(Even more here)

April 18, 2019

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Alicia A. Caldwell, “Yuma, Ariz., Declares State of Emergency Over Migrant Crisis” (The Wall Street Journal, April 18, 2019).

U.S. Border Patrol agents released nearly 1,300 migrants in Yuma, which has a population of about 100,000, in the past three weeks

• Dara Lind, “Attorney General Barr Just Handed Ice More Power to Keep Asylum Seekers in Detention” (Vox, April 18, 2019).

The ruling won’t address the heart of the current border crisis. Families make up a majority of people crossing into the US without papers

Bolivia

• Jason Lemon, “Bolivian Lawmakers Sent Letter to Donald Trump Asking Him to Intervene in Their Country’s Election” (Newsweek, April 18, 2019).

The group of 12 politicians asked Donald Trump to use Washington’s influence within the Organization of American States to prevent Bolivian President Evo Morales from running for another term

Brazil

• Oliver Stuenkel, “How Bolsonaro’s Rivalry With His Vice President Is Shaping Brazilian Politics” (Americas Quarterly, April 18, 2019).

President Jair Bolsonaro’s government is at war with itself, and the president is increasingly unable to control the factions close to him jockeying for influence

Colombia, Venezuela

• Venezuela Investigative Unit, “Guerrilla Groups Largest Employers at Colombia-Venezuela Border: Report” (InsightCrime, April 18, 2019).

The report explores how these recruits are funnelled into numerous lines of illegal work, including drug trafficking, micro-trafficking, fuel smuggling, illegal mining of gold, coltan and copper, or being employed as “gariteros”

Colombia

• ““Condenamos Este Acto Que No Quedara Impune”: Ivan Duque Sobre Asesinato de Samuel David” (Semana (Colombia), April 18, 2019).

El presidente rechazó el atentado que sufrió la familia del excombatiente de las extintas Farc y en el que perdió la vida el menor de 7 meses

• “Bancada Alternativa Rechaza “Intromision de Embajador de Ee. Uu. En Colombia”” (El Espectador (Colombia), April 18, 2019).

Los congresistas se refieren, sin duda, a la reunión que sostuvo el embajador estadounidense con senadores y representantes en días previos a la votación de las objeciones presidenciales a la ley estatutaria de la Jurisdicción Especial para la Paz

• “Security Council Press Statement on Colombia” (UN Security Council, Mision de la ONU en Colombia, April 18, 2019).

They agreed with the Secretary-General’s assessment that the peace process stands today at a critical juncture

• “Drogas y Venezuela, los Temas de la Reunion de Duque Con Congresistas de Estados Unidos” (El Espectador (Colombia), April 18, 2019).

El representante Kevin McCarthy anunció que estarán este jueves en la frontera colombo-venezolana

Cuba

• Karen Deyoung, “Trump Administration Announces New Measures Against Cuba” (The Washington Post, April 18, 2019).

U.S. citizens will now be allowed to sue any entity or person found to be “trafficking” in property that was expropriated from U.S. citizens after the 1959 revolution

• Nora Gamez Torres, “U.S. Restricts Travel, Remittances to Cuba as Part of a New Policy Under Trump” (The Miami Herald, April 18, 2019).

The re-tightened restrictions also could impact air travel because of a reduction of passengers

Guatemala

• “Guatemalan Presidential Candidate Charged With Conspiring to Import Cocaine Into the United States and Related Firearms Offense” (U.S. Department of Justice, April 18, 2019).

As alleged, Estrada and Gonzalez conspired to solicit Sinaloa Cartel money to finance a corrupt scheme to elect Estrada president of Guatemala

Colombia, Mexico

• Rafael Croda, “Denuncian Amenaza del Cartel de Sinaloa Contra Lideres Sociales Colombianos” (Proceso (Mexico), April 18, 2019).

Una organización campesina del sureño municipio colombiano de Piamonte denunció este miércoles que grupos armados, entre los cuales se menciona al Cártel de Sinaloa, amenazaron de muerte a varios dirigentes sociales de la zona

Mexico

• Sergio Ocampo Arista, “Advierten en Guerrero Que Derribaran Helicopteros Que Fumigan Amapola” (La Jornada (Mexico), April 18, 2019).

“No nos oponemos a eso, pero que lo hagan por tierra, y que además nos traigan proyectos productivos”, dijo uno de los comisarios

• Elena Reina, “La Frontera Sur de Mexico Es una Olla a Presion” (El Pais (Spain), April 18, 2019).

Miles de cubanos, congoleños, angoleños, haitianos y centroamericanos se acumulan en la frontera sur de México tras la orden del Gobierno de López Obrador de suspender en Tapachula los trámites migratorios para quienes se dirigen a EE UU

• Fernanda Echavarri, “For Some Asylum Seekers, Trump’s “Messed Up” Policies Have Made Settling in Mexico Their Only Option” (Mother Jones, April 18, 2019).

When their names were finally called, they were detained for three days in extremely cold cells and then released back into Tijuana as part of the Trump policy known as Remain in Mexico

• “Gente Nueva… El Ejercito de 5 Mil Hombres Que Surgio para Proteger a ‘el Chapo’ Guzman y Ahora Es un Brazo Armado del Cartel de Sinaloa” (Vanguardia (Saltillo Mexico), April 18, 2019).

Ambas organizaciones, “La Línea” y “Gente Nueva”, han protagonizado sanguinarios enfrentamientos que ha aumentado la violencia principalmente en Chihuahua

Peru

• Adam Taylor, Simeon Tegel, “Former Peruvian President Dead; Shot Himself as Police Attempted to Make Arrest” (The Washington Post, April 18, 2019).

Alan García, the former two-time president of Peru, died Wednesday morning after shooting himself as police attempted to arrest him in the wide-ranging corruption scandal that has implicated scores of leaders

• Andrea Zarate, Nicholas Casey, “Alan Garcia, Ex-President of Peru, Is Dead After Shooting Himself During Arrest” (The New York Times, April 18, 2019).

When the authorities arrived at the home of the former president, Alan García, with an arrest warrant, he locked himself into his bedroom, shot himself and was rushed to a hospital

Venezuela

• Jonah Shepp, “Venezuela’s Maduro Doesn’t Appear to Be Going Anywhere. What Now?” (New York, April 18, 2019).

The U.S. strategy of sanctions and isolation has yet to show any concrete wins — and in some ways, may even be backfiring