(Even more here)

June 28, 2017

Brazil

• Mauricio Savarese, Sarah Dilorenzo, “Brazil’s President Says Corruption Charge Is ‘Soap Opera’” (Associated Press **, June 28, 2017).

The indictment itself was blistering in its assessment of Temer, saying he showed a total disregard for his office and that his actions, including secret meetings not on his official calendar, showed he was trying to cover up “criminal actions.”

Colombia

• Christine Armario, “Colombia Takes Big Step to Peace as Rebels Lay Down Guns” (Associated Press **, June 28, 2017).

Rodrigo Londono, the FARC’s top commander, complained about the bureaucratic, legal and political “traps” in a sternly worded speech in which he called on the government to live up to its end of the bargain

• Kejal Vyas, “Ceremony Marks Colombian Rebels’ Disarmament” (The Wall Street Journal, June 28, 2017).

The election is thus all but assured to be a referendum on the peace initiative, though analysts say the accord will be hard to overturn

• Chris Kraul, “Half a Century of Conflict in Colombia Comes to Close as Farc Rebels Disarm” (The Los Angeles Times, June 28, 2017).

At Tuesday’s ceremony, rebels dressed in T-shirts instead of combat fatigues received plastic ID cards qualifying them for post-conflict aid programs

• “Las Farc Inician Camino a la Politica Sin Armas” (Verdad Abierta (Colombia), June 28, 2017).

A partir de ese día, las zonas se convertirán en Espacios Territoriales de Capacitación y Reincorporación, donde los desde ahora exguerrilleros harán todas las actividades necesarias para reincorporase a la vida legal

• “National Director of Anti-Corruption in Colombia Charged With Conspiracy to Launder Money in Order to Promote Foreign Bribery” (Southern District of Florida, U.S. Department of Justice, June 28, 2017).

In exchange for 100 million Colombian pesos, Moreno and Pinilla offered to give the cooperating source copies of sworn statements taken from cooperators who had testified against the CS

Cuba

• Jorge I. Dominguez, “Can Trump Compete With Obama on Cuba?” (The New York Times, June 28, 2017).

President Obama got dozens of political prisoners freed from Cuban prisons and a dozen criminal fugitives repatriated to the United States. The score thus far for President Trump is zero

Mexico

• Melissa del Bosque, “Over the Wall: How Texas Border Communities Are Gearing Up to Fight Trump” (The Texas Observer, June 28, 2017).

It seemed to be bypassing the wealthy and the politically connected while targeting those who could least afford to fight the federal government in court

Venezuela

• Silene Ramirez, Eyanir Chinea, “Helicopter Attacks Venezuela Court, Maduro Denounces Coup Bid” (Reuters **, June 28, 2017).

Venezuela’s government said in a communique the helicopter was stolen by investigative police pilot Oscar Perez, who declared himself in rebellion against Maduro

• Ernesto LondoÑo, Nicholas Casey, “Police Officers in Helicopter Attack Venezuela’s Supreme Court” (The New York Times, June 28, 2017).

Few in Venezuela saw Tuesday’s attack as having any chances of immediately succeeding in its stated goals

Western Hemisphere Regional

• Alex Daugherty, “The Trump Whisperer: Marco Rubio Has the President’s Ear on Latin America” (The Miami Herald, June 28, 2017).

Implementing the changed Cuba policy, overseeing the deteriorating situation in Venezuela and playing a role in the Colombian peace process are the three issues likely to command immediate political attention

• Daniel R. Mahanty, “The “Leahy Law” Prohibiting Us Assistance to Human Rights Abusers: Pulling Back the Curtain” (Just Security, June 28, 2017).

Anybody who has touched the Leahy Law has an opinion about it, but it’s hard to find anybody fully satisfied by the way it is interpreted or implemented