Latin American Weekly Report
Weekly Report - 22 December 2016 (WR-16-50)
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- Argentina’s Macri patches a deal on ganancias tax
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Crisis accentuates Brazil’s regional divide
- CHILE: Gearing up for 2017
Andean
- PERU: An inscrutable meeting
- BOLIVIA: Bending the rule book
- VENEZUELA: Maduro’s otherworldly Christmas message
- COLOMBIA: Santos-Uribe rift confounds papal intervention
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Difficult transition in Veracruz
- MEXICO: The shadow of Donald Trump
Central America & Caribbean
- HONDURAS: Child migration surges again
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Nicaragua and Russia shore up ties
- Quotes of the year
Last week, Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri had been on the brink of a humiliating defeat over an opposition bill proposing changes to the ‘impuesto a las ganancias’ payroll tax.
Weekly Report - 15 December 2016 (WR-16-49)
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- Little seasonal cheer in Venezuela
Andean
- COLOMBIA: Top court approves fast track
- BOLIVIA: Relations with Brazil tested
- PERU: Standoff over education minister
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Sparks fly as Macri and Massa square up
- BRAZIL: Prospects look bleak
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Getting the troops off the streets
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- HAITI: Picture becomes (a bit) clearer ahead of 2017
- EL SALVADOR: Army linked to death threats against judges?
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Ecuador’s Correa takes pre-electoral risk
- Quotes of the week
President Nicolás Maduro has taken on a new role – Saint Nicholas – assuring Venezuelan children that he will personally ensure that their toys are delivered on time this year.
Weekly Report - 08 December 2016 (WR-16-48)
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- Argentina advances anti-drug strategy but Paraguay could hold key
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Temer’s reform agenda threatened by instability
- ARGENTINA: Macri government regroups ahead of 2017
Andean
- PERU: Fujimoristas gun for education minister
- VENEZUELA: A Christian Burial for the Vatican dialogue
- COLOMBIA: Crunch time for Farc peace accord
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Carstens leaves Banxico as challenges mount
- MEXICO: Yunes confronts formidable task in Veracruz
Central America & Caribbean
- CUBA: Defending the Revolution
- NICARAGUA: Almagro visit fails to assuage democracy concerns
Postscript
- Mexico makes major environmental commitment
- Quotes of the week
Argentina’s federal security ministry is taking the first steps towards President Mauricio Macri’s utopian objective of delivering a country “free from drug trafficking”.
Weekly Report - 01 December 2016 (WR-16-47)
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- Cuba confronts the death of a colossus
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Barlovento massacre not a one-off, MUD warns
- BOLIVIA: A fresh source of pressure on Morales
- ECUADOR: Lasso promises to slash taxes, create jobs
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Temer government hit by ethical scandal
- ARGENTINA: Congress gives Macri bloody nose
- CHILE-PERU: Bachelet and Kuczynski bury historical enmity
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: OECD slashes forecast
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- HAITI: Winner declared in Haiti vote
- COSTA RICA-NICARAGUA: Fresh tensions ahead of key deadline
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Cupid’s arrow breaches Peruvian minister’s defences
- Quotes of the week
The passing of Cuba’s revolutionary leader Fidel Castro was announced many times during his life, only to be refuted, often by a photo of him clutching a dated copy of the Communist party mouthpiece Granma.
Weekly Report - 24 November 2016 (WR-16-46)
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- Embattled Bachelet seeks respite as suspicion falls on Piñera
Andean
- ECUADOR: Correa rolls out the red carpet for Xi
- COLOMBIA: Santos moves ahead without support of ‘no’ camp
- VENEZUELA: Mediators scramble as dialogue stalls
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: The rise and fall of Rio de Janeiro
- ARGENTINA: Macri forced on the defensive
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Guerrero violence puts spotlight on poppy trade
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- HAITI: Elections hailed as improvement
- REGION: Rallying in the face of a Trump presidency
Postscript
- As homicide rate falls in El Salvador, police murders increase
- Quotes of the week
Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet tried to take the heat off her beleaguered government this week by questioning the fact, that while serving as president, her predecessor Sebastián Piñera (2010-2014) bought shares in a Peruvian fishing company, Exalmar.
Weekly Report - 17 November 2016 (WR-16-45)
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- Government and Farc seal new peace accord
Andean
- BOLIVIA: Back on defensive over corruption
- VENEZUELA: Positive words but little else so far
- ECUADOR: Petroecuador submerged in scandal
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: The struggle for electronic voting
- BRAZIL: Fully opening up the ‘pre-salt’ to private exploitation
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Bracing for deportations
- MEXICO: New Turn in Veracruz soap opera
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- NICARAGUA: Complaints grow over elections
- HONDURAS: “Re-planting” relations with the US
Postscript
- El Salvador averts default
- Quotes of the week
Colombia might soon emerge from what President Juan Manuel Santos has described as “a dangerous and risky limbo”.
