News Summaries in June 2024

“Quick Retreat After Troops Storm Palace in Bolivia,” New York Times, June 27, 2024

A coup to topple the government of Bolivia’s democratically elected president Luis Arce fizzled after three hours June 26 when popular support for the top general who engineered it failed to materialize. The general, Juan José Zuñiga, disappeared after an attempted show of muscle in which his security forces occupied the main square of the capital La Paz, a camouflaged tank rammed into a palace door, and soldiers tried to enter the palace. Arce made his way onto the plaza and urged Bolivians to reject the coup. “Long live democracy,” he shouted during a television address. Zuñiga had criticized Arce, a leftist, saying he was trying to install “a true democracy,” not rule by the few. “Our children have no future, our people have no future,” he said. But a general Arce had chosen to replace Zuñiga urged him “not to spill the blood of  our soldiers.” The general is José Wilson Sanchez Velásquez. Bolivian political analyst Carlos Saavedra “said he saw little support in the country of 12 million for the coup attempt, calling it an ‘adventure of a small group of soldiers,’” Times reporters said. 

“Kenyans Arrive to Help Haitian Officers Break Gang Stronghold Over the Country,” New York Times, June 26, 2024

A contingent of some 400 Kenyan law enforcement officers dressed in military fatigues arrived in Haiti June 25 hoping to help establish order in a nation ravaged by gang violence. The Kenyans are the first to deploy in a 2,500-member force largely organized by the United States. Planners believe the intervention will be more successful if headed by Africans. Other nations that have offered personnel for the mission include the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Chad and Jamaica. Kenyan officers “face a significant challenge supporting Haiti’s police and facing off with well-armed and highly organized Haitian gangs that have seized control of much of Port-au-Prince and had vowed to fight the Kenyans,” say Times reporters. So far this year more than 2,500 people have been killed by gang violence and about 200,000 people have been forced from their homes, according to the United Nations. The “Multinational Security Support Mission” aims to establish sufficient stability to allow a transitional government to set up elections to choose a new president and members of Parliament. “Without finding ways to support Haiti’s political process, the mission could exacerbate the violence,” Times reporters wrote, reflecting an assessment by Eugene Chen, a former U.N. official. “It’s not clear that this is the right answer,” Chen said. Kenya’s police officers have a checkered history, according to the Times, referring to accusations by human rights groups that they’ve killed and abused civilians.

“Amid Terror Fear, 8 Tajik Men Seeking Asylum Are Arrested,” New York Times, June 26, 2024

The arrest earlier this month of eight Tajik men who sought asylum at the southwestern U.S. border in 2023 reflects high anxiety among U.S. officials about the possibility of extreme terrorism entering into the country through that route. Those fears have spiked following the conflict in Gaza and unrest in Central Asia, Times reporters said. When they first sought asylum, “federal authorities had no reason to doubt that they were desperate migrants fleeing a poor country in war-torn Central Asia,” the Times said. But then the FBI learned they might have ties to ISIS, and dozens of personnel closely watched the men as they made their way to cities across the U.S. The White House was regularly updated on their movements. Officials hoped to learn more about a broader terrorist network but “heightened concerns about a potential attack in at least one location triggered the arrest of all eight men earlier this month on immigration charges.” The men were picked up in New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. FBI Director Christopher Wray recently testified before Congress about increased fears about the potential in the U.S. for an ISIS-K attack of the kind that occurred in March in a Russian concert hall in which more than 130 people were killed. 

“Honduras Ex-President Hernandez Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison on US Drug Conviction,” Reuters, June 26, 2024

The former president of Honduras was sentenced by a U.S. judge to 45 years in prison after prosecutors said he facilitated the shipment of at least 400 tons of cocaine to the United States.  The sentence means that 55-year-old Juan Orlando Hernandez will likely spend the rest of his life in a U.S. prison unless he successfully appeals the sentence. Prosecutors also said Hernandez used drug money to bribe officials to manipulate voting during the 2013 and 2017 presidential elections. Hernandez was president from 2014 to 2022. “U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel said the 45-year sentence should send a message to well-educated seemingly personable defendants who believe they are insulated from prosecution,” Reuters said. 

