(Even more here)

May 9, 2019

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Emily Cochrane, “Pentagon Has Redirected Money to Build 256 Miles of Border Barriers, Shanahan Says” (The New York Times, May 9, 2019).

The Pentagon has redirected enough money to build 256 miles of barriers along the southwestern border, including 63 miles within six months, the acting defense secretary told lawmakers on Wednesday

• Nick Miroff, “From the Border, More Frustrating Immigration Numbers for President Trump” (The Washington Post, May 9, 2019).

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detained 109,144 migrants along the boundary with Mexico last month, a 6 percent increase from March

Brazil

• Paulo Trevisani, “Bolsonaro Further Eases Brazilians’ Access to Guns” (The Wall Street Journal, May 9, 2019).

“Sales are going through the roof,” said Welker Costa, owner of a gun shop in Brasília as he read the latest decree’s more than 11,000 words to understand the changes

• “Trump Inicia el Proceso para Declarar a Brasil Aliado Militar Fuera de Otan” (EFE, ABC Color (Paraguay), May 9, 2019).

Bajo la ley estadounidense, el presidente de EE.UU. debe notificar al Congreso al menos 30 días antes de designar a un país como aliado militar estratégico fuera de la OTAN

Central America Regional

• “Centroamerica Cierra Filas para Reforzar el Combate a la Criminalidad” (El Heraldo (Honduras), May 9, 2019).

En Honduras se contabilizaron 8.7 toneladas de cocaína decomisadas en diferentes sectores del territorio nacional. En Guatemala se considera que 2018 fue un año histórico porque se decomisaron 17,897 kilos de cocaína. Mientras que en El Salvador la cantidad fue de 12 toneladas de esa droga

• Jose Ruiz, “Central American Security Leaders, Partners Discuss Threats, Support for Civilian Authorities” (U.S. Southern Command, May 9, 2019).

During the two-day security meeting, the participating delegations and observers discussed how military and public-security forces support civilian authorities, as well as regional efforts to target transnational organized crime

Colombia

• Sinar Alvarado, “Los Asesinatos de Exguerrilleros Comprometen la Paz en Colombia” (The New York Times, May 9, 2019).

Desde la firma del acuerdo de paz entre el gobierno de Colombia y las antiguas Farc, en noviembre de 2016 en Bogotá, 129 excombatientes de esa guerrilla han sido asesinados

Colombia, Venezuela

• “Colombia Blasts Venezuela Over Alleged Military Incursion” (Agence France Presse, France 24 (France), May 9, 2019).

In a statement, the foreign ministry said the Venezuelan unit crossed 200 meters into northeastern Colombia

• “Maduro Advierte de una Posible “Escalada Militar” Desde Colombia” (Agence France Presse, El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia), May 9, 2019).

“He mandado a tomar medidas especiales de precaución en la frontera. A todas las unidades militares de la frontera, máxima alerta”, dijo Maduro

• “Casi la Mitad de los Guerrilleros del Eln Estarian en Venezuela” (Agence France Presse, El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia), May 9, 2019).

El comandante de las fuerzas militares, Luis Fernando Navarro, afirmó que unos 1.100 miembros del Eln estarían en Venezuela

Colombia

• Laura Panqueva Otalora, ““las Amenazas Desbordaron Nuestras Vidas”: Lideresa de Montes de Maria” (El Espectador (Colombia), May 9, 2019).

Yirleis Velazco dice que quiere regresar a El Salado, el pueblo de los Montes de María del que tuvo que salir desplazada por la violencia

Cuba, Venezuela

• Nora Gamez Torres, “Can Cuba Be Part of the Solution to the Political Crisis in Venezuela?” (The Miami Herald, May 9, 2019).

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo surprised many observers Sunday when he declared that the United States was “working” with Cuba to secure Maduro’s departure from Venezuela

Mexico

• Christopher Sherman, “Mexico Worries as Us Keeps Making Asylum Seekers Wait There” (The Washington Post, May 9, 2019).

On Wednesday night, Mexico’s immigration agency said 4,217 Central American asylum seekers had already been returned through three border cities

• Jon Martin Cullell, “Mexico Triplica las Deportaciones de Migrantes Centroamericanos Con Lopez Obrador” (El Pais (Spain), May 9, 2019).

El nuevo Gobierno ha expulsado a más de 45.000 personas en cinco meses, casi 15.000 de ellas en abril

• Arturo Angel, “Delitos Graves Con Armas de Fuego se Disparan Hasta 250 % en Alcaldias de Cdmx” (Animal Politico (Mexico), May 9, 2019).

Datos oficiales revisados por Animal Político evidencian que en las alcaldías más pobladas existen incrementos de hasta 250 % en delitos de alto impacto cometidos con armas de fuego

• Jose De Cordoba, Juan Montes, “Mexico Proposes Redirecting U.S. Security Aid to Address Migrant Crisis” (The Wall Street Journal, May 9, 2019).

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador wants to take the security aid his country receives from the U.S. and use the money instead for a development plan for Central America and southern Mexico to help stop migration

Nicaragua

• Alice Driver, “Mothers Are the Backbone of the Revolution” (Longreads, May 9, 2019).

Hundreds of Nicaraguan mothers seek justice for their murdered children, birthing a movement

Venezuela

• Angus Berwick, “How a Chinese Venture Made Millions While Venezuelans Grew Hungry” (Reuters, Reuters, May 9, 2019).

A $200 million rice plant illustrates the graft and incompetence that opponents say crippled development by Venezuela’s leftist regime

• Rafael Croda, “El Fallido Alzamiento Militar Dejo “Tocado” a Maduro” (Proceso (Mexico), May 9, 2019).

Ejemplo de su delicada posición, destacan los expertos, es que el jueves 2 pidió a las fuerzas armadas que no lo abandonen y restituyó en la jefatura de los servicios de inteligencia a Gustavo González López

• “Militares Chavistas Rechazan “Chantaje” de Jefe de Comando Sur de Eeuu” (El Estimulo (Venezuela), May 9, 2019).

Un día después de que el oficial norteamericano le pidiera a la Fuerza Armada “decidir a quién representa: A su pueblo a un tirano”

• Anatoly Kurmanaev, “Ally of Venezuelan Opposition Leader Is Detained After Failed Uprising” (The New York Times, May 9, 2019).

He is at least the fourth prominent ally of Mr. Guaidó to be detained or forced to flee the country since January

• Christopher Torchia, “Venezuela’s Maduro Tightens Pressure on Opposition” (Associated Press, The Washington Post, May 9, 2019).

The arrest of a top opposition leader in Venezuela unleashed fears of a wider crackdown on Thursday, even as members of the opposition issued renewed calls for weekend protests

• Anne Gearan, John Hudson, Josh Dawsey, Seung Min Kim, “A Frustrated Trump Questions His Administration’s Venezuela Strategy” (The Washington Post, May 9, 2019).

The president’s dissatisfaction has crystallized around national security adviser John Bolton and what Trump has groused is an interventionist stance at odds with his view that the United States should stay out of foreign quagmires