(Even more here)

January 25, 2023

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Jose Ignacio Araya, “Crisis en Peru Marca Celac en Medio de Criticas de Uruguay a “Ideologizacion” de la Cumbre” (La Tercera (Chile), January 25, 2023).

A blow-by-blow account of controversies at the CELAC summit in Argentina. The body will next be presided by St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Bolivia, Colombia

• Beatriz Irene Ramos, David Restrepo, Gilda Jauregui, Jean Paul Benavides, Maria Alejandra Velez, “Control Social de la Produccion de Coca: Lecciones del Tropico de Cochabamba (Bolivia) para Colombia” (Centro de Estudios sobre Seguridad y Drogas (Cesed), Universidad de los Andes (Colombia), January 25, 2023).

As Colombia’s government moves away from forced coca eradication, Bolivia’s experience carries some “replicatable” lessons

Bolivia, Colombia, Peru

• “Peru Acusa a Colombia y Bolivia de Injerencia” (Voz de América, Nicaragua Investiga, January 25, 2023).

Peru sends Colombia a protest note after Gustavo Petro condemns the security forces’ raid on a Lima university

Brazil

• Anthony Boadle, “Brazil Official Says Yanomami Region Looks Like ‘Concentration Camp’” (Reuters, Reuters, January 25, 2023).

“Well armed gold miners” have kept food and medical care from reaching the Yanomami reservation in Brazil’s Amazon. An official calls for military intervention

Colombia

• Christina Noriega, “Colombia Shifts Strategy in Drug War Away From Coca Eradication” (Al Jazeera, January 25, 2023).

“The shift away from crop eradication means that the success of Petro’s anti-narcotic efforts now hinges on other measures, of which there are few details.” Cites WOLA

• “Petro se Reune Con Emisario de Biden para Revisar los Tratados de Extradicion” (El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia), January 25, 2023).

Gustavo Petro and Chris Dodd meet at the CELAC summit. Drug policy and extradition of armed-group leaders engaged in negotiations appear to be on the agenda

• “Se Renueva por Nueve Anos el Mandato de la Oficina de Onu de Dd. Hh. En Colombia” (El Espectador (Colombia), January 25, 2023).

The Petro government extends the UN Human Rights office’s mandate for nine more years

Guatemala

• Ana Maria Mendez Dardon, Juan Pappier, Julia Aikman Cifuentes, Martina Rapido Ragozzino, “Human Rights Concerns for Guatemala’s 2023 General Elections – Questions and Answers” (Human Rights Watch, WOLA, Washington Office on Latin America, January 25, 2023).

This year’s elections process will determine whether Guatemala can still be called a democracy

Honduras

• Eva Galeas, “Elementos de la Policia Nacional Continuan Siendo Sindicados en Muertes Violentas en Honduras” (Criterio (Honduras), January 25, 2023).

The killing of a young man in Cortés highlights the need for police reform in Honduras

Mexico

• “Scjn Autoriza a Militares Registro Directo de Detenciones; Pide Establecer Protocolos” (SinEmbargo (Mexico), January 25, 2023).

The military’s internal security role is supposed to “support” police. But now they don’t even have to notify the police about arrests

• Keegan Hamilton, “How the Sinaloa Cartel Corrupts Mexican Cops and Operates With Impunity” (VICE, January 25, 2023).

“El Grande” testifies about how Mexico’s onetime top-cop would receive payments from organized crime figures

Mexico, Western Hemisphere Regional

• Jennifer Dunham, “Deadly Year for Journalists as Killings Rose Sharply in 2022” (Committee to Protect Journalists, January 25, 2023).

Nearly half of journalists killed worldwide last year were killed in Latin America. Mexico nearly tied Ukraine

Peru

• Elizabeth Prado, Kleber Sanchez, Liubomir Fernandez, “Violenta Movilizacion en Lima y Envian Militares a la Region Puno” (La Republica (Peru), January 25, 2023).

Protests in central Lima. Military deployed into Peru’s south. Reporters targeted by riot police

• Daniel Politi, “Rights Groups Dismayed at Lack of Criticism for Peru Abuses” (Associated Press, Associated Press, January 25, 2023).

“The relative silence of much of the regional and global community has dismayed human rights advocates”

Peru, Venezuela

• Ibis Leon, “Asi Viven los Venezolanos la Crisis Que Sacude el Peru” (Efecto Cocuyo (Venezuela), January 25, 2023).

Amid Peru’s protests, Venezuelan migrants are encountering the sort of political instability they fled, along with increased xenophobia

U.S.-Mexico Border

• Paul J. Weber, “Texas Silent After Guard Member Shoots Migrant on Border” (Associated Press, Associated Press, January 25, 2023).

It’s been a week and a half since a National Guardsman wounded a migrant, and Texas authorities are being untransparent

• Uriel J. Garcia, “Texas Leads Lawsuit Against Biden Administration’s New Immigration Policy” (The Texas Tribune, January 25, 2023).

20 Republican states once again file a lawsuit in the 5th Circuit to undo a Biden administration immigration policy, this time targeting the new humanitarian parole program for some countries’ migrants

• Camilo Montoya-Galvez, “After Promising to Expand Asylum, Biden Moves to Limit Access Amid Record Border Arrivals” (CBS News, January 25, 2023).

“President Biden came into office vowing to dismantle Trump-era restrictions on asylum, but has found himself proposing similar policies amid an unprecedented migrant crisis”

• Camilo Montoya-Galvez, “20 Gop-Led States Ask Federal Judge to Halt Migrant Sponsorship Program” (CBS News, January 25, 2023).

20 Republican states go to court once again to block a Biden administration immigration policy, this time the “humanitarian parole” program for 30,000 migrants per month

Venezuela

• Vivian Sequera, “Venezuela’s National Assembly Approves First Reading of Bill to Regulate Ngos” (Reuters, Reuters, January 25, 2023).

A giant step backward for political freedoms in Venezuela is nearing approval