(Even more here)

March 7, 2018

Brazil

• Rodrigo Taves, “Comandante Do Exercito se Associa Ao Colega Da Marinha e Defende Militar No Ministerio Da Defesa” (O Globo (Brazil), March 7, 2018).

Nos Estados Unidos, por exemplo, o atual ministro da Defesa é um fuzileiro naval de carreira”

• “Nueva intervención del ejército en una favela de Río – Internacionales – ABC Color” (Agence France Presse, ABC Color (Paraguay), March 7, 2018).

El dispositivo involucra a 900 hombres, apoyo de blindados, aeronaves y equipos pesados de ingeniería, para la “estabilización” y la “desobstrucción de calles” en la Comunidad Vila Kennedy, al oeste de Río

Colombia

• Jose Monsalve, “Ramiro Suarez, el Jefe Parapolitico Senalado de Atentar Contra Petro” (Semana (Colombia), March 7, 2018).

Aunque el exalcalde de Cúcuta está recluido hace seis años en la cárcel La Picota de Bogotá –a más de 700 kilómetros de la capital de Norte de Santander– se dice que su influencia es cotidiana y que César Rojas, el actual mandatario, acata fielmente sus instrucciones

• , Ricardo Monsalve Gaviria, “Lider del Eln Murio Antes de Ir a la Mesa en Ecuador” (El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia), March 7, 2018).

Un operativo de las Fuerzas Armadas en zona rural de Cáceres, Antioquia, dejó 10 guerrilleros del Eln muertos, entre quienes se encuentra uno de sus principales cabecillas

Cuba

• William M. Leogrande, “How to Stop the U.S.-Cuba Backslide” (Americas Quarterly, March 7, 2018).

The mystery of an alleged sonic attack still weighs heavily on U.S.-Cuba relations. Breaking the impasse will require concessions from both sides

Guatemala

• Elsa Coronado, “Dos Testimonios: Benedicto Lucas Garcia y Emma Theissen Cuentan su Verdad” (Plaza Publica (Guatemala), March 7, 2018).

Benedicto Lucas, el militar retirado, demostró que su memoria está intacta. Relató escenas, nombres y hechos del pasado para presentar su defensa. Emma Theissen Álvarez de Molina, recapituló el 6 de octubre de 1981, el día que perdió a su hijo

Honduras

• Parker Asmann, “Arrest in Caceres Case One Piece of Larger Corruption Network in Honduras” (InsightCrime, March 7, 2018).

“The arrests of Castillo Mejía and Rosa Bonilla de Lobo do not touch the deeper corruption and criminality” taking place in Honduras

Mexico

• “Ley de Seguridad Interior Autoriza Uso de Fuerzas Armadas Sin Supervision, Alerta Onu-Dh” (Animal Politico (Mexico), March 7, 2018).

Al Hussein señaló que la LSI “autoriza el uso de las fuerzas armadas en actividades de seguridad sin las adecuadas garantías ni supervisión

• Christine Murray, “Mexico Left-Wing Candidate’s Lead Widens as Rivals Bicker – Poll” (Reuters **, March 7, 2018).

Lopez Obrador has 35 percent support ahead of the July 1 vote according to the survey by polling firm Parametria

• Jude Webber, “Kushner to Visit Mexico After Trump-Pena Nieto Talks Collapse” (The Financial Times (UK), March 7, 2018).

Mr Kushner “will make a working visit … as an envoy of President Trump” and will be accompanied by State Department and US National Security Council officials

Mexico, Western Hemisphere Regional

• Keegan Hamilton, “Dea Took Years to Fix Secret Program Linked to a Massacre in Mexico” (VICE, March 7, 2018).

Four powerful Democratic members of Congress sent a letter to the Office of the Inspector General calling for the watchdog to investigate the SIU. But it appears that as recently as last summer, the DEA was still working to fix major issues the Inspector General flagged in 2007

Venezuela

• , Joshua Goodman, “Us Aides: Venezuela Opens Backchannel Over Jailed American” (Associated Press **, March 7, 2018).

Caleb McCarry, a Republican aide on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, traveled to Caracas in February and met with Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores to discuss Holt’s imprisonment

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Timothy M. Gill, “Americans Shouldn’t Be Shocked by Russian Interference in the Election. The U.S. Does It, Too.” (The Washington Post, March 7, 2018).

U.S. efforts to undermine Latin American leaders make it hard for the United States to cry foul as Russia moves to ensure that countries have governments favorable to its interests