Latin American Weekly Report
Weekly Report - 02 May 2024 (WR-24-17)
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- Haiti’s new council and prime minister face daunting challenge
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- COLOMBIA: Ruling coalition hit by campaign finance probe
- PERU: Concerns persist over threats to judicial independence
- VENEZUELA: Stepping up corruption crackdown
- TRACKING TRENDS
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Milei secures congressional breakthrough
- CHILE: Carabinero killings cause consternation
- BRAZIL: Tensions escalate over tax breaks
- BRAZIL: Government seeks support of agribusiness sector
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Gálvez pulls no punches in second debate
- MEXICO: CJNG leader’s brother released
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- EL SALVADOR: Bukele clears another obstacle to absolute power
- NICARAGUA: Deepening ties with Beijing
POSTSCRIPT
- Mexican bishop’s abduction sparks concern
- Quotes of the week
Haiti’s new transitional presidential council is up and running, appointing a new prime minister to replace Ariel Henry.
Weekly Report - 25 April 2024 (WR-24-16)
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- Noboa hails victory but also tastes defeat in referendum
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- VENEZUELA: Trying to crack the opposition’s unity
- PERU: Prosecutors close in on suspended attorney general
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Milei faces huge protest march
- BRAZIL: Indigenous rights activists vent frustration
- BRAZIL: Uncertainty over interest rates
- CHILE-VENEZUELA: Tren de Aragua fuels tensions
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Sheinbaum talks Pemex
- MEXICO: Concerns raised as congress passes new reforms
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- PANAMA: Little certainty as presidential race nears
- PANAMA-HONDURAS: Dry canal plans gather pace
POSTSCRIPT
- Huge march against Petro
- Quotes of the week
Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa celebrated victory in a national referendum staged on 21 April which will enable him to intensify the crackdown on criminal gangs responsible for a surge in violence in the country.
Weekly Report - 18 April 2024 (WR-24-15)
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- Iran’s attack on Israel sparks regional tensions
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- VENEZUELA: Sanctioning undemocratic elections
- COLOMBIA: Conservatives fear Petro power grab
- ECUADOR: In the doghouse
- VENEZUELA-GUYANA: UN calls for restraint over Essequibo
- TRACKING TRENDS
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- BRAZIL: Tensions rise between Lira and Lula government
- BRAZIL: Top court recognises state liability for stray bullets
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Morena guns for Piña over Zaldívar probe
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- GUATEMALA: Arévalo challenged by congress
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC-HAITI: Renewed pressure over migrant rights
POSTSCRIPT
- Ecuador and Colombia facing energy emergencies
- Quotes of the week
Argentina’s security minister, Patricia Bullrich, caused diplomatic ructions with Bolivia and Chile this week by denouncing the presence in their countries of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah or Quds Force, the overseas wing of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Weekly Report - 11 April 2024 (WR-24-14)
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- Mexico wins widespread support in battle with Ecuador
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- COLOMBIA : Petro faces biggest setback of presidency
- VENEZUELA: Mystery train?
- TRACKING TRENDS
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA-CHILE: US-China and Antarctic tensions simmering
- BRAZIL: Debates over regulating ‘big tech’ reignited
- BRAZIL: Decline of the PSDB in São Paulo
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Sheinbaum untroubled in first debate
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- EL SALVADOR: State of exception becomes the norm
- HAITI: Presidential transition council a step closer to installation
- CUBA: Wrestling with difficulties
- GUATEMALA: Arévalo acts on anti-corruption pledge
- PANAMA: Migration policy in the spotlight
- TRACKING TRENDS
POSTSCRIPT
- Brazil launches new anti-deforestation programme
- Quotes of the week
Mexico has secured overwhelming support in the Organization of American States (OAS) to condemn Ecuador’s forcible entry into the Mexican embassy in Quito on 5 April to seize Jorge Glas, the former Ecuadorean vice president (2013-2017), who faces corruption charges but had been granted political asylum.
