Adam Isacson

Neoreich photo at Diálogo (U.S. Southern Command). Caption: “Colombia was the first South American country after Brazil to include the Super Tucano in its Air Force fleet.”

(Even more here)

June 30, 2017

Brazil

• Mac Margolis, “Brazil Needs to Look Beyond Scandal” (Bloomberg, June 30, 2017).

With elections 16 months away and much of the political class discredited or under scrutiny, it’s hard to say who might emerge to squire the country to recovery

• Paul Kiernan, “Brazil Authorities Arrest Rio Police on Bribery Allegations” (The Wall Street Journal, June 30, 2017).

Long known for their violent tactics, Rio state police killed 383 people in first four months of 2017, 60% more than a year earlier

Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador

• Andrea Barretto, “Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador Exchange Information on Attack Aircraft” (Revista Dialogo (U.S. Southern Command), June 30, 2017).

Through a memorandum of understanding, the four countries laid out a cooperation agreement regarding the deployment and maintenance of the A-29 Super Tucano aircraft

Central America Regional

• Julieta Pelcastre, “Central America Promotes Systematic Efforts of Cooperation” (Revista Dialogo (U.S. Southern Command), June 30, 2017).

The goal of the meeting was to prepare reports that will be further expanded and approved at the Ordinary Meeting of the High Council scheduled for July 11th–14th in Tegucigalpa

Colombia

• Holly K. Sonneland, “Explainer: Colombia’s 2018 Elections” (Americas Society – Council of the Americas, June 30, 2017).

While the peace processes with the guerrilla groups FARC and ELN dominate international headlines, just 5% of Colombians say those are the country’s top issues while 63% say domestic issues of unemployment, healthcare, and corruption are

El Salvador

• Judith Flores, “Congresistas de ee.uu. Piden Investigar a Vicecanciller Salvadoreno” (La Prensa (Nicaragua), June 30, 2017).

José Luis Merino, alias “Ramiro Vásquez”, es considerado el arquitecto financiero del Grupo Alba en El Salvador

Honduras

• “Por Drogas y Pandillas Militarizan Dos Colegios en la Capital de Honduras” (El Heraldo (Honduras), June 30, 2017).

El número 18 de más de un metro de altura dibujado en uno de los pizarrones es imposible de no ver, así como los 18 escritos en números romanos en distintas partes del colegio

El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras

• Franco Ordonez, “Trump Administration Targets Parents Who Paid to Smuggle Children Into U.S.” (McClatchy DC, June 30, 2017).

“The kids are basically being used as bait at this point”

Mexico

• Paris Martínez, , “Pgr No Investigo Posibles Vinculos de Mando Militar y Guerreros Unidos Tras Ataque a Normalistas” (Animal Politico (Mexico), June 30, 2017).

La PGR recibió al menos cinco denuncias anónimas en las que se identifica a José Alfredo Casarrubias Salgado, capitán segundo de Infantería del Ejército Mexicano, como parte del grupo

• Francisco Goldman, , “The Atenco Warning” (The New York Times, June 30, 2017).

In 2006, a brutal crackdown. Today, reports that spyware has been used against journalists, human right groups and lawyers in Mexico

• John Scott-Railton, Bill Marczak, Bahr Abdulrazzak, Masashi Crete-Nishihata, Ron Deibert, “Reckless Redux: Senior Mexican Legislators and Politicians Targeted With Nso Spyware” (CitizenLab, University of Toronto, June 30, 2017).

Three senior Mexican politicians were targeted with infection attempts using spyware developed by the NSO group, an Israeli “cyber warfare” company

• Kirk Siegler, “Desert Aid Camp Turning Away Migrants Following Border Patrol Raid” (Morning Edition, National Public Radio, June 30, 2017).

Aid workers say they can no longer guarantee a temporary shelter for migrants, after U.S. Border Patrol agents raided the camp and made arrests

Guatemala, Mexico

• Adam Isacson, Maureen Meyer, Hannah Smith, “Wola Report: Mexico’s Southern Border – Security, Central American Migration, and U.S. Policy” (Washington Office on Latin America, June 30, 2017).

WOLA based its report on field research in the area surrounding Tenosique, Tabasco, along Mexico’s border with Guatemala

Peru

• “Peru Entre los 5 Ejercitos Mas Poderosos de America Latina” (La Republica (Peru), June 30, 2017).

Perú destaca por tener un total de 120 mil miembros activos y 272 mil de reserva

Venezuela

• Jorge Rueda, “Fresh Charges Highlight Further Rifts in the Maduro Regime” (Associated Press, Time, June 30, 2017).

Ortega Diaz, a longtime loyalist of the socialist government who recently broke ranks with President Nicolas Maduro, said police and military officials are responsible for 23 protest deaths to date

Graphic from El Colombiano (Medellín, Colombia).

