August 16, 2017
Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Western Hemisphere Regional
- Philip Rucker, “Pence Praises Argentina as a Model Partner While Raising Pressure on Venezuela” (The Washington Post, August 16, 2017).
Pence sought to soothe U.S. allies across the hemisphere, including Argentina, that reacted with alarm to Trump’s threat late last week
Bolivia
- Dan Collyns, “Bolivia Approves Highway Through Amazon Biodiversity Hotspot” (The Guardian (Uk), August 16, 2017).
Morales accused developed countries of pushing “colonial environmentalism” in Bolivia
Brazil
- Rafael Soares, “Estado Do Rio Tem 843 Areas Dominadas por Faccoes Criminosas” (O Globo (Brazil), August 16, 2017).
Para se ter uma ideia do tamanho do problema, as dez regiões mais violentas do estado ocupam 23 quilômetros quadrados — maior que o município de Nilópolis
Colombia
- Jean Arnault, “Statement by Jean Arnault, Special Representative of the Secretary-General (Srsg) and Head of the un Mission in Colombia.” (Mision de la ONU en Colombia, August 16, 2017).
I consider this is an important figure, which shows that there has definitely been an exhaustive process of the abandonment of weapons, not only a process of abandoning individual arms, but also an exhaustive process of abandoning everything
- Christine Armario, “Un Removes Last Container Holding Colombia Rebel Weapons” (Associated Press, The Washington Post, August 16, 2017).
Ivan Marquez took advantage of the media attention on Tuesday’s ceremony to preview what he said is likely to be the name of the former rebels’ new political movement: the Revolutionary Alternative Force of Colombia
- “No Paran las Amenazas Contra los Reclamantes de Tierras de Uraba” (Verdad Abierta (Colombia), August 16, 2017).
Denunciaron que la Unidad Nacional de Protección les ha ido retirando progresivamente los esquemas de seguridad que les había adjudicado de tiempo atrás
- Adriaan Alsema, “Did Pence Just Get the Cold Shoulder in Colombia?” (Colombia Reports, August 16, 2017).
Even local newspapers had different priorities. Pope Francis is coming in a few weeks, for example
Colombia, Venezuela
- Juan Manuel Santos, “We Weep for You, Venezuela” (Project Syndicate, August 16, 2017).
I will always be grateful for Chávez and Maduro’s contributions to my country’s peace. But I can never acquiesce to the suppression of freedom and the violation of citizens’ rights anywhere
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras
- Kirk Semple, Vivian Yee, “Policy Under Trump Bars Obama-Era Path to U.S. for Central American Youths” (The New York Times, August 16, 2017).
As of Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security is ending a program begun in 2014 that gave some children and young adults who had failed to qualify for refugee status permission to enter the United States
Guyana, Venezuela
- Jim Wyss, “Armed Venezuelan Soldiers Caught in Guyana Begging for Food” (The Miami Herald, August 16, 2017).
“They were desperate,” he told the Miami Herald. “They were here for some time and they showed me a can of sardines and the place where they had cooked it over a fire”
Mexico
- Gabriel Stargardter, “Mexican Cop Behind el Chapo’s Arrest Sent to U.S. for Safety: Sources” (Reuters **, August 16, 2017).
Gonzalez is now Mexico’s law enforcement emissary in Washington
Venezuela
- Girish Gupta, “Venezuelan Protesting Violinist Released by Authorities” (Reuters **, August 16, 2017).
Arteaga was beaten with his instrument by officials, leaving him hard of hearing
- Tim Padgett, “Venezuelan Regime Hunts Down Opposition Figures; More Expected in Exile Here” (WLRN, August 16, 2017).
Because Marcano is an opposition mayor, that regime recently ordered his arrest for not stopping the protests in his city. In fact, it summarily convicted Marcano and sentenced him to 15 months in prison. And it got worse
Western Hemisphere Regional
- Devlin Barrett, Matt Zapotosky, “Justice Department at Odds With Dea on Marijuana Research, Ms-13” (The Washington Post, August 16, 2017).
Warnings from Rosenberg and others at the DEA that the gang, which draws Central American teenagers for most of its recruits, is not one of the biggest players when it comes to distributing and selling narcotics