Hospitals across Venezuela face supply shortages that affect both doctors and patients. According to a national survey conducted on April 2 and certified by the National Assembly, 92 percent of the health sector doesn’t have soap on site. The same survey found that 61 percent doesn’t have face masks, and [ … ]
Transnational Threats
Abrams: ‘Every Dictatorship in Latin America Ends with a Negotiation’
U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams said on April 8 that the idea of negotiating with the regime to end the crisis is “realistic.” “Every dictatorship in Latin America, with the rarest of exceptions, ends with a negotiation,” Abrams said via teleconference, where he defended the U.S. Department of [ … ]
Venezuela: A Narco’s Dream
Since the 1980s, drug cartels have always dreamed of operating in a narco-state. From Pablo Escobar and his murderous Medellín Cartel to Joaquin Guzman’s Sinaloa Cartel, different cartels have searched for ways to hold absolute power over their governments, said former President of Colombia Andrés Pastrana in an interview with [ … ]
US Coast Guard, Costa Rican Authorities Seize 771 kg of Cocaine
The U.S. Coast Guard and Costa Rican authorities seized approximately 771 kilograms of cocaine on April 9 with an estimated value of more than $29 million, from a fishing boat in international waters of the Pacific Ocean off Central America, according to the U.S. Coast Guard 11th District Pacific Southwest. [ … ]
Brazil Kingpin Arrested in Mozambique
One of Brazil's most wanted criminals, an alleged drug lord accused of running the international cocaine operation of the country's biggest gang, was arrested on April 13 in Mozambique, authorities said. Gilberto “Fuminho” Aparecido dos Santos, an alleged leader of the First Capital Command (PCC), was arrested in an international [ … ]
Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela Powerless Against COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has created an atmosphere of uncertainty among the people of Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Lack of transparency in crisis management, inefficient healthcare systems, and systematic violations of human rights paint a bleak picture for the three countries. In Nicaragua the government of Daniel Ortega still refuses to [ … ]
Colombian Guerrillas Subdue Indigenous Populations with Maduro’s Support
The Uwottüja people, who live in Venezuela’s Amazonas state, said in a meeting for indigenous communities that the Nicolás Maduro regime does not address their problems and needs. The communities living near the four rivers (Sipapo, Cuao, Autana, and Guayapo) and the mid-Orinoco sector have decided to defend themselves with [ … ]
Brazilian Armed Forces Provide Continuous Support to Fight Against Narcotrafficking
On April 1, units of Operation Horus, which includes the Brazilian Federal Police (PF, in Portuguese), the National Public Security Force, and the Brazilian Army, carried out another large seizure: 5,000 boxes of counterfeit cigarettes. The illegal cargo was found in trucks in the rural area of Jardim Paredão, Paraná [ … ]
Giving ‘Maximum Pressure’ a New Meaning
The Venezuelan regime has proven resilient over the years, but it may be nearing its final hours, says the National Review Institute, in an article posted on its website on April 4. The article referred to U.S. President Donald Trump’s directive to deploy additional ships, aircraft, and security forces in [ … ]
Fifth Phase of Orion International Naval Campaign to Combat Drug Trafficking Begins
On April 1, as part of the fight against the worldwide illicit drug problem, Colombia and 25 nations of the Americas and Europe initiated the fifth phase of the Orion International Naval Campaign to Combat Drug Trafficking. The campaign has been held in the region since 2018. The campaign consists [ … ]
Bachelet Calls for Release of Prisoners in Venezuela
Amid the pandemic the world faces due to the spread of COVID-19, United Nations (U.N.) High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called for the unconditional release of all political prisoners in Venezuela. Bachelet reported more than 130 cases of alleged human rights violations against people imprisoned for disagreeing with [ … ]
US Calls Out Iran, China, and Venezuela on Human Rights Abuses
The United States is condemning authoritarian governments around the world for suppressing people with severe human rights “violations and abuses” to control any activities that might threaten their power. “Experience teaches that government officials who oppress, abuse, and tolerate the denial of the human rights of their own people are [ … ]