
Juan Pablo Rueda photo at El Tiempo (Colombia). Caption: “En la zona de Mercaderes los líderes sociales asesinados en lo corrido del año son: Faiver Cerón Gomez (18 de febrero) y Diego Fernando Rodriguez Montenegro (26 de abril).”
January 2, 2018
Brazil
- Estadao Conteudo, “Rio e o Estado Que Mais Demanda Exercito; Trafico e a Causa” (Veja (Brazil), January 2, 2018).
O mapa das 181 ações de segurança integrada das Forças Armadas mostra que o Estado do Rio de Janeiro é onde as tropas mais participaram de ações ligadas à segurança pública
Colombia
- “Asi Va la Estrategia para Proteger a los Lideres Sociales” (El Tiempo (Colombia), January 2, 2018).
Básicamente se trata del despliegue de 63.000 uniformados que harán presencia activa en 67 municipios y 595 veredas priorizadas para tal fin
- “Comunidad de Paz de San Jose de Apartado Ha Denunciado Amenaza Paramilitar Todo el Ano” (El Espectador (Colombia), January 2, 2018).
A mediados de diciembre, sus habitantes hicieron público un plan para “eliminar” a Germán Graciano Posso, representante legal de la comunidad, a cargo de las redes paramilitares que operan en la región. El viernes 29 de diciembre, unos hombres lo intentaron asesinar
Guatemala, Honduras
- Joshua Partlow, “Guatemala and Honduras Sided With Trump on Jerusalem. Here’s Why.” (The Washington Post, January 2, 2018).
Both countries have long-standing ties to Israel and are facing domestic challenges that are helped by aligning with conservatives in the United States and Israel
Honduras
- Yony Bustillo, “Nuestra Gran Mision Sera Mantener los Indices Criminales Lo Mas Bajo Posible” (El Heraldo (Honduras), January 2, 2018).
Vistiendo su fatiga de combate, el jefe del Estado Mayor Conjunto de las Fuerzas Armadas (FF AA), René Orlando Ponce Fonseca, aseguró que están listos para seguir combatiendo la criminalidad
- Sarah Kinosian, “Families Fear No Justice for Victims as 31 Die in Honduras Post-Election Violence” (The Guardian (Uk), January 2, 2018).
The United States has not responded to the killings, beyond a 22 December statement asking “all Hondurans to refrain from violence” and calling on the military to respect the rights of peaceful protesters
Mexico
- Anna Edgerton, Laura Litvan, “Trump’s Demand for a Border Wall Splits Gop Lawmakers” (Bloomberg, January 2, 2018).
GOP lawmakers have largely avoided talking about the border wall, a central Trump campaign promise, in negotiations with Democrats on legislation to provide protection against deportation for 800,000 young undocumented immigrants
- Joshua Partlow, “Mexico’s Crisis of Justice” (The Washington Post, January 2, 2018).
Politicians here increasingly blame the judicial changes for emptying jails and fanning crime. Even those who embrace the new legal system worry about its first-year fiascos
- “Cjng Avanza en 22 Estados” (Revista Zeta (Tijuana Mexico), January 2, 2018).
Aunque al Cártel de Sinaloa se le considera la organización criminal con más infraestructura y experiencia en el país, el Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) pasó a convertirse en el clan delictivo con presencia en el mayor número de entidades federativas
Peru
- “Iachr Expresses Deep Concern and Questions the Presidential Pardon Granted to Alberto Fujimori” (Inter-American Human Rights Commission, Organization of American States, January 2, 2018).
Peru has always been considered an international reference in the fight against impunity for grave crimes against human rights and the present circumstances require a new assessment
Venezuela
- John Otis, “Growing Alliance With Venezuela’s Armed Forces Has Let President Maduro Stay in Power” (National Public Radio, January 2, 2018).
Active duty or retired military officers make up about half of Maduro’s Cabinet and hold many other key posts. They are in charge of everything, from arms procurement to steel production to food distribution
- Ricardo Hausmann, “D-Day Venezuela” (Project Syndicate, January 2, 2018).
A negotiated political transition remains the preferred option, but military intervention by a coalition of regional forces may be the only way to end a man-made famine
Western Hemisphere Regional
- Mac Margolis, “A New Commodities Boom Doesn’t Mean Ecological Doom” (Bloomberg, January 2, 2018).
Only zealous governance, a guiding hand for struggling farmers, and citizens willing to hold officials to account can stop the next boom from becoming an ecological bonfire