Brazil’s Independence Day passes without violence despite fears
Yesterday’s Independence Day celebrations in Brazil passed without any major unrest or acts of violence (see yesterday’s LADB). “Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro transformed the nation’s bicentennial Wednesday into a multi-city campaign event, but didn’t use his appearances to undermine the upcoming election as his opponents had feared,” says AP, although he did continue his rhetoric against the electronic voting system and made “veiled critiques” against the judiciary. The New York Times reports that Bolsonaro used “softer rhetoric” on the day, noting that “The shift in tone was in line with advice Mr. Bolsonaro has been receiving from some senior advisers.” Amid military parades and displays, hundreds of thousands reportedly turned out to pro-Bolsonaro events, including tens of thousands flooding the streets surrounding Rio’s Copacabana Beach. Many of the president’s supporters argue that the polls—currently showing Lula with a double-digit lead—do not reflect the reality on the ground, as evidenced by the day’s rallies. Ultimately, analysts argue that Bolsonaro drummed up support in his base but is unlikely to win new votes from the day’s events. (AP, The New York Times, Reuters, The Guardian)
More Brazil
“A rainforest activist from one of Brazil’s leading Indigenous protection groups has been killed just weeks after participating in an Amazon assembly organised by the murdered Indigenous specialist Bruno Pereira,” reports The Guardian.
Argentina
Argentina is interested in joining the BRICS bloc, but faces both internal and external obstacles, writes Andrés Serbin at AULA Blog.
A new survey shows that the attack on Vice President Kirchner’s life has not had any effect on voting intentions for the 2023 general elections, with responses reflecting the country’s polarized political environment, reports La Tercera.
Chile
“According to Cadem, the top reasons voters cited for rejecting the referendum were issues with the constitutional assembly, the instability and uncertainty the new draft created, and opposition to Chile becoming a “plurinational” state,” explain James Bosworth and Lucy Hale at the Latin America Risk Report.
Colombia
President Gustavo Petro faces an “enormous challenge” to fulfill his campaign promises in support of Colombia’s marginalized communities, writes Gimena Sánchez-Garzoli at WPR.
Protestors “demanding access to water services, larger social investment and jobs at the company” have affected operations at Latin America’s largest coal mine, Cerrejon, reducing output by 70%, notes Reuters.
“American food giant Chiquita Brands will face trial for financing terrorism in Colombia in the 1990’s and early 2000’s,” following an appeals court’s overruling of a 2019 decision, says Colombia Reports.
Dominican Republic
A new 3-part investigation from InSight Crime explores organized crime in the Dominican Republic, explaining the country’s role as a transit hub for cocaine and the corruption that makes it all possible.
Ecuador
“Two indigenous communities from Ecuador's Amazon region on Tuesday demanded the Constitutional Court enforce rulings from 2018 and 2019 to protect thousands of hectares (thousands of acres) of tropical jungle from oil and mining projects,” reports Reuters. The following day, the Energy and Mining Minister announced that an agreement had been reached “to declare a temporary moratorium on 16 oil blocks,” notes Reuters.
Haiti
Jacques Ted St Dic, a member of the Montana Group, writes at Just Security that insecurity has prevailed in Haiti since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, arguing that the country has not developed a path forward politically and that Acting Prime Minster Ariel Henry has refused checks on his power. In the piece, he argues for the United States to “wield its clout constructively,” outlining a potential path forward.
Panama
“President Laurentino Cortizo of Panama signed two decrees last week regulating access to the medicinal, scientific, and therapeutic use of cannabis and other marijuana-derivated products throughout the country,” notes The Brazilian Report.
Regional
The US War on Drugs in Latin America and the globe has failed, writes Christy Thornton at The New York Times, noting that “experts have long recognized that crackdowns in one place merely create a “balloon effect” in which production and trafficking shift to another place. Cultivators move production to locations under less scrutiny, and traffickers move to new territory — as we have seen in the shift in recent years from Colombia to Mexico and Central America.”
India’s relationship with Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico “has deepened considerably over the past year,” writes Hari Seshasayee at ORF, arguing that “New Delhi can and should view Latin America as one region, to develop a foreign policy that caters specifically to the region—one that is anchored in economic diplomacy.”