(Even more here)

February 28, 2020

Argentina

• “Fernandez se Reunio Con Organismos de Derechos Humanos Luego de Sus Polemicos Dichos” (Perfil (Argentina), February 28, 2020).

El viernes pasado, el presidente Alberto Fernández llamó a “dar vuelta la página” en relación con las Fuerzas Armadas. Sus dichos fueron repudiados por Nora Cortiñas y por organismos de derechos humanos

Bolivia

• John Curiel, Jack R. Williams, “Bolivia Dismissed Its October Elections as Fraudulent. Our Research Found No Reason to Suspect Fraud.” (MIT’s Election Data and Science Lab, The Washington Post, February 28, 2020).

There does not seem to be a statistically significant difference in the margin before and after the halt of the preliminary vote. Instead, it is highly likely that Morales surpassed the 10-percentage-point margin in the first round.

Brazil

• Roberta Paduan, ““o Exercito Esta Sendo Usado Pelo Governo Bolsonaro”, Diz Um Coronel” (Veja (Brazil), February 28, 2020).

Segundo o militar, o presidente está aproveitando a imagem de eficiência das Forças Armadas para satisfazer seus planos de poder

Colombia

• “Emilio Archila Califica de ‘Chambonada’ Informe de la Oficina de dd.hh. De la Onu” (La W Radio (Colombia), February 28, 2020).

Este señor parece que no leyera los reportes de esas agencias sobre la implementación. A este señor cómo se le ocurre decir que no hemos avanzado en los PDET

• Sebastian Forero Rueda, “‘el Gobierno Desprecia la Decision Campesina de Arrancar la Coca’: Eduardo Diaz Uribe” (El Espectador (Colombia), February 28, 2020).

El exdirector del Programa Nacional de Sustitución de Cultivos de Uso Ilícito (PNIS) explicó cuál es la gravedad de que el presidente Iván Duque rompiera el convenio con la ONU para verificar el avance del programa

• “Las Dificultades de las Mujeres en Putumayo para Sustituir los Cultivos de Coca” (El Espectador (Colombia), February 28, 2020).

Denuncian incumplimientos del Gobierno con las familias que se comprometieron a sustituir sus cultivos

• Juanita León, “El Efecto Anti-Teflon de Duque y Otras Conclusiones de la Gallup” (La Silla Vacia (Colombia), February 28, 2020).

Su imagen desfavorable ha pasado de 41 a 71 y su favorable ha caído 20 puntos

• Armando Neira, Luisa Mercado, “Tension Entre el Gobierno y la Onu por Informe de Dd. Hh.” (El Tiempo (Colombia), February 28, 2020).

Este jueves escaló a nivel de confrontación cuando el presidente de la república, Iván Duque, habló de una “intromisión en la soberanía”

Colombia, Venezuela

• Ivan Duque, “Colombia Is Committed to Helping Venezuelan Refugees. But We Can’t Do It Alone.” (The Washington Post, February 28, 2020).

Migrant education costs $160 million per year; emergency health care costs nearly $40 million per year; and water and sanitation services cost $260 million

• Dylan Baddour, “Here’s What Life Looks Like for Venezuelan Refugees Living in Desert Shacks in Colombia” (VICE, February 28, 2020).

This year puts Venezuela on track to rival Syria as the world’s largest contemporary mass migration

Ecuador

• “Gobierno No Escatimara Esfuerzos para Seguridad, Senala Lenin Moreno” (El Universo (Ecuador), February 28, 2020).

Recordó, se invirtió $110 millones en equipamiento militar en el 2019 y se ha pagado $100 millones al Instituto de Seguridad social de las Fuerzas Armadas (Issfa) por una deuda del gobierno pasado

El Salvador

• Anna-Cat Brigida , “Groups Slam New el Salvador Law to Prosecute Civil War Crimes” (Al Jazeera, February 28, 2020).

Rights groups and families of victims call the newly approved measure an ‘amnesty law in disguise’

Guatemala

• Sofia Menchu, Frank Jack Daniel, “Guatemala’s New Anti-Graft Tsar Sets Sights on Government ‘Ghost Jobs’” (Reuters, Reuters, February 28, 2020).

“The presidential commission is totally different from CICIG,” Davila said, describing the new body as an internal affairs unit of the government

Honduras

• Yony Bustillo, “Ff Aa Estima Ahora Solo 1,000 Millones de Lempiras para Programa Agricola” (El Heraldo (Honduras), February 28, 2020).

Alrededor de 1,000 millones de lempiras se proyecta invertir ahora en los próximos cinco años a través del Programa de Desarrollo Agrícola de Honduras (PDAH) de las Fuerzas Armadas

Mexico

• Alejandro Guerrero, “Familias y Fiscalia de Guerrero Hallan 52 Fosas en Lo Que Va de 2020. Ayer, Otra; Con Dos Mujeres” (El Sur (Acapulco Mexico), SinEmbargo (Mexico), February 28, 2020).

Desde 2014 surgieron en Iguala diversos colectivos de familiares de víctimas de desaparición, a consecuencia del caso de los normalistas de Ayotzinapa, y cuyos buscadores de fosas han logrado recuperar 191 cuerpos

U.S.-Mexico Border

• Molly Hennessy-Fiske, “It’s Illegal to Destroy Saguaro Cactuses. So Why Are They Being Removed for Trump’s Border Wall?” (The Los Angeles Times, February 28, 2020).

At least a half-dozen saguaros were uprooted this month by crews clearing a dirt road next to new border fencing at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

• Ryan Devereaux, “The Border Patrol Invited the Press to Watch It Blow Up a National Monument” (The Intercept, February 28, 2020).

86 holes had been dug on the area known as Monument Hill, each one 10 feet deep. Inside the holes were 5 pounds of an ammonium nitrate-based explosive

• Rafael Carranza, Daniel Gonzalez, “Tohono o?Odham Nation Chairman Compares Border Blast to Desecration of Arlington National Cemetery” (The Arizona Republic, February 28, 2020).

Norris accused President Donald Trump’s administration of running “roughshod” over the tribe’s sovereignty

• Tanvi Misra, Camila Dechalus, “Dhs Expands Programs That Fast-Track Asylum Process” (Roll Call, February 28, 2020).

The two pilot programs — the Humanitarian Asylum Review Process (HARP) for Mexican nationals and Prompt Asylum Claim Review (PACR) for everyone else — were launched in October in El Paso, Texas, but as of early February, “they were operational across the border”

• Muzaffar Chishti, Jessica Bolter, “Interlocking Set of Trump Administration Policies at the U.S.-Mexico Border Bars Virtually All From Asylum” (Migration Policy Institute, February 28, 2020).

While the Migrant Protection Protocols, more commonly known as Remain in Mexico, have been a key part of throttling asylum applications, two newer, far less visible programs hold the potential to complete the job

U.S.-Mexico Border, Venezuela

• Arelis R. Hernandez, “Venezuelans Seeking Asylum Present Unique Challenge to Trump Administration” (The Washington Post, February 28, 2020).

While the Trump administration publicly sympathizes with the opposition to the oil-rich country’s socialist leader, Nicolás Maduro, it is also making it more difficult for the country’s political refugees to seek help within the United States