Weekly Report - 10 November 2016 (WR-16-44)
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- Mexico faces up to the consequences of Trump’s triumph
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Maduro attacks Hausmann, Citibank
- PERU: Protesters condemn central bank politicisation
- COLOMBIA: Santos claims swift progress with Farc
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Rousseff makes tentative comeback
- URUGUAY: Rising star in Uruguay’s political firmament
- ARGENTINA: Warnings over ‘Festival of Bonds’
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Maritime freight industry struggles
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- NICARAGUA: Ortega sweeps to victory
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Chile’s ruling coalition gives Bachelet bloody nose
- Quotes of the week
Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential elections creates significant uncertainty for Latin American governments but above all it poses major diplomatic and domestic policy challenges for the Mexican government led by President Enrique Peña Nieto.
Weekly Report - 03 November 2016 (WR-16-43)
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- Brazil shifts to the right in municipal elections
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Fernández plays the Ecuadorean defence
- PARAGUAY: Cartes puts re-election cards on the table
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Back to the drawing board
- COLOMBIA: Santos state visit solidifies UK ties
- ECUADOR: All to play for with half of voters undecided
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Pressure growing on Sinaloa cartel
- MEXICO: Financial black hole in Veracruz
Central America & Caribbean
- EL SALVADOR: Saca arrest puts spotlight on Arena
- HONDURAS: Zelaya preps Libre for 2017
- GUATEMALA: Police raid claims high-profile fatality
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Nicaraguan protesters denounce Ortega’s dynastic pretentions
- Quotes of the week
In the final round of Brazil’s municipal elections, left-leaning parties were roundly defeated by their right-wing rivals.
Weekly Report - 27 October 2016 (WR-16-42)
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- Chile’s Bachelet and ruling coalition dealt electoral blow
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Cunha: down, but not out
- ARGENTINA: Church opens the archives
- ARGENTINA-URUGUAY: Better chemistry
- TRACKING TRENDS
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Time to save democracy
- VENEZUELA: Rating agencies cut Pdvsa
- COLOMBIA: Tax reform faces political obstacles
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Governors on the run
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- EL SALVADOR: Party political dispute holds up key fiscal pact
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Varela and Santos strike security deal; skirt trade dispute
- Quotes of the week
Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet and her Nueva Mayoría coalition government suffered a major setback in municipal elections on 23 October.
Weekly Report - 20 October 2016 (WR-16-41)
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- Peru’s Kuczynski seeks to overcome corruption setback
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Capriles unfazed by institutional bullying
- ECUADOR: Election season declared
- BOLIVIA: A new source of tension with the unions
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires governor threatened
- ARGENTINA: Tangle over education tests
- BRAZIL: Riots underline urgent need for prison reform
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: A tale of two extraditions
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- NICARAGUA: Repression concerns grow ahead of elections
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Colombia’s Santos tries to keep pressure on
- Quotes of the week
Peru's President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has suffered a political setback as a corruption scandal has forced him to sack Carlos Moreno, his healthcare adviser, and dented his popularity ratings.
Weekly Report - 13 October 2016 (WR-16-40)
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- Fernández begins fightback but Macri is in the ascendancy
Andean
- COLOMBIA: Santos launches two new peace negotiations
- VENEZUELA: Ramos condemns TSJ’s ‘criminal attitude’
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Temer pushes ahead with austerity plan
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Resurgence of violence poses political problem
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- HAITI: A new humanitarian crisis
- HONDURAS: Shadows lengthen again
Postscript
- Peru and Ecuador focus on energy integration
- Quotes of the week
Argentina’s former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (2007-2015) has launched her political comeback.
Weekly Report - 06 October 2016 (WR-16-39)
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- ‘No’ vote shatters illusions of peace in Colombia
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Debate rages over the next VP
- ECUADOR: Ruling AP selects presidential candidate
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: PT and PMDB suffer electoral setbacks
- REGION: Temer visits Buenos Aires and Asunción
- CHILE: Bachelet presents ‘austere’ budget
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Mexico City fights against budget cuts
Central America & Caribbean
- EL SALVADOR: Spectre of default looms
- GUATEMALA: Corruption complications drag on for Morales
Postscript
- Peru’s Kuczynski earns congressional breakthrough
- Quotes of the week
Colombia faces a period of acute political and economic uncertainty after a wafer-thin majority of voters rejected the peace accord with the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Farc) on 2 October.
Weekly Report - 29 September 2016 (WR-16-38)
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- Santos and Timochenko commit to new future for Colombia
Andean
- PERU: Sendero and Farc: not the same
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: New campaign rules come under fire
- ARGENTINA: Peronist unity still a long way off
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Future scenarios in bilateral ties with US
- MEXICO: The changing face of the PRI?
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- HAITI: Security concerns overshadow final stretch
Postscript
- Gearing up for life after Correa
- Quotes of the week
“Welcome to democracy.” With these words Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos shook hands with the maximum leader of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Farc), ‘Timochenko’ (Rodrigo Londoño Echeverri), after both men signed the final peace accord with a ‘balígrafo’ (a pen crafted from a bullet) during a ceremony in Cartagena de Indias on 26 September attended by the great and the good.
