Latin American Weekly Report
Weekly Report - 21 December 2017 (WR-17-50)
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- Placatory Piñera returns for second spell in power
Andean
- PERU: Kuczynski staring down the barrel
- COLOMBIA: Santos still striving for total peace
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Shining a light on construction cartel
- BRAZIL: Judgement day approaches for Lula
- ARGENTINA: Pension reform approved at political cost
- PARAGUAY: Cartismo defeated in party primaries
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Meade and López Obrador square up
Central America & Caribbean
- HONDURAS: Crisis intensifies as Hernández declared victor
- COSTA RICA: Candidates unveil manifestos
Postscript
- Venezuelan authorities strengthen democracy in unusual way
- Quotes of the year
Chile’s see-saw politics since 2006 will continue after Sebastián Piñera won the second round of presidential elections on 17 December.
Weekly Report - 14 December 2017 (WR-17-49)
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- Mexico’s presidential line-up complete
Andean
- COLOMBIA: Electoral campaign kicks off
- VENEZUELA: Municipal elections acquire unexpected relevance
- BOLIVIA: Morales finally meets Temer
- PERU: Odebrecht investigations ruffle more feathers
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: PSDB at the crossroads
- ARGENTINA: Fernández fights arrest for treason
- CHILE: Final debates provide few clues ahead of run-off
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- PANAMA: Setback for Varela as EU blacklists Panama
- HONDURAS: Opposition ratchets up pressure
Postscript
- Glas conviction will have political repercussions in Ecuador
- Quotes of the week
Barring a major surprise the main contenders in Mexico’s presidential elections on 1 July next year have now been decided.
Weekly Report - 07 December 2017 (WR-17-48)
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- Maduro conducts dialogue amid purge in Venezuela
Andean
- ECUADOR: Moreno unfazed by Correa’s return
- COLOMBIA: New blow to peace prospects
- BOLIVIA: MAS downplays another electoral defeat
- PERU: Odebrecht case enters critical new phase
Brazil & Southern Cone
- CHILE: Piñera scores own goal ahead of second round
- BRAZIL: Electoral poll brings out stark societal divides
- BRAZIL: Growth picks up
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Meade coronation ignites presidential contest
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- HONDURAS: Electoral crisis deepens
- COSTA RICA: ‘Cementazo’ claims another casualty
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Venezuela’s Maduro experiments with cryptocurrency
- Quotes of the week
Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro praised the success of the dialogue process with the opposition coalition Mesa de la Unidad Democrática (MUD) in the Dominican Republic on 1 and 2 December.
Weekly Report - 30 November 2017 (WR-17-47)
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- Honduras plunged into uncertainty after tight elections
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Military tightens grip on power
- BOLIVIA: Morales gets the green light
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Missing submarine provides headache for Macri
- BRAZIL: Time running out for key pension reform
- BRAZIL: PSDB chooses presidential candidate but splits remain
- CHILE: Courting the FA
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Meade anointed as PRI candidate
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- PANAMA: Varela pays historic visit to China
Postscript
- Crucial peace legislation in Colombia goes down to the wire
- Quotes of the week
Honduras is no stranger to political convulsions but it has not seen presidential elections like those that took place on 26 November since the return to democracy in 1982.
Weekly Report - 23 November 2017 (WR-17-46)
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- Game on as Piñera stumbles in Chile, but congress the big story
Andean
- PERU: Fujimorismo accused of institutional coup
- COLOMBIA: De la Calle to run for president
- VENEZUELA: Daring escape raises questions about dialogue
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Judiciary orders rogue deputies back to jail
- BRAZIL: Wrapping up ‘Car Wash’ investigations
- BRAZIL: Politicians trade alliances for ministerial positions
- ARGENTINA: Macri strikes fiscal pact with provinces
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Nafta renegotiations stagnate
- MEXICO: FCM tentatively starts to take shape
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- GUATEMALA: Private sector takes issue with Morales government
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Correa poised for showdown with Moreno in Ecuador
- Quotes of the week
Chile’s presidential elections were blown wide open on 19 November after former president Sebastián Piñera (2010-2014) became the first winner of the first round to fall shy of 40% since the transition to democracy in 1990.
Weekly Report - 16 November 2017 (WR-17-45)
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- Venezuela’s Maduro prepares for rough ride
Andean
- COLOMBIA: Drug record broken
- PERU: Odebrecht allegations corner political leaders
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Macri closes in on key reforms
- BRAZIL: Cabinet reshuffle begins
- CHILE: Piñera announces plan for Araucanía
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Tough talking on Nafta
- MEXICO: Cross-referencing the disappeared
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- NICARAGUA: OAS endorses FSLN victory
- PANAMA: Varela faces fresh pressure over Odebrecht
Postscript
- Cuba seeks foreign assistance over sonic attack allegations
- Quotes of the week
It would be going too far to say that the four meetings on Venezuela that took place in different forums in different countries on 13 November will shape the country’s political future, but taken together they testify to the severity of the challenge the government led by President Nicolás Maduro faces to navigate a course through to presidential elections just over one year from now.
