(Even more here)

June 5, 2019

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Carlo Munoz, “Military Officials Dispute Reports of Marine Shooting on Mexican Border” (The Washington Times, June 5, 2019).

Command officials are in the midst of an investigation into claims an active-duty Marine fired his sidearm after a physical confrontation with three unknown individuals during a surveillance operation near the El Centro Border Patrol station

• Courtney Kube, Julia Ainsley, “Trump Admin May House Migrant Children at Fort Benning Military Base” (NBC News, June 5, 2019).

Defense Department spokesman Major Chris Mitchell said that HHS would soon be touring Fort Benning with defense officials

• Teresa Garcia Castro, “Pretrial Detention in Latin America: The Disproportionate Impact on Women Deprived of Liberty for Drug Offenses” (Washington Office on Latin America, June 5, 2019).

Across most of Latin America a higher proportion of women than men are awaiting trial behind bars

Brazil

• Jonathan Watts, “Deforestation of Brazilian Amazon Surges to Record High” (The Guardian (Uk), June 5, 2019).

The world’s greatest rainforest – which is a vital provider of oxygen and carbon sequestration – lost 739sq km during the 31 days, equivalent to two football pitches every minute

Colombia, Venezuela

• Diana Castrillon, Natalie Gallon, “They Risked Everything for Guaido. Now Venezuela’s Military Defectors Are Lost” (CNN, June 5, 2019).

A voluntary program called Permiso Especial de Permanencia (PEP) would allow them to live and work legally in the country. Another option offers the defectors a three-month stipend to help get them on their feet

• “Tough Journey: From Venezuela Crisis to Colombia Conflict Zone” (Agence France Presse, France 24 (France), June 5, 2019).

Every day, hundreds of Venezuelans cross the Arauca river into Colombia in search of a better life — but first, they must run a gauntlet of rebels, drug runners and land mines

Colombia

• Francesco Manetto, “New Colombian Army Chief Led Brigade Probed for Killings During Civil War” (El Pais (Spain), June 5, 2019).

At least 23 of the cases under scrutiny date back to the period when the general was second-in-command of the 10 Brigade

• “Colombia: Un Experts Condemn Attacks on Reintegrated Former Combatants, Urge Respect for Peace Process” (UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, June 5, 2019).

We urge the Colombian government to cease inciting violence against demobilised individuals of the FARC-EP and to meet the guarantees that were made to them during the negotiations in Havana

• Gimena Sanchez-Garzoli, “Indigenous and Social Leaders Remain at Risk in Colombia” (Washington Office on Latin America, June 5, 2019).

Since WOLA’s last update on April 29, at least a dozen more Colombian activists or members of vulnerable Afro-Colombian, indigenous and rural communities were murdered

Cuba

• Matthew Lee , Michael Weissenstein, “Trump Administration Halts Cruises to Cuba Under New Rules” (Associated Press, Associated Press, June 5, 2019).

The Trump administration on Tuesday ended the most popular forms of U.S. travel to Cuba, banning cruise ships and a heavily used category of educational travel

• Ian Talley, Jose De Cordoba, “U.S. Imposes New Travel Curbs on Cuba” (The Wall Street Journal, June 5, 2019).

The move is likely to have a major economic impact in Cuba, whose economy is already reeling from decreased economic aid from Havana’s main ally, Venezuela

Mexico

• David Vicenteno, “Reclutamiento para Guardia Nacional Costara 17 Mil 500 Mdp: Durazo” (Excelsior (Mexico), June 5, 2019).

El Secretario de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana resaltó que este gasto implica el paso de los elementos de las Fuerzas Armadas y la Policía Federal a la nueva corporación

• Damian Paletta, Erica Werner, Mary Beth Sheridan, Seung Min Kim, “Gop Lawmakers Warn White House They’ll Try to Block Trump’s Mexico Tariffs” (The Washington Post, June 5, 2019).

Imposition of tariffs on all Mexican goods requires a legal justification, and administration officials say the existing emergency declaration could provide the basis for that, although it’s also possible Trump would declare a new emergency

• Alejandro Moreno, “El 84% Respalda Postura de Amlo Ante Presiones de Trump” (El Financiero (Mexico), June 5, 2019).

59 por ciento cree que México debería considerar dejar a Estados Unidos y buscar otros socios comerciales, como China

• Hector de Mauleon, “El Informe Que Amlo No Quiso Recibir” (El Universal (Mexico), June 5, 2019).

Defensores de derechos humanos consideraron “preocupante” y “desalentador” que el jefe del Ejecutivo se negara a escuchar lo que la Comisión tiene que decirle sobre la situación de los derechos humanos

• Mary Beth Sheridan, “In Tariff Talks, Mexico’s Negotiators Fear Crisis in U.S. Relations, Politics Back Home” (The Washington Post, June 5, 2019).

Senior officials at the Department of Homeland Security have said they want Mexico to strengthen security on its border with Guatemala and intensify its investigation of smuggling rings that transport most migrants across Mexican territory

Venezuela

• Molly o’toole, “Venezuela, Now a Top Source of U.S. Asylum Claims, Poses a Challenge for Trump” (The Los Angeles Times, June 5, 2019).

Venezuela has overtaken China to become the No. 1 country of origin for those claiming asylum in the U.S. upon arrival or shortly after, with nearly 30,000 Venezuelans applying for asylum with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2018