Weekly Report - 04 April 2024 (WR-24-13)
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- Time for a Rolex reshuffle in Peru
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- COLOMBIA-VENEZUELA: Petro hardens stance on Maduro
- ECUADOR: Noboa acknowledges resurging violence
- TRACKING TRENDS
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- BRAZIL: Lula’s reluctance to mark 1964 coup anniversary
- BRAZIL: Top court debates jurisdictional privilege for politicians
- ARGENTINA: Unions face off with Milei government
- CHILE: Biggest steel plant struggles for survival
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Electoral violence on a rising curve
- MEXICO: Uproar over murder of eight-year-old girl
- MEXICO: Sheinbaum out in front
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- NICARAGUA: Crackdown on religious figures widens
- TRACKING TRENDS
POSTSCRIPT
- Colombian government divided over EMC expansion plan
- Quotes of the week
Peru’s President Dina Boluarte reshuffled her cabinet on 1 April, replacing nearly one third of its members (six out of 19 ministers).
Weekly Report - 28 March 2024 (WR-24-12)
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- Venezuelan opposition to contest election with ‘provisional’ candidate
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- ECUADOR: Vice president’s son arrested
- PERU: Clash of powers intensifies
- TRACKING TRENDS
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Trade unions flex muscles over dismissals
- BRAZIL: Franco murder probe exposes corruption and paramilitary ties
- BRAZIL: Revitalising Brazil-France relations
- PARAGUAY: China rebuffs Peña over Taiwan comments
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Tren Maya derailment assumes electoral dimension
- MEXICO: Pre-electoral violence fuels concerns
- MEXICO: López Obrador mollifies China
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- GUATEMALA: Reaping the benefits of strengthened US ties
- HAITI: Presidential transition council stalls
- TRACKING TRENDS
POSTSCRIPT
- El Salvador’s economy expands amid improved security
- Quotes of the week
Following a last-minute reprieve from the national electoral council (CNE), Venezuela’s opposition coalition Plataforma Unitaria Democrática (PUD) will compete in the 28 July election against President Nicolás Maduro.
Weekly Report - 21 March 2024 (WR-24-11)
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- Milei battered but unbowed after first 100 days at the helm
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- PERU: Boluarte left scrambling over ‘Rolexgate’
- BOLIVIA: Praise for Putin
- VENEZUELA: Maduro’s candidacy confirmed as opposition flounders
- COLOMBIA: Tempers flare with health reform bill on life support
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- BRAZIL: Net tightens around Bolsonaro
- CHILE: Police chief arrested in damaging scandal
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Candidates talk green energy
- MEXICO: MC under pressure
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- CUBA: Rare protests underline economic strife
- GUATEMALA: Arévalo hails relations with Washington
POSTSCRIPT
- Haitians await new leadership
- Quotes of the week
Argentina’s President Javier Milei completed his first 100 days in power on 19 March.
Weekly Report - 14 March 2024 (WR-24-10)
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- Henry caves in to pressure, heeds calls to resign
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- PERU: Congress moves against top court
- COLOMBIA: New attorney general inherits incendiary investigations
- VENEZUELA: Pressure mounts on Machado to step aside
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Milei battles to preserve image
- BRAZIL: Public mood dampens on economy
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Ayotzinapa killing fans tensions
- MEXICO: Women’s marches take place with electoral backdrop
- MEXICO: Journalist kidnapping causes alarm
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- HONDURAS: Hernández convicted
POSTSCRIPT
- Paraguay convulsed by political tensions
- Quotes of the Week
Haiti’s prime minister, Ariel Henry, has confirmed that he will step down once a transitional presidential council is inaugurated, and an interim prime minister named.
Weekly Report - 07 March 2024 (WR-24-09)
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- Haiti’s future hangs in balance amid unprecedented gang attacks
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- VENEZUELA: Crunch time for opposition as election set for July
- PERU: Leaked audio forces resignation of prime minister
- COLOMBIA: Petro shakes up cabinet
- ECUADOR: Noboa’s popularity masks problems
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Milei acts tough while reaching out to governors
- BRAZIL: Pressure mounts on Bolsonaro as coup probe progresses
- BRAZIL: Lula seeks to rally support in senate
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Campaigns open with security at forefront
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- EL SALVADOR: Bukele vanquishes opposition
- GUATEMALA: Moving against Porras
- NICARAGUA: Ortega tightens iron grip on power
POSTSCRIPT
- Candidates limbering up to succeed Lacalle Pou
- Quotes of the Week
Even by recent standards, Haiti plumbed new depths of chaos and anarchy this week amid a series of attacks coordinated by top gang leader Jimmy ‘Barbecue’ Chérizier, with the stated aim of bringing down the government.
