(Even more here)

November 25, 2020

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Emily Green, “Trump’s Doj Backs Down on Deporting Women Alleging Ice Gynecological Abuse” (VICE, November 25, 2020).

As many as a dozen women will have their deportations delayed until President-elect Joe Biden takes office in January

Bolivia

• Ivan Alejandro Paredes Tamayo, “Indagacion de la Cidh Tendra Tres Ejes; Las Victimas Son el Tema Central” (El Deber (Bolivia), November 25, 2020).

El GIEI-Bolivia está conformado por cinco expertos. Los especialistas garantizaron ‘independencia’ y un trabajo ‘imparcial’ en la investigación de los hechos del año pasado. El Gobierno comprometió apoyo

• “Fiscalia Boliviana Detiene a Primer Jefe Militar por Violencia Politica en 2019” (Agence France Presse, La Tercera (Chile), November 25, 2020).

El militar de rango cumplía funciones de jefe de la guarnición militar del departamento de Cochabamba (centro), donde se encuentra la ciudad de Sacaba, escenario de violentos enfrentamientos entre militares y campesinos cocaleros

Brazil

• “‘Deplorable’ Killing of Afro-Brazilian Man Shows Need to Address Racism, Discrimination” (United Nations, November 25, 2020).

The killing of an Afro-Brazilian man, and the widespread outrage it has sparked, underscores the urgent need for the Government to tackle racism and racial discrimination in South America’s largest country

• Isaac Norris, Chris Dalby, “Why Have Political Assassinations More Than Doubled in Brazil?” (InsightCrime, November 25, 2020).

The pace of these killings has more than doubled in 2020, with the power of militia groups blamed for much of the violence

Colombia

• Valerie Cortes Villalba, Sebastian Forero Rueda, “Cuatro Anos de la Firma del Acuerdo de Paz: Estos Son los 242 Excombatientes Asesinados” (El Espectador (Colombia), November 25, 2020).

Tres antiguos comandantes están en el listado en el que Cauca y Nariño han registrado más homicidios. Revelamos sus identidades

• “Gobierno Expidio Decreto para Que Exguerrilleros Tengan Acceso a Tierra” (El Espectador (Colombia), November 25, 2020).

La Sociedad de Activos Especiales podrá transferir predios que hayan sido objeto de extinción de dominio a excombatientes de las Farc que tengan un proyecto productivo aprobado, bien sea individual o colectivo

• Juanita León, “¿se Recicla la Guerra o se Transita Hacia la Paz?” (La Silla Vacia (Colombia), November 25, 2020).

La pregunta que comienza a plantearse es si ya se cerró la ventana de oportunidad que abrió el Acuerdo y estamos en el reinicio de un nuevo ciclo de violencia político-militar o si solo estamos atravesando un bache difícil

• Steven Grattan, “Four Years After Farc Peace Deal, Colombia Grapples With Violence” (Al Jazeera, November 25, 2020).

While some gains have been made, Colombians in many parts of the country continue to live with insecurity

• Jorge Restrepo, “La Estabilizacion Tras la Firma del Acuerdo de Paz Hace 4 Anos” (CERAC (Colombia), November 25, 2020).

En lo corrido de 2020 (al 23 de noviembre) se presenta un leve aumento en la violencia asociada al conflicto armado interno, frente a la violencia registrada en el mismo periodo del año anterior

• ““los Pdet Estan Divorciados del Acuerdo de Paz”: Los Reclamos de las Comunidades” (El Espectador (Colombia), November 25, 2020).

A cuatro años de la firma del Acuerdo Final de La Habana, las organizaciones sociales que monitorean los Programas de Desarrollo con Enfoque Territorial entregaron el balance

• Maria Alejandra Velez, “Para Combatir la Deforestacion Hay Que Entender las Economias Ilicitas” (La Silla Vacia (Colombia), November 25, 2020).

La política para enfrentar la deforestación debe atacar las puertas giratorias entre las economías legales y las ilegales, sin descuidar el tejido social local

• Gimena Sanchez-Garzoli, “Colombia’s Female Social Leaders, Lgbt+, and Land Rights Activists at Risk” (Washington Office on Latin America, November 25, 2020).

We bring to your attention the following human rights abuses and urge you to take action

• “Archivan Caso a Santiago Uribe Velez por Presunta Financiacion a Frente Paramilitar” (El Espectador (Colombia), November 25, 2020).

Luego que un Tribunal de Justicia y Paz pidiera a la Fiscalía investigar al hermano del expresidente Álvaro Uribe por presunta financiación de un frente paramilitar, la entidad no encontró méritos para iniciar un caso formal

• “Por Primera Vez, la Farc Llega a la Presidencia del Senado” (El Tiempo (Colombia), November 25, 2020).

Por primera vez un congresista del Partido Farc preside una sesión plenaria en el Congreso

• “Un Nuevo Ciclo de Violencia Organizada en Colombia” (Fundacion Ideas por la Paz (Colombia), November 25, 2020).

65% aumentaron las acciones de los grupos armados en el cuarto an?o del post-acuerdo de paz (comparado con el 250 primer an?o pre-acuerdo)

Colombia, Ecuador

• Tech. Sgt. Angela Ruiz, “Us B-52h Trains With Colombian Air Force, Ecuadorian Navy” (12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern), U.S. Air Force, November 25, 2020).

Two U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress aircraft participated in “Brother’s Shield,” a Colombian Air Force led exercise, and in “UNITAS LXI,” an Ecuadorian Navy led exercise, in the U.S. Southern Command’s area of responsibility Nov. 8

Cuba

• Mario J. Penton, “Cuba Bloquea el Acceso al Miami Herald y el Nuevo Herald en el Pais” (El Nuevo Herald, November 25, 2020).

