The Washington Post reports this morning on a story that others wrote about a few weeks ago, saying fewer Mexicans are migrating to the U.S. as well as sending money back to Mexico.A lack of work in the U.S. is cited as the primary reason for the migration slowdown.The WaPo says 186,000 fewer Mexicans left for other countries in 2008, compared with the previous year, a 22 percent drop, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography.Those Mexican immigrants already in the U.S., however, seem to be sticking it out with hopes that the economy soon turns around.Interestingly, prices charged by immigrant smugglers, known as coyotes, have increased with the sputtering demand and increased difficulty of sneaking into the U.S.“The going rate for a coyote is $2,000 from Nuevo Laredo to San Antonio, and $3,500 to go all the way to Houston. Last year, the fare was $1,500 maximum to either city,” says a Catholic priest at a migrant assistance center in Nuevo Laredo.
From the Miami Herald and New York Times a series of Venezuela stories this morning.The MH leads on its site with words from Mario Vargas Llosa, in Caracas with his son, Alvaro, and others for a forum organized by conservative think tank Cedice.The Peruvian writer said Venezuela is headed toward a Cuba-style dictatorship under President Hugo Chavez.“There's still space for criticism,” but “the threat of a blackout in the area of liberties, freedom of expression and the press, has increased significantly,” he said at the Thursday forum.Also in MH, Venezuelan prosecutors said Thursday they will arraign the Guillermo Zuloaga, president of opposition television station Globovision, on charges related to alleged “irregularities” in his car dealership business.And in the NYT, a four-day marathon of “Alo Presidente” was kicked off by President Chávez to mark the show’s 10-year anniversary.“We're starting in the sunshine. We'll probably have a program in the rain.We might have an episode at midnight, in the early morning. Keep an eye out,” Chávez said from the state of Zulia Thursday.He also hyped three books on day 1 of the telecast: Social Movements in the 21st Century, Culturecide: a history of Argentine education 1966-2004, and Empire's Spider Web, a critique of US foreign policy.About 2.5 million copies of the books were distributed by the government in Caracas.
In the LA Times a piece on the passing of famous Haitian priest, Rev. Gerard Jean-Juste.Jean-Juste was born in Cavaillon, Haiti, and came to the U.S. as a young man.He founded the Haitian Refugee Center in Miami in the late 1970s.When the U.S. government began to systematically deport Haitian immigrants, he fought to ensure that they received due process for asylum consideration.Jean-Juste returned to Haiti in the early 1990s and was a prominent supporter of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, ousted in a 2004 coup.Fr. Jean-Juste was 62.
And, from the Financial Times, the paper reports that international oil companies will be invited to bid for concessions in Brazil’s enormous “pre-salt” oil fields as early as next year.The government has working on new regulations for the area because it presents enormous operational challenges.However, the chances of finding large quantities of high quality crude are much greater than in other Brazilian oil fields, says the FT.“After more than 50 years of dominance, Mexico and Venezuela are in danger of losing their positions as the continent’s most important oil exporters,” writes the paper.China and the U.S. are apparently less interested in Mexico because of its restrictive financial terms and are being put off by Venezuela after years of bruising contract renegotiations.
And just one opinion this morning.In the WaPo, an editorial argues Colombian President Alvaro Uribe ought not seek a third consecutive term.First gushing praise on President Uribe, the paper says his success “threatens to become his undoing.”And not missing their chance to take a shot at Venezuela, the WaPo writes: “The most compelling reason for his retirement…is to strengthen Colombia's democratic institutions. With its vibrant press, independent courts and active civil society, the country stands out as an alternative to the populist autocracy established in neighboring Venezuela.”
The Wall Street Journal reports and, outside the major papers, Foreign Policy comments on rising worries about common crime and violence around Latin America.From Argentina, the WSJ says an increase in crime has become a major election issue ahead of late-June legislative elections, and a series of “high-profile incidents” has led to a multiple anti-crime street protests.About 38% of respondents in a recent survey say someone in their family has been a crime victim in the past year. And, says the paper, opinion polls have consistently shown security to be the main public-policy priority of Argentines, ahead of even the economy.Businessman Francisco de Narvaez, who leads a an opposition faction of the governing Peronist party, has proposed increasing the security budget by 50% and attacked the Kirchner government for not paying enough attention to the deteriorating security situation in the country.For her part, President Cristina Kirchner has said that the media exaggerates the crime problem, but nevertheless, in March she did announce a plan to deploy almost 7,000 additional law-enforcement officers in to the sometimes dangerous periphery of Buenos Aires.Meanwhile, Shannon O’Neil of the Council on Foreign Relations writes in FP that when talking about murder in Latin America, Venezuela must be mentioned.The country has a violent death rate of 48 per 100,000 -- more than twice that of Mexico, and Venezuelans also cite crime and violence as their #1 public policy concern.Interestingly, according to Latinobarometer, Venezuela is the only Latin American country where crime is cited as both the most important national and personal issue, says O’Neil.She adds that part of the spike in violence likely relates to the drug trade while others stem from an inept police force in which “loyalty is often prized over capacity.”The fact that Venezuela’s justice system only sentences three of every 100 murderers likely exacerbates the problem as well.
