Top Stories: September 6th, 2011

• After two attempts to land in difficult weather, a Chilean military plane crashed in the Pacific Ocean, killing 21 people.
• A study following the devastating earthquake in Haiti may provide new techniques for tracking refugees through cell phone signals and help aid organizations better assist in crisis and disaster situations.
• Julio Casas Regueiro, Cuba’s defense minister, died on Saturday due to heart failure at the age of 75. Reguerio had been a close associate of President Raul Castro and risen through the military ranks over the past twenty years. His death comes amid ‘Cuba’s aging leadership’ and efforts to ‘reinvigorate the weak socialist economy by allowing more private enterprise,’ reports the NY Times.
• On Sunday, Uruguay’s defense ministry agreed to fire its commander and at least five officers from Haiti after charges and video evidence of sexual assault surfaced. Cell phone images of UN peacekeepers abusing an 18 year-old Haitian man flooded the internet over the weekend, causing public outrage and demands for justice. The images showed several Uruguayan troops holding the boy down on a mattress, laughing, pulling his pants down, and simulating sexual acts. No evidence of rape has been confirmed, but the investigation continues.
• Mexican federal police discovered an underground tunnel in the border town of Nogales, Arizona allegedly used for human trafficking and the transfer of illicit goods. This is the second such tunnel they have found in the area.
• The Catholic Church denounced ‘acts of abuse by pro-government crowds’ against the Ladies in White dissident group in Cuba. The Cuban government denies any involvement in the counter-protests at the Ladies’ marches, arguing that they are ‘spontaneous.’ The Ladies in White are wives and mothers of former political prisoners who have been organizing weekly marches in Havana for years. The Cuban government has made explicit efforts to discredit the women, saying that the dissidents are being paid by Washington to ‘destabilize the government.’
• President Calderon delivered his last State of the Union address on Friday. Calderon made a promise to continue the fight against organized crime and corruption, following last week’s Monterrey casino massacre. The Mexican President also announced the creation of an Office for Victim’s Assistance, acknowledging that many of the 40,000 people killed in the drug war have been innocent civilians.
• Camila Vallejo has become the face and leader of the Chilean student protests over the past few months, in a movement demanding greater government subsidies for high college tuition costs, measures to ease student debt, and changes in the education voucher system. While President Sebastian Piñera offered some concessions to Vallejo and other representatives of the movement in a meeting on Saturday, but the proposal still fails to meet the students’ demands.
• Two female journalists were found murdered in Mexico City, bearing the marks of drug cartel violence. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for reporters as they are targeted by drug cartels and corrupt officials.
• Two Mexicans are facing 30-year charges of acts of terrorism and sabotage after posting false messages on their Twitter accounts that gunmen were taking children from schools. The posts caused a chaos of car crashes and panic as parents in Veracruz rushed to schools to save their children. Some human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, are calling the charges exaggerated and in violation of freedom of expression.
• Mexico’s House Justice Committee will vote on a proposed law today which would punish the defamation of political candidates and electoral institutions. According to a supporter of the bill, Arturo Zamora, federal deputy of the Revolutionary Institutional Party (PRI), the law is necessary to protect politicians from false charges, which can unfairly damage their reputations.
• Colombia’s new defense minister, Juan Carlos Pinzon was sworn in yesterday, promising new technology-based strategies to confront rebel groups and stronger actions against drug trafficking. Pinzon was brought in to replace Rodrigo Rivera as drug-related violence has increased in the past few months, inciting fears that security gains are being reversed. Pinzon immediately ordered ‘the final blow’ to the Farc rebel group.
• U.S. and Colombian authorities have demonstrated some successes against the organization of Daniel ‘El Loco’ Barrera, one of Colombia’s most powerful and enigmatic drug lords, reports In Sight Crime. Operation Deep Water—targeting semi-submersible drug submarines—has led to 19 arrests and Operation Final Flight—targeting aerial drug routes—captured 30 people and 21 aircrafts.
• The Bolivian government has denied accusations that ‘El Chapo,’ the head of the Sinaloa Cartel, has been operating out of Bolivia under the protection of corrupt officials, including the former commander of the Bolivian police.

Happy Labor Day.

In observation of Labor Day, the Pan-American Post is taking the day off. Coverage will resume tomorrow.

