Carney Davos Speech Resonates in Latin America

Welcome back ⁤to ⁢ Foreign Policy‘s Latin America Brief.

The highlights this ‌week: Latin America reacts to ‌the discourse ‍at the World Economic Forum, Guatemala enacts a state of emergency, and Chile battles deadly wildfires.

Many‌ of those ‌who object to Washington’s behavior are treading carefully, lest they trigger further blowback.

Some regional officials have been sharing Carney’s speech ⁢on social media ‍ and in‌ text messages‍ seen by foreign Policy,and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum praised ⁣it at a press conference. Although many Latin Americans welcomed its themes, they did not find them⁢ novel: Academics and policymakers ‍in the region have spent years publicly airing their preference for active nonalignment-the approach that ⁤Carney‍ defended-after ⁢suffering the negative effects of great-power posturing on the world stage.

Perhaps the moast similar message to a Carney-esque critique⁤ in recent ‍days came⁣ from brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Writing in the New York Times on Sunday, Lula ‌ called the jan. 3 U.S. ‌attack in⁣ Venezuela “yet ‍another regrettable chapter in the continuous ‌erosion of international law‌ and the multilateral order ‍established after World War II.” But in the same article, lula mentioned that Brazil ⁣was negotiating with the United States in areas such ⁣as investment and fighting ‍crime.

in addition to his more global comments, Carney specifically hailed Canada’s progress toward a trade deal with⁣ South American customs union mercosur.⁢ While ⁣the European Union just completed such an agreement, the European Parliament ‌ voted on Wednesday to submit ‍it to a harsh⁢ court review process, casting doubt ‍on the compact’s future.

Ultimately,how well Latin American countries can respond to a “world without rules”-as Lula advisor celso⁤ Amorim called it ⁢in⁢ a recent Economist essay-will be measured more in economic results than in speeches. That’s‍ why the lack of a headline address⁣ by a regional⁤ leader in Davos this week may matter less than the fact that senior⁢ officials‍ from chile to Mexico were present in the Swiss resort town, ‍touting their countries as investment destinations.

They have their work cut out for them. The region’s average annual growth rate is hovering just above 2 percent-so low that a Davos panel on Latin America was devoted ‌to how to break this “growth ceiling.”

At least 19 people have⁢ died in wildfires that have swept through Chile’s Valparaíso region, officials said Tuesday. Hundreds of homes have been destroyed, and⁣ authorities have declared a state of emergency.

The latest disaster in Chile comes as President-elect José Antonio Kast prepares to take office‌ in March.He pledged that‍ he would devote early efforts to postfire reconstruction and met ⁤with outgoing President Gabriel Boric to ‌discuss the‌ blazes on⁢ Monday.

On Tuesday, Kast‍ named his cabinet. His environment minister, ⁤Francisca Toledo, is a civil engineer with‍ little-known experience in environmental protection.She⁢ is close to Kast’s incoming finance minister, Jorge‍ Quiroz, who has pledged to reduce economic regulations.

Teaching Nobel. teachers from both Argentina and Colombia are among this year’s 10 finalists for the Global Teacher⁣ Prize,nicknamed the “Nobel prize ⁤for teaching.” The winner will be announced in Dubai early next month.

Argentina’s nominee ⁣is⁢ Gloria Argentina Cisneros, ‍a rural educator in a part of northern⁢ Chaco province that lacks running water. ⁢Despite scarce resources, Cisneros’s school guided the students through projects in biodiversity protection and conventional medicine-which⁣ regularly⁤ earned them ⁢recognition at science fairs.

In Colombia, finalist Joshue Castellanos Paternina created an⁢ app to help teenage students study core parts of ⁤the⁣ country’s public school curriculum. The platform is now recommended by government education officials.

The ⁣prize is‌ awarded each year by the U.K.-based Varkey Foundation,which aims to raise the status of ⁤teaching globally.Latin American countries overwhelmingly Bernardo Arévalo and the State of Emergency
Bernardo Arévalo, the current⁤ President of Guatemala, extended the state of emergency, a measure initially implemented in 2022, to continue‍ efforts against gang violence. The U.S. Department of State recognizes Guatemala’s ongoing struggle with gang activity and its impact on security and governance.

Arévalo had previously been hesitant ‌to‌ utilize such measures, generally prioritizing human rights. However, he is now ⁣navigating a complex situation ⁢where maintaining ⁢a strong relationship with the United States, ⁢which is actively encouraging‌ regional cooperation in combating ‌crime, is also crucial. The U.S. has ⁣provided security assistance to Guatemala, including funding for police training and equipment. USAID’s work in Guatemala focuses on⁣ strengthening democratic institutions and improving citizen security.

On Tuesday, January 16, 2024, Guatemalan police conducted a large-scale operation ⁤against the Barrio 18 gang in guatemala City, ⁣leveraging‌ the expanded permissions granted under the state of emergency. The Associated Press reported on this operation, detailing the increased police powers and the focus on dismantling gang structures.

Initial Declaration and Extensions

The initial state of emergency was declared in November 2022 by then-President Alejandro Giammattei in response to a surge in gang-related violence. Human rights Watch documented concerns regarding human rights abuses during the initial implementation of‌ the state of emergency, including arbitrary‌ arrests and due process violations.

The state of emergency grants authorities expanded powers, including the⁢ ability to conduct searches without warrants ⁢and restrict freedom ⁤of ‌assembly. As of⁤ January 23, 2024, the state of emergency remains in effect, with extensions approved by the Guatemalan Congress. The Guatemalan‌ Congress website provides information‍ on legislative actions, ‍including the ‌approval of state of emergency extensions.

According to Reuters, Arévalo extended the state of emergency ‌for an additional 30 ‌days, citing ‌the need to maintain security gains.

Impact on Human Rights

The ⁢state of‍ emergency has raised concerns among human rights organizations regarding⁢ potential abuses of power and violations of due ⁤process. Amnesty International ⁣has documented cases of arbitrary arrests and ‍detentions under the state of emergency.

Critics argue that the broad powers granted to security forces have led to the detention of innocent individuals and a weakening of judicial oversight.The Guatemalan ⁣Human Rights Commission (GHRC) has reported on ⁢the challenges ⁤faced by legal defenders in representing individuals ⁢detained‌ under ⁢the state of emergency. The GHRC website provides reports and analysis ⁢on ‌human rights issues⁣ in ‍Guatemala.

As‌ of January 23, 2024, ⁢there have been reports of ‍over 13,000 arrests made under the state of emergency, with a importent number of‍ detainees facing lengthy pre-trial detention. El ⁣Periódico reported ⁤these figures,highlighting the scale of the detentions.

Share this:
Facebook
X

Related

~~Brazil, Canada, Central America, Colombia, Davos - World Economic Forum, homepage_regional_americas, North America, paywall free, South America, U.S. foreign policy~~

Carney Davos Speech Resonates in Latin America

Sign up to receive Latin America⁣ Brief⁤ in your inbox‍ every Friday.

Initial Declaration and Extensions

Impact on Human Rights

Share this:

Related