Weekly Report - 09 November 2017 (WR-17-44)
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- Venezuela slips towards outright default
Andean
- ECUADOR: Uneasy calm prevails
- COLOMBIA: Farc justice incites controversy
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Court cases getting closer to Cristina?
- BRAZIL: Pension reform in the balance
- URUGUAY: Vázquez lands ‘big fish’
- PARAGUAY: ANR-PC set for major showdown in primaries
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Rise of the independents?
- MEXICO-REGION: Elites in trouble – again
Central America & Caribbean
- NICARAGUA: FSLN claims another dubious victory
- COSTA RICA: Could Castro challenge Desanti for presidency?
- EL SALVADOR: Mayor faces trial for mara collaboration
Postscript
- Final roll of the dice for Chile’s Guillier
- Quotes of the week
Venezuela is to all intents and purposes in default, and with investors unwilling to deal with the current administration led by President Nicolás Maduro, there is a growing consensus that the situation can only be resolved with a change of government.
Weekly Report - 02 November 2017 (WR-17-43)
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- Civil war breaks out in Ecuador’s ruling AP as Moreno ousted
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Mutiny in the opposition ranks
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Gils Carbó throws in the towel
- ARGENTINA: The shape of things to come
- BRAZIL: Uber claims temporary political victory
- CHILE: Piñera presents spending plans
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: The revolt that wasn’t
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- REGION: Meeting of the Odebrecht prosecutors
- HONDURAS: Election Fever
Postscript
- A parting of the Farc ways
- Quotes of the week
Ecuador’s ruling Alianza País (AP), teetering on the edge of internecine internal conflict for several months, has succumbed.
Weekly Report - 26 October 2017 (WR-17-42)
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- Macri coasts to coruscating congressional victory in Argentina
Andean
- COLOMBIA: ELN and FARC sign Montecristi declaration
- VENEZUELA: A MUDDY end
- PERU: Human Rights in Peru – a long way to go
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Congress shelves corruption case against Temer
- BRAZIL: Blessed be the flour
- CHILE: Piñera and Bachelet slug it out
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Deadlock in the senate
- MEXICO-REGION: DEA sees a continuing Mexican and Colombian threat
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- HAITI: Minustah leaves behind a mixed legacy
- GUATEMALA: Fallout from political crisis continues
Postscript
- Ecuador taps international capital markets
- Quotes of the week
Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri surpassed expectations in mid-term congressional elections on 22 October.
Weekly Report - 19 October 2017 (WR-17-41)
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- Venezuela’s MUD outfoxed and out of ideas
Andean
- PERU: Aráoz and Fujimori coast through
- COLOMBIA: Vargas Lleras takes aim at JEP
- BOLIVIA: Tensions rise over re-election
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Explosive end to electoral campaign
- CHILE: Piñera ratchets up attacks on opponents
- BRAZIL: The establishment bites back
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Cervantes resigns as head of PGR
- MEXICO: Zavala candidacy will cost PAN big
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- COSTA RICA: Cementing corruption concerns ahead of elections
Postscript
- Moreno’s non-adjustment in Ecuador
- Quotes of the week
The blistering victory of the ruling Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV) in regional elections on 15 October came as little surprise to most – with the exception of the stunned opposition Mesa de la Unidad Democrática (MUD) coalition, which took a full day to respond, and then only feebly.
Weekly Report - 12 October 2017 (WR-17-40)
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- PAN schism could pave PRI’s way to re-election
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: New fatal prison riot raises old questions
Andean
- VENEZUELA: MUD in pole position but…
- PERU: Kuczynski over latest hump, but bumpy road ahead
- COLOMBIA: Ruling coalition splits over Farc
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Bribery scheme reaches Olympic proportions
- ARGENTINA: Macri gets three timely boosts
- CHILE: Mapuche conflict impacts electoral campaign
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- GUATEMALA: Arzú targeted in anti-corruption efforts
Postscript
- El Salvador’s political landscape faces major upheaval
- Quotes of the week
The steady but sure fragmentation of Mexico’s political opposition is increasing the likelihood of the federally ruling Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) retaining power in the presidential election on 1 July 2018, despite a succession of opinion polls showing that President Enrique Peña Nieto is the least popular head of state since records began.
Weekly Report - 05 October 2017 (WR-17-39)
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- Ecuador’s Moreno bids to consign Correa to margins
Andean
- COLOMBIA: Divisions emerge in electoral coalitions over peace
- PERU: Aráoz seeks support against complicated backdrop
- VENEZUELA: Russia to the rescue
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Still lukewarm on Lula ahead of elections
- ARGENTINA: Macri winning tussle with Fernández
- CHILE: Mapuche overshadow first presidential debate
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Driving development in the south
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- EL SALVADOR: Spiralling violence could be here to stay
- GUATEMALA: Morales faces another threat of legal action
Postscript
- Costa Rican presidential candidates to go to jail
- Quotes of the week
Ecuador’s President Lenín Moreno stands poised to expand his power at the helm of the Citizens’ Revolution while diminishing the influence of his predecessor Rafael Correa (2007-2017).
Weekly Report - 28 September 2017 (WR-17-38)
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- Will Mexico’s devastating earthquake produce seismic political change?
