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January 23, 2019
Western Hemisphere Regional
- Julie Hirschfeld Davis, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, “Senate Leaders Plan Competing Bills to End Shutdown” (The New York Times, January 23, 2019).
If both measures fall short, the votes could add new energy to efforts to negotiate a bipartisan compromise
- Kristine Phillips, “They Left Food and Water for Migrants in the Desert. Now They Might Go to Prison.” (The Washington Post, January 23, 2019).
The four women, all volunteers for the Arizona-based aid group No More Deaths, were convicted after a three-day bench trial at a federal court in Tucson. They could face up to six months in federal prison
- Robert Barnes, “Daca Program That Protects Young Undocumented Immigrants Not Likely to Get Supreme Court Review This Term” (The Washington Post, January 23, 2019).
The Supreme Court is not likely to review during its current term the program that shields young undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children, leaving in place the Obama-era initiative
- Ted Hesson, “Republicans Load Spending Bill With Hard-Line Measures Targeting Asylum” (Politico, January 23, 2019).
The bill doesn’t appear likely to end a partial shutdown of the federal government that stretched into its 32nd day Tuesday
- Camilo Carranza, Chris Dalby, “Insight Crime’s 2018 Homicide Round-Up” (InsightCrime, January 23, 2019).
2018 was a year of turmoil across Latin America and the Caribbean. Homicide levels have reflected this uncertainty, rising sharply in parts, continuing to drop in others
Brazil
- Ishaan Tharoor, “Brazil’s New President Fizzles in His Overseas Debut” (The Washington Post, January 23, 2019).
Bolsonaro spoke for barely more than 10 minutes, delivering an address observers characterized as “lifeless” and “wooden”
Colombia, Cuba
- Matthew Bristow, Oscar Medina, “Crisis Brews as Colombia Asks Cuba to Extradite Rebels” (Bloomberg, Time, January 23, 2019).
Duque will find it hard to back down from his current position, while Cuba has no obvious place to send the ten ELN negotiators, who are now in limbo
- “Editorial: El Terror No Es Excusa para Dejar de Hacer Lo Correcto” (El Espectador (Colombia), January 23, 2019).
La insistencia, tanto de la Cancillería como del alto comisionado para la Paz, de ignorar los protocolos pactados con el Eln es un golpe a la credibilidad del Estado, que sabotea cualquier intento futuro de entablar procesos de paz
Colombia
- Juan Esteban Lewin, Laura Sofia Matiz, “Detector a los Argumentos de Ceballos para No Acatar el Protocolo Con el Eln” (La Silla Vacia (Colombia), January 23, 2019).
El Comisionado de Paz, Miguel Ceballos, ha argumentado que Cuba debe extraditar a los elenos que están en ese país como negociadores con el Gobierno. Eso a pesar de que ayer se filtró el protocolo
Colombia, Cuba
- “Cancilleria de Noruega Pidio al Gobierno Colombiano Respetar Protocolo Con Eln” (El Espectador (Colombia), January 23, 2019).
El Gobierno noruego respalda la decisión de Cuba de acogerse a lo pactado
Colombia
- Ricardo Monsalve Gaviria, “¿Estan Fragmentadas las Estructuras del Eln?” (El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia), January 23, 2019).
“Las acciones militares son compartimentadas. Es un principio de la guerra y el Eln la aplica. Solamente las saben quienes están involucrados en ellas”
El Salvador
- Hannah Dreier, “Former Ms-13 Member Who Secretly Helped Police Is Deported” (ProPublica, January 23, 2019).
The teenager told police all about his gang, MS-13. In return, he was slated for deportation and marked for death
Guatemala
- Maria Martin, “Killings of Guatemala’s Indigenous Activists Raise Specter of Human Rights Crisis” (National Public Radio, January 23, 2019).
“It literally feels like it’s on the edge of the precipice and just over that precipice, you’re staring back at [in] the 1970s … and you’re staring at [a] massive violation of human rights”
- Jo-Marie Burt, Paulo Estrada, “Guatemala Poised to Adopt Blanket Amnesty for Grave Crimes Cases” (Open Society Foundations, January 23, 2019).
The law would establish the total extinction of criminal responsibility in cases related to the internal armed conflict, as well as the application of the principle of non-retroactivity of the law in any of these cases
Honduras
- “Jefe de Comando Sur: Solucion a Inseguridad de la Region Debe Ir Mas Alla Que la Militar” (El Heraldo (Honduras), January 23, 2019).
Destacó que Honduras, El Salvador y Guatemala son los primeros países que visita desde que asumió debido “a los desafíos de seguridad” que esta región ha enfrentado en los últimos años
Mexico
- Alan Feuer, “El Chapo Trial Suggests Trump’s Wall Would Do Little to Stop Drug Smuggling” (The New York Times, January 23, 2019).
The 10 weeks of testimony at the trial of Joaquín Guzmán Loera, the drug lord known as El Chapo, have revealed that his innovative smuggling network typically went through legal checkpoints
- “Derechos Humanos Denuncia al Ejercito por la Tragedia de Hidalgo” (Noreste (Mexico), January 23, 2019).
Tras el incidente, la Administración de López Obrador reconoció que a Tlahuelilpan solo llegaron 25 soldados y que la Secretaría de la Defensa tuvo conocimiento de la fuga del hidrocarburo cuatro horas antes del incendio
- “Morena Rechaza Extender Discusion Sobre Guardia Nacional; Citan a Secretarios de Defensa, Marina y Seguridad” (Animal Politico (Mexico), January 23, 2019).
Por votación de 7 votos contra 6, la Comisión de Puntos Constitucionales del Senado (con mayoría de Morena) rechazó la propuesta de legisladores de oposición, de extender la discusión sobre la Guardia Nacional, invitando a especialistas y organizaciones
- Juan Montes, “New Caravan Grows as Mexico Eases Passage” (The Wall Street Journal, January 23, 2019).
Around 5,600 Central Americans are awaiting visas at Tecún Umán, on Guatemala’s border with Mexico, Mexican officials said Tuesday. The visas would allow them to continue their journey north without the risk of deportation from Mexico
Venezuela
- Andrew Rosati, Fabiola Zerpa, “Mutiny Attempt Tests Maduro’s Tenuous Grip on Power in Venezuela” (Bloomberg, January 23, 2019).
“What happened in Cotiza shows that working-class sectors, and those loyal to Chavismo, are willing to take to the streets — and even back those who take up arms”
- , Jim Wyss, “Venezuela Braces for Anti-Government March Amid Tension, Unrest” (The Miami Herald, January 23, 2019).
“I think we will be turning a page on Wednesday,” he said. “But it’s not the end of the chapter and much less the end of the book”
- Ana Vanessa Herrero, Nicholas Casey, “As Venezuela Crumbles, Opposition Led by Juan Guaido Sees an Opportunity” (The New York Times, January 23, 2019).
Mr. Guaidó’s ascendance as the face of the opposition could herald a new, more confrontational stance with the government, where the military will be actively courted as allies, said Ms. Tintori
- Joe Parkin Daniels, Mariana Zuniga, “Venezuela Street Clashes and Military Unrest Pile Pressure on Maduro” (The Guardian (Uk), January 23, 2019).
This week’s developments have surprised analysts, who had thought the opposition to be too fractured – and Venezuela too divided on class lines – to bring about change
- Mike Pence, “Venezuela, America Stands With You” (The Wall Street Journal, January 23, 2019).
As I told Mr. Guaidó last week, President Trump and the U.S. stand resolutely with the Venezuelan people as they seek to regain their liberty from dictator Nicolás Maduro