Inter-American Watch
Monday, April 4th, 2022
The Americas
The Coast Guard seized more than $243 million of cocaine in the Caribbean
A U.S. Coast Guard crew offloaded more than $243 million worth of cocaine at their base in Miami Beach following a 45-day patrol in the Caribbean, according to the military branch. The crew seized about 8,500 pounds of cocaine and detained 13 suspected drug smugglers from Dominican Republic and Colombia.
The Miami Herald: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article260073350.html
Honduras court seizes ex-president’s properties, before he is extradited to the U.S.
A court in Honduras authorized prosecutors Friday to seize properties, bank accounts and vehicles linked to former President Juan Orlando Hernández. Court spokeswoman Bárbara Castillo said that includes 30 properties, 80 accounts and 16 vehicles. The preliminary seizure is for one year, but can be extended. Eventually, the properties could be permanently seized and turned over to the government.
Wtop/Associated Press: https://wtop.com/latin-america/2022/04/honduras-court-seizes-ex-presidents-properties/
Russia aims Ukraine disinformation at Spanish speakers
Disinformation about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is surging in Spanish, as stories crafted for a Latin American audience gets a boost from the Kremlin
ABC News: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/russia-aims-ukraine-disinformation-spanish-speakers-83826780
Biden official says U.S. will likely see an uptick in asylum requests and immigration from Central America
Ricardo Zúniga, the Biden administration’s special envoy for the region, spoke of the challenges in Central America, and how they are expected to result in an uptick of immigration from the region, while visiting Los Angeles for a Summit of the Americas event earlier this week.
The Chronicle: https://www.chronline.com/stories/biden-official-says-us-will-likely-see-an-uptick-in-asylum-requests-and-immigration,287233?
Peru
A decade on, Peru’s corruption-laden Interoceanic Highway troubles communities
The Interoceanic Highway was implicated in Latin America’s largest corruption scandal. Eleven years after its completion, the environment and people of the Amazon pay the price.
Dialogo Chino: https://dialogochino.net/en/infrastructure/52497-peru-corruption-interoceanic-highway-trouble-communities/
Peru’s monthly inflation hits 26-year high in March
Peru’s inflation hit in March its highest level in more than two decades, the government said on Friday, driven by rising global fuel and food prices amid the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The Andean country’s consumer prices rose 1.48% last month, the highest since the 1.53% seen in February 1996, according to historical data provided by the Peruvian central bank.
Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/perus-monthly-inflation-hits-26-year-high-march-2022-04-01/
Analysis
The rise of Latin America’s anti-politicians
While Latin America’s centrist parties collapsed, people lost faith in democracy. Now, autocrats are rising across the continent.
IPS: https://www.ips-journal.eu/topics/democracy-and-society/the-rise-of-latin-americas-anti-politicians-5587/
Peru for sale, including the Congress
No one doubts that Castillo’s government came to power to rob. It was the main objective, demonstrated with thefts typical of great thieves. Do not forget that the elections were “won” with fraud by a front of the extreme left. The ideology they embrace is prone to rambling and Castroism. This explains the reason for so much rapine. Democracy and respect for the Constitution are not in his “chip’.
Expreso, in Spanish: https://www.expreso.com.pe/opinion/peru-en-venta-incluye-congreso/
