(Even more here)

March 23, 2020

Brazil

• Tom Phillips, “Brazilians Protest Over Bolsonaro’s Muddled Coronavirus Response” (The Guardian, March 23, 2020).

Bolsonaro has continued to downplay the pandemic, despite more than 20 members of a delegation he recently led to the US becoming infected with Covid-19

• Jamie Mcgeever, Pedro Fonseca, “Brazil’s Bolsonaro Plays Down Coronavirus Risk as Cases Top 1,500” (Reuters, Reuters, March 23, 2020).

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has denied the country’s healthcare system will collapse next month, contradicting his own health minister as the number of deaths in the country jumped 39%

Colombia

• Natalia Herrera Durán, ““General Montoya Es un Monstruo Que Le Hace Dano el Ejercito”: Coronel Amortegui” (El Espectador (Colombia), March 23, 2020).

Álvaro Amórtegui, teniente coronel del Ejército, asegura que el general ( r) Mario Montoya sí dio órdenes para cometer falsos positivos. También denuncia episodios de corrupción

• “¿Como Afecta el Coronavirus la Implementacion del Acuerdo de Paz?” (El Tiempo (Colombia), March 23, 2020).

“Hemos tomado medidas para que las reuniones entre el orden nacional y los municipios se hagan de manera virtual y que no se suspenda el cumplimiento a las comunidades”, dijo Archila

• “Asesinato de Lideres Sociales: La Otra Pandemia Que el Gobierno se Niega a Enfrentar” (El Espectador (Colombia), March 23, 2020).

Lo sucedido con Marco Rivadeneira pone de presente la indolencia con la cual el gobierno actúa frente al asesinato de líderes sociales

• “Los Homicidios Contra Lideres Sociales Ocultos por la Peste del Coronavirus” (El Espectador (Colombia), March 23, 2020).

El pasado jueves 19 de marzo, nada más, fueron asesinados tres defensores de derechos humanos por sicarios

• Luis Robayo, Florence Panoussian, “Colombia’s Narco-Submarines – a Photo Essay” (Agence France Presse, The Guardian, March 23, 2020).

For years, they were referred to in hushed tones simply as “Big Foot” – a mythical creature rumored but never seen – but these days, the narco-submarines used by Colombia’s drug cartels have become almost commonplace

• “Tras Enfrentamientos Hay 23 Muertos y 83 Heridos en Carcel la Modelo” (El Tiempo (Colombia), March 23, 2020).

Varios presos de diferentes penitenciarías han pedido que haya excarcelaciones para evitar tragedias en estos lugares que tienen un nivel de hacinamiento en promedio del 53 %

• “23 Inmates Dead After Protest Over Virus Fears in Colombia” (Associated Press, The New York Times, March 23, 2020).

Justice Minister Margarita Cabello described the events at the La Modelo prison in Bogota as an attempted prison escape, but advocates for inmates said officials had cracked down on inmates staging a peaceful protest over conditions they feared would exacerbate infections

• “Flash Update No. 1 – Confinamiento y Desplazamiento Masivo en el Municipio de Alto Baudo (Choco) – Marzo 2020” (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, March 23, 2020).

Autoridades locales alertaron sobre el confinamiento de al menos 3.083 personas (824 familias) pertenecientes a 23 comunidades indígenas y afrocolombianas en zona rural del municipio del Alto Baudó

Cuba

• Coco Fusco, “Love Among the Ruins” (The New York Review of Books, March 23, 2020).

A fetishized version of the Cuban Revolution as a triumphant counterpoint to global capitalism—the state’s most powerful intangible commodity—continues to cast its spell on outsiders

Honduras

• Fernando Silva, “A la Pandemia se Suma la Corrupcion en Honduras” (Contra Corriente, March 23, 2020).

El miedo a la enfermedad se coloca en la balanza con el nivel de desconfianza que ha generado el gobierno del presidente Juan Orlando Hernández a raíz de los diversos casos de corrupción dados en su gobierno

Mexico, Western Hemisphere Regional

• Mathieu Tourliere, “Mexico Truena Contra Almagro en Asamblea Donde Fue Reelecto Como Secretario General de la Oea” (Proceso (Mexico), March 23, 2020).

