(Even more here)

August 31, 2018

Argentina

• Landon Thomas Jr., Prashant S. Rao, “Argentina Raises Rates, as Emerging Markets Turbulence Spreads” (The New York Times, August 31, 2018).

The I.M.F.’s $50 billion deal with Argentina is one of the largest in the fund’s history. In order to secure the release of the money, Argentina must agree to deep cuts in government spending

Colombia

• “Choco, Martirizado por Expansion de ‘Elenos’ y ‘Gaitanistas’” (Verdad Abierta (Colombia), August 31, 2018).

En ambas alertas tempranas se destaca como principal causal del riesgo de la población civil las estrategias de expansión hacia territorios dejados por la extinta guerrilla de las Farc luego de negociar con el gobierno nacional su reintegración a la vida legal

• Juanita Velez, “La Farc Llega Golpeada y Sin Saber de Marquez a su Consejo Nacional” (La Silla Vacia (Colombia), August 31, 2018).

La casi segura ausencia de Márquez puede cambiar el panorama interno del partido, pues representa la línea más dura y crítica a los Acuerdos y a la implementación, distante de la que lidera Rodrigo Londoño

• Helen Murphy, Julia Symmes Cobb, “Spain’s Sanchez Offers Colombia Help to Reach Peace With Eln Rebels” (Reuters **, August 31, 2018).

Colombia’s new President Ivan Duque, who is evaluating whether to continue the peace talks, said in a joint news conference with Sanchez that he will happily consider Spain’s offer if rebels stop all violence and criminal activity

• Diego Zambrano Benavides, “Armada Rescato a 22 Migrantes (Hasta de Pakistan) en el Golfo de Uraba” (El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia), August 31, 2018).

Procedían de países como Camerún, Bangladesh, Cuba, Gambia, India y Pakistán

Costa Rica, Nicaragua

• Carlos Salinas, “Ortega Exige a Costa Rica una Lista de Nicaraguenses Que Piden Asilo” (El Pais (Spain), August 31, 2018).

Ortega dijo que depurará el listado para determinar quiénes cometieron “actos terroristas” y someterlos a un “proceso judicial”

Cuba

• Mimi Whitefield, “This Florida Murder Case Was Tried in Cuba. And Local Prosecutors Got to Watch” (The Miami Herald, August 31, 2018).

Even though the crime took place in Florida, it would be the Cuban judges who decided Yanes’ fate

• Franco Ordonez, “Cuba Hardliner to Be Elevated to Key White House Post on Latin America” (McClatchy DC, August 31, 2018).

The Trump administration is expected to name Mauricio Claver-Carone, one of the most outspoken opponents of the Obama administration’s rapprochement with Cuba, as the new senior director of the National Security Council’s Western Hemisphere Affairs

El Salvador

• Marcos Aleman, “El Salvador: 3 Kids Separated in Us Were Abused at Shelters” (Associated Press **, August 31, 2018).

Liduvina Magarin, deputy foreign relations minister for Salvadorans overseas, said authorities had received reports of the abuse of the children ages 12 to 17 by workers at unnamed shelters

Honduras

• Andrew Selsky, Esteban Felix, “No Going Home for Hondurans Deported to Brutality” (Associated Press **, August 31, 2018).

For these deportees, home is a neighborhood ruled by murderous gangs who extort money and demand that young men join their ranks — killing those who refuse to obey.

Mexico

• John Brinkley, “Trump’s Us-Mexico Trade Agreement Will Never Take Effect” (Forbes, August 31, 2018).

Neither the current Congress nor the next one, which will vote on any trade agreement the administration signs, will accept a US-Mexico trade agreement that excludes Canada

• Caitlyn Yates, Stephanie Leutert, “A ‘Safe Third Country’ Agreement With Mexico Won’t Fix U.S. Migratory Challenges” (Lawfare, August 31, 2018).

Any migration policy that adds layers of enforcement and bureaucracy; requires extensive cross-border coordination across multiple agencies; and does not address the broader forces at play is unlikely to achieve its objectives

Nicaragua

• “Daniel Ortega Tightens His Grip on Nicaragua” (The Economist (Uk), August 31, 2018).

The four-month rebellion and the government’s suppression of it have wrecked Nicaragua’s economy but left the autocrat firmly in power, at least for now

• Tal Kopan, “‘Suicide,’ ‘Catastrophe’: Nicaraguans in Us Fear Looming End of Protections” (CNN, August 31, 2018).

On Jan. 5, roughly 5,300 Nicaraguans who have lived in the US since at least that date in 1999 will lose their protected status

• Dara Lind, “New Documents: White House Persuaded Dhs to Cut Short Nicaraguans’ Humanitarian Protection” (Vox, August 31, 2018).

Had a White House official not had that “discussion” with acting Secretary Duke, it seems, 5,000 people would now have six more months to prepare their return to Nicaragua

Venezuela

• Anthony Faiola, Marina Lopes, “Millions of Venezuelans Are Fleeing to Latin American Cities. The Region May Never Be the Same” (The Washington Post, August 31, 2018).

The sound of Caracas slang is now ubiquitous in some Miami neighborhoods. Thousands of miles to the south, the scent of Caribbean cooking wafts through streets in Santiago, Chile

• “Senador de ee.uu. Evoca la Opcion Militar en Venezuela” (ABC Color (Paraguay), August 31, 2018).

El senador estadounidense Marco Rubio evocó la opción militar en Venezuela al decir que “las circunstancias han cambiado” y que existen argumentos para considerar que el gobierno de Nicolás Maduro amenaza la seguridad nacional de Estados Unidos