412.post-25242162849790139872022-04-22T13:25:00.002-04:002022-04-22T13:25:43.856-04:00JOH's linked to notorious drug traffickers (April 22, 2022)<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents extradited the Honduran former president Juan Orlando Hernández to New York, where he will face federal drug trafficking and weapons charges. Honduran national police delivered a handcuffed Hernández to DEA agents at the Tegucigalpa airport, yesterday. (</span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/21/ex-president-of-honduras-extradited-to-us-on-drugs-charges&source=gmail&ust=1650734674165000&usg=AOvVaw0cyyYGOLJCd5nrMrKG2f61" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/21/ex-president-of-honduras-extradited-to-us-on-drugs-charges" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Guardian</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">, see </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/04/joh-to-be-extradited-today-april-21-2022.html&source=gmail&ust=1650734674165000&usg=AOvVaw2RXYQYgkMxDh4r_fSxghvX" href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/04/joh-to-be-extradited-today-april-21-2022.html" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">yesterday's post</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">)</span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">A federal indictment unsealed late Thursday in Manhattan charged that over nearly the last two decades, Hernández “participated in a corrupt and violent drug-trafficking conspiracy to facilitate the importation of tons of cocaine into the United States.” The indictment charged that Hernández received millions of dollars from numerous drug trafficking organizations in Honduras, Mexico and elsewhere, including from the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, the Mexican drug lord known as El Chapo. (<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/21/nyregion/honduras-juan-orlando-hernandez-extradition.html&source=gmail&ust=1650734674165000&usg=AOvVaw0ldkkmHXyyCGBsWPuu5HHY" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/21/nyregion/honduras-juan-orlando-hernandez-extradition.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">New York Times</a>)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">"The indictment against Hernández provides not only new details of his alleged ties to the drug trade but shows that his suspected contacts with traffickers go back decades and include some of the most notorious figures in the region," explains <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://insightcrime.org/news/indictment-of-honduran-ex-president-spells-out-20-years-of-drug-ties/&source=gmail&ust=1650734674165000&usg=AOvVaw3fUJ8kW7Z3t4Sg1bKzI-yv" href="https://insightcrime.org/news/indictment-of-honduran-ex-president-spells-out-20-years-of-drug-ties/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">InSight Crime</a>. The allegations date back to the early 2000s, long before Hernández became president, and outline a two-decade stint in which 500 tons of cocaine were moved to the United States.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The precipitous fall of Hernández, who was president from 2014 until January, has stunned Hondurans, reports the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/21/honduras-president-hernandez-extradited/&source=gmail&ust=1650734674165000&usg=AOvVaw0LUrnDkzBeyYXVOdMaCNMZ" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/21/honduras-president-hernandez-extradited/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>.<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">News Briefs</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Peru<br /></i></span></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><ul><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Peruvian President Pedro Castillo mobilized the army against demonstrations at the country's Cuajone mine, which has been shut by protesters for nearly two months. He declared a state of emergency on Wednesday that suspended the right to protest at the mine, a sharp tactical shift from a previous conciliatory approach, reports <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/analysis-peru-s-castillo-hardens-stance-on-mining-protests-as-economy-stumbles/ar-AAWsspI&source=gmail&ust=1650734674165000&usg=AOvVaw2aGvV-tbkhY9nVnZKqa6Vx" href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/analysis-peru-s-castillo-hardens-stance-on-mining-protests-as-economy-stumbles/ar-AAWsspI" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Reuters</a>.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Brazil</i></span></div><div><ul><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said yesterday that he would pardon Daniel Silveira, an allied federal congressman who was sentenced to nearly nine years in prison by the Supreme Court this week for encouraging undemocratic acts and attacks on judges and institutions such as the Supreme Court. Bolsonaro's move is likely to further increase tensions between Brazil's executive and judiciary ahead of October's presidential election, reports <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-04-21/brazils-bolsonaro-pardons-political-ally-snubbing-supreme-court&source=gmail&ust=1650734674165000&usg=AOvVaw1dvL_AmEmm3SK1kxljpVzP" href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-04-21/brazils-bolsonaro-pardons-political-ally-snubbing-supreme-court" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Reuters</a>. (See <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/04/joh-to-be-extradited-today-april-21-2022.html&source=gmail&ust=1650734674165000&usg=AOvVaw2RXYQYgkMxDh4r_fSxghvX" href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/04/joh-to-be-extradited-today-april-21-2022.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">yesterday's briefs</a>.)</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>El Salvador<br /></i></span></div><div><ul><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">At least 13,000 people have been detained as part of El Salvador's mass crackdown on gangs. Many relatives are frantically searching for the whereabouts of their arrested family members who have vanished, a grim iteration of the country's history of disappearances during the civil war and later due to gang violence, reports the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/22/salvador-bukele-gang-arrests-crackdown/&source=gmail&ust=1650734674165000&usg=AOvVaw0M98kYx-GOUo-LK0j1ba6j" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/22/salvador-bukele-gang-arrests-crackdown/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>.