Top Stories: September 2nd, 2011

• · Given a long history of authoritarian governments and state dictatorships, many Latin American countries have resisted establishing anti-terror laws. In particular, Brazil has no official recognition of terrorist presence within its borders, raising concerns over the country’s safety as it is set to host the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games.
• · Humberto Moreira, the head candidate for the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in Mexico, is making efforts to ‘repair the party’s image and regain the presidency in 2012.’ The PRI has a reputation of corruption and unfair elections—one which may be hard to shake as federal officials report a huge $2.8 billion dollar debt in Coahuila, which Moreira governed until January.
• · A week after the Monterrey massacre, President Calderon released his annual national report yesterday, in which he argues that ‘he has strengthened the rule of law and fought against drug gangs like never before.’ According to the report, 21 of the 37 most wanted criminals have been either killed or captured, $12.7 billion has been confiscated in assets from drug gangs, and 35,000 people have died in drug-related violence.
• · Police arrested a state police officer who is linked to the Monterrey massacre. A surveillance video inside of an SUV outside of the casino provided evidence of his involvement.
• · On the verge of publishing a revealing story about drug gangs and local business corruption in the Dominican Republic, Jose Agustin Silvestre was kidnapped and killed. While police have arrested five suspects in the case, the subject of the journalists’ story and the mastermind behind the killing, Matias Avelino Castro, remains missing. Authorities are in the process of uncovering Avelinos alleged (extensive) drug ring.
• · According to a ranking of the most livable cities in the world published by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Buenos Aires and Santiago are the most livable cities in Latin America, figuring at 62 and 63, respectively. Motevideo, Uruguay is a close third at number 65. The survey assesses the best and worst living conditions using such criteria as stability, healthcare, culture, environment, education, and infrastructure.
• · Through al-Jazeera, filmmaker Rodrigo Vazquez presents an interesting video project examining how Cuba’s new economic reforms and subtle progressive policy shifts are affecting Cubans.
• · After implementing a new tax on mining companies and a law requiring local community consultation on gas and mining projects, Peruvian president Ollanta Humala has ‘gotten off to a calm start,’ according to the Economist. However, the new tax may cause problems because it replaces a voluntary contribution to local governments and the consultation requirement is, in reality, non-binding.
• · President Obama’s promise of greater partnership with Latin America is proving harder and harder to keep, as Republicans continue to express opposition and a lack of confidence in the Organization of American States on grounds that it is too supportive of threats to democracy. Another point of contention is found in the free trade agreements currently under negotiation with Colombia and Panama, disliked by Democrats with protectionist sentiments and worries about the murders of union workers in Colombia.
• · In response to the Monterrey massacre, former Mexican president Vicente Fox suggested that the government seek a truce with the drug cartels. Political critics immediately responded to the comment with strong opposition. In Sight Crime discusses why an explicit truce with the drug cartels in Mexico is not feasible nor would it be practical.
• · A union of Peruvian coca producers has called for a re-evaluation of President Ollanta Humala’s policy towards coca eradication, arguing that the government needs to provide viable and legal alternatives to coca production.
• · According to a Wikileaks cable obtained and published by Plaza Publica, the U.S. Embassy has classified Guatemala’s UCN party as having a ‘narco’ political ideology. An earlier cable described the party as having ties to narco-traffickers.

Top Stories: September 1st, 2011

· In Colombia, the Supreme Court reinstated the 1989 conviction of a former justice minister, Alberto Santofimio, for the planning of the 1989 assassination of presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galan. According to a witness in the case, Santofimio urged the ‘late cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar’ to order the murder of Galan, who was political rival of Santofimio and harsh towards drug cartels.

· New video footage released yesterday shows the brother of Monterrey’s mayor receiving a large quantity of cash from a casino just days before the massacre, suggesting that the attacks may be more than just ‘acts of terrorism’ and could be linked to extortion and government corruption. It is not clear what the payments caught on tape were for whether they were illegal, but the governor of Nuevo Leon, Rodrigo Medina, said Wednesday that ‘the images clearly show complicity and corruption.’ Authorities are investigating the growth of the casino network in Mexico, which is frequently operated illegally or used to launder money. Since Calderon took office in 2006, the number of casinos in Mexico has increased from 198 to almost 800. Following the attacks, the state of Nuevo Leon launched an aggressive campaign to shut down casinos over the weekend and announced initiatives to crack-down on betting operations.