“Latin America Isn’t Interested in Another Cold War,” Opinion Column by Eduardo Porter, Washington Post, June 22, 2024

General Laura J. Richardson recently outlined to a House committee threats stemming from China’s growing involvement with Latin America. The People’s Republic of China isn’t just after the region’s abundant natural resources, said Richardson, the head of the U.S. Southern Command. Nor is it simply focused on isolating Taiwan [Latin American countries have been severing ties with Taiwan under pressure from China]. Rather, it is investing in deepwater ports, space infrastructure, and cyber facilities that could become “points of future multi-domain access” for the Chinese military, she said. That could allow China to exert influence over the Panama Canal, monitor and track the U.S. military and even improve its nuclear targeting. These increasingly shrill expressions of alarm are a grim reminder for Latin American leaders of what can happen when Washington fears the region might be slipping to the other side. But Richardson’s opinion should not be ignored. She’s one of the most visible U.S. officials in Latin America. She’s often on tour to meet top civilian and military leaders in Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Chile, Brazil and Argentina. U.S. civilian leaders are concerned too, thinking that Chinese investments in and exports to Mexico are meant to get around U.S. tariffs. Washington’s message is that it wants Latin America to get on board against China. But the region does not love Washington’s message to box China out. For big commodity producers in South America, China has been a blessing. It gives Latin America a measure of independence from the U.S., because it knows there is another source of commerce and finance. Washington will fare better if it presents itself in Latin America capitals in civilian dress promising cooperation rather than in military garb hoping to strong arm the region. 

“Trump Spreads Violent Rhetoric by Suggesting Migrants Should Fight for Sport,” Washington Post, June 22, 2024

Former President Donald Trump has widened his description of migrants as violent people by suggesting they should be pitted against each in cage fights for the amusement of American citizens. Trump made the suggestion in appearances June 22 before Christian conservatives and at a rally in Philadelphia. Trump recounted a conversation with Dana White, the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship: “…I said, ‘Dana, I have an idea. Why don’t you set up a migrant league of fighters and have your regular league of fighters, and then you have the champion of your league – these are the greatest fighters in the world – fight the champion of the migrants.’ I think the migrant guy might win; that’s how tough they are. He didn’t like that idea too much.” Trump has elsewhere repeatedly portrayed migrants as violent criminals coming from “prisons and mental institutions,” and said they are “poisoning the blood of our country.” He recounted the February killing of Georgia nursing student Laken Reilly, suspected by the police to be by a man who crossed into the U.S. illegally. He also called attention to the killing of a Maryland woman on a run last year, calling the El Salvador man charged in the death “an animal.” Most people detained at the southern border of the U.S. do not have criminal records, and experts say most evidence shows have undocumented immigrants in the country does not lead to more crime, the Post said. 

“Venezuela Set to Join Global Watchdog’s Dirty Money ‘Grey List,’” Bloomberg News, June 21, 2024

Venezuela is expected to get added to a global watchdog’s “gray list” denoting countries that haven’t done enough to reduce financial corruption. The watchdog group, known as the Financial Action Task Force, may add Venezuela to the list as soon as June 28. “FATF’s recommendations are taken seriously because no nation wants to be flagged for deficiencies that might cast doubt on the integrity of its banking system,” Bloomberg said. The designation could make foreign investors more wary of doing business in Venezuela. The United States and European nations already have placed sanctions on Venezuela for corruption, criminal activity or antidemocratic moves. It’s still possible that Venezuela could escape the designation though that would require “a significant majority” of the members of the task force to agree that the country has made significant progress against corruption since its evaluation period began, Bloomberg said. Task force evaluators have “raised concerns about the money laundering risks associated with the nation’s large informal economy, including illegal mining,” it added. Venezuela is also under scrutiny for financing terrorism because of its close economic ties to Iran. The gray list isn’t as bad as the group’s black list, suggesting Venezuela may have taken steps to address shortcomings. Venezuela is home to the world’s largest proven oil reserves. Its president, Nicolás Maduro, faces an upcoming presidential election in which he trails the leading opposition candidate Edmundo González by at least 20 percentage points in opinion polling. [There’s speculation that Maduro will try to cancel the election to avoid losing power and that the  warships Russia has sent to Latin America are there in part to support him]. 