Weekly Report - 22 September 2016 (WR-16-37)
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- Venezuela faces major diplomatic setback
Andean
- VENEZUELA: CNE refuses to bend
- PERU: Fujimorismo takes firm action after defection
- COLOMBIA: Santos snubs Uribe amid positive polls
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Welcoming back the Fund
- BRAZIL: Temer defends Rousseff impeachment before UN
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Zerón appointment overshadows Grito
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- NICARAGUA: Opposition in disarray
- HONDURAS: Police and mara purge
- GUATEMALA: Morales’ credibility suffers a knock
Postscript
- UK-Argentine diplomatic thaw provokes backlash
- UN General Assembly speeches
- UN General Assembly speeches
The prize for which Venezuela’s late former president Hugo Chávez (1999-2013) strove so hard could soon be taken away from the country.
Weekly Report - 15 September 2016 (WR-16-36)
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- Peru’s Kuczynski prioritises economy and security
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Deciphering the smoke signals
- ECUADOR: Opposition alleges a conspiracy
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- REGION: Democracy slips a little in the ratings
- BRAZIL: Lula – “the maestro of an orchestra of criminals”
- ARGENTINA: Tackling insecurity in Rosario
- CHILE: Bachelet faces more mining problems
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Mass marches pile pressure on Peña Nieto
- MEXICO: Meade tables austere budget
Central America & Caribbean
- EL SALVADOR: No need for bespoke Cicig?
Postscript
- Colombia’s Santos admits there is no fallback plan
- Quotes of the week
Peru’s President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski is in China for his first official foreign visit this week as he seeks to attract investment to drive national development and economic growth.
Weekly Report - 08 September 2016 (WR-16-35)
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- Mexico’s Peña Nieto on back foot as Videgaray resigns
Mexico & Nafta
- TRACKING TRENDS
Andean
- VENEZUELA: MUD seeks momentum after huge march
- BOLIVIA: Mining unrest turns deadly
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Brazil’s Pandora’s Box of scandal
- CHILE: Lagos to run for the presidency
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- HAITI: Campaigns underway
- CUBA: Drilling for cash
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Argentina’s Macri gets legal fillip
- Quotes of the week
It is sometimes claimed that a typical six-year Mexican presidency can be broken down into three periods of two years each.
Weekly Report - 01 September 2016 (WR-16-34)
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- Deep scars in Brazil will take time – and leadership – to heal
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Paes sets sights on higher office
- ARGENTINA: A winnable war on drugs?
- ARGENTINA: Macri seeks wider coalition
- PARAGUAY: Opposition spoils re-election hopes for Cartes
- PARAGUAY: Deadly EPP attack puts Cartes on the back foot
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Caracas 1-S march last chance to push for timely recall
- PERU: Thorne sets out his stall
- COLOMBIA: Referendum approved as campaigning starts
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Downbeat outlook as GDP contracts
- MEXICO: Trumps day trip to Mexico
Central America & Caribbean
- HONDURAS: The Zelayas divide again
Postscript
- Mexican federal police shaken up
- Quotes of the Week
Brazil’s political environment is febrile and bitterly polarised in the aftermath of the impeachment of the suspended president Dilma Rousseff this week.
Weekly Report - 25 August 2016 (WR-16-33)
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- Farc deal sealed in Cuba but referendum challenge remains
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Maduro reaches back to 2004 for scare tactics
- PERU: Zavala wins backing after grilling by congress
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: President in the dock
- CHILE: Bachelet hits record low
- ARGENTINA: Macri dealt legal blow as trade unions mass
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Violence reverting to Calderón levels
Central America & Caribbean
- HONDURAS: Ravaged by Zika
- PANAMA: Varela called to account over a pledge
Postscript
- Costa Rica’s Solís slips to nadir
- Quotes of the week
“The day has come; we can finally say that everything is agreed,” Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos celebrated in an emotional televised address on 24 August.
Weekly Report - 18 August 2016 (WR-16-32)
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- Mexico braced for violence after abduction of drug kingpin’s son
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Massive march demands governor’s resignation
- TRACKING TRENDS
Andean
- VENEZUELA: López sentence appeal thrown out
- BOLIVIA: Morales faces fresh unrest from miners
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Macri heckling gets out of hand
- BRAZIL: Electoral alliances ever more complex
- BRAZIL: Petrobras makes some progress out of the rough
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- EL SALVADOR: Twin boon for Sánchez Cerén
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Medina announces ambitious four-year plan
- CUBA: Fidel Castro turns 90, the Revolution clings on
- GUATEMALA: Trying where his predecessors have failed
Postscript
- Peru’s Fujimori absolved of embezzlement charge
- Quotes of the week
There is a risk that the Mexican state of Jalisco could imminently be engulfed in violence.
