The last few hours in the region have been very eventful in terms of developments that demand attention. Without a doubt, the most extraordinary one is the rupture of diplomatic relations between Peru and Mexico, following the political decision by the Aztecs to grant political asylum in their embassy in Lima to Betssy Chávez, the former prime minister of former president Pedro Castillo, who is on trial for multiple crimes including an attempted coup d'état, a charge also imputed to the new asylee. "We reject the decision taken by the government of Peru to break diplomatic relations with Mexico, though not consular relations, because we are acting peacefully, with a humanitarian sense, and in strict adherence to international law," said Roberto Velasco Álvarez, the undersecretary for North America in the Mexico's Secretariat of Foreign Relations.
The high official recalled that it is up to the country granting asylum “to qualify the nature of the crime or the motives for persecution,” according to the Caracas Convention on Political Asylum from 1954. “It was decided to grant asylum to Ms. Chávez, as already mentioned, because she has stated that she has been a victim of violations of her procedural rights and political persecution,” said Velasco Álvarez in statements cited by EFE. In recent years, the discretionary application of the Caracas Convention has been the subject of intense debate, as many experts, politicians, activists, and civil society in general argue that it has been a way to free many high officials, primarily presidents, from their debts with justice.
Betssy Chávez (sourceof the image).
Lawfare is obviously a reality, but it is often cited improperly just to cover up the reason that weighs most heavily on many asylum-related cases, if not most: to help a former official in trouble who is politically or ideologically aligned with the government of the host country. I am not asserting that the case I am presenting today necessarily relates to this dynamic, as I have not delved deeply into analyzing the charges and available evidence against Chávez. In defense of its decision, the Peruvian authorities have remembered the consistent positioning from Zócalo Square against the prosecution of Pedro Castillo, which they have considered an interference in their internal affairs.
Despite the tension, Lima has assured that it will not raid the Mexican embassy as the government of Daniel Noboa in Ecuador did irresponsibly in April of last year in Quito, to kidnap the former Correa-era vice president Jorge Glas. In fact, the Peruvian government is evaluating whether to grant the safe-conduct pass to Chávez so she can travel to Mexico. "[There is] the need to conduct the corresponding legal studies to proceed with a response," its chancellor told a local radio station. The recent removal of the unpopular former president Dina Boluarte confirms that Peru lives in a permanent state of political convulsion, marked by an entrenched, chronic structural corruption that has historically been "managed" from the House of Pizarro itself.
More on Mexico
The latest study measuring the approval rating for President Claudia Sheinbaum—conducted by a recognized local newspaper—shows that seven out of ten citizens support her, but it also represents a significant reduction—though perhaps expected or natural—compared to the 85% approval rating in February. Something Sheinbaum, the first woman in the office, must work on urgently is the fight against corruption and organized crime, topics on which she received the worst ratings. Or perhaps, to a certain extent, she needs to work particularly on how she communicates to society the results she has managed to achieve so far, if any.
I have not reviewed the poll directly, but it seems that no question probes the popular perceptions about how Sheinbaum has managed the relationship with the complex Donald Trump. This Tuesday, in response to recent press reports speaking of possible US military attacks against drug trafficking structures in Mexico, Sheinbaum stated that they have an understanding with Washington in this regard and that such attacks would not occur. "[We] do not agree, and we have stated this to President Trump," she affirmed.
Melissa: the long and winding road to recovery in the Caribbean
In Haiti, the death toll from the somehow indirect impact of Melissa rose to 43, while 13 people are counted as missing and rescue and evacuation operations continue for 30 communities heavily hit by landslides and flooding. With the social context that characterizes Haiti today, probably the country as a whole—and I am not speaking metaphorically—would no longer exist if it had been directly impacted as Jamaica or Cuba.
In these countries there are also cases of isolated communities, and in general the situation is catastrophic due to the human losses first and foremost, but also because of the extraordinary damage to infrastructures of all kinds and the crops. "I have been doing this for over 10 years, and I have never seen anything like this," said an activist linked to an aid organization who also warned that the situation looks set to turn into a humanitarian crisis. I believe it already is one. What remains to be seen is how long it lasts.
Drug trafficking
In a shipment of sacks pretending to contain fertilizer for African palm, originating from a Costa Rican port, Guatemalan authorities seized 292 packages of cocaine at one terminal of Puerto Quetzal. It had not been determined whether the drugs were in transit or intended to supply the local market. Meanwhile, the Costa Rican authorities themselves carried out the largest anti-drug operation in their history, it is alleged, decapitating an organization that sent cocaine to North America and the so-called Old Continent.
In an interagency effort, 64 properties were raided, and 33 suspects were arrested. So far, the equivalent of 590,000 dollars in local currency has been seized, in addition to properties and vehicles, but seizures are expected to reach a value of 4 million dollars. Costa Rica, a once relatively safe country, has seen escalating levels of violence associated with drug trafficking.
This is all for today’s report.