From the Miami Herald a report on an apparent shift in the U.S. position vis a vis the issue of allowing Cuba back into the OAS.The paper writes that the “U.S. State Department threw a curve ball at the debate late Tuesday by submitting a new proposal that would eventually allow Cuba back to the OAS -- as long as Havana abides by the organization's democratic principles.”Three proposals will be reviewed Wednesday when the OAS permanent council meets, each with the goal of ending the OAS’s isolation of Cuba.The proposal chosen in Wednesday’s meeting will then be voted on when the General Assembly meets next week in Honduras.Nicaragua submitted a resolution calling for Cuba's suspension to be lifted because it is an “unjust affront to the OAS” that “violates international law.” Honduras submitted a similar resolution while the U.S. language calls for the OAS to '”initiate a dialogue'” with Cuba about its eventual reintegration to the hemispheric body – “consistent with principles and values of the OAS charter, the InterAmerican Democratic charter and other instruments.”If approved, the OAS permanent council would start those talks, and report back in a year.
The New York Times writes that an investigation into Brazilian state oil giant, Petrobras, could hold up government efforts develop new deepwater oil fields that are “expected to transform the country into a global energy power.”The Brazilian Senate voted to investigate the company for tax issues and possible illegal contracts, and the investigation could drag on for months, analysts say.The inquiry may also strike a blow to the candidacy of Dilma Rousseff, Mr. da Silva’s chief of staff and self-selected successor, since she is also the chairwoman of the Petrobras board of directors.Mr. da Silva has responded to the investigation calling it “irresponsible” and “unpatriotic,” especially at a time when the country was coping with the global economic crisis.Allies of the president have denounced the inquiry as politically motivated.
And the LA Times says a major drug bust that brought down mayors and other city officials earlier this week marks a shift in Mexico’s anti-drug fight.Prior to the arrests, President Calderón had focused his efforts on corrupt police and drug cartel affiliates, but, according to the LAT, now, just how deeply the narcos have infiltrated local political elites is being questioned.More than two dozen officials were detained in Michoacan, the President’s own home state, on Tuesday.Included among the officials were 10 city mayors.In an editorial, the popular daily El Universal wrote, “If the accusations are confirmed, we will have incontrovertible proof that the cartels have entirely penetrated the country's local political elites.”According to Jorge Chabat, a Mexico City-based security analyst, “It is at the local level that traffickers have their most important protection.They don’t buy off the president of the republic. They buy off the local officials, the mayors, the police chiefs.”
In other news, two more pieces from Venezuela.In the NYT, the AP says hundreds filled the streets of Caracas on Wednesday in protest of President Chávez’s threats against private media company, Globovision.The AP writes that protesters carried torches to Venezuela's National Telecommunications Commission where they turned over a symbolic copy of the constitution. Hundreds of police and National Guard troops looked on but no major incidents were reported.Contradicting the claims of protestors, Mariela Romero, 48, a street vendor, said “They don't think there's freedom of expression -- but there is,” gesturing toward the marchers.Also, from the MH, a McClatchy report says the Venezuelan government’s strategy for saving dollars is rippling through the national economy.“Prices for home appliances have skyrocketed, pharmacies are reporting shortages of drugs, and General Motors is planning to stop car production here next month,” says the report.The Central Bank is estimated to have $28 billion in hard currency, an amount that some believe could last for just nine months.Thus, the government has begun limiting the dollars it provides to importers at the preferential official exchange rate.
And, in a string of ambassadorial announcements made by the White House, Vilma Martinez, most recently a partner at the law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson, was nominated as U.S. ambassador to Argentina, while outgoing Asst. Secretary of State Tom Shannon has been nominated for a posting in the U.S. Embassy in Brazil.
Finally, two opinions this morning in the MH.Andres Oppenheimer says a new ECLAC report predicts a 40% drop in foreign investment to Latin America this year, after rising 18% in 2008 to a record $128 billion.The projections are based primarily on trends in Brazil, Mexico, and Chile, notes Oppenheimer, who also adds investment in the region may fall even more as this “tends to happen during election seasons because of fears that new governments will change the rules of the game.”And the MH editorial board takes a hard line position on the re-entry of Cuba to the OAS, writing the following: “If the OAS decides to unilaterally readmit Cuba, it would be sacrificing its principles to appease a dictatorship. At that point, it would be fair to ask whether the continued existence of the OAS -- and U.S. membership and financial support for it -- would serve any useful purpose.”
The International Crisis Group has a new policy brief out (which IPS writes about) arguing that President Uribe has achieved important security gains but has also breached international law and violated human rights.Pessimistically, the report says “Colombia is still not close to the end of its armed conflict.”
Two views on arms trafficking to Mexico in the El Paso Times this week debate whether or not the figure of “90%” is appropriate for talking about those arms seized in Mexico that actually arrive from the U.S.See here and here.
Rory Carroll reports from Caracas for The Guardian with a bizarre story about the Venezuelan auto market.According to Carroll, used cars now sell for more in Venezuela than new ones.Worth a whole read to understand the mystifying economics.
