AS/COA Online | DOJ Files Suit against Arizona over Immigration Law

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The Obama administration had hinted at it and the wait is now over: On July 6 the U.S. Department of Justice filed suit  to halt enforcement of Arizona’s controversial immigration law. The brief argues that SB1070, passed in April and scheduled for July 29 implementation, obstructs Washington’s authority over immigration law and that “the Constitution and federal law do not permit the development of a patchwork of state and local immigration policies throughout the country.” By including such language, the Justice Department not only hopes to achieve an injunction against the law in Arizona’s U.S. District Court, but also to stem a spate of copycat legislation in other states. Moreover, the brief makes the case that SB1070 will hinder both local policing and national security efforts. “Arizonans are understandably frustrated with illegal immigration, and the federal government has a responsibility to comprehensively address those concerns,” said U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. “But diverting federal resources away from dangerous aliens such as terrorism suspects and aliens with criminal records will impact the entire country’s safety.”

The brief came from the Justice Department, not the White House, but was filed within days of U.S. President Barack Obama’s delivery of a speech urging comprehensive immigration reform in which he described Arizona’s law as “ill conceived.” Critics of the immigration law say it will lead to racial profiling, given it inclusion of a clause allowing police officers to request identification in cases “where reasonable suspicion exists that the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States.”  While SB1070 has fanned the flames of the immigration debate domestically, it has drawn attention abroad as well. While touring Latin America in June, the first question posed in a televised interview with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed the Arizona law. In her response, Clinton revealed the Justice Department’s plan to file a lawsuit.

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AS/COA Online | Colombia Readies for Runoff Vote

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Juan Manuel Santos appears to be a shoe-in for the June 20 presidential runoff in Colombia. Polls place the former defense minister as many as 37 points ahead of his rival, ex-Mayor of Bogota Antanas Mockus. As a former cabinet member for popular president, Álvaro Uribe, Santos could represent safe continuity for voters on Sunday. Moreover, the June 14 release of four hostages held for over a decade by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) coincided with the close of campaigning and could win more support for Santos. But electoral victory does not depend on polls alone, as the first round of elections proved.

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AS/COA Online | Sec. Clinton Lays out U.S.-LatAm Policy in Andean Tour

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Updated June 10 - With the 40th OAS General Assembly hosted by Peru this week, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton traveled to Latin America and Caribbean for the seventh time since joining the Obama cabinet. The summit marked nearly a year since the overthrow of then-Honduran President Manuel Zelaya as well as continued disagreement between members over whether the Central American country should be brought back into the OAS fold. Clinton not only urged for Honduras’ readmission, but petitioned OAS members for support on sanctions against Iran over that country’s nuclear policy. In a trip that takes the secretary to Ecuador, Colombia, and Barbados, she delivered remarks in Quito outlining the shared U.S.-Latin American responsibility too reduce social inequality in the region.

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AS/COA Online | Strong Showing for Santos in Colombia's First Round

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As predicted, Colombia will need to hold a second round of elections to decide who will take over when President Álvaro Uribe steps down in August. But the results from the first round on May 30 were surprising nonetheless: Although polls placed the two top candidates in a dead heat a week before elections, the U Party’s Juan Manuel Santos won more than double the number of votes of his main rival from the Green Party, Antanas Mockus. Santos, who earned 46.6 percent of the vote, came within a few points of winning the requisite simple majority to avoid a runoff. Mockus pulled in 21.5 percent. The results indicate that voters may feel more comfortable with the continuity of Uribe’s security policies represented by Santos, the ex-defense minister, than the change symbolized by Mockus, Bogota’s former mayor. When campaigns closed a week ago, Mockus polled five points ahead of Santos in the case of a second round. He now faces an uphill battle as the two candidates prepare for the June 20 runoff.

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AS/COA Online | Colombian Election Runs Close in the Home Stretch

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As campaigning closes for Colombia’s May 30 presidential elections, polls placed the two frontrunners neck and neck in what has become a dramatic race between Bogota’s ex-Mayor Antanas Mockus and former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos. Green Party candidate Mockus surged on what’s become known as the ola verde—or green wave—to become a top contender. He faces Santos, seen as an heir to the popular president, Álvaro Uribe. After a long wait for an official decision on whether Uribe would be able to pursue a third term, Colombia’s Constitutional Court rejected a reelection referendum in February and the presidential race got off to a gallop. Although several candidates remain in the running, the competition became a two-horse race between Mockus and Santos in recent weeks. Still, Colombians may face another wait come May 30. Polls show neither Mockus nor Santos winning more than 50 percent of the vote, the needed portion to avoid a runoff election. A second round of elections would occur June 20.