(Even more here)

June 29, 2017

Brazil

• Samantha Pearson, “Brazilians Are Too Weary of Scandal to Protest Their Graft-Tinged Leader” (The Wall Street Journal, June 29, 2017).

Many Brazilians are tacitly choosing stability over rule of law. That, many observers say, may help Mr. Temer cling onto power

Colombia

• “El Fin de las Farc Como Guerrilla, Meta Cumplida del Proceso de Paz” (El Tiempo (Colombia), June 29, 2017).

Santos estaba frente al resultado de su apuesta más arriesgada como mandatario de los colombianos: iniciar un proceso de paz

• “Feliciano Valencia Es Inocente: Corte Suprema de Justicia” (El Espectador (Colombia), June 29, 2017).

Los magistrados de la Corte revisaron el expediente del líder indígena y además, tuvieron en cuenta los argumentos de la Fiscalía y la Procuraduría, que habían pedido ya su absolución

• Ricardo Monsalve Gaviria, “Autoridades Deben Enfocarse en los Nuevos Grupos Armados” (El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia), June 29, 2017).

Tras la dejación de armas de las Farc, las autoridades deben enfocar esfuerzos en otros grupos armados que aún cuentan con gran capacidad armada como el Eln, el Clan del Golfo y Los Pelusos

Cuba

• William M. Leogrande, “Does the Cuban Military Really Control Sixty Percent of the Economy?” (The Huffington Post, June 29, 2017).

GAESA’s revenue constitutes 21% of total hard currency income from both state enterprises and the private sector, 8% of total state revenue, and just 4% of GDP (Anuario Estadístico 2015). That’s a long way from 60%

Mexico

• Geneva Sands, “Us Plans to Construct Up to 8 Border Wall Prototypes This Summer” (ABC News, June 29, 2017).

A CBP draft briefing to Congress had previously stated June as an intended start date for prototype construction, but in recent weeks the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees CBP, has said “summer”

• Rebecca Kheel, “Democrats Target Trump’s Border Wall in Defense Bill Debate” (The Hill, June 29, 2017).

The amendment was originally introduced by Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Calif.), but Rep. Steve Knight (R-Calif.) introduced a substitute to Gallego’s amendment, and then O’Rourke introducing a perfecting amendment

South America Regional

• Matthew M. Taylor, “South America’s Turn to Deadlock” (Council on Foreign Relations, June 29, 2017).

Influential social scientists have long warned of the perils of presidentialism, with its tendency toward zero-sum politics and regime breakdown

Venezuela

• Joshua Partlow, Rachelle Krygier, “Amid Venezuela’s Chaos, Protesters Ask: Was Helicopter ‘Attack’ Rebellion or Ruse?” (The Washington Post, June 29, 2017).

Some suspect the brazen swoop over the Supreme Court building was cooked up by the government as a pretext for more crackdowns

• Anatoly Kurmanaev, Kejal Vyas, “Chopper Flight Leaves Venezuelans Mystified” (The Wall Street Journal, June 29, 2017).

In private, opposition leaders say they fear Mr. Maduro will use the alleged chopper attack to further crack down on dissent

Photo by Efraín Herrera, Presidency of Colombia. Caption: “Una escultura que simboliza el paso de la guerra a la construcción de un país en paz fue exhibida durante el acto final de la histórica dejación de armas de las Farc, liderado por el Presidente Juan Manuel Santos.”

(Even more here)

June 28, 2017

Brazil

• Mauricio Savarese, Sarah Dilorenzo, “Brazil’s President Says Corruption Charge Is ‘Soap Opera’” (Associated Press **, June 28, 2017).

The indictment itself was blistering in its assessment of Temer, saying he showed a total disregard for his office and that his actions, including secret meetings not on his official calendar, showed he was trying to cover up “criminal actions.”

Colombia

• Christine Armario, “Colombia Takes Big Step to Peace as Rebels Lay Down Guns” (Associated Press **, June 28, 2017).

Rodrigo Londono, the FARC’s top commander, complained about the bureaucratic, legal and political “traps” in a sternly worded speech in which he called on the government to live up to its end of the bargain

• Kejal Vyas, “Ceremony Marks Colombian Rebels’ Disarmament” (The Wall Street Journal, June 28, 2017).

The election is thus all but assured to be a referendum on the peace initiative, though analysts say the accord will be hard to overturn

• Chris Kraul, “Half a Century of Conflict in Colombia Comes to Close as Farc Rebels Disarm” (The Los Angeles Times, June 28, 2017).

