Fausta's Blog

American and Latin American Politics, Society, and Culture

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Around the Hemisphere

I’m enjoying the Season with family, but here are a few headlines,

ARGENTINA
Say what? Argentina’s pro-business President Mauricio Macri is inviting low-cost airlines to invest in Argentina’s uncompetitive air-travel market, as long as they do something they do nowhere else: keep their prices high.

BOLIVIA
Germany and Switzerland to help build coast-to-coast railway in South America.

Bolivian President Evo Morales visited Switzerland to sign an agreement to construct a railway line across the continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Supporters say the project will boost trade and create jobs.

HONDURAS
Honduras Opposition Candidate Concedes Election After U.S. Backs President Juan Orlando Hernández

PERU
PPK pardoned Fujimori; now Police in Peru have fired tear gas and clashed with thousands of protesters angry at the authorities’ decision to pardon ex-President Alberto Fujimori.

LAST, BUT NOT LEAST,
Guatemala follows US in planning Israel embassy move

Guatemala, along with 12 other countries, had their embassies in Jerusalem until 1980, when they moved them to Tel Aviv after Israel annexed East Jerusalem, in a move not recognised internationally. All other countries still have their embassies in Tel Aviv.

Guatemala and Israel have a long history of political, economic and military ties. The Central American country is also a major recipient of US aid – something which Donald Trump threatened to cut to states that voted in favour of the UN resolution.

Israel is in talks with more than 10 countries — including some in Europe — about potentially moving their respective embassies to Jerusalem, according to officials.

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Honduras: Police won’t enforce curfew UPDATED

When it rains, it pours:

First, Protesters Block Roads, Clash With Police in Honduras.

Now, Hundreds of members of the Honduran riot police force known as Cobras refused to carry out orders to enforce a night-time curfew on Monday.

About 200 Cobras gathered at the police headquarters and announced they were no longer willing to confront protesters, arguing that it amounted to “taking sides” in the political battle between Mr Nasralla and President Hernández.
“We are rebelling. We call on all the police nationally to act with their conscience,” one masked officer told Reuters news agency.

There’s a recount in the works.

Meanwhile, Eric Conn got nabbed. Who? Honduran authorities have captured a fugitive US lawyer who was on America’s most wanted list.

Eric Conn fled from the US six months ago after pleading guilty to stealing $600m (£450m) by filing bogus disability claims.

UPDATE

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Honduras: Incumbent Hernandez ahead by 1.59%

Honduran electoral website shows president 1.59 percent points ahead

Hernandez had 42.98 percent of the vote, while TV star Salvador Nasralla had 41.39 percent, with 99.96 percent of votes tallied, according to the tribunal’s website.
. . .
After the count suddenly halted for more than a day, the sporadic vote count started leaning in favor of the incumbent.

Aaand,

How so?

like a bad centavo, pro-Chávez Honduran former President Manuel Zelaya turned up in the midst of one angry mob.

Zelaya no longer has his tin-foil lined room at the Brazilian embassy now that Dilma’s not in office.

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Guatemala wants US$2 billion, while Honduras bellyaches

Aftermath of Obama’s yesterday meeting:
Guatemalan president: Central America needs at least $2 billion ‘to attack the root of the problem’

As it is, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras received US$163 million:

In 2013, Mexico received $265 million in foreign aid, Guatemala received $84 million, Honduras secured $52 million, and El Salvador got $27 million, according to ForeignAssistance.gov, a U.S. government site.

So Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina wants a tenfold increase in aid.

Meanwhile his buddy, Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández wasted no time in blaming the U.S. for his country’s ills, “our neighbor isn’t doing its part.”

The Guardian headline says it all: Central American leaders meet Barack Obama to criticise US border policy

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In today’s headlines at Drudge,

And yes, you read it correctly, Obama’s executive amnesty could include three, four, maybe five million people. But don’t worry, Mark Zuckerberg Pushes Amnesty Letter-Writing Campaign, because, hope and change, whatever.

UPDATE:
Linked to by Pirate’s Cove. Thank you!


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Honduras: What next?

Honduras held its presidential election yesterday, and the Ruling National Party Appears Headed For Win in Honduran Vote
Leftist Coalition Has Yet to Concede Defeat in Presidential Elections

If Mr. Hernández is ratified as the victor, it would be a major setback for Mr. Zelaya and his wife, who had formed the Libre party as a protest vote against the country’s traditional politics, dominated for decades by two political parties, the conservative National Party and the center-right Liberal Party.

Mary O’Grady is not optimistic:
Turmoil Is Expected After Honduras’s Election
A Central American democracy is in trouble thanks to Obama’s foreign-policy choices.

The Obama administration tried to force Honduras to violate its constitution and restore Mr. Zelaya to power. All of the country’s institutions refused.

That crisis remains a rare moment in Central American history when a U.S. president joined Fidel Castro and his allies in an effort to strong-arm three legitimate branches of a friendly government. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton even stripped the members of the Honduras Supreme Court of their U.S. visas. Just as rare, the rule of law prevailed.

Yet the bullying by Washington took its toll. The newly elected president, Porfirio “Pepe” Lobo, was keenly aware that Honduras was out of favor with the U.S. and other left-wing governments in the region. He set about to placate them. One of his most controversial decisions was to grant amnesty to Mr. Zelaya, who ought to have been tried for his high crimes and misdemeanors.

As the Diplomad puts it, The USA is now basically irrelevant to events in Latin America. Another triumph of the Obama foreign policy team.

And yet, compared to Saturday’s deal with Iran, it pales by comparison.

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