Adam Isacson

Photo from COPINH (Honduras).

(Even more here)

November 30, 2018

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Megan Specia, Rick Gladstone, “Border Agents Shot Tear Gas Into Mexico. Was It Legal?” (The New York Times, November 30, 2018).
  

  When the legality of the border episodes are in question, it can be difficult to hold people accountable within the United States

• Perla Trevizo, “Tucson Nonprofits Scramble to Find Shelter Space for Released Migrant Families” (The Arizona Daily Star, November 30, 2018).
  

  Nonprofits plan to return to renting hotel rooms to help keep up with the number of migrant families coming through Tucson and avoid having some of them dropped off by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at local bus stations

Argentina

• Andres Schipani, “g20 and the Painful Price of Argentina’s Tumultuous Past” (The Financial Times (UK), November 30, 2018).
  

  We may be a G20 economy, but with interest rates at more than 60 per cent, the adage that there are four kinds of economies — developed, under-developed, Japan and Argentina — still applies

Brazil

• Peter Prengaman, “Arrest of Rio Governor Adds to State’s Fame for Corruption” (Associated Press **, November 30, 2018).
  

  “This criminal organization continues to be active” said Attorney General Raquel Dodge told journalists

Colombia

• Gustavo Torrijos, “Militarizar la ciudad: La controversial propuesta para aumentar la seguridad en Bogota” (El Espectador (Colombia), November 30, 2018).
  

  Según el alcalde Enrique Peñalosa, la capital tiene muchos menos policías que otras ciudades de Colombia con un déficit de 9.000 uniformados

• Francisco De Roux, “El Desafio de la Verdad” (Revista Arcadia (Colombia), November 30, 2018).
  

  Hay miedo. Miedo a las preguntas y miedo a las respuestas que reclaman millones de adoloridos. Miedo a las sorpresas que puedan aparecer en la búsqueda. Susto de lo que ha estado oculto

• Juan Camilo Pedraza, “Estremecedores Testimonios en Arranque de la Comision de la Verdad” (El Tiempo (Colombia), November 30, 2018).
  

  Intervinieron distintos sectores y protagonistas del conflicto, víctimas y victimarios, quienes depositaron sus esperanzas de esclarecimiento de lo sucedido en la guerra en los 11 comisionados que componen la Comisión

• “Seis Conclusiones a Dos Anos de la Firma del Acuerdo de Paz” (Fundación Paz y Reconciliación (Colombia), November 30, 2018).
  

  Lo que hemos visto en estos primeros meses del gobierno de Iván Duque es la continuidad y la profundización de la reestructuración unilateral del acuerdo

• “Comunidades Aseguran Que el Desplazamiento Forzado No Esta Superado en el Pais” (El Espectador (Colombia), November 30, 2018).
  

  Aunque reconoce las acciones del Estado para hacerle frente a esta situación, estás “no han sido contundentes” y en gran parte no se conciertan con los Programas de Desarrollo con Enfoque Territorial

Cuba

• Nora Gamez Torres, “Canada Confirma Otra Victima del ‘Sindrome de la Habana’, Reconsidera Presencia Diplomatica en Cuba” (El Nuevo Herald, November 30, 2018).
  

  Con el nuevo caso ya son 13 los diplomáticos canadienses y familiares que también han sido afectados, incluidos cuatro niños

El Salvador

• Anna-Catherine Brigida, “‘Finally, They Will Pay’: Justice Beckons for Survivors of el Salvador Massacre” (The Guardian (Uk), November 30, 2018).
  

  Trying the perpetrators in the El Mozote case would signal a strike against impunity for gender violence in El Salvador as the country continues to grapple with its past

Brazil, Haiti

• Gabriel Stargardter, “General Behind Deadly Haiti Raid Takes Aim at Brazil’s Gangs” (Reuters, Reuters, November 30, 2018).
  

  The episode, largely forgotten outside Haiti, may provide a road map for the security strategy of Brazil’s next president, far-right former army captain Jair Bolsonaro

Honduras

• Nina Lakhani, “Berta Caceres: Seven Men Convicted of Murdering Honduran Environmentalist” (The Guardian (Uk), November 30, 2018).
  

  Thursday’s verdict was welcomed by Cáceres’ family and colleagues, but they reiterated demands that justice be delivered against the masterminds and financiers

• “Comunicado de la Familia de Berta, el Copinh, Gustavo Castro y los Equipos Legales de la Causa Ante el Fallo Que Juzga a Sergio Rodriguez, Mariano Diaz, Douglas Bustillo, Elvin Heriberto Rapalo, Edilson Duarte, Oscar Haroldo Torres y Emerson Duarte.” (Consejo Civico de Organizaciones Populares e Indigenas de Honduras (Honduras), November 30, 2018).
  

  El veredicto que acaba de emitirse NO satisface nuestras exigencias de justicia como víctimas en el asesinato de Berta Cáceres

Mexico

• Alan Feuer, “El Chapo Trial Has Yet to Reveal Mexico’s Dark Secrets of Narco-Corruption” (The New York Times, November 30, 2018).
  

  The limits placed on the evidence in this case seem to counter a deep desire in Mexico for a public airing of the sins of its law-enforcement and political establishments

• Jonathan Blitzer, “Tijuana’s Migrants Are Running Their Own Asylum Process” (The New Yorker, November 30, 2018).
  

  The men managing the ledger weren’t government officials, or even immigration lawyers. They were fellow asylum seekers who had come with their own documents several weeks before

• Sandra Dibble, “Hundreds of Central American Caravan Members Seek Work in Mexico” (The San Diego Union-Tribune, November 30, 2018).
  

  The job fair opened Nov. 19 in response to the arrival of caravan members. Staffers said interest has spiked following last Sunday’s march to the border by some members of the caravan who rushed the border

• Duncan Wood, “What We Learned From the Amlo Transition” (Wilson Center, Americas Quarterly, November 30, 2018).
  

  AMLO’s control of the apparatus of the federal and state levels of government give him the coercive power he craves, but he has demonstrated his desire to rule with at least the appearance of consent from the Mexican people

Paul Ratje/AFP/Getty Images photo at Vox. Caption: “Some bridges, like this one in El Paso, have turned into temporary encampments for waiting asylum seekers.”

(Even more here)

November 29, 2018

Argentina

• Cassandra Garrison, Matt Spetalnick, “China, Vying With U.S. in Latin America, Eyes Argentina Nuclear Deal” (Reuters, Reuters, November 29, 2018).
  

  Argentina and China are aiming to close a deal within days for the construction of the South American nation’s fourth nuclear power plant, a multi-billion dollar project

Brazil

• Ernesto Londono, Lisa Friedman, “Brazil Backs Out of Hosting 2019 Climate Change Meeting” (The New York Times, November 29, 2018).
  

