(Even more here)

August 28, 2019

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Marie Arana, “Latin Americans Are Souring on Democracy. That’s Not So Surprising Considering the Region’s History” (Time, August 28, 2019).

Latin America’s wild race to democracy has failed to overcome the region’s difficult history. The wounds left unattended—inequality, injustice, corruption, violence—are powerful catalysts for discontent

• Julia Ainsley, Frank Thorp V, “Trump Admin Pulling Millions From Fema Disaster Relief to Send to Southern Border” (NBC News, August 28, 2019).

To fund temporary locations for court hearings for asylum-seekers along the southern border, ICE would gain $155 million, all from FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund

• Nick Miroff, Josh Dawsey, “‘Take the Land’: President Trump Wants a Border Wall. He Wants It Black. And He Wants It by Election Day.” (The Washington Post, August 28, 2019).

He also has told worried subordinates that he will pardon them of any potential wrongdoing should they have to break laws to get the barriers built quickly

• Rose L. Thayer, “Esper Approves Construction of Another 20 Miles of U.S.-Mexico Border Wall Using Dod Funds” (Stars and Stripes, August 28, 2019).

The increase in miles of border wall was approved after “lower than expected” contract costs for the previously approved 129 miles of border wall under former acting Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan

Brazil

• Ernesto Londono, “As Amazon Fires Rage, Brazil’s Government Employees Warn of ‘Collapse’ of Protection System” (The New York Times, August 28, 2019).

Employees of the country’s main environmental agency, Ibama, said their mission had been hobbled in recent years as a result of budget cuts, a thinner presence in remote areas, attacks on enforcement personnel, as well as political interference and a weakening of environmental regulations

Colombia

• “Asesinan a Otro Indigena en el Cauca” (Semana (Colombia), August 28, 2019).

Con ese asesinato ya son 37 los indígenas del norte del Cauca que han sido víctimas fatales en lo corrido del año, a lo que se suman las amenazas contra 55 de ellos y atentados contra otros ocho

• Ricardo Monsalve Gaviria, “El Silencio de los Fusiles Duro Poco” (El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia), August 28, 2019).

Colombia registra un incremento en los combates en los últimos meses. Gobierno afirma que cumple con proteger a las comunidades, expertos indican que es un retroceso para las regiones

Guatemala

• “Fact Sheet: The Cicig’s Legacy in Fighting Corruption in Guatemala” (Washington Office on Latin America, August 28, 2019).

The CICIG assisted in filing more than 120 cases in the Guatemalan justice system, implicating more than 1,540 people, with some 660 people currently facing charges or another type of legal process

• Jody Garcia, “Giammattei Habla de su Primer Proyecto Multimillonario y su Plan B para Sustituir a la Cicig” (Nomada (Guatemala), August 28, 2019).

Celebró que en sus relaciones con Estados Unidos se dejó de hablar de Guatemala como un “tercer país seguro”, pero reclamó que no tiene detalles del convenio que el gobierno de Jimmy Morales firmó con el de Donald Trump

Honduras

• Steven Dudley, “How an Ex-Mayor Could Bring Down the Honduras President” (InsightCrime, August 28, 2019).

Tony had a proposal for the mayor: give money to the National Party campaign for his brother, who was running for re-election in Congress, and the then-candidate for president, Porfirio Lobo. In return, Tony would provide protection for Ardón and his trafficking network

Mexico

• Alberto Pradilla, “Policias Federales Agreden a Migrantes y Periodistas en Estacion Siglo Xxi en Chiapas” (Animal Politico (Mexico), August 28, 2019).

A empujones y golpes, los elementos federales rompieron el bloqueo que mantenían los migrantes, dejando a varios africanos y los dos periodistas heridos

• Horacio Jimenez, Carina Garcia, “Anuncia 4t Que Buscara Regular Medios de Comunicacion” (El Universal (Mexico), August 28, 2019).

El diputado del PT, Óscar González Yáñez, aseguró que si no se regula a los medios de comunicación, estos se van a convertir en un instrumento fundamental de la derecha en las elecciones federales del 2021 y del 2024

• “23 Killed in Attack on Bar in Southern Mexico” (Associated Press, Associated Press, August 28, 2019).

The attack, along with the killing of 19 people in the western city of Uruapan earlier this month, is likely to renew fears that the violence of the 2006-2012 drug war has returned

• Eleanor Acer, Kennji Kizuka, “Complaint to the Office of the Inspector General Concerning Rape, Kidnapping, Assault, and Other Attacks on Asylum Seekers and Migrants Returned to Mexico” (Human Rights First, August 28, 2019).

To date, there are at least 141 publicly reported cases of rape, kidnapping, sexual exploitation, violent assault, and targeting by persecutors, of individuals returned to Mexico

• John Burnett, “Criminals Target Migrants in Mexico Seeking U.S. Asylum” (National Public Radio, August 28, 2019).

About 4,500 of them have been sent to Nuevo Laredo, where mayhem is rampant and extorting migrants has become the cartel’s latest income stream

Panama

• Arelis R. Hernandez, “Immigration Officials Partner With Panama to Boost Screening of Migrants Passing Through to U.S.” (The Washington Post, August 28, 2019).

U.S. officials supplied Panama’s border security force, SENAFRONT, with the devices that capture fingerprints, photographs and iris scans to process the influx of migrants showing up at the Peñitas camp

Ecuador, Venezuela

• “Ecuador Visa Rules for Venezuela Refugees Violates Human Rights Obligations” (Several NGOs, Washington Office on Latin America, August 28, 2019).

Ecuador’s entry restrictions arise, in part, out of the prevalent social polarization and xenophobia against Venezuelan migrants and refugees in Ecuador

Colombia, Venezuela

• Olivia Beavers, “State Department Opens Interim Venezuela Office in Colombia Amid Internal Conflict” (The Hill, August 28, 2019).

Charge d’Affaires James Story will oversee the Venezuela Affairs Unit (VAU), which is located at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota?, Colombia