(Even more here)

January 2, 2020

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Mac Margolis, “Green Shoots Lurk in Latin America’s Lost Decade” (Bloomberg, January 2, 2020).

The waves of protests rolling over the region since 2013 suggest an indomitable, sometimes unruly public, with a visceral aversion to inequities and zero tolerance for corruption

• Valerie Gonzalez, “Cbp Implements New Asylum Processing Program in the Rio Grande Valley” (KRGV (McAllen Texas), January 2, 2020).

It’s meant to move their cases along faster, but critics say it’s too fast cutting out important steps in the process

Bolivia, Honduras, Western Hemisphere Regional

• Tracy Wilkinson, Patrick J. Mcdonnell, “Does Trump Support Democracy in Latin America? Critics Say It Depends Who’s in Power” (The Los Angeles Times, January 2, 2020).

The contrast between its handling of election fallout in Honduras and the nearly identical scenario in Bolivia offers a stark lesson in how the Trump administration approaches the region

Brazil

• Tom Phillips, Dom Phillips, Jonathan Watts, “Brazilians on Bolsonaro’s First Year: ‘If You Disagree, You’re Seen as a Traitor’” (The Guardian (Uk), January 2, 2020).

Six prominent voices from the arts, media, diplomacy and the Amazon give their views on the far-right president’s opening 12 months

• Jihan Abdalla, “One Year Under Brazil’s Bolsonaro: ‘What We Expected Him to Be’” (Al Jazeera, January 2, 2020).

The Brazilian president faces a tough second year after leaving his own party and his policies in the Amazon rainforest

• “Datafolha: Apoio a Democracia Cai No Primeiro Ano Do Governo Bolsonaro” (Veja (Brazil), January 2, 2020).

Para 62% dos entrevistados, a democracia é sempre melhor que qualquer outra forma de governo. No levantamento anterior, realizado na semana do primeiro turno das eleições de outubro de 2018, esse índice era de 69%

Colombia

• “Gral. Diego Villegas, Investigado por Falsos Positivos, Liderara Transformacion del Ejercito” (El Espectador (Colombia), January 2, 2020).

Ahora estará al frente del Comando de Transformación Ejército del Futuro (Cotef), la dependencia encargada de la arquitectura de unas nuevas fuerzas armadas

• “Duque Anuncia Que Propiciara Encuentro Entre Quintero y General Zapateiro” (Colprensa, El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia), January 2, 2020).

Cuando se supo que el general Eduardo Zapateiro reemplazaría en su cargo al saliente Nicasio Martínez, familiares de Juan Fernando Quintero hicieron un llamado público para que se conociera la verdad sobre los confusos hechos en los que Jaime Quintero desapareció hace 24 años

• “Informe del Secretario General de las Naciones Unidas Sobre la Mision de Verificacion de la Onu en Colombia” (Mision de la ONU en Colombia, January 2, 2020).

Durante el período del Informe, la Misión verificó 20 homicidios de exmiembros de las FARC-EP, sumando 77 asesinatos en 2019, 65 en 2018 y 31 en 2017

• Juan Arredondo, “The Slow Death of Colombia’s Peace Movement” (The Atlantic, January 2, 2020).

Activists, union organizers and dissidents are being killed. Why isn’t the government doing more to protect them?

• “Denuncian Toma de Grupo Paramilitar a Poblados en Bojaya, Choco” (El Tiempo (Colombia), January 2, 2020).

En la zona calculan que sería cerca de 300 hombres con armas largas y cortas, algunos vestidos de civil, quienes tienen confinadas a las comunidades de Pogue, Corazón de Jesús, Loma de Bojayá y Cuia

Cuba

• Marc Frank, “Russia Fills the Void in Cuba Left by Tougher Us Embargo” (The Financial Times (UK), January 2, 2020).

The more recent Russian gestures are more limited in scope and are intended to allow President Vladimir Putin to create trouble in the US’s backyard without incurring major liabilities

Honduras

• Kirk Semple, “Climate Change and Political Chaos: A Deadly Mix in Honduras Dengue Epidemic” (The New York Times, January 2, 2020).

Rising temperatures are increasing the range of disease-bearing mosquitoes globally. But in Honduras, the effects are compounded by government dysfunction and criminal gangs

Mexico

• Manu Ureste, “En 2019, Detenciones de Menores Migrantes y de Ninos No Acompanados Batieron Todos los Records en Mexico” (Animal Politico (Mexico), January 2, 2020).

No hay una cifra superior, ni igual, desde que el INM comenzó a publicar hace 17 años, en 2002, las estadísticas oficiales de detenciones y deportaciones de personas extranjeras sin documentos

• Julia Love, “U.S. Consulate Warns Employees as Gun Battles Rock Mexican Border City” (Reuters, Reuters, January 2, 2020).

The United States consulate in Mexico’s border city of Nuevo Laredo issued a security alert on Wednesday, warning against gun battles and urging government employees to take precautions

• David Saucedo, ““el Mencho” Contra “el Marro”: La Narcoguerra por el Bajio Ahora Pasa de Guanajuato a Queretaro” (SinEmbargo (Mexico), January 2, 2020).

Primero, el Cártel de Santa Rosa de Lima opera en varios municipios del estado de Querétaro que colindan con el estado de Guanajuato. Segundo, el CJNG, nuevamente, ha decido expandirse apoderándose en esta ocasión del estado de Querétaro

• David Martin Davies, “For Migrants in Nuevo Laredo, ‘Remain in Mexico’ Means Remain in Danger” (National Public Radio, January 2, 2020).

“In Matamoros, they are out in the open but they are very close to the port of entry. Whereas here (in Nuevo Laredo) they really are in hiding. They can’t go out of the house”

Venezuela

• Juan Arredondo, “Denuncian Que Nino de Ocho Anos Esta Secuestrado en la Dgcim” (Tal Cual (Venezuela), January 2, 2020).

El niño fue detenido por efectivos de la Dgcim junto a sus padres, cuñado y hermano del capitán Ányelo Heredia, quien se fugó en navidad de 2019 del penal militar de Ramo Verde

• Rosalind S. Helderman, Tom Hamburger, Anthony Faiola, Josh Dawsey, “Trump’s Lawyer and the Venezuelan President: How Giuliani Got Involved in Back-Channel Talks With Maduro” (The Washington Post, January 2, 2020).

The phone conversation involving the Venezuelan president and Trump’s personal lawyer, which has not been previously reported, provides another example of how Giuliani used his private role to insert himself into foreign diplomacy