Weekly Report - 11 August 2016 (WR-16-31)
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- Venezuelan opposition thwarted in attempt to dislodge Maduro
Andean
- PERU: Kuczynski kicks off with regional tour
- COLOMBIA: Public could reject peace referendum
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Rousseff closer to exit door
- ARGENTINA: Political polarisation grows
- PARAGUAY: New kidnapping prompts military shake-up
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Zapata’s spirit stalks Zócalo
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- HONDURAS: Official secrets legislation under fire
- PANAMA: Relations with Colombia under strain
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- “No mistakes” in Venezuelan oil policy
- Quotes of the week
As widely expected, Venezuela’s national electoral council (CNE) has put the kybosh on opposition hopes of a presidential recall referendum this year.
Weekly Report - 04 August 2016 (WR-16-30)
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- Ortega delivers hammer blow to Nicaraguan democracy
Central America & Caribbean
- HAITI: Funding questions ahead of vote
Andean
- PERU: Kuczynski gets taste of challenge ahead
- VENEZUELA: Maduro appoints controversial interior minister
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Speedy impeachment around the corner
- BRAZIL: Temer in hot water over state debt-relief bill
- BRAZIL: Lula under uncomfortable scrutiny
- CHILE: Bachelet under attack on new fronts
- ARGENTINA: Macri deepens Mexico ties as Mercosur stumbles
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Surge in violence puts government on back foot
Postscript
- Argentina’s Macri battling to outflank trade unions
- Quotes of the week
Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega has swept away the last vestige of opposition to his government and consolidated his ironclad grip on power.
Weekly Report - 28 July 2016 (WR-16-29)
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- Brazil gets Zika fillip on eve of Olympics
Andean
- PERU: Fujimori pardon request dominates transition
- VENEZUELA: Informants in nephews’ case murdered
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Lula and Dilma will not attend opening ceremony
- BRAZIL: Impeachment, elections, Olympics put Brazil on pause
- BRAZIL: Tentative signs Brazil is bottoming out
- PARAGUAY: Preparing to defend Petropar from international lawsuit
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Obama seeks to buoy Peña Nieto’s spirits
- MEXICO: Mayoral murders raise security concerns
Central America & Caribbean
- GUATEMALA: Morales faces protests and high-level resignations
- CUBA: Fariñas stages fresh hunger strike
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Argentine trade unions moot convergence to challenge Macri
- Quotes of the week
Brazil received a belated boost ahead of the country’s staging of the Olympic Games with three separate developments in the space of two days reducing concern about the impact of the Zika virus on visitors and indeed participating athletes.
Weekly Report - 21 July 2016 (WR-16-28)
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- Peru’s Kuczynski unveils cabinet: strong on expertise, weak on politics?
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: New speaker Maia gets to work
- BRAZIL: Security steps up a gear as Rio prepares for Games
- TRACKING TRENDS
Andean
- COLOMBIA: Getting ready for referendum on peace
- VENEZUELA: Henry Ramos Allup ups the ante against TSJ
- VENEZUELA: No to dialogue, no to referendum
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- Peña Nieto short on political options
- TRACKING TRENDS
Caribbean & Central America
- EL SALVADOR: Constitutional chamber delivers historic ruling
Postscript
- Cuba and the US - one year on
- Quotes of the Week
Peru’s president-elect Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who takes office on 28 July, has announced his ministerial team.
Weekly Report - 14 July 2016 (WR-16-27)
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- Brazil’s Cunha suffers serious reverse
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Ruling marks another blow for Kirchnerismo
- ARGENTINA: Trouble with the gas
- PARAGUAY: Court rules on ‘Curuguaty massacre’
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Citibank throws a spanner in the works
- VENEZUELA: Military assumes wider powers
- PERU: Kuczynski opts for technocrat ally as prime minister
- COLOMBIA: Government and Farc launch joint coca programme
- ECUADOR: Correa continues to play coy
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Document reveals relative strength of DTOs
- MEXICO: Outgoing governors seek anti-corruption shield
Central America & Caribbean
- NICARAGUA: Doubts over poverty reduction figures
Postscript
- Argentine-Russian helicopter deal on the cards
- Quotes of the week
Political parties in Brazil are often less expressions of shared ideologies than clubs for the promotion of self-interest.
Weekly Report - 07 July 2016 (WR-16-26)
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- Pacific Alliance vows to learn lessons from Brexit
Andean
- VENEZUELA: To default or not to default?
- BOLIVIA: Morales challenged by unions
- PERU: Petroperú could face reform after fresh spill
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Rio on edge with one month to go to Olympics
- ARGENTINA: Discrediting Kirchnerismo
- CHILE: Bachelet’s education reform roundly rejected
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Osorio Chong blinks first
Central America & Caribbean
- CUBA: Murillo orders austerity measures
- GUATEMALA: Mining back in the spotlight
- PANAMA: Varela gives two-year balance sheet
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Colombia’s Farc announces end to ‘war tax’
- Quotes of the week
The heads of state of the four full member countries of the Pacific Alliance trade bloc promised on 1 July to strive towards more inclusive growth and greater financial integration without repeating the mistakes that led to Brexit.
