(Even more here)

October 18, 2017

Argentina

• Charlie Devereux, “Argentina’s Most Powerful Women Face Off in Buenos Aires Vote” (Bloomberg, October 18, 2017).

“In some ways this has become a competition between Vidal and Cristina”

Brazil

• Dom Phillips, “Accused of Corruption, Popularity Near Zero – Why Is Temer Still Brazil’s President?” (The Guardian (Uk), October 18, 2017).

Lack of trust is feeding support for an authoritarian solution to the crisis – which could have serious consequences in next year’s presidential elections

• Mimi Whitefield, “Young Journalists Bring the Reality of Favelas to the Rest of Brazil” (The Miami Herald, October 18, 2017).

Young reporters want to write about their reality and the positive news in their marginalized neighborhoods, not just about violence, drug trafficking and the bizarre

Colombia

• “El de Jose Jair Cortes, Otro Asesinato Anunciado en Tumaco” (Verdad Abierta (Colombia), October 18, 2017).

El crimen ocurrió a pesar de que contaba con esquema de seguridad de la Unidad Nacional de Protección (UNP) y de que los líderes de ese territorio colectivo habían denunciado la situación extrema

• Juan Carlos Garzón, Manuela Suarez, “Erradicacion Forzada: Los Efectos de una Meta Sin Sentido” (Razon Publica (Colombia), October 18, 2017).

Los muertos de Tumaco son solo uno de los muchos conflictos que está produciendo esta estrategia, que es además ineficiente y no se está aplicando en las regiones donde se debería

• Eduardo Alvarez Vanegas, “Tumaco, ¿Mas de Lo Mismo?” (El Espectador (Colombia), October 18, 2017).

La presencia de diferentes expresiones armadas no necesariamente es el factor más preocupante

• “Xiii Informe Sobre Presencia de Grupos Narcoparamilitares – Primer Semestre de 2017” (INDEPAZ (Colombia), October 18, 2017).

Indepaz las ha denominado narcoparamilitares, reconociendo su origen en el paramilitarismo de las AUC y otros grupos similares; prácticas y objetivos que aún conservan de éstas; y destacando las economías ilícitas

• Angelika Albaladejo, “Is Colombia Underestimating the Scale of Farc Dissidence?” (InsightCrime, October 18, 2017).

The Colombian government’s estimates of FARC dissidence fall well below those observed on the ground by InSight Crime, and these numbers will likely increase

• ““Disidentes de las Farc No Superan el Seis por Ciento”: Joshua Mitrotti” (Verdad Abierta (Colombia), October 18, 2017).

Una de las razones por las cuales la disidencia podría estar creciendo es el incumplimiento de los acuerdos por parte del gobierno nacional y la lentitud para atender las necesidades

• ““La Frustracion Con la Implementacion de la Paz Es Explosiva”: Todd Howland” (Verdad Abierta (Colombia), October 18, 2017).

Antes estaba la idea de que las víctimas eran el centro del proceso, pero todos perdieron el norte relacionado con esa idea, lo cual es muy frustrante

• “Asesinan a Otro Lider Social en Tumaco, Narino” (El Espectador (Colombia), October 18, 2017).

Cortés era uno de los miembros del Consejo Comunitario del territorio de Alto Mira y Frontera, en el departamento de Nariño, fronterizo con Ecuador

El Salvador

• Tristan Clavel, “Why It’s So Hard to Leave el Salvador’s Gangs: An Interview With Jose Miguel Cruz” (InsightCrime, October 18, 2017).

In March 2017, a study by Florida International University (FIU) examined the dynamics behind the dangerous choice to abandon gang life and the challenges faced by ex-members seeking to reintegrate into society

Guatemala

• Sonia Perez D., “Guatemala Extends un Anti-Corruption Official’s Visa” (Associated Press **, October 18, 2017).

The Guatemalan government has renewed the visa of the U.N. anti-corruption commissioner but instructed him to “refrain from interfering in the internal affairs” of the country

• , Rep. Ed Royce (R-California), Rep. Eliot Engel (D-New York), “Engel, Royce Call for Guatemala Visa Bans and Review of U.S. Assistance” (U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs Democratic Office, October 18, 2017).

Called on Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to use his authority under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act to put in place visa bans for those individuals in Guatemala who are committing or facilitating acts of corruption

• Evelyn Boche, “Alejandra Reyes: Byron Lima Modifico Escena del Crimen de Gerardi” (ElPeriodico (Guatemala), October 18, 2017).

El hijo del expresidente “tiene que ver con la muerte” del coordinador del Remhi, según una de las últimas conversaciones que el Capitán tuvo con su pareja, Reyes

Mexico

• , Joshua Partlow, “Mexicans See Models of Trump’s ‘Impenetrable’ Wall, and They’re Not Impressed” (The Washington Post, October 18, 2017).

Even these big warning slabs of concrete, the teeming construction site, and police and helicopters patrolling both sides of the border weren’t enough to stop a half-dozen would-be migrants from hopping the existing fence this month and landing smack in the middle of the project

• Elisabeth Malkin, “Mexico’s Attorney General Resigns Under Pressure” (The New York Times, October 18, 2017).

Mr. Cervantes was viewed by anti-corruption activists as Mr. Peña Nieto’s attempt to shield the party’s power brokers from investigations into graft

Venezuela

• Andrew Rosati, “Venezuela’s Opposition Cornered as Elections Slip Out of Reach” (Bloomberg, October 18, 2017).

“They are divided, confused and some of them are unwilling to tell their voters they failed twice”

• Francisco Toro, “Venezuela’s Democracy Is Fake, but the Government’s Latest Election Win Was Real” (The Washington Post, October 18, 2017).

Exhaustion has set in. Millions of people who had turned out to vote for the opposition in the past just didn’t turn out. The government cheated, but it also won. Both things are true

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Mica Rosenberg, Reade Levinson, Ryan Mcneill, “For U.S. Asylum Seekers, Some Judges Are a Better Bet Than Others” (Reuters **, October 18, 2017).

The difference between residency and deportation depends largely on who hears the case, and where