Latin American Weekly Report
Weekly Report - 21 September 2023 (WR-23-38)
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- Bukele boasts of historic security progress but at what cost?
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- COLOMBIA: Dissident Farc signs ceasefire accord
- VENEZUELA: Illegal miners threatened with ‘judicial measures’
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Kirchnerismo clobbered again in Chaco
- PARAGUAY: Peña embroiled in diplomatic dispute
- BRAZIL: Lula calls for reform of global governance
- BRAZIL: The first convictions of the 8 January trials
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Fast-track extradition for El Chapo’s son
- MEXICO: Backlash over Russian participation in military parade
- MEXICO: Ebrard spreads his wings
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- GUATEMALA: Rallying behind Arévalo’s victory
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC-HAITI: Abinader’s border closure decision draws criticism
POSTSCRIPT
- Noboa pulling clear in Ecuador
- Quotes from the United Nations General Assembly
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele is not short of self-confidence.
Weekly Report - 14 September 2023 (WR-23-37)
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- Chile relives past polarisation in the present
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- COLOMBIA: New drugs policy promises big changes
- VENEZUELA: Maduro gets warm welcome in China
- PERU: Congress moves on judiciary to tighten grip on power
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Bullrich tries to harness JxC provincial success
- BRAZIL: Lula’s diplomatic headaches at G20
- BRAZIL: Police agree plea bargain with Bolsonaro aide
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Government proposes budget for electoral year
- MEXICO: Morena rifts deepen
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- GUATEMALA: Arévalo halts transition after TSE offices raided again
- NICARAGUA: FTA signed with China
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC-HAITI: Diplomatic tensions rise
POSTSCRIPT
- Guyana growth soars as new bidding round concludes
- Quotes of the week
Chile reached a significant milestone on 11 September.
Weekly Report - 07 September 2023 (WR-23-36)
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- Mexican presidential picks unveiled
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- ECUADOR: Drug-related violence fuels electoral tensions
- COLOMBIA: ELN talks produce humanitarian accord
- VENEZUELA: Capriles endorses dollarisation
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Milei pulls clear but risks overstepping the mark
- BRAZIL: Winners and losers in cabinet reshuffle
- BRAZIL: São Paulo halts controversial police operation
- BRAZIL: Government submits 2024 budget proposal
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- GUATEMALA: Transition begins as Arévalo denounces coup plan
- HONDURAS: Missing a key deadline
POSTSCRIPT
- Peruvian government savaged for gastronomic blasphemy
- Quotes of the week
Mexico’s ruling left-wing Movimiento Regeneración Nacional (Morena) and opposition Frente Amplio por México (FAM) have both named their 2024 presidential candidates.
Weekly Report - 31 August 2023 (WR-23-35)
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- Massa’s economic package unlikely to cut the mustard
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- COLOMBIA: Fuel price protests hit major cities
- VENEZUELA: Capriles and Rosales forge electoral alliance
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- BRAZIL: Shoring up ties with Lusophone African partners
- BRAZIL: Money laundering scandal hits Bolsonaro’s son
- BRAZIL: Lula announces plans for new cabinet ministry
- CHILE: Communist minister faces teachers’ strike challenge
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: MC going it alone
- MEXICO: Speculation mounts over exit of search commission chief
- MEXICO: Violence flares in Michoacán
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- GUATEMALA: Semilla suspended as Arévalo’s victory certified
- PANAMA: Authorities frustrated over international response to migration surge
POSTSCRIPT
- Concerns build over prospect of Kenya-led mission in Haiti
- Quotes of the week
In a series of social media video announcements on 27 August, Argentina’s economy minister and presidential hopeful Sergio Massa announced a wide and complex range of economic measures designed to put some extra money in people’s pockets.
Weekly Report - 24 August 2023 (WR-23-34)
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- Arévalo cruises home but faces uphill task to deliver change
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- ECUADOR: Noboa delivers big electoral surprise
- COLOMBIA: Odebrecht case reprised
- BOLIVIA: MAS divisions pushing party to the brink
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- BRAZIL: Lula denies that Brics is an anti-G7
- BRAZIL: Multiple investigations piling pressure on Bolsonaro
- BRAZIL: Further progress for bill to limit indigenous demarcations
- CHILE: Ambassador scandal places more pressure on beleaguered Boric
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Morena divided, opposition united?
