On Monday, Bolsonaro met with dozens of ambassadors in the Palácio da Alvorada to discuss Brazil’s upcoming presidential elections in October. Invitations were sent to nearly 50 ambassadors, according to Bolsonaro, with the selection process seemingly excluding neighboring left-leaning countries. At the meeting, he reportedly repeated his claims of election fraud, critiqued the electronic voting system, and insisted that Supreme Court and Supreme Electoral Court justices were plotting to take him down and support Lula’s candidacy. Bolsonaro additionally complained that the Supreme Court was not sufficiently listening to the country’s military, arguing that the armed forces should be more closely involved in the administration of the elections. (Folha, Estadão, New York Times)

According to political analyst Roberto Simon on Twitter, “If truly concerned about Brazil’s democracy, foreign diplomats being called by Bolsonaro to listen to his soliloquy of lies about Brazil’s electoral process have several choices: they can boycott the meeting, walk away, or publicly voice their concerns.” US State Department officials have repeatedly made statements on Twitter and have engaged in quiet diplomatic efforts with the Bolsonaro administration to voice their concerns. Americas Quarterly also outlined last month what the US should do in response to Brazil’s looming election crisis. Following the meeting yesterday, the Swiss ambassador to Brazil made a widely circulated statement on Twitter in support of Brazilian institutions and democracy. 

More Brazil

• Bolsonaro’s presidential campaign found great success by using social media in 2018, but the president continues to rely on the strategy without the same success today, despite recommendations from advisors to run a more traditional re-election campaign, reports Bloomberg.
  
  
• A new report from CSIS explores the security relationship between Brazil and the United States. 

Guatemala

• Just hours after publishing an investigation on corruption among the former Guatemalan president Otto Pérez Molina’s administration, current and former congress members, and Odebrecht, independent media outlet No-Ficción’s Twitter account was mysteriously deactivated in an apparent cyber-attack, according to No-Ficción. Once recuperated, the account experienced a sudden and dramatic drop in the number of Twitter followers, reaching zero followers. It appears that the account has since recouped their followers, but questions remain over what exactly happened. 

Costa Rica

• “If Chaves believes his country is under attack, he has every right to consider for (the Rio Treaty) to be invoked,” writes James Bosworth for World Politics Review. Costa Rica has been struggling with cyber attacks from Conti ransomware, a non-state hacking organization that has threatened the country’s economy and state operations.

Mexico

• The Sinaloa Cartel’s growing presence in Mexico City poses both a security threat and a threat to mayor Claudia Sheinbaum’s presidential aspirations, write James Bosworth and Lucy Hale at the Latin America Risk Report.
  
  
• An intense drought is hurting Mexico’s industrial and agricultural sectors, as well as endangering livelihoods as people struggle to have potable water in their homes. (AP)
  
  
• Mismanagement of Mexico’s welfare policies and its economy has worsened the suffering of the country’s poor, according to the New York Times. 

Central America

• Central American democracies are experiencing one of their most fragile moments in decades, according to Ana María Méndez-Dardón, Director for Central America at WOLA. She argues that failing judicial systems, corruption, and organized crime have been key causes. 

El Salvador

• The Salvadoran national soccer team could be suspended from future international tournaments following an investigation into potential money laundering by the Salvadoran Football Association (FESFUT), reports AS.

Colombia

• The country’s newly elected Congress, to be inaugurated tomorrow, will act as a “strainer” for president-elect Gustavo Petro’s reform ambitions, write Juan Fernando Giraldo and Sergio Guzmán for El Espectador.
  
  
• At least 101 Colombian social leaders have been killed since the start of the year, according to Indepaz, reports Al Jazeera. Indepaz also notes that 1,328 social leaders have been killed in the country since the signing of the 2016 peace accord. 

Haiti

• As inflation continues to worsen, many Haitians are forced to choose between paying to put food on the table or paying to keep their children in school, reports Reuters.

Regional

• “2022 is turning into a lean cow year,” writes Moises Naím in Politico, making reference to the biblical story as Latin America prepares for yet another fluctuation in the international commodity market. Poor economic conditions have favored opposition members in presidential elections across the region as anti-incumbency sentiments prevail. 

Argentina

• Wingo, a Colombian budget subsidiary carrier of Panama’s Copa Airlines, joins Flybondi and JetSmart, among others, as another low-cost airline, reports MercoPress.
  
   
• Argentina officialized the appointments of new Ambassadors to Ecuador, Honduras, and Venezuela, according to La Nación.

Arianna Kohan and Jordi Amaral / Latin America Daily Briefing
http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot