(Even more here)

April 19, 2019

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Manny Fernandez, “One of the Deadliest Places on the Southwest Border” (The New York Times, April 19, 2019).

Since January 2009, the bodies or skeletal remains of 642 migrants have been discovered in Brooks County

• Simon Romero, “Militia in New Mexico Detains Asylum Seekers at Gunpoint” (The New York Times, April 19, 2019).

Members of the group, which calls itself the United Constitutional Patriots, filmed several of their actions in recent days, including the detention this week of a group of about 200 migrants who had recently crossed the border

Brazil

• Gabriel Stargardter, “Brazil Murders Maintain Downward Path in First Three Months Under Bolsonaro – Data” (Reuters, Reuters, April 19, 2019).

In Rio de Janeiro state, which Bolsonaro represented as a federal congressman for nearly three decades, the number of people killed in confrontations with security officials rose 18 percent to 434 in the first three months of this year

Cuba

• William M. Leogrande, “Trump Declares Economic War on Cuba” (The Conversation, April 19, 2019).

The Trump administration has declared the most severe new sanctions against Cuba since President John F. Kennedy imposed an economic embargo banning all trade with the communist island in 1962

Mexico

• Delphine Schrank, “Migrant Camps Overflow as Mexico Cracks Down After Trump Threats” (Reuters, Reuters, April 19, 2019).

Amid pressure from Washington, Mexico is backpedaling on promises of better treatment for Central American migrants, leaving hundreds stranded in unsanitary camps near its southern border

Nicaragua

• Javier Bauluz, Maynor Salazar, Wilfredo Miranda Aburto, “350 Muertos, 760 Presos Politicos y 65,000 Exiliados: El Oscuro Saldo de un Ano de Crisis en Nicaragua” (Univision, April 19, 2019).

Tres nicaragüenses cuentan, desde distintas trincheras, cómo han vivido el horror

Peru

• Ryan Dube, “Former President’s Suicide Puts Peru Probes in Spotlight” (The Wall Street Journal, April 19, 2019).

Critics say prosecutors are abusing the use of preventive detention, a legal mechanism that allows suspects to be jailed for as long as three years without being charged as investigations are completed

Venezuela

• Marianna Parraga, “Venezuela Skirts U.S. Sanctions by Funneling Oil Sales via Russia” (Reuters, Reuters, April 19, 2019).

Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA has started passing invoices from its oil sales to Rosneft

• David Luhnow, “Message From a Venezuelan Opposition Leader: ‘Welcome to My Golden Cage’” (The Wall Street Journal, April 19, 2019).

In his first interview since fleeing arrest and taking refuge in the Chilean diplomatic compound in Caracas, the former deputy head of the National Assembly discusses his country’s autocratic turn