At Tuesday’s ceremony, rebels dressed in T-shirts instead of combat fatigues received plastic ID cards qualifying them for post-conflict aid programs

• “Las Farc Inician Camino a la Politica Sin Armas” (Verdad Abierta (Colombia), June 28, 2017).

A partir de ese día, las zonas se convertirán en Espacios Territoriales de Capacitación y Reincorporación, donde los desde ahora exguerrilleros harán todas las actividades necesarias para reincorporase a la vida legal

• “National Director of Anti-Corruption in Colombia Charged With Conspiracy to Launder Money in Order to Promote Foreign Bribery” (Southern District of Florida, U.S. Department of Justice, June 28, 2017).

In exchange for 100 million Colombian pesos, Moreno and Pinilla offered to give the cooperating source copies of sworn statements taken from cooperators who had testified against the CS

Cuba

• Jorge I. Dominguez, “Can Trump Compete With Obama on Cuba?” (The New York Times, June 28, 2017).

President Obama got dozens of political prisoners freed from Cuban prisons and a dozen criminal fugitives repatriated to the United States. The score thus far for President Trump is zero

Mexico

• Melissa del Bosque, “Over the Wall: How Texas Border Communities Are Gearing Up to Fight Trump” (The Texas Observer, June 28, 2017).

It seemed to be bypassing the wealthy and the politically connected while targeting those who could least afford to fight the federal government in court

Venezuela

• Silene Ramirez, Eyanir Chinea, “Helicopter Attacks Venezuela Court, Maduro Denounces Coup Bid” (Reuters **, June 28, 2017).

Venezuela’s government said in a communique the helicopter was stolen by investigative police pilot Oscar Perez, who declared himself in rebellion against Maduro

• Ernesto LondoÑo, Nicholas Casey, “Police Officers in Helicopter Attack Venezuela’s Supreme Court” (The New York Times, June 28, 2017).

Few in Venezuela saw Tuesday’s attack as having any chances of immediately succeeding in its stated goals

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Alex Daugherty, “The Trump Whisperer: Marco Rubio Has the President’s Ear on Latin America” (The Miami Herald, June 28, 2017).

Implementing the changed Cuba policy, overseeing the deteriorating situation in Venezuela and playing a role in the Colombian peace process are the three issues likely to command immediate political attention

• Daniel R. Mahanty, “The “Leahy Law” Prohibiting Us Assistance to Human Rights Abusers: Pulling Back the Curtain” (Just Security, June 28, 2017).

Anybody who has touched the Leahy Law has an opinion about it, but it’s hard to find anybody fully satisfied by the way it is interpreted or implemented

UN photo.

(Even more here)

June 27, 2017

Brazil

• Peter Prengaman, Mauricio Savarese, “Brazil’s Crisis Deepens as President Accused of Corruption” (Associated Press **, June 27, 2017).

Even stalwart allies have begun to bail on Temer

Colombia

• “United Nations Mission Receives the Balance of Individual Arms From the Farc-Ep in Accordance With the 29 May Road Map” (Mision de la ONU en Colombia, June 27, 2017).

As of today, the Mission has stored the totality of individual arms of the FARC-EP that were registered: 7132 arms

• “Se Agudiza Debate por Propuesta de Vicealcaldias Militares en Antioquia” (Verdad Abierta (Colombia), June 27, 2017).

Aunque la propuesta inicial contemplaba que las Vicealcaldías fueran dirigidas por oficiales activos de las Fuerzas Militares, al final se definió que serán coroneles en retiro del Ejército

• “¿Universitarios, Agitadores o Terroristas?” (El Espectador (Colombia), June 27, 2017).

En total fueron cinco hombres y cuatro mujeres aprehendidos luego de meses de investigación, pero que se aceleraron tras el ataque del pasado fin de semana en Bogotá

El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras

• J. Weston Phippen, “What Trump Doesn’t Understand About Ms-13” (The Atlantic, June 27, 2017).

If indeed there is a connection to immigration by unaccompanied minors, all that may have changed was MS-13 found more vulnerable youth to prey upon in a country where the leadership wants to hold them up not as refugees, but as potential criminals

Mexico

• John Burnett, Merrit Kennedy, “Supreme Court Sends Cross-Border Shooting Case Back to Lower Court” (Morning Edition, National Public Radio, June 27, 2017).

Claiming he was the target of rock throwers, Mesa — who was standing on the U.S. side — pulled his handgun and shot 15-year-old Sergio Hernandez Guereca in the head as he peeked out from behind a concrete pillar

• “Lider de Guerreros Unidos Tiene un Hermano en el Ejercito; Sedena e Inai Reservan su Expediente” (Animal Politico (Mexico), June 27, 2017).