“Russia Finds Tacit Support from Mexico, Brazil, Colombia for Its Ukraine Aggression,” Opinion Column by Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, June 18, 2024

The visit of four Russian warships to Cuba was not the only way in which Vladimir Putin flexed his muscles in Latin America in recent days. The Russian ruler also won the tacit support of Brazil, Mexico and Colombia at a world summit on the Russia-Ukraine war.  The leftist populist leaders of those countries were among the few countries that refused to sign a document that called for respecting the territorial integrity of Ukraine as the basis for any peace agreement between that country and Russia. Nearly 85 of the some 100 nations attending the summit signed the agreement, including the United States, France, Germany, Great Britain, Turkey and Argentina. Many Western diplomats saw the refusal of Brazil, Mexico and Columbia as a classic display of hypocrisy given that their progressive leaders often remind the world of America’s invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.  Just two years ago, the three condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine; why the shift? They say it was because Russia was not invited to the summit, but there could be economic motives, notes Ukraine envoy Ruslan Spirin. The three may be benefiting from Western sanctions against Russia, which have increased the world prices of many agricultural products they export. They also are able to buy cheaper Russian oil and fertilizers Russian can’t sell elsewhere. Ryan C. Berg of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for International and Strategic Studies agrees that the countries’ argument for not signing was a “lame excuse” and a “cover for tacit support of Russia.” I agree. Next time the governments of Mexico, Brazil or Colombia utter the words “non intervention” or “national sovereignty,” I’ll have a hard time keeping a straight face.

“Biden Gives Legal Protections to Undocumented Spouses of U.S. Citizens,” New York Times, June 18, 2024

The Biden administration announced a policy change that puts about half a million undocumented immigrants who have been living in the U.S. for more than a decade on a path to citizenship. The change pertains to undocumented spouses of American citizens, permitting them to work legally in the U.S. and be shielded from deportation. “It is one of the most expansive actions to protect immigrants since Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, was enacted 12 years ago to protect those who came to the United States as children,” the Times said. President Biden said at a White House gathering that he will also make it easier for young immigrants, including Dreamers (those protected by DACA), to obtain work visas. Those visas in turn could help them eventually get a green card, which would protect their legal status if DACA disappears. The policy affecting undocumented spouses says they must have lived in the U.S. for ten years and have been married to an American citizen as of June 17. Biden is under fire from some on the left for sharp new restrictions on the number of migrants who can cross the southern border and request asylum. The new policy may buffer some of that criticism. But House Speaker Mike Johnson accused Biden of “granting amnesty to hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens.” America First Legal, a right-wing group run by Trump deportation planner Stephen Miller, indicated that it will sue to stop the spousal program. But it could help Biden in the fall elections in swing states like Nevada, Arizona and Georgia.  

