(Even more here)

March 17, 2021

Brazil

• Javier Bonilla, “El Ejercito Brasileno Comenzaria a Operar Sistemas Aereos No Tripulados Armados Antes de Mediados de Ano” (Defensa.com (Spain), March 17, 2021).

Todo indica que la serie 1000 superará esa carga útil, y permitiría así, una pequeña carga de armas

• Conrado Hubner Mendes, “State of Intimidation: Milicarthyism Is Watching You” (Piaui (Brazil), March 17, 2021).

MiliCarthyism produces a fog of uncertainty that makes you ponder several times before practicing the elementary commitments of your profession, if your profession is not meant to pay homage to the government of the day

Central America Regional

• Eric L. Olson, “The Crisis Is in Central America, Not the Border” (Seattle International Foundation, Univision, March 17, 2021).

Years of neglect, corruption, and inaction on coastal development, deforestation, over grazing, unregulated hydro-electric dams, and reckless mining have collided with the global climate crisis to threaten the survival of poor and marginalized communities

Colombia

• Carmen Andrea Becerra Becerra, “Los Cuestionamientos a la Fiscala­a Sobre los Asesinatos de Defensores de Ddhh” (Comision Colombiana de Juristas, El Espectador (Colombia), March 17, 2021).

Los precarios avances en materia de investigación por parte de Fiscalía General de la Nación (FGN) no han logrado identificar las causas estructurales de esta violencia y su relación con los intereses que confluyen en el silenciamiento de las personas defensoras y de los excombatientes

• “Cpj Condemns Colombian Government’s Move to Leave Inter-American Court Hearing on Jineth Bedoya Case” (Committee to Protect Journalists, March 17, 2021).

Colombian representatives withdrew in protest yesterday from the first day of a virtual public hearing to determine the state’s responsibility in the 2000 abduction, rape, and torture of journalist Jineth Bedoya

• “Editorial: No Es Hora de Callar Ni de Seguir Agrediendo a Jineth Bedoya” (El Espectador (Colombia), March 17, 2021).

Bedoya daba clase de contundencia, resiliencia y valentía

• Leidy Pena Solano, Julian Rios Monroy, “Desplazamiento Forzado se Duplico en 2021, ¿Cuales Son las Razones?” (El Tiempo (Colombia), March 17, 2021).

Solo entre el 1.º de enero y el 7 de marzo de 2021– al menos 11.150 colombianos, según datos de la Defensoría del Pueblo. De esta preocupante cifra, el 90 por ciento pertenece a población afrodescendiente, negra o indígena

Honduras

• Jeff Ernst, David C Adams, “El Explosivo Testimonio Sobre Presuntas Reuniones del Narco Con el Presidente de Honduras” (Univision, March 17, 2021).

“No podía creer lo que estaba viendo en ese momento”, dijo el testigo, un contador hondureño

Mexico

• “Monica Esparza: Persistencia de la Tortura y Resiliencia de las Mujeres” (Centro Prodh, Animal Politico (Mexico), March 17, 2021).

Hoy celebramos la conclusión definitiva del proceso penal contra Mónica, quien después de 8 años de haber sobrevivido a tortura sexual, detención arbitraria y la ejecución arbitraria de su pareja, hoy puede tener certeza de que las acusaciones en su contra han cesado

U.S.-Mexico Border

• Meghann Myers, “Border Deployments Could Be Extended Past This Year” (Navy Times, March 17, 2021).

“Homeland Security, CBP, would like to continue DoD support,” Air Force Gen. Glenn VanHerck said, referring to a current request for assistance

• Andrew Feinberg, “Border Patrol Agents Are ‘Working to Sabotage the Biden Administration’” (The Independent (UK), March 17, 2021).

All the hallmarks of a coordinated push by Border Patrol officers, including the leadership of the Border Patrol’s pro-Trump labor union, to undermine the current administration

• Nicole Sganga, “Fema Chief Says Covid-19 Positivity Rate Among Migrants Is Less Than 6%, Lower Than Texas Average” (CBS News, March 17, 2021).

Fenton’s comments come as Texas Governor Greg Abbott and GOP lawmakers have expressed concerns that migrants are spreading the virus to the general public. However, the rate of infection among migrants tested at the border is lower than that of the state

• Michael D. Shear, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, “Surge in Migrants Defies Easy or Quick Solutions for Biden” (The New York Times, March 17, 2021).

In the short term — as warmer weather invites even more people to migrate north — Mr. Biden’s administration must find a way to temporarily care for the thousands of migrant children who are arriving at the United States border without a legal guardian

• Greg Sargent, “The Latest Gop Attack on Biden Has a Huge Hole in It” (The Washington Post, March 17, 2021).

What’s missing is a serious comparison with the pre-Biden status quo. It’s as if the current situation exists in a vacuum: Before there was no crisis, and now there’s a crisis

• Cindy Carcamo, “Yes, There Is a Rise in Child Migration. But Is There a ‘Crisis’ at the Southern Border?” (The Los Angeles Times, March 17, 2021).

The optics of what is being dubbed a “border crisis” could curtail his aspirations to pass some sort of comprehensive immigration reform this year that would provide a pathway to U.S. citizenship

• Ben Fox, Elliot Spagat, “Child Border Crossings Surging, Straining Us Facilities” (Associated Press, Associated Press, March 17, 2021).

More than 4,000 migrant children were being held by the Border Patrol as of Sunday, including at least 3,000 in custody longer than the 72-hour limit set by a court order, according to a U.S. official. The agency took in an additional 561 on Monday, twice the recent average

Venezuela

• “El Exodo de Familias Venezolanas Aumenta en Pandemia” (Efecto Cocuyo (Venezuela), March 17, 2021).

Un nuevo perfil de movilidad durante la pandemia: la salida de familias completas o extendidas que incorporan a sobrinos, suegros e incluso vecinos