(Even more here)

April 15, 2021

Brazil

• “Jair Bolsonaro Wants Every Brazilian to Have a Gun” (The Economist (Uk), April 15, 2021).

Some pundits speculate that Mr Bolsonaro, who cheered on the storming of the United States Capitol on January 6th, is arming his base in preparation for 2022, when he will probably face Lula at the ballot box

Central America Regional

• Noah Bierman, Tracy Wilkinson, “Kamala Harris Faces Diplomatic Pitfalls in Tackling Migration From Central America” (The Los Angeles Times, April 15, 2021).

Worries over extensive government corruption in the region, particularly in Honduras, underscore the challenge Harris faces in leading the Biden administration’s diplomatic efforts

Central America Regional, Mexico

• Andrew Selee, Ariel G. Ruiz Soto, Andrea Tanco, Luis Argueta, Jessica Bolter, “Laying the Foundation for Regional Cooperation: Migration Policy & Institutional Capacity in Mexico and Central America” (Migration Policy Institute, April 15, 2021).

Mexico and Costa Rica have taken steps to leverage their existing migration institutions to improve operational capacity, though notable challenges remain. Meanwhile, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama are at earlier stages

Colombia

• Oliver Griffin, “Road to Ruin: Informal Byways Sow Seeds of Destruction in Colombia’s Amazon” (Reuters, Reuters, April 15, 2021).

More than 280 km of unplanned roads were opened in key areas during the first 100 days of last year

• “Glifosato: Anla Aprobo Plan de Manejo Ambiental para su Aspersion” (El Espectador (Colombia), April 15, 2021).

Luego de que el Gobierno de Iván Duque firmara esta semana un decreto con el que regularía la reactivación de la aspersión con el herbicida a los cultivos de coca, la autoridad ambiental aprobó el procedimiento, trámite que estaba suspendido

Colombia, Venezuela

• Gustavo Ocando Alex, Luisana Solano, “¿el Despliegue de la Milicia Venezolana en Apure “Tiene Sentido” o Es “Riesgo»?” (Tal Cual (Venezuela), April 15, 2021).

El experto en seguridad y defensa Andre Serbin indica que los milicianos no necesariamente participarán en el conflicto fronterizo en Apure. Ronna Risquez, también especialista en el tema, cree que Apure necesita de oportunidades

Ecuador

• Will Freeman, “Ecuador Just Voted Against Populism, but Its Democracy Is Far From Healthy” (Foreign Policy, April 15, 2021).

Conservative Guillermo Lasso will take office as an isolated president with a weak mandate, tasked with restoring faith in the country’s institutions

Mexico

• Francisco Mejia, “Cndh Pide Justicia para Mujer Presuntamente Violada por Integrantes del Ejercito en 2007” (Milenio (Mexico), April 15, 2021).

La Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos (CNDH) exhortó a la Fiscalía General del Estado de Veracruz y a la Secretaría de Gobernación a que reabran las investigaciones

• David Agren, “Mexico’s Vow to Tighten Border Fails to Deter Us-Bound Migrants” (The Guardian, April 15, 2021).

On a recent morning it looked like business as usual on this remote stretch of the Mexico-Guatemala border, which follows the mighty Usumacinta River

U.S.-Mexico Border

• Teo Armus, Arelis R. Hernandez, “Biden Pledged to Stop Building the Wall. But He Just Won the Right to Seize a Texas Family’s Land for It.” (The Washington Post, April 15, 2021).

Just when they thought they’d won a reprieve, it was President Biden — not Trump — who would end up defeating the family in their years-long fight for the ranch

• Erin Stone, Anton L. Delgado, Ian James, “Trump’s Border Wall Scarred Sacred Lands, Displaced Wildlife and Drained Water. Can It Be Taken Down?” (The Arizona Republic, April 15, 2021).

“These are really significant, important wildlife areas,” said Babbitt, who was also Arizona governor from 1978 to 1987. “And the idea that it all requires a 30-foot wall just makes no sense.”

• Kristina Cooke, Mica Rosenberg, Ted Hesson, Steve Holland, “Tensions Rise Within Biden Administration as Migrant Kids Crowd Shelters” (Reuters, Reuters, April 15, 2021).

White House officials have demanded HHS speed up releases from its overloaded shelter system to free up space for children packed into crowded border patrol stations

• Valerie Gonzalez, “A Low Point: Monitor Reveals Severity of Migrant Processing Struggles in Rgv” (The Monitor, April 15, 2021).

The Monitor captured video of the restricted Donna tents and Anzalduas International Bridge sites by flying a drone overhead