“The Tasty New Challenge to Venezuela’s Autocrats: ‘Freedom Empanadas’, New York Times, June 16, 2024

Corina Hernández and her sister Elys have emerged as unlikely folk heroes as Venezuela approaches its July 28 presidential election. The government temporarily shut down their restaurant in a town five hours south of Caracas after they sold empanadas to a leading opposition campaign figure. Others conducting routine business with that figure, María Corina Machado, have suffered similar harassment. Though the government of President Nicolás Maduro barred her candidacy, Machado is busy campaigning because “her coalition managed to get a surrogate on the ballot,  a soft-spoken former diplomat named Edmundo González,” the Times said. As a result, polls show that most Venezuelans plan to vote for him. But everywhere Machado campaigns, authorities harass those that do simple business transactions with her, including sound truck operators, a truck driver retrieving supplies, four men with canoes who provided transportation, hotels and the Hernández sisters. The truck driver had his vehicle held by the police for 47 days leaving him without money for food, he said. Some were detained, some dragged into a notorious detention center, others lost their livelihoods because their businesses were closed. Tax officials told the Hernández sisters their business would be closed 14 days. But they filmed the interaction with the officials and one of their daughters put the video online, where it quickly spread. Supporters showed up with donations such as corn flour and spices. Funds came in from different countries as did orders for “freedom empanadas” with instructions to distribute them to the needy. The assistance allowed the sisters to reopen after paying a $350 government fine. While other businesses did not fare so well, support among them for Machado endures. Said the wife of one of the boatmen who went into hiding: “I have faith that she is going to win, and that everything is going to change.” 

Argentina: Senate Approves Milei's Reform Bill Amid Protests, Deutsche Welle, June 13, 2024

The Argentine Senate narrowly approved a bill June 12 allowing President Javier Milei to make radical changes in the nation’s economic policy.  The 36 to 35 vote occurred as police outside the building used water cannons, pepper spray and tear gas to quell the protestors. Milei’s office denounced the protestors as “terrorist groups” carrying out a “coup.” Other protestors in downtown Buenos Aires threw sticks, stones and Molotov cocktails at the police. Vice President Victoria Villaruel cast the deciding vote. “For those Argentines who suffer, who wait, who do not want to see their children leave the country…my vote is affirmative,” she said. Milei’s much-criticized reform plans are now a step closer to being implemented, but certain important aspects of his legislation still require Senate approval before going to the lower house for its consideration. Milei said on X that “tonight is a triumph for the Argentine people and the first step toward the recovery of our greatness.” His party holds 15 percent of the seats in the lower house and 10 percent in the Senate. He hasn’t been able to pass any legislation during his first six months as president. Milei’s party said it made certain changes during Senate consideration to win support and assure investors that changes will be sustainable. 

 

“Why Are Argentinians Protesting Against Milei’s Bill?”, Deutsche Welle, June 13, 2024

Javier Milei’s reform package (see story above) includes 238 elements, among them a one-year state of emergency, along with granting sweeping powers to the Argentine president over energy, pensions and security until his term ends in 2027. “One of the more controversial reforms is a 30-year tax holiday for companies that invest in Argentina,” Deutsche Welle said. “He has already used executive powers to cut subsidies, fire thousands of public employees and deregulate parts of the economy.” His spending cuts and currency devaluation worsened a recession, raised the poverty level to 55 percent of the country, and sent annual inflation toward 300 percent. Critics fear his planned reforms will destroy the rights of workers and people with pensions. 

“Chiquita Held Liable for Killings During War in Colombia,” New York Times, June 12, 2024

A South Florida jury ruled that Chiquita Brands, formerly known as the United Fruit Company, is liable for the killings of eight people carried out by a right-wing paramilitary group during the country’s decades-long civil war. The case brought against the company was first filed in 2007 and survived several legal challenges to reach a trial. The company faces hundreds of similar lawsuits in the U.S. filed by families of other victims of the paramilitary group, known as the United Self-Defenses Forces of Colombia, or AUC. The U.S. State Department designated it as a foreign terrorist organization in 2001. The South Florida verdict, the first of its kind, could influence the outcome of other suits. Chiquita is expected to appeal the verdict, which orders the payment of $38.3 million to 16 members of families of farmers and other civilians killed. The AUC emerged during Colombia’s civil war, which began in the 1960s and killed at least 220,000 people. It ended in 2016. The group formed as a coalition of armed right-wing groups that drug traffickers and businesspeople turned to for protection from left-wing guerillas. Lawyers for plaintiffs in the case said the group “killed or forced out family members, allowing Chiquita to buy land at depressed values and expand its operations by converting plantain farms to more profitable banana farms,” wrote Times reporter Jorge Valencia. Chiquita’s lawyers suggested that other groups might have been to blame for the killings. A Chiquita statement said “the situation in Colombia was tragic for so many. However, that does not change our belief that there is no legal basis for these claims."