Andean
- PERU: Aráoz treads a well-worn path
- COLOMBIA: Santos starts delivering on peace accord
- BOLIVIA: MAS revives re-election debate
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: UPP bastion falls
- CHILE: Illegal campaign financing allegations hit Piñera
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- GUATEMALA: Echoes of 2015
- HONDURAS: Hernández on course for re-election
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Cuba’s electoral process begins amid diplomatic discord
- Quotes of the week
Mexico’s twin earthquakes, which struck the country on 7 and 19 September, could have serious political repercussions.
Weekly Report - 21 September 2017 (WR-17-37)
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- Political brinkmanship in Peru backfires
Andean
- COLOMBIA: Santos resolute against decertification threat
- ECUADOR: Moreno looks for control
- VENEZUELA: Working to stay afloat
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: All change at the attorney general’s office
- PARAGUAY: Opposition forges electoral alliance
- ARGENTINA: Fernández leaves comfort zone in electoral quest
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Mancera uses fifth Informe to set 2018 stall out
Central America & Caribbean
- NICARAGUA: OAS to ‘accompany’ municipal vote
- HAITI: Moïse faces more unrest
Postscript
- Vázquez leaves Topolansky in charge in Uruguay
- United Nations General Assembly
After months of being browbeaten, the government led by Peru’s President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski stood up to the main opposition Fuerza Popular (FP).
Weekly Report - 14 September 2017 (WR-17-36)
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- Pope’s Colombia visit strengthens Santos legacy
Andean
- VENEZUELA: More talks about talks get underway
- PERU: Zavala goes for broke
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- URUGUAY: Sendic succumbs to pressure and steps down
- BRAZIL: New charges laid against Temer
- ARGENTINA: Courts provide electoral battleground
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: New coalition launched
- MEXICO: Killing spree targeting police rocks Guanajuato
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- REGION: Irma wreaks havoc across the Caribbean
- GUATEMALA: Congress deals double blow to transparency efforts
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Ecuador’s Moreno and the challenge from within
- Quotes of the week
Pope Francis provided important validation of the peace process pursued by President Juan Manuel Santos during a five-day visit to Colombia.
Weekly Report - 07 September 2017 (WR-17-35)
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- Santiago Maldonado case poses threat for Argentina’s Macri
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Maduro and Chevron ‘look for solutions’
- VENEZUELA: How not to win friends and influence people
- COLOMBIA: Tipping point for peace?
- ECUADOR: Trimming the fat
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Brazil pushes for increased trade with China
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Paper companies and a red Ferrari
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- GUATEMALA: Morales’s fate is in the hands of congress
- PANAMA: Panama’s judiciary feels the heat
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Floods impact agricultural heartland in Argentina
- Quotes of the week
The disappearance on 1 August of Santiago Maldonado, a young political activist and supporter of radical Mapuche indigenous campaigners in Patagonia, is escalating into a major test for the government led by President Mauricio Macri.
Weekly Report - 31 August 2017 (WR-17-34)
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- First Pérez Molina, now Morales?
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Default ‘probable’ because of US sanctions, Fitch warns
- VENEZUELA: Playing the victim, playing for time
- ECUADOR: Opening up Pandora’s Box
- COLOMBIA: Vargas Lleras launches independent presidential bid
- BOLIVIA: Morales upsets private sector
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Auctioning off the Amazon
- ARGENTINA: Bonafini faces corruption investigation
- CHILE: Arson attack heats election debate
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Cat among the political pigeons
- MEXICO: Trump factor continues to generate uncertainty
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Peru teachers’ strike hits Kuczynski ratings
- Quotes of the week
The future of Guatemala’s President Jimmy Morales is looking increasingly uncertain.
Weekly Report - 24 August 2017 (WR-17-33)
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- Nafta talks setting the political timetable
Andean
- COLOMBIA: Farc facing the challenge of political campaigning
- VENEZUELA: Ortega goes for the jugular
- PERU: Kuczynski admits his “biggest failure” to date
- ECUADOR: Oil industry ignites Moreno-Correa tension
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Macri untroubled by labour protest
- BRAZIL: Eletrobras privatisation moves the markets
- BRAZIL-PARAGUAY: Cartes touches down in Brazil
Central America & Caribbean
- CUBA: Cuba still pushing to get fallow lands to work
- NICARAGUA: Gearing up for November municipals
- GUATEMALA: Renewed calls for anti-gang legislation
Postscript
- Chile leaves rapidly diminishing club
- Quotes of the week
The first round of the tripartite Canada-Mexico-US talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) were held in Washington DC between 16 and 20 August.
Weekly Report - 17 August 2017 (WR-17-32)
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- Argentina’s Macri buoyant as PJ fiefdoms tumble
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Constituent assembly spreads its tentacles
- COLOMBIA: Security issues dominate vice-presidential visit
- PERU: Kuczynski calls on teachers to return to class
- BOLIVIA: Morales gives green light to Tipnis road
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Chronicle of a disappointment foretold?
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: PRI not quite fighting fit?
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- PANAMA: Varela back on defensive over Odebrecht
- COSTA RICA: Closing the fiscal deficit
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- El Salvador to crack down on death squads?
