Thanks, But Goodbye: Why Many of Evo Morales’ Supporters Want Him to Move On
Yet despite these achievements, many in El Alto are turning against the president — specifically, his efforts to seek an unprecedented fourth term in office. In February, El Alto residents joined in protests demanding that Morales respect a 2016 referendum in which voters rejected changing the constitution to do away with term limits. Many carried signs declaring “No means no” and “Respect my vote.” When I asked Alteños, as the city’s residents are known, about Morales, a great many — from a hat seller in a sprawling outdoor market to a weaver who makes alpaca shawls and a street vendor hawking hard candy on a corner — answered with the same refrain. It was as affectionate as it was clear: “Que descanse.” Let him rest. Let someone else have a chance to govern.
‘Of course he can win’: leftist defies odds in Colombian presidential race
Analysts attribute Petro’s success on the campaign trail to changing attitudes prompted by the Farc’s demobilisation. “The left is now coming out from underneath the rock,” Sandra Borda, head of the social sciences faculty at the Tadeo University in Bogota, said. “The peace process has opened up a space where belonging to the left no longer means association with armed groups.” Petro’s rise would have been unthinkable even a year ago, Borda said. “It’s remarkable that he could make it to the second round despite all traditional media being against him,” she said, adding that clever use of social media had galvanised his movement. Petro’s supporters say his grassroots popularity represents a break from the traditional political machinery that often depends on food parcels and other handouts to win votes.
What’s going on in the DEA office in Haiti? House Oversight wants DOJ investigation
Allegations of misconduct involving the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Haiti office are raising questions about the effectiveness of the U.S. drug-fighting efforts in the country, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee says. And it wants the Justice Department to get involved. Committee Chairman Rep. Trey Gowdy, a Republican from South Carolina, and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland, the top Democrat on the committee, have written to Justice’s Inspector General Michael Horowitz asking him to review allegations of potential mismanagement and misconduct in Haiti’s DEA country office.
U.S. prepares to take action against Nicaragua if Ortega regime fails to cooperate
The Trump administration is crafting a range of options, including potential sanctions, against the government of Nicaragua and President Daniel Ortega if it fails to properly address the concerns of student groups, church leaders and other civic players about increasing violence and political repression.
Cardinal: Nicaragua talks at impasse, suspended indefinitely
Talks between President Daniel Ortega’s administration and opposition and civic groups on resolving weeks of deadly unrest broke down Wednesday after government opponents demanded earlier elections and changes in electoral laws. The Roman Catholic Church has been mediating the negotiations, and Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes announced late in the day that a decision was made to suspend the process indefinitely due to a lack of progress. “Given that on this fourth day of dialogue no consensus has been achieved, the bishops are suspending the plenary dialogue,” Brenes said in a live transmission. “But they suggest a mixed commission, three from each side, to seek consensus and overcome the impasse.”
For Many Kids In Honduras, The Options Are: Flee, Join A Gang, Or Train With The Military
But critics say Guardians of the Homeland is instilling a dangerous brand of nationalism in the country’s youth, winning over future recruits who will be loyal to President Juan Orlando Hernández and increasing militarization in a country where the army has all but substituted the police. They argue that the program underscores the state’s view that young Hondurans will join one of the many gangs in the country if they do not come under the control of the state. Some parents also worry the army is turning their children into informants by asking them about gang activity in their neighborhoods, putting them at risk of retaliation.
Guatemala: ex-military officers convicted of crimes against humanity
Wednesday’s verdict was hailed by anti-impunity campaigners as it is the first time senior military officers have been prosecuted for serious human rights violations since the 2013 genocide verdict against the former dictator Efraín Ríos Montt was sent back to trial. Jo-Marie Burt, associate professor at the Schar school at Virginia’s George Mason University, who has been monitoring the trial, said: “The significance of this sentence cannot be overstated. It shows that Guatemalan justice system has not bowed under pressure from powerful military and economic elites to end human rights prosecutions. The perpetrators must tell the Molina Theissen family the truth about what happened to their beloved son.”
Guatemala needs to do more to stop the killings of indigenous activists
Historically around 40 percent of these murders have been indigenous people. And these numbers do not capture the full scope of the problem: the criminalization of indigenous peoples and killings in remote parts of the world that do not make news or reach reporters. At the root of this violence is institutionalized racism and discrimination against Guatemala’s indigenous population. Their inherent rights to their traditional lands, territories and resources are not recognized. Although half the country’s population is indigenous, most still lack collective titles to the lands they have relied on for generations. Both the Chotún Basilá and Chamán Paau communities have been trying to resolve over 50 land conflicts with the government, but there has been little progress in securing their rights.
Central Americans are fleeing violence in higher numbers: UNHCR
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has said it is alarmed by the spike in the number of people fleeing violence in Central America, calling the international community to “grant [those fleeing] protection” and help the countries address the “root causes”. “More than 294,000 asylum seekers and refugees from the North of Central America were registered globally as of the end of 2017, an increase of 58 percent from a year earlier,” UNHCR said in a statement on Tuesday. “This is 16 times more people than at the end of 2011,” it added.
There is only one gun store in all of Mexico. So why is gun violence soaring?
Gun control advocates on both sides of the border say Mexican leaders should also push the government to do a better job of ensuring that guns issued to police and soldiers don’t fall into the hands of criminals, which many often do. They are also concerned about a new Trump administration proposal to deregulate the export of American guns by putting the Commerce Department in charge of the application process instead of the State Department, which advocates say is better suited to weigh the possible risks of firearm sales against any benefits. The proposed rule change, which is expected to be published in the Federal Register on Thursday, has long been sought by gun companies eager for easier access to international markets, but advocates worry it could put more guns in the hands of corrupt governments.
Mexico: Tough Congressional-Executive Relations Ahead
Whoever wins Mexico’s presidential election on July 1 probably will face a divided and cantankerous Congress – especially if, as appears likely, Andrés Manuel López Obrador of the Morena Party is the victor. López Obrador has been ridiculed by the Mexican political class, some of whose leaders have called him the next Hugo Chávez, but most polls give the polemical candidate at least a 10-point lead over Ricardo Anaya of the coalition Por México al Frente. In Congressional races, polls also give the advantage to López Obrador’s party and its coalition partners, including Partido del Trabajo (PT) andPartido Encuentro Social (PES), under the joint banner of Juntos Haremos Historia. According to the Parametría poll, 32 percent of respondents intend to vote for Morena, five percent for PT, and two percent for PES. Other polls give them higher numbers.
Trump Doubles Down on Inaccurate Link Between MS13, Immigration
Trump’s continuing conflation of MS13 activity and immigration to the United States is painting an inaccurate picture of the gang, leading the administration to adopt ineffective policies that in some cases directly interfere with strategies that could work. As InSight Crime extensively reported in its multi-year investigation of the MS13, “the Trump administration has used the MS13 as a bogeyman to draw support for its policy of searching out and deporting more undocumented migrants.” However, there is no evidence beyond isolated cases to support the theory that unaccompanied alien children (UACs) are broadly linked to the MS13.