</span></li></ul></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Guatemala</i></span></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><ul><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The current wave of attacks against independent justice operators in Guatemala, under attorney general María Consuelo Porras, is part of a ramped up effort to facilitate a complete take over of Guatemala’s institutions. But it is both rooted in and facilitated by the country’s long tradition of cooptation of the state that dates back to the internal armed conflict (1960-1996), explain Ana María Méndez Dardón and Julia Aikman Cifuentes in a <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wola.org/analysis/guatemala-attorney-general-elections-judicial-independence-democracy-crossroads/&source=gmail&ust=1650734674165000&usg=AOvVaw10csqFPDjYKHb9uvRVlb87" href="https://www.wola.org/analysis/guatemala-attorney-general-elections-judicial-independence-democracy-crossroads/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">WOLA</a> commentary.<br /></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Migration</i></span></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><ul><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The U.S. and Cuba held direct migration talks yesterday for the first time in four years. The U.S. Biden administration seeks to stop an overwhelming surge of migrants at the southern border, in which Cubans have become the second-largest group of those seeking unauthorized entry through Mexico, reports the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/04/21/us-cuba-migration-border/&source=gmail&ust=1650734674165000&usg=AOvVaw2BkLJE-bkF3hnouOhFLV6L" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/04/21/us-cuba-migration-border/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Nearly 130,000 Venezuelans have migrated to the U.S. in the 11 months from April 2021 through this past February. Many come from other countries in Latin America, where they fled to originally, and are now leaving due to the Covid-19 pandemic's economic impact, coupled with unemployment, xenophobia and increasing political instability in several countries in the region, reports the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wsj.com/articles/venezuelans-flee-again-this-time-to-the-u-s-11650039323?mod%3Dworld_major_2_pos5&source=gmail&ust=1650734674165000&usg=AOvVaw2k-BYL-CP9l6HA3aLNzt2a" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/venezuelans-flee-again-this-time-to-the-u-s-11650039323?mod=world_major_2_pos5" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Mexican migration to the United States has been beneficial for the host country, but also for Mexico, reports the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2022/04/23/mexican-migration-has-changed-america-for-the-better&source=gmail&ust=1650734674165000&usg=AOvVaw1_8DmUPwOoIfL60rfXyB-H" href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2022/04/23/mexican-migration-has-changed-america-for-the-better" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Economist</a>. But immigration policies have made life difficult for migrants who seek to integrate in the U.S., and also fail to recognize that many don't want to settle permanently, but would prefer to be able to circulate back and forth between countries, if they could do so legally.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Mexico</i></span></div><div><ul><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s efforts to reshape the country's electricity sector to favor the state-owned power company have spurred hundreds of lawsuits and sown a level of uncertainty that businesspeople say is costing jobs and private investment, reports the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://apnews.com/article/business-mexico-caribbean-lawsuits-e9eee2d90d17d66a86eaf7903b4574fa&source=gmail&ust=1650734674165000&usg=AOvVaw23oj74Rx9qwTsnmxQkQnLX" href="https://apnews.com/article/business-mexico-caribbean-lawsuits-e9eee2d90d17d66a86eaf7903b4574fa" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Associated Press</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">"Mexico's current foreign policy is, at the very least, cacophonous, if not frankly schizophrenic," writes Erika Ruiz Sandoval for the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/schizophrenia-mexican-foreign-policy-lopez-obradors-government-facing-war-ukraine&source=gmail&ust=1650734674165000&usg=AOvVaw0wcHP3_CMGQIc_tQQd5T-d" href="https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/schizophrenia-mexican-foreign-policy-lopez-obradors-government-facing-war-ukraine" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Wilson Center</a>.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Brazil</i></span></div><div><ul><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Under the title Retaking Brazil: demarcate the territories and indigenise the politics, the 18th Free Land Camp saw 8,000 Indigenous people in Brasília give voice to the ongoing fight to save their culture and way of life, reports the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/apr/22/its-our-land-too-brazils-indigenous-peoples-make-their-voice-heard-aoe&source=gmail&ust=1650734674165000&usg=AOvVaw2M3JdtkG5a8MbUbbK8pD5R" href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/apr/22/its-our-land-too-brazils-indigenous-peoples-make-their-voice-heard-aoe" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Guardian</a>.