- Quotes of the week
The headline news in Argentina after the primary elections (Paso) on 13 August was that President Mauricio Macri had won a key victory over his predecessor Cristina Fernández (2007-2015) in Buenos Aires, by far the country’s most populous province.
Weekly Report - 10 August 2017 (WR-17-31)
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- International pressure on Venezuela crystallises
Brazil & Southern Cone
- REGION: Mercosur gets off the fence over Venezuela
- BRAZIL: All change ahead of 2018 elections
- CHILE: Guillier seeks to get up and running
Andean
- ECUADOR: Ruling AP faces schism as Moreno fires Glas
- PERU: Protesting teachers accused of terrorist ties
- COLOMBIA: Santos makes final call for unity
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Farmers ratchet up pressure on Peña Nieto
Central America & Caribbean
- COSTA RICA: Solís shock tactics over deficit provoke ire
- EL SALVADOR: Financial crisis takes on new dimension
Postscript
- Bouterse moves to muzzle social media in Suriname
- Quotes of the week
The US slapped sanctions on eight members of Venezuela’s new constituent assembly on 9 August, including Adán Chávez, brother of the late president Hugo Chávez (1999-2013).
Weekly Report - 03 August 2017 (WR-17-30)
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- Maduro readies constituent assembly, ignoring fraud allegations
Andean
- COLOMBIA: Judiciary delivers landmark conviction
- PERU: Kuczynski conducts mini cabinet reshuffle
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Army sent in to Rio (again)
- BRAZIL: Temer dodges the bullet
- ARGENTINA: Macri faces threat of Kirchnerista comeback
- CHILE: Crisis in Christian Democrats
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Still at cross-purposes?
- MEXICO: López Obrador accuses PRIAN of skulduggery
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- HONDURAS: Doubts surround electoral process
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Eduardo Crawley
- Quotes of the week
“It’s not the people who vote that count; it’s the people who count the votes,” is a quote long attributed to Joseph Stalin, to whom Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro once compared himself favourably.
Weekly Report - 27 July 2017 (WR-17-29)
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- Farc and AUC reconciliation masks Colombia’s post-peace dilemma
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Venezuela on tenterhooks
- VENEZUELA-COLOMBIA: Colombia feels the pressure
- ECUADOR: Glas hinders Moreno’s reconciliation drive
- BOLIVIA: Morales back on the defensive over coca
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Austerity over popularity
- PARAGUAY: PCC continues to make presence felt
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Pemex tackles internal collusion in oil theft
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- EL SALVADOR: A truce for the corrupt
- HAITI: Moïse moves on military pledge
Postscript
- Argentine ministry to take over symbol of state terrorism
- Quotes of the week
Of all the extraordinary meetings held in Colombia since the peace process between the government and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Farc) began, nothing would have been less conceivable than that senior members of the guerrilla group would consent to sit down at the same table as leaders of the demobilised paramilitary Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC) with which they fought such a long and bloody armed conflict.
Weekly Report - 20 July 2017 (WR-17-28)
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- Candidates and corruption in Argentine electoral race
Andean
- COLOMBIA: Concern over growing coca crop
- VENEZUELA: Ten days to go
- PERU: Kenji vs Keiko
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Maia’s view of the world
- CHILE: Guiller struggles to make the ‘new politics’ work
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Duarte trial: a litmus test
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- PANAMA: Congress presidency election exposes opposition disarray
- COSTA RICA: PAC ends speculation ahead of 2018 vote
Postscript
- Ecuador’s Moreno criticises Correa profligacy
- Quotes of the week
It is perhaps a typically Latin America problem: elections are due and many of the candidates are under investigation or facing court summons on suspicion of corruption.
Weekly Report - 13 July 2017 (WR-17-27)
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- Ecuador’s Revolution divided as Correa fires parting volley at Moreno
Andean
- VENEZUELA: López back in the thick of it
- COLOMBIA: United Nations mission moves to Phase 2
- COLOMBIA: Not in my back yard?
- PERU: Humala and Heredia arrests ordered
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Gils Carbó in the spotlight
- BRAZIL: Labour reform approved as political crisis unfolds
- PARAGUAY: Division defines electoral scenario
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Trouble with the penal code
- MEXICO: Pegasus deployed against Iguala experts
Central America & Caribbean
- GUATEMALA: Major mine suspended
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Ringing the changes in Argentina
- Quotes of the week
Like an abdicating monarch going into exile, Ecuador’s former president Rafael Correa (2007-2017) greeted a large gathering of supporters from a convertible car before delivering a valedictory address at the Mariscal Sucre international airport on the outskirts of Quito on 10 July, and boarding a flight to Belgium to devote time to his Belgian wife Anne Malherbe and his family after the stresses and strains of 10 years in office.
