(Even more here)

November 19, 2020

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Joaquin Cottani, “The Effects of Covid-19 on Latin America’s Economy” (Center for Strategic and International Studies, November 19, 2020).

While recovery is expected next year, its extent is likely to be limited, leaving economic output well below the pre-Covid level by the end of 2021

Bolivia

• “Bolivia: El Pueblo de Senkata Exige Justicia a un Ano de la Masacre” (Pagina12 (Argentina), November 19, 2020).

Vecinos de la ciudad de El Alto y representantes de organizaciones sociales encabezaron una marcha en memoria de los caídos

Chile

• “Renuncia Director de la Policia de Chile Tras Disparos de Uniformados Contra Menores” (Associated Press, Milenio (Mexico), November 19, 2020).

El hecho ocurrido en el Servicio Nacional de Menores de Talcahuano, ubicado a unos 430 kilómetros al sur de Santiago, donde la policía en un procedimiento disparó contra dos niños en una institución a cargo del Estado

Colombia

• Alejandra Ortiz-Ayala, “Con los Pies en la Tierra” (El Espectador (Colombia), November 19, 2020).

En su mayoría los soldados reconocieron que la erradicación forzada no resuelve los problemas que hacen posible la existencia de los cultivos ilícitos en el país

• Mariana Palau, “The ‘False Positives’ Scandal That Felled Colombia’s Military Hero” (The Guardian, November 19, 2020).

When the Colombian army defeated the Farc guerrillas, ending decades of conflict, General Mario Montoya was hailed a national hero. But then it was revealed that thousands of ‘insurgents’ executed by the army were in fact innocent men

• Juan Franco, Michael Evans, “Us-Opposed Probe of Colombian Ex-President Uribe Is Essential Step in Long Road to Peace” (Naitonal Security Archive, Just Security, November 19, 2020).

Any future cooperation between the United States and Colombia on matters of mutual concern will require the support of the Colombian people. That will not be forthcoming if the United States appears to be encouraging an end-run around justice

• “Prorroga de la Ley de Victimas por 10 Anos Mas Fue Aprobada en Ultimo Debate” (El Espectador (Colombia), November 19, 2020).

Aunque la propuesta era extenderla por 15 años más, finalmente se prorrogó por 10 para no diferir de lo aprobado por Cámara y así no crear inconvenientes en el trámite. La iniciativa pasa a sanción presidencial

Cuba

• Rep. Jim Mcgovern (d-massachusetts), Rep. Eliot Engel (D-New York), “Mcgovern, Engel Condemn Trump Administration Restrictions on Remittances to Cuban Families” (U.S. House of Representatives, November 19, 2020).

The Treasury Department’s decision to prohibit U.S. remittance senders from using the most widely used financial intermediary in Cuba will disrupt remittance flows to families and further restrict support for the emerging private sector

Dominican Republic

• Parker Asmann, “Corrupt New York Cop Crucial Link in Dominican Drug Trafficking Ring” (InsightCrime, November 19, 2020).

Transnational criminal groups could not operate successfully without the complacency of law enforcement in the United States

El Salvador

• Joshua Goodman, “El Salvador Taps New Dc Lobbyist in Pivot to Biden” (Associated Press, Associated Press, November 19, 2020).

The firm’s sole employee and executive director is Brian Dean, a Latin American specialist who led the state of Florida’s efforts to expand trade in the region when Jeb Bush was governor

Honduras

• Jeff Ernst, “‘This Was Worse Than Eta’: Hurricane Iota Brings Repeat Destruction to Honduras” (The Guardian, November 19, 2020).

About 2.9 million people in Honduras were affected by Eta

• Carlos Barrera, Carlos Martinez, “Iota Convierte la Capital Economica de Honduras en una Isla” (El Faro (El Salvador), November 19, 2020).

Aguantar. Ese es el verbo que parece regir las cosas en el Valle de Sula, en el norte hondureño

• Marna Shorack, Elizabeth G. Kennedy, Amelia Frank-Vitale, “A State of Mistrust” (NACLA, November 19, 2020).

Questionable homicide numbers, a murky police purge, and a pervasive distrust of authorities in Honduras reveal deep state failures that enable violence and impunity

Mexico

• “La Cofradia Secreta de Cienfuegos Doblo a la Dea. La Llaman “el Sindicato”” (EmeEquis (Mexico), November 19, 2020).

Un grupo de poder dentro del Ejército mexicano se movilizó para presionar al presidente Andrés Manuel López Obrador para que girara instrucciones de traer a casa, sano y salvo, al exsecretario de la Defensa Nacional. Era eso o enfrentar una rebelión en la tropa

• Sugeyry Romina Gandara, “Aca Tiene Pendientes (Ayotzinapa, Tlatlaya, Apatzingan); Juzguen al General, Piden Activistas y Ongs” (SinEmbargo (Mexico), November 19, 2020).