Weekly Report - 30 June 2016 (WR-16-25)
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- Assessing the impact of Brexit on Latin America
Andean Countries
- COLOMBIA: Details of demobilisation divulged
- VENEZUELA: The Three Amigos – shoulder to shoulder
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Rousseff cleared over creative accounting measures
- BRAZIL: Temer vetoes plans for further FDI in airlines
- BRAZIL: Real strengthens, inflation still troubling
- ARGENTINA: Macri advances with adjustment
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Peña Nieto pursues new tack
Central America & Caribbean
- NICARAGUA: Fears grow over a one party state
- PANAMA: Canal expansion project unveiled
Postscript
- US chain opens first of three Cuban hotels
- Quotes of the week
At first blush the impact on Latin America of the decision by voters in the United Kingdom (UK) to leave the European Union (EU) in a referendum on 23 June would seem to be small.
Weekly Report - 23 June 2016 (WR-16-24)
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- Colombian peace deal within touching distance
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Maduro desperate to avoid OAS censure
- BOLIVIA-CHILE: Bachelet gambles on an old dispute
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Macri confronts corruption and drugs challenge
- BRAZIL: ‘Operation Car Wash’ switches focus back to PT
- BRAZIL: Rio declares public state of calamity
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Teacher protests result in fatal clashes
- MEXICO: Just one president left standing
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- HAITI: Heading into fresh uncertainty
- HONDURAS: Government denies that military killed Cáceres
Postscript
- Chile cracking down on corruption?
- Quotes of the week
The end of the world’s longest running armed conflict is within sight.
Weekly Report - 16 June 2016 (WR-16-23)
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- Peña Nieto and PRI seek to regain initiative in Mexico
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Kerry announces US talks
- PERU: Fujimoristas condition Kuczynski cooperation
- ECUADOR: Correa optimistic for 2017
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Cunha nears the end of the line
- BRAZIL: Temer accused in Machado testimony
- BRAZIL: Meirelles unveils 20-year cap on spending plans
- PARAGUAY: Fatal fire puts focus on prison overcrowding
- ARGENTINA: Macri starting to struggle after six months
- CHILE: Burgos bails as Bachelet hits rock bottom
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- NICARAGUA: Ortega resorts to familiar tactics
Postscript
- Colombia’s congress shields future peace accords
- Quotes of the week
Mexico’s President Enrique Peña Nieto and the federally ruling Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) have come out fighting in the wake of the worst set of results in the party’s history in gubernatorial, state legislative and municipal elections on 5 June.
Weekly Report - 09 June 2016 (WR-16-22)
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- Kuczynski wins Peru’s most nail-biting election
Andean
- VENEZUELA-REGION: Bolivarians turn to gold for salvation
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: ‘The circus catches fire’
- CHILE: Bachelet fans further press freedom concerns
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Reborn PAN rolls back PRI hegemony
Central America & Caribbean
- GUATEMALA: Congress faces corruption crackdown
- CUBA: Optimism as government legalises small businesses
- ST LUCIA: Opposition UWP back after five-year hiatus
Postscript
- Argentine government strikes utility tariff deal with governors
- Quotes of the week
Pedro Pablo Kuczynski will become Peru’s 95th president on 28 July after defeating Keiko Fujimori by 50.1%-49.9% in the closest electoral contest in the country’s history.
Weekly Report - 02 June 2016 (WR-16-21)
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- Contrasting elections on Hispaniola
Andean
- VENEZUELA: All eyes on the referendum
- COLOMBIA: Government wrestles with widespread protests
- PERU: Mendoza enters fray behind flagging Kuczynski
- BOLIVIA: Morales moots another referendum
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Another minister gone, more revelations feared
- BRAZIL: Recession continues, but could the worst be over?
- ARGENTINA: Macri tries to outflank opposition with amnesty
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Mass grave threatens to damage authorities
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- PANAMA: Varela faces familiar unrest
Postscript
- El Salvador’s congress agrees on security funding
- Quotes of the week
The island of Hispaniola is undergoing strikingly different electoral processes.
Weekly Report - 26 May 2016 (WR-16-20)
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- Ecuador’s Correa puts positive gloss on dismal picture
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Maduro spends US$20m on military exercises
- PERU: Fujimori exposes Kuczynski’s lack of ringcraft
Brazil & Southern Cone
- CHILE: Violent protests mar Bachelet’s address
- ARGENTINA: Macri ramps up bid to reshape foreign policy
- BRAZIL: Temer administration shaken by tape recordings
- URUGUAY: Opposition slams Vázquez over tax increase
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Electoral process probed in five states
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- GUATEMALA: Morales tested over corruption
- NICARAGUA: Opposition selects candidate to face Ortega
Postscript
- UN puts Honduran impunity rate at over 90%
- Quotes of the week
Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa delivered his final state-of-the-nation address to the national assembly on 24 May after nine years in government.
