(Even more here)

January 2, 2023

Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico

• Raul Barreno Castillo, “El Narcotrafico Ha Optado por Usar Mas Honduras, Belice y Mexico para Trasegar Droga Hacia Estados Unidos, Cree Unidad Antinarcotica de Pnc” (Prensa Libre (Guatemala), January 2, 2023).

Guatemalan counter-drug authorities attribute a decline in cocaine seizures to drug traffickers using neighboring countries’ territory more often

Brazil

• Andre Spigariol, Jack Nicas, “Lula Becomes Brazil’s President, With Bolsonaro in Florida” (The New York Times, January 2, 2023).

Bolsonaro, and many pro-Bolsonaro media figures, are now based in Florida

Brazil, Colombia

• Santiago Torrado, “La Llegada de Lula al Poder en Brasil Impulsa la Politica Exterior de Gustavo Petro” (El Pais (Spain), January 2, 2023).

Santiago Torrado sees a pro-environment “bloc” forming between Brazil and Colombia

Colombia

• “Aviones para Fumigar Con Glifosato Ahora Controlaran Incendios Forestales” (Revista Cambio (Colombia), January 2, 2023).

Colombia will use four glyphosate coca-eradication spray planes and two Black Hawk helicoptera, all U.S. donations, to put out forest fires

• Javier Patino C., “Gustavo Petro y los Militares Cierran el Ano Con una Relacion Muy Golpeada” (Revista Cambio (Colombia), January 2, 2023).

Petro’s first 100 days saw a 70 percent reduction in security-force operations compared to 2021

• “La Paz en 2023: Lo Que se Viene en Materia de Drogas, Tierras y Lideres Sociales” (El Espectador (Colombia), January 2, 2023).

This will be a make-or-break year for the Petro government’s efforts to negotiate peace, implement rural reforms, and change drug policy

• “Presidente Petro Anuncia Cese al Fuego Bilateral Con 5 Organizaciones Armadas Ilegales, a Partir del Primero de Enero de 2023” (Presidencia de Colombia, January 2, 2023).

Colombia’s government announces a six-month ceasefire with most major armed groups

• Gloria Castrillon Pulido, “Paz Con el Eln: ¿Que Viene para 2023 en la Negociacion Entre Gobierno y Guerrilla?” (El Espectador (Colombia), January 2, 2023).

The ELN peace talks will remain focused on procedural issues to build a more solid foundation for negotiating substantial issues

Colombia, Venezuela

• Santiago Torrado, “La Apertura del Puente de Tienditas Marca el Inicio de una Nueva Etapa Entre Colombia y Venezuela” (El Pais (Spain), January 2, 2023).

The much-photographed shipping containers are no longer blocking traffic on the Tienditas bridge between Colombia and Venezuela

El Salvador

• Juan Martinez D´Aubuisson, “El Salvador’s Champion” (Truthdig, January 2, 2023).

Salvadorans will feel the negative impacts of Bukele’s populist reign in the long term

Mexico

• Hector Barrera, “Tijuana Suma Dos Mil 42 Homicidios Dolosos” (El Imparcial (Tijuana Mexico), January 2, 2023).

Just a terrible year for homicides in Tijuana, and there are arrests in only 8 percent of cases

Peru

• Gustavo Gorriti, “Hasta el Mal se Idiotizo” (IDL Reporteros (Peru), January 2, 2023).

“The current season of when and how Peru f***ed itself began with the 2016 elections”

• Enrique Patriau, “Steven Levitsky: “la Democracia Todavia Puede Sobrevivir en el Peru, No se Ha Perdido. ¿Esta en Cuestion? Si”” (La Republica (Peru), January 2, 2023).

The U.S. democracy expert offers views on Peru’s political crisis

• David Pereda, “‘Marchas por la Paz’ Con Impulso del Gobierno y Activismo Policial” (La Republica (Peru), January 2, 2023).

Reactions to a “pro-peace” march convened by Peru’s police

U.S.-Mexico Border

• Davis Winkie, “The Guard’s Border Missions Continue” (Army Times, January 2, 2023).

About 2,500 Guardsmen are at the border on a federal mission, and 5,000 Texas Guardsmen are there on a state mission. Both are controversial

• Howard Fischer, “Firm Gets Arizona Tax Money to Tear Down Border Barrier It Just Built” (tucson.com, January 2, 2023).

$95 million to build a wall of shipping containers along the border on federal land. $76 million to take it back down.

• “Ice Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Report” (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, January 2, 2023).

ICE removals increased sharply because of an increase in CBP handovers of migrants apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border

Venezuela

• Deisy Martinez, “An de 2015 Aprueba su Extension por Otro Ano y Elimina Gobierno Interino” (Efecto Cocuyo (Venezuela), January 2, 2023).

Venezuela no longer has an “interim government” led by Juan Guaidó