Inter-American Watch
Wednesday January 19th, 2022
The Americas
Chavez gave millions to illegally finance the Left in Latin American
The former Chief of Intelligence of the Venezuelan regime said in a letter published in Spain, that the late Venezuelan president ordered more than 20 suitcases full of hundreds of thousands of dollars to leftist politicians in Latin America, among them Evo Morales in Bolivia, Lula Da Silva in Brazil, Nestor Kirchner in Argentina, Fernando Lugo in Paraguay, Ollanta Humala in Peru, Mel Zelaya in Honduras and Gustavo Petro, current presidential candidate in Colombia.
El Nuevo Herald, in Spanish: https://www.elnuevoherald.com/noticias/america-latina/venezuela-es/article257442982.html
The violent drug trafficking hotspot on the Paraguay-Brazil border
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The Brazilian Report: https://brazilian.report/latin-america/2022/01/17/drug-pedro-juan-caballero/
Two journalist exposing Mexico”s corruption and drug violence murdered within one week
Margarito Martínez Esquivel and José Luis Gamboa are the latest casualties in the world”s most dangerous country for reporters outside war zones.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/18/journalists-exposing-mexico-corruption-drug-violence-murdered
40% of guns traced from crimes in Central America came from U.S.
Thousands of firearms manufactured or bought in the U.S. end up being used in crimes in Central America, according to an audit released last week that found about half of the weapons are smuggled into the region and the others are exported legally and “diverted” into criminals” hands.
Washington Times: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/jan/17/40-guns-traced-crimes-central-america-came-us/
Ingrid Betancourt, a one-time guerrilla hostage, announced she”s running for President of Colombia
Ingrid Betancourt, a former congresswoman and one-time guerrilla hostage who has come to symbolize both the brutality of Colombia”s long war and the country”s efforts at reconciliation, will run for president, she said Tuesday.
The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/18/world/americas/colombia-ingrid-betancourt.html
Argentina
US condemned presence of the Iranian mastermind of the AMIA attacks at Ortega”s inauguration, and demanded a solid economic program for Argentina
The US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, referred to both issues in the meeting he held with Foreign Minister Cafiero in Washington. He questioned the assistance of the terrorist Mohsen Rezai in the act of inauguration of the dictator of Nicaragua
Infobae, in Spanish: https://www.infobae.com/politica/2022/01/19/estados-unidos-expreso-su-preocupacion-por-la-presencia-de-un-acusado-por-el-ataque-a-la-amia-en-la-asuncion-de-ortega-y-exigio-a-la-argentina-un-programa-economico-solido/
United States supports “a vibrant Argentine economy”, Blinken Tells Cafiero
Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero meets with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington for talks, with the latter describing Argentina as “a friend and partner” of the United States.
Buenos Aires Times: https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/united-states-supports-a-vibrant-argentine-economy-blinken-tells-cafiero.phtml
Argentina”s president renews criticism of Supreme Court
President Alberto Fernández has opened up a new front, renewing his criticism of the Supreme Court just days after the Kirchnerite wing of his ruling coalition announced a rally calling for judicial reform.
Buenos Aires Times: https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/president-echoes-kirchnerites-and-renews-criticism-of-supreme-court.phtml
Ecuador
Ecuador to ask citizens to vote on justice reform
Ecuador will ask its citizens to vote in a 2023 consultation to reform its justice system, President Guillermo Lasso said on Tuesday, amid accusations that decisions by judges are holding back efforts to fight crime.
Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/ecuador-ask-citizens-vote-justice-reform-president-2022-01-18/
Ecuador opens strategic sectors to Spanish investment
Ecuador”s government wants to create an attractive legal and labor framework. President Lasso pointed out that Ecuador needs private investment and is creating an attractive framework with three fundamental laws: fiscal sustainability, labor reform, and investment promotion.
The Rio Times: https://www.riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-business/ecuador-opens-its-strategic-sectors-to-spanish-investment/
Violent deaths grow in Esmeraldas due to disputes between gangs
According to data from the General Directorate of Citizen Security of the National Police, in Esmeraldas homicides increased in 2021 by 103% compared to 2020, due to organized crime disputes. From 72 victims it went to 146 in those two periods.
El Comercio, in Spanish: https://www.elcomercio.com/actualidad/seguridad/muertes-violentas-esmeraldas-disputas-bandas.html
Peru
Law approved to limit constituent assemblies to reform the Constitution in Peru
All constitutional reform must be previously approved by Parliament before being submitted to popular consultation and ratifies that “the suppression or reduction of the fundamental rights of the person, nor the regulations of a tax and budgetary nature or international treaties in force.
Caretas, in Spanish: https://caretas.pe/politica/comision-de-constitucion-aprueba-insistencia-de-predictamen-que-limita-el-referendum/
Bolivia
The DEA investigated former Evo Morales” anti-drug chiefs
The former director of the Bolivian anti-narcotics special force (Felcn), Colonel Maximiliano Dávila Pérez, former President Evo Morales” confidant, leads the list of characters in the U.S. formal accusation, based on a DEA investigations, presented to the Supreme Court of Colombia, supporting the request of extradition of the former police major Omar Rojas Echeverría, called the “Bolivian Pablo Escobar”.
El Deber, in Spanish: https://eldeber.com.bo/edicion-impresa/la-dea-registro-a-ex-jefes-antidroga-de-evo-vinculados-a-omar-rojas_263980
President Arce calls on his followers to outline strategies to avoid the “rearticulation of the right”
President Luis Arce called on social organizations this Saturday to outline strategies to confront “the right”, which he said is being reorganized to destabilize the government.
La Razon, in Spanish: https://www.la-razon.com/nacional/2022/01/15/arce-llama-a-sus-bases-a-delinear-estrategias-para-evitar-la-rearticulacion-de-la-derecha/
Events
“Quo Vadis Latinoamerica 2022”
Forum, Wednesday January 19th, 2022, 6:00 pm EST. Participants: Eduardo Gamarra (on El Salvador), Luis Galeano (Nicaragua), Sergio Alcocer (Mexico), César Combina (Peru), Luiz Phillipe D”Orleans e Bragança (Brazil), Enrique Aristiguieta Gramcko (Venezuela), Francisco Santos (Colombia), Maria Werlau (Cuba), Ricardo Israel (Chile), Carlos Sanchez Berzain (Bolivia), Luis Guillermo Solis (Costa Rica), Oswaldo Hurtado (Ecuador), and Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the OAS. Welcome by Tomas Regalado. Moderator: Beatriz Rangel.
Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v6N1-0mrMM&feature=emb_imp_woyt
Los Angeles to host 2022 Summit of the Americas
Los Angeles will host this year”s Summit of the Americas, which takes place every three years as an opportunity for leaders of North, South and Central America and the Caribbean to meet, the White House announced Tuesday.
CNS/Spectrum: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/coastal/politics/2022/01/19/los-angeles-to-host-2022-summit-of-the-americas
