(Even more here)

November 20, 2018

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Robert Burns, “Pentagon: Troops at U.S. Border to Cost About $210 Million” (Associated Press, Time, November 20, 2018).
  

  The total includes $72 million for approximately 5,900 active-duty troops providing support to Customs and Border Protection, plus $138 million so far for 2,100 National Guard troops who have been performing a separate border mission since April

• Helene Cooper, Ron Nixon, Thomas Gibbons-Neff, “Homeland Security Dept. Finds ‘Minimal’ Risk to Border Guards, Undercutting Trump Plan” (The New York Times, November 20, 2018).
  

  A Trump administration proposal would pair military troops with border guards to defend against violent migrants. But an internal analysis casts doubt on the danger

• Dara Lind, “Judge Stops Trump From Enforcing Asylum Ban” (Vox, November 20, 2018).
  

  The most surprising thing about Judge Tigar’s ruling is that it took more than a week after the asylum ban went into effect for him to issue it

Brazil

• Ernesto Londono, Shasta Darlington, “U.S. and Brazil Chose Similar Leaders. It May Lead to Smoother Relations.” (The New York Times, November 20, 2018).
  

  “Trump and Bolsonaro will really hit it off. Their personalities are almost identical and their policy views are very similar”

Central America Regional, Mexico

• Julia Ainsley, “Feds Have Paid Undercover Informants in Migrant Caravan” (NBC News, November 20, 2018).
  

  The Department of Homeland Security is gathering intelligence from paid undercover informants inside the migrant caravan that is now reaching the California-Mexico border as well as monitoring the text messages of migrants

Colombia, Cuba

• “Colombia Asks Cuba to Arrest Eln Rebel Leader Under Interpol Notice” (Reuters, November 20, 2018).
  

  Rodriguez, also known by his nom de guerre Gabino, has been in Cuba for several months receiving medical treatment

Colombia, Venezuela

• “Colombia to Cut All Diplomatic Ties With Venezuela Starting in January” (MercoPress, November 20, 2018).
  

  “We will not make the pantomime to keep diplomatic relations,” said Duque in reference to Venezuela’s alleged support to the National Liberation Army (ELN)

Colombia, Western Hemisphere Regional

• “U.S. Military Targets Growing Russian and Chinese Influence in Latin America” (LARA SELIGMAN, Foreign Policy, November 20, 2018).
  

  Goldfein said Colombia and other Latin American countries risked being locked out of U.S. and allied operations if they stopped buying military hardware from the United States and turned to other markets instead

Cuba

• Nora Gamez Torres, “French Bank Fined $1.34 Billion for Violating Cuban Embargo” (The Miami Herald, November 20, 2018).
  

  SG processed 1,077 transactions totaling more than $5.56 billion in violation of U.S. sanctions on Cuba, Iran and Sudan, according to an OFAC announcement

Mexico

• Arturo RodrÍguez GarcÍa, “Amlo Defiende a la Guardia Nacional: Las Policias, un Desastre; A los Soldados Mi Confianza, Dice” (Proceso (Mexico), November 20, 2018).
  

  López Obrador aseguró que la Policía Federal, así como la ministerial federal, son “un verdadero desastre”, pues en el caso de la primera, hay 40 mil elementos, pero sólo la mitad son operativos, sin cuarteles y operan como “una especie de volanta que llega a las entidades, se hospeda en hoteles”

• “Organizaciones Piden a Amlo No Crear Guardia Nacional; Es una Falsa Salida a Crisis de Inseguridad, Dicen” (Animal Politico (Mexico), November 20, 2018).
  

  Las organizaciones recordaron que durante sus campañas, el presidente electo, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, manifestó que las Fuerzas Armadas no debían cumplir funciones de seguridad pública

• Arturo Angel, “Guardia Nacional: Puntos Clave de la Iniciativa de Morena Que Permite a Militares Vigilar las Calles” (Animal Politico (Mexico), November 20, 2018).
  

  Incluye en sus artículos la desaparición gradual de la Policía Federal, convierte a los militares en auxiliares del Ministerio Público Federal, lo que significa que podría encomendárseles la ejecución de órdenes de aprehensión, de cateo, o de cualquier índole que obtengan los fiscales

• Emily Tamkin, Zoe Tillman, “A Lawyer With Conservative Ties and No Diplomatic Experience Is Being Vetted for Us Ambassador to Mexico” (BuzzFeed, November 20, 2018).
  

  Christopher Landau, a veteran appellate lawyer in Washington, DC, who does not have formal diplomatic experience, is being vetted as a potential nominee for US ambassador to Mexico

Venezuela

• Alex Ward, “The Us May Name Venezuela as a State Sponsor of Terrorism. That Could Totally Backfire.” (Vox, November 20, 2018).
  

  “The Trump administration’s saber-rattling plays right into the hands of this authoritarian regime,” Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM), a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, told me