(Even more here)

June 10, 2022

Western Hemisphere Regional

• “Fact Sheet: The los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection U.S. Government and Foreign Partner Deliverables” (The White House, June 10, 2022).

In preparation for the Summit, the United States and other countries in the region developed a suite of bold new migration-related deliverables

• Phelim Kine, “China’s Long Shadow Looms Over Biden’s Americas Summit” (Politico, June 10, 2022).

Biden’s summit plan echoes his Indo-Pacific strategy: rewarding and bolstering nominally democratic allies while marginalizing Chinese-aligned autocratic states

• Camilo Montoya-Galvez, “Biden Signs Accord With Latin American Nations to Enlist Their Help in Curbing Unlawful Migration” (CBS News, June 10, 2022).

Under an accord President Biden will unveil at the Summit of the Americas, several countries commit to taking in more asylum-seekers, among other steps

• Elliot Spagat, Chris Megerian, “Biden, Leaders Reach Migration Pact Despite Attendance Flap” (Associated Press, Associated Press, June 10, 2022).

President Joe Biden and other Western Hemisphere leaders on Friday announced what is being billed as a roadmap for countries to host large numbers of migrants and refugees

• Gideon Long, “Biden Announces Migration Pact at End of Fractious Summit of the Americas” (The Financial Times (UK), June 10, 2022).

First regional gathering in US in quarter century marred by squabbling over who could attend

Brazil

• Lucy Jordan, “The Disappearance of Journalist Dom Phillips in Brazil Should Leave You Incandescent With Rage” (The Guardian (Uk), June 10, 2022).

Jair Bolsonaro’s dog-whistle politics is risking the lives of Indigenous people and the reporters who tell their stories

• Tom Phillips, “Indigenous Groups Scour Forests and Rivers for Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira” (The Guardian (Uk), June 10, 2022).

Indigenous activists have been searching for the missing pair since just hours after they vanished, with support from armed members of the military police

• Dan Collyns, “Javari Valley: The Lawless Primal Wilderness Where Dom Phillips Went Missing” (The Guardian (Uk), June 10, 2022).

The largest refuge for Indigenous tribes living in isolation is also a hotspot for poachers and illegal loggers and a major smuggling route for cocaine traffickers

• Dave Lawler, “Biden and Brazil’s Bolsonaro Hold Awkward First Meeting” (Axios, June 10, 2022).

It’s clear Bolsonaro would rather be meeting a different U.S. president, but finally meeting Biden (they hadn’t previously spoken) will likely help him counter the narrative that he’s isolated internationally

• Camila Asano, Gimena Sanchez-Garzoli, “Biden: Don’t Be Silent in the Face of Bolsonaro’s Threats to Democracy” (Folha de São Paulo, Washington Office on Latin America, June 10, 2022).

A staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, Bolsonaro has never disguised his displeasure at the Democrat’s victory and has sometimes publicly repeated the baseless accusation of fraud in the 2020 U.S. elections

Colombia

• Joseph Cox, “Us Wants to Use Drones to Kill Coca Plants in Colombia” (VICE, June 10, 2022).

In an operation, an “UAS Spray Team (UST)” at a base in Colombia would receive a geo-fenced polygon of the intended spray area based on high-resolution imagery or other means

• “Business and Human Rights Defenders in Colombia: Urgent Protection Needed for People Defending Land, Territory and Environment” (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, June 10, 2022).

In the specific context of Colombia, this ‘head in the sand’ approach is demonstrably untenable, given the risks faced by human rights defenders who highlight human rights violations caused or exacerbated by business activities

• “Caso Dimar Torres: Coronel (R) Perez Podria Quedar Libre por Vencimiento de Terminos” (El Espectador (Colombia), June 10, 2022).

Fuentes del caso señalan que esto podría ocurrir por acciones dilatorias de los abogados de Pérez y el cambio de juez en el proceso

• Ricardo Vargas, “Modelos de Erradicacio?N Manual Forzosa” (Viso Mutop (Colombia), June 10, 2022).

En un nuevo informe de Viso Mutop, Ricardo Vargas investigador asociado, explora el origen y desarrollo de los modelos de Erradicacio?n Manual Forzosa EMF

• Gimena Sanchez-Garzoli, “While Eyes Focus on Colombia’s Presidential Elections, Abuses Continue” (Washington Office on Latin America, June 10, 2022).

As presidential elections take way in Colombia, the Washington Office on Latin America’s (WOLA) Colombia program has continued to receive alarming information about the ongoing persecution and stigmatization against social leaders, human rights defenders, and civil society organizations in the country

Ecuador

• Sugey Hajjar, “Disenar un Plan Ecuador, Similar al Plan Colombia, la Propuesta de Guillermo Lasso a los Estados Unidos para Afrontar el Narcotrafico” (El Universo (Ecuador), June 10, 2022).