<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Chile</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Squabbles between the left and right within Chile's Constitutional Convention are wasting precious time rather than moving the draft magna carta into the important “harmonization” phase for reviewing the whole text to ensure its coherence and internal consistency, according to Carlos Cruz Infante and Miguel Zlosilo at the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://aulablog.net/2022/04/22/chile-crunch-time-for-constitutional-convention/&source=gmail&ust=1650734674165000&usg=AOvVaw0kMto_D_2VwJ6vN4CJ1iVp" href="https://aulablog.net/2022/04/22/chile-crunch-time-for-constitutional-convention/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">AULA blog</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">"The leftist or left-leaning leaders of the Constitutional Convention seem to be underestimating the need to use their document as originally intended by the 2020 plebiscite directing the drafting of a new Constitution: to heal deep splits within Chilean society and build a new consensus based on the highest common ideals of the nation," they write. (<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://aulablog.net/2022/04/22/chile-crunch-time-for-constitutional-convention/&source=gmail&ust=1650734674165000&usg=AOvVaw0kMto_D_2VwJ6vN4CJ1iVp" href="https://aulablog.net/2022/04/22/chile-crunch-time-for-constitutional-convention/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">AULA</a> blog)</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Haiti</i></span></div></div><div><ul><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Helping Haiti create conditions for elections and bringing improvements to its beleaguered police force remain key priorities for the international community, Brian A. Nichols, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere Affairs, said yesterday. (<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article260639977.html&source=gmail&ust=1650734674165000&usg=AOvVaw07nvo19yeYWZ5lzs93kPjo" href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article260639977.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Miami Herald</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">A Jamaican court cleared the way for the extradition of former Haitian senator John Joël Joseph, a key suspect in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. Joseph had waived an extradition court hearing in order to be brought to the United States, where he will most likely be charged in connection with the still unsolved assassination. He would be the third suspect charged in Miami, reports the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article260641307.html&source=gmail&ust=1650734674165000&usg=AOvVaw1HiN8jDPuvv0oL1sBBBXyh" href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article260641307.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Miami Herald</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Haiti’s civil aviation authority has grounded all private planes as it investigates what may have caused a single-engine airplane to crash this week, killing all the occupants aboard, including the pilot, reports the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article260620037.html&source=gmail&ust=1650734674165000&usg=AOvVaw3jIb99OF42M3qTFn1kxwJQ" href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article260620037.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Miami Herald</a>.<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Venezuela</i></span></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><ul><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Venezuela faces three serious simultaneous crises: the brutal attack against opponents, the humanitarian emergency and the massive exodus of Venezuelans, Human Rights Watch's Tamara Taraciuk told <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.elnacional.com/venezuela/tamara-taraciuk-de-human-rights-watch-las-sanciones-individuales-son-indispensables-para-frenar-al-regimen-de-maduro/&source=gmail&ust=1650734674165000&usg=AOvVaw3yrk5NmeR_AMQo_udwnV2A" href="https://www.elnacional.com/venezuela/tamara-taraciuk-de-human-rights-watch-las-sanciones-individuales-son-indispensables-para-frenar-al-regimen-de-maduro/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">El Nacional</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Some U.S. oilfield firms whose Venezuelan operations were frozen by sanctions are joining an appeal to Washington for authorizations to restart oil drilling in the country, reports <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.reuters.com/business/exclusive-us-oil-services-firms-join-push-revamped-venezuela-license-2022-04-21/&source=gmail&ust=1650734674165000&usg=AOvVaw2SWhBehTHPybL_Wu6DSuaC" href="https://www.reuters.com/business/exclusive-us-oil-services-firms-join-push-revamped-venezuela-license-2022-04-21/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Reuters</a>. If they are allowed to resume work, Venezuela could quickly ramp up production capacity beyond 1 million barrels per day according to analysts.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Regional</i></span></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><ul><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Southern Caribbean energy producers are on the frontline of a global geopolitical realignment. "In the decade ahead, the Southern Caribbean is likely to play a much more prominent role on the global energy map, something local leaders will have to weigh carefully," write Georges A. Fauriol and Scott B. MacDonald in <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://theglobalamericans.org/2022/04/geopolitical-realignments-and-the-southern-caribbean-energy-matrix/&source=gmail&ust=1650734674166000&usg=AOvVaw2M2nzn2V33IVnt_FT0FpMB" href="https://theglobalamericans.org/2022/04/geopolitical-realignments-and-the-southern-caribbean-energy-matrix/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Global Americans</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">"Latin America is a relative newcomer in China’s discourse power strategy. ... However, as with other regions in the Global South, the exposure of Latin American countries to China has dramatically increased over the past decade as Beijing’s discourse power operations have expanded," according to a new <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/report/chinas-discourse-power-operations-in-the-global-south/&source=gmail&ust=1650734674166000&usg=AOvVaw1yC3pw9TeSWS3SvkGVOXo_" href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/report/chinas-discourse-power-operations-in-the-global-south/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Atlantic Council</a> report.