· Amid increased rebel and criminal gang violence, Colombia’s defense minister abruptly resigned yesterday. As kidnappings of oil company workers and attacks on energy extraction facilities continue to rise, industry officials warn that the violence could have negative effects on foreign investment in Colombia. Juan Carlos Pinzon will take over as the new defense minister.

· The president of Brazil, Lula de Silva, met with Bolivian President Evo Morales recently in order to discuss indigenous protests of a Brazilian-funded highway construction project through a protected Bolivian rainforest. A STRATFOR intelligence report analyzes the broader issues arising out of the conflict—fragmentation of Morales’ indigenous political base and Brazilian efforts to increase diplomatic interests as a means of supporting economic expansion.

· The Pew Research Center released a report yesterday on public attitudes in Mexico regarding ‘crime and violence and government efforts to confront these.’ Eric Olson from the Mexico Institute analyzes the key findings of the report. According to Olson, Mexicans are ‘disenchanted with Calderon’ and his ‘failure to clearly articulate his strategy.’ Olson also criticizes the report for not focusing enough on regional differences in the polls, which may provide valuable information on varying levels of support. The conclusions of the report will likely have negative results for Calderon in the upcoming presidential election.

· A WikiLeaks cable obtained by the Salvadoran newspaper, El Faro, revealed that the Salvadoran government collaborated with the United States embassy to secure the extradition of William Eliu Martinez from Panama. El Salvador had been investigating Martinez on charges of money laundering and narco-trafficking since 2001, but opted to help the U.S. capture and extradite him from Panama. El Salvador’s constitution prevents the extradition of any national Salvadoran to other nations.

· Brazil’s central bank unexpectedly cut the country’s key interest rate to 12% from 12.5%, reports BBC and Wall Street Journal. The cut has spurred worries that the country may not be committed to cutting inflation and the central bank is susceptible to political pressures.

· Colombia’s government announced a ‘crusade’ against illegal logging in the country, a multi-million dollar trafficking industry which, according to President Santos’ administration, funds organized crime groups. In Sight Crime analyzes the extent of organized crime groups’ involvement in timber trafficking.

Unethical U.S.-funded research caused 83 deaths in Guatemala

In a US-funded program during the 1940’s designed to study the effects of penicillin, researchers infected hundreds of Guatemalan prisoners, psychiatric patients and sex workers with syphilis and gonorrhea, none of whom were informed of the procedure. In total, approximately 1,300 people were exposed to or inoculated with venereal diseases between 1946 and 1948, less than 700 of which received any kind of treatment.

President Obama established the Presidential Commission on the Study of Bioethics in November of last year to investigate the research program after it was discovered last year (see article below). The Commission plans to publish its first full report next month outlining the historical facts of the case. So far, the Commission has declared the syphilis project an ‘institutional failure’ and a ‘shameful piece of medical history,’ recognizing the grave violations and inhumane conduct that took place in Guatemala. Furthermore, according to the commission, the program may have resulted in the deaths of 83 people unwillingly infected with diseases.

Documentation of the research was acquired by the National Security Archives earlier this year, ‘consisting of some 12,000 pages of reports, correspondence, patient records, and graphic
photographs of the effects of syphilis infection on Guatemalan subjects.’ According to the reports, the initial experiments were preformed in Guatemala’s Central Penitentiary, where U.S. researchers paid infected prostitutes to transmit the diseases by having sex with prisoners. When this method proved inefficient, the team of researchers began targeting the country’s insane asylum, where they could easily access hundreds of vulnerable men and women unable to speak for or understand their rights. The NSA analysis of the documents reveals that the doctors and scientists involved were fully aware that what they were doing was unethical and violated research standards, even skeptical at times.

In an interview with Prensa Libre, Amy Gutmann, the president of the Presidential Commission on the Study of Bioethics, declared that the researchers and doctors who participated in the syphilis study are morally responsible, given that they were well aware of the ethical standards they were violating. Gutmann said that the commission plans to recommend compensation to the victims in its upcoming published report. The Guatemalan government announced on August 29th that five survivors of the syphilis and gonorrhea experiments will be medically examined to determine any lasting effects of their infections. Vice-president Rafael Espada made the announcement after the presidential commission revealed that the experiments left 83 people dead.

