(Even more here)

July 15, 2020

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Vanda Felbab-Brown, “Bargaining With the Devil to Avoid Hell? A Discussion Paper on Negotiations With Criminal Groups in Latin America and the Caribbean” (Brookings Institution, Institute for Integrated Transitions, July 15, 2020).

Whether and how to negotiate amnesty and accountability questions with unconventional armed actors, including violent organised crime groups such as mafia, gang networks and drug cartels

• Spencer Ackerman, “‘They Put Us in Here to Let Us Die’: Ice Prison Sees Outbreak of Coronavirus—and Guard Violence” (The Daily Beast, July 15, 2020).

Over two-thirds of migrants locked up at a private ICE facility tested positive for COVID-19. “You don’t treat humans like this. You don’t treat dogs like this,” one detainee said

Brazil

• Felipe Neto, “Trump Isn’t the Worst Pandemic President” (The New York Times, July 15, 2020).

Mr. Neto is not normally one to comment on politics. He usually sticks to entertaining his 38 million followers on YouTube with his comedic takes on pop culture. But as the death toll mounts, he’s become more outspoken

• Andre Pagliarini, “Deb Haaland’s Plan to Embarrass Jair Bolsonaro” (The New Republic, July 15, 2020).

Haaland is preparing a floor amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would revoke Brazil’s designation as a major non-NATO ally.

Colombia

• Laura Soto, “La Formula de los Lideres Sociales para Que No los Maten: Cumplir Con el Acuerdo de Paz” (La Silla Vacia (Colombia), July 15, 2020).

Después de años de esperar una solución desde el Gobierno a esta tragedia, organizaciones de líderes están ofreciendo la suya: que Duque cumpla con el Acuerdo de Paz

• Ricardo Monsalve Gaviria, “Erradicacion Forzosa de la Hoja de Coca y la Polemica por las Cifras” (El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia), July 15, 2020).

Las metas impuestas por el Gobierno generan un riesgo inmenso de que las cifras de resultados se conviertan en “falsos positivos” de erradicación

• “Editorial: Asi No Hay Como Debatir” (El Espectador (Colombia), July 15, 2020).

La forma irresponsable que escogió el exministro Juan Carlos Pinzón para criticar a la Comisión de la Verdad es violenta y tiene connotaciones graves

• “Colombia: Armed Groups’ Brutal Covid-19 Measures” (Human Rights Watch, July 15, 2020).

The armed groups have imposed brutal “punishments,” including killings, on people for allegedly failing to comply

• “Mision Militar de Ee. Uu. Seguira Suspendida, a Pesar de Pedido del Centro Democratico” (El Espectador (Colombia), July 15, 2020).

Un fallo de tutela le ordenó al presidente Iván Duque suspender la misión militar del comando sur del Ejército estadounidense en Colombia, pues nunca tuvo el visto bueno del Senado, como ordena la Constitución

• “Security Council: Colombia” (UN Security Council, United Nations, July 15, 2020).

“I encourage all parties to redouble measures to improve protection and security for women, including women former combatants, social leaders and human rights defenders,” he said

• “Statement by Special Representative of the Secretary-General Mr. Carlos Ruiz Massieu for United Nations Security Council Briefing on Colombia” (Mision de la ONU en Colombia, July 15, 2020).

Sin duda, la violencia contra quienes dejaron las armas en el contexto del Acuerdo, y contra quienes defienden los derechos humanos y los derechos de las comunidades devastadas por el conflicto, sigue siendo la amenaza más grave para la consolidación de paz

Colombia, Venezuela

• Megan Janetsky, “For Venezuelan Migrants Living in Colombia, the Road Home Is Paved With Mixed Messages” (Voice of America, July 15, 2020).

Gutierrez said she wants to return home to Venezuela just as 81,000 other Venezuelans had done by the end of June, according to Colombia’s border control agency

• Venezuela Investigative Unit, “Venezuela’s Gangs Push Deeper Into Colombia” (InsightCrime, July 15, 2020).

Venezuela’s economic tailspin has caused megabandas to abandon longtime strongholds and change their activities

Honduras

• “Body of Missing Environmentalist Found in Honduras” (Agence France Presse, Yahoo!, July 15, 2020).

Castro, who was a member of a network of environmental defense groups in southern Honduras, had last week expressed fears for his life to the National Protection System

• Parker Asmann, “How ‘el Chapo’ Allegedly Helped Put One of Trump’s ‘Proven Partners’ Into Power” (Business Insider, July 15, 2020).

As evidence of wrongdoing has mounted against Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, US officials have only embraced him tighter

Mexico

• David Marcial Perez, ““Susana Corona, su Busqueda Ha Terminado”” (El Pais (Spain), July 15, 2020).

EL PAÍS acompaña a una madre durante el proceso de identificación genética y entrega de los restos de su hijo, desaparecido en 2017 en Nayarit

• “La ‘Verdad Historica’ Sobre Desaparicion de 43 Normalistas Encubria al Ejercito” (Riodoce (Sinaloa Mexico), July 15, 2020).

Ocultó la participación directa en los hechos de elementos del Ejército Mexicano, presuntamente corrompidos por el cártel Guerreros Unidos

• “Guerra Intestina en el Cartel de Sinaloa Sube de Tono: Capo de Bc Recluta Jovenes para Ir a Pelear” (Revista Zeta (Tijuana Mexico), SinEmbargo (Mexico), July 15, 2020).

La división dentro de la estructura criminal del Cártel de Sinaloa entre “Los Chapitos”, como se conoce a los hijos de Joaquín Guzmán Loera y Jesús Alexander Sánchez Félix , alias “El Ruso”, lugarteniente de Ismael “Mayo” Zambada, se intensificó

• Luis Carlos Sainz, “Hay una Guerra Obvia Entre Cjng y Santa Rosa, en Guanajuato. Y se Libra Otra, Entre las Autoridades” (Revista Zeta (Tijuana Mexico), SinEmbargo (Mexico), July 15, 2020).

El Gobierno federal y el de Guanajuato han polarizado desde la liberación de la madre de “El Marro”, en junio pasado

Venezuela

• “Venezuela: Un Releases Report on Criminal Control of Mining Area and Wider Justice Issues” (UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, July 15, 2020).

People working in the Arco Minero del Orinoco region in Venezuela are caught up in a context of labour exploitation and high levels of violence by criminal groups that control the mines in the area

• Luna Perdomo, “Informe Provea: 2019 Tuvo una Cifra Record de Torturas Con 574 Victimas” (Tal Cual (Venezuela), July 15, 2020).

Durante la gestión de Maduro, Provea registra un total de 34.135 violaciones a la integridad personal con torturas, heridas, tratos crueles e inhumanos, amenazas, hostigamientos contra trabajadores y dirigentes políticos, pero con una cifra récord de torturas el año pasado

• “Editorial: Maduro’s New Consolidation Strategy Seeks to Eliminate the Opposition — and Will Hurt Venezuela” (The Washington Post, July 15, 2020).

The United States and other nations that strongly backed Mr. Guaidó are facing the unmitigated failure of their efforts to remove the regime through sanctions or negotiations

• Tim Padgett, “Expats Ask: Is Trump’s Venezuela Campaign ‘Under Control’ or Under Chaos?” (WLRN, July 15, 2020).

Two opposition leaders close to Guaidó (who asked not to be identified because they’re not authorized to speak for him) told WLRN the idea of an armed insurgency has regularly been discussed