</span></li></ul></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Did I miss something, get something wrong, or do you have a different take? Let me know ... And Happy Friday!</i></b><br /></span></div><div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div dir="ltr"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com&source=gmail&ust=1650734674166000&usg=AOvVaw1OZR6M8OMlvAZaLQYBNnu5" href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Latin America Daily Briefing</span></b></a></div></div>Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881865897476941412.post-57606927580720958712022-04-21T12:23:00.004-04:002022-04-21T12:23:18.884-04:00JOH to be extradited today (April 21, 2022)<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández is to be extradited today to the United States, where he faces a trial on drug trafficking and arms possession charges. A U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) plane is expected to land in Honduras this afternoon to transport Hernández, who left office earlier this year after eight years in power. (</span><a href="https://www.laprensa.hn/honduras/se-retrasa-entrega-de-juan-orlando-hernandez-avion-de-la-dea-llegara-hasta-la-100-pm-de-hoy-EH7768273" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc;">La Prensa</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">, </span><a href="https://www.elheraldo.hn/honduras/extradicion-juan-orlando-hernandez-joh-extraditado-eeuu-nueva-york-XX7761303" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc;">El Heraldo</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">)</span></span></p><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hernández, who was arrested in mid-February after a lengthy stakeout at his home, has been accused of accepting millions of U.S. dollars in bribes in exchange for protecting alleged drug traffickers from investigation and prosecution from 2004 to 2022 when he was president. He has denied the allegations. (<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-04-20/u-s-plane-scheduled-to-extradite-honduran-ex-president-hernandez-on-thursday&source=gmail&ust=1650642770274000&usg=AOvVaw3MSnKikbBYDITLnjRmNYPJ" href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-04-20/u-s-plane-scheduled-to-extradite-honduran-ex-president-hernandez-on-thursday" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Reuters</a>)</span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hernández’s brother, Juan Antonio “Tony” Hernández, a former congressman in Honduras, was convicted in federal court in Manhattan in 2019 of cocaine trafficking. The Justice Department alleged that Tony Hernández had delivered a bribe of $1 million from Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán to Juan Orlando Hernández in 2013. (<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/21/honduras-president-hernandez-extradited/&source=gmail&ust=1650642770274000&usg=AOvVaw2ld-34Y4WiqzN8mdTkUV5Q" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/21/honduras-president-hernandez-extradited/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>)<br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Current President Xiomara Castro has accused Hernández of turning Honduras into a "narco-dictatorship" and pledged to overhaul corruption, one of the "root causes" of migration the U.S. Biden administration seeks to tackle in Central America. (<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.npr.org/2022/04/21/1093975738/ex-honduran-president-hernandez-will-be-extradited-to-the-u-s-on-drugs-charges&source=gmail&ust=1650642770274000&usg=AOvVaw1mr13CBimSjTA8Ak0m6Bjj" href="https://www.npr.org/2022/04/21/1093975738/ex-honduran-president-hernandez-will-be-extradited-to-the-u-s-on-drugs-charges" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">NPR</a>)<br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">News Briefs</span></b></div><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"><i>Brazil</i></span><div style="color: #222222;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Brazilian Supreme Court condemned federal deputy Daniel Silveira, a stalwart Bolsonaro ally, to eight years in prison for the crimes for encouraging undemocratic acts and attacks on judges and institutions such as the Supreme Court. (<a href="https://g1.globo.com/politica/noticia/2022/04/21/condenacao-de-daniel-silveira-veja-como-cada-ministro-do-stf-votou.ghtml" style="color: #1155cc;">Globo</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Indigenous reservations in Brazil have acted as a barrier against deforestation over the past three decades, according to a new study from MapBiomas, a joint project among various environmental groups. Of the 170 million acres of native vegetation Brazil has lost in the past 30 years, just 1.6 percent was on Indigenous lands, while about 70 percent of the deforested area was on private land, reports <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/19/indigenous-lands-block-deforestation-in-brazil-new-study-finds?emci%3Dc906ce3f-b5c0-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a%26emdi%3D46cd402b-b6c0-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a%26ceid%3D4606001&source=gmail&ust=1650642770274000&usg=AOvVaw1EOpjCHgAVrLFH7xYA_2B_" href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/19/indigenous-lands-block-deforestation-in-brazil-new-study-finds?emci=c906ce3f-b5c0-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=46cd402b-b6c0-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Al Jazeera</a>.<br /><br clear="all" /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The former Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva confirmed he would activate his political comeback on May 7. He has been consistently polling with a strong lead ahead of October's presidential elections, where he is expected to run against incumbent Jair Bolsonaro, reports the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/20/brazil-needs-fixing-lula-confirms-comeback-run-against-bolsonaro" style="color: #1155cc;">Guardian</a>.