Adam Isacson

(Even more here)

May 13, 2019

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Dan Lamothe, “Pentagon Will Pull Money From Ballistic Missile and Surveillance Plane Programs to Fund Border Wall” (The Washington Post, May 13, 2019).

The Pentagon has justified the reprogramming for the border wall by shifting the funding to a Defense Department counterdrug effort

• Helene Cooper, “Pentagon Shifts $1.5 Billion to Border Wall From Afghan War Budget and Other Military Projects” (The New York Times, May 13, 2019).

Lawmakers are irate that the Pentagon is taking money that was meant for fighting a war and using it for what Democrats view as a political move intended to assuage Mr. Trump’s base

• Robert Burns, “Shanahan Says Military Won’t Leave Until Us-Mexico Border Is Secure” (Military Times, May 13, 2019).

Shanahan told Congress this past week that there are 4,364 military troops on the border, including active-duty and National Guard

Colombia

• Yamid Amat, “‘Hay Injerencias y Presiones Indebidas Sobre la Jep’: Patricia Linares” (El Tiempo (Colombia), May 13, 2019).

En su diálogo no vaciló en reclamar para la JEP “un trato digno y respetuoso”

• “Corte Suprema Condeno a Seis Militares por Masacre de San Jose de Apartado en 2005” (El Espectador (Colombia), May 13, 2019).

Desmovilizados del bloque paramilitar señalaron que contaron con la “colaboración” de casi 300 soldados adscritos al Batallón Contraguerrilla No. 33, Cacique Lutaima, de la Brigada XVII

• “¿Debe el Gobierno Pronunciarse Sobre las Visas de Magistrados?” (El Tiempo (Colombia), May 13, 2019).

El único miembro del gobierno del presidente Iván Duque que se ha referido al tema es la vicepresidenta Marta Lucía Ramírez, quien dijo en Caracol Radio que respetan “las decisiones de cada país siempre que se tomen con criterios objetivos y transparentes”

El Salvador

• Nelson Rauda Zablah, “Bukele en Washington: “Estamos Alineados Con Estados Unidos”” (El Faro (El Salvador), May 13, 2019).

Bukele aseguró que ha preferido inversiones estadounidenses que chinas. Un día después, dos congresistas del Comité presentaron un proyecto de ley que busca autorizar 577 millones de dólares en ayuda

Guatemala

• Roger Cohen, “‘Here There Is Nothing’” (The New York Times, May 13, 2019).

Since October, 1 percent of Guatemala’s total population — more than 160,000 people — have crossed. Many are children

Venezuela

• Joshua Goodman, “Maduro’s Foes Fill Embassies in Venezuela as Crisis Deepens” (Associated Press, Associated Press, May 13, 2019).

Many dissidents are pounding on the doors of foreign embassies in a throwback to the dark days of the 1970s, when far bloodier military dictatorships in South America hunted down their opponents

• Sean Sullivan, “Florida Republicans Warn That Trump’s Venezuela Policy Is at Risk of Backfiring” (The Washington Post, May 13, 2019).

“This could be another Bay of Pigs as far as Cuban sentiment is concerned”

• “The Latest: Guaido Asks for Relations With Us Military” (Associated Press, The Washington Post, May 13, 2019).

Earlier this week, U.S. Navy Adm. Craig Faller said he would meet with Guaidó when invited to discuss the future role of Venezuela’s armed forces

(Even more here)

May 10, 2019

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Molly Hennessy-Fiske, “Arizona Tribe Refuses Trump’s Wall, but Agrees to Let Border Patrol Build Virtual Barrier” (The Los Angeles Times, May 10, 2019).

The wall he described was not physical, but virtual: 10 towers up to 140 feet tall, with radar and night vision cameras capable of surveying over several miles and streaming footage around the clock to the Border Patrol

• Ryan Devereaux, ““the Fourth Amendment Doesn’t Apply Here” — U.S. Border Guards Arrest Arizona Immigrant Rights Volunteer” (The Intercept, May 10, 2019).

“Intimidation from CBP has been ramping up,” Adlerstein told The Intercept on Wednesday, with CBP routinely pulling individuals working on migrant issues into secondary screening, grilling them with questions and using words like “aiding and abetting”

• Alicia A. Caldwell, “Immigrant Arrests Smash Records, and U.S. Border Struggles to Handle the Crush” (The Wall Street Journal, May 10, 2019).