  It comes about a month before the inauguration of president-elect Jair Bolsonaro, who has vowed to empower commercial ventures in the Amazon and other Brazilian biomes while weakening enforcement

• Anthony Boadle, “Trump Adviser Bolton Hones Ties With Brazil’s Far-Right Leader” (Reuters, Reuters, November 29, 2018).
  

  There is speculation Bolsonaro’s team will seek to bring Trump to the presidential inauguration in Brasilia on Jan. 1

Brazil, Western Hemisphere Regional

• Franco Ordonez, “Latin America and All of Its Problems on Display at g20 Summit in Trump’s First Visit” (McClatchy DC, November 29, 2018).
  

  Bolton told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that his visit with Bolsonaro was the result of “a really outstanding phone call,” between Trump and Bolsonaro

Central America Regional, Mexico

• Christopher Sherman, E. Eduardo Castillo, “Mexico Accepts Housing Migrants, Seeks Us Development Aid” (Associated Press, The Washington Post, November 29, 2018).
  

  President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s government signaled Tuesday that it would be willing to house the migrants on Mexican soil while they apply for asylum

Colombia

• John Otis, “Colombia Tries to Get Farmers Away From the Cocaine Biz. How’s That Going?” (National Public Radio, November 29, 2018).
  

  “They tell me: ‘Dad, when you grew coca you had money. When you stopped everything fell apart … Now we are poor”

• “La Protesta Social Volvio a las Calles” (El Espectador (Colombia), November 29, 2018).
  

  Los factores que motivaron la que fue, quizá, la movilización más grande del año

Mexico

• Adolfo Flores, “How Close Did the Caravan Come to Breaching Us Border Defenses at San Diego? Turns Out, Not That Close.” (BuzzFeed, November 29, 2018).
  

  The 42 people from the caravan who crossed into US territory and were arrested over the weekend only made it to a no-man’s-land between two border fences

• Dara Lind, “The Us Has Made Migrants at the Border Wait Months to Apply for Asylum. Now the Dam Is Breaking.” (Vox, November 29, 2018).
  

  it’s impossible to identify “legitimate” asylum seekers by forcing them to wait for an unknown period of time, with housing and food not guaranteed, in the midst of rising hostility from neighbors, in the uncertain hope of getting their name called

• Kevin Sieff, Sarah Kinosian, “For Migrants in Tijuana, Seeking Asylum in U.S. Starts With a Worn Notebook” (The Washington Post, November 29, 2018).
  

  The migrants have attempted to bring organization to a system that has become difficult even for attorneys to understand, forcing those in search of refuge to wait for months within eyeshot of San Diego

• Gustavo Solis, Wendy Fry, “In Advance of Rainstorm, Second Migrant Shelter to Open in Tijuana” (The San Diego Union-Tribune, November 29, 2018).
  

  Muddy, cramped and unsanitary conditions face Central American migrants sheltered in an outdoor sports complex near the U.S.-Mexico border

• Elisabeth Malkin, “His Father-in-Law Insulted Mexicans. Now Kushner Has Won Mexico’s Highest Honor.” (The New York Times, November 29, 2018).
  

  Mr. Videgaray acknowledged that Mr. Trump’s posture toward Mexico is “offensive” but argued that it was “discriminatory” to criticize the choice of Mr. Kushner

Venezuela

• Scott Smith, “Venezuela’s Next Generation of Opposition Plays a Long Game” (Associated Press **, November 29, 2018).
  

  Many of the beleaguered opposition figures remaining in the country see their best hopes in capitalizing on widespread discontent with Maduro’s rule playing out in rough neighborhoods long considered his strongholds

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Josh Dawsey, Missy Ryan, Nick Miroff, “Trump Administration Expected to Extend Military Mission Along Border Through the Holidays” (The Washington Post, November 29, 2018).
  

  The assignment was expected to last at least 45 days beyond its scheduled end date of Dec. 15

• Priya Sridhar, “Us Customs and Border Protection Has Used Tear Gas in 126 Incidents Since 2012” (KPBS (Los Angeles), November 29, 2018).
  

  According to the data, tear gas was used 79 times during Barack Obama’s second term. It has used the chemical 29 times this past year, the highest yearly rate since 2012

• Seung Min Kim, “Senate Panel Delays Vote on Trump Pick to Lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement” (The Washington Post, November 29, 2018).
  

  Angering some unions, Ronald D. Vitiello apparently shared an image of the president on Twitter that compared him to Dennis the Menace

Photo from El Heraldo (Honduras).

(Even more here)

November 20, 2018

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Robert Burns, “Pentagon: Troops at U.S. Border to Cost About $210 Million” (Associated Press, Time, November 20, 2018).
  

  The total includes $72 million for approximately 5,900 active-duty troops providing support to Customs and Border Protection, plus $138 million so far for 2,100 National Guard troops who have been performing a separate border mission since April

• Helene Cooper, Ron Nixon, Thomas Gibbons-Neff, “Homeland Security Dept. Finds ‘Minimal’ Risk to Border Guards, Undercutting Trump Plan” (The New York Times, November 20, 2018).
  

  A Trump administration proposal would pair military troops with border guards to defend against violent migrants. But an internal analysis casts doubt on the danger

• Dara Lind, “Judge Stops Trump From Enforcing Asylum Ban” (Vox, November 20, 2018).
  

  The most surprising thing about Judge Tigar’s ruling is that it took more than a week after the asylum ban went into effect for him to issue it

Brazil

• Ernesto Londono, Shasta Darlington, “U.S. and Brazil Chose Similar Leaders. It May Lead to Smoother Relations.” (The New York Times, November 20, 2018).
  

  “Trump and Bolsonaro will really hit it off. Their personalities are almost identical and their policy views are very similar”

Central America Regional, Mexico

• Julia Ainsley, “Feds Have Paid Undercover Informants in Migrant Caravan” (NBC News, November 20, 2018).
  

  The Department of Homeland Security is gathering intelligence from paid undercover informants inside the migrant caravan that is now reaching the California-Mexico border as well as monitoring the text messages of migrants

Colombia, Cuba

• “Colombia Asks Cuba to Arrest Eln Rebel Leader Under Interpol Notice” (Reuters, November 20, 2018).
  

  Rodriguez, also known by his nom de guerre Gabino, has been in Cuba for several months receiving medical treatment

Colombia, Venezuela

• “Colombia to Cut All Diplomatic Ties With Venezuela Starting in January” (MercoPress, November 20, 2018).
  

  “We will not make the pantomime to keep diplomatic relations,” said Duque in reference to Venezuela’s alleged support to the National Liberation Army (ELN)

Colombia, Western Hemisphere Regional

• “U.S. Military Targets Growing Russian and Chinese Influence in Latin America” (LARA SELIGMAN, Foreign Policy, November 20, 2018).
  

  Goldfein said Colombia and other Latin American countries risked being locked out of U.S. and allied operations if they stopped buying military hardware from the United States and turned to other markets instead

Cuba

• Nora Gamez Torres, “French Bank Fined $1.34 Billion for Violating Cuban Embargo” (The Miami Herald, November 20, 2018).
  

