Weekly Roundup: Venezuela's Next Election, LatAm's First Pope, and Peru's Recall Vote

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Peña Nieto Follows 100 Days in Office with Telecom Reform

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto marked his first 100 days in office by heralding a drive for change, saying: “Each decision made, each action taken is in response to the great object we set out on the first day: to transform Mexico.” The Los Angeles Times notes the new administration already oversaw a far-reaching education reform, followed by the arrest for fraud of a powerful opponent of that reform—the head of the teacher’s union. A day after the president’s hundredth day in office, Financial Times’ beyondbrics blog looked at the introduction of another major reform—this time taking on the country’s telecom monopolies. Both reforms are part of a larger package of 95 initiatives, known as the Pacto por México, backed by all three main political parties and covered in an AS/COA explainer.

But some note that Peña Nieto has a long road ahead. CNNMéxico reports that he’s gotten through two out of 266 promises he signed before a notary public while he was on the campaign trail last year. ADNPólitico offers a Peña Nieto “promesómetro” (promise meter) to track progress on presidential commitments. At the time of this report, he had completed less than 5 percent of his promises.

The New Pope: A Chance for More LatAm Followers?

Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope on March 13, becoming the first-ever Latin American Vatican leader. Numerous Latin American heads of state—including Argentina’s President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa, and Mexico’s Enrique Peña Nieto took to Twitter to congratulate the new pope. Bogdan Piotrowski, a Vatican expert who served as a translator for Pope John Paul II, told Colombia’s El Espectador that the selection of the first Latin American pope means “an opening in the Church to plurality and multiculturalism.” It also creates possibilities to increase Latin America’s Catholic following, he said. TIME pointed out that the region’s Catholic population dropped from 81 percent in 1996 to 70 percent in 2010.

Tit-for-Tat: U.S. Expels Two Venezuelan Diplomats

The U.S. government expelled two Venezuelan diplomats on March 11, reports The Washington Post. Second secretary Jose Orlando Montanez Olivares and consular officer Victor Camacaro Mata left the country following the expulsion of two U.S. military attachés from Venezuela last week. “Clearly, when you have an incident that you consider unjust, and then you need to take reciprocal action and make your point,” said U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland. “We do hope for better relations with Venezuela…but it’s going to take a change of tone from Caracas.”

In Venezuela, Presidential Candidates Prepare for Election

On Monday, Venezuela’s presidential contenders registered their candidacies with the National Electoral Council (CNE) ahead of the April 14 elections. Interim President Nicolás Maduro drove a bus to the CNE in a nod to his former profession as a bus driver, but opposition candidate Henrique Capriles opted to send a representative instead of appearing in person. On Wednesday, the government revealed that it had uncovered an assassination plot against Capriles, which may have explained his absence at the CNE.

Human Development Index: LatAm in Focus

The United Nations launched its annual Human Development Index report on Thursday, revealing that Latin America showed the largest jump in human development than any other region since 2000. Measuring life expectancy, education, and income, the study found that Latin America’s human development index rose 0.67 percent from 2000 to 2012. Chile and Argentina ranked highest in the region in the “very high” development category, while Haiti was the only country to fall in the low development category. The report cites Mexico as one of the countries with the greatest advance in human development, which ranked at spot 61 out of 187 countries. Brazil, however, came in at number 85 with an index below the Latin American average.

Colombia Survey: Perceptions of Poverty in Decline

Colombia’s government statistics agency released its annual quality of life report this week, indicating that 42 percent of Colombians consider themselves to live below the poverty line. This represents a 25-point drop over the past decade: in 2003, 67 percent considered themselves poor.

Santos: Colombia Making Progress on FARC Peace Agreement

If negotiations continue at a strong pace, Colombia’s peace talks with the guerrilla group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) could result in an agreement in a matter of months, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said on March 13. The president also stressed the importance of establishing the FARC’s political participation as part of an ultimate resolution. (H/T Colombia Reports)

Amid Rising Revenues, Brazil Oil Royalties Row Continues

President Dilma Rousseff signed the country’s new oil royalties bill on March 14, though Congress overturned her partial veto last week. As the law now reads, producing states stand to lose billions in royalties. On Friday morning, the governors of Espirito Santo and Rio de Janeiro states challenged the law, bringing a case to the Supreme Court. Brazil’s National Agency of Petroleum announced on Thursday that the country raised $16.1 billion in royalties last year and expects to collect royalties amounting to $34.1 billion by 2020.

Immigration-reform Senators Reach Accord on Path to Citizenship

The bipartisan group of eight U.S. senators working on an immigration reform bill came to an agreement to allow for a path to citizenship for those who lack legal status, reports the Los Angeles Times. The draft proposal would require undocumented immigrants to pay a fee, register with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and file federal taxes for time spent in the United States.

Report: Latinos Bridging the Digital Divide in U.S.

According to a March 7 report from the Pew Hispanic Center, the digital gap between Latinos and whites decreased considerably between 2009 and 2012. Over three years, internet usage among Latinos grew 14 percentage points, whereas usage among whites rose by half as much. The analysis also found that Latinos access the internet from mobile devices and use social networking sites at higher rates than white Americans.

Falkland Islands Referendum: Residents Choose UK Status

Of the approximately 1,500 votes cast in a referendum on March 10 and 11, 99.8 percent of residents in the South Atlantic archipelago favored remaining an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. However, the referendum is non-binding and lacked UN backing. In response to the vote, the Argentine government called for bilateral negotiations with the British.

Recall Vote Ahead for Mayor of Peruvian Capital

On March 17, Lima residents head to the polls to decide whether to recall Mayor Susana Villarán, who entered office in 2011 as the first female mayor of the city. Those in favor of removing Villarán say she is a poor manager who failed to live up to her campaign promises, while those opposed defend the mayor’s record in attracting investment and taking on corruption. A March 10 IPSOS poll indicated that 55 percent of Lima residents plan to vote to recall the mayor.

In Haiti, Baby Doc Hearings Move ahead

Testimony from victims of former Haitian ruler Jean-Claude Duvalier’s regime continued on March 14, following the dictator’s surprise court appearance in late February. A court of appeals is gathering evidence from those who suffered abuses under “Baby Doc” from 1971 to 1986.