<br /></span></li></ul><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">Regional</span></i></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Covid-19 deaths and infections in the Americas region over the past week are at the lowest levels since the pandemic began two years ago, but the PAHO warned yesterday that countries should not think the pandemic is over. (<a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/article260586497.html" style="color: #1155cc;">Miami Herald</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the midst of high oil and gas prices, many governments in the region are considering how to relieve pressure for residents: most don’t have money for fuel subsidies and don’t have the political capital to cut those subsidies -- <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://boz.substack.com/p/region-fuel-subsidies-vs-debt-vs?s%3Dr&source=gmail&ust=1650642770274000&usg=AOvVaw3OAIDMnTiG3Gt1qBsbutJK" href="https://boz.substack.com/p/region-fuel-subsidies-vs-debt-vs?s=r" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Latin America Risk Report</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The United Nations' highest court, the International Court of Justice, ruled that Colombia breached Nicaragua's rights in waters of the Caribbean Sea, including by hindering Nicaraguan fishing vessels and granting fishing permits for Colombian and other boats, reports the <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/court-colombia-infringed-nicaraguas-rights-caribbean-84211248" style="color: #1155cc;">Associated Press</a>.<br /></span></li></ul><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">Chile</span></i></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Chilean President Gabriel Boric faces sinking approval, as does the constitutional convention ahead of a critical September plebiscite.The president has said that the fate of his government is linked to the fate of the constitutional convention -- Robert Funk explores some potential scenarios in <a href="https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/a-challenging-start-for-gabriel-boric/" style="color: #1155cc;">Americas Quarterly</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Chile's constitutional assembly will start debating dozens of articles today regarding mining, water and environmental rights that could reshape how the country regulates metal production, reports <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/chile-constitution-drafters-set-key-150541141.html" style="color: #1155cc;">Reuters</a>. Delegates' original proposals have been toned down amid pushback by the mining sector and concern over radical proposals such as mine nationalizations, but the articles under debate still lay the foundations for greater scrutiny of mining and its environmental impact.<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">Argentina</span></i></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Nearly a century on from the 1924 Napalpí Massacre, in which more than 300 people were killed, a landmark trial has opened in Chaco province to finally secure some form of accountability, though no accused remain living. The milestone court case is the first to delve into the systematic persecution of indigenous peoples in Argentina. (<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/landmark-napalpi-massacre-trial-begins-in-argentina-98-years-after-indigenous-killings.phtml&source=gmail&ust=1650642770274000&usg=AOvVaw1EyyY0MjWsEeP_Bz_xWXZQ" href="https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/landmark-napalpi-massacre-trial-begins-in-argentina-98-years-after-indigenous-killings.phtml" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Buenos Aires Times</a>)<br /></span></li></ul><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">Grenada</span></i></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">A planned visit by the British Earl and Countess of Wessex to Grenada has been postponed just one day before the couple embark on their six-day platinum jubilee tour of the Caribbean. The unusual move comes weeks after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s controversial visit to the region, reports the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/apr/21/prince-edward-and-sophie-postpone-visit-to-grenada-at-short-notice" style="color: #1155cc;">Guardian</a>. <br /></span></li></ul></div><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">Colombia</span></i></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Cartagena has for decades hosted a booming illegal wildlife trade, acting as a nexus between tourism, international trade and Colombia’s Caribbean coast. However, the city has taken a number of steps to turn the situation around, reports <a href="https://insightcrime.org/news/cartagena-fighting-reputation-colombia-biodiversity-marketplace/" style="color: #1155cc;">InSight Crime</a>.<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">Venoms</span></i></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Mexico has revolutionized antivenom science thanks to innovative policies and a diverse scorpion population which have led to new treatments in the country and provide a model for other developing countries, reports <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/how-mexico-revolutionized-the-science-of-antivenom&source=gmail&ust=1650642770274000&usg=AOvVaw2G1FJJ1RaitAFl3dYOhmg7" href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/how-mexico-revolutionized-the-science-of-antivenom" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">National Geographic</a>.</span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #444444; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">Did I miss something, get something wrong, or do you have a different take? Let me know ...</span><br /></span></div><div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com&source=gmail&ust=1650642770274000&usg=AOvVaw3-GSTidNTq26VHhyyCHA9G" href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Latin America Daily Briefing</span></b></a></div></div></div>Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881865897476941412.post-10039574526471181502022-04-20T10:40:00.001-04:002022-04-20T10:40:11.958-04:00ES groups file suit against penal code reform (April 20, 2022)<p> <span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">El Salvadoran organizations of civil society asked the judiciary to declare unconstitutional a new anti-gang measure that journalists warn effectively criminalizes reporting on gangs. Cristosal and the Association of Journalists of El Salvador (APES) filed the suit with the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court.