  SG processed 1,077 transactions totaling more than $5.56 billion in violation of U.S. sanctions on Cuba, Iran and Sudan, according to an OFAC announcement

Mexico

• Arturo RodrÍguez GarcÍa, “Amlo Defiende a la Guardia Nacional: Las Policias, un Desastre; A los Soldados Mi Confianza, Dice” (Proceso (Mexico), November 20, 2018).
  

  López Obrador aseguró que la Policía Federal, así como la ministerial federal, son “un verdadero desastre”, pues en el caso de la primera, hay 40 mil elementos, pero sólo la mitad son operativos, sin cuarteles y operan como “una especie de volanta que llega a las entidades, se hospeda en hoteles”

• “Organizaciones Piden a Amlo No Crear Guardia Nacional; Es una Falsa Salida a Crisis de Inseguridad, Dicen” (Animal Politico (Mexico), November 20, 2018).
  

  Las organizaciones recordaron que durante sus campañas, el presidente electo, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, manifestó que las Fuerzas Armadas no debían cumplir funciones de seguridad pública

• Arturo Angel, “Guardia Nacional: Puntos Clave de la Iniciativa de Morena Que Permite a Militares Vigilar las Calles” (Animal Politico (Mexico), November 20, 2018).
  

  Incluye en sus artículos la desaparición gradual de la Policía Federal, convierte a los militares en auxiliares del Ministerio Público Federal, lo que significa que podría encomendárseles la ejecución de órdenes de aprehensión, de cateo, o de cualquier índole que obtengan los fiscales

• Emily Tamkin, Zoe Tillman, “A Lawyer With Conservative Ties and No Diplomatic Experience Is Being Vetted for Us Ambassador to Mexico” (BuzzFeed, November 20, 2018).
  

  Christopher Landau, a veteran appellate lawyer in Washington, DC, who does not have formal diplomatic experience, is being vetted as a potential nominee for US ambassador to Mexico

Venezuela

• Alex Ward, “The Us May Name Venezuela as a State Sponsor of Terrorism. That Could Totally Backfire.” (Vox, November 20, 2018).
  

  “The Trump administration’s saber-rattling plays right into the hands of this authoritarian regime,” Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM), a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, told me

Ezequiel Flores photo at Proceso (Mexico). Caption: “Militares tratan de repeler la agresión registrada contra el retorno de desplazados en la sierra.”

(Even more here)

November 19, 2018

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Gordon Adams, Isaiah Wilson Iii, Lawrence B. Wilkerson, “Trump’s Border Stunt Is a Profound Betrayal of Our Military” (The New York Times, November 19, 2018).
  

  They are not toy soldiers to be moved around by political leaders but a neutral institution, politically speaking

• Wesley Morgan, “Troops at U.S.-Mexican Border to Start Coming Home” (Animal Politico (Mexico), November 19, 2018).
  

  Democrats and Republicans have criticized the deployment as a ploy by the president to use active-duty military forces as a prop to try to stem Republican losses in this month’s midterm elections

• David J. Lynch, “‘This would be a very good time to do a shutdown,’ Trump says” (The Washington Post, November 19, 2018).
  

  The president wants $5 billion for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, suggesting he may not sign a bill to keep the government open past Dec. 7 without it

• Alan Gomez, “Homeland Security Focuses on Border Security a?? Not Processing Asylum Applications From Migrant Caravan” (USA Today, November 19, 2018).
  

  The administration has been able to find money to send 2,000 National Guardsmen, deploy more than 5,800 active-duty military troops, and build a tent city to house minors, but somehow can’t find money when asked to help asylum-seekers

• Nick Miroff, “U.S. Adds More Barriers, Razor Wire at Mexico Border Amid Fears of a Crowd Surge” (The Washington Post, November 19, 2018).
  

  U.S. Customs and Border Protection closed the entire San Ysidro crossing in San Diego for several hours before dawn, installing additional layers of razor wire and concrete barriers. It reopened with 10 of the port’s 26 vehicle lanes closed

• Tal Kopan, “More Than 14,000 Immigrant Children Are in U.S. Custody, an All-Time High” (The San Francisco Chronicle, November 19, 2018).
  

  There were 14,056 unaccompanied immigrant minors in Department of Health and Human Services custody on Friday

• Hamed Aleaziz, “A Federal Judge Suggested Trump’s New Border Policies Ignore Congress’s Intent on Asylum” (BuzzFeed, November 19, 2018).
  

  He seemed troubled that the new policy would actually allow fewer options, not more, for where a migrant could request asylum

Brazil

• Dom Phillips, “Jair Bolsonaro Says Brazilians ‘Still Don’t Know What Dictatorship Is’” (The Guardian (Uk), November 19, 2018).
  

  Hungary “is a country that has suffered a lot with communism in the past, a people that knows what dictatorship is”, Bolsonaro told a news conference outside his home in Rio de Janeiro

Brazil, Venezuela, Western Hemisphere Regional

• “Brasil Organiza Ejercicio Militar Aereo y Venezuela Participa Como Observador” (EFE, El Estimulo (Venezuela), November 19, 2018).
  

  Un centenar de aeronaves de siete países, entre los cuales Chile, Perú, Uruguay, EE.UU. y Francia, dieron inicio el 18 de noviembre en la ciudad brasileña de Natal al Ejercicio Cruzeiro do Sul (Cruzex 2018), el mayor ejercicio militar aéreo ya organizado por Brasil

Central America Regional, Mexico

• Elisabeth Malkin, “Migrant Caravan Is Just Yards From U.S. Border, but Long Wait Lies Ahead” (The New York Times, November 19, 2018).
  

  Less than a week old, the shelter has assumed the squalor of an overwhelmed refugee camp, and the rhythms of enforced idleness have taken hold

Chile

• Clyde Haberman, “He Died Giving a Voice to Chile’s Poor. A Quest for Justice Took Decades.” (The New York Times, November 19, 2018).
  

  The activist folk singer Victor Jara was murdered in the days after a 1973 coup that brought Gen. Augusto Pinochet to power. A quest for his killers led to a Florida courtroom

Colombia

• Laura Soto, “Viaje a las Entranas de la Coca en el Cauca” (La Silla Vacia (Colombia), November 19, 2018).
  

  Desde que se fueron las Farc los que quedaron controlando el negocio son los campesinos que tienen una suerte de Estado paralelo

• Marisol Gomez, Sair Buitrago, “Ya Son 478 los Particulares Que Han Ido Voluntariamente a la Jep” (El Tiempo (Colombia), November 19, 2018).
  

  Musa Besaile, Zulema Jattin y David Char encabezan lista de ocho excongresistas que piden cupo

• “La Estrategia del Gobierno para Proteger a los Lideres Sociales” (El Tiempo (Colombia), November 19, 2018).
  