Casos como la desaparición de los 43 normalistas de Ayotzinapa, Calera y masacres como Apatzingán, Tlatlaya y Nochixtlán dejaron huella en el sexenio de Enrique Peña Nieto. En la mayoría de ellos se ha documentado la participación del Ejército

• Alberto Pradilla, “Dictan Formal Prision Contra Primer Militar Vinculado al Caso Ayotzinapa” (Animal Politico (Mexico), November 19, 2020).

La acusación es por presuntos vínculos con la organización Guerreros Unidos, a la que se atribuye la responsabilidad de la desaparición de los 43 estudiantes de Ayotzinapa el 26 de septiembre de 2014

• Eduardo Guerrero GutiÉrrez, “Cienfuegos: ¿Inocente o Intocable?” (El Financiero (Mexico), November 19, 2020).

AMLO y Marcelo Ebrard operaron fuerte para el regreso a México de Cienfuegos, y lo hicieron porque a su vez se toparon con una enorme presión de la cúpula militar

• Kevin Sieff, Nick Miroff, “The Sniper Rifles Flowing to Mexican Cartels Show a Decade of U.S. Failure” (The Washington Post, November 19, 2020).

In a country with just a single legal gun shop, on a military base in the capital, roughly 2.5 million illicit American guns have poured across the border in the past decade

• “Asegura Amlo Que No Habra Impunidad Ni ‘Carpetazo’ en el Caso Cienfuegos” (Riodoce (Sinaloa Mexico), November 19, 2020).

“No existe un acuerdo de impunidad” en el caso del general Salvador Cienfuegos, ni se le dará “carpetazo”, sostuvo esta mañana Andrés Manuel López Obrador

• Kevin Sieff, Shayna Jacobs, “Mexico Welcomes U.S. Release of Accused Former Defense Minister, but Episode Has Deepened Mistrust on Both Sides” (The Washington Post, November 19, 2020).

Current and former law enforcement officials expressed frustration that such an important case was spiked

• Keegan Hamilton, Emily Green, Deborah Bonello, “Mexico Threatened to Kick Out the Dea to Get Us Charges Dropped Against Former Top General” (VICE, November 19, 2020).

The Mexican government threatened to kick out the DEA and limit cooperation with the U.S. on international narcotics investigations unless criminal charges were dropped

• Alan Feuer, Natalie Kitroeff, “Mexico, Outraged at Arrest of Ex-Official, Threatened to Toss U.S. Agents” (The New York Times, November 19, 2020).

Mexican officials made the threat after weeks of anger at the surprise arrest of a former defense minister. Their gambit appears to have worked — the charges were dropped

• Maria Verza, Mark Stevenson, “Mexico Says No More Us Trials for Corrupt Officials” (Associated Press, Associated Press, November 19, 2020).

The announcement suggests the fallout from the arrest of former Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos — which enraged Mexico when the Justice Department announced it last month — is far broader than previously known

Peru

• Veronica Hurtado Lozada, “A New Era of Protest Rocks Peru” (NACLA, November 19, 2020).

Like Brigada Verde, hundreds of small, decentralized organizations formed through social media to coordinate the week-long mobilizations that ousted the interim president

• Marcelo Rochabrun, “Peru’s Youth Has Taken Down a President. Now They Want More” (Reuters, November 19, 2020).

That could see Peru follow in the footsteps of Andean neighbor Chile, which in the wake of fiery street demonstrations last year is now rewriting its constitution

U.S.-Mexico Border

• Camilo Montoya-Galvez, “Judge Rules Border Agents Can’t Use Covid-19 Order to Expel Migrant Children” (CBS News, November 19, 2020).

In a two-page order, Judge Emmet Sullivan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said unaccompanied migrant children who are taken into custody by border officials must be afforded the safeguards Congress established for them

• Nick Miroff, “Judge Stops Trump Policy of ‘Expelling’ Child Migrants, Questioning Legality of Border Controls Linked to Covid Crisis” (The Washington Post, November 19, 2020).

The government is expected to seek an immediate stay of the injunction and appeal Sullivan’s ruling

Venezuela

• Isayen Herrera, Anatoly Kurmanaev, Tibisay Romero, Sheyla Urdaneta, “They Championed Venezuela’s Revolution. They Are Now Its Latest Victims.” (The New York Times, November 19, 2020).

In an effort to complete his consolidation of power, Nicolas Maduro is cracking down on the leftist activists who once supported him, but have begun to speak up against his administration’s corruption and cronyism

• “Us Appoints First Venezuela Ambassador in a Decade Amid Tensions” (Al Jazeera, November 19, 2020).

James Story will work from the capital of neighbouring Colombia