</span></p><div class="Ar Au Ao" id=":9z"><div aria-label="Message Body" aria-multiline="true" class="Am Al editable LW-avf tS-tW tS-tY" g_editable="true" hidefocus="true" id=":9v" itacorner="6,7:1,1,0,0" role="textbox" spellcheck="false" style="direction: ltr; min-height: 342px;" tabindex="1"><div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The reform to the penal code, passed on April 6, approves prison sentences of up to 15 years for reproducing and transmitting information from gangs "that could generate anxiety and panic among the general population." (See <a href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/04/new-el-salvador-law-raises-censorship.html" target="_blank">April 6's post</a>.)<br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">"The reforms are imposing an absolute limitation of rights, particularly on journalism. This means that journalists can be prosecuted for reporting," Ruth Elenora Lopez, a representative for the human rights organization Cristosal, told a press conference. (<a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220420-el-salvador-ngos-file-suit-against-gag-order-on-gang-statements?emci=c906ce3f-b5c0-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=46cd402b-b6c0-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001">AFP</a>)<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Days after the passage of a law to criminalize media using gang sources, officials and even President Nayib Bukele are smearing and threatening journalists with criminal investigations, reports <a href="https://mailchi.mp/elfaro.net/elsalvador-gagorder-effect-6214384?e=be1190bdc0" target="_blank">El Faro</a>. <br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">More El Salvador</span></i></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The judge formerly in charge of the El Mozote massacre case denounced an episode of harassment outside his home, reports <a href="https://elfaro.net/es/202204/el_salvador/26129/Exjuez-de-El-Mozote-denuncia-hostigamiento-en-su-casa.htm" target="_blank">El Faro</a>.</span></li></ul><div><b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">News Briefs</span></b></div></div></div><div><b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Colombia</span></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">More than five years after Colombia's historic peace accords with the FARC, a power vacuum is fueling the rise of new armed groups. In exchange for peace, the government was supposed to flood conflict zones with job opportunities, alleviating the poverty and inequality that had started the war. Officials didn't follow through, and now many parts of rural Colombia have seen a return to the killings, displacement and violence that, in some regions, is now as bad, or worse, than before the accord, reports the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/20/world/americas/colombia-comandos-armed-groups.html&source=gmail&ust=1650551486567000&usg=AOvVaw3WSQPOkw2xdcZMjJ1EJzHo" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/20/world/americas/colombia-comandos-armed-groups.html" target="_blank">New York Times</a>.</span></li></ul><div><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Regional Relations<br /></span></i></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Venezuela is poised to benefit from the U.S. sanctions against Russian oil that come into effect on Friday. While the U.S. administration might be angling for a detente with Venezuela for both economic and diplomatic reasons, "many observers are sceptical that the United States can both buy oil and make Mr Maduro change his dictatorial ways," according to the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.economist.com/the-americas/can-venezuela-help-the-west-wean-itself-off-russian-oil/21808837%23content&source=gmail&ust=1650551486567000&usg=AOvVaw0PVgoYqFILZwdDsb33JOa1" href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/can-venezuela-help-the-west-wean-itself-off-russian-oil/21808837#content" target="_blank">Economist</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Argentine President Alberto Fernández flummoxed pretty much everybody when he said that Venezuela's human rights problems were "dissipating" earlier this week. (See <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/04/fernandez-calls-for-diplomatic.html&source=gmail&ust=1650551486567000&usg=AOvVaw1M47aCs83zJDMGt59veWFE" href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/04/fernandez-calls-for-diplomatic.html" target="_blank">yesterday's briefs</a>.) But his plan to reestablish diplomatic relations with the Maduro government is likely also guided by economic concerns as well as an effort to revitalize discussions aimed putting Venezuela back on a democratic path, reports <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.cronista.com/economia-politica/el-plan-que-diagramo-alberto-fernandez-para-relanzar-los-vinculos-con-venezuela/&source=gmail&ust=1650551486567000&usg=AOvVaw3C7R3NFoeo_Q_FMtCcVtez" href="https://www.cronista.com/economia-politica/el-plan-que-diagramo-alberto-fernandez-para-relanzar-los-vinculos-con-venezuela/" target="_blank">El Cronista</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The U.S. Biden administration will use the upcoming Summit of the Americas to address some of the most pressing challenges in the region, including migration, threats to democracy and economic recovery from the pandemic, White House special advisor Debbie Mucarsel-Powell told the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/article260532117.html&source=gmail&ust=1650551486567000&usg=AOvVaw0x6RBQyZgrLkm4JKkd-MyQ" href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/article260532117.html" target="_blank">Miami Herald</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Mexico has disbanded a select anti-narcotics unit that for a quarter of a century worked hand-in-hand with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to tackle organized crime, a major blow to bilateral security cooperation, reports <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-04-19/exclusive-mexico-shuts-elite-investigations-unit-in-blow-to-u-s-drugs-cooperation%23:~:text%3DApril%252019%252C%25202022%252C%2520at%25207%253A10%2520a.m.