Weekly Report - 06 July 2017 (WR-17-26)
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- Venezuela’s downward spiral into violent chaos
Andean
- COLOMBIA: Corruption case embarrasses government
- PERU: Kuczynski weighs up his options
- BOLIVIA: Scandal claims YPFB chief
- ECUADOR: Moreno placates indigenous
Brazil & Southern Cone
- CHILE: Piñera ahead, while new Left threatens old Left
- ARGENTINA: Back to school
- BRAZIL: Neves makes his comeback
- BRAZIL: Judiciary takes aim at Temer’s inner circle
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Another governor under investigation
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- EL SALVADOR: Main opposition in electoral spotlight
- PANAMA: Clouds overshadow Canal expansion anniversary
Postscript
- Honduras and Guatemala launch customs union
- Quotes of the week
Defence Minister and head of the Venezuelan armed forces, General Vladimir Padrino López, was considerably more trenchant than President Nicolás Maduro in denouncing the eight-hour siege of the national assembly by violent pro-government militants on Independence Day (5 July).
Weekly Report - 29 June 2017 (WR-17-25)
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- Brazil’s Temer charged with corruption
Andean
- VENEZUELA: No end to the madness
- PERU: Zavala’s head next on the block?
- COLOMBIA: Farc bids farewell to arms
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Macri’s dream ticket?
- CHILE: Bachelet makes major Mapuche gesture
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Losing the fight
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- HAITI: UN prepares new policy of support
- NICARAGUA: Contentious penal reform package approved
Postscript
- Ecuador’s number two runs congressional gauntlet
- Quotes of the week
This week, President Michel Temer became the first sitting Brazilian head of state to face criminal charges since the end of the military dictatorship in 1985.
Weekly Report - 22 June 2017 (WR-17-24)
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- Trump’s new Cuba policy: tough talk, soft substance
Andean
- VENEZUELA: End in sight for Ortega
- PERU: Economy minister resigns
- ECUADOR: Moreno’s new style comes to the fore
- COLOMBIA: Centro Andino attack raises serious questions
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Fernández launches new political vehicle
- BRAZIL: New pressure on Temer
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Government in a twist over Pegasus
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Medina urged to resign to forge new democracy
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Piñera plunged into polemic
- Quotes of the week
US President Donald Trump presented an eagerly anticipated foreign policy speech on Cuba on 16 June in Miami.
Weekly Report - 15 June 2017 (WR-17-23)
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- China deepens Central American diplomatic incursion
Andean
- ECUADOR: Ructions appear in ruling party
- VENEZUELA: The battle for the constitution
- COLOMBIA: Operation strikes oil thieves in Catatumbo
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Electoral court rules Temer can stay
- CHILE: Goic-Guillier grudge splits ruling coalition
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Opposition wrestles with electoral fallout
- MEXICO: New corruption case implicates PAN
Central America & Caribbean
- GUATEMALA: Shoring up ties with Mexico
Postscript
- Bolivia takes Chile dispute to OAS
- Quotes of the week
Two developments with significant implications for Panama took place on the same day this week – one diplomatic and one political.
Weekly Report - 08 June 2017 (WR-17-22)
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- What Mexico’s electoral results mean for 2018 presidential contest
Andean
- ECUADOR: Draining the swamp
- VENEZUELA: Ministers to moonlight in constituent assembly?
- COLOMBIA: Setback to Farc disarmament process
Brazil & Southern Cone
- CHILE: President Bachelet delivers final balance sheet
- ARGENTINA: Macri gets early electoral fillip
- TRACKING TRENDS
- BRAZIL: Trial over electoral wrongdoing resumes
Central America & Caribbean
- EL SALVADOR: Sánchez cherry-picks statistics for annual speech
- NICARAGUA: OAS departure sparks speculation
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Dominican Republic takes action over Odebrecht scandal
- Quotes of the week
How quickly things change.
Weekly Report - 01 June 2017 (WR-17-21)
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- Fernández drops strong hint she will run in Argentine elections
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Supreme court widens anti-corruption probe
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Maduro gets top court’s backing for assembly
- PERU: Circling Chinchero
- ECUADOR: Key cabinet pick inflames indigenous tension
- COLOMBIA: Farc disarmament postponed
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: US identifies powerful new drug gang
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- HAITI: Moïse presents 100-day balance sheet
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Mexico’s Zapatistas select presidential candidate
- Quotes of the week
Former Argentine president Cristina Fernández (2007-2015) is deriving enjoyment from mounting speculation over whether she will run for a seat in the federal senate in October’s mid-term elections.
Weekly Report - 25 May 2017 (WR-17-20)
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- Scandal plunges Brazil back into political crisis
Andean
- ECUADOR: Moreno picks up baton from Correa
- VENEZUELA: Taking Ortega off the air
- COLOMBIA: Peace talks with ELN resume
- PERU: Zavala blasts congress after Vizcarra forced out
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Macri seals Japan deal
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Edomex showdown could reshape political landscape
- MEXICO: Organised crime, police, implicated in killing
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- CUBA: Gearing up for elections
- GUATEMALA: Military deployment to resolve long-running dispute
- NICARAGUA: Ortega defiant over IMF call for reform
Postscript
- El Salvador gets top papal recognition
- Quotes of the week
The Brazilian government is on the verge of collapse after the supreme court opened an investigation into President Michel Temer, following accusations of passive corruption, obstruction of justice and conspiracy.
