(Even more here)

November 11, 2020

Argentina

• Sean Mattison, “How to Shame a Dictator” (The New York Times, November 11, 2020).

Peaceful protests ensured that the perpetrators could no longer live in quiet anonymity. Now “escrache” is an important tool for activists seeking justice worldwide

Central America Regional

• Rep. Norma Torres (D-California), “Torres, Foreign Affairs Cmte Leaders Urge Stronger Us Response to Hurricane Eta” (U.S. House of Representatives, November 11, 2020).

With more than 100 fatalities and tens of thousands of displaced people, the letter seeks assurances that sufficient resources are delivered to the devastated region

Colombia

• “Denuncian Que Fiscalia y Centro de Memoria Historica Ocultan las Cifras de Desaparecidos” (El Espectador (Colombia), November 11, 2020).

Un equipo de defensores y familiares de víctimas de desaparición forzada en Colombia estableció que la Fiscalía borró 13 años de información sobre el número de víctimas de este delito. Pasó de contabilizar 98.930 víctimas a solo 34.978

• Sergio Saavedra, “«los Policias Dejaron Quemar a Nuestros Hijos»” (Fundación Paz y Reconciliación (Colombia), November 11, 2020).

Nueve (9) jóvenes murieron a causa del fuego en el CAI de San Mateo ante la mirada indolente de más de 20 policías que, lejos de controlar las llamas, dejaron que se propagaran

• “Caso Santrich: La Fiscalia y el Gobierno de Estados Unidos se Negaron a Entregar Pruebas a la Jep” (El Espectador (Colombia), November 11, 2020).

El presidente de la Justicia Especial para la Paz (JEP), Eduardo Cifuentes, relató paso a paso todo lo que hizo esa justicia para obtener las pruebas que incriminaban o absolvían al exjefe guerrillero Jesús Santrich

• Rodrigo Pardo Garcia-Pena, “Proceso de Paz: ¿Que Puede Esperar Colombia de Joe Biden” (Semana (Colombia), November 11, 2020).

El presidente electo conoce a Colombia y las negociaciones con la guerrilla, mejor que cualquiera de sus antecesores. Igual que Iván Duque a Estados Unidos

Ecuador

• Neptali Palma, “Satisfaccion en Autoridades Navales Ecuatorianas al Culminar Maniobras Unitas” (El Universo (Ecuador), November 11, 2020).

De este evento participaron delegados navales de varios países a nivel presencial y virtual debido a la pandemia del COVID-19

• “Seguridad en la Frontera Entre Colombia y Ecuador Alerta a Ee. Uu.” (EFE, El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia), November 11, 2020).

El general Lara se reunió hoy en el sur de Florida con el almirante Craig Faller, jefe el Comando Sur de EE. UU. (SouthCom), en el marco del ejercicio multinacional UNITAS 61

Guatemala

• Sandra Cuffe, “For Indigenous People in Guatemala, Self-Help After Eta Is the Only Way” (The New Humanitarian, November 11, 2020).

Long neglected by the central government, Indigenous communities in rural areas of Guatemala are cut off and fending for themselves

• Jeff Abbott, “Us Accused of Using Covid as Excuse to Deny Children Their Right to Asylum” (The Guardian, November 11, 2020).

Since tighter migration controls were announced in March, US has deported more than 1,400 unaccompanied minors to Guatemala

• Sofia Menchu, “Guatemala to Seek Humanitarian Protection for Citizens in United States” (Reuters, Reuters, November 11, 2020).

“The foreign ministry will, over the course of the week, send the papers to our ambassador in Washington, who will make the request to the U.S. government”

Mexico

• Madeleine Wattenbarger, “Mexico Police Open Fire on Femicide Protest in Cancun” (The Guardian, November 11, 2020).

Human rights activists in Mexico have expressed indignation after police opened fire on protesters who tried to force their way into Cancún city hall during a demonstration against the country’s femicide crisis

• Jose Ramon Cossio Diaz, “Nuestras Violencias Migratorias” (El Pais (Spain), November 11, 2020).

Entre las situaciones más graves del ninguneo gubernamental destacan las condiciones insalubres de los centros de detención y las deportaciones desde Estados Unidos

• Adela Navarro Bello, “La Seguridad No Es una Prioridad” (SinEmbargo (Mexico), November 11, 2020).