  El Gobierno Nacional creará la Comisión del Plan de Acción Oportuna (PAO) para Defensores de Derechos Humanos

• Juan Manuel Florez Arias, “Comfort, el Colosal Que Sano el Uraba Antioqueno” (El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia), November 19, 2018).
  

  En Urabá el barco Usn Comfort brinda atención médica a los habitantes de esta región antioqueña. El gigante, pintado de blanco y con cruces rojas, arribará a Riohacha a prestar sus servicios

El Salvador

• Hector Silva Avalos, “Alleged Corruption Plagues Selection of el Salvador‘S Top Prosecutor” (InsightCrime, November 19, 2018).
  

  The selection of a weak attorney general by Congress members accused of corruption would put all the recent progress made by El Salvador’s Attorney General’s Office at risk

Guatemala, Nicaragua

• Elsa Cabria, “Huida Silenciosa al Barrio Nica de Guatemala” (Plaza Publica (Guatemala), November 19, 2018).
  

  La represión en el país que preside Daniel Ortega reconfigura un área roja del centro de Ciudad de Guatemala con negocios del país vecino

Mexico

• Luke Barr, “Military, Border Patrol Called Out to Stop Migrant ‘Rush’ but It Was a False Alarm” (ABC News, November 19, 2018).
  

  DHS claims the department has identified more than “500 criminals” in the caravan

• Falko Ernst, “The Life and Death of a Mexican Hitman” (International Crisis Group, November 19, 2018).
  

  Child soldiers like him are recruited into a system whose roots are sunk deep in Mexico’s inequalities. Then they are often trained to become ruthless killers, going from victims to victimisers

• Alejandro Hope, “No Maten a la Policia Federal” (El Universal (Mexico), November 19, 2018).
  

  Hay tareas que hoy realiza la PF que sería demencial trasladar a un cuerpo militar. Por ejemplo, retirar bloqueos en carreteras. ¿Quiere el gobierno de AMLO enviar a soldados y marinos contra manifestantes?

• Ezequiel Flores Contreras, “Frenan a Balazos Retorno de Desplazados a Sus Comunidades en la Sierra Guerrerense” (Proceso (Mexico), November 19, 2018).
  

  La balacera fue percibida directamente por una patrulla militar y un grupo de reporteros que viajaban en dos autos, sobre un camino boscoso y desde un monte surgieron las ráfagas

Peru

• Oscar Chumpitaz, “Seis Narcos Controlan la Mitad de Toda la Droga Que Sale del Vraem” (La Republica (Peru), November 19, 2018).
  

  Los nuevos capos del Vraem se hacen llamar ahora ‘Viejo Guti’, ‘Comanche’, Galleta’, ‘Huatari’, ‘Chipy’ o ‘Gato’

Peru, Uruguay

• Franklin Briceno, “Peru Says Ex-President Has Sought Asylum in Uruguay” (Associated Press **, November 19, 2018).
  

  Late Saturday, a judge in Lima granted prosecutors’ request that Garcia be banned from leaving Peru for 18 months as investigators probe allegations he received illegal payment from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht

Venezuela

• John Hudson, Lena H. Sun, “Trump Administration Prepares to Add Venezuela to List of State Sponsors of Terrorism” (The Washington Post, November 19, 2018).
  

  “That was the first we had heard of it,” the official said. “It didn’t make sense. And then it was like, ‘Oh, crap. What is this going to do to our ability to respond to the slow-moving health disaster that is coming out of Venezuela?”

El Salvador

• Danielle Mackey, “What Happens When a Barrio 18 Soldier Tries to Leave the Gang” (The Intercept, November 16, 2018).

There are an estimated 60,000 gang members in El Salvador. Benjamin knew many who wanted to leave, but they were afraid. He wanted to show them they could

Brazil

• Ernesto Londono, “As Brazil’s Far Right Leader Threatens the Amazon, One Tribe Pushes Back” (The New York Times, November 12, 2018).

The Times traveled hundreds of miles into the Brazilian Amazon, staying with a tribe in the Munduruku Indigenous Territory as it struggled with the shrinking rain forest

Cuba

• Adam Entous, Jon Lee Anderson, “The Mystery of the Havana Syndrome” (The New Yorker, November 12, 2018).

After the State Department’s presence was diminished, what remained of the C.I.A. station was closed down, on Pompeo’s orders

Mexico

• Alejandra Guillen, Mago Torres, Marcela Turati, “El Pais de las 2 Mil Fosas” (A Donde Van los Desaparecidos (Mexico), November 12, 2018).

En México 37 mil 485 personas están reportadas como desaparecidas entre diciembre de 2006 y octubre pasado, según los registros oficiales. Se desconoce cuántas de ellas están en fosas

Nicaragua

• Carlos Perez Osorio, Sarah Kinosian, “How Nicaragua Uses Anti-Terror Laws Against Protesters to Suppress Dissent” (The Intercept, November 12, 2018).

Many of those arrested will be tried as terrorists, thanks to a law passed by the Ortega-controlled Congress in July that expanded the definition of terrorism to include a broad range of crimes

(Even more here)

November 16, 2018

Central America Regional, Mexico

– Karla Zabludovsky, “Mexicans Are Joining WhatsApp And Facebook Groups To Talk About How Much They Hate The Caravan” (BuzzFeed, November 16, 2018).

Anti-immigrant sentiment is spreading through social media and spilling onto the streets of Tijuana as the caravan makes its final approach to the border

– Alberto Pradilla, “El Ultimo Aventon Hasta Tijuana” (Plaza Publica (Guatemala), November 16, 2018).

Los estados de Jalisco, Nayarit, Sinaloa y Sonora establecen un puente de autobuses hasta Tijuana. La gran paradoja es que los que menos quieren a la caravana de los hambrientos son los que más han facilitado su avance

Colombia

– “Cartagena del Chaira: Del Flagelo de la Coca a la Deforestacion” (El Tiempo (Colombia), November 16, 2018).

“Tras dejar los cultivos ilícitos, de forma voluntaria, la ganadería se nos convirtió en la forma más rápida para conseguir recursos porque nos estábamos muriendo de hambre”

– Juanita Velez, “Duque Mantiene la Paz Pero Le Quita Lo Transformadora” (La Silla Vacia (Colombia), November 16, 2018).

La no es la hoja de ruta del futuro del país sino una política más para garantizar que los desmovilizados no retomen las armas. Es decir, una paz chiquita

– “Tensiones en el Catatumbo Tras Ingreso de la Fuerza de Despliegue Rapido” (Verdad Abierta (Colombia), November 16, 2018).

Esa unidad militar, activada el pasado 28 de octubre en Ocaña por el presidente de la República, Iván Duque, está conformada por cuatro batallones: tres de despliegue rápido y uno de acción directa y reconocimiento

El Salvador

– Danielle Mackey, “What Happens When a Barrio 18 Soldier Tries to Leave the Gang” (The Intercept, November 16, 2018).