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- REGION: Parlacen ditches Taiwan for China
- PANAMA: Deputies to debate Cobre Panamá contract
- TRACKING TRENDS
POSTSCRIPT
- Venezuelan opposition primary facing daunting obstacles
- Quotes of the week
Guatemalan voters overwhelmingly opted for change in the second round of presidential elections on 20 August.
Weekly Report - 17 August 2023 (WR-23-33)
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- Milei leads the pack after shock primary election in Argentina
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- ECUADOR: Campaigning closes under the shadow of violence
- COLOMBIA: ‘Kill Barbosa’ plot: real or fake?
- VENEZUELA: Electoral intimidation continues
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- PARAGUAY: How important is the Cartes connection?
- CHILE: Boric conducts fresh reshuffle
- BRAZIL: Lula re-launches infrastructure funding plan
- BRAZIL: Police probe Bolsonaro allies for jewellery sales
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Opposition race heats up
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- GUATEMALA: Campaigns close as speculation builds
- HAITI: Calls build for international police deployment
POSTSCRIPT
- New petroleum bill greenlighted in Guyana
- Quotes of the week
Far-right outsider Javier Milei, who supports the sale of human organs, wants to take “a chainsaw” to public spending, and favours dollarising the economy and closing the central bank (BCRA), now has a credible chance of becoming Argentina’s next head of state.
Weekly Report - 10 August 2023 (WR-23-32)
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- Political assassination rocks Ecuador
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- BOLIVIA: Resource nationalism in rhetoric only as Arce looks east
- VENEZUELA: Authorities take on the Red Cross
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- BRAZIL: Positive intentions, scarce plans at Amazon summit
- BRAZIL: Bolsonaro minister denies coup evidence
- ARGENTINA: Murder of young girl cuts short primaries campaign
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Guerrero faced with more violent attacks
- MEXICO: Tensions over Morelos attorney general arrest
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- PANAMA: Panama Canal predicts big fall in toll revenue
- HONDURAS: Final shortlist submitted for key post
- TRACKING TRENDS
POSTSCRIPT
- Concerns build over targeting of indigenous in Nicaragua
- Quotes of the week
Ecuador’s presidential election campaign was plunged into disarray on 9 August when one of the leading candidates was shot dead at a campaign rally.
Weekly Report - 03 August 2023 (WR-23-31)
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- Unprecedented numbers of migrants risk crossing Darién Gap
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- COLOMBIA: Petro’s son arrested
- VENEZUELA: Government performs small U-turn on diesel
- TRACKING TRENDS
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Saved at the eleventh hour – but at what cost?
- BRAZIL: Concerns of police violence in São Paulo
- BRAZIL: Central bank lowers benchmark interest rate
- CHILE: Corruption may undermine proposed fiscal pact
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Campaign trail turns to healthcare
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- EL SALVADOR: Bukelismo for export
- GUATEMALA: Arévalo surges clear
POSTSCRIPT
- Ecuadorean troop incursion into Colombia played down
- Quotes of the week
Efforts to deter undocumented migrants from undertaking to traverse the Darién Gap, the dense rainforest without roads that forms the natural frontier between Colombia and Panama, have not yielded any success, if figures released this week by Panama’s national immigration agency (INM) are anything to go by.
Weekly Report - 27 July 2023 (WR-23-30)
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- Yuan to the rescue in Argentina?
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- PERU: Boluarte facing new allegations of wrongdoing
- COLOMBIA: New senate leader to pose challenge for Petro
- ECUADOR: Dark clouds over elections
- VENEZUELA: Lake Maracaibo goes the wrong kind of green
- TRACKING TRENDS
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- BRAZIL: Lula tightens gun regulations
- BRAZIL: More progress in Marielle Franco investigation
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Ayotzinapa report raises transparency concerns
- MEXICO: US security advisor visits Mexico – again
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- GUATEMALA: More bumps on the electoral road
- EL SALVADOR: New law allows mass trials
POSTSCRIPT
- Uruguay’s water emergency may be over, but situation remains critical
- Quotes of the week
Argentina’s government says a new staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is ‘in the bag’ but with major repayments due next week, the risk of another default ahead of the presidential primaries on 13 August remains considerable.
