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July 31, 2020
Western Hemisphere Regional
- “The Return of Rigged Elections in Latin America” (The Economist (Uk), July 31, 2020).
A worrying new trend of banning politicians from running
- Teresa Garcia Castro, “Trans Women Behind Bars: Strategies for Resistance in the Midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic” (Washington Office on Latin America, July 31, 2020).
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on trans women deprived of liberty has been disproportionate in comparison with other groups, particularly because of the diverse intersectionalities affecting their lives
- Anna Giaritelli, “Trump’s Ice Chief Matt Albence Leaving Post” (The Washington Examiner, July 31, 2020).
One source, a senior administration official, described being “afraid” about whom President Trump may tap to replace Albence, describing Albence as someone who knows the agency inside out and was a barrier between ICE and pressures from the White House
Bolivia
- “Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia Monitoreo de Cultivos de Coca 2019” (UN Office on Drugs and Crime, July 31, 2020).
Los resultados del monitoreo para el final de 2019 muestran un 10% de incremento de la superficie con cultivos de coca con respecto al mismo periodo del 2018
Colombia
- “Sin la Oposicion, Plenaria del Senado Aprobo Ascenso del General Zapateiro” (El Espectador (Colombia), July 31, 2020).
Contra el uniformado figuran dos procesos activos a nivel penal: uno por peculado por apropiación y otro por tráfico de influencias. También tiene cuatro investigaciones disciplinarias en estudio preliminar
- ““Con la Misma Grandeza Con Que Tratan a los Soldados Victimas, Acojan a las Victimas del Estado y las Fuerzas Militares”” (Comision de la Verdad (Colombia), July 31, 2020).
Palabras de Francisco de Roux durante la entrega, de parte del Ejército Nacional de Colombia, del informe ‘En surcos de dolores’
- Manuel Rueda, Cesar Garcia, “Explosion Deaths Reveal Desperation Among Colombia’s Poor” (Associated Press, July 31, 2020).
On the morning of July 6, many in Tasajera saw the fuel truck’s crash as an opportunity for some extra money
- “El Descontrol Militar en Guayabero Deja Civiles Heridos y el Estado Calla” (La Liga Contra el Silencio (Colombia), July 31, 2020).
La campaña de erradicación de cultivos ilícitos que adelanta la Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Omega en la región del río Guayabero deja heridos, hambre y miedo. Ninguna institución ha querido responder por esta violencia oficial
- “¿por Que Ejercito y Policia No Reaccionan Con Contundencia en el Sur de Cordoba?” (Verdad Abierta (Colombia), July 31, 2020).
Líderes sociales expresan su preocupación por la facilidad con la que se mueven los grupos armados ilegales en veredas y corregimientos
- “Dos Policias y un Civil Muertos en Medio de Procesos de Erradicacion Forzosa” (Comisión Intereclesial de Justicia y Paz, July 31, 2020).
Los uniformados de la policía antinarcóticos y un erradicador civil murieron al caer en un campo minado. Otros tres uniformados de la policía nacional resultaron heridos
- Andrés Bermúdez Liévano, “La Comision de la Verdad y los Empresarios Aun No Logran Vencer la Desconfianza” (La Silla Vacia (Colombia), July 31, 2020).
Las tensiones al interior de la Comisión han aflorado públicamente a raíz de la filtración, este fin de semana, de una carta escrita por el comisionado y mayor retirado del Ejército Carlos Guillermo Ospina, calificando la cancelación de un evento de la Comisión el viernes pasado con militares como censura
- “Jep Le Ordena al Gobierno Nacional Proteger a Exguerrilleros Amenazados” (El Espectador (Colombia), July 31, 2020).
La decisión se tomó luego de constatar la grave situación de vulneración a sus derechos fundamentales
- Jake Kincaid, “Legality of U.S. Drug War Aid Challenged in Congress and Colombia” (The Miami Herald, July 31, 2020).
Democrats in the House of Representatives are pushing back on President Trump’s escalation of the war on drugs and asking for an investigation into the use of U.S. funds in Colombia
Cuba
- Nora Gamez Torres, Mario J. Penton, “Dollar Remittances to Cuba Are in Limbo After French Bank Drops Cuban Accounts” (The Miami Herald, July 31, 2020).
