Venezuela: On 23 August the US State Department issued a press release stating that the 22 August ruling issued by Venezuela’s supreme court (TSJ) which declared President Nicolás Maduro the winner of the disputed 28 July presidential election “lacks all credibility, given the overwhelming evidence that [opposition candidate Edmundo] González received the most votes”. According to the State Department press release, the “publicly available and independently verified precinct-level tally sheets show Venezuelan voters chose… González as their future leader.” It adds that the “will of the Venezuelan people must be respected” and that “continued attempts to fraudulently claim victory for Maduro will only exacerbate the ongoing crisis.” The US also calls on Maduro to release those who have been detained for exercising their right to free expression. The US was also a signatory of a joint statement dated 23 August with Argentina, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay that “categorically” rejects the TSJ ruling, stating that “only an impartial and independent audit of the votes, which evaluates all the proceedings, will guarantee respect for sovereign popular will and democracy in Venezuela”.
Argentina: On 22 August, as part of the US-Argentina Energy Security Dialogue, US Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose Fernandez and Argentina’s Foreign Minister Diana Mondino signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation between the US and Argentina on critical minerals. The signing ceremony took place in Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires, on the sidelines of a bilateral meeting between Fernandez and Mondino. According to a US State Department press release, the MoU signifies “the desire of our governments to strengthen cooperation on critical mineral supply chains and to promote trade and investment in critical mineral resource exploration, extraction, processing, refining, recycling, and recovery”. It adds that the MoU sets the “direction for further collaboration in critical mineral resource sector governance, investment, and global supply chain security”.
Haiti: On 23 August the US Southern Command (Southcom) announced that US Air Force C-17 cargo aircraft will deliver additional Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) MaxxPro vehicles to Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince as of the same day. According to a Southcom statement, 24 additional MRAPS will be delivered and transferred to Kenyan personnel deployed to Haiti as part of the multinational security support (MSS) mission, which was authorised by the United Nations Security Council in October 2023. The statement notes that the MSS will add the vehicles to its existing fleet of 10 US-provided MRAPS, which are being used to support Haiti’s national police (PNd’H) in its operations to “restore security in regions impacted by widespread gang violence”. According to the same statement, the delivery of the MRAPs follows US President Joe Biden’s “signing of a Presidential Drawdown Authority in April, clearing the way for the transfer of US federal resources to nations contributing personnel to the MSS mission to bolster their support of Haitian led security efforts”. It adds that as well as the articles and services provided to the MSS mission under Presidential Drawdown Authority, the US has already provided more than US$300m to support the mission’s effort.
Mexico: On 27 August Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said that Mexico is “pausing” its relations with the US embassy (along with the Canadian embassy) in response to their criticisms of his proposed reform to the federal judicial power (PJF). This followed López Obrador’s 23 August announcement that a diplomatic note had been issued in relation to a statement made by the US ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, on 22 August in which he criticised the president’s proposed judicial reform. López Obrador rejected the comments as “unfortunate”, “reckless”, and “disrespectful of our sovereignty”, declaring that “we do not accept interventionism”. In his statement, Salazar asserted that the reform, particularly the direct popular election of justices, magistrates, and judges, posed a “major risk” to Mexico’s democracy. Salazar also emphasised his extensive legal career to support his concerns, drawing on his knowledge of judicial systems to highlight the potential dangers of such a change. For example, he warned that the proposed system could increase the risk of drug trafficking organisations asserting influence over judges, stating that “direct elections would… make it easier for cartels and other bad actors to take advantage of politically motivated and inexperienced judges.” In addition, he also noted that this could impact the wider Mexico-US relationship, suggesting it could undermine investors’ trust in Mexico’s legal framework and hamper efforts to achieve economic integration within North America. He added that: “The judicial branch in Mexico needs capable judges to manage complex litigation surrounding extraditions or trade disputes. However, the reform proposal would loosen the requirements in terms of qualifications and experience needed to serve at all levels of the judiciary.” Salazar’s comments have been backed up by the US chamber of commerce (Amcham) in Mexico which released a statement on 26 August stating that the reform would put judicial independence at risk and could lead to a regression in the professionalisation of the judiciary, as well as increasing costs, reducing efficiency, and generating uncertainty for investment.