Analistas ven positiva esta propuesta, pero creen que Ecuador deberá tener claro qué requiere y qué está haciendo para combatir el narcotráfico

El Salvador

• Kate Linthicum, “As el Salvador’s President Tries to Silence Free Press, Journalist Brothers Expose His Ties to Street Gangs” (The Los Angeles Times, June 10, 2022).

Journalists in El Salvador who write about gangs can now be sent to prison. Two brothers defy the law with a story tying President Nayib Bukele to violent street gangs

• Chris Megerian, Joshua Goodman, “Salvadoran Leader Rebuffs Blinken Effort to Bolster Summit” (Associated Press, Associated Press, June 10, 2022).

Another request to set up a call with Blinken, made through the U.S. Embassy in San Salvador, was similarly rebuffed

Guatemala

• Cesar Perez Marroquin, “Ejercito y Pnc Retoman la Seguridad en Tajumulco e Ixchiguan y Descubren Nueve Bunker y Este Es el Plan para el Viernes” (Prensa Libre (Guatemala), June 10, 2022).

Mientras el Congreso ratificaba el estado de Sitio en Tajumulco e Ixchiguán, las fuerzas de seguridad retomaron la seguridad y descubrieron varios búnker desde donde se coordinaban ataques armados

Haiti

• Eileen Sullivan, “U.S. Accelerated Expulsions of Haitian Migrants in May” (The New York Times, June 10, 2022).

The uptick has rekindled criticism that the Biden administration treats Black migrants differently than others, an allegation it denies

Mexico

• Pedro Dominguez, “Inteligencia Naval Investiga Venta por Internet de Chalecos Antibalas al Crimen: Semar” (Milenio (Mexico), June 10, 2022).

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• Edgar H. Clemente, “Migrants Split on Whether to Keep Walking Through Mexico” (Associated Press, Associated Press, June 10, 2022).

A group of about 2,000 mainly younger male migrants set out walking Thursday from the southern town of Huixtla

• “Represion a Protestas de Personas Migrantes y Solicitantes de Refugio en la Estacion Migratoria Siglo Xxi Debe Investigarse” (Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Matías de Córdova (Tapachula Mexico), June 10, 2022).

El pasado 6 de junio, un grupo de aproximadamente 50 personas protestaron en el patio y frente de la Estación Migratoria Siglo XXI, ante la falta de información sobre sus procedimientos migratorios, la escasez de alimentos y las restricciones de visitas y contacto con el exterio

• Jane Esberg, “Why Mexico’s Kingpin Strategy Failed: Targeting Leaders Led to More Criminal Groups and More Violence” (International Crisis Group, Modern War Institute, June 10, 2022).

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• Ángeles Mariscal, “Crimen Organizado Crece en Chiapas, Organizaciones Acusan Aquiescencia de Autoridades” (Chiapas Paralelo (Chiapas), June 10, 2022).

El secuestro y desaparición de personas se ha vuelto constante en esa región; sin embargo, en la mayoría de las ocasiones los familiares no han hecho denuncias

Nicaragua

• “Nicaragua Autoriza Tropas Rusas para Misiones ” (Associated Press, Associated Press, June 10, 2022).

Daniel Ortega es un aliado incondicional de Rusia desde su primer gobierno en la década de 1980

Panama

• “Lack of Transparency in Panama’s Relationship With China” (Expediente Publico (Honduras), June 10, 2022).

Relations with China have cooled during the Laurentino Cortizo administration due to strong criticism of infrastructure projects

U.S.-Mexico Border

• Hassan Kanu, “U.S. Supreme Court Insulates Federal Agents From Accountability” (Reuters, Reuters, June 10, 2022).

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday made it nearly impossible for Americans to sue federal law enforcement officers who violate their constitutional rights, further narrowing the already limited path to hold U.S. officials accountable for even egregious misuse of their authority

• Rafia Zakaria, “Let Us Prey” (The Baffler, June 10, 2022).

As Texas authorities insist on hunting down humans they call “illegal,” a predatory culture claims more victims

• “Cbp Launches New Heat Mitigation Effort to Advance Humanitarian Mission” (U.S. Customs and Border Protection, June 10, 2022).

Three Points Station and Casa Grande Station personnel will be supporting the deployment of new Heat Stress Kits/Go-Bags that will be distributed to 500 agents

Venezuela

• Vivian Sequera, “Maduro Says Venezuela, Iran to Sign 20-Year Cooperation Plan” (Reuters, Reuters, June 10, 2022).

Venezuelan President Nicolas announced on Friday that a 20-year cooperation plan with Iran will be signed, as he arrived in Tehran