Due to pressure from the administration and fear of U.S. sanctions, the French bank Crédit Mutuel halted services to Fincimex, a Cuban company that controls remittances and is linked to the military
El Salvador
- “Editorial: Bukele Amenaza al Periodismo” (El Faro (El Salvador), July 31, 2020).
Bukele ha fabricado una realidad alternativa según la cual él es el único defensor del pueblo frente lo que llama “los mismos de siempre”, una categoría en la que incluye a cualquiera que exprese una crítica o no se pliegue a sus deseos
- “Uss Kidd and el Salvadoran Forces Unite for Passex” (U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command / U.S. 4th Fleet, U.S. Southern Command, July 31, 2020).
The Kidd conducted a brief stop to refuel in port Acajulta, marking the first time in nearly three years that a U.S. Navy warship has visited El Salvador
Honduras
- Maria Ines Taracena, “Garifuna Community Demands Return of Kidnapped Leaders” (NACLA, July 31, 2020).
Five Garífuna men were kidnapped on July 18 in Triunfo de la Cruz, Honduras. Miriam Miranda of the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras says authorities are complacent toward rising violence against the Garífuna people
Mexico
- Ginger Thompson, “New York Grand Jury Indicts Two Former Leaders of Mexico’s Drug War for Cartel Connections” (ProPublica, July 31, 2020).
Andrew Selee, a longtime expert on Mexico at the Migration Policy Institute, said, “That’s incredible,” and added that they would “force us to rethink everything we thought we knew” about the recent anti-narcotics efforts in Mexico
- Mark Stevenson, “Vehicles Burned in Mexico to Protest Us Water Payment” (Associated Press, The Washington Post, July 31, 2020).
Mexico has fallen behind in the amount of water it must send north from its dams under a 1944 treaty, but farmers in the northern state of Chihuahua want the water
Nicaragua
- Cindy Regidor, ““Gobierno Sinverguenza” Maltrata a Migrantes Nicas y Genera Crisis Humanitaria” (Confidencial (Nicaragua), July 31, 2020).
La situación de hacinamiento, incertidumbre, hambre, frío, lluvia, sol y falta de condiciones mínimas en la que se encuentran los más de 500 nicas califica como maltrato gubernamental y una grave violación a los derechos humanos
U.S.-Mexico Border
- “Border Agents Spend $1.3m in Taxpayer Money to Violently Quell Police Brutality Protests” (Southern Border Communities Coalition, July 31, 2020).
Data from USASpending.gov reveals that CBP has gone on a shopping spree as it looks to become a national police force
- Valerie Gonzalez, “Guatemalan Teenager Held in Network of Hotels, Hidden From Her Own Attorney” (KRGV (McAllen Texas), July 31, 2020).
A teenage Guatemalan girl staying at a McAllen hotel was moved at midnight May 15 to another city hundreds of miles away
- Sandra Sanchez, “Rising Rio Grande Threatens Migrant Tent Encampment in Matamoros” (Border Report, July 31, 2020).
The river was hovering around the 19-foot-mark, but additional rains could easily send the river above the 21-foot mark, threatening the camp of about 1,200 asylum-seekers
Venezuela
- Sofia Nederr, “Estado de Excepcion Es un Terreno Amplio para Excesos de Militares y Policias” (Tal Cual (Venezuela), July 31, 2020).
El criminólogo Keymer Ávila indica que los sobornos o el matraqueo son algo predecible en el marco de la cuarenterna por discrecionalidad de los cuerpos armados
- Vivian Salama, “2 Us Oil Executives Released From Venezuela Prison to House Arrest” (CNN, July 31, 2020).
Gustavo Cárdenas and Jorge Toledo were released to house arrest on Thursday evening, days after a humanitarian visit to Caracas by former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and a team of nongovernment negotiators
- “Us Frowns Upon Iranian Supermarket in Venezuela’s Capital” (Associated Press, The Seattle Times, July 31, 2020).
Acting Assistant Secretary for U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Michael Kozak told journalists in a call that the opening of the market shows this is like an alliance of “pariah” states