“Russian Warships Reach Cuban Waters Ahead of Military Exercises in the Caribbean,” Washington Post, June 12, 2024

Russian warships reached Cuba June 12 ahead of planned military exercises in the Caribbean, two weeks after President Biden authorized Ukraine’s use of U.S. weapons to strike inside of Russia to protect Kharkiv, the second largest city in Ukraine. The warships remind Washington that it’s unpleasant when an adversary meddles in your part of the world, said Benjamin Gedan of the Washington, D.C.-based Wilson Center. “It also reminds Russia’s friends in the region, including U.S. antagonists Cuba and Venezuela, that Moscow is on their side,” he said. The fleet includes a nuclear submarine but U.S. intelligence says no vessel is carrying nuclear weapons.  U.S. officials say they expect the ships to remain in the region through the summer and possibly stop in Venezuela. There’s speculation that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro will use the presence of the Russian ships to support his bid for a third term in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election. Maduro could use tensions between Venezuela and its neighbor Guyana over oil exploration to postpone the election. The  presence of Russian warships “would greatly add to the escalation risk of any such crisis that Maduro would fabricate, which is possibly the point,” said Evan Ellis, a professor at the U.S. Army War College.

“Dispirited Migrants Wait at a Closed U.S.-Mexico Border,” New York Times, June 10, 2024

 

A new Biden administration policy that effectively closed the U.S. border for nearly all asylum seekers at the stroke of midnight on June 5 left some 1,100 men, women and children in limbo at a migrant shelter near the Rio Grande River in Reynoso, Mexico. The full effect of the rule was difficult to assess a few days after the policy took effect, wrote Times reporters Edgar Sandoval and Reyes Mata III. But as of June 8, “the number of migrants massing at the border showed signs of stabilizing, at least for now,” they said, based on comments by the shelter director. The closure left Daniel Penuela, 29, feeling despondent. The Venezuelan knew that his wife and seven children were relying on him to reach the United States. “This new rule is bad news, bad news for people like us who left everything to reach the border,” said Cintia Patricia Media, a 40-year-old woman who left Honduras with her husband and four daughters. “It is painful to be so close and being told you are not allowed to enter.” Luzveisi Mora, a 27-year-old Venezuelan woman, made it into the U.S. the day before the border closed. She swam across the treacherous Rio Grande with two young children to get there, suffering a severe cut to her abdomen from barbed wire. In Venezuela, she worked odd jobs making five dollars a day, barely the cost of a bag of flour. “If they had told me to turn back, I would not be able to return,” she told the Times. “I would find a way to go into the U.S. any way I could. Going back is not an option.” Others rebuffed by the new Biden policy say the same thing, that staying in Mexico is too dangerous and that Venezuela is too autocratic and too difficult a place to make a living (see next summary).

“For a Migrant Family, No Turning Back From Border,” Washington Post, June 9, 2024

 