Weekly Report - 20 July 2023 (WR-23-29)
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- EU-Mercosur deadlock dominates Celac summit
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- PERU: New round of protest fuels tensions
- BOLIVIA: Morales and Arce trade corruption allegations
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Opposition JxC keeps up electoral momentum
- BRAZIL: Bolsonarista hostility against judiciary
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: López Obrador trades blows with opposition pre-candidate
- MEXICO: US relations not buoyed by river barrier
- MEXICO: Pemex runs into trouble
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- PANAMA: Martinelli down, but not necessarily out
- HONDURAS: Key milestones in fight against corruption
- TRACKING TRENDS
POSTSCRIPT
- Colombia’s controversial mining minister resigns in blow to Petro
- Quotes of the week
Eight years have elapsed since the last summit between the European Union (EU) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac), envisaged as a biennial event.
Weekly Report - 13 July 2023 (WR-23-28)
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- Democracy at breaking point
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- VENEZUELA: Opposition battling to compete
- COLOMBIA: Peace talks with dissident Farc back on
- ECUADOR: Yasuní contracts for sale ahead of landmark referendum
- PERU: Government under fire for meeting extremist group
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- BRAZIL: Lula’s commitment to Amazon protection
- BRAZIL: Amended tax reform bill passes lower chamber
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Opposition presents presidential candidate shortlist
- MEXICO: Trouble in Guerrero
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- NICARAGUA: Ortega fails again to expel prominent critic
- SURINAME-REGION: Boosting energy ties
- HONDURAS: Launching FTA talks with China
POSTSCRIPT
- Milei fighting for political survival in Argentina
- Quotes of the week
Two developments in Central America over the course of the last week, all the more perturbing for their predictability, are fuelling concerns that democracy is under siege.
Weekly Report - 06 July 2023 (WR-23-27)
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- Brazil prepares for post-Bolsonaro era
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- BOLIVIA: MAS divisions deepen as Arce defies Morales
- VENEZUELA: Leading opposition candidate barred from election
- COLOMBIA: ELN tests limits of ceasefire agreement
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- CHILE: Boric under fire over corruption scandal
- PARAGUAY: Peña prepares to take office
- ARGENTINA: Opposition JxC picks up steam
- URUGUAY-REGION: Lacalle Pou lashes out at Mercosur summit
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: PRI on the rocks
- MEXICO: Dispute grows over SCJN salaries
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- GUATEMALA: Tensions rise as TSE orders review of election results
- PANAMA: Cortizo presents balance sheet, embarks on final year in office
- HAITI: Guterres pays first visit
POSTSCRIPT
- Correísta candidate set fair for run-off in Ecuador
- Quotes of the week
Brazil’s top electoral court (TSE) voted on 30 June to bar the right-wing former president Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2023) from running in elections for the next eight years, extinguishing any hopes he may have had for a political comeback in the 2026 presidential race.
Weekly Report - 29 June 2023 (WR-23-26)
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- Could election result be harbinger of new Guatemalan spring?
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- VENEZUELA: Fourteen vie to challenge Maduro
- PERU: Coca cultivation shifting eastwards to new markets
- COLOMBIA: Petro shifts government
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Massa to run for president
- BRAZIL: Bolsonaro’s reckoning at the electoral court
- BRAZIL-ARGENTINA: Lula and Fernández seek further integration
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Supreme court foils Plan B
- MEXICO: Government seizes land to make way for Tren Maya
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- HONDURAS: Prison massacre sparks security shake-up
- TRACKING TRENDS
POSTSCRIPT
- Chaves under pressure over education funds in Costa Rica
- Quotes of the week
The shock performance of anti-graft candidate Bernardo Arévalo in the first round of presidential elections on 25 June has upended Guatemalan politics.
Weekly Report - 22 June 2023 (WR-23-25)
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- Argentine elections roiled by femicide and violent protests
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- VENEZUELA: Mass resignations from electoral authority
- ECUADOR: Presidential line-up finalised
- PERU: Dengue drags Boluarte down further
- COLOMBIA: Petro under pressure in congress and on streets
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- CHILE: Boric launches peace commission for Mapuche conflict
- BRAZIL: Lula seeks blessing from the Vatican
- BRAZIL: Economic growth prospects improve
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: New interior minister named
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- HONDURAS: Castro pays first official visit to China, meets Xi
- HONDURAS: Corruption allegations inflame tensions
- GUATEMALA: High-profile journalist convicted
POSTSCRIPT
- Nicaraguan Church under siege
- Quotes of the week
Argentines were gripped this week by the electoral repercussions of what appears to have been a femicide carried out by one of the closest allies of the governor of the northern province of Chaco, Jorge Capitanich, a poster boy for Kirchnerismo, and the eruption of violence in the north-western province of Jujuy over a controversial constitutional reform.
