(Even more here)

June 7, 2019

Western Hemisphere Regional

• James Laporta, “Exclusive: U.S. Marines Faced Down Armed Gunman at Mexico Border in Latest Threatening Encounter” (Newsweek, June 7, 2019).

Three individuals, one armed and aiming a firearm at U.S. service members in Yuma, Arizona were apprehended late last month

Colombia

• “Entrenamiento Militar Bajo Tortura: ¿Origen de Falsos Positivos?” (El Espectador (Colombia), June 7, 2019).

Expuso videos, testimonios y documentos que apuntan a que los entrenamientos militares se basan en la humillación, tortura y maltrato de los oficiales en curso, lo cual, en su concepto, contribuye a que estén dispuestos a matar sin contemplación

• “Lento Avance en Paz Enfria Relacion Gobierno- Comunidad Internacional” (El Tiempo (Colombia), June 7, 2019).

Lo que piensan algunos defensores del acuerdo de paz con las Farc es que hay un “desconcierto generalizado” en la comunidad internacional por la postura del gobierno de Iván Duque sobre la implementación de lo pactado en La Habana

• “Por Peticion de la Corte, Duque Firma Ley Estatutaria de la Jep” (Semana (Colombia), June 7, 2019).

El mandatario finalmente promulgó en silencio y a regañadientes la norma que trató de modificar con las fracasadas objeciones

• Nicolas Sanchez Arevalo, “Una Nueva Guerra en Choco: Lo Que Hay Detras del Desplazamiento de 417 Indigenas” (El Espectador (Colombia), June 7, 2019).

Huyen de combates entre el Eln y las disidencias de las Farc, lo que abriría una nueva confrontación en el sur del departamento

• German Arenas Usme, “El Placer: Pueblo Fantasma Lleno de Temor en Medio de la Selva de Putumayo” (Verdad Abierta (Colombia), June 7, 2019).

Los habitantes de esa región todavía no han superado las secuelas del conflicto armado que padecieron hace un par de décadas y están sufriendo una nueva ola de violencia que ha producido más desplazamientos forzados

Cuba

• William M. Leogrande, “U.S.-Cuba: You Can’t Get There From Here” (AULA Blog (American University), June 7, 2019).

The biggest losers are the small entrepreneurs, intellectuals, and artists who have been agents of change on the island

El Salvador

• “El Salvador Stops Honouring the Leader of the el Mozote Massacre” (The Economist (Uk), June 7, 2019).

Mr Bukele’s order to take down Monterrosa’s name—which he announced on Twitter—signals an attempt to break with those parties’ legacies

Guatemala

• Nicholas Kristof, “‘Food Doesn’t Grow Here Anymore. That’s Why I Would Send My Son North.’” (The New York Times, June 7, 2019).

American carbon emissions are partly responsible for wretchedness in Guatemala that drives emigration, yet when those desperate Guatemalans arrive at the U.S. border they are treated as invaders

• Sandra Cuffe, “Us Agents’ Deployment to Stem Guatemalan Migration Raises Alarm” (Al Jazeera, June 7, 2019).

When asked about the Gonzalez letter indicating it was the Morales administration that requested troops, Morales scoffed, said journalists should ask the letter’s author and promptly left

Honduras

• “Gobierno Militariza Toda Honduras Como Si Tratase de un Estado de Sitio” (Criterio (Honduras), June 7, 2019).

Las principales ciudades de Honduras amanecieron este jueves llenas de elementos de la seguridad del Estado en momentos en que este país centroamericano se debate en una crisis política-social

Mexico

• David J. Lynch, Kevin Sieff, Nick Miroff, “Mexico Aims to Avoid Tariffs With Potential Deal Limiting Migrants Going North, Allowing U.S. to Deport Central American Asylum Seekers” (The Washington Post, June 7, 2019).

Any migrants who made it to the U.S. border generally would be deported to the appropriate third country. And any migrants who express a fear of death or torture in their home country would be subjected to a tougher screening standard

• Alberto Pradilla, Manu Ureste, “¿por Que Detuvieron a Irineo y Cristobal, Defensores de Derechos de Migrantes?” (Animal Politico (Mexico), June 7, 2019).

Mujica y Sánchez están acusados de tráfico de personas y han sido vinculados a las caravanas; un fenómeno que, en la práctica, permite a los migrantes atravesar México sin recurrir a un coyote

• Leon Krauze, “Mexico’s Breaking Point?” (Slate, June 7, 2019).

Nothing would be a more indefensible concession than granting a potential request for Mexico to become a “safe third country” for Central American immigrants. McAleenan is mistaken: Mexico is not a safe country for refugees

• Azam Ahmed, Michael D. Shear, “Mexico and the U.S. Have Made Progress Toward Averting Tariffs” (The New York Times, June 7, 2019).

Guatemalans looking for refuge would have to apply for asylum in Mexico rather than the United States. And those fleeing El Salvador and Honduras would have to seek asylum in Guatemala rather than continuing on to Mexico or the United States

Venezuela

• Geoff Ramsey, “5 Takeaways From U.S. Individual Sanctions: A Key to U.S. Strategy in Venezuela” (Washington Office on Latin America, June 7, 2019).

Though offering sanctions relief to individuals emerges as a dominant tool of the U.S. government strategy in Venezuela, it remains to be seen how effective such offers can be at lowering exit costs