DR to deport Haitians
Oct. 3, 2024
The Dominican Republic says it plans to deport up to 10,000 migrants a week to combat uncontrolled migration. The operation will target Haitians living illegally in the DR.
Government spokesman Homero Figueroa told reporters that the government took the decision after noticing an “excess” of Haitian migrants in the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, reports the Associated Press.
He said the expulsions would start "immediately" and be done "according to strict protocols that ensure respect for human rights," reports AFP.
If implemented, the plan would mark significant growth in deportations after more than 200,000 Haitians were forcibly returned last year, reports Reuters.
Haiti
Haiti’s Unit for Combating Corruption accused three members of the country’s transitional presidential council of bribery in a report released yesterday athat could destabilize the country’s fragile political stability, reports the Associated Press.
Argentina
A million people demonstrated in favor of a bill financing Argentina’s universities, which President Javier Milei vetoed hours later. The country’s much vaunted public universities have become a critical front for opponents of Milei’s austerity policies. Lawmakers can override the veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers of Congress. (El País, Página 12, Buenos Aires Times, Buenos Aires Herald)
Argentina’s government cancelled an agreement penned by the preceding administration gave control of land in a Patagonian national park to Indigenous communities, arguing that that they are violent “criminal groups.” (Buenos Aires Times)
Brazil
Brazil’s proposed Tropical Forests Forever Facility could ultimately pay out $4 billion a year to protect forests. The innovative fund “would effectively pay countries for services that tropical forests now perform for free, such as storing planet-warming carbon and regulating rain patterns,” reports the New York Times.
Many of the fires destroying Brazil’s Amazon are arson-related, but have been made worst by a record-setting drought, reports the BBC.
Brazil’s coast is eroding as the Atlantic advances, reports Reuters.
Panama
“Panama has announced an initiative to combat environmental degradation in the Darién Gap, but entrenched criminal groups in the region will make these measures difficult to implement,” reports InSight Crime.
Mexico
Military officers killed at least six migrants — four men, a woman and a girl — in southern Mexico on Tuesday night. The troops may have mistaken the migrants for cartel members, in an episode the highlights concerned about armed forces policing and the dangers faced by migrants, reports the New York Times.
Security is a major challenge for the new Sheinbaum administration. Her background as Mexico City mayor puts her in a position to adopt an alternative third-way strategy against crime, based on intelligence, mediation and deterrence, reports Americas Quarterly.
The president has promised to replicate her success in Mexico City, but “ a “one-approach-fits-all” strategy will fail and likely make things worse,” according to the Mexico Political Economist. “It’s vital to recognise that these regions are not merely statistics on a map; they are complex ecosystems of crime influenced by unique social, economic, and political factors.”
Sheinbaum sent a battery of reform proposals to Congress today, including a measure that would enshrine gender equality in the Constitution, including pay equality, and parity in government posts, as well as women’s freedom to live a life free of violence, reports El País.
The new Mexican president also promised to pursue legislation to reduce the work week from 48 to 40 hours. (La Jornada)
Honduras
Honduran digital outlet Contracorriente published correspondence between prosecutors in Honduras and Colombia from 2012, in which the Colombians shared evidence of the family of now-presidential advisor Manuel “Mel” Zelaya’s potential involvement in drug trafficking. Editorial director Jennifer Ávila told El Faro that “they portray the narcostate that has long existed.” Nonetheless, they have not catalyzed public demonstrations. “For people to demonstrate, an issue must unite enough people and willpower, and that is not the case with narcopolitics alone.”
Venezuela
The Carter Center’s election experts validated vote tally sheets published by Venezuela’s opposition, that show President Nicolás Maduro lost by a landslide — it is the latest evidence that the government committed massive fraud in July’s presidential election, reports the Associated Press.
Venezuela’s government declared early Christmas season is no laughing matter. President Nicolás Maduro’s decision celebrate early, in the midst of a political crisis, was likely designed “to transmit the message that resistance is futile and Venezuelans should accept another six years under his rule … [and] go to the beach, basically,” Geoff Ramsey told the Guardian.
The Latin America Advisor asks whether Venezuela should face new and tougher sanctions.
Chile
A report alleging former Chilean first lady Irina Karamanos was involved in a corruption case involving foundations run by government allies has caused scandal in Chile. President Gabriel Boric called for a full investigation free from political pressure. (El Mostrador, La Tercera)
Colombia
“Colombian environment minister Susana Muhamad once worked for Shell. Now, as the country gears up to host the biodiversity Cop16, she is calling for a just transition away from fossil fuels,” reports the Guardian.
El Salvador
Coffee was traditionally the engine of El Salvador’s economy, but the industry has declined due to climate breakdown, labour emigration and controversial public policies. A “new generation of growers, with more women taking the lead, is trying to pivot towards producing more high-quality coffee,” reports the Guardian.
Regional Relations
Jamaica welcomed a campaign U.S. state attorneys general back U.S. legislative efforts to address gun trafficking from the US to the Caribbean, a major source of violence. (Guardian)
Cuba
“Cuban authorities should re-examine the case of journalist Yeris Curbelo Aguilera, who was sentenced to two years in prison,” said the Committee to Protect Journalists.