Ingrid Orasma had received word a few days earlier that the man she called “Papa Biden” had all but closed the door to asylum seekers like her – but that didn’t deter the Venezuelan woman from trying to cross into the U.S.  After traveling through Mexico with her two sons by foot, train and bus, she reached the border June 4, only to learn about Biden’s new policy sharply reducing the number of people who could cross into the U.S. to request asylum. To Orasma, “the thought of remaining a day longer in Mexico was unbearable,” wrote Post reporter Arelis R. Hernández. Mexican authorities had robbed the friends and family she was traveling with, she said, ordered them off trains and abandoned them in the desert -- “to immigration officials, we are animals,” she said. In Venezuela, she had lived in fear of a government that permitted little dissent. There were blackouts that made running a business a losing game. Her schoolteacher’s salary was hardly enough to raise two children on her own. Meanwhile, friends and relatives had made it to the United States. She dreaded Mexico, wanted no part of Venezuela, and now faced a Biden policy likely to deny entry to cases like hers. But she saw no option other than the U.S. She made her way with her kids to the edge of the Rio Grande, a Texas National Guard Humvee and a state trooper’s SUV nearby.  Hiding in the brush, the family faced blistering heat and razor wire on the other side. Her teenage son took out his phone and shot a video zooming through the trees toward a border wall. He uploaded it with the caption “May we have God’s blessing.” The border was in sight. “They would try,” wrote Hernandez. 

“Latin America’s Anger at China’s Economic Clout Grows,” Deutsche Welle, June 5, 2024

 

Guatemala, Costa Rica and Brazil are at odds with China over trade practices, signaling a trend toward increasing friction in the relationship between Latin America and its giant trade partner. In the case of Guatemala, China recently banned the import of its coffee and other products without explanation.  President Bernardo Arevalo attributed the cutoff to Guatemala’s continuing recognition of Taiwan. “I’ll take care of it,” he said [presumably suggesting that he would end relations with Taiwan in favor of establishing those with China]. Guatemala and Paraguay are the only remaining Latin American countries with ties to Taiwan. Honduras and Nicaragua recently ended relations with Taiwan in favor of those with China. “The blockade of Guatemalan goods is one of several minor conflicts beginning to overshadow China’s course in Latin America, which has long been oriented towards growth and expansion,” wrote Deutsche Welle correspondent Tobias Kaufer. Chinese technology giant Huawei has criticized Costa Rica as “unprofessional” because it has insisted on compliance with the Budapest Convention on fighting cybercrime as a condition of economic engagement. Latin American steel producers are angry about the competitive pressure from cheap steel imports from China. In Brazil, fashion boutiques view cheap textiles from China as a serious threat. Brazil is fighting back with a 20 percent tax on cheap Chinese imports. Latin American countries increasingly feel it’s Beijing that profits from the trading relationship between them, said Christian Hauser, a Latin American expert at the University of Applied Sciences in Graubünden, Switzerland. [Deutsche Welle is a German news service https://www.dw.com/en/top-stories/s-9097]

“Biden Issues Order Limiting Asylum Seekers From Crossing U.S.-Mexico Border,” The Guardian, June 4, 2024

President Joe Biden issued an executive order June 4 sharply limiting the number of migrants who can apply for asylum. The order, which takes effect immediately, temporarily shuts down the U.S.-Mexico border when a daily threshold of 2,500 crossings between legal ports of entry is exceeded. “Those seeking asylum will be held to a much more rigorous standard for establishing credible fear of returning to their home country, although certain groups – including human trafficking victims and unaccompanied children – would be excluded from the ban,” the Guardian said.  Under the order the border will be reopened after the average number of daily crossings falls below 1,500 for seven straight days. The order isn’t expected to stop trade or traffic crossing the border. Biden said he had no choice given the number of daily crossings and the failure of Republicans to support a tough bipartisan bill to slash the number of crossings. Biden’s move faces challenges across the political spectrum. “We intend to challenge this order in court,” said Lee Gelernt of the American Civil Liberties Union. “It was illegal when Trump did it, and it is no less illegal now.” Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said that “by reviving Trump’s asylum ban, President Biden has undermined American values and abandoned our nation’s obligations to provide people fleeing persecution, violence, and authoritarianism with an opportunity to seek refuge in the U.S.” Biden sought to differentiate himself from Trump by saying he would never demonize immigrants as poisoning the blood of the country nor would he separate children from their families at the border. Polls show the majority of Americans think too many migrants are being permitted to enter the U.S. [The Washington Post reported June 5 that in recent weeks illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border have averaged about 3,700 per day. It said the Biden policy is hampered by the absence of added funding because of the lack of sufficient detention space, deportation capacity and asylum officers. While Mexico has agreed to take back illegal border crossers from Central America, Cuba, Venezuela and to some extent Haiti, it has not done so for the record number of migrants arriving from other South American countries, Africa, and Asia, including China.]