There are an estimated 60,000 gang members in El Salvador. Benjamin knew many who wanted to leave, but they were afraid. He wanted to show them they could

Mexico

– Luis Gomez, “Migrants Are Scaling U.S.-Mexico Fence. Will They Be Arrested?” (The San Diego Union-Tribune, November 16, 2018).

Francisco told The San Diego Union-Tribune that agents plan to make arrests of anyone crossing illegally only when they’ve reached far enough into the U.S. side of the border

– Ricardo Ravelo, “¿y las Finanzas del Crimen?” (SinEmbargo (Mexico), November 16, 2018).

En realidad las policías, en su mayoría, están “cartelizadas”, es decir, al servicio de los grupos criminales

– Jenaro Villamil, “Por Unanimidad, el Senado Ratifica los Ascensos de 187 Militares, Incluido el General del Caso Tlatlaya” (Proceso (Mexico), November 16, 2018).

Por unanimidad de todas las bancadas, con 108 votos a favor, el Senado de la República ratificó hoy el ascenso de 187 militares propuestos por el Ejecutivo federal, incluido al general José Luis Sánchez León

– Malcolm Beith, “‘el Chapo’ Could Be the Key to Dismantling Drug Financial Networks” (The Washington Post, November 16, 2018).

López Obrador should work to beef up the asset forfeiture process and share financial information with the Treasury Department and U.S. investigators

– Joshua Partlow, Sarah Kinosian, “At the U.S. Border, Migrant Caravan Will Slow to a Crawl” (The Washington Post, November 16, 2018).

U.S. border guards can process 100 migrants per day, meaning months of waiting in MexicoWhat had been a plodding slog through southern Mexico rapidly accelerated in the past week, as many migrants rode in buses , provided by local governments

Nicaragua

– Jacobo Garcia, Javier Lafuente, “Ortega Cancela su Participacion en la Cumbre Iberoamericana de Guatemala” (El Pais (Spain), November 16, 2018).

Ortega, que tampoco asistió a la Asamblea General de la ONU, profundiza el aislamiento de Nicaragua tras la represión emprendida por su Gobierno después de las protestas de mayo

Western Hemisphere Regional

– Robert Burns, “Pentagon: Troop Contingent on Border ‘Pretty Much Peaked’” (Associated Press **, November 16, 2018).

Mattis said that within a week to 10 days, the troops currently deployed along the border in Texas, Arizona and California will have accomplished all the tasks initially requested by Customs and Border Protection, although he said additional requests were expected

– Damian Paletta, Erica Werner, “Gop Leaders Aim to Avert Shutdown Over Wall Funding, but Trump Makes No Promises” (The Washington Post, November 16, 2018).

Durbin, a longtime champion of permanent protections for immigrants brought illegally to the country as children, said he was not aware of talks to make a deal on those “dreamers” in exchange for money for Trump’s wall

Nelvin C. Cepeda photo at the San Diego Union-Tribune. Caption: “Central American migrant caravan Day-2 along the U.S. Mexico border in Playas de Tijuana.”

(Even more here)

November 15, 2018

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Dan Lamothe, Maya Averbuch, “At the border, uncertainty about the migrant caravan and military concertina wire” (The Washington Post, November 15, 2018).
  

  Two young men on opposite sides of the border wonder what happens next

• Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis, “En Route Southwest Border Press Gaggle by Secretary Mattis” (U.S. Department of Defense, November 15, 2018).
  

  DOD — the Department of Defense missions do not involve military personnel, at this time, directly participating in any law enforcement. Law enforcement is left in the hands of the customs and border police

• Maria Sacchetti, “Trump’s nominee to lead ICE won’t rule out separating migrant families again” (The Washington Post, November 15, 2018).
  

  At his Senate confrimation hearing, Ronald D. Vitiello defended the controversial policy

Central America Regional, Mexico

• Sandra Dibble, “Central American Migrants Stir Sympathy, Fears in Tijuana” (The San Diego Union-Tribune, November 15, 2018).
  

  An unknown number of the caravan members are expected to present themselves at the San Ysidro Port of Entry and petition for asylum, but there are already some 2,500 people — mainly Mexicans and Central Americans — who are already on a waiting list managed by the migrants themselves

Colombia

• Alfredo Molano Jimeno, Lorena Arboleda Zarate, “Ruta de Proteccion a Lideres Sociales” (El Espectador (Colombia), November 15, 2018).
  

  El Gobierno creará una instancia de coordinación institucional para hacer efectiva la política de protección a dirigentes populares y expidió un decreto para enfrentar amenazas y homicidios

Cuba

• Sebastian Rotella, Tim Golden, “The Strange Case of American Diplomats in Cuba: As the Mystery Deepens, So Do Divisions in Washington” (Mother Jones, November 15, 2018).
  

  “The Cuba thing is one of the few unsolved mysteries we’ve got”

Mexico

• Timothy Bella, “Mattis, Defending Troop Deployment Against Caravan, Cites Pancho Villa’s Raid Into U.S. That Killed 18 Americans” (The Washington Post, November 15, 2018).
  

  Mattis citing Wilson’s action against Villa in the context of a caravan of men, women and children immediately raised eyebrows

• Arturo Angel, “Corte Invalida Ley de Seguridad por el Riesgo Que Implica Convertir a Militares en Policias” (Animal Politico (Mexico), November 15, 2018).
  

  Con una votación de 9 ministros a favor y uno en contra, la Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación (SCJN) declaró oficialmente la inconstitucionalidad de la Ley de Seguridad Interior (LSI) con la cual se buscaba regular la participación de las fuerzas armadas en tareas de seguridad

• Alejandro Hope, “Un Plan Sin Razones para la Tranquilidad y el Optimismo” (El Universal (Mexico), November 15, 2018).
  

  El plan apuesta por una salida abiertamente militar a los dilemas de seguridad pública. Se plantea la creación de un cuerpo militar (la Guardia Nacional), ubicado administrativamente en la SEDENA, para atender de manera permanente asuntos de policía

• Arturo Angel, “El Martes Morena Presentara Reforma Que Habilita al Ejercito Vigilar Calles y Detener Civiles” (Animal Politico (Mexico), November 15, 2018).
  

  Busca modificar la Constitución para permitir que elementos de las fuerzas armadas, adscritos a la Guardia Nacional anunciada por Andrés Manuel López Obrador, puedan, de forma permanente, patrullar calles, prevenir delitos, e incluso detener personas

• Jorge Carrasco Araizaga, “Sedena, Pilar de la Estrategia de Seguridad de Lopez Obrador” (Proceso (Mexico), November 15, 2018).
  

  La Guardia Nacional tiene como modelos la Guardia Civil de España y la Gendarmería de Francia, que dependen de las Fuerzas Armadas, según explicó

• Arturo Daen, “Plan de Amlo Contradice Recomendaciones Internacionales para Mexico de Retirar el Ejercito y Fortalecer la Policia Civil” (Animal Politico (Mexico), November 15, 2018).
  