Ambos diarios ofrecen una amplia cobertura sobre la isla para la comunidad cubanoamericana y reciben regularmente millones de visitas desde Cuba

Guatemala

• Hamed Aleaziz, “Ice Expelled 33 Immigrant Children Back to Guatemala After a Judge Said They Couldn’t” (BuzzFeed, November 25, 2020).

The Trump administration expelled 33 children who came to the US without a parent back to Guatemala after a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the controversial practice that same day

Guatemala, Honduras

• Claudio Escalon, Maria Verza, “Punishing Hurricanes to Spur More Central American Migration” (Associated Press, Associated Press, November 25, 2020).

Inside shelters and improvised camps across Central America, families who lost everything in the severe flooding set off by the two major hurricanes are arriving at the same conclusion

Guatemala, Honduras, U.S.-Mexico Border

• Alberto Pradilla, Jennifer Ávila, “Los Huracanes Destrozaron Centroamerica y Miles Podrian Migrar. Biden Debe Actuar Distinto a Trump.” (Animal Político, Contracorriente, The Washington Post, November 25, 2020).

“En enero agarramos viaje”. La frase se escucha en colonias del norte de Honduras, la zona más golpeada por los huracanes Eta y Iota en las últimas semanas

Honduras

• Sam Lagrone, “West Coast Amphib Uss Comstock Off Honduras for Hurricane Relief, Anti-Drug Operations” (USNI News, November 25, 2020).

USS Comstock (LSD-45) passed through the canal and the ship is planning to take up station off the coast of Honduras

Mexico

• Michael Lettieri, Cecilia Farfan Mendez, “A Confused State: The Lessons of Ayotzinapa” (Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies University of California San Diego, Urban Violence Research Network, November 25, 2020).

The cross-cutting activities of “state” actors meant there were both crimes of commission and crimes of omission, but it was with the latter where the cry it was the state resonates most profoundly

• Oded Yaron, “The Secret of Nso’s Success in Mexico” (Ha’aretz (Israel), November 25, 2020).

The hunt for El Chapo, widespread corruption and Israeli cyber firm NSO’s dealings in Mexico reveal dark truth about infamous phone-hacking software Pegasus: ‘The greater the violence, the greater the business opportunities’

• Luis Hernandez Navarro, “Noviembre en Aldama” (La Jornada (Mexico), November 25, 2020).

A partir de marzo de 2018 la ofensiva paramilitar provocó el desplazamiento forzado de más de 2 mil personas de 13 comunidades. A los de Aldama les han arrebatado casas, enseres personales, tierras, milpas, huertos, animales y el derecho a vivir en paz

• Nathaniel Morris, “Nayarit and the Making of a Narco State” (Mexico Violence Resource Project, November 25, 2020).

The ‘H-2 Cartel’ was not some minor group that somehow managed to bribe the country’s top security official. Rather, it was an organization that not only controlled drug trafficking in Nayarit between 2011 and 2017, but also established close ties with much of the state’s political elite

Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela

• Nina Rancel, “How Trinidad and Tobago Expelled 16 Venezuelan Kids to the Sea” (Caracas Chronicles, November 25, 2020).

29 Venezuelan refugees, 16 minors among them, were missing for a day after the Trinidadian government put them in wooden boats back to Venezuela. They are safe now but the story hasn’t ended

U.S.-Mexico Border

• Catherine Rampell, “Families Like This One Were Torn Apart at the Border. The U.S. Still Hasn’t Made Things Right.” (The Washington Post, November 25, 2020).

Three years ago, Leticia and her son became victims of one of the largest-scale, ethnically motivated human rights abuses perpetrated by the U.S. government since Japanese internment. Today, they want to be advocates

• Priscilla Alvarez, “Us Held Dozens of Children, Including a 1-Month-Old, at Border for Several Days in Last 2 Months” (CNN, November 25, 2020).

“In the last two months alone, CBP has detained 14 children under the age of five for longer than five days, including a one-month-old baby who was detained for over 16 days in September 2020,” the lawmakers wrote

• Alisa Reznick, “‘No Right Way:’ Rapid Migrant Expulsions Transform Remote Border Crossing” (Arizona Public Media, November 25, 2020).

Mexican government aid workers in touch with Rodriguez say the number of expulsions in Sasabe has skyrocketed

• Lauren Gilger, “More People Smuggling Drugs Inside Their Bodies at Arizona-Mexico Border” (Fronteras Desk, November 25, 2020).

Many of these, it sounds like, involve U.S. citizens

Venezuela

• Geoff Ramsey, “New Report Maps Out Venezuela’s Humanitarian Infrastructure and Obstacles to Assistance” (Washington Office on Latin America, November 25, 2020).

WOLA and Acción Solidaria map out the existing humanitarian infrastructure in Venezuela today, and highlight the need to address the crisis on the ground

• Mac Margolis, “Venezuela Has Hit a Dead End With Juan Guaido” (Bloomberg, November 25, 2020).

Having failed to push Maduro from power, the opposition hardliners have helped perpetuate a punishing paralysis

• Brian Ellsworth, Vivian Sequera, “Venezuela’s Guaido Seeks to Maintain Bipartisan U.S. Support Amid Biden Transition” (Reuters, Reuters, November 25, 2020).

“Any president in the world today would want to get closer to a solution to the crisis in Venezuela,” Guaido said in an interview