Weekly Report - 15 June 2023 (WR-23-24)
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- Historic ELN ceasefire marred by campaign finance investigation
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- BOLIVIA: State institutions infiltrated by drug gangs
- VENEZUELA: Deepening ties with Iran
- TRACKING TRENDS
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Opposition JxC torn over electoral alliances
- BRAZIL: Uncertain road ahead for EU-Mercosur trade deal
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Morena launches presidential selection process
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- HONDURAS: Castro moves on key promise
- CUBA: New law on online communication provokes outcry
- GUATEMALA: Major setback in efforts to redress civil war impunity
POSTSCRIPT
- Chile’s far-right ascendant
- Quotes of the week
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro secured a major boost on 9 June when the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) guerrilla group signed a bilateral ceasefire agreement with his government.
Weekly Report - 08 June 2023 (WR-23-23)
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- Mexico's Morena wins key state election, eyes presidential race
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- COLOMBIA: Fast-moving scandal threatens Petro’s reform agenda
- ECUADOR: Lasso and Iza drop out of the running
- BOLIVIA: Key minister escapes censure
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- CHILE: Boric tries to bridge political divide
- BRAZIL: Green agenda under threat
- BRAZIL: Government begins tax reform marathon
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Grupo México appeased?
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- EL SALVADOR: Bukele alarms with electoral system changes
- PANAMA: Martinelli presidential bid confirmed as sentence looms
POSTSCRIPT
- First sentence handed down in relation to Moïse murder
- Quotes of the week
Mexico’s ruling left-wing Movimiento Regeneración Nacional (Morena) has convincingly won the gubernatorial elections in Estado de México (Edomex).
Weekly Report - 01 June 2023 (WR-23-22)
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- Brazil’s Lula puts regional integration back on the agenda
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- ECUADOR: Presidential aspirants rush to declare candidacies
- PERU: Protests return to Puno
- COLOMBIA: Violence continues as ceasefire deals come and go
- VENEZUELA-COLOMBIA: Maduro and Petro boost ties
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Macri’s cousin wins the PRO nomination in Buenos Aires
- ARGENTINA: Massa seeks help from China
- BRAZIL: Centrist-led congressional committee to probe 8 January riots
- BRAZIL: Petrobras Amazon oil project proves divisive
MEXICO
- MEXICO: High stakes as state elections approach
- MEXICO: Army faces more spying allegations
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- HONDURAS: Extending the state of emergency
- TRACKING TRENDS
POSTSCRIPT
- EU reaffirms commitment to Cuba
- Quotes of the week
The idea of regional integration, a constant subject of South American diplomatic rhetoric over the last half century, has been dusted down and put back on the table, following a 12-country summit held in Brasília on 30 May.
Weekly Report - 25 May 2023 (WR-23-21)
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- Ecuador prepares to stage early elections
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- COLOMBIA: Ceasefire with dissident Farc alliance collapses
- BOLIVIA: Claims of counter-narcotics success ring hollow
- PERU: Setback in prosecutors’ case against Kuczynski
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- CHILE: Codelco gears up for new lithium role
- BRAZIL: Ministers rail against restructuring
- BRAZIL: Lula’s cooperation with the Global South
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Marines move in on Grupo México concession
- MEXICO: Opposition wrestles with presidential conundrum
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- GUATEMALA: TSE bars another key presidential contender
- NICARAGUA: Ortega poised to lose valuable ally
- CUBA: Boosting ties with Russia
POSTSCRIPT
- UK’s Cleverly bids to breathe fresh life into Canning agenda
- Quotes of the week
Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso delivered his second annual state-of-the-nation address on 24 May, which marked what should have been the halfway point of his four-year term in office.
Weekly Report - 18 May 2023 (WR-23-20)
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- Lasso disbands congress to avert impeachment
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- COLOMBIA: Petro loses another pillar of legislative alliance
- BOLIVIA: Environment minister arrested
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Peronism prevails in provinces
- BRAZIL: Bolsonaro’s inner circle under pressure
- BRAZIL: Supreme court to probe tech giants
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: US Republican comments spark backlash
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- EL SALVADOR: Bukele rages as “zero murder” record tarnished
- HAITI-REGION: UN’s Guterres in Jamaica, urges action on Haiti
- GUATEMALA: Major blow to press freedom
POSTSCRIPT
- Morena’s ‘corcholatas’ primed in Mexico
- Quotes of the week
Ecuador was plunged into political uncertainty on 17 May when President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the national assembly to avoid impending impeachment.
