(Even more here)

June 16, 2021

Brazil, U.S.-Mexico Border

• Marina Dias, Flavia Mantovani, “Brasileiros Tentam Rotas Alternativas, e Numero de Detidos Na Fronteira Dos Eua Atinge Recorde Historico” (Folha de São Paulo (Brazil), June 16, 2021).

Entrada mais comum, pelo Texas, perde adeptos por causa do muro alto e da fiscalização rigorosa

Central America Regional, Guatemala, Mexico, U.S.-Mexico Border

• “Action the Biden-Harris Administration Has Taken to Address the Border Challenge” (The White House, June 16, 2021).

Mexico is increasing border checkpoints and deployed more than 12,000 security personnel to southern Mexico

Central America Regional, Mexico

• Ned Price, “Announcing New Assistance to Respond to Humanitarian Challenges in Central America” (U.S. Department of State, June 16, 2021).

At the Solidarity Event, the U.S. announced more than $57 million in new humanitarian aid and demonstrated our resolve to address shared migration challenges collaboratively

Colombia

• Manuel Rueda, “Colombian Protest Leaders Call Off Anti-Government Marches” (Associated Press, Associated Press, June 16, 2021).

Now they will focus on meeting with civil society organizations to draft legislation that will be presented to Colombia’s congress in July, following a large march on the nation’s capital

• “Gobierno Descarta Invitar a Nuevas Negociaciones al Comite del Paro” (El Espectador (Colombia), June 16, 2021).

El consejero Emilio Archila descartó sentarse nuevamente a negociar tras el anuncio de la suspensión de las manifestaciones por parte de una de las representaciones del paro

• Luis Acosta, “Car Bomb Explosion at Colombia Military Base Injures 36” (Reuters, Reuters, June 16, 2021).

The explosion took place at a base used by the 30th Army Brigade in the northeastern city near the border with Venezuela

• “Treinta y Seis Heridos Dejo Explosion de Carro Bomba en Base Militar de Cucuta” (El Espectador (Colombia), June 16, 2021).

Apunta a que disidencias de las Farc o Eln fueron los responsables del ataque

• “Presidente Anuncia Colaboracion del Fbi para Investigar Carro Bomba en Cucuta” (El Espectador (Colombia), June 16, 2021).

El primer mandatario informó que se activará una burbuja especial para la búsqueda de los responsables

• Manuel Rueda, “Car Bomb Explodes Inside Colombia Military Base; 36 Injured” (Associated Press, ABC News, June 16, 2021).

The U.S. Embassy in Bogota wrote on its Twitter account that a small group of American military personnel were at the base when the explosion occurred but were not harmed

• Donald Sparks, “Colombian Army Trains at Jrtc, Conducts Staff Talks With Army South” (U.S. Army South, DVIDS (U.S. Department of Defense), June 16, 2021).

Part of rotation 21-08 to conduct tactical infantry operations, exercise interoperability, and strengthen their ability to plan and execute complex maneuver operations

El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras

• Tracy Wilkinson, “Under Biden Immigration Change, More Central American Children May Join Family in U.S.” (The Los Angeles Times, June 16, 2021).

The changes could boost the number of Salvadoran, Guatemalan and Honduran children joining their families in the U.S. from several hundred to tens of thousands

Guatemala

• Cristian Velix, “Julie Chung: “el Caso Diario Militar Marca un Paso Positivo Hacia la Justicia”” (ElPeriodico (Guatemala), June 16, 2021).

El documento recoge 183 fichas de personas detenidas, secuestradas o asesinadas por actores estatales entre 1983 y 1985

Haiti

• Danica Coto, Evens Sanon, “Report: Gang Violence Displaces Thousands in Haiti’s Capital” (Associated Press, Associated Press, June 16, 2021).

Escalating gang violence has pushed nearly 8,500 women and children from their homes in Haiti’s capital in the past two weeks

Honduras

• “En Juicio Contra Castillo, Hija de Berta Caceres Relata Persecucion Que Enfrento Defensora Previo a su Asesinato” (Criterio (Honduras), June 16, 2021).

La coordinadora del Consejo Cívico de Organizaciones Populares e Indígenas de Honduras (COPINH), Bertha Zúniga rindió testimonio este martes 15 de junio sobre la persecución que sufrió Bertha Cáceres previo a su asesinato

Mexico

• Max Radwin, “Mexico Authorities on Alert After Millions of Rounds of Ammunition Stolen” (InsightCrime, June 16, 2021).

The armed group intercepted the trucks on June 9 in the municipality of San Luis de la Paz, in the central state of Guanajuato

• Christopher Sherman, “Us and Mexico Seek Ways to Do More on Irregular Immigration” (Associated Press, The Washington Post, June 16, 2021).

On the touchy subject of security cooperation, Mayorkas said he emerged from a meeting with Mexican Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero “optimistic”

Nicaragua

• Andrea Salcedo, “Nicaragua’s Government Has Arrested a Dozen Opposition Leaders. Their Relatives Don’t Know Where They Are.” (The Washington Post, June 16, 2021).

Ortega’s government has made many of the arrests under a new law passed in December granting it the right to declare citizens “terrorists” or “traitors to the homeland” and ban them from running in elections

• Stephen Kinzer, “Daniel Ortega: From Revolutionary to Absolute Overlord” (Responsible Statecraft (Quincy Institute), June 16, 2021).

President since 2007, he appears determined to rule until death and, through his family, even beyond

• “Crisis en el Triangulo Norte Opaca Represion en Nicaragua para Estados Unidos” (Expediente Publico (Honduras), June 16, 2021).

Expediente Público conversó con dos analistas para entender si la diplomacia de Biden hacia Nicaragua dejó pasar importantes meses para presionar por elecciones libres y democráticas y si es posible todavía un apoyo decidido que contribuya a revertir la ruta autocrática

Peru

• Ryan Dube, Kejal Vyas, “Peru Faces Political Turmoil After Divisive Presidential Vote Is Disputed” (The Wall Street Journal, June 16, 2021).

In a public letter on Monday, several retired military commanders, including an ex-defense minister and a 99-year-old former military dictator, said there are reasonable doubts about vote tampering and warned of “grave instability”

• Marcelo Rochabrun, “Stashing Cash, Peru’s Urban Elite Panics as a Socialist Looks Set to Clinch Presidency” (Reuters, June 16, 2021).

Those among the elite who have spoken out against Fujimori have found themselves ostracized

U.S.-Mexico Border

• “Office of Management and Budget and U.S. Department of Homeland Security—Pause of Border Barrier Construction and Obligations” (U.S. Government Accountability Office, June 16, 2021).

We conclude that delays in the obligation and expenditure of DHS’s appropriations are programmatic delays, not impoundments

• Sean Sullivan, Cleve R. Wootson Jr., “In New Letter, Democratic Rep. Cuellar Urges Harris to Travel to the Border” (The Washington Post, June 16, 2021).

For centrist Democrats like Cuellar, whose district includes hundreds of miles along the border with Mexico, the migrant surge has become a political and policy liability that Republicans have pounced on in recent months

• Valerie Gonzalez, “‘a Problem of Conscience’: Del Rio Humanitarian Nonprofits, Residents Weigh in on Abbott’s Border Plan” (The Monitor, June 16, 2021).

Fewer people crossed through the Del Rio area, about 118,000, but it represents the greatest percentage increase in Texas, at nearly 457% from the same period a year ago