Weekly Roundup: More Autonomy Votes in Bolivia, Colombia-Ecuador Setback, and EU Immigration Law Outrage
Weekly Roundup: More Autonomy Votes in Bolivia, Colombia-Ecuador Setback, and EU Immigration Law Outrage
Senator John McCain will visit Colombia and Mexico, Argentina's Congress debates controversial soy tax, and Paraguay's president resigns to become a senator. Read these stories and more in the Weekly Roundup.
Winds of Autonomy Grow Stronger in Bolivia
Following the steps of the Santa Cruz, Beni, and Pando regions, Tarija voted overwhelmingly in favor of greater autonomy from the central government. President Evo Morales’ administration refuses to recognize the referendum, further increasing internal tension as the country moves closer to the August 10 recall vote proposed by Morales. In response, five governors issued a statement saying their regions would not participate in the recall vote unless "it complies with the autonomy statutes" already approved, reports the BBC.
Read AS/COA's analysis of Bolivia's widening gap between the government and gas-rich provinces.
Colombia-Ecuador Relations Back to the Chiller
In an interview this weekend, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa spoke harshly about the March 1 Colombian military border raid on Ecuadorian soil which ruptured Ecuador and Colombia’s diplomatic ties. In response, Colombian Foreign Minister Fernando Araújo indefinitely postponed the re-establishment of diplomatic relations. Prominent politicians such as OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter continue working as peace brokers between the Andean nations despite the setbacks, El Tiempo reports.
On June 2, AS/COA hosted a discussion panel on economic, political, and security prospects in the Andes; read a summary of the event. Also, AS/COA reports on the controversial Andean dispute and its tenuous truce.
Argentina’s Protests Continue
This week, Argentina’s Congress will begin debate on the controversial soy tax introduced by President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner in March. The unpopular measure has triggered countless protests, roadblocks, and now cacerolasos. The Latin American Thought Blog analyzes the conflict between the government, farmers, and now the public, which has forcefully included itself in the dispute.
The Wall Street Journal’s Mary Anastasia O’Grady examines the effects of Argentina’s tax dispute through a historical lens, and its potential lessons for the next U.S. administration.
Widespread Rejection of EU Immigration Law
Ecuador and Venezuela warn that the European Union’s newly approved immigration law, which allows member countries to detain illegal immigrants up to 18 months in jail prior to their deportation, may hinder trade relations. OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza denounced the legislation, saying that “[t]hey adopt in a unilateral manner measures like prolonged detention, which treat illegal immigrants like criminals, without even discussing or negotiating the subject with Latin American governments.”
Read an AS/COA interview with Secretary General José Miguel Insulza on the OAS role in the Americas.
McCain Visits Latin America
Presumptive Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain announced he will visit Colombia and Mexico during the first week of July. McCain backs the Free Trade Agreement with Colombia, which is still pending U.S. congressional approval, and is a supporter of Colombian President Álvaro Uribe. McCain’s campaign looks to draw attention to the fact that Senator Barack Obama has never been to Latin America and opposes the U.S.-Colombia FTA.
Read AS/COA's coverage of the presumptive presidential candidates' efforts to capture Latino voters' attention.
Paraguay’s President Resigns to Become Senator
President Nicanor Duarte asked Congress to accept his resignation two months before the end of his term so that he may assume a position as senator, raising harsh criticisms from opposition leaders. Duarte was elected senator in elections held in April 2008 while he was acting president, a move deemed unconstitutional by his detractors. If the request is approved by Congress, Vice President Francisco Oviedo will take over until the new elected President Fernando Lugo is sworn in August 15.
Bold Moves by New Brazilian Environment Minister
More than 3,000 head of cattle were seized by Brazilian authorities in effort to curb illegal deforestation in Amazonia, an ongoing and pervasive problem. Minister Carlos Minc announced that the confiscated cattle will be auctioned off with proceeds supporting health and social initiatives. “Those that don’t respect environmental legislation, your cattle are going to become barbecue for Fome Zero,” he said referring to the government’s food program for the poor, the New York Times reports.
Controversy in Mexico over Cuban Immigrants
The Houston Chronicle reports that the case of 18 Cubans who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border and turned themselves in to U.S. Customs and Border Protection has sparked a corruption investigation of Mexican immigration officials suspected of aiding the Cubans. With 11,000 Cubans crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in 2007, Mexican and Cuban officials have scheduled talks in July to review their immigration agreements.
AS/COA examines the future of U.S. policy on Cuba.
Cuba Wants to Improve Its Government, Not Change It
Although new Cuban President Raúl Castro eased restrictions on certain goods and services and allowed increased access to private initiatives, his general economic and managerial model remains tied to statism, reports the Financial Times. The model of Perfeccionamiento Empresarial (perfecting the state company system), signed into law August 2007, aims to introduce management and accounting practices of private companies, retrofit for state-run companies.
U.S. Government Criticized over Aid for Haiti
The New York Times informs on a new report from human rights groups accusing the United States government of withholding approved loans in order to influence political change in Haiti. Most of the money, primarily coming from the Inter-American Development Bank, was earmarked to provide potable water for thousands who suffer from chronic gastrointestinal infections.
Latin American Currencies Strike Back
The Inter-American Development Bank comments on the prominence gained by national currencies in Latin America debt structures over the last decade. Previously, most of the region’s public debt was held in foreign currency, around 65 percent in 1997. Now, its composition has transformed significantly, with only 38 percent held in foreign currency in 2007. These changes represent sound fiscal policies, recently rewarded by rating agencies who upgraded Brazil and Peru to investment level.
Environmental Policy in Developing LatAm Countries
A new academic research draws attention to why developing countries don’t adopt environmentally sound policies in the long term. The study focuses on the Brazilian Amazon, a region where income and social inequality have prevented the government from implementing laws that guarantee conservation and sustainability.
Chilean President Proposes Permanent Whaling Ban
President Michelle Bachelet signed a proposal to abolish whaling in Chilean territorial waters. In an opening speech at the International Whaling Commission meeting in Santiago, Bachelet outlined her plans to declare whales as national monuments, penalize whaling, and adopt long-term conservation policies to increase whale population. The initiative still requires ratification by the Chilean Congress.