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AS/COA Online | Security and Immigration Frame Calderón's DC Visit

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President of Mexico Felipe Calderón pays a visit to Washington this week amid ongoing drug-war worries and rising U.S. tensions over immigration. In his first state visit to Washington since his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama took office, Calderón will also address a joint session of Congress. He is expected to stress bilateral responsibility in combating organized crime and cartel-related bloodshed in Mexico. But controversy over Arizona’s passage of immigration legislation SB1070 has pushed immigration higher up Calderón’s agenda as well. Moreover, with Mexico’s financial health tied to that of its northern neighbor, the visit will also focus on bilateral trade and economic cooperation, particularly a dispute over a cross-border trucking plan.

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AS/COA Online | Arizona Law Stirs Immigration Debate

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Arizona’s tough new immigration legislation has put federal immigration reform back into the spotlight, even as the Southwestern state’s decision attracts condemnation and debate. SB1070, signed by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer on April 23 and scheduled to take effect over the summer, allows local law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration laws and arrest undocumented immigrants. It also paves the way for police officers to request identification in cases where they have “reasonable suspicion” that a person may be in the country illegaly, sparking criticism that the legislation would lead to racial profiling. Individuals caught transporting undocumented immigrants will also face charges. The law could face an uphill battle, given that some lawyers deem it unconstitutional and the U.S. Attorney General’s office is weighing the possibility of a federal lawsuit. With cries to boycott the state in response to the bill, Arizona could endure economic repercussions and has already drawn harsh words from Mexico’s President Felipe Calderón, who branded the law as “unacceptable racial discrimination.”

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AS/COA Online | Latin America Springs Forward

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Latin American economies appear to be waving goodbye to the global financial crisis and welcoming recovery. The World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) released reports this week predicting regional growth will hit at least 4 percent in 2010. With recovery occurring faster than previously predicted and emerging markets leading the charge, Latin America’s rebound ranks second only to Asia’s. Still, challenges remain, such as increased poverty rates stemming from the recent downturn and worries about future asset bubbles similar to those experienced in advanced economies.

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AS/COA Online | Beijing Pledges $20 Billion to Venezuela

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Beijing and Caracas underscored their burgeoning ties over the weekend with $20 billion in Chinese financing, largely for Venezuela’s energy sector. The series of accords signed includes plans for a joint venture for exploration in the oil-rich Orinoco belt and secures Venezuelan oil for energy-hungry China. “This is a larger scope, a super heavy fund. China needs energy security and we’re here to provide them with all the oil they need,” said Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez in televised remarks. “China is going to give financing to Venezuela, to the Venezuelan people, to the Bolivarian Revolution…over the long-term and in large volume.” The funds could help salve the Andean country’s battered economy and infrastructure. 

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AS/COA Online | Sec. Gates Tours Region to Boost Security Ties

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The Obama administration sought to bolster security ties with Latin American and Caribbean allies this week when U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates traveled to Peru, Colombia, and Barbados. Before kicking off his tour in Lima, Gates and Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim met at the Pentagon on April 12 and signed the two countries’ first bilateral defense pact since 1977. Gates’ hemispheric tour focused on military ties and antinarcotics efforts. But the defense secretary also took the opportunity while in Bogota to voice support for the long-stalled U.S.-Colombia trade pact. 

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AS/COA Online | U.S.-Brazil Military Pact on the Horizon

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The United States and Brazil could ink their first defense pact in decades as early as April 12. Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim made note of the bilateral deal during April 7 remarks to his country’s foreign relations committee in the lower house of Congress. BBC Brasil reported Jobim will travel to Washington Monday to sign the deal alongside U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Earlier in the week, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Arturo Valenzuela, while on an official stop in Ecuador, referenced the cooperation pact, revealed few details, and noted it needed to be finalized. The negotiations come at a time of bumps in bilateral relations caused by Brazil’s reluctance to back new UN sanctions on Iran as well as the likelihood that it will purchase French fighter jets over American ones. 

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AS/COA Online | UN Haiti Conference Exceeds Funding Expectations

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Reconstruction in Haiti. (DoD photo: U.S. Navy Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Joan E. Kretschmer)A UN donor conference aimed at raising funds to help rebuild a devastated Haiti showed that countries around the globe are willing to put their money where there mouth is. With more than 150 countries and organizations represented at the March 31 conference at the UN’s New York headquarters, pledging almost $10 billion in short and long-term aid. The $5.3 billion committed to help cover rebuilding costs for the next two years exceeded the Haitian government’s request by 1.4 billion. But some have made the point that it will take more than cash to reconstruct Haiti after the January 12 earthquake that claimed roughly 220,000 lives and ravaged infrastructure in Port-au-Prince. “You can have all the pledges in the world, but you must be able to implement,” said the Inter-American Development Bank’s Luis Alberto Moreno. 

