(Even more here)

October 12, 2017

Brazil

• Paulo Trevisani, “Brazilian Congress Backs Bill for Troops to Be Tried by Military Court in Civilian Deaths” (The Wall Street Journal, October 12, 2017).

Troops who are increasingly being pressed into service to fight urban drug gangs will face a military tribunal, rather than a civilian court, if they are accused of killing civilians, under the new legislation

• Brian Winter, “Wanted: A (Sane) Brazilian President Who Can Stop the Violence” (Americas Quarterly, October 12, 2017).

Brazilians have remained trapped between a left that believes effective law enforcement is tantamount to dictatorship-style repression, and a right that believes it consists of sending shock troops into favelas to shoot things up

Central America Regional

• Astead W. Herndon, “Trump, Sessions Exaggerate Gang Threat to Justify Crackdown” (The Boston Globe, October 12, 2017).

“I do not see any evidence that the people making these policies are doing anything except taking advantage of people’s misconceptions about gangs to further their anti-immigration agenda”

Colombia

• Yolima Dussan, “Colombian Army Activates Strategic Battalions” (Revista Dialogo (U.S. Southern Command), October 12, 2017).

The Development and Integral Action and Support Battalions (BAAID, per its Spanish acronym) were born, responsible for creating social change, reactivating the economy in areas where illegal armed groups had a presence, and strengthening institutions and governance

• Sergio Gomez Maseri, “Puntos en Acuerdo de Paz Serian Inconsistentes Con Cpi, Dice Ee. Uu.” (El Tiempo (Colombia), October 12, 2017).

Eso, al menos, es lo afirma un documento del Departamento de Estado titulado ‘Certificación relacionada con el financiamiento militar extranjero para Colombia’

• Juan Esteban Lewin, Juanita León, “‘El Acuerdo No Es Intocable Ni se Puede “Hacer Trizas”’: Corte” (La Silla Vacia (Colombia), October 12, 2017).

Dice que si una norma futura de implementación viola “los fines y el espíritu” del Acuerdo Final será declarada inexequible por la Corte

• “Reunion de Gobierno, Fiscal y Farc Destraba Ley para Justicia Especial” (El Tiempo (Colombia), October 12, 2017).

Las coincidencias entre estos protagonistas fueron posibles tras una reunión de más de seis horas

• “Listo el Equipo Que Verificara el Cese del Fuego Con el Eln” (El Tiempo (Colombia), October 12, 2017).

La misión de la ONU desplegará sus observadores internacionales en 33 municipios de los más afectados por el conflicto con el Eln. Mientras tanto, la Iglesia católica tendrá el papel de dar acompañamiento a través de 20 diócesis

Colombia, Venezuela

• MarÍa Victoria Correa, “Paso Fronterizo, en Jaque por Disputa de Bandas” (El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia), October 12, 2017).

Durante los últimos tres meses, en la frontera de Cúcuta se ha presentado una balacera cada seis días

• Andrew Rosati, “Thousands Are Fleeing Venezuela by Two-Lane Border Bridge” (Bloomberg, October 12, 2017).

According to Colombia’s migration authority, the number of foreigners entering Cucuta, the first major city across the bridge, more than doubled this summer. Over 50,000 came in August, up from 22,700 in June

Cuba

• Mark Feierstein, “America Should Strengthen, Not Abandon, Relationship With Cuba” (The Hill, October 12, 2017).

The perpetrators of the alleged attacks on U.S. officials apparently wanted the U.S. and Cuban people to drift apart again

Guatemala

• Jody Garcia, “El Siguiente Golpe de la Cicig Contra las Mafias Sera Legal” (Nomada (Guatemala), October 12, 2017).

El comisionado presentó el décimo informe de labores con una sola idea en mente: continuar junto al MP el proceso de erradicación de las mafias en el Estado de Guatemala

• Jo-Marie Burt, “Rios Montt Back on the Docket” (Washington Office on Latin America, The Huffington Post, October 12, 2017).

Ríos Montt will not be present in the courtroom, since he has been found to suffer from dementia. As a result, the court has applied special provisions to his case

Mexico

• Earl Anthony Wayne, “U.S. Endangers Fight Against Mexican Drug Trade With Nafta Hardball” (The Mexico Institute, Forbes, October 12, 2017).

Mexico’s economy and foreign ministers have flagged that Mexico will reconsider U.S.-Mexico cooperation on security and migration, if the United States abandons NAFTA and relations become unbalanced

• Gustavo Martinez, “‘Why So Much Hate?’ Femicides Plague Mexico’s Largest State” (Associated Press, Fox News, October 12, 2017).

The State of Mexico officially ranks second to the nation’s capital with 346 killings classified as femicides since 2011, according to government statistics

Venezuela

• Anthony Faiola, Rachelle Krygier, “Is Venezuela a Dictatorship? A Key Election Will Offer Clues.” (The Washington Post, October 12, 2017).

As often happened during the reign of former president Hugo Chávez — who named Maduro his successor before his death in 2013 — food baskets are being doled out to hungry voters at pro-government rallies

• Ben Raderstorf, Michael J. Camilleri, “Why Is Venezuela Included in Trump’s Travel Ban?” (The New York Times, October 12, 2017).

Including Venezuela in the otherwise unrelated travel ban fits with this unilateral trend and adds to the sense that a frustrated White House is throwing things at the wall and hoping something will stick