(Even more here)

December 8, 2020

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Andrea Navarro, Julia Leite, Simone Preissler Iglesias, “Covid Blunders in Latin America Sow Fears of Another on Vaccines” (Bloomberg, December 8, 2020).

Concern over graft, distribution and storage of vaccines is looming large and it will probably take longer than the coming year for immunity

• “Beginning to Rethink Us Drug Policy” (Mexico Today, December 8, 2020).

This isn’t a study about illicit drugs in the Western Hemisphere, it is a study about illicit drugs south of the Mexico/US border. This is a very limited way to think about the problem

Argentina, Western Hemisphere Regional

• Juan Gabriel Tokatlian, “Biden y la Argentina” (Universidad di Tella, El Cohete a la Luna (Argentina), December 8, 2020).

Ningún Presidente de Estados Unidos estuvo más veces en América Latina

Bolivia

• Marco Antonio Chuquimia Huallpa, “Arce Entierra el “Patria o Muerte” y Pide a Ffaa Entregar Informacion a Cidh” (El Deber (Bolivia), December 8, 2020).

Dejó atrás la consigna del “patria o muerte” ante los oficiales de la Escuela de Comando y Estado Mayor Naval y restituyó los dos saludos de los jefes de Estado hasta antes del Gobierno de Evo Morales

Brazil

• Gabriel Stargardter, Anthony Boadle, “Bolsonaro Turns to Military Allies to Set Brazil’s Coronavirus Vaccine Policy” (Reuters, Reuters, December 8, 2020).

A move some health experts fear will politicize the agency and give the president, one of the world’s most prominent coronavirus skeptics, free rein over vaccine approvals

• Tom Phillips, “Killing of Two Girls Stokes Outrage Over Brazil’s Horrific Toll of Black Lives” (The Guardian, December 8, 2020).

Shooting of cousins aged just four and seven, allegedly by police, heightens calls for national reckoning over ‘genocide’

Colombia

• Jeremy Kryt, “Colombia Considers the Ultimate Strike Against Cartels: Legalizing Cocaine” (The Daily Beast, December 8, 2020).

A ground-breaking and controversial new Senate bill would allow the government to regulate and process the drug. But what would be the long-range consequences of such a move?

• Alfredo Molano Jimeno, “La Venganza de Rocky Que Acabo Con la Paz en Tumaco” (El Espectador (Colombia), December 8, 2020).

Una ciudad que ostenta sin resquemor la cultura narca en la que está sumergida: carros costosos, cadenas gruesas de oro, prostitución, reguetón a todo volumen y donde, curiosamente, hay cientos de mexicanos por estos días

• “Presidente del Comite de Asuntos Exteriores de la Camara en Ee. Uu. Anuncia Viaje a Colombia” (El Espectador (Colombia), December 8, 2020).

El representante demócrata Gregory Meeks se reunió hoy con representantes de la comunidad afroclombiana y dijo que su primera visita al exterior será a Colombia

• “Las Razones del Cnmh para Conservar Aun Archivos de Madres de Soacha” (El Tiempo (Colombia), December 8, 2020).

Aunque desde el 2 de junio esta organización le envió una solicitud formal a la entidad para que les devolviera los archivos que sustentaban los casos de ejecuciones extrajudiciales de los que fueron víctimas sus familiares, pasados más de seis meses siguen esperando

Cuba

• “Cuba: Covid-19 Rules Used to Intensify Repression” (Human Rights Watch, December 8, 2020).

On November 26, 2020, Cuban security forces detained 14 government critics in Havana after alleging that one of them had violated Covid-19 rules by failing to re-take a test for the coronavirus

Cuba, Venezuela

• David C Adams, ““the Era of ‘Maximum Pressure’ Is Over.” Biden Expected to Bring More Subtle, Diplomatic Tone to Policy on Cuba and Venezuela, Say Experts” (Univision, December 8, 2020).

As Biden has begun to assemble his foreign policy and national security team, some clues have emerged about the route he will take. Everything indicates more diplomacy and less belligerence

El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua

• Ted Hesson, Gustavo Palencia, “U.S. Prolongs Migration Accord for Disaster-Hit Countries” (Reuters, Reuters, December 8, 2020).