Weekly Report - 11 May 2023 (WR-23-19)
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- Boric suffers serious setback as far right sweeps elections
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- ECUADOR: Lasso prepares for final battle with congress
- VENEZUELA: Guaidó’s party drops him as presidential candidate
- COLOMBIA: Petro locks horns with attorney general
- TRACKING TRENDS
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- URUGUAY: Housing scandal fuels coalition tensions
- ARGENTINA: Supreme court puts two provincial elections on hold
- BRAZIL: Government ally to serve on central bank board
- BRAZIL: Lula appeases European allies
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: The end of Title 42?
- MEXICO: Executive and judiciary clash over electoral reform
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- COSTA RICA: Chaves presents one-year balance sheet
- NICARAGUA: A new wave of opposition arrests
- TRACKING TRENDS
POSTSCRIPT
- Cubas arrested amid Paraguayan electoral protests
- Quotes of the week
It is no exaggeration to say that the outcome of the elections held in Chile on 7 May could not have been any worse for President Gabriel Boric.
Weekly Report - 04 May 2023 (WR-23-18)
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- Ruling Colorados sweep to total victory in Paraguay
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- COLOMBIA: Petro puts supporters on standby to pressure congress
- VENEZUELA: US drops protection for Citgo parent company
- TRACKING TRENDS
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA-BRAZIL: Fernández turns to Lula seeking respite
- BRAZIL: Six indigenous territories gain legal protection
- BRAZIL: Resistance to online regulation efforts
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Flurry of activity as congressional session ends
- MEXICO: The fight for CDMX
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- HONDURAS: Castro loses minister over tax reform
- SURINAME: Clashes over land rights claim two lives
- PANAMA: Mixed messages on financial transparency
- TRACKING TRENDS
POSTSCRIPT
- Giammattei reaffirms Guatemala’s support for Taiwan
- Quotes of the week
Paraguay’s elections on 30 April could scarcely have gone any better for the ruling Asociación Nacional Republicana-Partido Colorado (ANR-PC).
Weekly Report - 27 April 2023 (WR-23-17)
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- Petro scraps ruling alliance and jettisons seven ministers
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- VENEZUELA-COLOMBIA: Guaidó facing uncertain future after expulsion from Colombia
- PERU: Another head of state falls from grace
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Teetering on the brink
- CHILE: White gold, maybe
- BRAZIL: Select committee sets stage for more culture wars
- BRAZIL: Police clamp down on illegal gold suppliers
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: SCJN issues another national guard ruling
- MEXICO: Migration chief charged over fire
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- CUBA: Díaz-Canel braces for another term
- COSTA RICA: Chaves moves on insecurity
POSTSCRIPT
- Bolivian bank executives arrested amid financial jitters
- Quotes of the week
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro has taken a political gamble that could shape the rest of his presidency.
Weekly Report - 20 April 2023 (WR-23-16)
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- Free market dollar soars again in Argentina, causing political tremors
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- BOLIVIA: Struggling to steady the ship
- PERU: Focal point of protests shifts
- COLOMBIA: Former paramilitaries weigh in on peace plan
- ECUADOR: Lasso threatens to dissolve legislature
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- BRAZIL: Lula faces pushback over Ukraine
- CHILE: Activists protest over Los Bronces
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Supreme court delivers blows to López Obrador
- MEXICO: US indictments strain relations
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- EL SALVADOR: Bukele’s security plan in the spotlight
- NICARAGUA: Relations with Beijing bear fruit
POSTSCRIPT
- UN announces new envoy to Haiti
- Quotes of the week
The price of the free market or ‘blue’ dollar soared again this week, a de facto indicator of sharply falling business and political confidence in Argentina.
Weekly Report - 13 April 2023 (WR-23-15)
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- Challenges loom as Brazil’s Lula marks first 100 days in office
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- VENEZUELA/GUYANA: Opposition seeks leverage in Essequibo dispute
- COLOMBIA: Mining protests paused
- ECUADOR: Petroecuador reaches agreement with indigenous protesters
- PERU: Ex-president Toledo battles extradition from US
- TRACKING TRENDS
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Political blow-up over Buenos Aires voting system
- CHILE: Boric announces massive increase in police budget
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Electoral tribunal in the crosshairs
- MEXICO: Top migration officials targeted over deadly fire
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- HONDURAS: Ramping up mano dura
- NICARAGUA: Religious persecution intensifies over Holy Week
POSTSCRIPT
- Corruption purge gathers pace in Venezuela
- Quotes of the week
“Brazil is back,” President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said during an event marking the first 100 days of his current administration on 10 April.
