Mexican President Felipe Calderon was back in Ciudad Juarez Wednesday, this time making a promise to residents of the city embattled in drug violence that his government would begin investigations into “all complaints of extortion and kidnapping.” “The city will become a city of law,” Calderon pledged. This after meeting with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano in Mexico City, the AP says. However, near immediate violence befell the state of Chihuahua following Calderon’s latest speech. As the wire service continues, “Hours after Calderon spoke, gunmen killed the mayor of Guadalupe y Calvo, a town on the other side of Chihuahua state from Ciudad Juarez.” The mayor’s car was ambushed by hit men as it left a meeting in Chihuahua city.
Back in Juarez, Calderon’s second visit in two weeks was greeted yet again with protests. Police clashed with students, in particular, angered both by the president’s failed militarization of Juarez as well as comments he made after the murder of 16 teens in late January, implying they were connected to trafficking groups.
Also on Mexico’s drug war this morning, EFE reports that Mexico has entered talks with Russia over the purchase of new weapons and military equipment. The news comes after a joint press conference given by Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and his Mexican counterpart Patricia Espinosa. Lavrov called Russia’s military sales in the region [last year the country became Latin America’s largest supplier of military equipment], a “purely economic question, not political.” Ditto in Guatemala, Lavrov’s stopover before arriving in Mexico and the site of a new accord between the two countries to fight drug trafficking. “The [Guatemala-Russia] agreement seeks to broaden our cooperation, exchange of information, and counternarcotics capacities” Lavrov said in a press conference in Guatemala Monday.
And finally, from AQ, Arjan Shahani offers seven possible ideas for quelling drug violence in Mexico. Among them: using the military to contain rather than destroy cartel activity; strengthening the rule of law; acknowledging the drug problem will not simply disappear and, therefore, creating “drug-use and related industry tolerance zones;” and working with the media to end sensationalist reporting.”
On to other stories:
· Today’s US headline on Haiti comes from the Washington Post who reports that “The United Nations' top humanitarian relief coordinator has scolded his lieutenants for failing to adequately manage the relief effort in Haiti.” The words come from a leaked confidential email from John Holmes, the head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, who wrote that “an uneven response in the month after the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake has undercut confidence in the United Nations' ability to deliver vital assistance” (the Post’s paraphrasing). According to Post UN reporter (and new FP blogger), Colum Lynch, the email “portrays an organization that is straining to set up enough shelters, latrines and other vital services for Haiti's displaced population.” Holmes’ particular criticism focuses on the implementation of a so-called “cluster strategy” which intended to hand out responsibility for aid coordination of basic services like water and shelter to key U.N. relief agencies.
· Also, from the AP, in the absence of a strong government presence, Haitians themselves have taken the initiative to restore some semblance of normalcy. In massive encampments, the AP writes, tent cities have appeared, complete with bakeries and other services in many cases. However, without coordinated planning, those who have resettled in such camps face disease, crime, and further natural disaster as spring rains pick up. From the Miami Herald, a report on French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s visit to Haiti—the first French head of state to set foot on the island since the colonial power was officially expelled from Haiti 200 years ago. Sarkozy gave two speeches—one with President Rene Preval by his side—and pledged $245 million in French aid for rebuilding as well as $54 million for the Haitian government's budget. However, there was no discussion of reparations Wednesday, an issue raised by former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 2004.
· From the Washington Office on Latin America, a statement this week highlights Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes’ recent speech marking the anniversary of El Salvador's Peace Accords. WOLA says El Salvador finds itself facing significant challenges at the present moment, including the fallout of the economic crisis, rising crime (see today’s report from IPS on the presence of “death squads” carrying out “social cleansing” of suspected Mara gang members), and violence against anti-mining activists. Yet, WOLA says:
“Despite these difficulties, the government has taken a number of important steps on impunity and human rights. Investigations into police corruption have been launched, with suspensions and several arrests to date. Investigations into corruption by government officials have been launched. In November, in a dramatic break from previous administrations, President Funes honored the six Jesuit priests and their two companions who were murdered in 1989. The Peace Accords anniversary speech is part of this process.”
· In Honduras there are also disturbing new reports of ongoing violence against campesinos in Bajo Aguan. Members of the peasant group, Movimiento Unificado del Aguan (MUCA), say armed groups entered their lands last Friday, critically injuring at least two individuals. MUCA says the groups take their orders from large landowner, Miguel Facussé, who, along with other terratenientes in the area, took advantage of the June coup against Mel Zelaya to not recognize agrarian reform initiatives initiated by Zelaya. For more, RAJ has details and links, as well as analysis about how such violence remains largely absent from national news coverage in Honduras.
· The Minister of Government in Ecuador, Gustavo Jalkh, sat down recently for an interview with Ecuador’s El Comercio. Jalkh indicated that UNASUR, currently headed by Ecuador, plans to approve the creation of a counter-narcotics council in March in order to coordinate regional efforts against organized crime and drug trafficking.
· From the Andean Information Network, news from Bolivia that the Armed Forces appear to be reneging on a pledge to open files on human rights abuses committed during the Garcia Meza dictatorship of the 1980s. AIN’s Kathryn Ledebur writes: “Accountability for past human rights violations is most likely the main point of friction in the strategic alliance between the Morales administration and a largely supportive armed forces. Yet, an end to impunity for these abuses is essential to maintain the credibility of a government with stated social justice objectives.”
· From Just the Facts, a new podcast on citizen security in Medellin, Colombia.
· The latest issue of AQ highlights various young Latin American leaders in business, politics, and civil society. Also, from AQ’s weekly news round-up, interesting information from a new ILO report which says young people in Latin America were the hardest hit by the economic downturn in 2009.
· From Brazil, a recent report on the construction of an Amazonian climate change observatory—a joint German-Brazilian undertaking that “plans to provide more trustworthy estimates on the greenhouse effect based on climate in the tropical jungle over the next 30 years.”
· From Argentina, the UN will be stepping into a new British-Argentine conflict over the Falklands Islands. The most recent dispute stems from a British project to begin oil exploration off the islands—something Argentina says infringes on its sovereignty.
· In a letter to the Washington Post, Chilean foreign minister Mariano Fernández Amunátegui adds his voice to others criticizing the Post’s recent editorial blasting the OAS and its Sec. General José Miguel Insulza. “The OAS can be improved, but we must remember that it consists of sovereign nations, hence the values of consensus, dialogue and nonintervention must be respected,” the foreign minister argues.
· And finally this morning, some quite fascinating news from Uruguay where this week a new parliament was sworn-in to office. Both the lower and upper bodies of parliament will be led by the left-leaning Frente Amplio coalition, and, for the first time in history, both will be presided over by female presidents. In fact, heading the Senate will be former Tupamaro fighter, Lucía Topalansky, wife of incoming president (and also one-time guerrilla) José Mujica. As MercoPress writes:
“…what the Tupamaros urban guerrilla movement was unable to achieve through armed violence almost half a century ago, they have now conquered legitimately through democratic elections. They (through their political party, the MPP) have the strongest and most voted grouping in the ruling coalition, they have control over both houses and as of March 1, the guerrilla leader Jose Mujica becomes the elected president of Uruguay.”
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