(Even more here)

March 4, 2021

Chile, Venezuela

• “Cruzar a Pie el Altiplano, la Ultima Frontera de los Caminantes Venezolanos Que Quieren Llegar a Chile” (Agence France Presse, El Comercio (Peru), March 4, 2021).

Muy quemados por el sol y con los labios partidos, jóvenes venezolanos caminan por la vía cordillerana hasta el desierto de Atacama, norte de Chile. Todos sin excepción piden agua

Colombia

• Genevieve Glatsky, “In a Lawless Colombian City, Gang Violence and ‘Structural Racism’ Collide” (The New Humanitarian, March 4, 2021).

Residents say it’s widely known that the armed groups – several of which splintered off from paramilitary organisations like the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia – operate by colluding with, bribing, or terrorising local security forces

• Olga Patricia Rendon Marulanda, “Bojaya: Otro Confinamiento Cerca a Indigenas” (El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia), March 4, 2021).

10 comunidades se desplazaron y otras confirmaron su confinamiento

• Santiago Torrado, “La Fiscalia de Colombia Decide el Destino Judicial de Alvaro Uribe” (El Pais (Spain), March 4, 2021).

La Fiscalía debe decidir esta semana si por primera vez acusa formalmente a un exmandatario colombiano por los delitos de soborno y fraude procesal, o si por el contrario pide a un juez precluir la investigación

• German Ali Arenas Usme, ““Comandos de Frontera”, la Terrible Alianza de la Muerte Que se Apodera del Putumayo” (Las 2 Orillas (Colombia), March 4, 2021).

“Comandos de Frontera” es un grupo armado ilegal que es conformado por hombres que en el pasado hicieron parte de la entonces guerrilla de las Farc y que no se sometieron al proceso de paz, otros al desmovilizado grupo paramilitar del Bloque Putumayo, y otros que han estado al servicio del narcotráfico en grupos como “La Constru”

Cuba

• Sarah Marsh, “Exclusive: U.S. House Democrats Urge Biden to Revert to Obama-Era Cuba Detente” (Reuters, Reuters, March 4, 2021).

The letter was led by lawmakers Bobby Rush, Gwen Moore, Barbara Lee and Steve Cohen, long-time supporters of engagement with Cuba. Signers also included the leaders of the influential House of Representatives Foreign Affairs, Financial Services and Appropriations committees

Honduras

• Jeff Ernst, “Honduran Presidency Allegedly Bribed Journalists Using Taxpayer Money” (VICE, March 4, 2021).

The allegations outlined in the case involve some $5 million that were funneled from the office of the presidency through front companies to journalists and political elites

• “Congressman Johnson Reintroduces the Berta Caceres Human Rights in Honduras Act” (U.S. House of Representatives, March 4, 2021).

Congressman leads effort with 40+ colleagues to withhold U.S. funds from Honduran police & military until gross human rights violations are investigated and prosecuted

• Claudia Torrens, “Eeuu Pide Admitir en Juicio Fotos de Presidente de Honduras” (Associated Press, Associated Press, March 4, 2021).

Las imágenes aparecen totalmente oscurecidas en documentos judiciales, pero fiscales del distrito sur de Nueva York dicen que muestran a CC-4 o co-conspirador número cuatro, que es la forma en que han identificado al mandatario

• Dana Frank, “Biden Must End U.S. Policy Shoring Up the Corrupt and Authoritarian Regime in Honduras” (University of California at Santa Cruz, The Washington Post, March 4, 2021).

Biden’s policies have veered very little from those advanced under Barack Obama and Donald Trump — two administrations that only shored up Hernández

Mexico

• “Mexican Authorities Used Illegal Force to Silence Feminist Protesters” (Amnesty International, March 4, 2021).

During the arrests and transfers, police officers spoke to the women using violent and sexualized language, threatened them with sexual violence and subjected them to physical and sexual violence

• “A Ocho Meses de los Hechos, Urge Justicia para Victimas de Operativo de Sedena en Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas” (UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mexico Field Office, March 4, 2021).

Sobre el uso letal de la fuerza por parte de elementos de la Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional (Sedena) en Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, en julio de 2020, donde tres víctimas de secuestro murieron

• Obed Abraham Rosas Gamez, “¿Que Pasa Con la Violencia en Jalisco? ¿Que Dicen las Cifras Sobre los Homicidios?” (SinEmbargo (Mexico), March 4, 2021).

No importa qué partido político gobierne a nivel estatal, municipal o federal, la inercia no se ha podido controlar

• Max de Haldevang, Eric Martin, “U.S. Tells Mexico Drug War’s Failure Requires New Strategy” (Bloomberg, March 4, 2021).

Juan Gonzalez, senior director for the Western Hemisphere on the National Security Council, made the comments last week on a call between Mexican Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken

Nicaragua

• “Poder y Plata: El Paso a Paso de Daniel Ortega para Someter al Ejercito” (Expediente Publico (Honduras), March 4, 2021).

Plata para sus altos mandos, seguridad y facilidad para sus grandes negocios empresariales, poder legal mediante leyes para reprimir a los opositores y poderío militar para defender los intereses del régimen y, por último, impunidad para sus crímenes y abusos

U.S.-Mexico Border

• Priscilla Alvarez, “Unaccompanied Kids Being Held by Border Patrol for 77 Hours on Average, Internal Documents Show” (CNN, March 4, 2021).

The Customs and Border Protection documents dated Tuesday show a growing trend of unaccompanied children coming into US custody at levels beyond the Health and Human Services Department’s ability to house them

• Miriam Jordan, “Migrants in Deadly Crash Had Crossed Through Border Wall, Officials Say” (The New York Times, March 4, 2021).

Surveillance footage reviewed by the agency showed the two vehicles traveling near a 10-foot gap in the rust-colored steel bollard fence

• Tom Temin, “Cbp Creates New Position to Handle Administrative Load at Mexico Border” (Federal News Network, March 4, 2021).

It’s established a new position called the Border Patrol processing coordinator to deal with the administrative burden

• Ted Hesson, “Former Trump Attorney General Sessions Regrets Migrant Family Separations” (Reuters, Reuters, March 4, 2021).

“It was unfortunate, very unfortunate, that somehow the government was not able to manage those children in a way that they could be reunited properly,” Sessions said

• Sandra Sanchez, “Dozens of Newly Released Migrants Test Positive for Virus; ‘Hundreds’ of Border Agents Are South Texas-Bound” (Border Report, March 4, 2021).

In the Gulf Coast city of Brownsville, 108 migrants released during the past month have shown to be carrying the coronavirus, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, said Wednesday

Venezuela

• “Reacciones: Lo Que Plantea la Agenda Legislativa 2021 Implica Mas Restricciones a las Libertades” (Efecto Cocuyo (Venezuela), March 4, 2021).

Podrían implicar mayores restricciones de libertades, especialmente de los que piensan distinto, por lo que la ciudadanía debe estar vigilante del contenido final del articulado que se apruebe en cámara