El INAI avaló que el Ejército mantenga en secreto el historial de servicio de Alfredo Casarrubias, hermano del presunto líder de Guerreros Unidos, Sidronio Casarrubias, señalado como autor intelectual del ataque contra los normalistas de Ayotzinapa

• Mark Stevenson, “Charred Body Identified as Missing Mexican Journalist” (Associated Press **, June 27, 2017).

Salvador Adame was director of local cable Channel 6 TV. Armed men grabbed him on May 18 and forced him into a vehicle in the city of Nueva Italia in violence-plagued Michoacan state

• Lizzie Wade, “Mapping Mexico’s Hidden Graves” (Science, June 27, 2017).

In addition to 43 municipalities with hidden graves publicly reported in 2016—mostly in the states of Veracruz and Guerrero—the model identified 45 other municipalities as having a 70% or higher chance of containing unreported graves

Michael Robinson Chavez / The Washington Post photo at The Chicago Tribune. Caption: “A bus originating in Mexico is inspected by Border Patrol agents, including Capt. L. Rinker, center, at a checkpoint south of Falfurrias, Texas, on June 2, 2017. Border Patrol agents check the identification of passengers on northbound buses.”

(Even more here)

June 26, 2017

Colombia

• “Editorial: Sera un Dia Historico” (El Tiempo (Colombia), June 26, 2017).

De no mediar hecho anómalo, para ese día los cerca de 7.000 integrantes de esta guerrilla, ubicados en los 26 puntos de concentración, habrán culminado el proceso de entrega de sus armas

• Marisol GÓmez Giraldo, “Llego la Hora de la Politica Legal para las Farc” (El Tiempo (Colombia), June 26, 2017).

Hoy, que estamos a horas de que las Farc dejen de ser guerrilla después de 53 años, conviene recordar que su aterrizaje en la política y en la vida productiva será un proceso gradual y nada fácil

• “Tintori Dice Que No Le Permiten Ver a Leopoldo Lopez Tras Denuncia de Tortura” (EFE, El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia), June 26, 2017).

El viernes se difundiera un vídeo en el que el opositor gritaba que estaba siendo torturado

• Nicole Chavez, “Police Arrest 8 in Deadly Colombia Mall Explosion” (CNN, June 26, 2017).

MRP, an anti-government militia, is believed to have been created in 2015. Since then, they have pronounced themselves against President Juan Manuel Santos and the ideals of former President and current senator Alvaro Uribe Velez

• “Captura de Abogada Natalia Trujillo Seria Otro Falso Positivo Judicial para Mostrar “Resultados”” (Contagio Radio (Colombia), June 26, 2017).

Entre las personas capturadas hay varios egresados de la universidad nacional y defensoras de DDHH de amplia trayectoria como Natalia Trujillo a favor de quien ya se han escuchado varios pronunciamientos

• William H. Godnick, “Aid to Colombia Is Key to U.S. Security” (The Houston Chronicle, June 26, 2017).

There are at least three reasons that the U.S. should continue its support for Colombia at current levels, even if it decides to make some course corrections

El Salvador, Mexico

• Jessica Contrera, “As Border Quiets, Safe Passage Into the U.S. Is Still Granted to Some Families” (Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, June 26, 2017).

Along the border, the impacts of Trump’s immigration policies are visible everywhere

Honduras, Nicaragua

• “Nicaragua y Honduras Activan Fuerza de Tarea para Combatir Crimen Organizado” (EFE, La Prensa (Nicaragua), June 26, 2017).

La misión de la denominada Fuerza de Tarea Morazán Sandino, en su cuarta fase, será resguardar la frontera entre Honduras y Nicaragua, combatir el crimen trasnacional y el narcotráfico

Panama

• “Panama’s Ex-President Wiretapped Americans, According to Court Documents” (Univision, June 26, 2017).

The list of targets also included the two Americans, political strategist Christian Ferry, and retired U.S. Army colonel Richard Downie , as well as staff at the U.S. embassy

Venezuela

• Javier Lafuente, “Asi se Gesto el Fracaso de la Condena a Venezuela en la Cumbre de la Oea” (El Pais (Spain), June 26, 2017).

La ausencia en el último momento del secretario de Estado, Rex Tillerson, fue un jarro de agua fría. Su participación, coinciden los consultados, incluso entre los críticos, hubiese podido cambiar el panorama

• Andrew Cawthorne, Victoria Ramirez, “Heroes or Agitators? Young Lawmakers on Venezuela’s Front Line” (Reuters **, June 26, 2017).

A group of young Venezuelan lawmakers has risen to prominence on the violent front line of anti-government marches

Western Hemisphere Regional

• “Editorial: Donald Trump’s Bark Is Worse Than His Bite in Latin America” (The Financial Times (UK), June 26, 2017).

The US president speaks loudly and carries a small stick