Weekly Report - 19 May 2016 (WR-16-19)
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- Opposition dismay as Maduro decrees national state of exception
Andean
- PERU: Corruption scandal could swing balance for Kuczynski
- COLOMBIA: Major accord over minors
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Education sector mobilises once again
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Temer’s first week characterised by missteps
- BRAZIL: Lula accused of obstruction of justice
Central America & Caribbean
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Medina cruises but make-up of congress unclear
- HAITI: Another deadline comes and goes
- CUBA: Alarming rise in Cuban rafters
Postscript
- Brazil lashes out at Rousseff’s regional allies
- Quotes of the week
While some in the Venezuelan opposition like to disparage President Nicolás Maduro as ‘the bus driver’ and mock his awkward efforts to ape the ways of his late predecessor, Hugo Chávez (1999-2013), Maduro, or at least those around him, learned one lesson well from the comandante: always to stay one step ahead of the enemy.
Weekly Report - 12 May 2016 (WR-16-18)
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- Brazil takes momentous step: Rousseff suspended, Temer takes over
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Macri launches counterattack
- CHILE: Setback for Bachelet over labour reform
- PARAGUAY: Students force Cartes’s hand
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Violence erupts as opposition demands recall
- ECUADOR: Cabinet shake-up follows earthquake
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: First marijuana, next opium poppies?
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- EL SALVADOR: Burying the gang truce
- HONDURAS: Cáceres murder probe progresses
- PANAMA: A further knock to Panama’s image
Postscript
- Medina poised for re-election in Dominican Republic
- Quotes of the week
In a marathon session that started at 10AM on 11 May and finished just before 7AM the following day, Brazil’s federal senate voted by 55-22 in favour of initiating impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff.
Weekly Report - 05 May 2016 (WR-16-17)
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- Argentina’s Macri in race against time
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Rousseff reaches the end of the line
- TRACKING TRENDS
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Venezuelans join a political queue
- PERU: Kuczynski gets tough on security and corruption
- COLOMBIA: ELN talks suspended over hostages
- BOLIVIA: Morales and COB strike deal but unrest persists
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Environmental emergency declared
Central America & Caribbean
- CUBA: The Brits are back
- COSTA RICA: Cooperation with China back in the spotlight
- NICARAGUA: Military cooperation with Russia raises eyebrows
Postscript
- The Adonia makes a historic trip
- Quotes of the Week
Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri had it all carefully planned out.
Weekly Report - 28 April 2016 (WR-16-16)
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- Santos assembles Colombia’s peace cabinet
Andean
- PERU: Game on as Kuczynski overhauls Keiko
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Preparing for a bitter divorce
- BRAZIL: Brazil under Temer
- CHILE: Support for constitutional change
- PARAGUAY: Congress begins purging supreme court
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Marijuana move overshadowed by Iguala report
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- CUBA: Seventh party congress comes and goes
- NICARAGUA: More worrying signs ahead of November
- BELIZE-GUATEMALA: Flare-up of bilateral tensions
Postscript
- Brazilians losing faith in democracy
- Quotes of the week
Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos reached out beyond his ruling Unidad Nacional coalition this week to forge a “post-conflict cabinet” that features members of almost all of the country’s parties across the political divide.
Weekly Report - 21 April 2016 (WR-16-15)
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- Brazil’s Rousseff one big step closer to impeachment
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Buy a bond, lose a job
- ARGENTINA: Time Warp deaths highlight drug problem
- CHILE: Concern over ‘gag law’
- TRACKING TRENDS
Andean
- ECUADOR: Ecuador’s troubles intensify
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: On the defensive again
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- GUATEMALA: Shoring up ties with the US
Postscript
- Venezuela’s national assembly presses on – but to what end?
- Quotes of the week
During the vote to impeach Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff on 17 April, Joaquim Barbosa, the lead supreme court justice in the prosecution of the mensalão cash-for-votes scandal and one of the few elder statesmen to enjoy support from across the country’s political divide, voiced the thoughts of many when he wrote on Twitter: “It’s enough to make one weep for shame.” Regardless of the eventual outcome of the impeachment process, the spectacle of Brazil’s 513 federal congressional deputies casting their votes aloud in an atmosphere akin to a stand full of drunken football supporters will linger long in the collective memory and alienate yet further many Brazilians sceptical of the efficacy of their democracy.
Weekly Report - 14 April 2016 (WR-16-14)
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- Kuczynski survives to fight duel with Fujimori
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Running on fumes
- COLOMBIA: Increased attacks by ELN, Clan Úsuga threaten to hinder peace process
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Brazil prepares for impeachment vote
- ARGENTINA: Fernández returns
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Daphne case arrest orders issued
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- HAITI: Election date up in the air
- HONDURAS: Police reform gets underway
Postscript
- Colombia’s Santos talks trade and security in Central America
- Quotes of the week
The battle for second in Peru’s presidential elections on 10 April was as closely contested as opinion polls suggested it would be.
Weekly Report - 07 April 2016 (WR-16-13)
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- As guerrilla threat recedes in Colombia, paramilitary threat grows
Andean
- PERU: Congressional elections hold key to success
- VENEZUELA: Women get ironing leave
- ECUADOR: Increase in sin taxes rankles
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Senate gives Macri sword to cut Gordian knot
- BRAZIL: Impeachment momentum stalls
- CHILE: Struggling to appease the private sector
- CHILE-BOLIVIA: Morales revives an old complaint
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: PRI up to old tricks?