Weekly Report - 06 April 2023 (WR-23-14)
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- Peru’s congress spares Boluarte on grounds of preserving stability
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- ECUADOR: Lasso relaxes gun controls
- COLOMBIA: Last chance for an ELN peace deal?
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- BRAZIL: Haddad seeks fiscal deal
- ARGENTINA: Risks of violence highlighted by La Matanza incident
- PARAGUAY: Peña gets boost but wrestles with Colorado divisions
- CHILE: Security law divides ruling coalition
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Controversy over new INE president
- MEXICO: Iberdrola overcome?
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- GUATEMALA: Campaigns kick off
- GUATEMALA-BELIZE: Reaffirming ties to Taipei
POSTSCRIPT
- IACHR issues warning over Bolivian polarisation
- Quotes of the week
Peru has had six presidents in the last five years.
Weekly Report - 30 March 2023 (WR-23-13)
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- Top court ruling paves way for Lasso impeachment
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- PERU: Boluarte faces new probe into campaign financing
- COLOMBIA: Coca growers face oversupply crisis
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Finance and debt worries persist
- PARAGUAY: Will corruption influence voters?
- BRAZIL: Lula postpones China visit; reset remains on the cards
- CHILE: Good guys or bad guys?
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Blow for electoral reform
- MEXICO: Deadly fire raises scrutiny on migration policy
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- HONDURAS: Relations with Beijing formalised
- CUBA: Government battles abstention in electoral test
POSTSCRIPT
- Petro’s reform agenda encounters difficulties
- Quotes of the week
President Guillermo Lasso’s prospects of survival are hanging by a thread after Ecuador’s constitutional court (CC) ruled on 29 March that the national assembly could proceed with an impeachment trial against him.
Weekly Report - 23 March 2023 (WR-23-12)
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- Petro marches on with labour and pension reforms
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- VENEZUELA: Oil minister removed in purge
- BOLIVIA: Arce and Morales clash
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- CHILE: Not all bad for Boric
- BRAZIL: Abin accused of illegal electronic surveillance
- BRAZIL: Poll offers Lula some encouragement
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Polarisation overshadows commemorative event
- MEXICO: Human rights criticisms cause a stir
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- GUATEMALA: Presidential candidate targeted in crackdown
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: PLD heavyweights arrested in major crackdown
- PANAMA: Breakthrough in stand-off over major mine
- TRACKING TRENDS
POSTSCRIPT
- Chinese jet fighters back in the news in Argentina
- Quotes of the week
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro is unveiling flagship pieces of legislation at a rapid rate, presenting his government’s much-awaited labour reform bill on 17 March and his pension reform bill just five days later.
Weekly Report - 16 March 2023 (WR-23-11)
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- Honduras switches allegiance to China
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- BOLIVIA: On the brink of a currency crisis?
- COLOMBIA: One step forward, one step back for peace plans
- ECUADOR: Broad alliance unites around impeachment efforts
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- CHILE: Boric faces new setback
- ARGENTINA: Inflation breaks psychological threshold
- BRAZIL: Demarcation of indigenous lands: a big issue for Lula
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: López Obrador shields foreign critics
- MEXICO: Mass turnout for International Women’s Day marches
- MEXICO: Working to patch up US-Mexico relations
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- NICARAGUA: Church ties hit nadir
- EL SALVADOR: Bukele gears up for 2024
POSTSCRIPT
- Ambassadors expelled as Ecuador-Argentina row erupts
- Quotes of the week
Another brick in Taiwan’s crumbling diplomatic edifice in Central America will shortly be removed after Honduran President Xiomara Castro announced on 14 March that she had had instructed her foreign minister, Eduardo Enrique Reina, to commence negotiations to open diplomatic relations with mainland China.
Weekly Report - 09 March 2023 (WR-23-10)
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- Ortega accused of crimes against humanity
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- ECUADOR: Lasso’s weakness exposed as impeachment grows more likely
- COLOMBIA: Petro’s son under scrutiny over drug links
- VENEZUELA: Government to help – or hinder – opposition primaries
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- BRAZIL: Diamonds are forever
- BRAZIL: Lula unmoved by corruption allegations
- ARGENTINA: Send in the army – really?
- CHILE: Constitutional fatigue setting in?