Poco se sabe de las estrategias para frenar el crecimiento insano de los cárteles de la droga, y mucho menos de quiénes son aquellos criminales, capos de la droga, u objetivos detonadores de inseguridad como les llaman oficialmente

• “Calls to Punish Police Who Fired at Mexico Women’s Protest” (Associated Press, The Washington Post, November 11, 2020).

Authorities in the Mexican resort of Cancun were urged Tuesday to punish police who fired into the air to disperse a protest over the killings of women, but they disagreed over whether state or municipal police were to blame

• Javier Garza, “The Traumas of Violence in la Laguna” (Mexico Violence Resource Project, November 11, 2020).

How did a sudden wave of violence change life in La Laguna? How did investigative journalism adapt? What is the legacy of that trauma?

• Alfredo Corchado, “Mexico’s President Is Off to a Rocky Start With Biden” (The Dallas Morning News, November 11, 2020).

It’s an inauspicious start for an AMLO-Biden relationship already muddied by the fact that Mexico’s leader snubbed the Democratic presidential nominee in July when he flew to Washington, D.C., to meet with Trump

• Leon Krauze, “By Not Congratulating Biden, Mexico’s President Reveals He Sees a Lot of Himself in Trump” (The Washington Post, November 11, 2020).

By drawing a parallel between Trump’s claims of electoral malfeasance and his own, López Obrador has already chosen a side. Biden will surely notice

Nicaragua

• Ana Lucia Cruz, “Ortega Says He Will “Respect” Trump’s Claim That the Biden Win Was Illegitimate” (Confidencial (Nicaragua), November 11, 2020).

Ortega made his first public appearance in 19 days. He denied that anyone died as a result of Eta. Once more he attacked the April 2018 civic rebellion

Peru

• “Manuel Merino se Reunio Con Comandantes Generales de las Fuerzas Armadas” (El Comercio (Peru), November 11, 2020).

El Congreso informó que Merino recibió a los altos mandos militares, quienes le “expresaron su respaldo a la sucesión establecida en la Constitución Política”

• Alonso Gurmendi Dunkelberg, “What Just Happened in Peru? Understanding Vizcarra’s Sudden Impeachment” (Americas Quarterly, November 11, 2020).

Expect more populism ahead in one of the world’s hardest-hit countries by COVID-19

• Mitra Taj, Anatoly Kurmanaev, “Peru’s Surprise New Leader Stokes Anger, Fear in a Traumatized Country” (The New York Times, November 11, 2020).

The unexpected impeachment of Peru’s president has left the country with a leader few know or trust. Amid devastating pandemic and recession, Peruvians brace for more instability

• Ryan Dube, “Peru’s Manuel Merino Is Sworn in as President” (The Wall Street Journal, November 11, 2020).

The swearing-in of the provincial politician followed a fast-moving impeachment of the popular Mr. Vizcarra on Monday that many Peruvians saw as a crass effort by lawmakers to protect their personal interests and shield themselves from corruption investigations

• Simeon Tegel, Anthony Faiola, “Critics, Protesters Call Removal of Peruvian President a Legislative Coup” (The Washington Post, November 11, 2020).

The ouster of popular anti-corruption crusader Mart�n Vizcarra plunged the South American nation into a new period of instability

• Ralph Zapata, “Manuel Merino: De Comerciante Agricola en Zona de Trabajo Infantil en Tumbes a la Presidencia del Peru” (Ojo Publico (Peru), November 11, 2020).

Hoy –después de ser electo como congresista en 2001, 2011 y en los recientes comicios de enero– ya logró colocarse la banda presidencial

U.S.-Mexico Border

• Erik Ortiz, “Trump’s Border Wall Endangered Ecosystems and Sacred Sites. Could It Come Down Under Biden?” (NBC News, November 11, 2020).

“There will not be another foot of wall constructed on my administration,” Biden told National Public Radio this year, although he would not commit to tearing down parts of the wall that the Trump administration has added

• Kendal Blust, “South of the Wall: U.S. Border Wall Construction Impacts Mexico, but Leaders Are Silent” (Fronteras Desk, November 11, 2020).

While much of the wall constructed under the Trump administration has replaced existing border barriers, these rugged, isolated mountains were previously untouched

Venezuela

• Marianna Parraga, Rinat Sagdiev, Parisa Hafezi, “Phantom Oil Buyers in Russia, Advice From Iran Help Venezuela Skirt Sanctions” (Reuters, Reuters, November 11, 2020).

The falsely named ship is part of the cat-and-mouse game that Caracas is playing with Washington across the globe