(Even more here)

February 4, 2021

Western HemispÓhere Regional

• “Latin America’s Year of Elections Will Test the Region’s Democracies” (The Economist (Uk), February 4, 2021).

Who will take charge is more of a mystery than usual. There is a plethora of presidential candidates, a disturbing number of whom have criminal records

Argentina

• “Russia Has Offered Argentina Fighter Aircraft and Training Jets, Defense Website Reports” (MercoPress, February 4, 2021).

After a period in which it had a respectable fighter fleet, the Argentine Air Force retired several aircraft such as the Mirage III and the IAI Kfir, but without financial resources it was unable to replenish these losses

Colombia

• Alejandra Bonilla Mora, “Riesgos Colectivos en Curvarado y Jiguamiando, en la Mira de la Corte Constitucional” (El Espectador (Colombia), February 4, 2021).

La Unidad Nacional de Protección deberá hacer valoración del riesgo colectivo de las comunidades afrodescendientes de Curvaradó y Jiguamiandó, mientras que la JEP deberá informar sobre las medidas cautelares otorgadas

• Alexander Sanabria, “El Nuevo Encargado de America Latina en Washington Anticipa el Giro en la Vision de Biden Sobre Colombia” (La Silla Vacia (Colombia), February 4, 2021).

Este nombramiento les genera mucha ilusión por el compromiso que Nichols ha demostrado con los derechos humanos y con los derechos de los afro en particular

El Salvador

• Nelson Rauda, Gabriela Caceres, Daniel Reyes, “Cronologia del Asesinato de Dos Efemelenistas” (El Faro (El Salvador), February 4, 2021).

Hay hallazgos: rastros de heroína en el carro de los empleados públicos, una pistola disparada por uno de ellos y videos donde queda claro que emboscaron al camioncito de los efemelenistas. Pero también hay un hombre herido, el atacante, y una duda esencial

Guatemala, Mexico

• Oscar Lopez, “Mexico Arrests Police Officers Over Massacre” (The New York Times, February 4, 2021).

The arrest of government agents for this latest massacre has sent shock waves through the country as one of the few times local police have been charged with such a horrific crime

Mexico

• Maria Verza, “Mexico Arrests Ex-Governor in Case of Tortured Journalist” (Associated Press, ABC News, February 4, 2021).

He is charged with human rights violations in relation to the illegal arrest and torture of journalist Lydia Cacho who in her 2005 book had detailed his role and that of others in a pedophilia ring that preyed on young girls

• Alberto Pradilla, “De Masacres a Desapariciones: Crimenes Que Imputan a la Policia de Tamaulipas” (Animal Politico (Mexico), February 4, 2021).

Tanto en la masacre de Nuevo Laredo como en la última de Camargo los señalados son el grupo de operaciones especiales de la Policía Estatal. Se trata de un cuerpo que ha venido cambiando de nombre pero que siempre ha mantenido las denuncias por violaciones a los derechos humanos

• “Cndh Amenaza Con Sanciones Internas por Publicacion Sobre Migrantes” (Animal Politico (Mexico), February 4, 2021).

La Comisión Nacional para los Derechos Humanos (CNDH) amenazó con sanciones a su personal tras la publicación en Animal Político de varios testimonios sobre secuestros a migrantes que permanecieron ocultos

• Parker Asmann, “Us-Trained Police Implicated in Mexico Migrant Massacre” (InsightCrime, February 4, 2021).

At least 12 state police officers — some of whom belong to an elite special operations group (GOPES) trained and vetted by the United States — were arrested for allegedly participating in the massacre

Mexico, U.S.-Mexico Border

• Alberto Pradilla, Manu Ureste, “Eu Expulso Migrantes por Pasos Peligrosos, Con Excusa de Covid” (Animal Politico (Mexico), February 4, 2021).

El INM llegó a pedir a EU que dejase de utilizar estos pasos para devolver migrantes debido a la inseguridad en El Sásabe y Sonoyta, Sonora

• Nick Miroff, Kevin Sieff, “Mexico Has Stopped Accepting Some Central American Families ‘Expelled’ by U.S. Along the Border” (The Washington Post, February 4, 2021).

The change, which has not been publicly disclosed, raises concerns in U.S. border communities and at the Department of Homeland Security because the large-scale release of parents and children into the United States has triggered previous waves of unauthorized migration

U.S.-Mexico Border

• Ariana Brocious, “After Months of Border Wall Construction, a Look at the Damage Done” (Arizona Public Media, February 4, 2021).

Many environmental groups have begun to make their case to the Biden administration, suggesting ways to mitigate the impacts of the wall or even remove sections of it. But because those baseline studies never happened, many are worried we’ll never know exactly what was lost

• Ian Millhiser, “Two Major Supreme Court Immigration Cases Just Went Up in Smoke” (Vox, February 4, 2021).

Had the two cases remained on the Court’s calendar, it is likely that a future Republican president would have been able to reinstate Trump’s policies immediately, and without having to worry about legal challenges

• Ryan Devereaux, ““Anatomy of Impunity”: Former Dhs Supervisors Say Border Killing Cover-Up Was Part of a Pattern” (The Intercept, February 4, 2021).

In the years since her husband was killed, Puga said, she has never received a word of condolence from the U.S. government

• Kate Morrissey, “International Case Over Border Killing Accuses High U.S. Officials of Cover-Up Plot” (The San Diego Union-Tribune, February 4, 2021).

Rodney Scott, current chief of Border Patrol, is identified as one of the San Diego officials whose actions allegedly obstructed justice in the investigation into Anastasio Hernandez Rojas’ death

• Robert Moore, “El Paso Could Be Facing Another Migrant Humanitarian Crisis if Mexico Changes Policy on Families” (El Paso Matters, February 4, 2021).

If Mexico no longer allowed Central American families to be expelled across the border, most of the asylum seeking families would be released in the United States while their immigration cases are heard. The first stop for many would be El Paso

• Scott Roehm, “Biden’s Asylum Eos and Where to Go From Here” (Center for Victims of Torture, Just Security, February 4, 2021).

President Biden could and should have gone further, though, in particular by ending Title 42 expulsions altogether and creating a path to safety for asylum seekers stranded and at grave risk in Mexico

Venezuela

• “De Acuerdo a Estudio Realizado por Control Ciudadano: Fanb Expandio Unidades Militares para Reforzar el Mantenimiento del Orden Interno” (Asociación Civil Control Ciudadano (Venezuela), February 4, 2021).

Entre 2019 y 2020 se registraron al menos 37 creaciones, activaciones, adscripciones, trasferencias, etc., de unidades, comandos, empresas, direcciones, servicios, centros logísticos y de instrucción, entre otras dependencias de la Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana

• Carmen Sesin, “Biden Administration Won’t Be Negotiating With Venezuela’s Maduro, Keeping Hard-Line Approach” (NBC News, February 4, 2021).

The United States will continue to recognize Guaidó as the legitimate president even as the European Union recently said it can no longer consider him interim president

• Elliott Abrams, “The Eu Tries and Fails Again on Venezuela” (Foreign Policy, February 4, 2021).

Instead of issuing limp statements, Europe should join Washington to get Maduro’s regime to negotiate with the democratic opposition