(Even more here)

February 17, 2020

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Caitlin Dickerson, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, “Border Patrol Will Deploy Elite Tactical Agents to Sanctuary Cities” (The New York Times, February 17, 2020).

Agents from a special tactical team that normally confronts smugglers on the border are being sent to sanctuary cities across the country

• Nick Miroff, Maria Sacchetti, “Trump Administration Taps Elite Border Patrol Units to Arrest Immigrants Inside the United States” (The Washington Post, February 17, 2020).

The deployment, which will send 100 agents from Border Patrol’s highly trained BORTAC teams to embed with ICE agents, comes as the Trump administration has threatened to retaliate against states and jurisdictions

Bolivia

• Brendan o’boyle, “Bolivia Is Still Stuck on Evo Morales” (Americas Quarterly, February 17, 2020).

His recent travels from Argentina to Cuba for “health reasons,” as well as his effort to run for a seat in congress from outside the country, have also kept him front and center in the run-up to May’s vote

Colombia

• Christina Noriega, “‘A Mockery of Us’: Victims’ Families Decry Ex-Colombia Army Chief” (Al Jazeera, February 17, 2020).

Families of men killed in ‘false positives’ scandal accuse Mario Montoya of withholding information in JEP hearing

• ““Como Vamos, No Le Ganaremos la Guerra a la Droga”” (Semana (Colombia), February 17, 2020).

Rafael Pardo acaba de lanzar su libro La guerra sin fin, en el que explica cuál debería ser la política antidrogas. En diálogo con SEMANA, dijo que estrategias como el Plan Colombia no han logrado acabar con este flagelo

• Ricardo Monsalve Gaviria, “Esto Fue Lo Que Dejo el Paro Armado del Eln en el Pais” (El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia), February 17, 2020).

Arauca y Norte de Santander, que es donde se encuentran los frentes de guerra oriental y nororiental de esa organización ilegal, fueron los departamentos que más sintieron el accionar delictivo

• “Asesinan a Comunero Indigena en el Cauca y Amenazan a Comunidades” (El Espectador (Colombia), February 17, 2020).

Emilio Dauqui fue tiroteado en la noche del sábado en el resguardo de Las Delicias, en el municipio de Buenos Aires

• “Los Graves Incidentes de Seguridad Que Tienen Preocupado al Magistrado del Caso Uribe” (El Espectador (Colombia), February 17, 2020).

Por lo menos cuatro episodios ocurridos en su conjunto residencial y en su propia casa tienen en alerta al jurista, quien en los próximos meses deberá presentar una ponencia para definir si la Corte Suprema dicta o no medida de aseguramiento en contra del expresidente

• “Guerra en el Paraiso” (Semana (Colombia), February 17, 2020).

SEMANA estuvo en las selvas y costas chocoanas, corazón de la disputa entre el ELN y el Clan del Golfo

• Ricardo L. Cruz, “General (R) Mario Montoya, ¿Primer Militar Que Podria Ser Excluido de la Jep?” (Verdad Abierta (Colombia), February 17, 2020).

La frustración y molestia fue generalizada, tanto, que se pidió formalmente su exclusión ante la falta de compromiso con la verdad

Colombia, Venezuela

• “Localidad Fronteriza en Apure Acato Paro Ordenado por el Eln en Colombia” (Tal Cual (Venezuela), February 17, 2020).

Calles vacías fueron la constante en el retrato que dejó este viernes 14 de febrero la localidad de El Nula, ubicada en la parroquia fronteriza San Camilo, del estado Apure, en el inicio del paro armado

El Salvador

• Nayib Armando Bukele Ortez, “As el Salvador’s President, I Respect the Separation of Powers” (The Washington Post, February 17, 2020).

Let me be clear: I respect the separation of powers, and anyone who suggested I was using our security forces for anything other than to protect the safety and integrity of the National Assembly is misreporting the truth

Mexico

• Alberto Pradilla, “Solo 50 Condenas por Tortura Tras 27 Mil Investigaciones Desde 2006” (Animal Politico (Mexico), February 17, 2020).

La Comisión Mexicana para la Defensa y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos elabora un informe que evidencia la impunidad de los torturadores

• Noe Torres, Anthony Esposito, Raul Cortes Fernandez, “Family Says Government Did Not Protect Young Girl Murdered in Mexico City” (Reuters, The New York Times, February 17, 2020).

Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Monday appeared to blame the murder of a seven-year-old girl on the neoliberal economic model, angering critics

• “Los Delincuentes Son Seres Humanos y Merecen Nuestro Respeto: Amlo” (Animal Politico (Mexico), February 17, 2020).

El presidente inauguró la nueva instalación y sostuvo que los 69 cuarteles construidos y los próximos a edificarse contribuirán al buen desempeño de sus integrantes

U.S.-Mexico Border

• Lauren Villagran, “‘Somebody Is Making Money Off Those Ladders’: Smugglers Use ‘Camouflage’ Ladders to Cross Border Wall” (The El Paso Times, February 17, 2020).

Smugglers in Juárez have engineered camouflage hook-and-ladders made of rebar that blend in so well with the border wall that it can be hard to detect, according to U.S. Border Patrol

• “Editorial: The President Takes a Campaign Donation From the Pentagon” (The New York Times, February 17, 2020).

Once Mr. Trump was elected, the talking point that became his signature campaign promise then became the signature obsession of his presidency

• Adolfo Flores, “A Border Officer Said They Were Told to Lie About Not Having Enough Space to Process Asylum-Seekers” (BuzzFeed, February 17, 2020).

A CBP officer said in a deposition that supervisors instructed them to lie about not having space to process asylum-seekers at the border

• Joy Olson, “When Desperation Trumps Misery” (Mexico Today, February 17, 2020).

Misery should not be a public policy goal. But, it certainly seems to be if one looks at the experience

Venezuela

• Jorge Rueda, Matias Delacroix, “Denouncing the U.S., Venezuelan Troops and Militias Stage Drills” (Associated Press, Time, February 17, 2020).

Venezuela’s armed forces and civilian militias took the streets in cities, beaches and border regions on Saturday for drills ordered by President Nicolás Maduro