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Trying times for US-Mexico relations
- MEXICO: Tensions with supreme court intensify
- MEXICO: Militarisation of public security fuels controversy
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- HAITI: Caricom special mission to Haiti ducks key request
POSTSCRIPT
- Lula sticks to his (neutral) foreign policy guns
- Quotes of the week
An expert panel appointed by the United Nations (UN) has concluded that the Nicaraguan government led by President Daniel Ortega has committed “widespread human rights violations that amount to crimes against humanity”.
Weekly Report - 02 March 2023 (WR-23-09)
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- Mexican protesters fill Zócalo in defence of democracy
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- ECUADOR: Lasso faces renewed threat of impeachment
- COLOMBIA: Petro takes big gamble by firing Gaviria
- TRACKING TRENDS
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- BRAZIL: Business re-assessing Fernando Haddad?
- ARGENTINA: Unhappy coalitions
- CHILE: Army sent in to deal with migrants
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- GUATEMALA: Questionable candidacies cast doubt on electoral process
- PANAMA: Parlous situation facing migrants
- CUBA: Blackouts intensify amid other economic woes
POSTSCRIPT
- Santokhi talks get underway in Suriname
- Quotes of the week
Mexico’s Zócalo was bathed in pink on 26 February as a huge crowd of protesters gathered in the central square in Mexico City (CDMX) to protest against the election reform initiative pushed through congress days earlier by the government led by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Weekly Report - 23 February 2023 (WR-23-08)
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- Protesters invade Suriname’s parliament and loot businesses
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- COLOMBIA: New bill to demobilise criminal groups
- PERU: Boluarte battles to salvage government’s image
- VENEZUELA: Crackdown on illegal gold mining
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- BRAZIL: Government faces fake news conundrum
- BRAZIL: Franco investigation reopened
- BRAZIL: Ringing the changes in the army
- TRACKING TRENDS
- ARGENTINA: Government coalition still in disarray
- CHILE: Friction emerges in Argentine ties
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Guilty García Luna
- MEXICO: Moving on lithium
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: High-profile trial begins
- HONDURAS: Congress ends speculation over new supreme court
POSTSCRIPT
- Pacific Alliance divided over Peru crisis
- Quotes of the week
Several hundred protesters burst into the national assembly building in Paramaribo on 17 February, and subsequently went on a looting spree on the streets of the Surinamese capital.
Weekly Report - 16 February 2023 (WR-23-07)
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- Health reform to put Petro’s alliance to the test
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- PERU: Boluarte and Fujimori discuss crisis
- ECUADOR: Minister toppled as corruption allegations pile up
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Rossi appointed to hold ruling coalition together
- BRAZIL: Future conflict over Amazon oil?
- BRAZIL: Lula conducts diplomatic re-set
- CHILE: Logging industry agrees to talks
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Cuba and Mexico boost ties
- MEXICO: Final witnesses testify in key trial
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- NICARAGUA: Surprise mass prisoner release raises questions
- HAITI: More efforts to chart path towards elections
- TRACKING TRENDS
POSTSCRIPT
- Venezuelan government and opposition measure support
- Quotes of the week
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro’s broad legislative alliance, which spans left-wing, centrist, and centre-right parties, is about to face its first real stress test.
Weekly Report - 09 February 2023 (WR-23-06)
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- Lasso suffers big defeat as Correismo savours electoral success
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- COLOMBIA: Petro presents ambitious national development plan
- VENEZUELA: Maduro reaches out to evangelicals
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- BRAZIL: The interest rate war
- ARGENTINA: Media frenzy over murder trial
- CHILE: Wildfires rage after a decade of drought
- PARAGUAY: Cartes responds to US sanctions
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Former officials cause stir in García Luna trial
- MEXICO: Judicial independence stressed as SCJN enters new era
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- EL SALVADOR: Impact of gang crackdown acknowledged
- HONDURAS: Castro pledges tax system overhaul
POSTSCRIPT
- Congress fiddles while Peru burns
- Quotes of the week
The left-wing party of Ecuador’s former president Rafael Correa (2007-2017), Revolución Ciudadana (RC), which carries his initials, excelled in provincial and municipal elections staged on 5 February.