La embajadora Luz Elena Baños Rivas, representante de México ante la Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA), criticó con vehemencia la reelección “muy lamentable” del uruguayo Luis Almagro

Mexico

• ““Cuando Desperte, Ya No Tenia Piernas”” (MÉDICOS SIN FRONTERAS, Proceso (Mexico), March 23, 2020).

La persecución y la criminalización de los migrantes los hace más vulnerables y en muchas ocasiones se ven obligados a elegir rutas más peligrosas para evadir los controles migratorios

• Mathieu Tourliere, “Amlo Agradece a Trump por No Cerrar la Frontera Ante Epidemia de Covid-19” (Proceso (Mexico), March 23, 2020).

Desde las primeras horas de este sábado, el gobierno de Estados Unidos restringió el cruce fronterizo terrestre a los “viajes no esenciales” –es decir, a los viajes de ocio y turismo–, pero deja que los trabajadores y las mercancías pasen al otro lado

Mexico, U.S.-Mexico Border

• Julia Love, Mica Rosenberg, “Sprawling Mexican Border Camp Ill-Prepared for Coronavirus” (Reuters, Reuters, March 23, 2020).

Migrants in a sprawling encampment steps from the U.S. border in Matamoros, Mexico, have begun to isolate as best they can in their closely packed tents in preparation for the arrival of the coronavirus

Nicaragua

• Jeff Ernst, “El Gobierno de Nicaragua Ignora al Coronavirus y Prepara una Semana Santa Con Actos Masivos” (Univision, March 23, 2020).

“Es evidente que no hay un compromiso. No hay una preocupación con la ciudadanía, con el valor de la vida humana y el derecho de la salud”

U.S.-Mexico Border

• Nina Lakhani, “Construction of Us-Mexico Border Wall Proceeds Despite Coronavirus Pandemic” (The Guardian, March 23, 2020).

As medical experts and local officials implore Americans to stay at home and observe social distancing, construction crews at multiple sites continue to work, sleep and eat in close quarters

• Azam Ahmed, Miriam Jordan, Kirk Semple, “A Closed Border, Dashed Hopes and a Looming Disaster” (The New York Times, March 23, 2020).

In practice, the United States will deport anyone caught crossing between official ports of entry, including those hoping to turn themselves in, denying them access to asylum and potentially sending them back into harm’s way

• “Illegal Border Crossings Drop by Half as New Coronavirus U.S.-Mexico Border Policies Go Into Effect: Dhs” (Associated Press, KTLA, March 23, 2020).

Wolf said Sunday on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” that the number of migrants crossing illegally had plummeted

• “Asylum-Seekers Waiting in Mexico Rarely Find Lawyers” (Associated Press, The New York Times, March 23, 2020).

Only 5.3% of asylum-seekers subject to the Migrant Protection Protocols, as the policy is officially known, had lawyers through the end of January, compared with 85% for asylum-seekers nationwide

Venezuela

• Nathaniel Popper, Ana Vanessa Herrero, “The Coder and the Dictator” (The New York Times, March 23, 2020).

Gabriel Jiménez hated the Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro. But he loved cryptocurrency. When he built the regime a digital coin, he nearly paid with his life

• “Venezuelan Journalist Arrested by Special Forces Following Coronavirus Coverage” (Committee to Protect Journalists, March 23, 2020).

Rojas posted several tweets reporting that a group of armed and masked FAES agents had arrived at his home and told him to accompany them to their headquarters, claiming that they received an anonymous call that Rojas might be infected with COVID-19

• Reynaldo Mozo Zambrano, ““Ademas del Coronavirus Esta el Peligro de las Faes”, Advierten Defensores de Ddhh” (Efecto Cocuyo (Venezuela), March 23, 2020).

Tras la orden de cuarentena, que comenzó el lunes en seis estados y 24 horas después se aplicó en todo el país, Efecto Cocuyo ha hecho recorridos en Caracas, donde se han visto a funcionarios de las Faes con armas largas en las calles

• Christopher M. Matthews, Ian Talley, Aruna Viswanatha, “U.S. Targets Venezuela’s Maduro Regime With Fresh Charges, Sanctions” (The Wall Street Journal, March 23, 2020).

Some of the actions have been delayed in part by the coronavirus pandemic. But senior U.S. officials say they are part of a Trump administration effort to double down on its pressure campaign