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- PANAMA: Varela’s transparency claims ring hollow
Postscript
- Cracking down on El Salvador’s mara gangs
- Quotes of the week
Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos greeted the news that his government will soon be thrashing out a peace accord with the country’s second guerrilla group, Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN), as confirmation that a definitive post-conflict settlement is within sight.
Weekly Report - 31 March 2016 (WR-16-12)
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- Obama visit forces a change of engagement
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Digging in for a war of attrition
- ARGENTINA: Celebrating a new map
Andean
- PERU: Inching closer to first female president
- VENEZUELA: Amnesty law threatens institutional standoff
- ECUADOR: Push-back against emergency economic measures
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Oil exports still plummeting
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- PANAMA: Varela finally names the date
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- ELN boost compensates for Farc setback
- Quotes of the week
From the moment Air Force One touched down in Havana’s international airport and US President Barack Obama and his family disembarked into the rain to the sight of a greeting party in which Cuba’s President Raúl Castro was notoriously absent, the two heads of state vied to gain the upper hand.
Weekly Report - 17 March 2016 (WR-16-11)
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- El Salvador braces for all-out war on mara gangs
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: On the edge of chaos
- ARGENTINA: Holdout deal sails through congress
- CHILE: Labour reform leaves nobody happy
Andean
- COLOMBIA: Santos straining to secure breakthrough
- PERU: Dust yet to settle after expulsions
- VENEZUELA: Governor under pressure over Tumeremo miners
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Military implicated in new rights abuse cases
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- CUBA: US announces measures ahead of Obama visit
- HAITI: Transition government takes shape
- GUATEMALA: Getting to grips with a priority
Postscript
- Military air crash in Ecuador
- Quotes of the week
El Salvador’s President Salvador Sánchez Cerén announced unprecedented action this week to combat the country’s mara street gangs.
Weekly Report - 10 March 2016 (WR-16-10)
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- Peru’s electoral process takes a turn for the absurd
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Opposition divided on bid to remove Maduro
- ECUADOR: Correa turns to point man in military dispute
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- URUGUAY: Ruling FA finally loses grip on slippery eel
- ARGENTINA: Macri clinches support for ‘holdout’ deal
- BRAZIL: Has Rousseff entered the death spiral?
- BRAZIL: Clash between police and tech as Facebook VP arrested
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Chiapas incident reignites Mando Único debate
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- HONDURAS: Hernández under strong pressure over Cáceres case
Postscript
- Colombia’s Santos launches great national energy crusade
- Quotes of the week
Peru’s presidential electoral campaign is descending into farce.
Weekly Report - 03 March 2016 (WR-16-09)
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- A bad week for Cunha and Rousseff in Brazil
Andean
- BOLIVIA: Family drama puts Morales on the defensive
- VENEZUELA: Supreme court ringfences itself
- ECUADOR: Defence minister claims to be lamb to the slaughter
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Holdouts deal almost done
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Calibrating the Trump effect
Central America & Caribbean
- JAMAICA: Opposition JLP wins by slimmest margin
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Medina uses annual address as campaign rally
- NICARAGUA: Opposition activists attacked
Postscript
- Uruguay’s Vázquez sees support plummet
- Quotes of the week
Eduardo Cunha, the speaker of Brazil’s federal lower chamber of congress, is to become the first defendant in a supreme court trial of those accused in ‘Operation Car Wash’, the investigation into corruption at the state-controlled oil company Petrobras.
Weekly Report - 25 February 2016 (WR-16-08)
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- Bolivia reaches turning point
Andean
- VENEZUELA: What is Camimpeg?
- PERU: Guzmán gets all clear – or does he?
- COLOMBIA: Armed Farc rally puts paid to peace deadline
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: First major protests against Macri presidency
- BRAZIL: Santana arrest brings threat closer to Rousseff
- BRAZIL: Moody’s downgrades Brazil to junk
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Government stung into action
Central America & Caribbean
- CUBA: Havana prepares for its biggest visit yet
- GUATEMALA: New congress, old problems
- EL SALVADOR: Funes and Saca replace Flores in the dock
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Caburga curse for Chile’s Bachelet
- Quotes of the week
After nearly a decade in power, an end date to the mandate of President Evo Morales, Bolivia’s longest-serving president, is finally in sight.
Weekly Report - 18 February 2016 (WR-16-07)
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- No holds barred: Pope wrestles with biggest challenges on Mexico visit
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Maduro bites the bullet
- PERU: Reading the runes amid electoral uncertainty
- COLOMBIA: ELN goes on the attack as peace talks founder
- BOLIVIA: Scandal shakes up re-election referendum campaign
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Macri’s difficult dealings with the unions
- ARGENTINA: Macri keeps winning over Peronists
- BRAZIL: Rousseff plays stateswoman as impeachment threat recedes
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- HAITI: Interim president steps into the breach
- JAMAICA: Electoral campaign turns ugly
Postscript
- Homicide rate down by over a quarter in Honduras
- Quotes of the week
Pope Francis conducted a six-day tour of Mexico from 12 to 17 February, with an itinerary specifically designed to focus on the most persistent and pernicious problems facing the country: drug-trafficking and violence; poverty and marginalisation; and power and corruption.