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AS/COA Online | Lula Unveils Major Infrastructure Investment Plan

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In a move that could bolster the electoral chances of his chosen political heir, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced a massive infrastructure investment program this week. The plan—valued at roughly $880 billion—will be the second stage of the Growth Acceleration Program and is known by its Portuguese acronym as PAC 2. Lula unveiled the plan at a meeting with 1,200 people and his hoped-for successor Dilma Rousseff in attendance. Rousseff’s administration would carry out the project should she win the October elections. She steps down from her post as Lula’s chief of staff this week to focus on the race as the governing Workers’ Party candidate. But even though Lula’s approval rating has hit a record 76 percent, Rousseff trails São Paulo Governor José Serra in electoral polling.

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AS/COA Online | Obama Condemns Cuba's "Clenched Fist"

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The White House took a break from rallies for health care reform this week to issue a condemnation of human rights conditions in Cuba. U.S. President Barack Obama called the death of a hunger striker and repression of human rights activists as “deeply disturbing” in a March 24 statement. “These events underscore that instead of embracing an opportunity to enter a new era, Cuban authorities continue to respond to the aspirations of the Cuban people with a clenched fist,” he added. The president’s words—perhaps his harshest criticism of the Cuban government since taking office—come during a time of protests in Havana and Miami over recent attempts to silence a dissident group known as Las Damas de Blanco, or the Ladies in White. 

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AS/COA Online | Colombian Presidential Race Heats up

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Judging by the results of Colombia’s March 14 legislative elections, former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos is off to a strong start in the race for the country’s presidency. His party won the lion’s share of votes and captured the largest portion of seats in the Senate and Chamber of Representatives. But the Conservative Party, which held its presidential primary the same day, came in second and some analysts posit that the March 19 confirmation of Noemí Sanín as the Conservative candidate could divide President Álvaro Uribe’s coalition and create a challenge for Santos in the first round of elections on May 30. Both candidates face a number of competitors.

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AS/COA Online | Brazil Raises Stakes over U.S. Cotton Subsidies

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Brasilia took a simmering trade dispute with Washington a step further this week when it announced intentions of suspending a number of U.S. patents and copyrights. The measure builds on a March 8 decision to impose tariffs on over a 100 American goods unless the United States abides by a World Trade Organization ruling that deems illegal Washington’s $3-billion subsidies on cotton. The United States has until April 7 to find a solution before Brazil’s multimillion-dollar retaliations take effect.

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AS/COA Online | Secretary Clinton's Latin American Tour

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U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tours Latin America this week for a journey that takes her through the Southern Cone, Brazil, and Central America. Though hers is a trip through the Americas, it involves Middle East policy. “I’m on my way to Latin America next week. And Iran is at the top of my agenda,” said Clinton in February 24 testimony at a Senate Appropriation Committee, hinting at concern over Brazil’s deepening ties with Iran. But that was before an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Chile, one of the stops on the secretary’s trip. Her trip runs from February 28 through March 5 and she travels to Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Guatemala.

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AS/COA Online | Colombian Court Blocks Third Term for Uribe

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Colombia’s constitutional court ended a two-year-old waiting game on February 26 when it voted against a reelection referendum that could have paved the way for President Álvaro Uribe to seek a third term. In a vote of 7 to 2, the court rejected the referendum as unconstitutional, saying that it was not only laden with irregularities but “substantial violations to democratic principles.” By sounding the referendum’s death knell, the court set off a presidential race previously frozen in limbo and candidates are recalibrating their campaigns for a May 30 election that won’t list Uribe on the ballot. Beforehand, Colombia holds legislative elections on March 14. 

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AS/COA Online | UK-Argentina in Diplomatic Row over Archipelago

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Buenos Aires brought its concerns about the Falkland Islands to the United Nations this week as a dispute with the United Kingdom heated up over the archipelago’s sovereignty. While Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner drew support for her country’s territorial claims from fellow Latin American leaders during the Rio Summit, a British company began drilling operations in the Falkland basin. A Spanish-Argentine partnership announced intentions to explore for oil as well, but in Argentine territory. The prospect of large oil reserves has brought a new twist on a decades-old disagreement over the Falklands—or Malvinas.

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