Guatemala’s institutional standoff continues
The institutional standoff over the fate of the reformist Semilla party continues ahead of Guatemala’s August 20th presidential runoff election (see LADB 7/14/23). The Public Ministry and Special Prosecutor Against Impunity (FECI) Rafael Curruchiche have continued to call for the suspension of Semilla, while the Supreme Electoral Court has stood its ground and reiterated their legitimacy, backed by the Constitutional Court. Meanwhile, Judge Fredy Orellana—who has also gone after journalists such as El Periódico founder José Rubén Zamora—has issued arrest warrants for two Semilla members, Cinthya Alejandra Rojas and Jaime Gabriel Gudiel. Curruchiche has also gone after Citizen’s Registrar Ramiro Muñoz, calling for him to comply with Semilla’s de-registration; repeated threats have led to Muñoz leaving the country for “personal and family reasons.” (DW, El País, La Hora)
Peru
“Residents of Peru's key mining areas are expected to support protests due to kick off this week against the government of President Dina Boluarte, who on Tuesday denounced the planned demonstrations as a ‘threat to democracy.’” (Reuters)
Panama
Former Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison on charges for money laundering, hindering his current candidacy as he runs for another term in office, according to Reuters.
Colombia
Kidnappings in Colombia increased by 93% from January through July, “despite President Gustavo Petro's administration gearing up for peace negotiations with the country's last remaining guerrilla group,” reports InSight Crime.
“A mudslide in central Colombia killed at least 14 people early Tuesday and blocked a highway that connects Bogota to the nation’s eastern plains,” reports AP.
Argentina
The opposition coalition won in Argentina’s Santa Fe province by a large margin, causing bonds to reverse a three-day slump and gaining almost 1 cent to nearly 34 cents, according to Bloomberg.
Chile
“Members of the right-wing dominated Constitutional Council submitted Monday night amendments to a preliminary draft composed by a Commission of Experts. The modifications focus on a slew of topics including abortion, crime, corruption and even cutting the number of lawmakers. Four committees will now further discuss the proposals,” reports Bloomberg.
Honduras
President Xiomara Castro announced her plan to build an island prison colony for 2,000 gang leaders on the Islas del Cisne archipelago, says AP.
Bolivia
New Scientist writes about Bolivia’s staggering deforestation rates, citing that the country “accounts for 9 percent of all primary forest lost across the globe.”
Regional
“EU leaders in Brussels have announced €45bn (£39bn) in investments to Latin America and the Caribbean, some of which will speed the shift to clean energy, but made little headway thawing a frozen trade deal that critics say will further degrade the Amazon rainforest,” reports The Guardian. The EU-CELAC summit’s joint declaration is available here.
Venezuela
“The need to restructure Venezuela's public debt, raise international financing and provide guarantees for investors are key policy focuses for several candidates competing to represent the opposition in the 2024 presidential election,” writes Reuters, highlighting various candidate proposals. Bloomberg notes that Maria Corina Machado proposes to “roll Venezuela’s massive debt pile into a single bond as part of her plan to overhaul the country’s economy.”
Hugo Carvajal, former head of Venezuela’s military intelligence, was extradited by Spain and is expected to land in the US later this afternoon, where he is wanted on drug trafficking charges, says Reuters.
Uruguay
On the final day of the EU-CELAC summit, Uruguayan President Lacalle Pou and European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen signed an MOU on “Cooperation in Renewable Energies, Energy Efficiency, and Green Hydrogen,” reports MercoPress.
Ecuador
“Right now, I’ll put the possibility of serious post-election protests (the sort that shut down cities for more than one day and cause major damage) around 20% and the possibility of politicized violence by criminals around 10%,” writes James Bosworth in the Latin America Risk Report, adding “I don’t think either scenario is likely, but it’s worth monitoring for warning signs of either scenario becoming more likely in the weeks ahead.”
Central America
A 6.5 magnitude earthquake off the coast of El Salvador shook Central America, although there were “no immediate reports of damage or injuries.” (AP)