%26text%3DMEXICO%2520CITY%2520(Reuters)%2520%252D%2520Mexico,blow%2520to%2520bilateral%2520security%2520cooperation.&source=gmail&ust=1650551486567000&usg=AOvVaw2nJPuVfvGgNuL0ZY-RImv_" href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-04-19/exclusive-mexico-shuts-elite-investigations-unit-in-blow-to-u-s-drugs-cooperation#:~:text=April%2019%2C%202022%2C%20at%207%3A10%20a.m.&text=MEXICO%20CITY%20(Reuters)%20%2D%20Mexico,blow%20to%20bilateral%20security%20cooperation." target="_blank">Reuters</a>.<br /></span></li></ul><div><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Mexico</span></i></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">At least eight Mexican journalists have been killed this year, prompting an outpouring of anguish and anger that has been exacerbated by a politically charged feud with Mexico’s media-bashing president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, reports the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/apr/20/margarito-martinez-esquivel-threats-and-bullets-photojournalists-killing-amplifies-fears-for-press-in-mexico&source=gmail&ust=1650551486567000&usg=AOvVaw2lJMi7g7Tr8fbjFkdz3ahU" href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/apr/20/margarito-martinez-esquivel-threats-and-bullets-photojournalists-killing-amplifies-fears-for-press-in-mexico" target="_blank">Guardian</a>. <br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Rosario Ibarra, whose decades-long struggle to uncover the fate of her disappeared son led her to become one of Mexico’s leading human rights activists and the country’s first female presidential candidate, died at age 95. (<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2022/04/19/human-rights-activist-rosario-ibarra-dead/&source=gmail&ust=1650551486567000&usg=AOvVaw0pm85CjZMn7H7FoZXL3HGe" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2022/04/19/human-rights-activist-rosario-ibarra-dead/" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>)<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">A judge in Mexico has ordered the temporary suspension of works on a stretch of the Maya train project in the Yucatán peninsula, citing a lack of environmental permits. (<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-61139129&source=gmail&ust=1650551486567000&usg=AOvVaw2SZKftVRUjjM0erOXkAm8W" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-61139129" target="_blank">BBC</a>)<br /></span></li></ul><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Migration</span></i></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">A 22-year high in apprehensions along the U.S.-Mexico border in March was partly fueled by record arrivals of migrants from Cuba, Nicaragua, Colombia and Ukraine, according to new U.S. government figures. U.S. Customs and Border Protection processed migrants 221,303 times along the southern border in March, a 33% jump from February and the highest tally since 2000, reports <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/immigration-border-arrests-cubans-nicaraguans-colombians-22-year-high/&source=gmail&ust=1650551486567000&usg=AOvVaw2TR7MvJJWD7RQVUmQhx5gH" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/immigration-border-arrests-cubans-nicaraguans-colombians-22-year-high/" target="_blank">CBS</a>. (See <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/04/fernandez-calls-for-diplomatic.html&source=gmail&ust=1650551486567000&usg=AOvVaw1M47aCs83zJDMGt59veWFE" href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com/2022/04/fernandez-calls-for-diplomatic.html" target="_blank">yesterday's briefs</a>.)<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">About 800 migrants who spent months waiting on the Guatemalan border to be issued documents allowing them to cross México en route to the United States aborted a planned caravan to México City on Saturday after the Mexican authorities promised to provide transit permits. reports <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.fresnobee.com/vida-en-el-valle/noticias/nacion-y-mundo/article260555097.html&source=gmail&ust=1650551486567000&usg=AOvVaw1izktySlM0QOhJHuLa2Vb3" href="https://www.fresnobee.com/vida-en-el-valle/noticias/nacion-y-mundo/article260555097.html" target="_blank">EFE</a>.</span></li></ul></div></div></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Honduras</span></i></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Coca farms and cocaine production camps are proliferating in Honduras. While just a fraction of what’s seen in Andean countries, cultivating coca and refining cocaine in Honduras cuts costs, shortens supply chains, and reduces risks of shipments being seized in transit – all advantages to traffickers, reports <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://insightcrime.org/news/coca-growing-cocaine-production-reach-new-heights-in-honduras/&source=gmail&ust=1650551486567000&usg=AOvVaw37JBMuXiwBLh0LJqFDgxN2" href="https://insightcrime.org/news/coca-growing-cocaine-production-reach-new-heights-in-honduras/" target="_blank">InSight Crime</a>.<br /></span></li></ul><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Haiti</span></i></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Haitian President Jovenel Moïse’s violent, early-morning murder "embodied and exacerbated the two challenges that most stubbornly torment Haiti: a broken political system and the deep connections between politicians and criminals," writes Renata Segura in <a href="https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/haiti/2022-04-20/haitis-state-paralysis?emci=c906ce3f-b5c0-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=46cd402b-b6c0-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001">Foreign Affairs</a>. "In addition to highlighting the country’s political dysfunction, the assassination reflected the murky dealings and webs of impunity that unite Haiti’s visible world of politics and business with its underworld of heavily armed gangs, crooked police officers, and criminal syndicates."