  Distintos mecanismos de la ONU, naciones en el Examen Periódico Universal y la CIDH han advertido sobre los peligros de militarizar la seguridad pública

• Keegan Hamilton, “Explosive Testimony at el Chapo’s Trial Tells New History of the Sinaloa Cartel” (VICE, November 15, 2018).
  

  El Rey’s most dramatic testimony covered the war that broke out between El Chapo and the leaders of the Tijuana cartel in the late 1980s and extended all the way through the early 2000s

• Elliot Spagat, Maria Verza, “Migrants Meet Some Local Resistance as They Continue to Stream Into Tijuana” (Associated Press, Time, November 15, 2018).
  

  About 100 migrants declined offers of rides to shelters and had camped out late Wednesday by the steel border fence at Tijuana’s beach area, when a similar number of local residents marched up to the group shouting, “You’re not welcome,” and, “Get out!”

• Kirk Semple, “As Migrants Line Up, Hoping for Asylum, a Quiet Day at a Busy California Border” (The New York Times, November 15, 2018).
  

  The vanguard of what President Trump has labeled an invasion force formed an orderly line at about 6:45 a.m. on Thursday near a major border crossing between Tijuana and the United States and waited patiently

Uruguay

• “Uruguay’s Senate Oks Law for Entry of Us Planes, Personnel” (Associated Press, The Washington Post, November 15, 2018).
  

  Uruguay’s Senate approved a law Thursday allowing U.S. aircraft, military personnel and civilians into the South American country to help provide security for a Group of 20 summit of world leaders in neighboring Argentina

Venezuela

• Angus Berwick, “A New Venezuelan Id, Created With China’s Zte, Tracks Citizen Behavior” (Reuters **, November 15, 2018).
  

  Using the servers purchased from ZTE, the government is creating a database some citizens fear is identifying Venezuelans who support the government and those who don’t

Mike Blake / Reuters photo at BuzzFeed.

(Even more here)

November 14, 2018

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Phil Stewart, “Mattis Defends Mexico Border Deployment in First Troop Visit” (Reuters **, November 14, 2018).
  

  Mattis, speaking to a small group of reporters traveling with him, rejected criticism and said the deployment was the right thing to do

Brazil

• “Brasil: Policia Mato a Delincuente y Lo Aplauden al Grito de “Viva Bolsonaro”” (La Republica (Peru), November 14, 2018).
  

  En Twitter, un video ha causado polémica, ya que evidencia la reacción de los ciudadanos de a pie ante la muerte de un ladrón a manos de los efectivos policiales. “Viva Bolsonaro”

Central America Regional, Mexico

• Maggie Haberman, Mark Landler, “A Week After the Midterms, Trump Seems to Forget the Caravan” (The New York Times, November 14, 2018).
  

  Other former military officers said the soldiers were well aware of the political motivation behind their mission. Lacking much else to do, they will quickly pick up on Mr. Trump’s loss of interest in the caravan

• Rebecca Plevin, “The First Waves of the Migrant Caravan Have Arrived at U.S.-Mexico Border; Thousands More Expected in Coming Days” (The Desert Sun, November 14, 2018).
  

  Some scaled the wall and perched atop it, as more than a dozen Customs and Border Protection agents on bicycles, horses and foot watched

Colombia

• Ezra Fieser, Matthew Bristow, “Father and Son Suddenly Die in Bizarre Twist to Colombia Bribery Case” (Bloomberg, November 14, 2018).
  

  Pizano was a key witness in one of the country’s biggest corruption cases. His death, like that of his son, comes weeks after the case’s lead prosecutor suffered a serious car accident in Chile

Colombia, Venezuela

• , Venezuela Investigative Unit, “Eln Now Present in Half of Venezuela” (InsightCrime, November 14, 2018).
  

  The ELN could have a presence in the states of Táchira, Zulia, Apure, Trujillo, Anzoátegui, Lara Falcón, Amazonas, Barinas, Portuguesa, Guárico and Bolívar

• Christine Armario, “Colombia Opens Camp for Venezuela Migrants as Exodus Swells” (Associated Press **, November 14, 2018).
  

  Authorities fear camps could become permanent fixtures and hinder Venezuelans from integrating into society. But with over 1 million Venezuelans now living in Colombia, officials said they had no choice

El Salvador

• Jessica Avalos, “Estas Son las Razones para Dejar el Salvador” (La Prensa Grafica (El Salvador), November 14, 2018).
  

  La violencia aparece como el segundo factor, pero el principal es el económico, según un estudio realizado por el Observatorio de Desplazamiento Interno con datos de Migración. El 40 % de retornados teme volver a su comunidad

Guatemala

• Renard Sexton, “Analysis | How Guatemala Achieved What Was Once Thought Impossible: Major Reductions in Homicides.” (The Washington Post, November 14, 2018).
  

  A new report estimates that the changes associated with the CICIG have avoided more than 4,500 homicides in Guatemala from 2007-2017 — an extraordinary feat

Mexico

• Adolfo Flores, Hamed Aleaziz, “The Us Is Making It Harder to Cross the Border at Tijuana” (BuzzFeed, November 14, 2018).
  

  Three of the 17 lanes of traffic at San Ysidro will be shut down, while one of the dozen lanes at Otay Mesa will be closed as troops and border agents make the preparations

• “La Ley de Seguridad Interior se Tambalea: Suman Ya 6 Votos en Contra en la Suprema Corte” (SinEmbargo (Mexico), November 14, 2018).
  

  Seis de los once ministros de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación (SCJN) se han pronunciado por invalidar la Ley de Seguridad Interior

• Jose De Cordoba, Juan Montes, “‘It’s a Crisis of Civilization in Mexico.’ 250,000 Dead. 37,400 Missing.” (The Wall Street Journal, November 14, 2018).
  

  The heavy involvement of Mexican government forces in the disappearances clashes with the image the government has long painted of the country’s murder epidemic: that of gangs killing each other

• Sugeyry Gandara, “Gobierno de Jalisco Subio a los Migrantes en Camiones y los Bajo Adelante Con Policias, Acusan” (SinEmbargo (Mexico), November 14, 2018).
  

  Los migrantes avanzan en varias caravanas, al menos cuatro, por cinco estados

• Ezequiel Flores Contreras, “Habitantes de la Sierra Guerrerense: Entre el Narcotrafico y la Marginacion” (Proceso (Mexico), November 14, 2018).
  

  Ayer, unas mil 600 personas abandonaron al menos cinco comunidades del municipio de Leonardo Bravo y se refugiaron en la cabecera, Chichihualco tras la irrupción violenta de un grupo de autodefensa

Mexico, Venezuela

• Patrick Duddy, “Looking for an Off Ramp for Venezuela” (Council on Foreign Relations, November 14, 2018).
  

  It is possible AMLO’s independent streak may position him to play a decisive part in bringing this agonizing chapter of Venezuelan history to an end

Flickr-Policía photo at Verdad Abierta (Colombia). Caption:“Durante 2017 se erradicaron forzadamente más de 50 mil hectáreas.”