The so-called Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for some citizens of El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, Sudan, Honduras and Nepal was extended by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) until at least October of 2021

Mexico

• Roberto Alonso, “Las Fuerzas Armadas y las Bases de la Transformacion” (Lado B (Mexico), December 8, 2020).

El análisis de cómo las Fuerzas Armadas han tomado el control de la seguridad pública no basta para explicar su protagonismo en el actual paisaje mexicano

• Pablo Ferri, “La Piramide: Asi se Desviaron 40 Millones de Dolares del Presupuesto de la Policia Federal en los Ultimos Seis Meses del Gobierno de Pena Nieto” (El Pais (Spain), December 8, 2020).

Los informes de la Auditoría mexicana, a los que ha tenido acceso EL PAÍS, revelan un complejo entramado de empresas que fagocitaron el dinero de la corporación

• Cecile Schilis-Gallego, Nina Lakhani, “‘It’s a Free-for-All’: How Hi-Tech Spyware Ends Up in the Hands of Mexico’s Cartels” (The Guardian, December 8, 2020).

As many as 25 private companies – including the Israeli company NSO Group and the Italian firm Hacking Team – have sold surveillance software to Mexican federal and state police forces, but there is little or no regulation of the sector

• Angel Hernandez, “Cjng Compro Equipo Militar en California por Ebay” (Milenio (Mexico), December 8, 2020).

Entre 2018 y 2019 ese grupo del crimen recurrió a eBay y a PayPal para abastecerse de material militar

• Eduardo Guerrero GutiÉrrez, “Infierno en Michoacan, Obediencia en Guerrero, Investigacion en Tamaulipas” (El Financiero (Mexico), December 8, 2020).

Cada vez que coincide con AMLO en un evento público, sale con estrellita en la frente. De esta forma, Astudillo ha logrado que las ciudades y las carreteras de su estado permanezcan bien vigiladas

• “Mexico Asks Us to Extradite Country’s Former Security Chief” (Associated Press, The Washington Post, December 8, 2020).

The day after Cienfuegos was returned to Mexico, Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said that Mexico wants any trials of allegedly corrupt public officials to take place in Mexico rather than abroad

Peru

• “La Cidh Culmina Visita de Trabajo al Peru” (Inter-American Human Rights Commission, Organization of American States, December 8, 2020).

La CIDH observa con preocupación que la respuesta del Estado frente a las movilizaciones se caracterizó por la represión mediante un uso excesivo y desproporcionado de la fuerza

• Oscar Paz Campuzano, “Cambios en la Pnp: Claves de una Crisis Que No Tiene Cuando Acabar” (El Comercio (Peru), December 8, 2020).

El presidente Francisco Sagasti designó a su tercer ministro del Interior en menos de un mes al mando del país. Los cambios dispuestos por el Ejecutivo en el alto mando policial siguen originando discrepancias

U.S.-Mexico Border

• Zolan Kanno-Youngs, “Armed Mexicans Were Smuggled in to Guard Border Wall, Whistle-Blowers Say” (The New York Times, December 8, 2020).

“This U.C.-constructed road was apparently the route by which the armed Mexican nationals were unlawfully crossing into the United States”

• Mike Debonis, Jeff Stein, Seung Min Kim, “Congress to Seek One-Week Government Funding Bill as Stimulus Negotiations Continue” (The Washington Post, December 8, 2020).

The most divisive issues in government spending talks concern funding for President Trump’s border wall with Mexico and detention facilities run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

• Nicole Narea, “How Biden Could Reverse Trump’s Nativist Legacy on the Border” (Vox, December 8, 2020).

Some of Trump’s restrictive policies on the border will be easier to undo than others

Venezuela

• “Joint Declaration on Venezuela” (Lima Group, Ministry of Foreign Relations of Peru, December 8, 2020).

We reiterate that the elections to renew the National Assembly of Venezuela on December 6, organized by the illegitimate regime of Nicolas Maduro, lack legality and legitimacy

• Scott Smith, “Legislative Election Leaves Venezuela in Political Standoff” (Associated Press, Associated Press, December 8, 2020).

Opposition groups led by Juan Guaidó launched a risky referendum on Monday, betting some of their prestige on hopes they hope can reignite a campaign to oust Maduro