Argentina: On 24 February US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo received Argentina’s ambassador to the US, Jorge Argüello, at the US State Department where they discussed the possibility of a meeting between the countries’ two presidents and said that the two countries would “work together to promote democracy and economic prosperity in the region”. Speaking to Argentine news outlet Infobae, Argüello described the meeting as “very productive” and said that Pompeo showed himself to be interested in Argentina’s situation and influence in the region. According to Infobae, amongst the principal matters discussed, were Argentina’s plan for tackling its debt crisis and the need for a democratic solution to the situation in Venezuela. Argüello also told Pompeo that Argentina doesn’t back the re-election of the Secretary General of the Organisation of American States (OAS) Luis Almagro owing to President Alberto Fernández’s divergence of opinion with him on regional matters. Pompeo responded that the US does back Almagro. Argüello went on to thank the White House on behalf of Argentina for its support of Argentina’s debt restructuring plan with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Regarding a potential meeting between US President Donald Trump and President Fernández, Argüello said Pompeo didn’t reject the request but clarified that he would need to consult Trump.
Bolivia: On 25 February an unnamed senior US Department of State official gave a press briefing on US engagement in Bolivia in which he said that the US government is working with “the international community – our partners in the EU[European Union], the UN [United Nations], the OAS [Organization of American States] – to help ensure free, fair, and transparent elections that would help bolster democracy”. General elections are scheduled for 3 May following the vote that was cancelled in October 2019 amid allegations of fraud. According to the US official, the US “wants a positive relationship with the new government of Bolivia, whatever government that is put in place”. The official also noted that US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale visited La Paz in January, and on 21 January announced the US’s intent to resume an ambassadorial relationship with Bolivia. US-Bolivia relations soured under the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) government led by former president Evo Morales (2006-2019), with both ambassadors expelled from their respective posts in 2008.
Mexico: On 26 February Mexico’s foreign ministry (SRE) issued a statement in response to a US Supreme Court ruling issued the previous day which stated that the family of 15-year-old Sergio Adrián Hernández Güereca is not entitled to sue for damages the US Border Patrol agent who fatally shot him in 2010. The Supreme Court ruled that it cannot extend Constitutional protection nor apply US federal law in claims for actions of US agents causing effects in other countries. The SRE statement expresses “deep concern” on behalf of the Mexican government “for the consequences of this decision on similar cases involving Mexican citizens killed by gunshots fired by US agents towards Mexico”, warning that this precedent could limit the ability of claimants to obtain justice and reparations for damages in US courts. Hernández died in the border town of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua state, in June 2010, when a Border Patrol agent from el El Paso, Texas, shot at him from US soil. The SRE had filed amicus curiae briefs before the US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and three times before the US Supreme Court. Underlining Mexico’s strong condemnation of “situations when law enforcement authorities use disproportionate and sometimes extraterritorial use of force, particularly at our common border”, the SRE statement notes the creation in 2014 of a High-level Border Violence Prevention Group by both countries which has “held six meetings and achieved progress on issues such as accountability and transparency, as well as preventive actions”.
Panama: On 21 February the interim head of the US embassy in Panama, Philip Laidlaw, and Panama’s security minister, Juan Manuel Pino, participated in a ceremony in which the US handed over equipment worth US$6.4m to strengthen Panama’s anti-narcotics operations both on land and sea. According to a series of tweets by the US embassy in Panama, this included three Boston Whaler boats, communication equipment, helmets and bullet-proof jackets, and thermal binoculars, among other things. According to the US embassy, since 2016 the US has financed US$195m worth of training and equipment for the security forces in Panama. The ceremony took place two days after US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun met Panama’s foreign minister, Alejandro Ferrer, in Washington DC, during which the two discussed, among other things, the “importance of the US-Panamanian partnership and the need to continue countering irregular migration and combatting the flow of illegal narcotics”. Other topics discussed included “transparent investment for economic growth, the upcoming election for the Secretary General of the Organization of American States, and the ongoing political crises in Venezuela and Nicaragua”.