Weekly Report - 18 May 2017 (WR-17-19)
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- Tapping into China’s mammoth infrastructure plan
Andean
- COLOMBIA: Santos launches bold plan to slash coca production
- VENEZUELA: Venezuela cleaves the Western Hemisphere
- PERU: Stuck in the mud
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Lula launches his political comeback
- ARGENTINA: Dealing with a ‘two for one’ crisis
- CHILE: Can Piñera capitalise on split Left?
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Death of a journalist (again) spurs action
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- PANAMA: Tensions with Colombia over security
Postscript
- Ecuador’s Moreno promises consensual politics
- Quotes of the week
Argentina and Chile are pushing for starring roles in an ambitious global infrastructure development initiative launched by China.
Weekly Report - 11 May 2017 (WR-17-18)
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- Mexico’s Red Triangle shapes up as next public security threat
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Military courts for civilian protesters
- PERU: Fujimori object of ‘ping pong’
- COLOMBIA: Chocó provides major headache for government
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Military man to head indigenous rights agency
- URUGUAY: Nin performs balancing act over Venezuela
- ARGENTINA-BOLIVIA-CHILE: Gas spat erupts
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- COSTA RICA: Solís trumpets progress as he enters final year
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Opposition FNM sweeps to victory in The Bahamas
- Quotes of the week
The war on drugs has dominated media coverage of Mexico at home and abroad for a decade but another major public security concern is now competing for headlines: pipeline theft.
Weekly Report - 04 May 2017 (WR-17-17)
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- Colombian peace process gets UN and US boost
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Maduro seeks constituent assembly to save skin
- PERU: Kuczynski gets back to work
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- CHILE: DC deepens rift in ruling coalition
- PARAGUAY: Healing wounds after failed re-election reform
- BRAZIL: General strike ends in violence but little change
- BRAZIL: Crunch time for pension reform
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Combating torture and forced disappearances
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- EL SALVADOR: Homicides falling fast but for how long?
- GUATEMALA: Seeking to strengthen justice
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Citrus celebration for Macri after Trump meeting
- Quotes of the week
Colombia has become the first South American country ever to host the full United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Weekly Report - 27 April 2017 (WR-17-16)
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- Trouble in Santa Cruz puts Kirchneristas on back foot
Andean
- VENEZUELA: ‘Vexit’
- ECUADOR: Jubilant Moreno plays to the base
- PERU: Debating Fujimori’s release
- BOLIVIA: Preparations under way for key vote
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Lula down but not out?
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Good week, bad week for Morena
- MEXICO: The Wall: more funding twists and turns
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- CUBA: Reaching out
- NICARAGUA: Police deployment fans repression concerns
Postscript
- Santos squares up to Maduro
- Quotes of the week
Violent protests outside the home of Santa Cruz governor Alicia Kirchner in the far south of Argentina on 21 April have triggered an angry set of accusations and counter-accusations between the Frente para la Victoria (FPV, Kirchneristas) faction of the Main opposition Partido Justicialista (PJ, Peronist) and Cambiemos, the ruling centre-right coalition that backs President Mauricio Macri.
Weekly Report - 20 April 2017 (WR-17-15)
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- Permanent protest in Venezuela
Andean
- COLOMBIA: Farc demobilisation process slow but steady
- PERU: More trouble for ex-presidents
- ECUADOR: Lenín Moreno, president-elect
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Disillusionment grows as graft probe deepens
- CHILE: Tax authority closes the files
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Duarte captured in Guatemala
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- PANAMA: Institutions suffer further credibility blow
Postscript
- Carrió signs up for Buenos Aires
- Quotes of the week
“Same time, same place.
Weekly Report - 12 April 2017 (WR-17-14)
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- Political crisis produces new ‘Marzo Paraguayo’
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Macri faces down strikers
- CHILE: Bachelet moves again on constitutional reform
- BRAZIL: Alienating congress could be costly
- BRAZIL: Trade surplus despite meat scandal
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Another bond payment goes through, but at what cost?
- ECUADOR: Correa calls on Lasso not to lose his dignity
- PERU: Combating regional corruption
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Corrupt former governor caught abroad
Central America & Caribbean
- COSTA RICA-NICARAGUA: Mixed signals from old rivals
- HAITI: Mining proposal fuels concerns
Postscript
- Colombian military seeks political representation
- Quotes of the week
Paraguay is engulfed in a political crisis.
Weekly Report - 06 April 2017 (WR-17-13)
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- Moreno secures future of Ecuador’s Citizens’ Revolution
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Politics on a cliff edge
- COLOMBIA: Mocoa mudslide eclipses anti-corruption march
- BOLIVIA-CHILE: A new source of bilateral tension
- PERU: Government gains points in the ratings
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Temer on trial
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Hobbled from the start?
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- COSTA RICA: PLN names its presidential candidate
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Who controls the streets in Argentina?
- Quotes of the week
The ‘progressive’ Left will retain power in Ecuador, bucking a recent trend rightwards in the region, after a closely contested second round of presidential elections on 2 April.
