(Even more here)

July 30, 2020

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Thelma Gomez Duran, “Latinoamerica: Region Donde Mas Defensores Ambientales Fueron Asesinados en 2019” (Mongabay Latam, Animal Politico (Mexico), July 30, 2020).

Entre los países que registraron el mayor número de asesinatos se encuentran Brasil, México, Honduras, Guatemala, Venezuela y Nicaragua

Bolivia

• Andre Pagliarini, “Bolivia’s Covid-19 Election Nightmare Is a Warning” (The New Republic, July 30, 2020).

While Añez’s legitimacy is questionable at best—the New York Times refers to her as a “caretaker leader”—she will be in power until further notice

Colombia

• “Exfiscal (e) Fabio Espitia, Nuevo Director de la Justicia Penal Militar” (Colprensa, El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia), July 30, 2020).

Espitia estuvo como jefe encargado del búnker durante un poco más de ocho meses, hasta que llegó al cargo el actual fiscal general Francisco Barbosa

• “Senado Aprobo Ascenso al Comandante del Ejercito y a Otros Cinco Oficiales” (Colprensa, El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia), July 30, 2020).

Sin los votos de los partidos de oposición, la plenaria del Senado de la República, aprobó en la noche de éste miércoles los ascensos militares de seis altos oficiales, entre ellos el del comandante del Ejército

• “Padre de Roux Explica por Que se Cancelo el Simposio Con Militares” (El Espectador (Colombia), July 30, 2020).

El presidente de la Comisión de la Verdad afirmó que su decisión de cancelar el evento que estaba organizando por el comisionado Carlos Ospina obedeció a que el coronel Hernán Mejía, condenado por “falsos positivos”, era ponente

• Parker Asmann, “Colombia Vp Drops Criminal Complaint Against Insight Crime” (InsightCrime, July 30, 2020).

The decision came after widespread national and international outcry

• Jose David Escobar Moreno, “Dos Masacres en Menos de 48 Horas, ¿Que Esta Pasando en Cordoba?” (El Espectador (Colombia), July 30, 2020).

Sus riquezas naturales lo han convertido en un departamento disputado por varios grupos ilegales, especialmente dos derivados de las organizaciones paramilitares: los Caparros y las autodenominadas Autodefensas Gaitanistas

• Valentina Parada, “Militares Hacen Ultima Entrega Sobre su Verdad en el Conflicto” (El Espectador (Colombia), July 30, 2020).

Hoy, el Ejército Nacional entrega 16 libros, seis casos y cuatro informes sobre lo que ocurrió en sus ocho divisiones durante el conflicto armado

• Luz Marina Bernal, “The Pandemic Is Yet Another Test for Colombian Human Rights Defenders” (OpenDemocracy (UK), July 30, 2020).

The extrajudicial killing of my son burst the bubble I was living in. This pandemic is yet another test of our endurance and how big our hearts are to help those in need

El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras

• “Serve Your People: A Roadmap for Transforming Relations Between the United States & the Northern Countries of Central America” (Latin America Working Group Education Fund, Kids in Need of Defense, Oxfam America, Climate Refugees, Church World Service, Washington Office on Latin America, Latin America Working Group, July 30, 2020).

Access to protection for migrants and refugees has been eviscerated and the United States has turned a blind eye towards corruption and human rights abuses in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador

U.S.-Mexico Border

• Perla Trevizo, Jeremy Schwartz, “This Private Border Wall Was Already at Risk of Falling Down if Not Fixed. A Hurricane Made Things Worse.” (Propublica, The Texas Tribune, The Texas Tribune, July 30, 2020).

Engineering experts said photos of damage from last weekend’s storms reinforce the idea that building and maintaining a border fence so close to the river poses serious challenges

• c.j. Ciaramella, “Cbp Official Allegedly Said Agents Should ‘Beat That Tonk Like a Pinata Until Candy Comes Out’” (Reason, July 30, 2020).

“Tonk” (sometimes spelled “tonc”) is a slang CBP term for a migrant. It allegedly refers to the sound of hitting someone on the head with a flashlight

• Daniel Gonzalez, “Phoenix Hampton Inn Will No Longer House Detained Migrant Children, Blames Contractor” (The Arizona Republic, July 30, 2020).

The hotel had entered into an agreement but was unaware that the room block, booked by the private contractor, would be used to house migrants in U.S. custody

• Diana Eva Maldonado, “Wait and See: Rio Grande Expected to Crest; Force Evacuations” (The Valley Morning Star (Texas), July 30, 2020).

On Wednesday at 2:15 p.m., engineers said the level of the river had risen to 19.37 feet at a downstream river gauge, prompting the camp past Puente Internacional to enter the “warning” phase of its evacuation plan

• Reynaldo Leanos Jr., “Covid-19 at the Border: Unprecedented Use of Law Expels Migrants ‘as Quickly as Possible’” (National Public Radio, July 30, 2020).

“We apprehend them, we give them a face mask and I ask them if they’re feeling any symptoms, ‘No I’m fine, this and that,’ and then we process them remotely without taking them to the station we’ll process them in a combined area, we process them in the field”

Venezuela

• Elliott Abrams, “Briefing With Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams on Recent Developments in U.S.-Venezuela Policy” (U.S. Department of State, July 30, 2020).

With Maduro still in power and in a position to manipulate the elections and their outcome there can be no free and fair election in Venezuela

• “Ejercito Bolivariano Activa Batallones Comunicacionales, para Combatir la Guerra Mediatica” (Asociación Civil Control Ciudadano (Venezuela), July 30, 2020).

Este taller, busca fomentar la difusión de la axiología militar, tan fundamental como el sentimiento patrio, nacionalismo, justicia, disciplina, responsabilidad, compromiso, humanismo, ética y moral

• Konrad Petraitis, “The Risk of a Military Incident Between Venezuela and the U.S.” (Caracas Chronicles, July 30, 2020).

Venezuelan waters have been a recent stage for incidents between American and Bolivarian military forces. Could this all escalate into actual, frontal war?