(Even more here)

March 20, 2020

Brazil

• Oliver Stuenkel, “Bolsonaro Faces His Biggest Crisis – and Is Struggling” (Americas Quarterly, March 20, 2020).

Huge pot-banging protests show how vulnerable Brazil’s president is amid the coronavirus outbreak. Coming days will be critical

• Diane Jeantet, Mauricio Savarese, “Brazil’s Bolsonaro Strives to Regain Leadership Amid Virus” (Associated Press, March 20, 2020).

While many countries around Latin America and the world have quarantined millions, canceled international flights and shut down schools, Brazil has done none of these things

• Tom Phillips, “Bolsonaro’s Son Enrages Beijing by Blaming China for Coronavirus Crisis” (The Guardian, March 20, 2020).

Bolsonaro’s influential politician son Eduardo – who many regard as Brazil’s de facto foreign minister and has close ties to Steve Bannon – enraged Beijing with an incendiary tweet about its role in the pandemic

• Michel Silva, “Why Coronavirus Could Affect the Favelas and How to Prepare” (Favela em Pauta, RioOnWatch (Rio de Janeiro Brazil), March 20, 2020).

Favelas have high population densities, houses in very close proximity to one another, and structural limitations to guaranteeing adequate isolation in case of contamination by the virus

Colombia

• “Entre Enero y Febrero, 6.731 Personas en Colombia Sufrieron Desplazamiento Forzado: Onu” (El Espectador (Colombia), March 20, 2020).

Además, el informe de la Coordinación de Asuntos Humanitarios asegura que 3.437 personas fueron confinadas por el conflicto en los dos primeros meses del año

• Juanita Velez, “La Cara de la Deforestacion Amazonica en Tiempos de Coronavirus” (La Silla Vacia (Colombia), March 20, 2020).

Hay cultivos de coca, sí, pero no son la regla en las miles de hectáreas taladas que vio La Silla Vacía en un sobrevuelo

• Carolina Avila, ““No Me Interesa Quien de los Resultados, Me Importa Encontrar a los Desaparecidos”” (El Espectador (Colombia), March 20, 2020).

Luz Marina Monzón, directora de la Unidad de Búsqueda de Desaparecidos, explica que el trabajo de la entidad

• “Asesinan a Lider del Putumayo Cuando Asistia a Reunion de Erradicacion de Cultivos” (Semana (Colombia), March 20, 2020).

Hacia las 2:30 de la tarde de este jueves, tres hombres armados y vestidos de civil entraron al encuentro, se lo llevaron y lo asesinaron

• Nicolas Sanchez A., “En Plena Pandemia de Covid-19, el Estado Hace Erradicacion Forzada en Catatumbo” (El Espectador (Colombia), March 20, 2020).

Comunidades dicen que sin las matas se quedarían sin sustento. Ministerio de Defensa dice que está adoptando todos los protocolos sanitarios

• “Cessation of Armed Operations by Covid – 19 to President Ivan Duque Marquez” (Numerous organizations, Comisión Intereclesial de Justicia y Paz, March 20, 2020).

Let’s us take advantage of COVID – 19 to think about the life of each one of you, in the life of each of us, in the life of the country, assume the reflection in your crews, fronts, brigades, battalions, commanders

Guatemala

• Adeline Hite, Adriana Beltran, “Q&A: Guatemala’s Controversial Ngo Law” (Washington Office on Latin America, March 20, 2020).

The government’s insistence on approving this law, despite criticism, shows a serious attempt to attack and undermine civil society

• Sofia Menchu, “Guatemala Resumes Deportation Flights of Guatemalans From U.S.” (Reuters, Reuters, March 20, 2020).

Flights deporting people of other nationalities will remain suspended, Guatemala’s foreign ministry and migration institute said

Honduras

• Hector Silva Avalos, “Honduras Goes From Transit Nation to Cocaine Producer” (InsightCrime, March 20, 2020).

Over the last decade, Honduras has seen a proliferation of laboratories capable of transforming coca leaf into cocaine hydrochloride. This means that Honduras, once only a transit point for drugs, is becoming a cocaine producer

• “Honduran Government Declares State of Emergency, Suspends Right to Free Expression” (Committee to Protect Journalists, March 20, 2020).