Weekly Report - 30 March 2017 (WR-17-12)
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- Paralysis a concern in Cuba as clock starts on Castro
Andean
- ECUADOR: Between Scylla and Charybdis
- VENEZUELA: Supreme court steps into the ring
- COLOMBIA: ELN steps up military offensive
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Brazil moves to loosen labour laws
- BRAZIL: Nunes touches down in Paraguay
- ARGENTINA: Vidal squares off against teachers
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Early shots in 2018 campaign
Central America & Caribbean
- GUATEMALA: Morales under pressure over children’s rights
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Another Mexican governor on the run
- Quotes of the week
With a mere 11 months to go before President Raúl Castro has pledged to step down from power and relinquish his position as head of the Cuban council of state and council of ministers, there is growing concern both inside Cuba’s one-party Communist political system and outside the country about what is not being done in preparation, both on the political and economic fronts.
Weekly Report - 23 March 2017 (WR-17-11)
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- Backlash in Brazil over operation ‘weak meat’
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Macri faces difficult fortnight
- CHILE: Combative Piñera confirms re-election bid
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Political parties compelled to re-register
- PERU: Troubled waters for Kuczynski government
- BOLIVIA: Opposition decries judicial persecution
- COLOMBIA: Santos announces transformation of police
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Sinaloa security situation deteriorates
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Protest march hits capital
- HAITI: Victory for Moïse as legislature ratifies PM
Postscript
- El Salvador celebrates reduction in violence; shootout follows
- Quotes of the week
A new corruption probe launched by Brazil’s federal police (Polícia Federal – PF) into the meat packing industry, code-named carne fraca (weak meat), has raised health concerns and caused a number of trading partners, including China and the European Union (EU), to ban imports from Brazil.
Weekly Report - 16 March 2017 (WR-17-10)
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- Argentina’s Macri sets sights on congressional victory
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Janot takes ‘Car Wash’ to next level
- CHILE: Bachelet tries to stay positive
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Almagro calls for a full general election
- PERU: Kuczynski government under pressure
- COLOMBIA: Odebrecht mars Vargas Lleras’ big day
- ECUADOR: Moreno pulls clear of Lasso
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: New education model unveiled
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Protesters seek modern independence
- NICARAGUA: Strengthening ties with a neighbour
Postscript
- Hernández the big winner in Honduran primaries
- Quotes of the week
President Mauricio Macri faces a fight against time to provide a significant number of Argentines with some respite from their grim economic reality if he is to save his government.
Weekly Report - 09 March 2017 (WR-17-09)
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- Reports show surge in Colombian coca and cocaine production
Andean
- PERU: Kuczynski home to face the music
- ECUADOR: Lasso’s plan to deal with hostile congress
- VENEZUELA: Assembly releases its new inflation index
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: New foreign minister off to bumpy start
- BRAZIL: Long road ahead for recovery
- ARGENTINA: CGT tries to ride a tiger
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Yunes faces growing Veracruz security threat
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- GUATEMALA & HONDURAS: Morales and Hernández face up to corruption
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Préval’s passing exposes scale of Moïse’s task in Haiti
- Quotes of the week
While Colombia is advancing towards implementation of a peace accord with the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Farc), one by-product of the protracted process has been an explosive increase in coca cultivation and cocaine production.
Weekly Report - 02 March 2017 (WR-17-08)
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- Colombia embarks on major reform agenda for a post-conflict era
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Poverty increases dramatically
- PERU: Struggling at home, Kuczynski heads abroad
- ECUADOR: Lasso moves into pole position
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Temer names new justice minister
- PARAGUAY: Re-election debate takes centre stage
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Attempting to build new working relationship with the US
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Medina addresses Odebrecht scandal
- HAITI: Political unknown tapped for PM
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Mexican wildcard for the presidency
- Quotes of the week
The Colombian government led by President Juan Manuel Santos has announced two massive initiatives for politico-electoral and judicial reform to prepare the country for life after the implementation of the peace accords with the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Farc).
Weekly Report - 23 February 2017 (WR-17-07)
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- Moreno to face Lasso in Ecuador run-off
Andean
- BOLIVIA: Morales’ re-election bid stokes controversy
- PERU: Dealing with an epidemic
- TRACKING TRENDS
- VENEZUELA: MUD reinvents itself
- VENEZUELA: López marks three years in jail
Brazil & Southern Cone
- CHILE: Goic joins presidential race
- ARGENTINA: Milani arrested
- BRAZIL: Senate approves new Supreme Court judge
- BRAZIL: Temer’s approval rating sinks further
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Bumpy start to a difficult negotiation?
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- GUATEMALA: Morales confronts multiple protests
Postscript
- Colombian government insists on Farc disarmament deadline
- Quotes of the week
Lenín Moreno came very close to ensuring that the Citizens’ Revolution crafted by President Rafael Correa survives beyond a decade in Ecuador.
Weekly Report - 16 February 2017 (WR-17-06)
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- US designates Venezuela’s vice-president as narcotics trafficker
Andean
- COLOMBIA: Peace process engenders Catatumbo conundrum
- PERU: Kuczynski seeks to regain initiative
- BOLIVIA: Relations with Argentina tested over migration
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Carnival overshadowed by violence
- CHILE: La Escondida strike damages growth prospects
- ARGENTINA: Macri accused of conflict of interest
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Post-Chapo cartel violence on the rise?