<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The extradition earlier this month for the second time of a notorious Haitian cocaine smuggler to the United States serves as a reminder of Haiti's little-known status as a drug trafficking transit point, reports <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://insightcrime.org/news/extradition-drug-smuggler-underscores-haitis-historical-cocaine-transit-hub-status/&source=gmail&ust=1650551486567000&usg=AOvVaw2C4Pav8m4RylWpZvFK36Fd" href="https://insightcrime.org/news/extradition-drug-smuggler-underscores-haitis-historical-cocaine-transit-hub-status/" target="_blank">InSight Crime</a>.</span></li></ul></div></div><div><div><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Brazil</span></i></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Despite concern that sanctions against Russia would cause a shortfall of fertilizer in Brazil, preliminary shipping data shows orders being fulfilled and vessels heading for Brazil, potentially allowing a normal grain planting season, reports <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.reuters.com/world/ships-carrying-russian-fertilizers-find-way-brazil-despite-sanctions-2022-04-18/?emci%3Dc906ce3f-b5c0-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a%26emdi%3D46cd402b-b6c0-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a%26ceid%3D4606001&source=gmail&ust=1650551486567000&usg=AOvVaw3TPce3VqENI913wLLjp1QI" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/ships-carrying-russian-fertilizers-find-way-brazil-despite-sanctions-2022-04-18/?emci=c906ce3f-b5c0-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=46cd402b-b6c0-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001" target="_blank">Reuters</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Brazilian presidential frontrunner Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva wants to recruit a former governor or other seasoned politician to run economic policy if he wins, reports <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://news.yahoo.com/brazils-lula-wants-seasoned-politician-110445588.html&source=gmail&ust=1650551486567000&usg=AOvVaw2cYN7gu6sJn65decqo3K_C" href="https://news.yahoo.com/brazils-lula-wants-seasoned-politician-110445588.html" target="_blank">Reuters</a>.</span></li></ul></div><div><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Peru<br /></span></i></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Peruvians demonstrated against inflation in Cusco yesterday, part of a wave of protests nationally against rising food prices. Hundreds of foreign tourists have been stranded by a union strike in Cusco that started Monday and shut down transportation services and blocking roads around the region, reports <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/peru-inflation-protests-grip-tourist-capital-cuzco-gateway-machu-picchu-2022-04-19/&source=gmail&ust=1650551486567000&usg=AOvVaw12qocaD7S_6UR6aFyU6FPS" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/peru-inflation-protests-grip-tourist-capital-cuzco-gateway-machu-picchu-2022-04-19/" target="_blank">Reuters</a>.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">As today, about a fifth of Peru's copper output will be off-line due to mounting community protests, reports <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/copper-mines-shutting-peru-social-223147438.html?emci=c906ce3f-b5c0-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&emdi=46cd402b-b6c0-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4606001">Bloomberg</a>. <br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Ana María Estrada, a 45-year-old writer, poet and psychologist with a progressive muscular disease, is fighting for the right to die by euthanasia in Peru. (<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2022/peru-euthanasia-ana-estrada/?itid%3Dsf_article_list&source=gmail&ust=1650551486567000&usg=AOvVaw1CCag0ol7ctHT6ZukOcGB3" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2022/peru-euthanasia-ana-estrada/?itid=sf_article_list" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>)</span></li></ul></div></div><i><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Argentina<br /></span></i></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Boz writes a post about "the fascinating and frustrating daily currency issues" in Argentina. (<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://r&source=gmail&ust=1650551486567000&usg=AOvVaw2SokesgDoG_4V_CCXXMnTX" href="http://r" target="_blank">Latin America Risk Report</a>)</span></li></ul><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Regional</span></i></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.cntraveler.com/story/how-argentina-and-chiles-rewilded-areas-are-ushering-in-a-new-era-of-eco-travel&source=gmail&ust=1650551486567000&usg=AOvVaw1O27B5142bn35XcyVBuig8" href="https://www.cntraveler.com/story/how-argentina-and-chiles-rewilded-areas-are-ushering-in-a-new-era-of-eco-travel" target="_blank">Conde Nast Traveler</a> reports on how Argentina and Chile’s rewilded areas are ushering in a new era of eco-travel.<br /></span></li></ul></div><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Carnival</span></i></div></div><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Rio de Janeiro will hold its famed carnival this weekend for the first time since Covid-19 hit Brazil, promising a giant, glittering spectacle of pandemic catharsis. Canceled last year as the pandemic death toll surged in hard-hit Brazil, then postponed by two months this year over fears of another wave, the carnival show is now set to go on at last, with all-night parades Friday and Saturday nights, reports <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://news.yahoo.com/brazil-readies-first-carnival-since-014012377.html&source=gmail&ust=1650551486567000&usg=AOvVaw332OZoNRXLrbUtJgOa8wnx" href="https://news.yahoo.com/brazil-readies-first-carnival-since-014012377.html" target="_blank">AFP</a>.<br /></span></li></ul></div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">--<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">Did I miss something, get something wrong, or do you have a different take? Let me know ...</span><br /></span><div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com&source=gmail&ust=1650551486567000&usg=AOvVaw0Jn0e3KE14qbWiCRYv0r0W" href="http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Latin America Daily Briefing</span></b></a></div></div></div></div></div>Latin America Daily Briefinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658591727684530490noreply@blogger.com0