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June 2, 2021
Central America Regional
- Ben Fox, “Us Urging Central America to Tackle Poverty, Corruption” (Associated Press, ABC News, June 2, 2021).
Blinken has avoided publicly criticizing any particular government, focusing instead on Biden administration plans to distribute COVID-19 vaccines and other assistance
Colombia
- “Los Millonarios Contratos de Armas “No Letales” para la Policia y el Esmad” (Cuestion Publica (Colombia), June 2, 2021).
Entre 2017 y 2021, 20 entidades estatales suscribieron al menos 30 contratos y dos órdenes de compra por $45.684.261.058 para adquirir armas de letalidad reducida y elementos de dispersión de multitudes
- Maria Isabel Ortiz, “Abuso Policial ¿Como se Define Si un Caso Va a Justicia Penal Militar?” (El Tiempo (Colombia), June 2, 2021).
Los uniformados tienen una norma especial para tramitar los delitos que hayan cometido: el Código Penal Militar, que usa la Justicia Penal Militar para la investigación y juzgamiento de los delitos cometidos en actos relacionados con el servicio por militares y policías
- “90% de Bloqueos Ya se Levanto: Comite de Paro” (El Nuevo Siglo (Colombia), June 2, 2021).
“Lo que necesitamos es que haya total cese de esos bloqueos”
- Stefano Pozzebon, “Amid Escalating Violence, Colombia Sends in Troops” (CNN, June 2, 2021).
“A soldier is not trained in conflict resolution: they are trained to kill”
- Arturo Chang, Catalina Rodriguez, “In Colombia’s Mass Protests, Indigenous and Black Activists Find Echoes of Colonial History” (The Washington Post, June 2, 2021).
A significant proportion of protesters in Colombia’s southwest are Indigenous or Black — making the military police’s racial violence against them into a key issue
- Jose David Escobar Moreno, “Las Dudas Sobre el Fin de los Caparros en el Bajo Cauca Antioqueno” (El Espectador (Colombia), June 2, 2021).
La estructura criminal será usada por otros criminales bajo otro rótulo y financiada por distintos sectores que años atrás financiaron a otras estructuras al margen de la ley
Costa Rica, Nicaragua
- “Ee. Uu.: Sanciones Terminan Con Retorno a Democracia y Respeto a Derechos Humanos” (Expediente Publico (Honduras), June 2, 2021).
En su visita a Costa Rica, la primera a Latinoamérica de Antony Blinken como secretario de Estado, reforzó la postura de Estados Unidos sobre las sanciones al gobierno de Daniel Ortega y la crisis de refugiados nicaragüenses
El Salvador
- “Political Role for Military and Police in el Salvador Under Bukele Violates Peace Accords, Threatens Democracy” (Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador, June 2, 2021).
Reflecting on Bukele’s first two years in office, CISPES released a report documenting his repeated actions to empower both the military and police beyond the strict limits imposed by the 1992 Peace Accords
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico
- Jasmine Wright, “Harris Aiming to Deepen Us Relationship With Guatemala and Mexico on First Foreign Trip” (CNN, June 2, 2021).
The vice president and her staff have made it clear that they want to focus narrowly on diplomatic efforts in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries
- Tim Perry, Ed o’keefe, Fin Gomez, “Kamala Harris Prepares to Travel to Guatemala and Mexico for First Foreign Trip as Vice President” (CBS News, June 2, 2021).
She’s been tasked by President Biden with leading the administration’s diplomatic efforts with the Northern Triangle countries and Mexico to help stem the flow of migration at the southern border
Honduras
- “Lucha Antimilitarista de Berta Caceres Es Mas Urgente Que Nunca en Honduras” (Criterio (Honduras), June 2, 2021).
“El golpe de Estado de 2009 abrió la puerta para que los militares salieran de los cuarteles e invadieran el espacio político, pero el Partido Nacional convirtió a los militares en un brazo armado del partido de gobierno”, dijo la socióloga Leticia Salomón
- “Honduras Debe Esclarecer Todos los Hechos Ilicitos Denunciados en la Causa Berta Caceres” (Several organizations, Criterio (Honduras), June 2, 2021).