The border has seen illegal-immigrant waves before. This one is different

• Benjamin Russell, “The Growing List of Imprisoned Latin American Presidents” (Americas Quarterly, May 10, 2019).

Latin America’s anti-corruption wave has made the region’s presidents more vulnerable to criminal prosecution than ever before

• Molly o’toole, “Border Patrol Will Screen Asylum Requests in New Push to Restrict Claims, Memos Show” (The Los Angeles Times, May 10, 2019).

The changes involve the initial interviews that asylum seekers go through to determine whether they have what U.S. law defines as a “credible fear” of being persecuted in their home country

• “Populism and Polarisation Threaten Latin America” (The Economist (Uk), May 10, 2019).

Election rules are sometimes flouted and independent institutions undermined. Many voters are turning to populists with little commitment to restraints on power. Parties of the moderate centre are weakening or collapsing

Brazil

• “‘the Order Is to Kill!’—Eight Killed in Police Operation Involving Helicopter Gunfire in Mare” (RioOnWatch (Rio de Janeiro Brazil), May 10, 2019).

Two of the youth raised their hands, saying “I lost,” to which the government agents responded: “My order is to kill”

Central America Regional

• “Engel, Mccaul Introduce Legislation to Address Root Causes of Migration From Central America” (U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs Democratic Office, May 10, 2019).

The United States–Northern Triangle Enhanced Engagement Act authorizes $577 million in foreign assistance to Central America for Fiscal Year 2020 and includes conditions on any assistance that goes to the central governments

Colombia, Guatemala

• Julieta Pelcastre, “Colombia Trains Guatemalan Marines” (Revista Dialogo (U.S. Southern Command), May 10, 2019).

Guatemalan service members strengthen their amphibious assault capabilities to conduct operations against criminal organizations in any scenario

Colombia

• Jerson Ortiz, “Una Consulta Popular Contra el Glifosato en Putumayo se Metio en la Campana” (La Silla Vacia (Colombia), May 10, 2019).

Según los voceros de la iniciativa, el regreso del herbicida no solo afectaría los cultivos que sí son legales, sino que le pondría más trabas al Programa Nacional de Sustitución de Cultivos de Uso Ilícito

• Adriaan Alsema, “Five Months Ahead of Colombia’s Local Elections, Political Violence Already Surpassed That of 2015 Vote” (Colombia Reports, May 10, 2019).

According to the Electoral Observation Mission (MOE), there have been 74 acts of aggression against local and regional political leaders, including 10 homicides

• Juanita Velez, “La Estrategia de Duque Contra la Deforestacion Arranca Con Tres Lios” (La Silla Vacia (Colombia), May 10, 2019).

Quien lleva la batuta no es el ministro de Ambiente, Ricardo Lozano, sino el consejero de seguridad, Rafael Guarín, que es el que más ha salido en medios a contar de qué se trata

• “Mas de 800 Casos de Violencia Contra Lideres Sociales Estan en la Impunidad: Cinep” (El Espectador (Colombia), May 10, 2019).

“La nueva estrategia es amenazar y asesinar a los líderes de base, con el fin de debilitar el proceso a través del miedo y el terror”, insiste el Cinep

• “La Justicia Bajo Presion: Estados Unidos Les Quito la Visa a Tres Magistrados” (Semana (Colombia), May 10, 2019).

La presidenta de la Corte Constitucional, Gloria Ortiz, y dos magistrados fueron al Palacio de Nariño para informar la situación. A su turno, el presidente Iván Duque se comunicó con el saliente embajador de Estados Unidos en Bogotá, Kevin Whitaker, para tratar de apaciguar las cosas

El Salvador

• Anastasia Moloney, “El Salvador Gang Violence Stifles Progress on Gender Killings: Top Prosecutor” (Reuters, Reuters, May 10, 2019).

Getting witnesses and the families of victims to come forward remains a key challenge because many fear reprisals from gangs who control city neighborhoods

Honduras

• “A Murder in Honduras: Q&A With Nina Lakhani” (Roads and Kingdoms, May 10, 2019).

Lakhani’s reporting and the ensuing trial revealed that Cáceres’s murder was ordered by the company building the dam

Mexico

• Azam Ahmed, Kirk Semple, “A New Revolution? Mexico Still Waiting as Lopez Obrador Nears Half-Year Mark” (The New York Times, May 10, 2019).

The new country President Andrés Manuel López Obrador says he is building looks an awful lot like the old one he swore to leave behind in the campaign

• Elliot Spagat, Nomaan Merchant, Patricio Espinoza, “For Thousands of Asylum Seekers, All They Can Do Is Wait” (Associated Press, Associated Press, May 10, 2019).