(Even more here)

November 13, 2018

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Hamed Aleaziz, ““Wow, You’ve Really Gone This Far to Affect Children?”” (BuzzFeed, November 13, 2018).
  

  Officials later clarified Monday that unaccompanied minors would be affected but that they would still have the ability to be eligible for other protections

• Josh Dawsey, Nick Miroff, Philip Rucker, “Trump Is Preparing to Remove Kirstjen Nielsen as Homeland Security Secretary, Aides Say” (The Washington Post, November 13, 2018).
  

  She is trying to complete a full year in the job, but the president wants her out sooner, officials say

• , Elise Foley, “Trump Asylum Ban Will Extend to Thousands of Unaccompanied Immigrant Minors” (The Huffington Post, November 13, 2018).
  

  An administration official told reporters on Friday that the “suspension does not apply” to unaccompanied minors. It does

• Rafael Croda, “Ni Izquierda Ni Derecha, en 2018 America Latina Giro a la Ultraderecha” (Proceso (Mexico), November 13, 2018).
  

  Los grandes polos ideológicos de la región serán México y Brasil, con López Obrador y Bolsonaro. Pero la capacidad de estos dos líderes de conducir la política latinoamericana estará determinada por las alianzas que logren hacer con el bloque de centroderecha

Brazil

• Brian Mier, “Army Chief Admits Threatening Supreme Court to Jail Lula” (Brasil Wire, November 13, 2018).
  

  “We consciously knew we were on the edge. But we felt that the situation could escape our control if I did not publicly express myself”

• “Rights Commission Expresses Deep Concern About Brazil” (Associated Press, ABC News, November 13, 2018).
  

  “Killings committed by security forces must end. They must protect people, not kill them,” the commission’s president, Margarette May Macaulay, said at news conference

Brazil, Uruguay

• Andrea Barretto, “Brazil Donates 25 Armored Tanks to the Uruguayan Army” (Revista Dialogo (U.S. Southern Command), November 13, 2018).
  

  The M-41C vehicles that the Brazilian Army used through 2009 will be part of the Uruguayan Army’s 13th Armored Infantry Battalion Brazil purchased the M-41 armored vehicles from the United States in the 1960s. EB used the vehicles equipped with cannons for almost five decades for training purposes

Central America Regional, Mexico

• “Miles de Migrantes de la Caravana Llegan a Guadalajara; Estan a la Mitad de su Ruta Hacia Estados Unidos” (EFE, SinEmbargo (Mexico), November 13, 2018).
  

  De acuerdo con Protección Civil, 3 mil 602 miembros de la caravana arribaron durante el día a la ciudad. El contingente más grande estuvo compuesto de unos 2 mil migrantes

Chile

• “Chile: Exjefe del Ejercito Es Condenado por Violaciones a los Derechos Humanos” (La Republica (Peru), November 13, 2018).
  

  Juan Emilio Cheyre, excomandante del ejército chileno en la dictadura de Augusto Pinochet, fue sentenciado a tres años de prisión por encubrir los crímenes de la ‘Caravana de la Muerte’ en 1973

Colombia

• Olga Patricia Rendon, ““No Estan los Recursos para el Posconflicto”: Archila” (El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia), November 13, 2018).
  

  El alto consejero asegura que hubo una mala interpretación de la cifra de $170 billones para financiar el posconflicto en los próximos 15 años, por lo que destacó que la cifra establecida es de $129,5 billones

• “Programa de Sustitucion Voluntaria de Hoja de Coca, en Estado Critico” (Verdad Abierta (Colombia), November 13, 2018).
  

  Aunque el alto funcionario pide “paciencia”, las deudas en materia de desarrollo son de larga data y las demoras en la implementación han empezado a deteriorar la confianza que las comunidades depositaron en el Acuerdo de Paz

• “Duque Advirtio Que Podria Levantar Suspension de Ordenes de Captura a Miembros de Farc” (El Espectador (Colombia), November 13, 2018).
  

  El presidente se refirió a la situación de Hernán Darío Velásquez, conocido como el Paisa, e Iván Márquez. Expresó que está listo para extraditar a Jesús Santrich

• Juan Camilo Montoya, “Ataques Alejan el Dialogo Con el Eln” (El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia), November 13, 2018).
  

  Según información de Ecopetrol, este año van 79 atentados contra la infraestructura petrolera del país, lo cual representa en promedio uno cada cuatro días

Dominican Republic, Haiti

• Jonathan M. Katz, “What Happened When a Nation Erased Birthright Citizenship” (New America, The Atlantic, November 13, 2018).
  

  As Dominicans have ably shown, the most extreme rhetoric has a way of becoming real. And the consequences of inciting millions of people against vulnerable groups of immigrants are impossible to control

Honduras

• “Esta Semana Llega Primer Sistema de Drones a las Fuerzas Armadas de Honduras” (El Heraldo (Honduras), November 13, 2018).
  

  Honduras encargó a Israel el Skylark 3, que es un sistema táctico mini UAV, optimizado para la operación desmontada o basada en el vehículo

Mexico

• “La Scjn Iniciara Este Lunes el Analisis de la Ley de Seguridad Interior; Ongs Llaman a Declararla Inconstitucional” (SinEmbargo (Mexico), November 13, 2018).
  

  La Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación (SCJN) comenzará este lunes el análisis sobre la constitucionalidad de la Ley de Seguridad Interior

• Ezequiel Flores Contreras, “Grupo Armado Toma Poblado en la Sierra Amapolera de Guerrero” (Proceso (Mexico), November 13, 2018).
  

  Ahora, aunque ese precursor de la heroína está a la baja, la zona sigue siendo un territorio que se disputan los grupos del crimen organizado, pues además de la droga controlan la producción minera y la explotación forestal

• Manu Ureste, “Politica Migratoria de Mexico No Puede Estar Subordinada a la de Trump: Equipo de Amlo” (Animal Politico (Mexico), November 13, 2018).
  

  En esta entrevista, Guillén habla de sus planes, y de los del nuevo gobierno de López Obrador, para lograr “un giro” en el perfil policiaco del INM y en la política migratoria del país

Nicaragua

• Eddy Lopez Hernandez, Leonor Álvarez, “Daniel Ortega Entrena a la Policia Como su “Ejercito Paralelo”” (La Prensa (Nicaragua), November 13, 2018).
  

  El curso táctico militar muestra desnaturalización aún mayor de la policía

Venezuela

• Bram Ebus, “A Rising Tide of Murder in Venezuela’s Mineral-Rich South” (International Crisis Group, November 13, 2018).
  

  The killings are linked by jostling among criminals, guerrillas and soldiers for mineral wealth amid the country’s wider socio-economic meltdown

Even more here)

November 12, 2018

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Helene Cooper, Thomas Gibbons-Neff, “Deployed Inside the United States: The Military Waits for the Migrant Caravan” (The New York Times, November 12, 2018).
  