Top Stories:

· As recovery and reconstruction efforts in Haiti continue to fall short, leading thousands of refugees to flee the country, the Dominican Republic is no longer welcoming the influx. The Dominican Republic traditionally has had a cooperative relationship with Haiti and, despite its own economic troubles, was one of the first nations to lend aid after the earthquake devastated the country. Amid protests calling on migrants to go home, the Republic has begun deporting Haitians and ‘generally making their lives difficult.’

· The Supreme Tribunal of Bolivia convicted five former military commanders of genocide on Tuesday with prison sentences ranging from 10 to 15 years. Protests and unrest stemming from government plans to exploit natural gas came to a head in October of 2003 when those convicted were involved in a military crackdown on riots, resulting in the deaths of at least 64 civilians.

· In Venezuela, Leocenis Garcia, the editor of the weekly newspaper, 6to Poder, turned himself in to intelligence officials yesterday as he faces charges of ‘insulting public officials and instigating hatred.’ According to the Associated Press, the newspaper found itself in trouble after publishing demeaning photographs of the Supreme Court president, the elections chief, and four other women in revealing outfits.

· According to human rights activists in Haiti, women and girls have been ‘badly neglected’ in recovery efforts following the devastating earthquake 20 months ago. Human Rights Watch released a report on Tuesday documenting a ‘serious gap’ in the healthcare that women and girls are receiving. Sexual violence, high maternal mortality rates, unwanted pregnancy, unhealthy conditions for children, and poor prenatal care are just some of the problems facing women in Haiti.

· Yesterday, the International Day of the Disappeared, Mexico reported that over 3,000 people have ‘disappeared’ since 2006, the same year President Calderon launched his campaign against organized crime. The high number of disappearances in Mexico have led to comparisons to the country’s “Guerra Sucia” (dirty war) in the 1960’s and 70’s and the Southern Cone military dictatorships. Colombia reported 61,604 disappeared, up from 47,000 in June 2010.

· In Sight Crime argues that lowering drug demand in the United States is not enough to combat organized crime in Mexico. Increases in violence, kidnapping, extortion, human trafficking, and pirating against Mexican civilians call for dramatic institutional reform within the country.

· Bus drivers in El Salvador are striking to demand better protection from authorities against extortion and violence from gangs, a common practice in much of Latin America.

· Facing pressure from congress, the director of the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and the US attorney in Arizona announced their resignations yesterday. A Congressional investigation into Operation Fast and Furious discovered US agents were allowing thousands of guns into Mexico with the hopes of tracking them to organized crime members. However, many of the guns went missing or were found at crime scenes in Mexico.

· Five Chilean police officers have been dismissed after admitting that the shot that killed a sixteen-year-old boy during anti-government protests came from a police weapon. Until yesterday, police officials had denied any involvement in the death of the boy.

· Dialogue between the Bolivian government and indigenous groups began on August 26, as the President’s administration as agreed to set up a round of six negotiations to provide a forum for indigenous community members to express their concerns over the construction of a highway through the protected TIPNIS territory.

· Standard and Poor’s raised Peru’s debt rating from a BBB- to a BBB, the second-lowest investment grade due to President Humala’s ‘broad fiscal and monetary policy continuity.’ In the past five years, economic growth as averaged 7.2% in Peru, in large part due to a booming global mining industry.

Five members of Los Zetas arrested for Monterrey Massacre

Police arrested five men yesterday supposedly responsible for the massacre of 52 people at a Monterrey casino last week. The five suspects admitted they were members of Los Zetas, one of the most violent and brutal drug cartels in Mexico. Authorities released video footage of the perpetrators filling cans at a gas station minutes before the attack. The governor of Nuevo Laredo, Rodrio Medina, said that the Zetas were most likely extorting the casino, providing motive for the brutal display of violence.

The los Zetas drug cartel is the most powerful and brutally violent organized crime groups in Mexico, with their strongholds spreading further and further southward into Central America (InSight). In 1997, los Zetas began their operation under the recruitment of the Gulf Cartel chief, Osiel Cardenas. The original 31 members were former Mexican Special Forces deserters, heavily trained in ambushes, marksmanship, intelligence, intimidation, and other military techniques (Borderland Beat). After Cardenas was arrested in 2003 by Mexican authorities, los Zetas took over operations for themselves, ‘eliminating’ several Gulf Cartel lieutenants and working their way to the top of the chain of command. Now, the group has expanded from 31 to somewhere between 1,000 and 3,000 members, including former local, state, and federal security officers, as well as ex-Kaibilies (the Guatemalan Special Forces) (InSight, Borderland Beat). The Kabiles are the special operations forces of Guatemala known for their intense and ruthless training in jungle warfare and counterinsurgency tactics. Los Zetas use their ability offer much higher compensation and benefits to military deserters as leverage to recruit technically trained and skilled fighters.