Weekly Report - 02 February 2023 (WR-23-05)
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- US sanctions Cartes as Paraguay’s elections loom
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- PERU: Boluarte at loggerheads with congress over elections
- ECUADOR: Illegal mining declared ‘threat to national security’
- COLOMBIA: Cocaine busts at record high
- VENEZUELA: OHCHR visits amid fears for NGOs
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- BRAZIL: Lira emerges as the power broker
- BRAZIL: Yanomami genocide probe gets go ahead
- ARGENTINA: Vanity and politics
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Ebrard on a mission
- MEXICO: New opposition collective emerges
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- GUATEMALA: TSE faces familiar criticism as election season officially begins
- HAITI: PM’s residence attacked amid unrest sparked by police killings
POSTSCRIPT
- Scholz visit launches diplomatic comeback
- Quotes of the week
Paraguay’s electoral race took a twist on 26 January when the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac) sanctioned Paraguay’s former president Horacio Cartes (2013-2018), who was blacklisted by the US Department of State last July for significant corruption.
Weekly Report - 26 January 2023 (WR-23-04)
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- Democracy dominates Celac summit in Argentina
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- PERU: Left moves to impeach Boluarte
- BOLIVIA: Protesters issue ultimatum over ‘political prisoners’
- COLOMBIA: ELN talks rescued but Farc dissidents remain a challenge
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- BRAZIL: Lula tightens his grip on security forces
- BRAZIL: Yanomami tragedy causes consternation
- CHILE: Opposition given more ammunition to blast Boric
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Opposition challenges electoral reform
- MEXICO: Testimony begins in García Luna trial
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- NICARAGUA: More fissures at the top?
- HONDURAS: Castro under pressure over environmentalists’ killings
POSTSCRIPT
- Lasso battling corruption scandal
- Quotes of the week
Argentina’s President Alberto Fernández played host to regional leaders for the summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) on 24 January.
Weekly Report - 19 January 2023 (WR-23-03)
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- Protesters converge on Lima as Boluarte vows to fight on
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- ECUADOR: Corruption scandal hits close to home for Lasso
- COLOMBIA: Major spat breaks out with Guatemala
- VENEZUELA: Fading hopes for dialogue process
- TRACKING TRENDS
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- BRAZIL: A major crackdown on anti-democratic rioters
- ARGENTINA: Massa delivers ‘low’ inflation
- CHILE: Boric sounds death knell for Dominga mine
MEXICO
- MEXICO: A united opposition?
- MEXICO: Militarisation concerns rise
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- GUATEMALA: Presidential race takes shape
- ANTIGUA & BARBUDA: Browne secures third victory for Labour Party
- EL SALVADOR: Environmentalists’ arrests spark concern
- HAITI: Plunging further into the constitutional abyss
- TRACKING TRENDS
POSTSCRIPT
- Leap in homicides raises questions in Uruguay
- Quotes of the week
After a turbulent six weeks in office, Peru’s President Dina Boluarte’s troubled tenure has reached a critical juncture, with her political survival at stake.
Weekly Report - 12 January 2023 (WR-23-02)
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- Brazil’s democratic institutions under attack
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- PERU: Boluarte wins key vote but faces “genocide” probe
- ECUADOR: Lasso’s future on the line
- COLOMBIA: ELN talks in jeopardy
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- CHILE: No smooth flight for Boric
MEXICO
- MEXICO: The three amigos reunite
- MEXICO: El Chapo’s son recaptured
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- CUBA: US embassy resumes services as Cuba migration soars
- HONDURAS: CSJ election in final stages as Cicih takes shape
POSTSCRIPT
- El Salvador homicides fall but at what cost?
- Quotes of the week
Until last week, the power transfer in Brazil seemed to have proceeded smoothly, despite the deep political polarisation in which the country has been immersed.
Weekly Report - 05 January 2023 (WR-23-01)
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- Team Lula begins to roll in Brazil
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- COLOMBIA: ELN forces Petro into humiliating climbdown
- BOLIVIA: Camacho’s imprisonment threatens new wave of unrest
- VENEZUELA: Guaidó’s ousting tips opposition into uncertainty
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- PARAGUAY: Peña prevails in party primaries
- CHILE: Is public opinion undergoing a sea-change?
- ARGENTINA: Sporting glory, political tedium
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Mass prison break prompts blame game
- MEXICO: New supreme court president makes history
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- HAITI: Henry claims of ‘historic’ roadmap accord ring hollow
- EL SALVADOR: Contentious pensions reform approved
- PANAMA: Key investment project in doubt
POSTSCRIPT
- Protesters compel congress to bring Peru’s elections forward
- Quotes of the week
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was sworn in as president of Brazil on 1 January, with his record number of 37 cabinet ministers beginning to lay out their policies and priorities.