The Associated Press visited eight cities along the U.S.-Mexico border and found 13,000 immigrants on waiting lists to get into the country — exposed to haphazard and often-dubious arrangements that vary sharply

Nicaragua

• “Policia Licita Compra de Vehiculos Con Fondos del Bcie” (Confidencial (Nicaragua), May 10, 2019).

La compra asciende a más de medio millón de dólares y será totalmente financiada por el Banco Centroamericano de Integración económica (BCIE), pese a los señalamientos de que la cooperación económica de esta institución continúa oxigenando a la dictadura

Venezuela

• Alex Vasquez, Andrew Rosati, “Maduro Hunts Down Guaido’s Allies, Exacting Revenge for Uprising” (Bloomberg, May 10, 2019).

A week after an audacious attempt to topple Venezuelan autocrat Nicolas Maduro, his regime is cracking down on those it holds responsible, searching homes, issuing arrest warrants and sending opposition leaders into hiding

• “Venezuela Ya Paso la “Linea Roja” para “Cooperacion Militar”: Guaido” (EFE, El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia), May 10, 2019).

Destacó que es “bienvenido cualquier elemento que sume” para lograr la salida del Gobierno de Nicolás Maduro, pero reiteró su negativa al diálogo, debido a que considera que este mecanismo es utilizado por el chavismo para engañar

Venezuela, Western Hemisphere Regional

• Karen Deyoung, “Trump’s Latin American Allies Want Change in Venezuela, but Not U.S. Intervention” (The Washington Post, May 10, 2019).

As U.S. threats toward Venezuela and Cuba, one of Maduro’s primary backers, have grown more explicit in recent days, Latin American and European governments have nervously stepped up their efforts toward a political solution

(Even more here)

May 9, 2019

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Emily Cochrane, “Pentagon Has Redirected Money to Build 256 Miles of Border Barriers, Shanahan Says” (The New York Times, May 9, 2019).

The Pentagon has redirected enough money to build 256 miles of barriers along the southwestern border, including 63 miles within six months, the acting defense secretary told lawmakers on Wednesday

• Nick Miroff, “From the Border, More Frustrating Immigration Numbers for President Trump” (The Washington Post, May 9, 2019).

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detained 109,144 migrants along the boundary with Mexico last month, a 6 percent increase from March

Brazil

• Paulo Trevisani, “Bolsonaro Further Eases Brazilians’ Access to Guns” (The Wall Street Journal, May 9, 2019).

“Sales are going through the roof,” said Welker Costa, owner of a gun shop in Brasília as he read the latest decree’s more than 11,000 words to understand the changes

• “Trump Inicia el Proceso para Declarar a Brasil Aliado Militar Fuera de Otan” (EFE, ABC Color (Paraguay), May 9, 2019).

Bajo la ley estadounidense, el presidente de EE.UU. debe notificar al Congreso al menos 30 días antes de designar a un país como aliado militar estratégico fuera de la OTAN

Central America Regional

• “Centroamerica Cierra Filas para Reforzar el Combate a la Criminalidad” (El Heraldo (Honduras), May 9, 2019).

En Honduras se contabilizaron 8.7 toneladas de cocaína decomisadas en diferentes sectores del territorio nacional. En Guatemala se considera que 2018 fue un año histórico porque se decomisaron 17,897 kilos de cocaína. Mientras que en El Salvador la cantidad fue de 12 toneladas de esa droga

• Jose Ruiz, “Central American Security Leaders, Partners Discuss Threats, Support for Civilian Authorities” (U.S. Southern Command, May 9, 2019).

During the two-day security meeting, the participating delegations and observers discussed how military and public-security forces support civilian authorities, as well as regional efforts to target transnational organized crime

Colombia

• Sinar Alvarado, “Los Asesinatos de Exguerrilleros Comprometen la Paz en Colombia” (The New York Times, May 9, 2019).

Desde la firma del acuerdo de paz entre el gobierno de Colombia y las antiguas Farc, en noviembre de 2016 en Bogotá, 129 excombatientes de esa guerrilla han sido asesinados

Colombia, Venezuela

• “Colombia Blasts Venezuela Over Alleged Military Incursion” (Agence France Presse, France 24 (France), May 9, 2019).

In a statement, the foreign ministry said the Venezuelan unit crossed 200 meters into northeastern Colombia

• “Maduro Advierte de una Posible “Escalada Militar” Desde Colombia” (Agence France Presse, El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia), May 9, 2019).

