(Even more here)

March 14, 2017

Colombia

Adam Isacson, Confronting Colombia’s Coca Boom Requires Patience and a Commitment to the Peace Accords (Washington Office on Latin America, March 14, 2017).

The U.S. government, the UN, and analysts cite several reasons for the increase in Colombian coca production

Chris Kraul, Colombia Has a Peace Deal, but Can It Be Implemented? (The Los Angeles Times, March 14, 2017).

Some analysts fear the financial, political and security challenges may be too much for the Colombian government to handle

Lorena Arboleda Zarate, Congreso Le Dijo Si a la Jurisdiccion Especial para la Paz | elespectador.com (El Espectador (Colombia), March 14, 2017).

A partir de ahora, las Farc, miembros de la Fuerza Pública y terceros involucrados en el conflicto armado, serán juzgados bajo un régimen transicional. La JEP estará vigente por máximo 15 años

Tatiana Duque, Asi se Resolvieron los Pulsos Alrededor de la Jep (La Silla Vacia (Colombia), March 14, 2017).

Así se resolvieron los pulsos que se dieron a lo largo del debate sobre este tema del Acuerdo de Paz, que es de lejos el que más polémica ha despertado

Adriaan Alsema, Killing the Attorney With Evidence Colombia’s Military Assassinated 6,000 Civilians (Colombia Reports, March 14, 2017).

Yepes’ quest for justice has not been without resistance. According to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the lives of Yepes and his family are in immediate danger

Se Aprueba la Creacion de la Justicia Especial para la Paz (El Tiempo (Colombia), March 14, 2017).

Con 61 votos a favor y dos en contra esta iniciativa fue aprobada, en último debate, por la plenaria del Senado

Mexico

Jose De Cordoba, Juan Montes, Mexico’s States Gained Power and Money; Then Came Corruption (The Wall Street Journal, March 14, 2017).

Prince-like state governors often answerable to no one pose a continuing threat to Mexico’s economic health and struggle to establish universal rule of law, political analysts say

“Es Hora de Cambiar la Ruta para una Seguridad Sin Guerra”: Mexico Unido Contra la Delincuencia (Proceso (Mexico), March 14, 2017).

De acuerdo con México Unido contra la Delincuencia, no se debe normalizar la excepción, sino hacer frente a la emergencia y corregir las fallas que existen de fondo

Al Menos 13 Personas Son Asesinadas en Chilapa, Guerrero, en las Ultimas 24 Horas (EFE, SinEmbargo (Mexico), March 14, 2017).

Chilapa es uno de los municipios más candentes de Guerrero, pues está ubicado bajo la montaña donde se cultiva la amapola, lo que lo convierte en paso obligado para sacar la droga

En 100 Dias del Gobierno de Yunes la Violencia en Veracruz Repunta por una Guerra Entre 3 Carteles (BlogExpediente (Mexico), SinEmbargo (Mexico), March 14, 2017).

Es Veracruz y Boca del Río la plaza más importante, lo fue para Los Zetas y lo es ahora para la organización de occidente

Kelsey Snell, Senate Democrats Prepare for Spring Battle Over Trump’s Border Wall (The Washington Post, March 14, 2017).

Democrats wrote to Senate GOP leaders that they won’t accept any attempt to include funding for Trump’s proposed border wall in a spending bill necessary to keep the government open

El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico

Editorial: Mexican Border Policy on Kids Is Harsh Yet Ineffective (The Boston Globe, March 14, 2017).

It’s an appalling, inhumane idea. And it would create — deliberately — a new wave of unaccompanied kids that the government would need to shelter, feed, and educate

Venezuela

Venezuela’s Maduro Announces ‘Surprises’ in Relationship With Us (Fox News, March 14, 2017).

“Imperialism is there, threatening, but here we are stronger than ever. We do not want problems with Trump, he should know that I do not want problems with his administration,” Maduro said

David Smilde, Venezuelan Democracy Needs the Hemisphere’s Help (The New York Times, March 14, 2017).

The risk is that United States policy toward Venezuela will rely on unilateral sanctions, which, by definition, require no diplomacy. Unsurprisingly, therefore, they do not spur regional allies to collaborate

Western Hemisphere Regional

Bryan Schatz, The Border Patrol Is Setting Itself Up to Hire Some Bad Hombres (Mother Jones, March 14, 2017).

“If you’re lowering standards, you’ll have people with less education, less discipline, less sensitivity in dealing with people who are not criminals, and also some cases of human rights abuses”