  Putting troops at the border to protect against what Mr. Trump deemed a threat, in his rallying cry for the midterms, has put Mr. Mattis’s views about politicizing the military on a collision course with the president

Brazil

• Andres Schipani, Joe Leahy, “Brazil’s Generals Vow to Stay Out of Politics” (The Financial Times (UK), November 12, 2018).
  

  General Villas Bôas said the country was “politically mature” with strong institutions. “Brazil will not turn into a fascist country. That’s not in our nature,” he said

• Ernesto Londono, “As Brazil’s Far Right Leader Threatens the Amazon, One Tribe Pushes Back” (The New York Times, November 12, 2018).
  

  The Times traveled hundreds of miles into the Brazilian Amazon, staying with a tribe in the Munduruku Indigenous Territory as it struggled with the shrinking rain forest

Central America Regional, Mexico

• Alberto Pradilla, “Caravana Migrante: Frio y Tos en Medio de la Nada en Queretaro” (Plaza Publica (Guatemala), November 12, 2018).
  

  Cientos de migrantes centroamericanos pasaron la noche del sábado 10 de noviembre al raso en el exterior del estadio Corregidora, en Querétaro. Están enfermos. Todo el mundo tose

Colombia

• Edinson Arley Bolanos, “Viaje a los Archivos de Inteligencia del Das” (El Espectador (Colombia), November 12, 2018).
  

  Reposan en más de 12.000 cajas. ¿Cómo llegaron ahí? ¿Por qué la Jurisdicción Especial para la Paz (JEP) dice que los archivos están en riesgo? ¿Por qué este tribunal transicional pide su custodia? ¿Están completos? ¿Qué dicen?

Cuba

• Adam Entous, Jon Lee Anderson, “The Mystery of the Havana Syndrome” (The New Yorker, November 12, 2018).
  

  After the State Department’s presence was diminished, what remained of the C.I.A. station was closed down, on Pompeo’s orders

Mexico

• Alejandra Guillen, Mago Torres, Marcela Turati, “El Pais de las 2 Mil Fosas” (A Donde Van los Desaparecidos (Mexico), November 12, 2018).
  

  En México 37 mil 485 personas están reportadas como desaparecidas entre diciembre de 2006 y octubre pasado, según los registros oficiales. Se desconoce cuántas de ellas están en fosas

Nicaragua

• Carlos Perez Osorio, Sarah Kinosian, “How Nicaragua Uses Anti-Terror Laws Against Protesters to Suppress Dissent” (The Intercept, November 12, 2018).
  

  Many of those arrested will be tried as terrorists, thanks to a law passed by the Ortega-controlled Congress in July that expanded the definition of terrorism to include a broad range of crimes

   

John Moore/Getty Images photo at The Texas Tribune.

(Even more here)

November 6, 2018

Western Hemisphere Regional

• James Stavridis, “Why It Would Be a Major Military Mistake to Deploy Troops to Confront the Migrant Caravan” (Time, November 6, 2018).
  

  We should control our border. But sending the military won’t help that cause

• Phil Stewart, “Pentagon Balked at U.S. Border Troops Building Detention Facilities – Officials” (Reuters **, November 6, 2018).
  

  Manning said only military police would carry weapons and stressed that there were no plans for U.S. troops to come in contact with protesters or migrants

• Alberto Manguel, Colm Toibin, Deborah Eisenberg, Et Al., Maaza Mengiste, Margaret Atwood, “Concentration Camps for Kids: An Open Letter” (The New York Review of Books, November 6, 2018).
  

  This generation will be remembered for having allowed for concentration camps for children to be built on “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” This is happening here and now, but not in our names

• Carlos Sanchez, Robert Moore, “Border Patrol to Conduct ‘Crowd Control’ Exercise on Election Day” (Texas Monthly, November 6, 2018).
  

  The exercise appears planned between Chihuahuita and the residents’ designated polling place about a half-mile away

• Kate Morrissey, “Ice Moves to Silence Detention Center Volunteer Visitors” (The San Diego Union-Tribune, November 6, 2018).
  

  The confidentiality sections of the new forms require volunteers to agree not to share information they learn inside without written permission from the warden

Central America Regional, Mexico

• Mariano v. Osnaya, Monica Wise Robles, Mustafa Khalili, Tom Silverstone, “Video: La Caravana: On the Road With the Migrant Caravan” (The Guardian (Uk), November 6, 2018).
  

  Thousands of migrants from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala head north hoping to find work and a better life in the US. The largest Central American caravan in decades keeps growing as thousands more join this journey – but when they reach Mexico, the migrant caravan starts taking different directions

• and Maria Verza, Mark Stevenson, Sonia Perez D., “Migrants Straggle Into Mexico City to Shelter at Stadium” (Associated Press, ABC News, November 6, 2018).
  

  Authorities counted more than 2,000 migrants entering the Jesus Martinez stadium by midafternoon Monday, and a steady flow continued into the night

Colombia

• “Duro Pulso en el Congreso para Cambiar Acuerdo de Paz” (El Tiempo (Colombia), November 6, 2018).
  

  Ya no se creará la sala especial para los militares que proponía Paloma, sino que habrá 14 magistrados más en la JEP elegidos por instancias como la Judicatura y el Procurador, entre otros

El Salvador

• Molly o’toole, “Can Megachurches Save el Salvador?” (The New Republic, November 6, 2018).
  

  Gang bosses are increasingly granting those under their command desistance—a status change from “active” to “calmado,” meaning “calmed down”—if they convert to evangelicalism

Guatemala

• Ricardo Barrientos, “Presupuesto 2019: Quitarle a la Justicia para Darle al Ejercito” (Plaza Publica (Guatemala), November 6, 2018).
  

  Pese a una reducción del techo presupuestario global, el Ejército estaría recibiendo en 2019 casi 800 millones de quetzales más a costa de recortes al sector justicia y al gasto social

Mexico

• “Madres Buscan en Veracruz la Que Podria Ser una de las Mas Grandes Narcofosas de Mexico” (SinEmbargo (Mexico), November 6, 2018).
  

  Este lunes ha iniciado la búsqueda de más fosas clandestinas en la zona norte de la ciudad de Veracruz por parte del Colectivo Solecito

• Oscar Balderas, “Unos 100 Miembros de la Caravana Migrante Fueron Secuestrados y Entregados a un Cartel: Ombudsman de Oaxaca” (Huffington Post Mexico, November 6, 2018).
  

  De acuerdo con testimonios recabados por él y miembros de la Oficina del Alto Comisionado de las Naciones Unidas para los Derechos Humanos en México— el secuestro ocurrió en el estado de Puebla

• Justin Villamil, “Billionaire Partner of Imprisoned Chapo Consolidates Empire” (Bloomberg, November 6, 2018).
  

  The last capo standing may be losing his grip on the world’s largest drug cartel. Mexico’s murder rate is skyrocketing as Chapo’s former allies sense a power vacuum and regional rivals muscle in