“He mandado a tomar medidas especiales de precaución en la frontera. A todas las unidades militares de la frontera, máxima alerta”, dijo Maduro

• “Casi la Mitad de los Guerrilleros del Eln Estarian en Venezuela” (Agence France Presse, El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia), May 9, 2019).

El comandante de las fuerzas militares, Luis Fernando Navarro, afirmó que unos 1.100 miembros del Eln estarían en Venezuela

Colombia

• Laura Panqueva Otalora, ““las Amenazas Desbordaron Nuestras Vidas”: Lideresa de Montes de Maria” (El Espectador (Colombia), May 9, 2019).

Yirleis Velazco dice que quiere regresar a El Salado, el pueblo de los Montes de María del que tuvo que salir desplazada por la violencia

Cuba, Venezuela

• Nora Gamez Torres, “Can Cuba Be Part of the Solution to the Political Crisis in Venezuela?” (The Miami Herald, May 9, 2019).

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo surprised many observers Sunday when he declared that the United States was “working” with Cuba to secure Maduro’s departure from Venezuela

Mexico

• Christopher Sherman, “Mexico Worries as Us Keeps Making Asylum Seekers Wait There” (The Washington Post, May 9, 2019).

On Wednesday night, Mexico’s immigration agency said 4,217 Central American asylum seekers had already been returned through three border cities

• Jon Martin Cullell, “Mexico Triplica las Deportaciones de Migrantes Centroamericanos Con Lopez Obrador” (El Pais (Spain), May 9, 2019).

El nuevo Gobierno ha expulsado a más de 45.000 personas en cinco meses, casi 15.000 de ellas en abril

• Arturo Angel, “Delitos Graves Con Armas de Fuego se Disparan Hasta 250 % en Alcaldias de Cdmx” (Animal Politico (Mexico), May 9, 2019).

Datos oficiales revisados por Animal Político evidencian que en las alcaldías más pobladas existen incrementos de hasta 250 % en delitos de alto impacto cometidos con armas de fuego

• Jose De Cordoba, Juan Montes, “Mexico Proposes Redirecting U.S. Security Aid to Address Migrant Crisis” (The Wall Street Journal, May 9, 2019).

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador wants to take the security aid his country receives from the U.S. and use the money instead for a development plan for Central America and southern Mexico to help stop migration

Nicaragua

• Alice Driver, “Mothers Are the Backbone of the Revolution” (Longreads, May 9, 2019).

Hundreds of Nicaraguan mothers seek justice for their murdered children, birthing a movement

Venezuela

• Angus Berwick, “How a Chinese Venture Made Millions While Venezuelans Grew Hungry” (Reuters, Reuters, May 9, 2019).

A $200 million rice plant illustrates the graft and incompetence that opponents say crippled development by Venezuela’s leftist regime

• Rafael Croda, “El Fallido Alzamiento Militar Dejo “Tocado” a Maduro” (Proceso (Mexico), May 9, 2019).

Ejemplo de su delicada posición, destacan los expertos, es que el jueves 2 pidió a las fuerzas armadas que no lo abandonen y restituyó en la jefatura de los servicios de inteligencia a Gustavo González López

• “Militares Chavistas Rechazan “Chantaje” de Jefe de Comando Sur de Eeuu” (El Estimulo (Venezuela), May 9, 2019).

Un día después de que el oficial norteamericano le pidiera a la Fuerza Armada “decidir a quién representa: A su pueblo a un tirano”

• Anatoly Kurmanaev, “Ally of Venezuelan Opposition Leader Is Detained After Failed Uprising” (The New York Times, May 9, 2019).

He is at least the fourth prominent ally of Mr. Guaidó to be detained or forced to flee the country since January

• Christopher Torchia, “Venezuela’s Maduro Tightens Pressure on Opposition” (Associated Press, The Washington Post, May 9, 2019).

The arrest of a top opposition leader in Venezuela unleashed fears of a wider crackdown on Thursday, even as members of the opposition issued renewed calls for weekend protests

• Anne Gearan, John Hudson, Josh Dawsey, Seung Min Kim, “A Frustrated Trump Questions His Administration’s Venezuela Strategy” (The Washington Post, May 9, 2019).

The president’s dissatisfaction has crystallized around national security adviser John Bolton and what Trump has groused is an interventionist stance at odds with his view that the United States should stay out of foreign quagmires