(Even more here)

September 26, 2017

Brazil

• Misha Glenny, “One of Rio de Janeiro’s Safest Favelas Descends Into Violence, the Latest Sign of a City in Chaos” (The Intercept, September 26, 2017).

The favela sits nestled between three of the wealthiest residential areas of the city, so when the shooting starts in Rocinha, the national and international media sit up and pay attention

Colombia

• “Activan Extradicion de 21 Narcos Que Estaban en Listas de las Farc” (El Tiempo (Colombia), September 26, 2017).

A las puertas de cárceles en Estados Unidos quedan desde ya 21 de las 14.178 personas incluidas en las listas de las Farc para recibir los beneficios de los acuerdos de paz

• “El Portazo del Gobierno a 251 Colados en las Listas de las Farc” (Semana (Colombia), September 26, 2017).

En su mayoría, como lo reveló SEMANA, se trata de miembros de bandas como la Constru, de Putumayo, que aunque es considerada una organización criminal común, tenía alianzas y negocios con las Farc

• Atticus Ballesteros, “Everything You Need to Know About Colombia’s Transitional Justice System” (Colombia Reports, September 26, 2017).

The Colombian Congress still has to pass a law that will give a green light to the JEP, truth commission, and search unit, and they only have 45 more days to do it through the legislative “Fast Track” route

El Salvador

• Nicholas Phillips, “The Allegory of el Salvador’s ‘Dany Boy’: ms13 Gang Leader, Activist, or Both?” (InsightCrime, September 26, 2017).

Hours earlier, the US Treasury Department had labeled him a leader of the MS13 street gang. Without presenting proof, US officials accused him of various misdeeds and criminalized all financial dealings with him

Mexico

• Calvin Woodward, Elliot Spagat, “Ap Fact Check: How’s Trump’s Border Wall Coming Along?” (Associated Press, The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, September 26, 2017).

To date, not much is coming along besides the samples, repairs and some upgrading of what’s already in place

• Paul Imison, “How Nafta Explains the Two Mexicos” (The Atlantic, September 26, 2017).

The re-negotiation of the landmark trade deal will shape the country’s future

• Ezequiel Flores Contreras, “Bloquean via en Guerrero para Exigir el Servicio de Transporte Publico Suspendido “por Ordenes del Crimen”” (Proceso (Mexico), September 26, 2017).

Con esa acción los profesores demandaron al gobernador Héctor Astudillo Flores que deje de asumir una actitud omisa ante la situación de inseguridad y violencia que se vive en las regiones Centro y Montaña

Venezuela

• Benjamin N. Gedan, “For Venezuela’s Sake, Dismantle the Organization of American States” (The Wall Street Journal, September 26, 2017).

There is still a way to salvage a regional response to the Venezuela nightmare: disband the OAS and replace it with a body no longer dominated by small Caribbean countries

• Jim Wyss, “Trump Targets Venezuela’s Government in New Travel Ban” (The Miami Herald, September 26, 2017).

Among those affected are members of Venezuela’s interior ministry, justice department, foreign ministry, the CIPIC criminal investigation unit and the SEBIN Bolivarian National Intelligence Service

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Josh Rogin, “New Trump Rules Could Put American Guns in the Hands of Dictators, Terrorists and Gangs” (The Washington Post, September 26, 2017).

The administration is set to issue regulations that would significantly reduce oversight and transparency on small-arms exports to governments and private businesses in about three dozen countries