A través de las pruebas evacuadas por el Ministerio Público, han surgido indicios de complicidad criminal de otros actores en el hostigamiento de Berta Cáceres, COPINH y la comunidad de Rio Blanco, y en la planificación y logística del asesinato
Mexico
- Francesco Manetto, “The Battle for Northern Mexico: Border States Check President’s Electoral Power” (El Pais (Spain), June 2, 2021).
Morena’s chances now seem slim in Nuevo Léon. It is not the only border state haemorrhaging support for the ruling party
- Maria Verza, “All-Military Ticket Draws Attention Before Mexico Elections” (Associated Press, ABC News, June 2, 2021).
Campaigning under the slogan “Military Force,” the 28 candidates — 16 women and 12 men — promise to bring order to Naucalpan, a city of 800,000 residents
- “Electoral Violence and Illicit Influence in Mexico’s Hot Land” (International Crisis Group, June 2, 2021).
The government needs to keep trying to break bonds between criminals and authorities, beginning with efforts tailored to the country’s hardest-hit areas
- Oscar Uscanga, “Acusan Abandono de Policia y Ejercito en Aguililla” (Reforma (Mexico), June 2, 2021).
Pese al asedio criminal, los elementos de la Policía de Michoacán y del Ejército ya no están presentes desde hace una semana sobre la vía Apatzingán-Aguililla
Mexico, U.S.-Mexico Border
- Rebecca Maria Torres, Valentina Glockner, Nohora Nino, Amy Thompson, Gabriela Garcia, Caroline Faria, “Biden’s New Immigration System Overlooks Mexican Refugees” (NACLA, June 2, 2021).
Our binational research team has documented hundreds of hours of testimonials from displaced Mexican women, children, men, and families who fled horrific violence in their home communities. They are the invisible refugees
Nicaragua
- “Nicaragua Files Money Laundering Charges Against Opponent” (Associated Press, Associated Press, June 2, 2021).
In the latest attempt to eliminate potential challengers to Ortega in the Nov. 7 elections, prosecutors asked the country’s electoral tribunal to bar Chamorro from running or holding public office
Peru
- Donald Sparks, “Staff Talks Allow Us Army to Assist Peruvian Army’s Transformation, Modernization” (U.S. Army South, Dialogo (U.S. Southern Command), June 2, 2021).
During the Sixth Annual U.S.-Peruvian Army Staff Talks held virtually on May 20, the two armies strengthened the relationship between both nations by agreeing to future military-to-military training opportunities
U.S.-Mexico Border
- “Us-Mexico Border Drug Busts: Increasing Number of Americans Being Apprehended” (Associated Press, Fox News, June 2, 2021).
U.S. citizens were apprehended nearly seven times more often than Mexican citizens between October 2020 and March 31 for trying to smuggle drugs in vehicles
- Julia Ainsley, Didi Martinez, Kenzi Abou-Sabe, “Under Biden, Crossing the U.S. Border Has Become Like a Lottery for Migrants. Timing Is Everything.” (NBC News, June 2, 2021).
On some days here in the Rio Grande Valley, the busiest section of the U.S.-Mexico border, families like Anna and Walter are expelled, while on others, single males who’ve come looking for work are allowed to stay pending their hearings
- Robert T. Garrett, Dianne Solis, “Gov. Greg Abbott Orders Texas Child-Care Regulators to Yank Licenses of Facilities Housing Immigrant Kids” (The Dallas Morning News, June 2, 2021).
Abbott’s move potentially could force relocation of up to one-fourth of the children nationwide
- “U.S. Formally Ends Policy for Asylum Seekers to Wait in Mexico” (Associated Press, The Los Angeles Times, June 2, 2021).
The announcement appeared to be a foregone conclusion after Biden promised as a candidate to end the policy, known informally as “Remain in Mexico,” but he left a window open by ordering a review before shutting it down permanently
- Rafael Carranza, “Sinema, Cornyn Tour Migrant Facilities in Tucson as Part of Two-Day Border Visit” (The Arizona Republic, June 2, 2021).
The two senators toured facilities in Tucson housing migrants apprehended along Arizona’s border with Mexico, including unaccompanied children. The pair is scheduled on Wednesday to visit similar facilities along Texas’ Rio Grande Valley