“Mexico Ruling Party’s Election Sweep Spooks Markets,” Wall Street Journal, June 3, 2024

Strong election gains by Mexico’s ruling Morena party were followed by a four percent drop in the value of the Mexican peso against the U.S. dollar and a 6 percent decline in a benchmark index of the Mexican stock market. That drop in stock values was the largest since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020.  The peso currency “is one of the most widely traded in emerging markets and acts as a barometer of how investors view the country’s economic health,” the Journal said. Opponents of Morena say its gains could give it enough power to make constitutional changes that weaken democracy and increase the role of the government in the economy. The hit taken by the peso and by stocks are “evidence of fear about Mexico and possible capital outflows,” said Gabriela Siller, an analyst with Mexico’s Banco Base. Observers say possible governmental changes include direct election of judges, a smaller congress, eliminating the autonomous election agency and a stronger role for government in the energy sector. “We’re now firmly in the territory of one-party rule in Mexico,” said Duncan Wood, an adviser with the Washington, D.C.-based Wilson Center. But supporters of direct election of judges, for example, say that under the current system judges are too influenced by wealthy businesspeople and organized crime and too little influenced by voters. Wood said however that one party control now looms throughout the Mexican power structure. “Not just the presidency and Congress, but across the country. It’s an absolute tidal wave.” Outgoing Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of the Morena party, who favors constitutional changes, has developed assistance programs for low income Mexicans and is among the most popular presidents in the world. Former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, also of the Morena party, has been elected to replace him (see next story). 

“Mexico Elects Its First Female President,” Washington Post, June 3, 2024

 

Former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum won the Mexican presidential election June 2 by better than a two-to-one margin, becoming the country’s first female president. She also will become Mexico’s first Jewish president. Her left-leaning Morena party, led by her predecessor Andrés Manuel López Obrador, gained enough seats in Mexico’s Congress to come close to a supermajority, a status that would give it power to change the Mexican constitution. The charismatic López Obrador built the strength of Morena through promises and programs to assist lower-income Mexicans but has aroused concern for democracy because of his autocratic tendencies including increasing the role of the military in the economy and in public security. Sheinbaum sought to provide assurances after her victory that she would not concentrate power, saying “we would never establish an authoritarian or repressive government.” But she has supported the López Obrador idea of replacing the Supreme Court with judges elected by popular vote. “What’s at risk with a Morena triumph is our democracy,” said political analyst Carlos Bravo Regidor. Sheinbaum will head a government in which women have gained many positions in the wake of gender quotas and a gender parity law. Women now hold half the seats in Congress and almost one-third of the governor posts. Among the challenges Sheinbaum faces in her six-year term is the growing control crime groups have over territory and business. Homicides dropped under López Obrador but cartel power grew. More than 230 candidates, their relatives and aides were murdered during the current election cycle, said the consulting firm Integralia. She’ll also face American pressure to stem the tide of migrants trying to cross into the U.S. 

“Police Announce They Stopped a Bomb Plot,” Washington Post, June 1, 2024

 

Authorities in El Salvador said they broke up a plot to plant bombs around the country coinciding with the inauguration June 1 of President Nayib Bukele to his second term in office. El Salvador’s National Police blamed “veterans” of the 1980-1992 civil war, an apparent reference to former leftist guerrillas. Police said the plot was going to target gas stations, supermarkets and government buildings with explosives. They detained former congressman José Santos Melara of the leftist FMLN party and accused him of financing the plans.  The Block of Popular Resistance and Rebellion [a coalition of left-wing and progressive organizations] called Melara’s arrest “an act of political persecution.”