Guatemalan court suspends anti-CICIG commission (Oct. 8, 2019)

Guatemala's Constitutional Court temporarily stopped a congressional inquiry into the now-defunct United Nations backed anti-corruption commission. Yesterday's decision immediately stops a special commission of five legislators created last month to investigate the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) for alleged "commission of illegal or arbitrary acts." Three different injunction requests -- from Acción Ciudadana, lawyer Alfonso Carillo, and the Guatemalan attorney general -- sought to stop the commission, which experts say inappropriately usurps investigation functions assigned to the Public Ministry. Additionally critics saw lawmakers were violating agreements establishing immunity for CICIG officials. Technically the court's decision rests on incongruences between the decree creating the special commission and the arguments presented by Congress to magistrates.

Many of the legislators who passed the measure, including two of the five commissioners, have faced formal efforts to strip their immunity from prosecution for alleged corruption and other crimes, reports Al Jazeera. The special commission's mandate for the inquiry was to continue until January 10, just days before the new Congress and president-elect are set to take office. It has been widely condemned by civil society groups, analysts and opposition politicians in Guatemala and abroad. (See Sept. 26's post.)

The special commission started work last week, with hearings for families of alleged victims of the CICIG. Lawmakers said hearings would continue despite the injunction. 

Though the inquiry is focused on the CICIG, according to Al Jazeera, its scope could also include the Guatemalan special prosecutors against impunity and others who worked alongside CICIG and continue to pursue high-profile corruption cases.

(Al Jazeera, Prensa Libre, EFE, Deutsche Welle, Nómada)

More Guatemala

• Guatemalan lawmakers failed to ratify President Jimmy Morales' state of emergency in 22 municipalities in the country's north, effectively ending the measure passed by executive decree a month ago, reports Nómada. (See Sept. 5's post.)

News Briefs

Haiti

• Haiti is well into its fourth week of anti-government protests that have paralyzed the country in demand of President Jovenel Moïse's resignation. Yesterday U.S. Senator Marco Rubio said the U.S. has no role to play in the deepening crisis. In Haiti and in Miami, Haitians have accused the Trump administration of propping up Moïse, and last week stepped up calls for the U.S. and others in the international community to disassociate themselves with him and support demands for his resignation, reports the Miami Herald.

• In the meantime, communities in Haiti are sinking deeper into poverty as the protests affect aid distribution and paralyze supply chains, reports the Associated Press.

Ecuador

• Ecuador's government temporarily moved its seat from Quito to Guayaquil, in the midst of violent protests against President Lenín Moreno's IMF ordered austerity policies. Rioters vandalized public buildings yesterday and clashed with security forces who were largely outnumbered. Moreno said the protests represent an organized attempt to destabilize the government rather than an expression of social dissatisfaction. (Guardian) Roads have been blocked by demonstrators led by indigenous groups -- such protests brought down three presidents before Moreno's predecessor, Rafael Correa. (See yesterday's briefs.) A large national strike is planned for tomorrow.

• Moreno claims that Correa is in fact orchestrating the demonstrations in order to destabilize his government, though he offered no proof. He also suggested Correa is collaborating with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, reports the New York Times. 

• Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó said yesterday that Maduro is financing anti-government groups in Ecuador, and that Correa had passed through Venezuela through its not clear if he remains there, reports Efecto Cocuyo.

• Correa yesterday denied he was orchestrating a coup against the government, speaking from Belgium where he lives, reports Reuters.

• Moreno has several factors in his favor, including a divided opposition and the support of the military, though the fuel subsidy cuts will add to his already growing un popularity, according to Latin America Risk Report.

• Thirty-eight journalists from 21 Ecuadorian media outlets suffered some form of aggression during coverage of the general transport strike that has hit the country since Oct. 3, according to freedom of expression organization Fundamedios. (Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas)

Colombia

• Former Colombian president Álvaro Uribe will testify before the Supreme Court today. He will defend himself against allegations he bribed witnesses to recant claims he formed a paramilitary group in the 1990s. If the court decides to indict Uribe, it could lead to a trial, reports Al Jazeera. If he is found guilty, the former president could face a jail sentence of six to eight years, reports the BBC.

• It is the first time the Supreme Court has cited a former president, and it could become a landmark case. Uribe also has a significant following in Colombia, which means the case has broader political implications. The country's stability is at stake, according to La Silla Vacía.

• Cannabis investors in Colombia complain that regulatory adjustments are threatening to choke off the nascent industry and make them vulnerable to competition from other Latin American countries, particularly Uruguay, reports Reuters.

Brazil

• Police in Rio state killed 1,249 people from January through August—nearly one-third of all killings in the period, and an average of more than four a day. Just nine months after President Jair Bolsonaro and state governor Wilson Witzel took office with promises of cracking down on criminals, violent police operations have deepened a sense of abandonment and distrust in poor communities, reports the Wall Street Journal.

• Brazil's remaining uncontacted tribes face "genocide" due to Bolsonaro's efforts to scale back existing environmental and indigenous protection policies, a group of leading experts have warned in an open letter to the president. (Guardian, see yesterday's briefs.)
• Brazilian environment minister Ricardo Salles said more than 100 tons of oil have been spilled along the northeastern coast since the beginning of September, reports the Associated Press.

Press

• The Inter American Press Association warned seven countries in the Americas to lay off anti-press rhetoric that engenders attacks against journalists. A general assembly resolution called on the presidents of Brazil, the U.S., Nicaragua, Mexico, Venezuela, El Salvador and Guatemala to stop "stigmatization" of the media. (EFE, see yesterday's briefs.)

Migration

• Colombia has been extremely hospitable towards Venezuelan migrants, but the welcome is fragile and must be shored up with foreign assistance, warns Cyril Bennouna in the Conversation.

Venezuela

• Despite significant operational difficulties, several major Houston energy companies are scrambling to stay in Venezuela and pressing the U.S. government to renew waivers from sanctions so they can continue operating there. (Houston Chronicle)

Bolivia

• Bolivian President Evo Morales has a 13.4 percent lead over his nearest rival, according to a poll by the CELAG think tank. General elections will be held on Oct. 20. (TeleSur)

• Potosi province residents protested in demand that the Bolivian government grant locals more benefits from a massive lithium project with Germany's privately owned ACI Systems. (Deutsche Welle)

Mexico

• Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador called for the U.S. ratification of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) “as soon as possible," reports Reuters.

• Journalist Ioan Grillo sums up the Mexican drug wars in an interview with Vice.

Chile

• Chilean President Sebastián Piñera said he will not sign the Escazú Agreement, which became the first regional environmental treaty when several Latin American and Caribbean countries adopted it in 2018. (Nacla)

Argentina

• Argentine presidential front-runner Alberto Fernández announced a plan to tackle food poverty in the country, in the wake of statistics showing increases in the national poverty rate. The former Cabinet chief said he would seek to unite the State, businesses and social organizations under a new federal council, which would seek to implement a sustainable food policy for Argentina and lower the price of essential items in the basic food basket, reports the Buenos Aires Times.

Tango

• Some of Argentina's feminists have their sights set on tango, and seek to root out the sexual harassment and dogmatic gender roles that dominate the genre. (New York Times)

Tomorrow I will not be posting in observance of the Yom Kippur holiday. I'll be back Thursday. 

Latin America Daily Briefing