Weekly Report - 11 February 2016 (WR-16-06)
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- Santos wins major cash injection as US revamps Plan Colombia
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Opposition moots advancing presidential election
- BOLIVIA-BRAZIL: Morales and Rousseff re-energise ties
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Haircut but not severe
- BRAZIL: Few good options available to tackle Zika
- BRAZIL: Government considers flexible fiscal target
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Peña Nieto reshuffles cabinet to address oil crisis
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- HAITI: Another caretaker government takes office
- COSTA RICA: Solís suffers electoral setback
- HONDURAS: Supreme court appointments excite controversy
Postscript
- Ecuador’s Correa locks horns with military
- Quotes of the week
Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos has received a massive vote of confidence from his US peer Barack Obama in his pursuit of a peace accord with the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Farc).
Weekly Report - 04 February 2016 (WR-16-05)
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- Argentina’s Macri faces crucial talks at home and abroad
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Rallying to fight Zika
- BRAZIL: Rousseff roundly booed by congress
- BRAZIL: Back to the future?
- PARAGUAY: Cartes combats clientelism
- CHILE: Bachelet amends tax reform
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Cval – well past its sell-by date
- PERU: Guzmán emerges as latest ‘outsider’ for top job
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Osorio Chong guns for peace in Guerrero
- MEXICO: Mexico City gets a constitutional upgrade
Central America & Caribbean
- PANAMA: Top court in crisis
- CUBA: Vive Cuba!
Postscript
- Death of Flores casts doubt over seminal corruption case
- Quotes of the week
It is crunch time for Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri.
Weekly Report - 28 January 2016 (WR-16-04)
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- Zika takes Latin America by storm
Andean
- ECUADOR: Opposition forges ‘unity’ coalition
- PERU: Camisea and corruption move centre stage
- VENEZUELA: An ominous sign, as tensions continue to simmer
- BOLIVIA: Another drugs embarrassment for Morales
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Macri makes breakthrough at Davos
- BRAZIL: Impeachment threat recedes for now
- BRAZIL: Markets despair at central bank move
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Peso depreciation sparks political debate
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- HAITI: Still no elections
- GUATEMALA: Cracks emerge in the military
- CUBA: Opening up the trade route
Postscript
- Colombia earns ringing endorsement
- Quotes of the week
El Salvador’s health ministry has advised couples to avoid conceiving children over the next two years.
Weekly Report - 21 January 2016 (WR-16-03)
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- Major advance in Farc talks but funding peace raises concerns
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Maduro declares emergency
Brazil & Southern Cone
- URUGUAY: Ancap provides Vázquez with serious dilemma
- ARGENTINA: Kirchnerismo gets rallying point against Macri
- BRAZIL: Rio murders down, but disappearances up
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: PRI claims victory in Colima (again)
- MEXICO: Mass abduction cases re-emerge in Guerrero
Central America & Caribbean
- GUATEMALA: Morales assumes his latest role
- PANAMA: Doubts build as latest expansion deadline nears
Postscript
- Honduras gets its anti impunity commission
- Quotes of the week
“A gigantic step towards the end of the war.” This was the reaction of Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos to an accord struck in Cuba with the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Farc) on 19 January over international verification of a bilateral ceasefire and disarmament of the guerrilla group.
Weekly Report - 14 January 2016 (WR-16-02)
Click here for full report
- What does Guzmán’s recapture mean for Mexico and Peña Nieto?
Mexico & Nafta
- Basave’s brinkmanship leaves PRD reeling
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Amid the tension a glimmer of hope
- PERU: Keiko under attack as campaign season kicks off
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- CHILE: Image tainted by corruption scandals
- PARAGUAY: Cartes marks the New Year with his first cabinet reshuffle
- BRAZIL: Petrobras cuts investment
- BRAZIL: Lula and Rousseff accused in Car Wash latest
- ARGENTINA-URUGUAY : Macri shares his first asado with Vázquez
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- EL SALVADOR: Bulging in-tray for new attorney general
Postscript
- Macri slams Argentina’s security forces
- Quotes of the week
“Mission accomplished: we have him.
Weekly Report - 07 January 2016 (WR-16-01)
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- Macri strikes at the heart of Kirchnerismo
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: The war within the PMDB
- BRAZIL: New Year, same worries
- CHILE: Cracks re-emerge in ruling coalition
Andean
- VENEZUELA: A sinking ship?
- COLOMBIA: Santos visits Farc birthplace for mayoral ceremony
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Indigenous plight takes centre stage
- MEXICO: Morelos mayor murdered
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- HAITI: Elections postponed as political crisis intensifies
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- High hopes for a Macri Mercosur makeover
- Quotes of the week
Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri might have refrained from direct criticism of his predecessor Cristina Fernández during his inaugural speech on 10 December but his actions since then speak louder than words.