Honduras
The U.S. federal trial against former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, “the latest of a series of cases against Honduran narco-traffickers and high level officials … made plain that collusion with drug traffickers was not the exception, but the norm in local politics. Witnesses not only stated that the former president received millions in bribes from drug traffickers, but also that politicians from every major political party had received bribes, too,” writes Jeff Ernst in El Faro English.
Former Honduran first lady, Ana García de Hernández, announced Tuesday, that she will run for president in 2025, days after her husband was found guilty in U.S. federal court of drug trafficking. (Associated Press)
El Salvador
Criminality has been curbed in El Salvador, freeing citizens to be concerned about weak economic growth and increasing extreme poverty. Experts fear that the vacuum left by gangs could be filled by new criminal networks since the state has not invested in education, health or other social policies. And a series of mega-projects threatens to displace communities from their lands, writes Juan Elman in Open Democracy.
Haiti
The CARICOM-led international proposal for a transitional council to govern Haiti appeared to be crumbling yesterday, reports the Guardian.
Haitian politician Jean-Charles Moïse, the founder of the Platform Pitit Desalin party, is among the Haitians chosen by the international coalition to help select a transition government. But Moïse said he would not participate in the CARICOM plan, and instead, yesterday, reiterated support for his own proposal: a three-person presidential council that includes Guy Philippe, the former rebel leader who led a 2004 rebellion that ousted Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, reports the Miami Herald.
A foreign-led stability pact repeats historical mistakes underlying Haitian instability, and seems “likely to lock in an unsustainable status quo at least in the short term,” argues CEPR’s Jake Johnston. An agreement pushed by foreign powers “is likely to face legitimacy concerns from the moment it forms.”
Prime Minister Ariel Henry held on for years despite an intense security crisis afflicting the country — he agreed to step down this week as a result of unified attacks from the country’s gangs. “It is unclear how strong the alliance is or whether it will last. What is apparent is that the gangs are trying to capitalize on their control of Port-au-Prince, the capital, to become a legitimate political force in the negotiations being brokered by foreign governments including the United States, France and Caribbean nations,” reports the New York Times.
The weapons touted by gangs in Haiti have largely been trafficked from the United States, clandestine trade has left Haiti’s criminal groups with much greater firepower than the country’s underfunded police force, reports the Guardian. “Easily accessible firearms from the US are one of several factors that are deepening Haiti’s instability,” said Robert Muggah of the Igarapé Institute.
Brazil
“Political analysts of all stripes are scrambling to understand the paradox in Brazil. While every major economic indicator is improving, President Lula’s administration is slipping in opinion polls,” writes Juan Arias in El País.
Chile
“Democracy has to deliver; and to the extent that we can improve people’s quality of life, we’ll be moving in that direction. This is how you have to confront the extreme right,” Chilean President Gabriel Boric told El País in an interview.
A number of mayors across Chile, from across the political spectrum and including members of the governing Frente Amplio, have asked the Boric administration to deploy the armed forces to help control public insecurity, reports El País.
Chilean authorities were battling another round of dangerous wildfires along the country’s coast. The national disaster agency said on Wednesday night that several communities in the Valparaíso region were being evacuated, reports the New York Times.
Guatemala
InSight Crime interviews Santiago Palomo, who is heading Guatemala’s new National Commission Against Corruption (CNC). “The greatest institutional battle this country faces is judiciary selection. Without a strong judiciary, we can’t advance a robust anti-corruption agenda,” he said.
Nicaragua
Nicaragua’s government has extended its repression of civil society into the music industry, creating a registry of producers, essentially, banning political references at concerts, reports El País.
Ecuador
Hundreds of Peruvian police officers raided dozens of properties around the country and arrested 18 people as part of an investigation into illegal arms trafficking and its role in the murder of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio last year, reports Reuters.
Argentina
In the midst of a flare of violence in the Argentine city of Rosario, Argentine President Javier Milei — who has voiced admiration for the Bukele security model — said the government is evaluating selling urban jails in order to finance the construction of new, isolated maximum security penitentiaries. (EFE)
Regional Relations
Diplomatic tensions are flaring between Venezuela and Argentina. (El País)
Venezuela
One in three school-age Venezuelans is outside of the educational system, according to a new study. (Associated Press)
Suriname
“Surinamese drug trafficker Brian Blue remains at large months after InSight Crime exposed his suspected ties to the country’s vice president, showcasing his ability to stay off the radar of Surinamese authorities despite his rising international profile.”
Regional
With the Argentina, Chile, Bolivia lithium triangle in the sights of green development advocates, some communities worry “the search for the mineral will mean sacrificing that very life force that has sustained the region’s native people for centuries,” reports the Associated Press.