Weekly Roundup: Evo's Travels, Canada's Elections, Mexico's March

Morales Visits Iran and Libya

Bolivian President Evo Morales traveled to North Africa on August 30 for a two-day visit where he met with Libya’s Leader Muammar Qadhafi in an effort to strengthen diplomatic relations. Morales looks to Libya for possible investments in Bolivia’s natural gas industry. From Libya, Morales continued his foreign tour by visiting Iran, where he was greeted by President Mahmud Ahmadinejad and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini Khamenei. Morales and Ahmadinejad vowed to tighten energy and commercial ties.

During recent remarks, COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth discussed the dangers of Iranian ties with Latin America.

Discord over Bolivia’s Constitutional Referendum

Bolivia’s executive branch clashed with the Comisión Nacional Electoral (CNE) over the proposed referendum to revamp the constitution, with the vote scheduled for December 7. The CNE sent three letters to the government pointing out that the referendum is not viable because of a judicial impediment. A government spokesman fired back stating that the CNE letters have no legal value and that the referendum will be held as scheduled.

Read a recent AS/COA analysis of Bolivia's many elections.

Top Brazilian Spy Officials Suspended over Scandal

Several senior Brazilian government officials allegedly had their phones tapped by the Brazilian Intelligence Agency without a proper court order. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva suspended the agency’s top chiefs pending an investigation, reports BBC.

Mexicans Demonstrate Against Violence

Tired of gruesome murders perpetrated by organized crime, Mexicans marched by the thousands in cities throughout the country to protest against drug-fueled violence that has claimed the lives of roughly 3,000 people so far this year. Protesters demanded that the government of President Felipe Calderón, who has deployed thousands of troops to border areas in the war against drug cartels, show results on his pledge to fight organized crime.

Activists used Facebook to rally supporters and invite people to demonstrate, reports the Chicago Tribune.

Read AS/COA’s coverage on the rising use of cyberspace as a tool for political engagement.

A new AS/COA analysis looks at surging violence and kidnapping in Mexico.

Assessing the U.S. Role in Mexico's Drug War

In a new op-ed for El Diario, AS/COA's Christopher Sabatini writes that while U.S. approval of the Merida Initiative demonstrates support for Mexican President Felipe Calderón's fight against organized crime, the pact fails to go far enough to treat the symptoms fueling the drug war. In particular, the United States accounts for a majority of consumption of drugs smuggled from Mexico as well as arms smuggled in the other direction.

Abortion Law Upheld in Mexico City

Mexico’s Supreme Court last week voted 8-3 that a law allowing first-trimester abortions in the country’s capital does not violate the constitution, thereby dismissing a challenge brought by the federal government. Mexico City legalized abortions in April and, reports the Guardian, has the most liberal abortion laws in Latin America alongside Cuba.

Kirchner Makes Paris Club Pledge

On September 2, Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner announced that her country will repay $6.7 billion of debt that has been in default since 2001 with the Paris Club. In addition, Kirchner experienced a rise in her approval ratings in August despite her political defeat on a controversial soy tax proposal.

U.S. Diplomats Reassert U.S.-Argentine Relations

Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Tom Shannon and U.S. Ambassador to Argentina Earl Anthony Wayne participated in AS/COA’s annual Latin American Cities Conference in Argentina. They underlined the importance of fruitful bilateral relations between Washington and Buenos Aires and asserted the need for close collaboration on security and democracy.

The Obama-Biden Ticket and Latin America

In her latest column, the Washington Post’s Marcela Sanchez takes a closer look at the Democratic ticket in terms of U.S.-Latin American relations. “For Latin America, [Joe] Biden joining Obama on the ticket leaves much to be desired,” writes Sanchez, but says that Biden’s interest in resolving issues of inequality could improve inter-American relations should the Democrats win.

Republicans Approve Strict Immigration Platform

The surprise nomination of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as vice president on the Republican ticket has drawn a storm of media coverage during the Republican National Convention this week, overshadowing Monday’s approval of a Republican platform on immigration. La Opinión reports that the platform opposes amnesty or drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants and proposes collaboration between local, state, and federal police in the application of migration laws.

Immigration Enforcement Targets Head Start

The U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement Agency is using Head Start programs for preschoolers to identify and pinch undocumented parents in what the Miami Herald calls a “a new low in the fight against illegal immigration.”

Chávez Travels to South Africa

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez arrived in South Africa on a two-day visit on September 2 with the goal of signing hefty energy accords between PDVSA and PetroSA. Oil exploration and technology sharing stood high on Chávez’s list as he met with his South African counterpart Thabo Mbeki.

Canadian Elections Likely

Prime Minister Stephen Harper met with opposition leader Stéphane Dion on Monday to bridge differences and discuss the possibility of early parliamentary elections for this fall. Harper will also meet with Governor General Michaëlle Jean to ratify October 14 as the date. In a recent poll, Canadians responded that healthcare stands as the most important issue, followed by economic performance and the environment.

Ortega Asserts Control over Opposition Parties

An OpenDemocracy article explains recent measures taken by the Consejo Electoral Supremo (CES) in Nicaragua to declare illegal both the Movimiento de Renovación Sandinista political party and the Conservative Party. President Daniel Ortega allegedly holds control over the CES. The decision affects the upcoming November 2008 election, which will have “only two visible contestants”: the Sandinista Front—Ortega’s party—and the allied Liberal party.

El Salvador Leaning Left?

Latin American Thought blog analyzes recent events in Salvadorian presidential politics with a look at why Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional’s Mauricio Funes—a center-left candidate—stands a strong chance in the upcoming 2009 presidential elections.

Ecuador Includes Nature’s Rights in Constitution

The new constitution that Ecuadorians will vote on in late September includes provisions on whether nature should be guaranteed certain inaliable rights. The unprecedented move would bestow citizens and lawmakers with the ability to protect nature, according to a Los Angeles Times editorial that highlights other bold propositions in parts of the United States as well as in Australia, Italy, and Nepal.

Looking into the Future of North American Relations

A new report assesses the outlook for relations between the United States, Mexico, and Canada. A result of a collaboration of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas, and the Conference Board of Canada, The Future of North America addresses competitiveness, energy, the environment, infrastructure, labor mobility, and security.