- MEXICO: PRD suffers desertion to Morena
Central America & Caribbean
- EL SALVADOR: War on mara gangs extended
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Petroecuador verdict spices up Ecuador’s elections
- Quotes of the week
Venezuela’s Vice-President Tareck El Aissami has become the most senior government official in Venezuela – and indeed one of the most senior of any country – added by the US Treasury Department to its list of foreign nationals subject to economic sanctions.
Weekly Report - 09 February 2017 (WR-17-05)
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- Colombia takes step closer to ‘complete peace’ as ELN talks begin
Andean
- ECUADOR: Moreno promises tough line on corruption
- VENEZUELA: As expected, the CNE gets creative
- PERU: Odebrecht: Pandora’s Box
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Temer stages political comeback
- CHILE: Bachelet still in the line of fire
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Kelly sets about rescuing relations
Central America & Caribbean
- COSTA RICA: Solís falls short of fiscal reform pledge
- HAITI: Moïse takes office under corruption cloud
Postscript
- Mercosur and Pacific Alliance set on convergence
- Quotes of the week
After a long and winding road, the Colombian government and the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) finally began a formal peace process in Ecuador on 7 February.
Weekly Report - 02 February 2017 (WR-17-04)
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- ‘Operation Car Wash’ strikes again in Brazil
Andean
- COLOMBIA: Farc guerrillas transfer to camps
- VENEZUELA: Borges calls on splintering MUD to maintain pressure for regional elections
- PERU: Kuczynski’s popularity takes a battering
- ECUADOR: Moreno ducks presidential debate
- BOLIVIA: Seeking to address a long-standing priority
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Macri gov’t at pains to evade Trump comparisons
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: López Obrador to the fore
Central America & Caribbean
- CUBA: Florida’s Republican governor nixes port deals with Cuba
- EL SALVADOR: Government accused of spying
- PANAMA: Odebrecht scandal spreads to Panama
Postscript
- Bolivia boosts security cooperation with Chile
- Quotes of the week
Prosecutors working on Brazil’s relentless anti-corruption probe ‘Operation Car Wash’ celebrated two major breakthroughs this week.
Weekly Report - 26 January 2017 (WR-17-03)
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- Trump undeterred as Peña Nieto raises stakes
Andean
- PERU: Getting caught in the Odebrecht web
- VENEZUELA: Venezuela – most corrupt – silent on Odebrecht
- VENEZUELA: #EleccionesYa
- ECUADOR: Moreno retains lead as rivals vie for second
- BOLIVIA: Morales reshuffles his cabinet
Brazil & Southern Cone
- URUGUAY-MERCOSUR: Vázquez faces China setback
- CHILE: Facing worst fires in history
- BRAZIL: Sudden death of key judge raises concerns
- ARGENTINA: Intelligence chief battles corruption charges
Central America & Caribbean
- GUATEMALA: Morales’ anti-corruption pledge put to the test
- HONDURAS: Hernández paints a picture of progress
Postscript
- Hollande visits Farc camp during historic Colombia visit
- Quotes of the week
“It is in the interests of the United States that Mexico fares well,” Mexico’s President Enrique Peña Nieto said on 23 January while spelling out his strategy for talks with the administration of US President Donald Trump.
Weekly Report - 19 January 2017 (WR-17-02)
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- Can El Salvador end new war 25 years after old one?
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Maduro’s unlikely reach out to Trump
- VENEZUELA: Security policy gets another makeover
- COLOMBIA: Santos sees two key posts go to close allies
- ECUADOR: Correa chalks up milestone with campaign rally
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Over 130 inmates die in prison riots
- BRAZIL: Battling with fiscal demons
- URUGUAY: Bonomi battles Bordaberry over murders
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: Trying to soften gasolinazo blow
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- NICARAGUA: Ortega begins another term
- CUBA: Trump urged to consider Cuba policy carefully
Postscript
- Spectre of Pinochet takes centre stage in Chilean campaign
- Quotes of the week
El Salvador commemorated the 25th anniversary of the peace accord that ended the country’s bloody 12-year civil war (1980-1992) between the government and Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (FMLN) guerrillas on 16 January in the midst of another ‘war’ with the country’s mara street gangs.
Weekly Report - 12 January 2017 (WR-17-01)
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- A sense of growing foreboding in Mexico
Mexico & Nafta
- MEXICO: The Videgaray enigma
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Stumbling into another year
- COLOMBIA: Government pushes key tax reform through congress
- PERU: Kuczynski undertakes shake-up of prison system
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Macri’s post Prat-Gay game plan
- BRAZIL: New mayors make theatrical entrance
- CHILE: Bachelet faces fresh criticism over Mapuche conflict
- PARAGUAY: Opposition moves to impeach Cartes over re-election
Central America & Caribbean
- CUBA: Chilly winds blow across Florida Straits
- PANAMA: Varela names new head of key portfolio
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Final election results announced in Haiti
- Quotes of the week
The mood in Mexico this week was dark, for two connected reasons.