(Even more here)

March 15, 2019

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Erica Werner, John Wagner, Seung Min Kim, “Senate Votes to Reject Trump’s Emergency Declaration, Setting Up President’s First Veto” (The Washington Post, March 15, 2019).

The disapproval resolution passed the House last month, so the 59-to-41 Senate vote will send the measure to the president’s desk. Trump intends to use the first veto of his presidency

• Dan Spinelli, “Congress: Tell Us What the Border Emergency Is Doing to the Military. The Pentagon: Crickets.” (Mother Jones, March 15, 2019).

“I feel completely sandbagged. You’re going to send it to us today after the vote on the emergency declaration?”

• Ted Hesson, “Trump May Send Volunteer Force to Border” (Politico, March 15, 2019).

An administration official told POLITICO that the existing surge force could not be used for a border security mission because it draws on disaster relief funds

• Maria Sacchetti, Nick Miroff, “U.S. Weighs Plan to Phase Out Family Detention at Texas Facility, Despite Migration Surge” (The Washington Post, March 15, 2019).

Families held there would be issued notices to appear in immigration court and would then be released into the U.S. interior

Brazil

• “Bolsonaro Praises Brazilian Military as the Ultimate Arbiters of Democracy” (MercoPress, March 15, 2019).

“Democracy and liberty only exist when your armed forces want them to,” said Bolsonaro, himself a former army captain

• Ernesto Londono, “A Year After Her Execution, Marielle Franco Has Become a Rallying Cry in a Polarized Brazil” (The New York Times, March 15, 2019).

A year after her execution, the call for justice for Ms. Franco — a black, gay, feminist Rio de Janeiro city councilmember who was raised poor — has morphed into a rallying cry in a deeply-polarized nation

• Oliver Stuenkel, “What to Expect When Bolsonaro Meets Trump” (Americas Quarterly, March 15, 2019).

The anti-globalist, pro-Trump faction of the Bolsonaro administration, which includes his foreign minister, will clash with the more prudent generals, led by Vice President Hamilton Mourão, and the technocrats, represented by the Economy Minister Paulo Guedes and Justice Minister Sérgio Moro

Colombia

• Laura Dulce Romero, “Jep Escucho a los Militares Sobre el Uso de Armas No Convencionales por Parte de las Farc” (El Espectador (Colombia), March 15, 2019).

Por primera vez, magistrados y fiscales de la JEP acudieron a una instalación militar, la histórica base de Tolemaida, a recibir capacitación sobre cómo las Farc usaron minas antipersona y artefactos explosivos improvisados

• Juan Carlos Garzón, “Las Peleas y el Consenso en el Debate Sobre el Glifosato” (Fundacion Ideas para la Paz, El Espectador (Colombia), March 15, 2019).

La imagen del Estado para las comunidades no puede volver a ser una avioneta asperjando glifosato

• Juanita Velez, “Las Objeciones de Duque a la Jep Tumban los Animos de la Farc” (La Silla Vacia (Colombia), March 15, 2019).

Los nueve exguerrilleros entrevistados no habían manifestado un miedo tan real de que algunos de sus compañeros prefieran volver a las armas -ni cuando la Fiscalía capturó a Santrich-, especialmente por cuatro de las seis objeciones

• “Colombia’s President Ivan Duque Undermines a Peace Deal” (The Economist (Uk), March 15, 2019).

During his seven months in office, Mr Duque has tried to strike a balance between the hard line of his mentor, Álvaro Uribe, a former president who opposes the peace accord, and Colombians who want to preserve it. Now he seems to have backed Mr Uribe’s policy

• “Situation of Human Rights in Colombia” (UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Colombia Field Office, March 15, 2019).

Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Cuba

• Andrea Rodriguez, “Amid Crisis, Cuba Plans Revamp of State and Legal System” (Associated Press, Associated Press, March 15, 2019).