The Zetas’ rise to power has established a new precedent within the world of organized crime throughout Mexico and Central America. Prior to the paramilitary strategies and operations of los Zetas, most drug cartels were composed of ‘thugs’, gang members or toughened criminals who had access to drugs and smuggled arms (Borderland Beat). As Hal Brands puts it, the “combination of massive firepower with expertise in infantry squad tactics, complex assaults, and other military techniques [resulted in a] qualitative escalation of the intensity of drug-related violence” (Borderland Beat). Not only do the Zetas know how to fight, but they have the resources to orchestrate complex attacks, infiltrate police stations, and ambush government convoys, among other strategic military actions. They have a military-grade arsenal of AK-47’s, shoulder-fired missiles, armor-piercing ammunition, fragmentation grenades, heavy machine guns, and even helicopters. Zetas members are trained in prolonged torture and execution, frequently employing such tactics as decapitation, immolation, strangulation, castration, and immersion in toxic substances.

Top Stories:

• Police discovered seven bodies of individuals who had gone missing earlier this month buried near the northern border of Mexico and five skulls near the border city of Juarez. The seven bodies appeared to be strangled to death, one shot in the head, and all with their hands tied behind their backs. Mass graves are becoming more and more common in Mexico as drug violence escalates.
• After criticizing the Venezuelan government for the way it handled recent armed uprisings at two prisons, the director of the Venezuelan Observatory of Prisons, Humberto Prado has received numerous anonymous threats. Human Rights Watch, a New York-based organization, called for protections of the activist, arguing that ‘the government should ensure that defenders can do their job without fear of reprisals.’ According to In Sight Crime, attempts at reform of the prison system have failed, as 13 inmates have died and 62 have been wounded since the new prison minister took office.
• After an order which prevented the Venezuelan newspaper, 6to Poder, from publishing after openly criticizing Chavez’ government, a judged ruled that the ban be lifted. While the decision allows the newspaper to continue publishing, it bars 6to Poder from publishing insulting text or images against women or public officials.
• Drug traffickers are being forced to seek new markets in the northeastern region of Brazil, as their traditional markets experience dramatic economic growth. The states of Bahia and Alagoas have proven to be particularly vulnerable to the violence, with murders growing by 430% in Bahia and the arrival of crack-cocaine only making matters worse.
• The once-powerful Familia Michoacana drug gang has lost its near-monopoly of the methamphetamine trade, paving the way for the Sinaloa Cartel to take over the market. In Sight Crime refers to the shift as a clear example of the ‘balloon effect,’ in which one government blow against one organized crime group simply creates room for another one to take its place. July has seen record seizures of illegal shipments of chemicals used to make synthetic drugs, methamphetamine included.
• Mauricio Cardenas, a senior fellow from Brookings, discusses Latin America as a viable market with many new and growing economic opportunities, as well as ongoing problems, such as the drug war in Mexico. Listen to the podcast here.
• In a US-funded program during the 1940’s designed to study the effects of penicillin, researchers infected hundred of Guatemalan prisoners, psychiatric patients and sex workers with syphilis and gonorrhea, none of whom were informed of the procedure. President Obama set up a commission to investigate the program after the research was discovered last year, which will publish its first report next month outlining the historical facts of the case. So far, the commission has declared the project an ‘institutional failure’ and a ‘shameful piece of medical history.’
• Many small businesses, shop owners, bus drivers, and street vendors are being forced to make weekly payments to gangs in Medellin, Colombia adding up to a large sum of profits. The payments can be as small as 20,000 pesos (about $10) a week, making the extortion difficult to crack down on.
• An increase in cyber crime and information trafficking in Latin America has shown a dramatic increase in 2011, with greater media coverage of government surveillance, wiretapping, hacked e-mails, and legislative debates over privacy issues.
• Contrary to fears of a mass exodus of Mexican refugees fleeing the drug war, it appears that those (legally) immigrating into the U.S. are actually middle and upper class Mexican families. The influx has been warmly welcomed by border towns benefiting from the economic boost and increased investments.