Honduras’ law on freedom of expression, which operates under Article 72, protects journalists’ right to work without “any persecution,” even under martial law

Mexico

• Nina Lakhani, “Mexico’s Deadly Toll of Environment and Land Defenders Catalogued in Report” (The Guardian, March 20, 2020).

Almost one in three attacks since 2012 targeted defenders opposing energy projects, especially wind and hydroelectric power, according to the Mexican Centre for Environmental Rights

• Deborah Bonello, “Coronavirus Is Leading to Shortages of Fentanyl and Meth” (VICE, March 20, 2020).

Sinaloa cartel operatives in Mexico told VICE this week that importing the chemical precursors they need to make methamphetamine and illicit fentanyl has become harder and more complicated

• Alonso Urrutia, Fabiola Martinez, “La Jornada: Guardia Nacional Alista el Plan Dn-Iii para la Emergencia” (La Jornada (Mexico), March 20, 2020).

Descartó que esto implique la participación castrense en la instauración de un estado de sitio o toque de queda, medidas canceladas en México

• Manu Ureste, “‘Temo al Coronavirus, Pero Temo Mas Morir de Hambre Si No Trabajo’” (Animal Politico (Mexico), March 20, 2020).

Los comerciantes están preocupados por la reestricción por el coronavirus, pues deben trabajar diario para tener dinero, pues viven al día

• Alma E. Muñoz, “La Jornada: Sin Medidas Preventivas, se Efectua Clausura de Curso Inicial para la Gn” (La Jornada (Mexico), March 20, 2020).

En el centro de adiestramiento especializado de la policía militar, en el campo militar número 37-C, hubo 5 mil 400 asistentes, entre 2 mil 740 egresados, familiares –2 mil de ellos en las gradas–, invitados especiales y prensa

Guatemala, Mexico

• “Por el Cuidado de Todas y Todos, Incluyendo las Personas en Contexto de Movilidad Ante la Actual Crisis Humanitaria por el Coronavirus Covid-19” (Numerous organizations, Ibero Caravana Migrante, March 20, 2020).

Cese de las detenciones por razones migratoria, liberacion de todas las personas detenidas en Estaciones Migratorias y Estancias Provisionales y proteccion de personas en situacion de calle

Mexico, U.S.-Mexico Border

• Ben Fox, Elliot Spagat, “Virus Prompts Us and Mexico to Restrict Border Travel” (Associated Press, The Washington Post, March 20, 2020).

Ebrard, reacting to reports that the U.S. planned to send people from elsewhere into his country, including asylum seekers, said Mexico would only accept the return of migrants from his country and Central America

Peru

• Maria Alejandra Campos, “El Presidente de la Crisis” (El Comercio (Peru), March 20, 2020).

Creo que no exagero en decir que el Perú ha sido el país que más rápido ha reaccionado ante la pandemia en el mundo

U.S.-Mexico Border

• “Responding to the Covid-19 Crisis While Protecting Asylum Seekers” (Amnesty International USA, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières USA, Human Rights First, Physicians for Human Rights, Refugees International, Women’s Refugee Commission, Refugees International, March 20, 2020).

Turning back men, women and children seeking refuge is not in accordance with public health guidance and will only endanger more lives and will make all of us less safe

• “In Covid-19 Response, U.S. Should Emphasize Alternatives to Detention” (Washington Office on Latin America, March 20, 2020).

CBP and ICE are law enforcement—not humanitarian—agencies. They lack the institutional orientation necessary for providing long-term, adequate medical care to the adults and families in their custody

• Rafael Carranza, “Migrants Fear Getting Stuck in Mexico as Trump Hints at Border Restrictions” (USA Today, March 20, 2020).

Hundreds of families are waiting in line for up to four months to present their claims before U.S. asylum officials in Nogales, Arizona

Venezuela

• “Venezuela’s Political Quarantine” (The Economist (Uk), March 20, 2020).

The hardliners have a problem. There is no evidence that sanctions alone will get rid of Mr Maduro. That means having to deal with him, one way or another