Cuban legal experts told The Associated Press that they expect the government to send the National Assembly between 60 and 80 new laws over the next two years to replace ones rendered obsolete by the new constitution

Guatemala, Peru

• Simone Dalmasso, “Los Procesos de Reconciliacion Historica: Una Comparacion Entre Peru y Guatemala” (Plaza Publica (Guatemala), March 15, 2019).

Los procesos de dignificación de las víctimas y reconciliación han sido abordados de manera diferente por los Estados

Guatemala

• “Us Suspends Some Military Aid to Guatemala Over Vehicle Use” (Associated Press, The Washington Post, March 15, 2019).

The U.S. Embassy said via text message that since August, Guatemala’s Interior Ministry “has repeatedly used (the vehicles) in an incorrect way”

• Sergio Morales Rodas, “Ee. Uu. Suspende Ayuda Militar a Guatemala por el “Uso Incorrecto” de Jeeps j8” (Prensa Libre (Guatemala), March 15, 2019).

Un vocero de la Embajada de EE. UU. en Guatemala confirmó que el Departamento de Defensa ha cesado, por ahora, la transferencia de equipos y la capacitación a las Fuerzas de Tarea debido al uso incorrecto de los jeeps J8

Mexico

• Arturo Angel, “Cambio el Gobierno, Pero Sedena Insiste en Ocultar Cifras de Civiles Muertos en Operativos” (Animal Politico (Mexico), March 15, 2019).

La dependencia no desglosó, como se había solicitado, el municipio o entidad en que tuvieron lugar dichos enfrentamientos, ni en qué año ocurrieron

• “Congreso Emite Constitucionalidad de la Guardia Nacional; La Envia a Amlo para su Promulgacion” (Animal Politico (Mexico), March 15, 2019).

La Cámara de Diputados y el Senado emitieron la declaratoria de constitucionalidad de la reforma en materia de Guardia Nacional, luego de que fue avalada por los 32 congresos locales

• Gabriela Sotomayor, “Osc Reprueban Gestion de Amlo en Materia de Derechos Humanos Ante la Onu” (Proceso (Mexico), March 15, 2019).

“Nos preocupa que tan sólo a 100 días de su gestión ya han sido asesinados 14 defensores de derechos humanos y periodistas”

• Kate Linthicum, “Mexico Launching Search for Migrants Pulled Off Bus by Gunmen Near the U.S. Border” (The Los Angeles Times, March 15, 2019).

The two cases highlight the risks faced by Central American migrants in Mexico, where criminal groups have diversified well beyond drug trafficking and now help smuggle migrants north and sometimes extort or kidnap them

• Leon Krauze, “Mexico’s President Is Waging a Trumpian War on the Press” (Slate, March 15, 2019).

That he has fallen prey to his worst populist impulses bodes ill for his presidency, and for the country he governs

Venezuela

• Barbara Arvanitidis, Caitlin Hu, Diana Castrillon, Evan Perez, Natalie Gallon, Nick Paton Walsh, “The August Plot to Kill Maduro With Drones” (CNN, March 15, 2019).

In an exclusive interview with CNN, he recounted how they prepared for the attack, and provided cell phone videos of their drones, explosives, and practice flights in the rural farmlands of Colombia

• Christian Lowe, Rinat Sagdiev, “How Russia Sank Billions of Dollars Into Venezuelan Quicksand” (Reuters, March 15, 2019).

Russian oil company Rosneft spent a fortune on joint ventures in Venezuela even though it suspected it was losing out on millions of dollars, documents show. It continued investing, sources say, because the Kremlin wanted to support its ally

• Mariana Zuniga, Mary Beth Sheridan, “Maduro’s Muscle: Politically Backed Motorcycle Gangs Known as ‘Colectivos’ Are the Enforcers for Venezuela’s Authoritarian Leader” (The Washington Post, March 15, 2019).

“I call on the colectivos; the hour of resistance has arrived, active resistance in the community,” Maduro declared in the speech on Monday