Weekly Report - 29 February 2024 (WR-24-08)
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- Governors wage funding war with Milei as strikes begin
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- VENEZUELA: Preparing for a return of sanctions
- ECUADOR: Noboa confirms re-election plans
- BOLIVIA: MAS divisions deepen
- PERU: Congress closes in on judicial coup
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- BRAZIL: Limited gains for Bolsonaro’s São Paulo rally
- BRAZIL: Rio police launch more raids in favelas
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Uproar over López Obrador ‘doxing’ incident
- MEXICO: All eyes on the campaign
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Abinader uses annual address as campaign rally
- PANAMA: Key absence overshadows first presidential debate
- HAITI: High-level resignation over Moïse investigation charges
POSTSCRIPT
- Colombia’s foreign ministry rocked by passport debacle
- Quotes of the Week
At one stage this week it looked as if oil and gas supplies to Argentina might be cut by the south-eastern province of Chubut such was the fury of its governor at the decision by the federal government to withhold funding and subsequent taunting by President Javier Milei on social media.
Weekly Report - 22 February 2024 (WR-24-07)
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- Lula blasts Israel ahead of hosting G-20 summit
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- VENEZUELA: UN human rights staff expelled
- ECUADOR: Russia ramps up pressure over US arms deal
- BOLIVIA: Trying to address dollar shortage
- PERU: Fujimori confirms alliance to buttress Boluarte
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Milei spins setbacks as positives
- BRAZIL: An unprecedented escape from a federal prison
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Mexicans march in defence of democracy
- MEXICO: MC opts for familiar faces
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- EL SALVADOR: TSE ends speculation over legislative results
- GUATEMALA: Shoring up ties with Europe
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Municipal result augurs well for Abinader
- COSTA RICA: Chaves claims economic miracle
- TRACKING TRENDS
POSTSCRIPT
- Stroessner-era torturer given heavy sentence
- Quotes of the Week
Brazil’s government has for some time been critical of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, following last October’s attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas, but on 18 February those criticisms intensified, after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva compared the violence against Palestinians to the Holocaust, sparking a diplomatic row with Israel and drawing flak from opponents within Brazil.
Weekly Report - 15 February 2024 (WR-24-06)
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- Brazil’s Bolsonaro to face moment of truth on Avenida Paulista
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- COLOMBIA: Pick your attorney general
- VENEZUELA: Tension over arrest of leading human rights activist
- ECUADOR: Torture allegations heighten scrutiny on gang crackdown
- PERU: Boluarte shuffles the deck
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Question mark over reforms
- CHILE: Boric faces backlash over Piñera funeral speech
- PARAGUAY: Peña moves to crack down on arms trafficking
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Guerrero’s insecurity crisis continues
- MEXICO: Another lifeline for Pemex
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- HAITI: Key deadline comes and goes
- GUATEMALA: Arévalo moves on security priority
- NICARAGUA/PANAMA: Martinelli asylum request tests Nicaragua-Panama relations
POSTSCRIPT
- Jumbo freighter struggles with political turbulence
- Quotes of the Week
Facing ongoing accusations of coup-mongering, Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2023) has called on his supporters to rally on Avenida Paulista in São Paulo on 25 February.
Weekly Report - 08 February 2024 (WR-24-05)
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- Bukele claims thumping victory in El Salvador elections
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- COLOMBIA: Petro spars with attorney general
- VENEZUELA: Planning a snap election?
- BOLIVIA: Roadblocks cleared but challenges remain
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Milei suffers serious setback
- URUGUAY: Thrilled with Milei’s Montevideo decision
- BRAZIL: Left-wing parties join forces in São Paulo mayoral race
- BRAZIL: Further efforts to dismantle Lava Jato legacy
MEXICO
- MEXICO: López Obrador unveils reforms in electoral power play
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- PANAMA: Martinelli to depart electoral race, and country
- COSTA RICA: Struggling with insecurity
- CUBA: Economy minister goes
POSTSCRIPT
- Piñera dies in helicopter accident
- Quotes of the week
El Salvador will enter uncharted waters on 1 June when Nayib Bukele begins a second term in office after his emphatic victory in presidential elections on 4 February.
Weekly Report - 01 February 2024 (WR-24-04)
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- Venezuela’s top court outlaws Machado’s presidential bid
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- PERU: Biggest faller in annual corruption index
- ECUADOR: Top court clips Noboa’s wings
- BOLIVIA: Progress on judicial elections but protests continue
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Milei faces first big test in congress
- BRAZIL: Spying scandal hits Bolsonaro allies
- BRAZIL: Brumadinho marks anniversary of mining disaster
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Journalist data leak prompts security concerns
- MEXICO: New theory in Colosio murder case
- MEXICO: Opposition congress picks unveiled
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- HAITI: International security support mission in limbo
- GUATEMALA: A long-awaited meeting
POSTSCRIPT
- Andean deforestation in the spotlight
- Quotes of the week
Venezuela’s supreme court (TSJ) upheld a ban this week on María Corina Machado competing in the presidential elections for the opposition coalition Plataforma Unitaria Democrática (PUD), barring her from holding public office until 2036.
Weekly Report - 25 January 2024 (WR-24-03)
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- Bolivarian Fury unleashed as Venezuela marks ‘Democracy Day’
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- REGION: Ecuador’s crisis prompts Andean security accord
- PERU: Police chief fired after Boluarte attack
- BOLIVIA: Morales supporters block roads as tensions escalate
- COLOMBIA: Foreign minister suspended
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Milei shrugs off general strike
- BRAZIL: New programme to revitalise industry
- BRAZIL: Authorities address violence against indigenous peoples
MEXICO
- MEXICO: US arms trafficking lawsuit revived
- MEXICO: Ayotzinapa proxy in executive’s war on judiciary
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- GUATEMALA: Arévalo names key post
- NICARAGUA: Prominent Ortega critic released, exiled
POSTSCRIPT
- Chilean opposition puts dampener on Boric’s pension victory
- Quotes of the week
Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro is cracking down on opposition to his government ahead of elections that are scheduled to be held this year but which still have no date.
Weekly Report - 18 January 2024 (WR-24-02)
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- Guatemala’s Arévalo defies odds to take office
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- ECUADOR: Brazen gang attacks continue
- COLOMBIA: Petro criticised over presidential spending
- BOLIVIA: Incensed Morales threatens protests
- VENEZUELA: Maduro delivers annual address to congress
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- CHILE: Mixed progress on new legislation
- BRAZIL: Lula appoints new minister to key post
- BRAZIL: Federal government addresses floods in Rio
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: López Obrador outlines reform drive
- MEXICO: Mounting challenges for MC’s Álvarez Máynez
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- SURINAME: Bouterse flees to avoid sentence
- TRACKING TRENDS
POSTSCRIPT
- Milei visits Davos as grim data released
- Quotes of the week
“Guatemala’s democracy and the will of Guatemalan voters triumphed over corrupt and antidemocratic forces.” This was the response by Brian Nichols, a senior Western Hemisphere official at the US State Department, which appeared to sum up international relief at the inauguration of anti-corruption outsider Bernardo Arévalo as Guatemala’s new president on 14 January.
Weekly Report - 11 January 2024 (WR-24-01)
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- Ecuador in turmoil as Noboa declares war on gangs
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- VENEZUELA-GUYANA: Essequibo dispute returning to status quo
- BOLIVIA: Top court blocks Morales’ 2025 candidacy
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Milei makes audacious bid for more power
- CHILE: Boric seeks consensus after constitution falls flat
- BRAZIL: Government hails strength of institutions after capital riots
- BRAZIL: Elite Rio police unit to wear body cameras
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Political violence as electoral year begins
- MEXICO: MC names (another) presidential candidate
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- GUATEMALA: Arévalo poised to take office, ends cabinet speculation
- SURINAME: Bouterse loses appeal – but remains free
- NICARAGUA: Ramping up attacks on Catholic Church
- EL SALVADOR: Bukele set fair for re-election – but only once
POSTSCRIPT
- Colombian guerrilla groups renounce kidnappings
- Quotes of the week
Ecuador was plunged into tumult on 9 January as members of criminal gangs ran amok, bursting onto the set of a live television broadcast, taking some 140 prison guards hostage, and killing two police officers in a wave of violence that poses a direct challenge to the authority of President Daniel Noboa, who decreed a state of ‘internal armed conflict’.